Motorola said it will cooperate with more local partners to develop China's radio communications market in which the company saw 40 percent growth last year.

The public safety, transportation and industrial sectors are priorities, according to Wang Xin, director of Motorola's Government & Enterprise business in China, adding that finding local partners will be key to their strategy.

China's radio communication market has been expanding rapidly in recent years as an increasing number of public service agencies require radio systems that enable them to respond to emergencies with immediate information sharing and ease of deployment.

Motorola has cashed in on the growing market with sales surging 40 percent and its number of salespeople by 50 percent last year, Wang said.

Motorola has helped to bring radio communication systems to Shanghai Police, Nanning government and the Chengdu Information Office.

"Coooperation with Chinese partners enables us to have a deeper knowledge of the local industry, and thus push forward the application of radio communications in China," he said.

Wang said Motorola will select strategic partners based on each company's performance and potential.

Beijing Vigor Communication New Technology Co Ltd, a developer and manufacturer of commercial trunked radio systems and technology, is Motorola's first local partner in the field.

The company, which is known for its work in the arena of public safety, signed a strategic alliance agreement with Motorola on Wednesday.

Vigor's equipment is widely used by police agencies throughout the country and it holds a 30 percent slice of the market.

Duo Guoqi, general manager of Vigor Communication, said the collaboration with Motorola would help his firm, which currently focuses on North China, develop nationally.

The two companies will work closely on the development of new systems, as well as in marketing programmes and product distribution.

In its initial stages, the partnership will mean Vigor takes on board Motorola's leading technology in radio equipment and signalling to be used in conjunction with the Chinese firm's trunked communication technology in the public safety market, in order to develop reliable and high quality full-range communication solutions.

Zhu Yanghe, head of the China National Standard for Professional Radio Transceiver Working Group, said the alliance is unique because it enables local enterprises to gain exposure to cutting-edge technologies and tap an established global network of technical expertise.

That will reduce development costs and the time it takes for their products to hit the market, Zhu said.

(China Daily March 4, 2005)