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세계 최대의 전자상거래업체 알리바바와 세계 최대 스마트폰업체 삼성이 손잡으면서 구글과는 경쟁구도가 그려질 가능성이 점쳐지고 있다.
오늘 (11일) 삼성전자 신종균 사장과 만난 알리바바 창립자 마윈 회장이 알리바바판 “구글 글래스”에 지원 요청을 것으로 보인다고 업계 관계자들이 전했다.
“알리바바는 전자상거래업체에서 한 걸음 더 나아가, 지난 몇 년간 쌓인 고객관리와 인보이스 등을 바탕으로 세계적인 빅 데이터 기반의 IT기업으로 거듭나고자 하고 있다,”고 말했다.
알리바바는 현재 구글 글래스와 같은 웨어러블 컴퓨터를 제작하는데 크게 공들이고 있으며, 디바이스에 들어갈 각종 메모리와 디스플레이에 대한 논의를 위해 삼성을 방문했다는 전해진다.
스마트 디바이스 이후 최신 키워드로 떠오른 웨어러블 기기에 대한 열망을 기업마다 키워가는 상황에서 알리바바도 경쟁에 뛰어든 것이다.
“알리바바가 IT기업으로 변신을 꾀하기 위해 빅 데이터 전문가를 영입하는 것은 물론, 중소 IT기업도 인수하는 등의 노력을 기울이고 있다,” 고 한 관계자가 밝혔다.
문제는 이 경우 구글과 직접적인 경쟁구도에 놓일 수 있기 때문에 삼성으로서는 신중할 수 밖에 없다.
알리바바 또한 디바이스를 만들려면 OS를 구비해야 하는데 이 또한 쉽지만은 않을 것으로 보인다.
삼성의 타이젠이 한 가지 솔루션이 될 수는 있지만, 안드로이드나 iOS와 같은 수준이 되기에는 갈 길이 아직 멀다.
한편, 마윈 회장은 공부와는 거리간 멀었던 학창시절을 보냈지만 소프트뱅크 창업자 손정의 회장과 인연을 맺으면서 성공 가도를 걷게 되었다고 한다.
마윈 회장은 손회장은 물론, 마이크로소프트 창업자 빌 게이츠 등과도 각별한 사이라고 전해진다.
1999년에 처음 세워진 알리바바는 현재 연 매출 170조의 거물급 기업으로 성장해 중국 전자상거래 시장의 70% 이상을 차지하고 있다.
(코리아헤럴드 김지현 기자)
<관련 영문 기사>
Alibaba, Samsung may compete against Google
China’s top e-commerce firm rumored to be seeking Samsung support for its version of “Google Glass”
By Kim Ji-hyun
Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group, China’s largest online trading company, on Wednesday met with Samsung Electronics executives including Shin Jong-kyun, the mobile chief.
While Samsung maintained tight-lipped on the matter, sources said the two sides had much to talk about, including Alibaba’s ambitions to manufacture its own version of the Google Glass – a wearable computer fitted with an optical head-mounted display that is to serve as a ubiquitous computer.
Alibaba has been quietly building the device and is reportedly looking to commercialize the product in the mid or long-term future, for which it will need the support of many an IT company including Samsung.
“There are memory chips, displays and other types of hardware that’s needed to get this to fly,” said one source close to the matter, declining to be identified.
If Samsung does agree to provide its technology, things could get a bit tricky since the Alibaba device would be going directly against Google, Samsung’s most critical partner that provides operating systems for its smartphones.
Samsung has been repeatedly silencing rumors that there may be a fallout with Google since Samsung is anxious to own an operating system of its own, whichis why it‘s been working on the Tizen OS.
However, the operating system itself will be a problem since Alibaba will need one to run its device on -- something Samsung can’t provide.
“Tizen may be one solution, but whether it will be mature enough will be another difficult issue,” said another industry watcher.
Assuming that the Alibaba version of the Google Glass will provide bluetooth, communication networks are also going to be necessary, the watchers said.
Ma is said to have met with officials and executives of telecom companies here such as KT, along with Naver, the largest search engine during his visit.
Alibaba, first established in 1999 by Ma, has a number of sales platforms that together in past year recorded sales of over 170 trillion won ($161.3 billion) to step past E-Bay. On Nov.11 – China’s Singles’ Day designed to celebrate the bachelor life – Alibaba broke its daily sales record with over $5.75 billion.
Alibaba also received investment from SoftBank of Japan, and Ma is currently a board member. He is said to be close friends with SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son, and also with other global IT heavyweights including Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft.
Alibaba currently already uses big data to store merchant and customer-behavior records that allows it to see cash flows, supplier and customer names, and also whether a business’s sales are growing.
(jemmie@heraldcorp.com)
Alibaba, Samsung may compete against Google
China’s top e-commerce firm rumored to be seeking Samsung support for its version of “Google Glass”
By Kim Ji-hyun
Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group, China’s largest online trading company, on Wednesday met with Samsung Electronics executives including Shin Jong-kyun, the mobile chief.
While Samsung maintained tight-lipped on the matter, sources said the two sides had much to talk about, including Alibaba’s ambitions to manufacture its own version of the Google Glass – a wearable computer fitted with an optical head-mounted display that is to serve as a ubiquitous computer.
Alibaba has been quietly building the device and is reportedly looking to commercialize the product in the mid or long-term future, for which it will need the support of many an IT company including Samsung.
“There are memory chips, displays and other types of hardware that’s needed to get this to fly,” said one source close to the matter, declining to be identified.
If Samsung does agree to provide its technology, things could get a bit tricky since the Alibaba device would be going directly against Google, Samsung’s most critical partner that provides operating systems for its smartphones.
Samsung has been repeatedly silencing rumors that there may be a fallout with Google since Samsung is anxious to own an operating system of its own, whichis why it‘s been working on the Tizen OS.
However, the operating system itself will be a problem since Alibaba will need one to run its device on -- something Samsung can’t provide.
“Tizen may be one solution, but whether it will be mature enough will be another difficult issue,” said another industry watcher.
Assuming that the Alibaba version of the Google Glass will provide bluetooth, communication networks are also going to be necessary, the watchers said.
Ma is said to have met with officials and executives of telecom companies here such as KT, along with Naver, the largest search engine during his visit.
Alibaba, first established in 1999 by Ma, has a number of sales platforms that together in past year recorded sales of over 170 trillion won ($161.3 billion) to step past E-Bay. On Nov.11 – China’s Singles’ Day designed to celebrate the bachelor life – Alibaba broke its daily sales record with over $5.75 billion.
Alibaba also received investment from SoftBank of Japan, and Ma is currently a board member. He is said to be close friends with SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son, and also with other global IT heavyweights including Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft.
Alibaba currently already uses big data to store merchant and customer-behavior records that allows it to see cash flows, supplier and customer names, and also whether a business’s sales are growing.
(jemmie@heraldcorp.com)
