ZTE

ZTE, also known as Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment, is a provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions.

Founded in 1985 with ties to the People's Liberation Army, the company is based in Shenzhen, China, and has about 50,000 employees, of which 8,000 are working in some 100 representative offices around the world. Since 1996, ZTE has provided products and services to 135 countries and regions.

The Chinese giant is big on research and development (R&D), and has more than 33 percent of its workforce and 10 percent of its annual revenues dedicated to R&D. By the end of 2007, ZTE had applied for some 12,000 national and international patents. Of these, 90 percent are innovation patents with associated intellectual property rights.

Recently, ZTE inked a 1.33 billion yuan (US$193 million) contract with China Telecom to expand the telco's newly acquired mobile network.