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Fitbit eyes presence in Korea

By Kim Yoo-chulRichard ChoiFitbit Korea country managerThe global technology industry is buzzing about smartwatches and fitness bands with Samsung, Apple, Sony and Qualcomm raising the stakes with these items.Fitbit, a maker of wristbands that track fitness, is seeking to join with those firms to bolster the market for wearable solutions that integrate all key functions of health and fitness devices.“Korea is a truly important market for us. Responses by Koreans to our products will help us strengthen our product awareness in other key Asian markets, including China,” Fitbit Korea country manager Richard Choi said in an interview last week.Korea is the fourth Asian destination for Fitbit following Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.Korea differentiates itself from other Asian countries because it has higher Internet literacy and an advanced wireless network, said the manager.  Fitbit was the biggest seller in healthcare bands in the United States, with its share reaching over 67 percent in 2013 from the 50 percent it had the previous year, followed by Jawbone Up and Nike

Mar 5, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
Fitbit eyes presence in Korea
Tech & Science

Firms urged to enhance innovation for retooling

By Kim Yoo-chulYung H. Chung, AlixPartners Korea managing directorKorean firms should focus more on innovation to revamp their corporate structure, a global restructuring expert said Tuesday.At a press conference at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul, AlixPartners Korea managing director Yung H. Chung said that companies’ innovation efforts can be one of the best ways to solve their structural problems.He pointed out that top-tier Korean conglomerates are pursuing various changes to produce innovative products, which is good for corporate restructuring. AlixPartners is a U.S. consulting firm specializing in this field.“In the case of LG Group, restructuring is always happening as LG Group’s affiliates are trying to develop something new. The conglomerate is allocating more qualified human resources on emerging business units and changing business portfolios, which we see as a positive factor,” Chung said.While Korean firms are getting better in terms of awareness of turnaround programs and restructuring, he said that many are still vulnerable to struct

Mar 4, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
Firms urged to enhance innovation for retooling
Tech & Science

SK to finance Silicon Valley startups

This is SK Telecom’s incubating center for startups, InnoPartners, in Silicon Valley, Calif., the United States. / Courtesy of SK TelecomBy Kim Yoo-chulSK Telecom, Korea’s top mobile carrier, said Tuesday its affiliate in the United States will invest $11 million in nurturing startups in Silicon Valley.“SK Telecom Americas (STA) has established an incubation center named InnoPartners in Sunnyvale, Calif. This will help us acquire needed patents for telecoms,” the firm said in a press release.The center will finance as many as 11 startups, whose businesses are mostly focused on the Internet of Things, big-data, cloud systems, healthcare, security and semiconductors.SK officials said the investment reflects the firm’s long-term vision for corporate sustainability. Samsung Electronics previously announced similar plans for a large center there called the Open Innovation Center.The SK center will provide up to $1 million in seed funds, facilities and offices to each firm. It will also offer services from technology design tools to human resources assistance.

Mar 4, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
SK to finance Silicon Valley startups
Tech & Science

LG Chem to up patent investment

No plans to sign licensing deals with SK, CelgardBy Kim Yoo-chulLG Chem CEO Park Jin-sooLG Chem CEO and Vice Chairman Park Jin-soo said that the world’s biggest supplier of batteries for electric vehicles is boosting its spending on patents because intellectual property rights are an increasingly important part of corporate success.“LG Chem is facing increasing threats of patent litigations from competitors and from organizations known as non-practicing entities (NPEs) that don’t design and manufacture,” Park said during a dinner with reporters, Friday.“But we will be proactive and aggressive in protecting our patents by strengthening our patent portfolios and hiring more experts.”While the LG Group affiliate is in various patent disputes over battery-related technologies with its rival SK Innovation and Celgard of the United States, LG has no plans to sign comprehensive cross-licensing deals in the foreseeable future, said the CEO.“As rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles are emerging as one of the next growth engines, LG Chem is grap

Mar 2, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
LG Chem to up patent investment
Tech & Science

KT, Cisco team up for 5G network

By Kim Yoo-chulLocal telecommunications giant KT said Thursday that it aims to jointly develop a fifth-generation (5G) network with U.S.-based networking giant Cisco Systems (Cisco) under new corporate initiatives being pursued by CEO Hwang Chang-gyu.“While 5G is still just a concept rather than a reality, you should keep in mind that being proactive means thinking and acting ahead of anticipated trends. By strengthening partnership with Cisco, KT plans to develop highly-advanced 5G wireless technology,” said a KT executive by telephone.The remarks come after Cisco CEO John Chambers said on the sidelines of the ongoing Mobile World Congress technology fair in Barcelona that the Internet of Things (IoT) will be a big part of the 5G wireless technology.In a statement, KT said Oh Sung-mok, head of its network unit, discussed with senior executives at Nokia Solution & Networks, Ericsson and Cisco how to collaborate for the development of 5G wireless technology.“Oh agreed with officials of Cisco and others to develop the next-generation wireless technology,” sa

