(Yicai Global) July 28 -- A Shenzhen-based mobile phone manufacturer will cooperate with a local firm to provide mobile phones to Russia's government and state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

Fujian Start Group Co. [SHA:600734] announced July 24 that its wholly-owned subsidiary Shenzhen Xingfei Technology Co. recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Open Mobile Platform (OMP) to provide special mobile phones for Russian government agencies and SOEs.

Xingfei Technology will take charge of mobile phone hardware research, development, assembly, manufacture and delivery, while OMP will provide the mobile operating system for mobile phones and take charge of complete phone certification and marketing, the announcement said.

Based in Innopolis, Tatarstan, Russia, the government-backed start-up OMP specializes in developing Sailfish operating system-based products, and setting up system frameworks between government and enterprise users to meet B2G and B2B segment market requirements in the government- and enterprise-networking fields.

Russia's government pledged in 2015 to gradually reduce dependence on foreign mobile operating systems, deeming the share of Android and iOS system in Russia's smart device market too high, the announcement stated. Moscow is seeking to lower the use of foreign mobile operating systems from today's 95% to 75% by 2020, down to 50% by 2025, as Sailfish's Finnish developer reported at reviewjolla.blogspot.hk/2016/05/russian-company-to-use-sailfish-os.html .

This cooperation can help Start Group further expand its market. Both parties can gradually deepen their cooperation and reach extensive strategic partnership in the areas of smart communication terminals and Internet of Things smart application terminals, the announcement added.