Siemens signs off mobile unit

Siemens will pay audiovisual vendor BenQ £250m to take its loss-making mobile division off its hands.

A Siemens representative said the money will be ring-fenced for use within the mobile division, and that Siemens has also agreed to spend £50m on BenQ shares.

“We are entering a win-win business,” said Siemens chief executive Klaus Kleinfeld. “BenQ is already positioned in the turbulent consumer segment.”

Under the deal, which will be completed by October, BenQ will take over all Siemens equipment, manufacturing, R&D facilities and intellectual property rights for its mobile unit. It will make BenQ the world’s fourth biggest handset manufacturer.

BenQ will also be Siemens’ preferred partner for end-to-end mobile communications.

“We are rapidly approaching our goal to become one of the world’s leading players in the mobile phone industry,” said BenQ chairman KY Lee.

The mobile phone division has lost £280m in the past six months.