HTC begins delivering smartphones to Italy & Spain

[Guest Simon Desser]

As a related story to the HTC & IA Style acquisition, digitimes.com are reporting that HTC have begun delivering Voyagers (E200's) to Italy and Spain:-

Taiwan-based High Tech Computer (HTC) has begun delivering its latest model of smartphone, SPV E200, to wireless carriers TIM of Italy and Telefonica of Spain, company officials said at an investors conference on October 30.

Orders from these two European wireless carriers will contribute significantly to HTC’s revenues in the future as TIM and Telefonica each holds a 50% share of the telecom market in their own countries, respectively, officials said.

The SPV E200, running on Microsoft’s Window Mobile 2003 OS, features a color screen and a built-in integrated camera.

HTC also supplies similar smartphones to other European wireless carriers, including O2 of Britain, Orange of France and T-Mobile International of Germany.

According to the officials, HTC posted revenues of NT$4.66 billion in the third quarter this year, up 3.72% from a year earlier. Combined revenues for the January-September period reached NT$13.75 billion.

Net earnings for the third quarter totaled NT$227 million, or NT$1.12 per share, the lowest in the past five quarters. However, net profits for the first three quarters amounted to NT$994 million, showing a 39.72% rise from a year ago and raising net EPS to NT$4.90, officials said.

Cooperation with those leading wireless carriers in Europe indicates that HTC would be able to sustain continuous high revenue growth in the future given the global demand for handheld wireless devices is expected to expand at a rapid rate in the coming years, analysts said.

According to a report released by International Data Corporation (IDC), the world’s handheld wireless devices are to expand by a compound rate of 58% annually before 2007, with models running on Microsoft’s platform expected to grow by a compound rate of 75%, said analysts.

(Now what about England :?: :!: :) )

[Guest dog]

Simon,

I believe the report is inaccurate. HTC is shipping wireless PDAs, not smartphones, to Telefonica and TIM. :roll: But maybe smartphones in the future..... :?:

Dog