Wireless location developer Cell-Loc Inc. has signed a joint-venture agreement to license and manufacture its proprietary technology in China.
Calgary-based Cell-Loc’s partners are Chinese digital map provider A-INFO Electronic Technology Group Inc. and telecommunications equipment-maker Chongqing Jinmei Communications Co Ltd.
Cell-Loc CEO Michel Fattouche said China’s remarkable growth in wireless telecommunications, its rapid emergence as a modern economy, and its population of 1.3 billion people “creates the conditions for heavy demand for location-based services.”
Subject to approval of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation, the joint venture will create and own a new corporation, Cell-Loc (Chongqing) Wireless Location Inc.
Cell-Loc Chongqing will hold the licence from Cell-Loc for exclusive use in China, including Hong Kong and Macau, of Cell-Loc’s CDMA signal location technology.
The new corporation plans to demonstrate the CDMA technology in the first quarter of 2002, and create and operate a manufacturing facility located in the Chongqing City High Technology Zone to produce Cellocate equipment to be used throughout the Chinese wireless market.
JiHong Zhang, president of A-INFO, which will provide software, management and marketing services, has been named president of the new joint venture corporation.
A-INFO will own 12 per cent of Cell-Loc Chongqing.
Jinmei will provide necessary investment capital, manufacturing facilities and manufacturing personnel and will own 53 per cent of Cell-Loc Chongqing.
Cell-Loc will station em-ployees permanently in China to work for the joint venture. The company will own 35 per cent of the new firm.
