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| SK Telecom's products, including a smart beam projector and wireless speaker, will be on show at the Messe Berlin, the main exhibition venue for this year's IFA trade fair in Germany. The company will promote itself as global platform business operator by participating in the global event for the first time. / Courtesy of SK Telecom |
By Kim Yoo-chul
BERLIN, Germany ― It remains to be seen whether Korea's top telecom carrier SK Telecom will make some noise at this week's technology exhibition in Europe, as its brand awareness on the global stage isn't that competitive given its huge reliance on the Korean market for profits.
But the company, which is also one of the leading affiliates of SK, Korea's third-largest conglomerate, claimed Wednesday (KST) that it was seeking to become a "global platform provider" with its decision to exhibit its "various platforms" at its booth at the IFA fair here, which will run through September.
"In an era of the Internet of Things (IoT), where all digital devices are being connected, wireless technology has emerged as the backbone to power up the trend. SK Telecom aims to show the company's strengths in this by introducing new smart home platforms," said a spokesman at SK.
Under the theme of "Creating Value Beyond Connectivity," the firm's booth, which occupies 152 square meters features a home platform that can save costs in energy consumption, a shopping platform and wearable products.
"SK Telecom's appearance at the IFA, which has long been dominated by consumer electronics firms, looks awkward as returns will be small compared to its spending on its booth. However, this is something new that hasn't been tried before by Korean telecommunications companies," said an official.
In a statement, SK said it will demonstrate how Web-connected home appliances can be controlled by its wireless system.
Also, the carrier plans to showcase its wearable products, including a smart-beam laser, a sleeping time checker and a device that measures calorie consumption by pets.
"Considering the affection of Europeans for pets, SK Telecom's wearable to help check exercising and sleeping time, as well as the calories consumption of pets, is expected to draw attention during the fair," the official said.
A "Smart Shopper" enables the delivery of products that were purchased by consumers at a preferred place and date, after scanning the products in stores and major distribution sellers.
Senior SK Telecom executives will join those from SK hynix, the world's No. 2 chipmaker, during the fair as SK hynix has been praised for its highly reliable brand.
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