Idis Acquires Controlling Stake in KT Powertel

  • Feb 25, 2021

Idis has acquired a controlling (44.84%) stake in KT Powertel, the radio communications subsidiary of telecoms giant KT Corp.

The move is aimed at strengthening Idis’s offering in the security and safety sectors, with customers being able to benefit from powerful push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) communications solutions, and an emerging generation of advanced safety and security systems encompassing a range of IoT devices.

KT Powertel has been leading the development of LTE broadband wireless radio technologies in Korea’s world-beating domestic market. The acquisition will now enable Idis to capitalize on this expertise in South East Asia and expand its capabilities globally. The move will strengthen the company’s position as a provider of complete, end-to-end video solutions that are easier to install and that offer true flexibility and ease-of-use, and deliver on the promise of low total cost of ownership.

“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,” said Y.D. Kim, CED of Idis.

KT Powertel developed one the world’s first blind spot-free LTE radio services, Power Talk, and PoC communications solutions. PoC radios support advanced functions including instant group calling, messaging, GPS location tracking, and emergency notifications. This, combined with LTE cellular networks, provides the bandwidth necessary for advanced video and data applications.

KT Powertel’s depth of expertise in communications technology aligns well with Idis’s focus on video surveillance and analytics solutions operated through a choice of video management systems and controlled via authorized access to client software or mobile applications. The acquisition, from KT Corp., will strengthen Idis’s position in key markets including critical infrastructure applications, and both government and commercial sectors.

The move will further boost Idis’s R&D capabilities in crucial growth areas including IoT.

According to Idis, recent analysis estimates that the number of businesses using IoT technologies has risen from 13% in 2014 to around 25% today, with rapid acceleration now expected. Growth will be driven by the introduction of new and more capable sensors, more computing power, and more reliable mobile connectivity. As sensor technology becomes more powerful and affordable, it will become easier to expand and adapt security systems with a growing toolkit of remote add-on devices.

“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,” Kim said.

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services

  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”