GMO TECH to Form Business Partnership with Five Malaysian IT/Ad Companies to Foster O2O Services: Strengthening O2O Business Overseas Centering in Southeast Asia

TOKYO, June 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- GMO TECH, Inc. announced today that, as of June 26, 2018, it will start sales of its O2O*¹ services in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries. GMO TECH, one of the leading Internet marketing companies in Japan, has formed a business partnership with five Malaysian IT/Ad companies that engage in Internet advertising and mobile marketing businesses to expand its O2O business overseas, particularly in Southeast Asia: People 'n Rich -- H. Sdn. Bhd (CEO: Richard Steven), VLT KUALA LUMPUR SDN BHD (CEO: Adrian Lim), TK International Sdn. Bhd (CEO: Shingo Abe), ENTINIUM (M) SDN BHD (CEO: Jacky Lai), and PROMO TEC SYNERGY SDN. BHD.(Managing Director: Eriko Kitamura).

GMO TECH will start its sales of GMO AppCapsule, O2O app building platform, in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries through its five local partners to support local merchants' app building and promotion.

*¹ O2O stands for "Online to Offline" that refers to promoting store business via sending online users physically to stores

Fostering O2O Business Overseas & Expansion into Malaysian Market

GMO TECH has supported more than 4,300 stores and facilities across Japan with their marketing and customer acquisitions through its broad range of services, such as GMO AppCapsule, which enables clients to create their original O2O apps. Pondering smartphones have been increasingly spreading in the world and O2O marketing measures via apps are highly demanded, GMO TECH has advanced its global business development. It has its axis on O2O services in Southeast Asia where penetration of smartphones has rapidly grown.

Malaysia stays high in ratio of smartphone penetration in Southeast Asia, reaching 75.9% (7.2% increase from 2016) in 2017^*2. Another survey states that 89.4% of all Internet users have access to the Internet via smartphones*³. Furthermore, companies increasingly engage in mobile O2O marketing via apps, following openings of large-scale shopping malls and restaurants operated by Japanese companies in Malaysia.

Based on such potential needs in the region, GMO TECH has set about its business tie-ups with the five Malaysian IT/Ad companies to step into sales of its O2O services to help clients, including owners of retail stores, F&B stores and other facilities while promoting their own stores and customer acquisitions in Malaysia and surrounding countries.

^*2 Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, "HAND PHONE USERS SURVEY 2017", Statistical Brief Number Twenty-Two (2017)

^*3 Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, "INTERNET USERS SURVEY 2017", Statistical Brief Number Twenty-One (2017)  

Outline of Business Partnership

GMO TECH and its five business partners will engage in marketing for store/facility operators in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries through its expansion of GMO AppCapsule, including the following business roles:

GMO TECH Global Partnership 

GMO TECH is seeking sales partners in Malaysia and Singapore. Please contact us for any inquiries about our O2O services and partnership via the online form below:
https://gmo.tech/pressrelease/alliance/singapore/

Business Partners

• People 'n Rich – H. Sdn. Bhd.
• VLT KUALA LUMPUR SDN BHD
• TK International Sdn. Bhd.
• ENTINIUM (M) SDN BHD
• PROMO TEC SYNERGY SDN. BHD.

[GMO TECH]

GMO Internet Group

GMO Internet Group is an Internet service industry leader, developing and operating Japan's most widely used domain, hosting & cloud, ecommerce, security, and payment solutions. The Group also includes the world's largest online FX trading platform, as well as online advertising, and Internet media. GMO Internet, Inc. (TSE: 9449) is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. For more information, please visit https://www.gmo.jp/en/.

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