Everything begins with a small step and usually a realistic approach with well calculated propositions laying down the foundation of vision, and subsequently of a future goal. This is as normal attitude of rational human excellence as it could be. But then there emerge some rare seen visions and future goals based on unmatched reaches of rational human capabilities. That to an extent deludes the observer due to its infinitude of conscious limitations and rational calculations. When such a rare thing turns into a glorious success we call it a manifestation of an invincible idea and the most rational in all. Huawei has a similar excellent story of ultimate human conscious and vision.
Huawei, “The China’s Achievement”, was established back in 1988 in Shenzhen, Guangdong by an ex-military engineer Mr. Ren Zhegfei. During that era, mostly the telecommunication solutions providers were following the trend of importing technological devices (switches) from foreign companies, generally from Hong Kong, and reselling it in the local market. Huawei also in the initial period imported private branch exchange (PBX) switches for reselling. But unlike other companies in the market, Huawei did not rely on the joint venture with foreign technology giants instead indigenous research was Huawei’s exception. Huawei invested large both in terms of money and human resources and that was new and rationally unfavorable for some market analysts.
Soon, by 1990, Huawei was approaching small entrepreneurs and the local hotels with its own PBX switches, manufactured with efforts of nearly 500 Huawei research and development staff. And then in 1993 C&C08 program controlled telephone switch launched by the company. Huawei was recognized as a national telecommunications solution provider and was awarded with a contract with the National Liberation Army to build a first national Telecommunication network, in 1993. This was the point in the history of Huawei when the company was applauded as a national champion. Huawei stood right in not to rely on foreign technology and became the indigenous technological expert in China. Moreover, a business-enabling environment was created in China when Chinese government adopted the policy of protectionism in the year of 1996. This gave a boost to the Huawei Company in the national market front.
Huawei grew consistently and succeeded in achieving its first overseas contract in the year of 1997. Under that contract, Huawei was liable to provide fixed-line network products to Hutchison Whampoa, a Hong Kong base company. This was the introduction of Huawei technology to the international level. In the same year, Huawei introduced wireless GSM base products that culminated in offering Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and UMTS. Innovations in the technological spheres brought successes to Huawei and for that Huawei decided to expand its research and development sector. In the wake of this, in 1999 the first transborder research center of Huawei was celebrated in Bangalore, India. This research center was allotted with the responsibility to bring forth a larger spectrum of telecom software to capture regional and international market.
With such developments Huawei boosted its international ventures by inaugurating its Sweden Research and Development centers in 2000 and in the next year 4 R&D centers in the United States of America. Later, Huawei also joined the International Telecommunication Union. Sales at international markets also endorsed the high quality of products and superior technological research of Huawei. This endorsement was vivid in record over $500 million international sales Huawei won in 2002. Only a couple of years later Huawei engaged in a contract with a Dutch mobile operator firm, Telfort. The contract was worth $25 million, and it was first such contract of Huawei in the Europe. This was the period when Huawei grew faster in international market. Subsequently, international demand and orders surpassed domestic sales in China in 2005.
Other International ventures of Huawei in that period include a Global Framework Agreement with Vodafone that raised the status of Huawei to the first Chinese company recognized as “Approved Supplier” from the Vodafone Global Supply chain. Later British Telecom also joined hands with Huawei for the installation of MSAN and transmission equipments provision for a network transformation project of BT. Penetration in the international market and business of telecommunication witnessed rapid growth of Huawei. That was the reason it globally became the most competitive Chinese company, especially in the field of Telecommunication.
As witnessed since the establishment of Huawei, research remained a key focus. And it stressed more in the coming years. In Sydney, Australia Huawei and Singtel Optus Pty Limited jointly established a mobile innovation center. This center was devoted to the engineers to facilitate them with the opportunity to bring their expertise in work to evolve wireless devices and new concepts of mobile broadband. Also first ever in the world LTE commercial network was introduced by Huawei for a Norwegian company, TeliaSonera, in 2009.
In short, Huawei has shattered all the limitations and restriction that could hinder or slow down its pace of progress in technological innovations. Not only in the domestic sphere, but also the Multinational Companies in the field of Telecommunications witnessed Huawei’s irresistible growth. Huawei recorded global annual sales of US$21.8 billion and Huawei’s net profit was US$2.67 billion. Therefore, in the said year, Huawei was listed in “Global Fortune 500”, published by the US magazine Fortune. Onward then Huawei expanded its research centers around the globe, especially in Bangalore and Tamil Nadu, India.
Then in the later period Huawei focused deeply on expanding its international collaborations and forming joint ventures with local and foreign companies. A new office was inaugurated in Canada in collaboration with SaskTel and started work on HSPA+ and LTE networks. And in the same year, Huawei won a contract of $700 million worth for modernizing the GSM/UMTS/LTE network in Denmark. And where Huawei stands today? Huawei is a renowned Multinational Company of the age that started its journey on the highway of success from a scratch and now it is a brand of quality and innovation, having excellent impressions of its superiority in the telecom market.
In 2015, Huawei is recognized among World’s top three Telecommunication vendors. And still it is not the whole story of Huawei. Huawei is progressing with even stronger impact on the market, competing the best known smartphone companies and even excelling in technological spheres of competition. Huawei, an irresistible idea, an unmatched technological innovator and the most reliable in its consumer friendly services, has become a success.
