Media, Entertainment and Gaming
According to media sources, Sony Corp has plans to create an Internet phone function for its PlayStation Portable (PSP) game player in cooperation with eBay unit Skype. SonyÆs PSP has been trailing NintendoÆs DS handheld gear in sales since the devices were launched. Under the offering, clients can download Skype's software, which is expected to become available as early as this month. The software will enable PSP users to make free web-based phone calls to other PSP users and to users of PCs equipped with Skype software.
Internet
According to Dentsu, the Japanese online advertising market was projected to be worth $3.4 billion in 2007 compared to the $4.1 billion projected by PricewaterhouseCoopers. By 2011, Dentsu estimates that Japan's online ad market value will be $6.8 billion. In the same period, PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates that the countryÆs online market will be slightly above $7 billion. Dentsu notes that search spending accounted for 27% of Japan's online ad marketing in 2007, compared to 40% in the US and 60% in the UK. The Dentsu Group tracks online advertising in three areas: search ads, mobile ads and fixed Internet ads such as banner, e-mail, rich media and text advertisements.
Mobile/Wireless
NTT DoCoMo Inc. has decided to terminate its personal handy-phone system (PHS) service, following a continued decline of subscriptions during the past decade. Subscriptions to DoCoMoÆs PHS service dropped to about 155,000 as of December compared from 2.1 million registered subscribers during its peak in 1997. With DoCoMo leaving the market, Willcom Inc. will be the sole provider of PHS services. In a separate development, Willcom disclosed a plan to introduce new PHS technology that is expected to make available higher communication speeds in 2009.
Software
Oki Electric Industry Company Limited and Fujitsu Limited announced their collaboration in developing next-generation ATM (Automated Teller Machine) software. The two companies said they have finished the development of a prototype of the software using web-based architecture. The product will be released in Japan at the beginning of April 2008. Oki Electric and Fujitsu said their goal is to create a new industry standard for ATM application software in which services can be rolled out industry-wide at low cost, replacing the conventional system in which each financial institution developed application software separately. A key feature of the next-generation ATM software is its fee structure, which charges per transaction. In addition, it will be managed on a central server, thus enabling financial institutions to easily change and add software as well as enhance internal controls and security by managing transaction data centrally.
Korea
Internet
The Seoul Central District Court has ordered LG Electronics to pay W700,000 ($750) in damages to each of 31 job applicants whose personal data were disclosed from the company's recruitment web site, media sources say. According to the court, a total of 290 people filed a collective lawsuit against the company. Sources said hacking was done by a man who applied to the company in 2006 and created a computer program that enabled its users to view the resumes of all LG job applicants.
Yahoo Korea has entered into an alliance with mobile carrier KTF Corp. to provide cell phone users with directions to restaurants and shops. Based on the mobile RFID technology, the service will allow subscribers of KTF to get information about 2,000 restaurants and shops through registering to Yahoo's regional service Gugi via their cell phones. Through Gugi, which is developed by Yahoo Korea, users can save reviews and information about restaurants, shops and other places on the map and share them with other users.
Mobile/Wireless
South Korea registered 43.4 million mobile subscribers at the end of 2007 compared to 40.1 million at the end of 2006, according to industry sources. The reports indicated that penetration was 89.8%. KT Freetel recorded net adds of 89,000 during December, a significant increase from the past five months when net monthly adds only reached a high of 51,000 in September. KTF has a total customer base of 13.72 million. At the end of 2007, SKT had 21.9 million mobile customers after adding 152,000 new subscribers during the year. In the same period, LG Telecom secured 61,000 new subscribers to bring its total to 7.8 million.
LG Electronics has announced a new product: a Mobile Pedestrian Handheld (MPH) system for over-the-air broadcasts in North America. Industry observers see the device as a way for the company to speed up its entry into mobile digital TV. The upgraded technology system is the result of an investment valued at some W7 billion ($7.4 million) and equivalent to two years of research. The MPH system provides a high-quality viewing image even in a vehicle moving at speeds of 90 kilometres per hour and does not need additional frequencies. Industry places the value of mobile TV market in the North American region at $4.1 billion in 2010, up from $200 million in 2006, a surge attributed to the US government shifting to digital television.
Hardware
Netflix Inc, a DVD-rental service company, and LG Electronics Inc have disclosed a plan to market an LG-branded device that will allow movies to be delivered over the Internet. The movies can be viewed on TV screens. The two companies did not reveal details about the device, but sources indicate that the product will also play Blu-ray and HD DVD discs, the rival formats for showing high-definition movies on televisions. Financial terms of the agreement were not desclosed.
LG Electronics has developed a mobile TV technology for the US, Canadian and Mexican markets. The company said it has invested W7 billion won ($7.4 million) in developing the technology. LG said it has conducted dozens of field tests for the technology in North America. Industry observes noted that the newly developed technology is different form existing mobile TV services like KoreaÆs DMB, EuropeÆs DVB-H and North AmericaÆs Medio FLO.
Telecommunications
Auvitek and Dasan has announced that Korea Telecom's (KT) Megapass FTTH service is being widely deployed utilising Dasan's IPTV set-top box that incorporates Auvitek's demodulator. KTÆs Megapass TV service provides broadband services at data rates of up to 50Mb/s. Megapass TV uses FTTH as the WAN connection and enables a range of services, including real time broadcast of HDTV programming, video-on-demand and a host of interactive services. KT a expects high penetration level with high volume deployments of Megapass TV within one year of launch. Dasan is the largest broadband equipment manufacturer in South Korea. Following Siemens' acquisition of Dasan, the company has received expanded resources to target a global expansion in the broadband equipment market. Auvitek is a leading fabless semiconductor company focused on developing ICs for the worldwide digital television and multimedia convergence markets. The US-based Auvitek has development, sales and support offices in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Taipei.
Ventures/Investments
SK Group, the parent of oil refiner SK Corp and top mobile operator SK Telecom, has announced that it will invest W8 trillion ($8.5 billion) in 2008, up from W7 trillion ($7.4 billion) in 2007. SK Group also disclosed in a statement that it is targeting W82 trillion ($87.1 billion) in sales revenue in 2008, up from last year's W78 trillion won ($82.8 billion). Of its total investment, it is setting aside W6.9 trillion ($7.3 billion) for capital expenditures to cover network upgrades and overseas investments in the telecommunications area, along with overseas resource development and productivity enhancements in the energy sector. SK Group indicated that the remaining W1.1 trillion ($1.1 billion) will be allocated to research and development.
¬ Haymarket Media Limited. All rights reserved.
