Apple Pay is now available in Hong Kong and France
Apple has announced the launch of its mobile payment service, Apple Pay, in Hong Kong and France.
In Hong Kong, the service is available for eligible cardholders of American Express, Visa and MasterCard.
According to local press reports, there are an estimated 10,000 merchant locations in Hong Kong that accept Apple Pay. Participating banks in Hong Kong include Standard Chartered, DBS, Hang Seng Bank, HSBC, Bank of East Asia and BOC Credit Card, a subsidiary of Bank of China (Hong Kong).
In France, Apple Pay is supported by Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards from Banque Populaire, Carrefour Banque, Ticket Restaurant and Caisse d’Epargne. Apple also confirmed that Boon and Orange will soon support the service.
Earlier this month, Apple’s m-payment service was launched in Switzerland with support for MasterCard and Visa cards issued by Bonus Card, Cornèr Bank and Swiss Bankers.
Apple Pay is also available in Australia, Canada, China, United States, United Kingdom and Singapore. It can be used on Apple’s iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad devices and Apple Watch devices. The service uses near-field communications technology to allow for contactless payment in stores that have the contactless point-of-sale terminals to support the service.
Orange acquires firm to expand desktop virtualization business in Europe
French telco Orange confirmed it has completed the acquisition, through its Orange Business Services entity, of Log’in Consultants, a specialist in desktop virtualization integration services.
Log’in Consultants consists of three entities located in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, which offer Virtual Desktop Infrastructure consultancy and infrastructure management services to companies of all sizes. The acquisition allows Orange Business Services to strengthen its team with 135 experts and to extend its desktop virtualization activities in Europe.
“Desktop virtualization is a key component of business transformation. It delivers agility, productivity and performance by fundamentally changing the day-to-day life of company employees,” Orange Business Services’ CEO, Thierry Bonhomme, said. “It was essential for us to strengthen our teams and our integration capabilities in this field. We are now able to meet the growing demands of our European multinational customers.”
Orange Business Services focuses on information technology/cloud infrastructure; fixed and mobile connectivity; private and hybrid networks; applications for “internet of things,” 360-degree customer experience and Big Data analytics.
