Ericsson Tops New ABI Research Mobile Network Infrastructure Vendor Matrix Ranking

Business Wire, Sept 23, 2008

NEW YORK -- Ericsson has been ranked at the top of the latest Vendor Matrix released by ABI Research.

Nokia Siemens Networks and Alcatel-Lucent claimed the second and third spots in the company's new evaluation of worldwide mobile network infrastructure vendors.

The Vendor Matrix is an analytical tool developed by ABI Research to provide a clear understanding of vendors' positions in specific markets. Vendors are assessed on the important parameters of "innovation" and "implementation" across several criteria unique to each vendor matrix.

"Ericsson is a global leader in GSM and HSPA infrastructure sales and deployments," says senior analyst Nadine Manjaro. "The company leads in managed services, commercial IMS deployments and other key areas. It has developed innovations in base station technology, and the company invests about $5 billion annually in R&D."

Runner-up Nokia Siemens Networks has a diverse product range and geographically distributed revenues. The firm has strong product portfolio, and has also achieved significant innovations in its I-HSPA platform and Flexi-base station product lines.

Alcatel-Lucent is ranked third overall. The company is third in overall revenue, second in IMS and has a strong managed services segment with over 23,000 employees.

For this particular matrix, under "innovation," ABI Research examined 2007 R&D spending, the number of employees assigned to R&D, the number of submitted and approved patents, and the firms' contribution to standards development. Additional criteria included innovations in the development of energy optimized solutions, the vendors' low CO2 emission products, and their development of alternative energy and multi-technology solutions, and the development and distribution of a 4G solutions.

Under "implementation," ABI Research scrutinized the following criteria: overall revenue, gross margins, product diversity, revenue distribution by geography, managed services, number of Tier 1 operator customers, and shipments and sales.

To view a list of the "top ten" firms in this Vendor Matrix, please visit "Mobile Network Infrastructure Vendor Matrix" (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/vendor_matrix/Mobile_Networks _Vendor_Matrix). Registration on the ABI Research website (free) is required. Access to the rankings and profiles of all companies surveyed is available to clients of ABI Research.

This Vendor Matrix forms part of ABI Research's Mobile Networks Research Service (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Wireless_Infrastructure _Research_Service). For a list of all ABI Research Vendor Matrices, please visit The ABI Research Vendor Matrix (http://www.abiresearch.com/vendor_matrix_home.jsp). (Due to the length, the above URLs may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

ABI Research is a leading market research firm focused on the impact of emerging technologies on global consumer and business markets. Utilizing a unique blend of market intelligence, primary research, and expert assessment from its worldwide team of industry analysts, ABI Research assists hundreds of clients each year with their strategic growth initiatives. For information, visit www.abiresearch.com, or call 1.516.624.2500.