With the rise of operator customized mobile phones and the lack of quality after-sales services, mobile phone after-sales services is no longer a monopoly dominates by the major mobile phone makers in China. With the aim of testing the market, there is a recent trend towards operators cooperating with mobile phone makers to establish after-sales platforms. In September 2006, Fujian Mobile and 12 domestic and international mobile phone makers including Lenovo, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Samsung to consolidate the services offered by an after-sales services provider, China Postal Mobile Communications Equipment Co. Ltd., to establish a centralized and coordinated after-sales services platform across the province. Prior to this venture, Shanghai Sequel was established to provide professional mobile phone after-sales services and introduce outsourcing services to Chinese mobile communications products market. In addition, China Postal Mobile Communications Equipment Co. Ltd. and Shenzhen Telling Communications have also established after-sales network at the major cities. In recent years, major telecom operators including China Mobile and China Unicom have launched various promotional campaigns to attract new subscribers with free cell phones. Establishing after-sales services is the direct result of increased competition between the operators that is driven by profitability. A senior manager with Fujian Mobile says that accommodating after-sales services and facilities fail to complement rapid growth of operator customized mobile phones, subscribers as well as expansion of sales and distribution channels. Since complaints over the quality of mobile phone quality and services are on the rise, mobile operators must establish their own after-sales services network to meet such growing demand. Apart from providing better customer services, the more influential factor is that mobile operators want to strengthen their share of the market. Operator customized mobile phone is tailor-made for specific services offered by the telecom operators. Since China Mobile launched its first model of operator-customized mobile phone in May 2004, Fujian Mobile as sold 500,000 units of such devices by August 2006, which made-up 20% of the province’s total market. Mobile phone is a high-tech product that requires much information exchange between mobile phone makers, service provider and the consumers. However, China currently suffers from serious information gap between consumers and after-sales personnel. A senior manager with China Unicom says the centralized after-sales platform can ensure immediate inspection, product exchange or repair of mobile phones. The more functions mobile phones can offer to the general consumers, the higher the profitability and fiercer the competition over after-sales services include upgrading of product functions and designs. China News