France Telecom and ZTE signed a long-term research and development deal that will initially focus on 3G smartphones based on the Linux operating system. The companies plan to work together targeting various segments within the Asian market. The JV will be based out of France Telecom's Beijing lab. France Telecom and ZTE have a prior partnership: ZTE provides broadband data products to the European operator. Aside from the partnership, ZTE also announced the establishment of an R&D center in Europe to provide technology support to France Telecom and European enterprises. Both companies should be pleased with the deal as it allows them to further penetrate overseas markets.
For more on the ZTE, FT deal:
- read this article [1] from AFX
Links:
[1] http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/afx/2005/12/06/afx2372658.html