14 DAY TRIAL // Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia and telecommunications solutions provider ST-Ericsson have announced today that they signed a long-term partnership aimed at development of TD-SCDMA technology and solutions. According to the agreement, Nokia is set to use chipset platforms from ST-Ericsson for its Symbian based TD-SCDMA devices portfolio.
According to Nokia, the new partnership with ST-Ericsson is expected to help it advance in the development of the TD-SCDMA standard. Moreover, both companies will benefit from the new agreement, and are expected to strengthen their position on the Chinese market through delivering a compelling user experience to customers in the country.
“TD-SCDMA is a core part of our strategy to deliver the best mobile user experience to Chinese people. Based on Symbian, TD-SCDMA will be enriched by the mature Symbian ecosystem, its devices, services and solutions. At the same time, TD-SCDMA will offer Symbian ecosystem partners more opportunities in the future,” said Heikki Koivu, vice president, TD-SCDMA, Nokia. Pascal Langlois, chief sales and marketing officer at ST-Ericsson, added “The long-standing collaboration between the companies now extends into a new area. The partnership will accelerate the pace of TD-SCDMA development, shorten time to market, and boost the TD market.”
TD-SCDMA, as many of you might already know, is a Chinese developed 3G standard that is currently being deployed in the country by China Mobile, the largest carrier in the world by number of subscribers. Nokia is one of the companies that committed to the TD-SCDMA development. The company launched during the last month its first device that offers support for the technology, the Nokia 6788, a Symbian-based handset. At the same time, the company also announced the formation of a TD-SCDMA R&D team in Beijing.
“ST-Ericsson, a global leader in wireless platforms and semiconductors, is playing a leading role in China’s TD-SCDMA development. The company, through its Chinese subsidiary T3G, has been dedicated to the creation of new TD-SCDMA technology and devices for more than six years,” a recent post on Nokia Press Bulletin Board states.