Software Surprise
Of course these and other telecom network equipment firms are selling software as part of their systems deals and have pure telecom software plays -- OSS and BSS systems -- to offer as well. But could Ericsson be the world's fifth-largest software firm?
That's the ranking the Swedish firm is claiming, based on statistics compiled by the Software Top 100 website, which shows only Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT), IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM), Oracle Corp. (Nasdaq: ORCL) and SAP AG (NYSE/Frankfurt: SAP) as having generated more revenues from software in 2010. (See the Software Top 100 ranking and Ericsson's New CMO Has a Soft Side.)
Nokia Siemens, meanwhile, also features high up the list in ninth place, while AlcaLu shows in 19th place.
In case you're wondering, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. , which is normally to be found in close proximity to its European rivals in just about every market niche there is, doesn't feature in the Top 100.
— Ray Le Maistre, International Managing Editor, Light Reading
Huawei claims software contract sales of roughly $3 billion (USD), which would put it much closer to its European peers than this "list" does.