Motorola yesterday highlighted its commitment to the African continent, as well as emerging mass markets in the Middle East and Asia, showcasing a new portfolio of products aimed at entry-level consumers in these regions.
Speaking to journalists in Johannesburg, Allen Burnes, Motorola corporate VP for high-growth markets, said the group considers these markets as having huge growth potential and product marketing opportunities.
This comes after last month`s announcement that the GSM Association has selected Motorola to serve for a second phase as the sole supplier of handsets for the emerging market handset programme.
Burnes noted that there are two billion wireless subscribers worldwide, and about 700 million handsets are expected to be sold globally this year, which is evidence that the mobile market is vibrant and growing.
However, there are still about four billion people globally who are waiting to be connected, he said, adding that about two billion of these are located in the Southern Hemisphere, which has a mobile penetration of 10%.
Unlocking growth
Motorola will roll-out a new range of mobile handsets for the African market, based on the C11x mass-market handset platform, which will offer longer battery life for increased talk and standby time, large displays and a durable design.
Although the new range is aimed at fulfilling the needs of mass market consumers, Burnes stressed the offering is also about the "experience of usage".
Stephen Nolan, country manager of Motorola Southern Africa, who was also present at the briefing, said the group`s African mass-market objectives include unlocking growth in the market and "connecting the unconnected", while bridging the digital divide and defining a new ultra-low cost segment of its global market.
Nolan stressed that the company`s emerging mass markets have created opportunities to change lives, and foster and invest in the growth of the wireless industry.
He added that of the six million handsets aimed at the emerging mass market, two million would be shipped to Africa.
The range of handsets to be shipped to Africa include features such as TFT displays, FM radio, camera, speakerphone and lantern technology, which will allow the phone to be used as a source of light.
The C113 and C113a models will be delivered in the first quarter of 2006, while the new C118, C139, C168, C257 and C261 models will be shipped during the second quarter. Some of the handsets will retail for less than $40.
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