The two companies will initially offer telematics solutions
BARCELONA, Spain – Chinese ICT solutions provider ZTE signed a strategic agreement with Swedish telecom operator TeliaSonera to jointly target the “Internet of Things” market.
Under terms of the agreement, ZTE and TeliaSonera will collaborate in the IoT segment with an initial focus on telematics solutions. In Europe, TeliaSonera operates in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Spain.
ZTE said it will develop telematics solutions through its ZTE Welink subsidiary, which focuses on the development of wireless communication modules, telematics terminals and solutions. The subsidiary will undertake a major part of the telematics research and development process.
“The combination of ZTE’s 4G technology and the innovative Telia Sense’s service will enable users to have full control of their car and a growing ecosystem of features,” said Jacky Zhang, SVP at ZTE.
TeliaSonera launched its Sense service last November 2015, offering a cloud-based solution that includes a monthly subscription, hardware consisting of a car telematics unit with an included SIM-card for installation in the vehicles onboard diagnostic port and a smartphone application.
“Today, connected cars are only available to new and premium models, but with this offering basically all of our customers can enjoy the benefit of a connected car,” Zhang said. “With this contract we show our strong position in the IoT area.”
Zhijun Wang, deputy GM for ZTE’s Welink, told RCR Wireless News the agreement stipulates the development of new functionalities in the future. Wang also said the company recently signed an agreement for the provisioning of telematics solutions with a Chinese telco.
“We are pursuing new opportunities in the IoT segment,” Wang said.
