By Kim Yoo-chul
Information technology and software services firm Samsung SDS has been regarded as the biggest fish in the pond, enjoying undisputed leadership in Korea but essentially anonymous once leaving friendly waters.
Of course, a one-dimensional reliance on local customers is an embarrassing trait for an affiliate belonging to Samsung Group, the country’s biggest conglomerate and global giant.
The company is determined to give its Korea-centric business a passport and Asia seems to be its first target in an ambitious plan to matter internationally.
Samsung SDS is headed by Alfred Koh, a Korean-American, who believes that developing economies like China, India and Malaysia could combine as a launch pad for its global business.
Koh appears to have the trust of the conglomerate’s upper management, which rarely appoints non-Korean national as CEOs of key business units.
For this year, Samsung SDS is aiming for 30 percent of its projected 5 trillion won ($4.4 billion) revenue from overseas. It will invest 260 billion won in future business projects this year, up 40 percent from last year, as it looks to create new opportunities in different markets.
SDS has identified automatic fare collection (AFC) systems for public transit among other purposes as a crucial business that will be receiving more attention and investment, according to officials. SDS won an order to build an AFC system for a subway line in Jaipur, India, in April and has also won information technology project contracts Delhi and Bengaluru.
The improvement of cities’ per capita income has led to need for greater mobility and movement in fast-growing nations like India and China. Thus AFC systems are becoming attractive in shaping and speeding up passenger clearance in metro and train stations.
AFC is helping improve rail passengers’ experience and services with few interruptions and saves time.
``Various big infrastructure projects are under way in India. The Indian government is pushing to build more subway stations, giving us more business chances. We will try hard to earn credibility by offering valued AFC systems,’’ said company spokeswoman Kim Mi-ri
The winning formula is based on previous performances in China. SDS advanced into the Chinese AFC market in 2002. In major Chinese cities from Guangzhou, Beijing, Wuhan and Tianjin to Cheongdu, SDS has exported solutions, Kim said.
``Our overseas business has taken off and is seeing steady improvement. SDS will try hard to win future AFC orders in other Chinese and Indian cities. We hope the winning streak could become a solid basis to expand our footsteps to smart infrastructure engineering-related segments,’’ she said.