China Postel, a unit of the state-owned China P&T Appliances, has led mobile-telephone distribution on the mainland for eight consecutive years, with a market share of more than 30 per cent last year. Bien Perez

51.com raises US$10m in second round of venture financing

China's largest blog community, 51.com, has closed its latest round of financing, with US$10 million in fresh investments from venture capital groups Intel Capital, Redpoint Ventures, Sequoia Capital China and SIG.

In May last year, 51.com, which has more than 60 million subscribers, obtained US$26 million from Sequoia Capital China and SIG in its initial round of financing.

Alan Pang, chairman of 51.com, said the new capital the company raised would be used to expand system capacity, improve service and grow its market. Bien Perez

Lenovo renews Microsoft move to promote genuine software

Lenovo Group, China's largest computer manufacturer, has renewed a strategic initiative with Microsoft Corp, the world's biggest software company, to promote use of its validly licensed software across the mainland, where software piracy remains a problem.

In November 2005, Lenovo was the first personal computer maker on the mainland to pre-install Windows operating systems in all its product lines for the domestic market. Bien Perez

Andy Cui of Wal-Mart joins Alibaba as director

Former Wal-Mart executive Andy Cui has joined Alibaba as a non-executive director of its business-to-business division and its online auction division, Taobao.com. Mr Cui was previously global senior vice-president and chief global merchandising officer of Wal-Mart International. Alibaba.com and Taobao.com are the largest business-to-business websites and largest online auction in China, respectively. Sherman So

Habia Cable expands production line at new Jiangsu plant

Habia Cable China, the sole manufacturer in the mainland of special communications cabling for third-generation mobile network base stations, has expanded its production line at its new plant in the Changzhou State-level Hi-tech Development Zone in Jiangsu.

The company's 9,394-square metre plant, four times larger than its original facility at the same district, will cater to demand from more than 50 communications equipment manufacturers, including Nokia, Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola, Huawei Technologies, Datang Telecom Technology and ZTE Corp. Habia Cable China, a unit of industrial cable manufacturer Sweden Habia Cable, posted revenue of more than 100 million yuan last year. Bien Perez

Pixim opens Greater China headquarters in Hong Kong

Pixim, a California-based imaging technology supplier, last week opened its Greater China headquarters in Hong Kong to accelerate adoption of the company's digital pixel system in the surveillance camera sector.

The office, headed by newly appointed Greater China sales and marketing director Alfred Chou, will provide sales and support for Pixim's complete digital imaging system, consisting of a family of image sensors, image processors, camera reference design kits, and key software and algorithms used by camera developers to design and build high-quality products.

According to Pixim, the mainland and Taiwan each produce about one million surveillance cameras per month. Bien Perez

Tsinghua University to implement SolidWorks' CAD software

Tsinghua University, in partnership with United States software firm SolidWorks, is driving a wide-scale adoption of 3D computer-aided design (CAD) technology for the mainland's engineering sector.

The institution is implementing 500 licenses of SolidWorks' 3D CAD and design validation software for its students in eight departments, including mechanical, automotive and electromechanical engineering. Bien Perez