Samsung’s Independence
According to industry sources, Samsung Electronics set up a task force team in May to develop new mobile office software by early next year.
The team is known to be led by developers at S-Core, a subsidiary of Samsung SDS. S-Core was Tmax Core, affiliated with Tmax Soft, before its acquisition by Samsung SDS, and more than 200 software developers are working for the renamed company now. “We are working on the development in a low-profile manner nowadays,” said a member of the task force team, adding, “We are not aiming to release a product in the near future, but working on one as an alternative.”
Industry insiders are giving different interpretations on the development of the mobile office software by Samsung Electronics itself. Many of them are considering that it is based on urgent necessity, with the significance of office software on the rise in the mobile market.
Mobile office software can be defined as a program with which various types of documents can be drawn up and edited on smart phones, tablet PCs, etc. Currently available on the market are those provided by Korean companies such as Infraware, Hancom, Google’s Quick Office and the like. Samsung’s smart phones and tablet PCs have been provided with Infraware’s programs in most cases.
According to industry experts, Samsung’s own mobile software is unlikely to take the place of Infraware’s products, even after the completion of development. Instead, it seems that the former is to keep Microsoft in check. “Microsoft has been able to maintain its close cooperation with Samsung Electronics because the latter has lacked its own operating system and software,” said one of them, adding, “It seems that Samsung is getting negative about continuing the cooperation, with Microsoft focusing on hardware since the acquisition of Nokia.”
Samsung Electronics is already working on desktop-based office software, too. If the development is finished, it can provide office software products covering not just the desktop but also the mobile markets. Once Samsung’s PCs and mobile devices are equipped with the products, Microsoft cannot avoid a hit. With regard to the issue, both Samsung Electronics and Samsung SDS declined to make any comment.