KT buys mobile payment stake

South Korea's second mobile carrier KT has purchased a 33.85% stake in credit card processing firm BC Card, betting on mobile payment services to generate revenue, reports Reuters.

KT and larger rival SK Telecom are vying to tap the emerging market for mobile payments, which, some say, could eventually replace credit and debit cards as the primary means of payment.

KT senior vice-president Han Dong-Hyun says the acquisition of BC Card addresses the convergence of communications and finance, and not a move to enter the credit card business.

Tech Data has opened two business units, one dedicated to selling HP's solutions, and another to help channel partners take advantage of sales opportunities sparked by the convergence of data centre and networking technologies, states IT Channel Planet.

“We have taken the strategic decision to invest in two focused business groups to better exploit opportunities and drive growth now and in the future,” says Joe Quaglia, Tech Data's senior vice-president of its US marketing.

He explains the creation of the networking solutions group will make it easier for networking vendors and reseller partners to capitalise on opportunities created by the convergence of data centre and networking technologies.

Unified mobile convergence solutions will be showcased by AltiGen Communications, at GSMA's Mobile World Congress to be held in Barcelona, Spain, says TMCnet.

Nearly 800 of the world's mobile operators are united by the GSMA, which spans 219 countries and over 50 000 attendees are expected to be present.

Niel Levonius, senior director of corporate strategy at AltiGen says: "For enterprise and service provider customers, MaxMobile and the iFusion SmartStations are components that deliver a completely integrated mobile user solution.”