First Latin-Owned Mobile Manufacturer Makes Debut at CTIA Wireless 2011

ORLANDO, Fla., March 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- BLU Products, the first Latin-owned mobile manufacturer and the fastest-growing in the region, announced its presence at CTIA Wireless 2011, the country's premier wireless event. BLU Products was founded by two Latin American entrepreneurs Samuel Ohev-Zion and Luis Sosa who, after 16 years distributing mobile devices, recognized the consumer's readiness for change and their own ability to challenge and re-shape market dynamics. The change comes in the form of the BLU line of mobile devices, which offer consumers top-quality handsets that exemplify creativity and design innovation.

"A revolution has occurred in the industry and, for the first time in 20 years, the technology which was previously only accessible to traditional brands such as Nokia, is now available to us directly," said Samuel Ohev-Zion, President and CEO of BLU Products LLC. "We can now manufacture BLU devices with identical quality standards as the market leaders, using the same technology, hardware, and software. Quality manufacturing, coupled with a keen sense of design, is what is driving consumers to choose BLU over the competition in Latin America."  

The brand's continued growth and wide appeal results from the dedication and passion of its founders, who design innovative devices that are appealing to customers worldwide. Because of their hands on approach, they can bring new designs to market in a shorter time frame and with less overhead costs than traditional manufacturers.  BLU Products also has a firm commitment to provide the best service in terms of rapid delivery due to the large inventories housed in their state of the art facilities and distribution center in Miami.  This center, the largest of any distributor or manufacturer in the East Coast, gives the company a competitive edge as they can guarantee stock and immediate availability.  In this way, carriers and distributors in Latin America and the U.S. carry zero inventory risk.

BLU mobile devices are already present in 25 countries throughout Latin America, Central America, the U.S., and all of the Caribbean countries. In regions such as Central America, 50% of devices that are present at the point of sale are BLU devices. In other countries, such as Trinidad and Tobago, BLU rapidly became the leading mobile device brand after launching with a carrier in the 4Q of 2010. This year, the company expects to manufacture in Brazil, the largest market in Latin America.

The company has a product line of almost 20 mobile phones, all FCC approved, ranging from feature-rich media phones to Android Smartphones.  Their most sought after models are the Click, Deejay, Samba Mini and the Tango, the latter of which is an Android Smartphone.

Latin America and the Caribbean together hold approximately 12% of the world's mobile subscribers. Of the top 10 mobile device manufacturers worldwide, all are U.S., Asian or European.  The company expects to sell between three and five million mobile devices in the U.S. and Latin America in 2011. This, at minimum, would represent a 300% increase in sales compared to the projected 30% growth in the worldwide market for mobile devices in the same time frame. If the company continues to grow at this rate, it could make it into the Top 10 manufacturers worldwide by the end of 2012.  

"We have a huge competitive advantage in that our innovative business model combines the best in quality manufacturing, design process and logistics," added Ohev-Zion.  "We view ourselves as catalysts for change in this evolving competitive landscape, providing consumers with the products they need."

About BLU Products

BLU Products was founded in 2009 to design attractive, top-quality, innovative mobile devices to suit a wide variety of consumer needs. It is the first mobile phone brand built and led by Latin American entrepreneurs.  More than one million BLU mobile devices have been sold in 25 countries throughout Latin America, the Caribbean and the U.S.  Headquartered in Miami, Florida, BLU is one of the fastest-growing companies in the region.  For more information, visit www.bluproducts.com. 

References:

1. Gartner, Inc. (November 10, 2010).  Gartner Says Worldwide Mobile Phone Sales Grew 35 Percent in Third Quarter 2010; Smartphone Sales Increased 96 Percent [Press release]. Retrieved from: http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1466313
2. State of mobile in Latin America: the latest stats, research and trends (September 6, 2010). Retrieved from http://mobithinking.com/blog/latin_america_mobile_stats

SOURCE BLU Products