SK Telekom, the largest mobile phone operator in South Korea (and formerly part of that sweet joint venture with Earthlink, Helio), is going to be building its own mobile platform. The idea is to create music, messaging and social networking apps that will give companies like Facebook and Apple a run for their money. The source code will also be open once all the research and development get underway so developers can create their own apps, too.
While it seems like it will be another passing fad, SK Telekom is throwing $1 trillion dollars at this project and even opening up a research lab just for development.
Bloomberg reports:
The mobile-phone operator will provide services similar to mobile map, instant messaging and social networking offered by Google Inc. and other companies, Seoul-based SK said in a statement today. The investment, spread over three years starting 2011, will be made mostly in research and development, Chief Executive Officer Jung Man Won told reporters in Seoul.
SK will open the sources of its programming interface to allow independent developers to create maps, music and other applications, the statement said. The plan is the company’s biggest push toward software development as Facebook makes inroads in South Korea and rival KT Corp. lures customers with the more than 200,000 applications and entertainment available on its exclusive contract for Apple’s iPhone and iTunes store.
Seoul National University is home to the research lab. To have any real success, however, SK Telekom is going to have to target the North American market, and it will along with Asian markets, too.
[Via: Bloomberg]