South Korean video surveillance manufacturer IDIS announced that it has acquired a controlling stake (44.84%) in KT Powertel, the radio communications subsidiary of telecom giant KT Corp. In a statement, IDIS said the move will strengthen its offerings in the security and safety sectors as customers will benefit from KT Powertel’s push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) communications solutions as well as from their emerging generation of advanced safety and security systems. Additionally, the acquisition will enable IDIS to capitalize on the firm’s expertise in developing LTE broadband wireless technologies both in the domestic South Korean market and globally.
“In Korea’s highly competitive and advanced home market, KT Powertel has been a mobile communications leader for over 35 years, with more subscribers nationally than any other provider, delivering consistently strong sales and profits,” IDIS Chief Executive Officer Y.D. Kim said in a statement.
KT Powertel developed one the world’s first blind spot-free LTE radio services, Power Talk, and PoC communications solutions. PoC radios support functions such as instant group calling, messaging, GPS location tracking, and emergency notifications. IDIS said this, combined with LTE cellular networks, will provide the bandwidth necessary for advanced video and data applications.
IDIS also expects the acquisition will bolster its position in several key markets including, critical infrastructure applications, and both the government and commercial sectors. “As we look forward, video solutions will need to be increasingly convenient for customers to use on the move, and they’ll need to be more flexible to install and extend with IoT and wireless technology. In all these specialisms, IDIS’s acquisition of KT Powertel will extend its expertise as it develops leading-edge solutions to increase security and safety in a range of applications,” added Kim.
