Focusing Platform Business
SK Telecom is rapidly emerging as a leading platform business operator as its Information and communications technology (ICT) applications and services, which are opened to even subscribers of its competitors for free, are gaining popularity.
According to mobile communication industry sources on August 8, SK Telecom opened its mobile navigation service T-Map to subscribers of all wireless telecommunication service carriers and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) at no charge on July 18 and the number of T Map users, who are subscribers of other wireless services such as KT and LG U+, surpassed 1 million as of the 4th in 20 days after the opening.
The company’s T Phone application, which allows users to decide whether to take the phone call or open a text message from an unlisted number by evaluating numbers registered in other users’ phone books, thereby reducing the instances of phishing and smishing, also surpassed the 10 million subscriber number as of the 8th by adding 2 million users after it offered the service for free from December last year. SK Telecom recorded such an achievement in 30 months after the service was first released in February 2014.
The company’s another popular platform is about to be provided at no cost. SK Telecom will change the name of its T Cloud service, which currently has 150 million users, to “Cloud Berry” and open the service to everyone as early as the third week of August.
The reason why SK Telecom provides its popular applications and services at no charge is to diversify its current business portfolio, which heavily focuses on mobile communication services, to software and media contents.