Vienna - Starting from Europe, the South Korean industrial conglomerate Hyundai Corporation is in the process of entering the global mobile phone business, Hyundai's distribution partner said Tuesday in Vienna. Hyundai Mobile Europe, an independent distributing company recently founded in Vienna, plans to sell Hyundai phones in 23 Western and Eastern European countries, as well as in South America and the Middle East.
"We are very optimistic [that we will] achieve break-even ... next year, and reach a market share of 3 to 5 per cent within 5 years," said Norbert Winkler, chief executive of Hyundai Mobile Europe.
Since late September, the mobile phones have become available in Austria, Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovenia.
Besides offering simple devices for price-conscious users, Hyundai wants to win customers with niche products, such as a wristwatch that doubles as a mobile phone, Winkler told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
In Europe, Hyundai is mainly known as a car producer. Hyundai Motor Co in October reported a 38-per-cent drop in third-quarter profits because of falling sales and strikes that caused drops in its production.
