Lucent hopes to expand Asia data networking share
Tuesday August 4, 4:10 am Eastern Time
TOKYO, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Lucent Technologies Inc (LU - news) said on Tuesday that it would
expand its business in the Asia Pacific region including Japan by introducing its fast-growing data
networking products and other communications software.
William O'Shea, the group president for Lucent's business communication systems and data
networking systems, said that Japan was an attractive market with an unmet need for the kinds of
communication networks and software the company provides.
''Right now we're a $30 billion company, and we want to see a growth of 15 to 20 percent per
year. In order to maintain that growth, we must add new business through either new technologies
or markets,'' he told a news conference.
O'Shea also told reporters that in expanding their business in Japan as well as the region, it would
not rule out possible acquisitions of other companies.
''Besides internal development, we have the choice of acquiring others, or forming partnerships
through Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) and joint marketing,'' he said.
Lucent provides a range of products including intelligent switching, data networking, optical networking and wireless communications. Of those, O'Shea said, data networking is currently the fastest growing segment.
Lucent introduced its first data networking products in the Japanese and Asian markets in June.[Hmmm...a little bit late to the party...]
In Asia, it will also be promoting eleven of what it calls the ''hot businesses,'' which includes
optical and wireless networks in addition to other communications software.
''We now see the overall telecommunications market at $60 billion, but by 2001 we want to
make that $104 billion,'' he said.
While he was careful not to give any target share figures, he said that at the year 2001, Lucent
should be the number one player in the worldwide communication networks business. That would
mean it would have from 10 percent to 15 percent of the overall market, he said. [Now, how are they going to do that...]
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