NEW DELHI, India, Nov. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- MediaTek
Inc., a leading fabless semiconductor company for wireless
communications and digital multimedia solutions, and Facebook today
announced a global partnership that will see Facebook embedded into
MediaTek's mobile platform solutions, enabling users in emerging
markets to access Facebook, many for the first time, via affordable
mobile devices.
MediaTek is the world's largest mobile chipset platform provider,
shipping over 500 million units in 2010, for assembly into a wide
range of mobile phones distributed worldwide. This partnership will
allow users of handsets powered by MediaTek's Runtime Environment
(MRE), to better connect with their friends, family and
coworkers.
MRE is MediaTek's innovative middleware technology designed for
mobile developers and application providers to deploy services and
content for 'Smart-Feature phones' (Note 1). The MRE solution
provides millions of users in emerging markets with the ability to
enjoy rich online experiences previously available only on
smartphones. MRE-enabled devices will enable many users to access
leading Internet services, such as Facebook, for the first
time.
According to a recent study by media research firm Informa Telecoms
and Media, emerging markets will account for 60% of the mobile
market by 2013. With 70% of mobile handsets sold in emerging
markets being feature phones, this global partnership underscores
the significant potential to present users worldwide with a gateway
to access Facebook.
Last year, phones powered by MediaTek chipsets represent over 40%
of the overall Indian handset market. With the launch of this
global partnership, MediaTek is expecting more than half of its
customers in India to adopt its MRE solution.
"Our new partnership with Facebook further reinforces MediaTek's
focus on providing differentiated services and value for handset
brands, giving them the means to offer affordable, compelling and
differentiated mobile solutions to consumers in key emerging
markets such as India," said Cheng-Te Chuang, Corporate Vice
President of MediaTek.
Vaughan Smith, Mobile Partnerships and Corporate Development Vice
President of Facebook added, "Every phone should be social and
we're excited to be working with MediaTek to bring Facebook to more
devices, in more markets around the world and helping users to
connect and share anywhere, anytime."
MediaTek is currently working with leading handset brands,
including Spice Group and Micromax in India, Cherry Mobile in the
Philippines, and Nexian in Indonesia to roll out their mobile
solutions in these key markets.
MediaTek's chips have been a powerful force behind the worldwide
mobile telephony revolution. In emerging markets such as India, the
ability to offer features such as color interfaces, cameras, video
recorders, QWERTY keypads and dual SIM capability at a compelling
price point has driven the uptake of MediaTek-powered
'Smart-Feature phones'.
"With MediaTek's new MRE solution, we are in a position to redefine
the mobile landscape and give our users their first mobile browsing
and social networking experience on a handset that costs less than
US$50," shared Dilip Modi, Managing Director of Spice
Mobility.
"This is a true breakthrough for the industry, and we are very
proud to be working with a leader in innovation like MediaTek to
create unprecedented value for our users across India, many of whom
will access popular internet services such as Facebook for the
first time via their mobile device," added Vikas Jain, Business
Director of Micromax Mobile.
Note
1. 'Smart-Feature phone' refers to a feature phone device with
Internet functionality
About MediaTek Inc.
MediaTek Inc. is a leading fabless semiconductor company for
wireless communications and digital multimedia solutions. The
company is a market leader and pioneer in cutting-edge SOC system
solutions for wireless communications, high-definition TV, optical
storage, and DVD and Blu-ray products. Founded in 1997 and listed
on Taiwan Stock Exchange under the code "2454", MediaTek is
headquartered in Taiwan and has sales or research subsidiaries in
mainland China, Singapore, India, U.S., Japan, South Korea,
Denmark, England and Dubai. For more information, please visit
MediaTek's website at www.mediatek.com .
SOURCE﹛MediaTek Inc.