Bird reaches agreement with Siemens
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-07-07 14:54

Chinese mobile phone giant Bird has reached an agreement with Germany's Siemens Mobile to tap both domestic and overseas markets, according to sources with the Bird company.

Siemens will make use of Bird's sales network in China, consisting of 30,000 outlets, while Bird will take advantage of Siemens' technical strengths to develop its own phones, said Xu Lihua, chairman of the Chinese company.

Meanwhile, Bird will aim at expanding international sales through Siemens' leading sales status on international markets.

Siemens will invest 10 million euros (US$12.35 million), by the end of the next year, to improve Bird's 30,000 outlets and Siemens-made phones for sale. It will finish preparation work for 16,000 outlets by the end of this year, Xu said.

The two companies will also coordinate their post-sale service. Siemens has 180 service centers in the country and Bird has 450 ones and 1,500 maintenance shops.

Bird has been China's top maker and seller of mobile phones for the past four years and its sales outnumbered all foreign brands in 2003, making it rank first in the country.

Siemens has sales in over 100 countries and regions. Its sales ranked fourth on international markets, but took only a mean share of four to five percent of China's annual mobile phone sales.

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