Ericsson CEO says non-telco clients becoming more important

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Ericsson will continue to increase its sales to clients that are not telecom operators, its chief executive told reporters at the firm's capital markets day on Thursday.

Ericsson is transforming its company as the telecoms, IT and media industries are converging and the networks are becoming relevant to other industries than telecom operators.

"We believe by 2020, 20 to 25 percent of our revenues will come from other types of customers than operators," Chief Executive Hans Vestberg said.

In 2013, about 10 percent of Ericsson's revenues came from non-telecom operators, Vestberg said. In 2008, the relationship was 5 percent.

Revenues from non-operators mainly come from public safety, utilities, transport, media/broadcasters, intellectual property rights and cloud solutions, Vestberg said.

(Reporting by Olof Swahnberg, editing by Terje Solsvik)