KT partners with Amazon to collaborate in digital platform, media biz

KT headquarters in Seoul. Yonhap

By Kim Hyun-bin

KT has joined hands with global IT giant Amazon Web Services (AWS) to expand its digital platform and media business. The two firms signed a strategic cooperation agreement for the media sector, KT said, Tuesday.

Since its CEO, Ku Hyeon-mo, took power, the domestic telecom company has been investing heavily in non-telecom businesses, such as artificial intelligence (AI). It established the AI One Team recently to better cooperate with local conglomerates and universities, including Hyundai Heavy Industries & Construction, LG Electronics, KAIST and Seoul National University.

However, Wednesday's partnership marks its first collaboration with a foreign firm under his leadership.

“Through the partnership with global IT company AWS, we have established a foundation for future business growth,” Ku was quoted as saying in the statement. “We plan to enhance KT's corporate value and global competitiveness.”

KT CEO Ku Hyeon-mo

Specifically, the two companies will jointly develop an AI technology that could be suitable for both the business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) sectors.

KT has some experience in the field, as it has launched its AI Connect Center service here, operating a call center that uses AI and big data technologies. The statement added that the two companies are preparing to launch diverse B2B services that use AWS's Omni Channel and the cloud-based contact center service, Amazon Connect, as well as to enter the B2B cloud integrated services market strategically.

“KT and AWS will launch hybrid cloud services for B2B customers that will help in establishing a flexible management infrastructure,” KT said.

Under the partnership, if a company utilizing KT cloud services expands overseas, it will be able to use AWS's services and cloud infrastructure, which are better suited to local market conditions, and vice versa for AWS clients that enter the Korean market, where they will be able to connect to KT's cloud services.

KT will enroll in the Amazon Partner Network (APN) and plans to provide integrated services from KT and AWS to enhance its Software as a Service (SaaS) sector.

“We have a cooperative and competitive relationship with AWS in the cloud market,” a KT official said. “We will bring the optimum services to our B2B clients, which will be able to have more choices through the partnership.”

The two companies also plan to brainstorm how to strengthen their mutual cooperation in the media business. They plan to establish a taskforce for close cooperation and explore new business models.

“We will combine the know-how and capabilities of KT with AWS's diverse cloud services and technologies, including machine learning, Amazon Connect and the Internet of Things, while helping to enhance companies' competitiveness and innovativeness,” according to the official.