Maersk, Danske Bank partner on joint software venture

The Danish shipping giant and Denmark-based bank are awaiting approval from the European Commission to begin operations under a new joint venture called GateTu to provide customers with payment services and solutions for digital platforms.    Danish giant A.P. Moller–Maersk and Danske Bank are partnering to develop a new payment service and solutions for digital platforms, called GateTu, as announced via the European Commission (EC).
   According to the EC case file, GateTu will “offer software for online B2B platforms to facilitate payments and other financial services on a global level.”
   The merger is currently under review by the European Commission with a provisional deadline of August 25, 2017. According to preliminary examinations, the EC “finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved,” it said.
   A Maersk spokesperson told Port Technology that the project “would provide global customers with an even better experience. The project is still in its early development phase, and we look forward to be able to present more details in the future.”
   According to Port Technology, Maersk executive Vincent Clerc has been striving for Maersk to become “the integrator of global shipping”. In recent months, Maersk has partnered with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba to provide a direct booking link for shippers using Alibaba’s platform, and with IBM to collaborate on blockchain solutions.
   The Danish company was dealt a blow in late June with the Petya cyber-attack brought down its liner, terminal and freight forwarding systems. Maersk has since come back online from the attack, and all the more wiser to the dangers of cyber weakness.