RealNetworks plans to acquire South Korean mobile entertainment provider WiderThan in a cash deal worth about US$350 million.WiderThan, in Seoul, provides a range of mobile entertainment services, including ringback tones and games. The company’s On Demand Music service offers licensed music for both wired and mobile devices, according to the company’s website.RealNetworks said the acquisition of WiderThan will strengthen its entertainment offerings for operators. In addition, the deal will increase the reach of both companies by combining the strengths of the companies in North America with RealNetworks’ business in Europe and WiderThan’s operations in Asia, including South Korea. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe RealNetworks expects to complete the acquisition during the first quarter of 2007. After the deal goes through, WiderThan will operate as a subsidiary of RealNetworks and the WiderThan brand will be maintained. In July, WiderThan’s U.S. subsidiary was sued by TeleCommunication Systems (TCS) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. TCS alleged that WiderThan infringed its patent for a technology that routes inter-carrier messages addressed using only the recipient’s phone number.WiderThan dismissed the allegation and pledged to defend itself against the charges. -Sumner Lemon, IDG News Service (Singapore Bureau)Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content feature Mastercard preps for the post-quantum cybersecurity threat A cryptographically relevant quantum computer will put everyday online transactions at risk. Mastercard is preparing for such an eventuality — today. By Poornima Apte Sep 22, 2023 6 mins CIO 100 CIO 100 CIO 100 feature 9 famous analytics and AI disasters Insights from data and machine learning algorithms can be invaluable, but mistakes can cost you reputation, revenue, or even lives. These high-profile analytics and AI blunders illustrate what can go wrong. By Thor Olavsrud Sep 22, 2023 13 mins Technology Industry Generative AI Machine Learning feature Top 15 data management platforms available today Data management platforms (DMPs) help organizations collect and manage data from a wide array of sources — and are becoming increasingly important for customer-centric sales and marketing campaigns. By Peter Wayner Sep 22, 2023 10 mins Marketing Software Data Management opinion Four questions for a casino InfoSec director By Beth Kormanik Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Media and Entertainment Industry Events Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe