President Byun Bo-kyung Kolon adapts to new trends by shifting emphasis to Ubiquitous business in 2006 Aleader who can't contribute to a transformation, is not a leader!" So says Kolon Data Communication (www. kdc.kolon.com) president & CEO Byun Bo-kyung, who strongly believed in this philosophy as he successfully mapped out a new business blueprint for the company's restructuring over the past three years. The growing trend of an IT industry environment shift from "E" (Internet) to "U" (Ubiquitous) has begun in earnest. Thus, the spotlight is focusing more and more on how fast IT enterprises are adapting by acquiring the capabilities needed in this changing environment by transforming their companies. In anticipation of such trends, Kolon Data Communication is poised to produce goods and services well-suited to the Ubiquitous environment and to leap into the next stage of becoming a specialized total IT service company. Byun Bo-kyung, president & CEO, Kolon Data Communication, underscores that companies cannot survive without being differentiated, adding that Kolon Data Communication's new challenge is to transform itself such a specialized total IT service enterprise, with priority given to four business themes such as U City, U Home, U Healthcare and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). Ubiquitousness as the future business engine Kolon Data Communication's Ubiquitous business has devoted considerable efforts to seeking and selecting a business group befitting its capabilities by excluding product production participation such as chip and equipment etc. As a result, the company selected four business themes - namely, U City, U Home, U Healthcare, & RFID. Byun notes that Kolon Data Communication is enlarging organization, the personnel, and business performance by reorganizing into a U solution team and U Infra team, approaching 2006 as the first year of Ubiquitous business. On the business front, Kolon Data Communication has concluded a collaboration MOU (memorandum of understanding) in conjunction with the Ubiquitous part of IBM last year and has entered into a strategic alliance with the U.S. firm Echelon to make inroads into open-model control networks in February this year, Byun explained. In particular, the company has been progressing its preparations from last year, regarding Kolon Data Communication's future business engine as 'Ubiquitous'. First, Byun is proud that Kolon Data Communication has secured technology power and competitiveness with its Ubiquitous business cooperation MOU conclusion with IBM on May, 2005 and with the company's participation in Busan U City Project's Information Strategic Plan. On the basis of such experiences, Kolon Data Communication has preparations to participate in two or three local autonomous entities' U City project business under way and Kolon is planning to raise its competitiveness by enlarging U City project participation in the coming months too. In the case of U Healthcare as well as U Learning field, results began to pay off from the second half of last year including 'Gangwon Province remote medical examination & treatment system' etc. and the 'Seoul National University Hospital Ubiquitous medical management system's order followed in January this year. Byun expects that such results will be more brisk as Ubiquitous business begins in earnest this year. Besides, Kolon Data Communication is considering health consultation business through wire & wireless networks connected with medical institutions and health information service firms and plans to embark actively upon remote medical examination and treatment business. Byun stresses that U Home field also is one important area of its plans to begin in earnest from this year. As its strategic alliance with U.S. Echelon gets attained at the beginning of Feb. this year, he said that Kolon Data Communication will commercialize open control networksassociated technology and NES(Networked Energy Service), an intelligence-model remote inspection system, in Korea. Active Ubiquitous business unfolding In regard to this year's propulsion strategy by its business division, Byun explained that Kolon Data Communication will provide the best service in concert with the best partner in its established system as well as solution business. He notes that in the case of Ubiquitous business, a new growth project, human and material system construction and fund will be thrown into three business themes exclusive of RFID field in earnest. In the event of RFID part, Byun judges it to be effective to begin in earnest after three business themes are on the track to a certain degree by means of a strategic alliance with established vendors such as IBM and Oracle. In the process of driving forward the Ubiquitous project, he explained that the connection with existing business as well as synergy creation, the core solution as well as an essential element technology security, and effective human resources operation as well as stable investment are important tasks. As to overseas business content and collaboration system construction, Kolon Data Communication agreed to make inroads into markets at home and abroad by beginning home production of NES (Networked Energy Service) in cooperation with Echelon. The two companies are further slated to establish "LonWorks Business Center" in conjunction with Echelon's open control networks technology at the beginning of April this year at Kolon Data Communication's headquarter. By establishing "LonWorks Business Center," CEO Byun said that Kolon Data Communication is planning to attempt technology transfer and develop business model, referring to the fact that LonWorks technology's competitiveness as well as marketability are good since it is recognized as global standard. As a result of profitoriented business structure, Kolon Data Communication's debt ratio remains at the 60% level, a very low level in comparison with similar data communications firms and in addition is practicing a transparent management on the basis of such superior stable finance structure, continuing its efforts to provide customers as well as shareholders with high company value. In the process of business restructuring and eliminating past mistakes, Byun explains: "Our company went into the red over two years, but I believe that this year, Kolon Data Communication will gain a turnover of 150 billion won (approx. $172 million), up 30% compared with the previous year, and a operating profit of 4.5 billion won (approx. $5.17 million)". Kolon Data Communication is poised to become an IT leading enterprise which provides customers with the optimal IT service with its accumulated knowhow as an established IT system special company, market command and launch of active Ubiquitous business.