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SK텔리콤 자회사인 SK플래닛은 현재 운영 중인 틱톡 그리고 프랭클리 모바일 메신저 서비스를 향후 합병 또는 통합할 수 있다.
IT업계 관계자들은 둘 메신저 중 하나가 해외에서 “대박”을 터뜨리게 되면 합병을 추진할 가능성이 있다고 말했다.
틱톡을 개발한 매드스마트 창립멘버들과 SK플래닛은 작년 미국 샌프란시스코에 위치한 프랭클리에 투자를 했다. SK플래닛은 2012년에 매드스마트를 인수했다.
틱톡은 미국에서 성과를 못 내게 되면서 다른 대안으로 프랭클리에 투자를 하게 되었다고 업계 관계자들은 말했다.
대신 틱톡은 유럽시장 확장에 총력을 기울이게 되고 프랭클리는 미국시장에서 확장을 목표를 두고 있다.
하지만 SK플래닛은 프랭클리 메신저가 틱톡보다 미국시장에 더 적합하기 때문에 투자를 하고 선보였다고 설명을 했다.
프랭클리 메신저는 미국에서 폭발적인 인기를 끌고 있는 스냅챗과 유사한 서비스를 제공하고 있다.
스냅챗과 마찬가지로 메세지, 사진 등을 프랭클리 플랫폼에서 보내면 이를 상대방이 확인 후 몇 초 후에 삭제되는 메신저이다.
SK플래닛은 둘 메신저는 한 지붕 밑에서 운영되고 있지만 성격과 서비스가 전혀 다르다고 말했다.
틱톡은 작년 11월 터키에서 첫 해외 서비스를 개시했고 프랭클리는 작년 9월부터 미국과 한국에서 서비스를 시작했다고 덧붙였다.
SK플래닛은 향후 3년 동안 최대 5,000억-1조원 미국 실리콘밸리 IT벤처에 투자 계획을 밝힌 바가 있다.
(코리아헤럴드 박형기 기자)
<관련 영문 기사>
SK Planet could seek to merge Tic Toc and Frankly
SK Planet, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SK Telecom, could seek to merge two of its mobile messengers the company invested in the near future, industry sources said.
The two instant messengers are Tic Toc and Frankly, and their services could be integrated into “one” single platform when one of them achieves success overseas, they noted.
SK Planet and the founding members of Tic Toc invested in San Francisco-based Frankly, which provides messenger services similar to Snapchat.
Frankly’s messages also disappear immediately after users send them like Snapchat’s pictures sent via its communication platform. SK Planet acquired Madsmart’s Tic Toc created by KAIST graduates in 2012.
Tic Toc sought to expand in the North American region after SK Planet’s takeover, but did not bear any fruit.
It invested in Frankly as an alternative that could focus on U.S. expansion by inviting a local business expert as the chief executive, while Tic Toc on European expansion, one of the sources noted.
Steve Chung, graduate of Harvard and Stanford University, currently heads Frankly.
However, SK Planet’s spokesperson said that it invested in Frankly for the U.S. as the mobile messenger was more suitable for the world’s largest tech market than Tic Toc, while having Tic Toc focus on Europe.
SK Telecom has given SK Planet three years since it was spun off in 2011 as a mobile platform operator from the telecom giant to build its business and gain financial independence, sources said.
SK Planet announced last year that it plans to invest over $500 million in tech start-ups in U.S. Silicon Valley over the next three years.
SK Planet said that although the two mobile messengers are operating under the same roof, they provide different services and features targeting different tech consumers. Tic Toc started offering its services in Turkey November last year, while Frankly’s messenger was launched in the U.S. and Korea in September last year, the spokesperson added.
(hkp@heraldcorp.com)
SK Planet could seek to merge Tic Toc and Frankly
SK Planet, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SK Telecom, could seek to merge two of its mobile messengers the company invested in the near future, industry sources said.
The two instant messengers are Tic Toc and Frankly, and their services could be integrated into “one” single platform when one of them achieves success overseas, they noted.
SK Planet and the founding members of Tic Toc invested in San Francisco-based Frankly, which provides messenger services similar to Snapchat.
Frankly’s messages also disappear immediately after users send them like Snapchat’s pictures sent via its communication platform. SK Planet acquired Madsmart’s Tic Toc created by KAIST graduates in 2012.
Tic Toc sought to expand in the North American region after SK Planet’s takeover, but did not bear any fruit.
It invested in Frankly as an alternative that could focus on U.S. expansion by inviting a local business expert as the chief executive, while Tic Toc on European expansion, one of the sources noted.
Steve Chung, graduate of Harvard and Stanford University, currently heads Frankly.
However, SK Planet’s spokesperson said that it invested in Frankly for the U.S. as the mobile messenger was more suitable for the world’s largest tech market than Tic Toc, while having Tic Toc focus on Europe.
SK Telecom has given SK Planet three years since it was spun off in 2011 as a mobile platform operator from the telecom giant to build its business and gain financial independence, sources said.
SK Planet announced last year that it plans to invest over $500 million in tech start-ups in U.S. Silicon Valley over the next three years.
SK Planet said that although the two mobile messengers are operating under the same roof, they provide different services and features targeting different tech consumers. Tic Toc started offering its services in Turkey November last year, while Frankly’s messenger was launched in the U.S. and Korea in September last year, the spokesperson added.
(hkp@heraldcorp.com)
