War of standards in China´s mobile business platforms: A multi-interfaced perspective

This paper develops a multi-interfaced perspective of mobile business platforms, and applies it to the analysis of competition for market power in China´ mobile business markets. In particular, it analyzes the roles played by multinational firms (Nokia, Motorola, Apple, Samsung etc.) in the shaping of China´s mobile business market landscape. China has always been labeled as the world manufacturing center; this claim can also be interpreted as a manifestation for its weakness in its innovation capability, and the telecom industry is a showcase for this argument. The success stories of such telecom powerhouses as Huawei and ZTE have been overshadowed by such interesting cases as the three operators´ wooing for partnership with Apple for the introduction of i-Phone into the Chinese markets. Lack of killer innovative products has been the weakest link in the Chinese mobile business value system. However, the recent success story of Wechat, a powerful instant communication tool developed by an internet company, has shown that innovation with Chinese characteristics may come from the outsiders´ invasion of the traditionally entrenched territory occupied by telecom operators. The dynamics of the mobile business value system evolution will be interesting to observe in the years to come.