ZTE sees opportunities in cyber-security business on mainland
Beijing's cyber-spying concerns over foreign services present opportunities for domestic players as the technology gap narrows
The mainland's second-largest telecommunications equipment supplier ZTE Corp might see more business opportunities in the domestic market due to security worries by the government over foreign services, according to a company official.
ZTE would increase investment in the research of security functions and try to make sure the cybersphere activity of its clients was safe, senior vice-president Xu Huijun told the South China Morning Post.
He disagreed that Chinese companies were inferior in terms of technology and performance, compared with their peers in the United States like Cisco Systems. "The ability to research and develop new technology has been greatly increased among Chinese firms," he said.
Xiang Ligang, founder of information technology and telecommunications portal CCTime, said the worries about cyber-spying presented an opportunity for domestic companies to expand in the country.
"This is a good chance," Xiang said. "China is a huge market, with a fast-growing economy."
He said the mainland had to buy equipment from foreign firms in the past because the technology gap was huge.
"But now the technology difference is very small, especially in mature industries such as the server industry," he said.