SKT CEO to Overcome the World, Pioneer through New Frontiers

(아주경제 신기림 기자) SK Telecom CEO Jung Man-won (pictured) made it clear to his employees that they will all have to be fighters in 2010.

“We need to overcome the world and pioneer through new frontiers,'' he highlighted in the second anniversary of his inauguration.

“After years of strategic planning, we need to start seeing hard results of growth this year.''

Jung said the domestic telecommunications industry is becoming more cutthroat than ever, but stressed that SK Telecom must pursue its goal of snatching the No. 1 position in both the mobile and fixed-line markets.

SK Telecom's closest rival KT is currently the nation's biggest fixed-line operator.

“We need to lead the competition by seeking all kinds of fresh and innovative ideas,'' he said, exemplifying SK Telecom's recent set up of the Industrial Productivity Enhancement (IPE) business.

The IPE initiative is focused on tapping new opportunities in retail and distribution, logistics, finance, education and healthcare, by using the company's technologies to provide more effective solutions in each area.

The company struck a partnership with 181 automatic roaming partners worldwide as its first step to explore business models for IPE, designated as the company's key growth engine for this year.

Jung attributes the industry's stalled growth to the heavy dependence on individual customers, asserting that the IPE strategy will help SK Telecom see a breakthrough.

“We're going to focus on IPE business models that can contribute to enhancing industrial productivity ― targeting corporate customers from both industry and public sectors,'' he said.

The nation's No. 1 mobile operator aims to ring up annual revenue of 20 trillion won by 2020 through its IPE strategies, with more than half of the amount coming from foreign markets.

Last year, Jung highlighted five technology-related growth tasks dubbed “5nGINE'' to support the company's IPE business. The word is an acronym that stands for next generation, global de-facto standard, innovation, no-borders and experience, according to company officials.

They tasks include next-generation fixed-mobile network technologies, innovative user interface technologies, business platform and open platform technologies, smart technologies and cross-industry convergence technologies.

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