Motorola LatAm Market Share Up 2 Percentage Points
US equipment manufacturer Motorola maintains its position as the leading mobile handset provider in Latin America and actually increased its market share by two percentage points during the fourth quarter of 2005, the company said in a statement.
"We cannot mention the exact market share figure, but we have a clear leadership in markets such as Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela," Motorola communications director for Latin America Gustavo Wrobel told BNamericas.
"We still do not have the final figures, but we can [confirm] that Motorola is fighting for the leading position in the region with Nokia. Motorola has been in the region a long time, but went through a stage of neglecting it. Now we see a restructuring and they have been very aggressive in their [regional] strategy. That has helped them to regain these positions," Eddie Tapiero at US consultancy Strategy Analytics told BNamericas.
The company's worldwide sales were US$10.4bn in 4Q05, up 18% compared to US$8.84bn in the fourth quarter of 2004. Global mobile device market share is estimated at 19%, up 3.1 percentage points versus the year-ago quarter.
For the entire year, 2005 sales were up 18% on 2004, at US$36.8bn, compared to US$31.3bn. Motorola shipped a record 146 million mobile devices, 40% more than in 2004.
Wrobel was not able to disclose regional figures although he did say the great variety of new products, the close work with operators in the region and the brand awareness among end-users were key for the company's regional growth.
"Our portfolio is currently broader than at any other moment of our industry. Besides, we have worked closely with operators to understand their needs and give them the best products according to their strategies. Also, users are getting to know Motorola's products and we have had interesting offerings for them," Wrobel added.
Following worldwide trends, the Razr model was one of the most successful units in Latin America, particularly in Mexico. "Depending on the market there are products that have had a greater impact because of their technology or price. But in other countries there is a mix of low or mid-tier products that have had a key role [in our growth]," he said.
BNamericas.com"
Posted to the site on 21st January 2006
