The mobile phone market is a competition hotbed and many companies are finding it very difficult to compete in the current environment. That means that some companies are teetering on the brink of extinction and others are looking at mergers as a way to share the risk and expense of new mobile products.

NEC, Casio, and Hitachi announced today that the three electronics giants would be merging their mobile phone operations. The new joint venture is expected to launch in April 2010.

The new entity will be called NEC Casio Mobile Communications and will be headed up by NEC. NEC will own a 66% stake in the new company and Casio and Hitachi will have 17.34% and 16.66% respectively.