在某种程度上，华为(Huawei)堪称中国企业的楷模。这家总部位于深圳的公司白手起家，短短20年内便在全球电信设备行业中跻身于顶级厂家之列，并有望成为中国为数不多的、真正全球化的企业之一。
与华为一样以深圳为大本营的中兴通讯(ZTE)，近年来紧跟华为的发展步伐，以类似的战略在基本相同的市场中实现了同样快速的增长。但中兴对于自己被视为“第二个华为”极为不快。
“我们与其它中国供应商有很大不同，”中兴总裁史立荣表示。“我们更加透明，而且不那么咄咄逼人。”
就像华为一样，中兴通讯近年迅速占领了非洲、拉美和中东的新兴市场，在此过程中常常得到中国国有银行慷慨贷款的协助。同样，就像华为一样，中兴正快速打入欧洲市场。
但也正如华为一样，在某些对中国疑心重重的国家，中兴的业务受到阻碍。该公司的美国业务发展缓慢，在印度也遭遇困难——今年早些时候，印度政府试图以国家安全为由，禁止从中国进口电信设备，这个问题影响了中兴今年上半年的亚洲营收，现在才刚开始缓解。
史立荣有关“透明度”和“咄咄逼人”的话，是他针对西方观察人士常常提出的尖锐问题的辩护。
华为创始人任正非曾是中国解放军军官，该公司不透露其股权结构细节，只是说公司由雇员拥有，任正非的股份不到2%。
一些国家的政府担心，华为与中国军方和政府仍有重大联系，而这可能使其电信设备被做手脚。
中兴热衷强调的是，该公司在香港交易所上市，财务和股权信息都是公开的。该公司还强调，其企业文化与华为有天壤之别。
人们确实能够清楚地感受到这种差别。外人不可能畅通无阻地踏入华为厂区。保安人员在一个隔离的岗亭执勤，让参观者远离大门。参观者在接受盘查后，要由公司内部员工用内部车辆接进厂区。进入大门后，映入参观者眼帘的是巨大的、种着棕榈树的厂区，感觉上几乎像是硅谷。这个厂区有一部分是英国建筑师诺曼•福斯特(Norman Foster)设计的。
中兴的气氛比较放松，排场也没有那么大。参观者拿到一张印有自己姓名的贴纸后，就被放进门。开放的大门不断有人进进出出，没有人受到阻拦。在总部大楼的高层办公室，一眼望去尽是荧光灯下的蓝色和灰色隔间。然而，在初步印象背后，一切却没有那么简单。
根据中兴的年报，其最大股东是一家控股公司。这家控股公司由一家国有的电子研究所和一家国有企业联合拥有；前者在西安（西安是解放军一部分通信研究的基地），后者母公司的前身是一个解放军单位，而且其前任总经理在2001年成为主管军工的部长。
分析师们指出，中兴欣然接受了中国自主开发的3G移动通信标准TD-SCDMA，而华为对这种标准一直不那么热情。
然而，在全球市场上开展竞争时，这两家公司都拿出相同的一套战略：力求比竞争对手更精干、更灵活。
据中国以外的电信运营商介绍，华为和中兴都比较愿意对网络解决方案进行量身定制，这是它们相对于许多西方同行的共同优势。
译者/何黎
http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001034233
In a way, Huawei is a role model for Chinese companies. Having rocketed into the top ranks of the global telecommunications equipment industry from nowhere in just 20 years, the Shenzhen-based group is on its way to become one of China’s few truly global companies.
But ZTE, Huawei’s cross-town rival that has been following in its footsteps by growing just as rapidly in mostly the same markets with a similar strategy, resents nothing as much as being viewed as a second Huawei.
“We are quite different from other Chinese vendors,” says Shi Lirong, ZTE chief executive. “We are more transparent and less aggressive.”
Just like Huawei, ZTE has conquered emerging markets in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East at a rapid pace, often aided by generous loans provided by Chinese state banks. Just like Huawei, it is making inroads fast in Europe.
But also just like Huawei, ZTE has been held back in some countries that harbour suspicions towards its home country. It has been slow to pick up business in the US and ran into difficulties in India, where the government tried to ban telecoms equipment imported from China on national security grounds earlier this year – a problem that dented ZTE’s Asia revenues in the first half and is only now starting to unwind.
Mr Shi’s remarks about transparency and aggressiveness is his defence against critical questions western observers often raise.
Huawei’s founder, Ren Zhengfei, who formerly served as an officer of the People’s Liberation Army, and the company do not reveal details about its shareholding structure beyond saying that it is owned by its employees and Mr Ren holds less than 2 per cent.
Some governments fret that the company could still have significant ties to the Chinese military and government, and that this could compromise its telecoms equipment.
ZTE is keen to stress that, as it is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, its finances and shareholding information is out in the open. It also emphasises that its corporate culture could not be more different from Huawei’s.
The gap can be felt clearly. No outsider can set foot unnoticed on Huawei’s campus. Security personnel in a separate pavilion keep visitors well away from the front gate until they are screened and picked up by inside staff with an internal vehicle. Once inside, the vast palm tree-shaded compound, partly designed by British architect Norman Foster, feels almost like Silicon Valley.
At ZTE, things are more relaxed but also less glamorous. Visitors are let in with a paper sticker with their name on it, and a steady stream of people walk in and out unhindered through the open doors. Upstairs in its main tower, offices are dominated by blue and grey cubicles under neon light. And yet, things are not that simple.
According to ZTE’s annual report, its largest shareholder is a holding company. The holding is jointly owned by a state-owned electronics research institute in Xi’an, a base for some of the PLA’s research in this area, and a state-owned company whose parent was founded as a PLA unit and whose former general manager in 2001 became head of a ministry in charge of the military industry.
Analysts point out that ZTE has embraced TD-SCDMA, a homegrown 3G standard the government wants to promote, while Huawei has been more reluctant to do so.
Nevertheless, as they compete in the global market, both companies are resorting to the same set of strategies: trying to be leaner and more flexible than competitors.
Telecoms operators outside China cite a greater willingness to customise network solutions as a common advantage of Huawei and ZTE over many of their western peers.
没有评论:
发表评论