Last week, I had introduced the SKTelcom’s  ‘IPE’ as one of the three innovative B2B strategies the major telecommunication companies are taking on. On this issue, I am going to further introduce KT’s ‘S.M.ART’ and LGT’s ‘Taltongshin’ (beyond telecom) projects, which seek to create a converging value between telecommunication and other businesses.

KT’s ‘S.M.ART’
KT’s backbone to its smart strategy consists of network, customer support system, and a fusion B2B marketplace solution, which is equipped with its 3W net(WCDMA, Wi-Fi, WiMAX), satellite communications that has been competitive for decades, and a nation-scale wireless customer support .

KT’s SMART strategy offers the ‘Smart (Smart) 6′; six specific sectors that provide specialized services: Smart Enterprise, Smart SOHO/SMB(Small Medium Businesses), Smart Government, Smart Building, Smart Zone, and Smart Green.

Since January, KT has been constructing a maintenance system for Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation, which allows real time maintenance inspection, fault reporting, check-ins and sending of instructions through voice, text, or pictures (video), in 148 stations of Subway Route 5678.

This enable the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation to manage various operational facilities of the subway Line 5678 on real-time with a mobile phone.

LG Telecom Taltongsin (”beyond telecommunication”)
The last to adopt the B2B model, LG has chosen education, utilities, media& advertising, automotive, and healthcare as its main ‘Taltongshin’ target areas. The project is based on the integrative environment of  fixed mobile convergence, convergence of communication and IT solution, and convergence between telecommunication and other industries.

LG Telecom further revealed that it is continuing to negotiate with financial, retail and manufacturing businesses. Hence, LGT is planning to launch a mobile groupware that enhances task productivity with functions such as e-mail and e-payment to attract the corporate market.

The innovative B2B models of these industries are sure to bring telecommunication to the next level, and further boost their prospects for overseas expansion.

Celebrities are no longer mere models for game promotion. Rather, they have been created into actual game characters that run through the game. Korea’s Asian pop star “Rain” had been first to be embedded as a character in the popular FPS game “Sudden Attack,” in December 2008. Rain’s game character has reaped about $210 million in sales, which projected the beginning of a new trend in the gaming industry. Following up, popular Korean boy group “Big Bang,” which includes five characters, did even better with $280 million in sales within 9 months of character release in Sudden Attack. Girl group “2NE1” also in Sudden Attack, had $210 million in sales like Rain, but actually scored the highest monthly sales. The upcoming next celebrity character on Sudden Attack has been decided as Hollywood model Jessica Gomez.

Left Korean Asia Pop star ‘Rain’, Right Hollywood star ‘Jessica Gomez’

The transformation of celebrities from simply being models into actual characters in the game itself has given gamers a new surreal attraction, and also created a new trend amongst gamers and the gaming industry. Furthermore, the game companies have positive outlook with this new marketing step, which they expect will further permeate along with the Korean wave (popularity of Korean culture in Asia) in Southeast Asia, Japan and China. Much can be expected with this new marketing model, perhaps even a new wave of gamers. I am sure lots of gamers will be eager to have a chance to play as Scarlett Johansson or Jessica Alba next on Sudden Attack. 

South Korea has been fertile ground for online game developers. The country has countless internet cafes filled with gamers nationwide and even TV stations for broadcasting games. Especially since the country is also a major developer of online games itself, online games that have hit it big in South Korea have tend to do well elsewhere in the region, and has also established partnerships and investments with major foreign gaming companies.

Korea’s advanced online games have been widely successful, with primary export destinations as the United States (with Maple Story), Japan (Aion) and Taiwan (Kart Rider) with increasing market penetration and revenue coming from China, and popularity in Malaysia, Thailand, and Europe. Nexon America Inc., the U.S. division of Asia leading Korean online games company Nexon Corporation’s first release “MapleStory” (2D side-scrolling fantasy MMORPG with cartoony graphics), had exceeded three million registered users in North America, making it one of the fastest growing MMO(massive multiplayer online) games, known for its robust community and the ability to personalize game characters in endless combinations.
There have also been websites that provide popular Korean online games such as gamengame.com in English, for free.

Foreign developers have already been seeking out juicy opportunities and investment strategies with Korean developers in online gaming industry
In 2006, EA(Electronic Arts), the biggest game software producer in the world, had joint hands with Korea’s number one gaming company Neowiz and co-developed their first game, FIFA online. In an effort to enter the online gaming industry, EA has strategically sought this opportunity to learn about the Asian online game market region through Neowiz, as Korean games have already established a footing in the region. Hence, FIFA online has been one of Korea’s number one online game, and it has been further developed for consoles such as Xbox due to its popularity. Other joint developments included NBA Street Online and Battlefield online.

Though game users in many other countries have been more friendly with console games to online game, with the worldwide proliferation of broadband internet access and the rapid growth of internet users, brings positive prospect to the future of Korea’s online gaming industry. It seems that there is much room for further expansion and development in this massive multiplayer industry, meaning Korea’s online games are the thing to look out for!