Friday, February 13, 2015

Alibaba to invest in handset manufacturer, Meizu

News this week: China’s leading e-commerce company, Alibaba Group, announced it invested US$590 million in exchange for a minority stake in Meizu, a smartphone manufacturer based in China.

Under the terms of the deal, Alibaba and Meizu will cooperate to develop Meizu’s hardware and Alibaba’s mobile operating system. Alibaba will provide Meizu with resources and support in e-commerce, mobile Internet, mobile operating system and data analysis for developing Meizu’s smartphone ecosystem, while Alibaba’s online shopping marketplaces will become distribution channels for Meizu’s smartphones and other devices.

Jian Wang, chief technology officer of Alibaba Group, said, “The investment in Meizu represents a significant expansion of the Alibaba Group ecosystem and an important step in our overall mobile strategy as we strive to bring users a wider array of mobile offerings and experiences.”

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