As part of this vision, Ericsson’s chief intellectual
property officer, Kasim Alfalahi, will report directly to president and CEO
Hans Vestberg.
“As we are entering the Networked Society, we will
see built-in wireless access beyond traditional devices like phones, laptops
and tablets, providing new services to the consumers. This provides an
interesting business opportunity for us, having this industry’s strongest
patent portfolio, as any company or manufacturer that wants to get in there
will need an agreement with Ericsson,” said Hans Vestberg, president and
CEO of Ericsson.
Ericsson has 27,000 granted patents that cover a wide
range of technologies, from wireless access (2G, 3G and 4G) to WLAN and the
whole Information and Communications Technology (ICT) value chain.
Ericsson is a net receiver of royalties and has signed
more than 90 license agreements. With new devices and other industries
entering the world of connectivity, Ericsson targets to grow its IPR revenues
above the SEK 4.6 billion net revenue generated in 2010.
“Ericsson complies with, and endorses, terms that
are fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory for its patent licensing programs,
which make standard-essential patents widely available. This makes Ericsson the
partner of choice for new entrants to the market, as well as established
companies seeking to license technology at fair and commercially viable
rates,” said Kasim Alfalahi.