Nokia is in advanced talks to acquire Alcatel-Lucent’s wireless business, say people familiar with the matter.
知情人士表示，诺基亚(Nokia)正在就收购阿尔卡特-朗讯(Alcatel-Lucent)无线业务开展深入磋商。
The Finnish company’s move to acquire assets from its Franco-American rival highlights its return to growth and appetite to expand following the sale of its handset business to Microsoft a year ago.
这家芬兰公司打算从其法美竞争对手处收购资产的举措，凸显出该公司在一年前将手机业务出售给微软之后已回归增长，并想扩张自己的业务。

A deal would significantly boost Nokia’s market share in the wireless infrastructure business as Alcatel’s wireless unit generated about $5bn in revenues last year.
考虑到阿尔卡特无线部门去年的营收约为50亿美元，该交易或将大大提高诺基亚在无线基础设施业务方面的市场份额。
Nokia is competing against China’s Huawei and Sweden’s Ericsson for contracts to supply next generation mobile equipment to network operators. Huawei and Ericsson are neck and neck in the race to become the telecoms equipment industry’s biggest group by revenue.
目前，诺基亚正与中国的华为(Huawei)及瑞典的爱立信(Ericsson)竞争网络运营商的下一代移动设备供货合同。在电信设备业营收最高集团的竞争方面，华为和爱立信可谓并驾齐驱。
People briefed about the Nokia-Alcatel negotiations warned that although the talks were at an advanced stage a deal could still fall a part.
了解双方磋商的知情人士警告说，尽管该磋商已处于深入谈判阶段，这一并购交易仍有可能失败。
Nokia’s chief executive Rajeev Suri has predicted that the industry would in time be reduced to as few as three companies given the competitive pressures it faces.
诺基亚首席执行官拉杰夫•苏里(Rajeev Suri)曾预计，考虑到电信设备行业的竞争压力，该行业的企业数随着时间的推移可能会减少至3家。
Alcatel, which has struggled since the merger of France’s Alcatel with US-based Lucent Technologies, is going through a lengthy restructuring process to turn round falling sales in its core markets in the US and Europe. The company, led by chief executive Michel Combes, has begun to improve its profitability amid deep cost-cutting.
自法国阿尔卡特(Alcatel)与美国朗讯科技(Lucent Technologies)合并以来，阿尔卡特朗讯一直处于困境之中。该公司正在开展漫长的重组，以扭转其欧美核心市场销售额的不断下滑。目前，该公司在首席执行官米歇尔•库姆斯(Michel Combes)的领导下，已开始通过大幅削减成本改善其盈利能力。
One person familiar with the two companies said the deal made strategic sense for Nokia as it would help strengthen its core business following the handset sale. Alcatel is also relatively strong in North America, a region where Nokia has only begun to make headway after recent deals with Sprint. Nokia is aiming to become the world’s mobile equipment specialist, while rivals such as Ericsson are branching out into other areas such as media services.
一名熟悉两家公司的人士表示，该交易对诺基亚有战略上的意义，因为它将有助于诺基亚在手机业务出售后强化其核心业务。此外，相对来说阿尔卡特在北美的实力也很强，而诺基亚在该地区才刚刚通过近期与Sprint的交易取得进展。
So far the Finnish company’s gamble on telecoms equipment is paying off. For the third quarter of last year it reported its first year-on-year sales increase in more than three years.
到目前为止，诺基亚对电信设备产业的押注正在取得回报。去年第三季度，该公司报出逾三年来首次销售额同比增长。
Shares in Nokia have risen nearly 45 per cent since the sale of its handset business was completed a year ago.
自一年前诺基亚转让其手机业务的交易完成以来，诺基亚股价已攀升近45%。