SoftBank Talking Smartphone with HTC

High Tech Computer Corp, the world’s biggest maker of handsets operating on Microsoft Corp’s mobile operating system, is set to gain a stronger foothold in the Japanese smartphone market by winning orders from Japanese Internet conglomerate Softbank Corp, analysts said yesterday. “The visit of Softbank to High Tech Computer this week will benefit the latter as High Tech Computer has stepped up efforts in making inroads into the Japanese market this year,” Ann Liang, principal analyst at research firm Gartner Inc’s Taiwan branch, told the Taipei Times. 

The analyst’s remark came after the Chinese-language daily the Commercial Times reported on Tuesday that top officials from Softbank paid a visit to High Tech Computer on Monday to discuss possible smartphone procurements from the Taiwanese maker to supply to Vodafone KK, a business unit Softbank recently acquired. The paper said that High Tech Computer is also mulling the possibility of setting up a branch to manage growing business in Japan. Continue>>