6 Posts about 'innovation'
SKT’s breakthrough for data business leadership :: 2010/07/17 18:18
On 14th July, SK Telecom announced new policies regarding unlimited data plans and mobile VoIP. 
SKT’s CEO is announcing several changes regarding their service at SKT's headquarter building.Many smart-phone users have complained SKT’s operational directions for several years and praised KT by the reason that KT tries a lot of innovations, including launch of iPhone in Korea and offering of their Wi-Fi network to KT’s users. In order to break the prejudice, SK Telecom tried to change many small things. For instance, in January 2010, SK Telecom announced that they would install Wi-Fi network and open the netwok to all people, including SK Telecom’s subscribers and competitors’ subscribers. However, these small tries were not able to change the negative atmosphere surrounding SK Telecom among smart-phone users.This time, SK Telecom made a big decision. SK Telecom decided to allow customers use their 3G mobile network (WCDMA) in case that customers subscribe price plans which monthly fee are over 55,000 won - around 50 USD. SKT’s new decision created a sensation among Korean smart-phone users. At many online communities regarding smart-phone, many people acclaimed SK Telecom’s new decision. Globally, most of mobile operators are reluctant to provide unlimited data plans because this plans might cause severe overloads on their mobile networks. Before SKT’s decision, all Korean mobile operators also had policies that make customers use mobile data services within limited network traffics. LG U+ (former LG Telecom) has provided monthly amount of data traffic the most aggressively. KT has supplemented customers’ data usages with their Wi-Fi network and is maintaining a policy to use both 3G mobile network and Wi-Fi network in order to meet their customers’ data usage needs. In early this year, SK Telecom also seemed to pursue a similar strategy to utilize both 3G network and Wi-Fi network. However, SK Telecom seems to turn their direction of strategy completely with this week’s announcement. I think that SKT’s new strategic direction will make its competitors such as KT and LG U+ be worried about their strategies about mobile data services. I think that it is very hard for KT to make similar strategies, because KT does not have sufficient network capacity to cover their all subscribers’ usage. Reactions of KT and LG U+ will be very interesting point in the half of this year.As well as unlimited usage of 3G mobile network, SK Telecom allowed mobile VoIP on WCDMA network. This change is evaluated as an innovative decision. Because allowing mobile VoIP might cause cannibalization to SK Telecom’s voice revenue. Since KT launched their new brand for 3G service in March of 2007, SK Telecom has maintained defensive stances regarding disruptive services. Many people criticized SKT’s defensive strategies. However, I think SK Telecom might get out of the passive images by this new plan about mobile VoIP. In addition, Korean people seem to be able to use Skype or Google Voice on their smart-phones and save their communication costs. I hope SK Telecom’s changes can become an inflection point of evolution and development of Korean mobile industry. As many people use mobile data services freely, more innovative mobile data services can appear in this dynamic market.
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iPhone in Korea? :: 2009/07/09 17:54
Although KT is officially saying that the plan to release iPhone in Korea is not decided, several news agencies have reported that KT would release iPhone in August. Especially, iNews24 (a Korean IT specialized news agency) reported a detail plan of KT regarding releasing iPhone.
According to iNews24, KT will release iPhone 3G in August and iPhone 3GS in September or October. In addition, it mentioned that SK Telecom does not make a decision about releasing iPhone.
In Korea, many people say that they are waiting for iPhone. Will iPhone make a big success in Korea? I am also wondering it. In my personal perspective, mobile operators should not modify anything including hardware and software, when they launch it. However, I am not sure whether KT could decide it without any modification. Because, many independent business models of iPhone collide with Korean mobile operators. For example, if KT launch iPhone without any modification, they should give up several their independant business such as Dosirak (a similar service to iTunes.). Korean mobile operators usually hope to become multi players which provide network, various services and content. However, when they launch 'PURE' iPhone and iPhone become the major trends in Korea, the mobile operators might become "DUMP PIPE"s.
We can see the result soon. When mobile operators launch iPhone in Korea, I will make a post regarding this again.
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An Innovative Mobile Keypad!!! :: 2008/11/02 01:26
I found an innovative mobile keypad which was developed by a Korean mobile start-up, Mobience. The keypad is called smallQWERTY.
With this new developed keypad, the speed of key input on a handset could be improved. Please refer to the Mobience's Web Site for details. In addition, you will be able to check how the keypad works from the below video clips.
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Internet Cafe in Public Bus in Korea :: 2008/09/15 05:41
There are public buses which provide internet cafe using WiBro (Mobile WiMAX). KT started to provide ;WiBro Internet Cafe in Bus' service in Seoul. Several seats in a bus have devices equipped with touch-screen panel. Currently, it is free service for trial. People who want to enjoy internet or use a streaming music/video service are able to do those activities in a bus. Please refer to the below pictures for your understanding.
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Mobile Mash-up Service, My Portal of SK Telecom :: 2008/08/02 16:34
SK Telecom released a new mobile service which is the first mobile mash-up service in Korea. My Portal service enables users to make their own mobile homepages with various such as opened news articles of Google and their own blog postings. For example, most of contents on web are made based on XML language and support RSS function which makes contents to be provided on various devices and applications. When users make a mobile home page using My Portal service, they can gather various contents from Internet.
I also made my mobile homepage using My Portal service. I could take my blog postings to the homepage using RSS function and post some news article of Naver (the most famous web portal in Korea) regarding mobile services. Because most of current web services provide provided Open API, people can make a mobile mash-up homepages using various contents from many web sites.
In the initial stage, some famous idol stars made their own mobile homepages on My Portal service and are attracting their fans to the pages. In addition, some companies can make their own mobile homepages for promotion of their products and companies. The below image shows mobile homepage of a famous korean star.
There are two methods for users to connect to My Portal service with their mobile handsets. The first one is to push only '479 + send button'. Users can connect to the initial page of My Portal service and see well categorized list of mobile homepages, including famous stars' homepages and ordinary people's. The second methos is to push 'phone numbers + # + send button'. If users know someone's phone number and want to connect to his or her mobile homepages, they only push the phone numbers in order to connect to the homepages.
SK Telecom started to promote the service through TV commercial. TV commercial emphasizes that users can make their own mobile homepages. If users want to use mobile internet service with their mobile handsets, they had to connect to the initial page which mobile operators provide. However, if users make their own mobile homepages using My Portal service, they can enjoy their own initial mobile services which include contents selected by each user. The below is the TV commercial for My Portal service.
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Samsung's New Handset, HAPTIC :: 2008/04/24 10:31
The KSFs of HAPTIC are 'innovative UI design', 'convenient widget' and 'full-browsing function'. In Korea, the handset manufactures have focused on handset design and additional function like game in order to attract users. I assume that this trend is changing. Korean users are interested in innovative UI more than hadset design and fuctions. I think that, if iphone is launched in Korea, it can surely attract many korean users.
<TV Commercial of HAPTIC>
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