NEC to Join Hitachi and Casio?

NEC rumored to merge handset operations - by spring 2010 - w/existing Hitachi-Casio venture creating #2 domestic player: http://bit.ly/WHUrc

Naturally the spokes-folks are stating no decision has been made..

Machine Translation:

Three companies (NEC, Hitachi Ltd., and Casio Computer) commented about the integration of the cellular phone businesses of three companies that two or more media had reported on the 28th and the same day of August. Both reported content is assumed to be no decision.

In the report, it is told that three companies will integrate the cellular phone businesses around next spring, and the manufacturer in the second place domestically following Sharp is established.

The relation between three companies is deep as joint venture company “Casio Hitachi mobile communications” is established in 2004, and NEC supplies a part of the terminal of the Casio Computer brand to Hitachi Ltd. and Casio Computer in ODM besides working on a portable business.

In the mobile-phone industry in recent years, the flap of the prolongation at the purchase changing cycle by the terminal sales method to require the continuance use for two years and the recession is received, and numbers of sales for the terminal decrease. Additionally, the sudden rise of the development cost according to making of the terminal high performance is a load of the terminal manufacturer, and the movement of the industry reorganization starts as Mitsubishi Electric Corporation withdraws from a portable business in 2008 besides SANYO Electric sells off the cellular phone business to Kyocera, too. This integration is expected and advantages of the reduction of incidence and the efficiency improvement etc. of the system of production such enormous amount when achieving it are expected. Via IT Media.