Feb 27, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

Samsung SDS boosts CSR activities

Samsung SDS employees make heart shapes with their arms after a food donation event at a company cafeteria in Seoul in this file photo./ Courtesy of Samsung SDSBy Kim Yoo-chulSamsung SDS is strengthening its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to provide a wider variety of support for local communities.“SDS has been consistently impacting society by not just functioning as a business but by also expanding our highly organized CSR programs,” the company said in a statement to The Korea Times.Samsung SDS, an affiliate of Samsung Group and a leader in information and communication technology service, supports local communities, multi-cultural households as well as the underprivileged, including children, through some 340 small teams of volunteers.“Today, our business isn’t one-dimensional as we want to care more about people. SDS is a firm believer that a CSR program is crucial for business sustainability, and that’s why we encourage employees to participate in our CSR activities,” said company spokesman Jo Joo-hong.A distinguishing featu

Feb 27, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

KT, LG receive tech awards

Oh Sung-mok, head of KT’s network business division, poses with a trophy after it was named the best mobile technology firm during this year’s Mobile World Congress in Sapin, Barcelona, Wednesday. / Courtesy of KTBy Kim Yoo-chulKT and LG Electronics have received awards at this year’s Mobile World Congress for their innovative technologies.KT said it won the Outstanding LTE Contribution Award for its long-term evolution (LTE)-Advanced wireless network, and the CTO’s Choice Award, provided by a panel composed of chief technology officers from 14 leading telecommunications companies.“The awards means KT is far ahead of its rivals in terms of the quality of LTE-A service and related wireless technologies,” Oh Sung-mok, head of KT’s network business division, said in a press release.An LG Electronics employee shows off the “Most Innovative Device Manufacturer of the Year” award presented by GSMA at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday./ Courtesy of LG ElectronicsLG also won the Most Innovative Device

Feb 26, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

Samsung-Apple dispute takes new turn

Shin Jong-kyunSamsung Electronics co-CEOTim CookApple CEOiPhone 5, Galaxy S3 at center of future patent battleBy Kim Yoo-chulThe legal dispute between Samsung Electronics and Apple is expected to deepen this year as the Korean electronics giant has no intention to seek a truce after both sides failed to find middle ground.Samsung is expected to beef up its partnership with major technology firms, including Google, and to strengthen its patent portfolio to tip the balance of the dispute in its favor.Mediation talks between Samsung and Apple CEOs organized by U.S. District Court Judge Lucy H. Koh, who has been presiding over the highly publicized legal battle between the two tech giants over the past two years, failed to produce any breakthrough.The two firms are scheduled to meet in the San Jose district court again from March 31, according to officials at Samsung Electronics.This time, the companies are awaiting judgment from a new U.S. jury about patent infringement suits they filed against each other regarding their newer products such as Apple’s iPhone 5, iPad 4, iPad Mini,

Feb 26, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
Samsung-Apple dispute takes new turn
Tech & Science

KT, China Mobile team up for LTE

Spanish Prince Felipe Alfonso, right, asks questions during his visit to the KT booth at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday./ Courtesy of KTBy Kim Yoo-chulKT said Tuesday that it will commercialize it latest data roaming service within different long-term evolution (LTE) bandwidth in partnership with China Mobile.Korea’s telecommunications giant said at the Mobile World Congress in Spain Monday that it has successfully experimented the service allowing KT customers to experience high-speed wireless Internet in China without changing handsets.“With the collaboration of China Mobile, KT completed an LTE service that is available in China regardless of LTE standards there, meaning our iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C customers will use wireless Internet by using the devices they are using in Korea,” KT spokesman Lee Jeong-ho said.“This also means that KT has finalized the construction of an ‘LTE roaming belt’ among China, Japan and Korea,” he added.KT is the first in the world to start its unified LTE service between Kor

Feb 25, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
KT, China Mobile team up for LTE
Tech & Science

LG Innotek targets auto business

By Kim Yoo-chulLee Ung-beomLG Innotek CEOLG Innotek said Tuesday it aims to generate at least 1 trillion won in orders for camera modules to be used in automotive solutions by 2017 as part of its renewed strategy to find new cash cows.“Diversification is the key to our growth because Innotek is increasingly being pressured to tackle uncertainties and to seek corporate sustainability by shifting focus toward untouched territories,” CEO Lee Ung-beom was quoted as saying in a press release. “The automotive sector has huge growth potential and is very lucrative, should we jump in.” Innotek is a global leader in components for various applications.The statement said the LG affiliate plans to win 1 trillion won worth orders from leading carmakers for its camera modules.It added Innotek won a deal to supply automotive camera modules to a global carmaker in January, though spokesman Kim Hee-jeon declined to unveil the name of the new client.To ensure success in the business shift, Innotek’s car research and development unit was recently transferred to the car pa

Feb 25, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
LG Innotek targets auto business
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