Samsung Electronics will directly roll out Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones, a move that has sent other manufacturers of VoIP phones into feverishly fretting over. This is a stark change from Samsung Electronics' original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-based supply system of VoIP phones.
On January 21, it was confirmed that the world's largest electronics manufacturer would directly engage in the development and production of Wi-Fi based VoIP phones to supply SK Broadband (Formerly Hanaro Telecom), Korea's second largest fixed-line telephone and Internet carrier. Samsung Electronics has already entered the final-stage negotiations with SK Broadband to deliver its first batch of VoIP phone supplies to SK Broadband. As the Wi-Fi VoIP phone market has been on the rise, Samsung Electronics seems to have concluded that it would turn a profit by directly producing VoIP phones.
In fact, SK Broadband, which has so far supplied Digital European Cordless Telephone (DECT)-based Internet telephone services, plans to expand its supply of Wi-Fi VoIP phones. KT, Korea's second-largest mobile carrier that used to supply only DECT-based VoIP phones, have been offering Wi-Fi VoIP phone services since the second half of last year.
Samsung Electronics has so far supplied KT and other system operators (SO) with VoIP phones, solely manufactured by its cooperating partners, mostly OEMs. The global electronics giant's foray into the direct production of VoIP phones would equip the company with a complete array of VoIP phone portfolios, ranging from IP Private branch exchange (PBXes) to terminals.
Samsung Electronics is said to have already completed the announcement of its managerial strategy for the direct production of VoIP phones. Samsung Electronics' move certainly unnerves the Wi-Fi VoIP phone industry: its partner OEMs inevitably have to reduce their supplies and other rivals look highly strained. In fact, some companies - who have supplied Samsung Electronics with their VoIP phones - find themselves between a rock and a hard place as they mull over folding or scaling down their businesses on the news.
