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Government-owned broadcasting and technology company Broadcast Communications - now rebranded to Kordia - says it is aggressively seeking opportunities to buy internet companies in New Zealand as part of a push to become a provider of consumer services.
Kordia chief executive officer Geoff Hunt said the company was actively seeking to acquire small internet service providers.
It wanted to shift from being a retail service provider of broadcast and telecommunications to delivering a range of services to consumers, he said.
Before the rebranding, BCL put forward a bid for internet and phone company ihug, but was beaten by Vodafone, which bought ihug for $41 million on October 11.
"The shift in thinking for us is we need to be more closely connected to consumers. Our customers have told us they wanted a company that was providing solutions and delivering content by whatever means," Hunt said.
The company is looking to average 20 per cent growth over the next 10 years, he said.
"In our industry while it presents challenges, it shouldn't be too difficult because of the number of new technologies."
The rebranding exercise was not just a marketing pitch, it represented a "fundamental rethink" of the business. The aim was for a more solutions-orientated company rather than infrastructure owner and provider, Hunt said.
Kordia is starting up a joint venture in Thailand, rolling out a mobile network, with infrastructure provider ALT.
It has also secured contracts in the UK with National Grid Wireless and Arqiva, providing engineering services to them as part of the roll-out of digital TV.
