China.com Corp. Wednesday again hit the expansion trail, forming a joint venture and purchasing three companies to extend the company’s post-WTO reach within Asia.
The business-to-business e-commerce joint venture, to be called Beijing Digital Ark, was created with Chinese Internet pioneer Jay Tian. The venture will focus on developing e-commerce and data management technologies and promoting its current line of e-commerce and data security applications.
In the latest round of its buying spree, China.com (CHINA) bought into Hong Kong-based B2B online content developer iConcept.net, which it plans to use in its mainland China efforts. The company will work with China.com’s Web Connections division on e-commerce and Internet strategy, as well as selling advertising space through China.com’s 24/7 Media alliance.
The company also took a majority stake in tech news provider Information @ge Ltd., and plans to add its content to the China.com, cww.com,
hongkong.com, and taiwan.com portals. Malaysia’s Internet ad service e-Asia Sdn. Bhd. was purchased with the goal of giving China.com a “strong foothold” in the growing Malaysian Internet market.
Peter Hamilton, China.com’s chief operating officer, said that the new deals, in addition to the recent acquisitions of Netville, CLIC, and A4 Communications in Korea and Pandora Interactive Studio in Singapore, will allow the company to take advantage of new opportunities in Asia, particularly in mainland China.
China.com earlier this week announced a stock split to be voted upon by shareholders on Dec. 6. Nasdaq shares in the July IPO favorite have been skyrocketing since the announcement of a trade deal between China and the United States.
