KT, Samsung collaborate on Tizen

By Cho Mu-hyun

BARCELONA - Samsung Electronics and KT are to collaborate closely on the Tizen smartphone operating system (OS), according to company executives at the Mobile World Congress (MWC).

In a dinner meeting with reporters, KT Chairman Lee Suk-chae confirmed Monday that he met with the electronics giant’s heir-apparent Lee Jay-yong and talked about releasing a Tizen handset this year.

The would-be competitor for Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS is a joint project between multiple information technology firms led by Samsung Electronics, which is aggressively planning to create its own ecosystem this year backed by the support of global carriers.

The only son of the electronics company’s chairman Lee Kun-hee, who was recently promoted to vice chairman to play a more active role in management, visited the MWC for the first time in three years to strengthen ties with mobile operators prior to the launch of some of its most anticipated handsets.

“My meetings are fully booked to meet 30 carriers today and tomorrow,” Lee told reporters at Fira Gran Via where the tradeshow is being held. “The MWC is a place to meet carriers. Relationships with telecommunications businesses are very important.”

He also met with Ha Sung-min, CEO of mobile carrier SK Telecom, who has shown a strong interest in Tizen.

The executives from the two firms held a lunch meeting on Monday and talked for over an hour. Samsung’s mobile chief Shin Jong-kyun was also present.

“The impression I get about Tizen is that it is neither a premium or a low-end OS, and somewhere in between,” said Lee Suk-chae, adding that he hopes the introduction of the OS to the market will create a more open ecosystem.

Samsung said earlier that handsets running on Tizen will be released this year. “I can’t say who but I met with an executive of a globally renown carrier and we agreed to push Tizen once it is released,” said the KT chairman.

Lee Jay-yong is also speculated to have talked about the launch of the upcoming Galaxy SIV. Shin confirmed that the latest smartphone in the flagship series will be unveiled at an event in New York on March 14.

“Since we unveiled the Galaxy SIII in London, there have been many requests from U.S. carriers to showcase the Galaxy SIV in the U.S.,” explained Samsung’s mobile boss.

KT and Samsung are close partners as over 60 percent of the telecom firm’s network equipment is made by the Galaxy maker.