Positive fourth quarter results mean more to Alcatel-Lucent than just pure profits, chief financial officer Paul Tufano says.
Instead, the figures represent the culmination of a strategy put in place two years ago, and should provide a welcome boost to staff morale, Tufano told TelecomAsia.
Net income soared year-on-year from €46 million ($62.5m) to €340 million, as the firm grew revenues nearly 23% to €4.8 billion on the back of higher sales across all of its divisions.
“[It’s] always satisfying to see the progress that’s been made,” Tufano said, adding that the firm expects “2011 to be better.”
Despite the confidence, Tufano stopped short of revealing whether the infrastructure vendor expects to turn its first annual profit in the next 12 months.
The firm cut its full year loss from €524 million to €324 million during 2010, and will continue to look for cost savings and margin improvements through 2011, Tufano said.
Growth drivers in the fourth quarter included higher sales of GSM and CDMA equipment, and the firm also benefited from a rebound in business in China as operators there restarted investment in network rollouts and upgrades following a largely stagnant 2009.