Going to the MWC does not just mean having the opportunity to see and touch the new devices, previewing the moment when they will see the light on the market.
Being present at the Mobile World Congress means having the opportunity to speak with the leading figures of the leading companies in the mobile sector.
While Alessandro and I were in Barcelona, we had the pleasure and the honor to have a chat with Franco Cennamo and Gianluca Cotroneo, respectively Mobile Device Sales Manager and Sales Account of ZTE Italy.
ZTE Corporation, for those unfamiliar with it, is one of the leading Chinese companies in the panorama of ICT (Information and Communication Technology), present in this sector since 1985. which, over the years, has been noticed by the general public for its ability to present cutting-edge solutions in the field of telephone and communication networks.
One of the first things we talked about with Cennamo and Cotroneo concerns the mobile sector and smartphones that, until now, ZTE has presented on the Italian market. Precisely in this regard, and having seen the stand of the sub-brand Nubia at the fair, it was natural to ask if and when we will see the Nubia line officially presented in Italy.
Unfortunately, for now, we have not been given any data regarding the introduction of the line in the Italian market, but both Cennamo and Cotroneo have assured us that ZTE Italy is doing everything possible to make this change and this introduction concrete. Moreover, it was explained that Nubia operates autonomously with respect to ZTE and, probably, that of the official entry into Europe of the brand is not a simple operation to operate.
Meanwhile, the Chinese company is aiming, for this 2015, to increase its market share in the mobile market, focusing heavily on the low-end market. The objective of ZTE, according to what we are saying, is the obtainment of about the 50% of the market share entry-level, aiming at the sale of smartphones with 5-inch displays and LTE connectivity and it is not excluded that the achievement of this target could lay the future foundations for the entry of Nubia in Italy ... as they say, "hope is the last to to die".
With regard to this discourse, our interlocutors were keen to specify that the purchase of products not officially sold in Italy by ZTE (or by Nubia) has, in part, a return of image for the company, but the return does not is real and effective for a very simple reason: when an unofficial retailer sells imported products, they are selling a product that has not been designed to pass all the checks necessary to approve its sale in that particular country where it is not officially sold it. In the creation of a product, standards must be respected which differ from country to country. Only by overcoming them, a product is guaranteed 100% in its maximum functionality.
This does not mean that buying a ZTE or Nubia product not officially sold in Italy means not being able to use it, quite the opposite: this means not enjoying the warranty officially provided by ZTE and, above all, having a product that does not conform to 100% Italian standards.
So we asked Franco Cennamo and Gianluca Cotroneo "What is the added value of ZTE products?" And in all clarity we have been told that buying a ZTE product means paying a slightly higher amount than products offered by competitors, but at the same time to be able to enjoy one of the best services of customer care and post-sale on Italian soil which, according to statistical data collected over time, is able to guarantee the entire assistance process (ticket opening, product collection, delivery to the laboratory, repair and re-delivery) in about 7 working days, with the future forecast to lower this waiting for only 5 days.
But the future of ZTE is not just in mobile: even theIoT (Internet Of Things) is one of the company's goals, with a strong interest in the home automation sector.
One of the biggest obstacles is to make it clear to a large group of users that Chinese smartphone does not mean poor quality product (this, of course, is not addressed to you readers of GizChina.it!).
Precisely for this reason, and to try to achieve the objective linked to the entry level market, Cennamo and Cotroneo have informed us that the company is carrying out marketing campaigns on the web, in particular through social networks, as well as through the promotion of the brand through its presence at events of global importance, just like the Mobile World Congress.
The future that ZTE has foreshadowed is therefore clear: raise the shot with smartphones with better specifications than those of current ZTE devices officially sold in Italy.
Returning to talk about LTE connectivity, ZTE has already started testing 5G technology, which will replace, within the 2020, the current 4G connectivity. In this will certainly have to clash with Huawei, the main competitor of the company we are talking about.
In conclusion, we have been able to understand how ZTE has big plans not only for this 2015 but for the future in general.
Waiting to see how these will concretely take shape, we again thank Franco Cennamo and Gianluca Cotroneo for the time we spent during the MWC and for answering our questions.
