Adobe Systems Asia president Paul Robson introduces the company’s cloud platforms in Seoul on Wednesday. (Adobe Systems)Adobe Systems seeks to help South Korean entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises make a complete transition from analog to digital in the way they produce and market content through its integrated platforms.The multimedia software company, which is renowned for its creative applications such as Photoshop and Flash, has two platforms ― Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Marke

Technology Nov. 12, 2014

Samsung Electronics has been approved by the Vietnamese government to invest $3 billion to build a smartphone manufacturing center in the Southeast Asian country, according to the tech giant and local news outlets.The new factory will be built in Thai Nguyen province, north of Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, where the South Korean tech conglomerate has been operating its first smartphone plant in the country since last March.Samsung Electronics invested $2 billion to build the first smartphone factory,

Technology Nov. 11, 2014

Samsung Group, South Korea’s largest conglomerate, will reportedly downsize the number of its executives and at its key affiliates, including Samsung Electronics, to make the companies leaner and more responsive to changes in the business climate.Lee Jay-yong, the vice chairman of the tech giant, is unlikely to be promoted as the chairman next month when the group announces its annual executive reshuffles, several news reports said.Lee Jay-yong. (Korea Herald file photo)Samsung Group said it had

Technology Nov. 10, 2014

Daum Kakao said Friday that it posted a net loss of 6.3 billion won ($6 million) in the third quarter of this year due to one-time expenses incurred from the merger between Kakao and Daum Communications.Asset revaluation of its subsidiaries and commission payments to M&A brokers following the merger had cost the company 51.7 billion won after taxes. The costs also included account receivables from sales of Lycos, an overseas search engine that Daum acquired in 2004, the company said.The merger e

Technology Nov. 7, 2014

South Korea is facing a conflict over whether to further ease domestic restrictions to allow financial companies, especially foreign entities, to transfer customers’ information overseas for processing at data centers operated by their global headquarters or third parties.The current regulation restricts offshore data processing and outsourcing without prior consent from the country’s financial authority due to privacy and security issues.Financial and legal experts said that relaxing the rules

Technology Nov. 5, 2014

Would you be willing to pony up $15 for an ultraefficient light-emitting diode bulb, especially if these so-called smart bulbs also played music and served as a home fire-detection and security system? This year has been a challenging one for the leading suppliers of lighting products, with quarterly lamp and luminaire revenues falling for most traditional technology suppliers. Many LED suppliers hope to reverse their fortunes as they strive to attract new customers to pay a premium by offering

Technology Nov. 5, 2014

Samsung SDI said Tuesday that it would set up a joint venture with Sungrow Power Supply, a China-based inverter manufacturer, for energy storage systems in China next year.The South Korean IT materials giant and its Chinese partner finalized the decision on Tuesday to establish the ESS joint venture in the first half of 2015 following their initial agreement last August.The two companies will aim to build their presence in China’s ESS sector, which has become the world’s largest market amid the

Technology Nov. 4, 2014

South Korea’s three telecommunications companies are expected to again face punitive measures by communications regulators for allegedly providing subsidies over the legal limit for Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.The new iPhone created a stir as soon as it hit Seoul last Friday, with die-hard Apple fans waiting in long lines in front of telecom retail stores in the wee hours to get their hands on the device.SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus saw the new iPhone as an opportunity to shake things up in the t

Technology Nov. 3, 2014

LIG Nex1, a South Korean defense manufacturer, said Sunday that it had donated $30,000 to a veterans’ association in Colombia for their contributions to the Korean War.LIG Nex1 executives and employees took part in an event in Colombia last week to express their gratitude to the veterans on behalf of the company and South Korea, with hopes of continuing the two countries’ long-lasting friendly relationship.LIG Nex1 chief operating officer Lee Joung-sik said the company has sought to thank the ve

Industry Nov. 2, 2014

Google Cultural Institute director Amit Sood (second from left) poses with Jejudo and Google officials in front of an island map at an event promoting photographs of Jejudo’s historic sites and artifacts at the Jeju World Natural Heritage Center on Thursday. (Google)JEJUDO ISLAND ― Google has launched an online exhibition featuring high-resolution photographs of the volcanic island Jejudo’s cultural arts and archeological landscapes on the Google Cultural Institute platform.The search giant said

Technology Oct. 30, 2014

By Kim Young-wonBUSAN ― KT chief executive Hwang Chang-gyu said Monday that the South Korean economy needs to adopt a new growth model that allows start-ups, and small and medium-size enterprises to flourish through innovation.In a keynote speech at the Global ICT Premier Forum on the sidelines of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Busan, Hwang suggested that the country’s conglomerates should make their abundant resources available to start-ups and SMEs so that they can come up with creative

Technology Oct. 27, 2014

Houlin Zhao, the newly elected secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, said Thursday that the organization would work with its members to resolve urgent issues and challenges facing women, children and underdeveloped economies.He said the ITU would help countries off the grid to get connected for sustainability, and support small and medium enterprises from those regions to innovate, share ideas, establish partnerships and attract investments globally.“It does not matter

Technology Oct. 23, 2014

BUSAN ― South Korea, China and Japan are about to face a tight race to rapidly adopt and commercially launch fifth-generation wireless communications technology ahead of each other as the International Telecommunications Union seeks to standardize it by 2020.Japan has been gearing up to stay ahead in 5G technology, and plans to showcase its telecom prowess at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, like it did in 1964 when the country broadcast the Olympics via satellites for the first time ever.Asia’s second-

Technology Oct. 22, 2014

BUSAN ― At the World IT Show held in BEXCO, on the sidelines of the ongoing International Telecommunication Union conference, it is not hard to spot the big, shiny exhibition booths of tech giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics.Their presence is just as large as their range of products displayed here ranging from large-screen curved televisions and wearables to smartphones and other digital appliances that can work well even based on next-generation 5G wireless technology.Clustered side

Technology Oct. 22, 2014