[The Chosun Ilbo, October 26 2007] Korea Sets Standards in IT Around the World

When it comes to IT, even international companies with much longer histories than Korean firms are scrambling to adopt Korean-developed standards.

Samsung Electronics' supply chain management (SCM) system is an IT infrastructure that even Sony, the world's leading electronics maker, is envious of. The system automatically adjusts production volumes and parts orders in real time when products are removed from shelves. Sony reportedly lags behind in cost reduction because it does not have as precise a system as Samsung's. Rumor has it that Sony has asked NEC, the Japanese company responsible for building Sony's infrastructure, to develop an SCM system like Samsung's, and that has prompted NEC staff to visit the Korean company four times since late last year to learn its techniques.

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Many Korean IT standards have also become global standards. Mobile WiMAX, which is based on the Korean-made wireless broadband Internet technology WiBro, was adopted as a global standard by the International Telecommunication Union in Switzerland on Oct. 19. Digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) technology, which has been exported to 10 nations including Germany and China, is another example of a Korean standard becoming a global one. Samsung Electronics, Hynix and other Korean semiconductor firms, meanwhile, are increasing their influence in the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC), the leading developer of global standards for the semiconductor and computer industries.