Weaknesses
Just as much as Huawei's rise has happened over a shortamount of time, so too has its tenure in the telecommunications industrybeenrelatively modest. The company was founded in 1988,and it was not until the last decadethatHuaweitruly became a top-tier communications technology vendor. Huaweidoes not have the kind of history nor legacy in the telecommunications industry that Ericsson or Alcatel-Lucent, with its Bell Labs organizationfor example, can boast of.While the telecommunications industry is a segment that looks forward more sothan backward,legacy and tenure offer invaluable perspective and contextthat can help an organization anticipate the changes and disruptions ahead. Ultimately, it can help to build vision.For Huawei, thechallengethis creates is shown in the technical, rather than strategic, focus of its solutions and the still nascentservicesportfolio. To be sure, these areas define the key next steps for the firmas it strives for global leadership.