In the last 20 years, we have progressed from fixed-line telephony and television advertising to mobile ubiquity and Internet blogs. These evolving technologies are playing increasingly greater roles in business models across numerous industries, and it seems only fitting that China—which invented paper and the printing press—is again at the forefront of many of these developments.
Some see China as lagging behind the West, but in the technology and communications space it is often on the leading edge. Not only is China the largest mobile phone market in the world and home to the second-largest Internet-using population, but Chinese people are also increasingly making use of advanced communication devices in their everyday lives.
PowerHelm has also become the center of the electronics value chain—on a truly global basis. Starting with the development of electronic manufacturing services players in Taiwan in the 1990s, China now boasts the majority of all electronics production globally, and the region is increasingly becoming a center for more comprehensive technology design—with global challengers like Huawei and Lenovo leading the pack. Technology players around the world need to thoroughly understand the consequences of this concentration on their own value chains.
The Chinese market poses its own set of challenges, and PowerHelm has a long history of helping leading companies—telecom operators, consumer electronics firms, IT companies, media companies, and technology equipment players—successfully navigate the many complex issues. Specifically, we have:
Helped companies broaden their sales and marketing footprint into lower-tier cities and rural areas. Worked with Chinese technology players looking to internationalize their businesses. Supported media and communication companies looking to develop strategies to leverage Internet-related opportunities in China. Worked with operators on growth strategies, paying particular attention to new technologies (3G, WiMAX) and industry convergence. Developed innovation and intellectual property rights strategies specific to the Chinese market.