Seoul, Korea, 15 March 2010 - SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM) today re-opened T.um, the company's ICT experience center, and unveiled cutting-edge mobile upgrades, such as the first-ever use of smartphones embedded with real-time, location based technology. The enhancements, along the wide showcase of converged services, promise to bring visitors a whole new level of mobile and interactive experience.
The company reopened T.um after conducting significant upgrades such as developing smartphones as handsets to assist visitors during their experience at the center and building a more sophisticated real-time location awareness system. T.um was initially opened in October 2008.
At T.um, guests are given a smartphone embedded with a specially designed program and a Zigbee USIM card to guide them throughout the tour. Zigbee USIM card is SK Telecom's self-developed chip that realizes Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. The smartphone will automatically figure out the location of the visitor and guide the person on a personalized tour. The visitor's experience at the center is further enriched as the smartphone can perform dynamic interactions with the displayed items. This interactive experience sets T.um apart from other exhibition centers that only provide guides with previously stored information.
T.um is divided into two exhibition halls: Play Dream, which provides a guide into the future of ICT services; and Play Real, which allows visitors to experience technologies and services currently offered by SK Telecom.
Play Dream provides guests with colorful experiences as it displays six services that are expected to be realized in the near future: U.home, U.entertainment, U.media, U.driving, U.fashion and U.shopping. Visitors can enjoy home networking service based on motion-capture technology; play futuristic network games through interconnection of multiple devices; use real-time 3D conversion technology; experience MIV (Mobile In Vehicle), which allows the user to control a vehicle via mobile phone; create an avatar that has his or her exact figure and dress it in many different clothes; and enjoy shopping service based on image recognition technology.
Play Real displays core technologies that are being developed by SK Telecom such as voice recognition, e-paper, 3D conversion technology, Sound Code, Converged Personal Network Service and Smart SIM. Visitors can also experience currently offered services of SK Telecom and learn about the company's mobile telecommunication network management technology.
Since its opening in 2008, more than 10,000 people from 105 countries have visited T.um to experience Korea's advanced telecommunication technologies, making T.um a must-see for foreign government officials and people in the business and academic community.
T.um has been visited by government leaders of many nations including prime ministers and information and communication ministers; senior executives of global telecommunication companies like Vodafone and France Telecom; and professors and students from prestigious schools including Harvard University, MIT, Columbia University and Peking University.
The reopening ceremony held today at T.um was attended by KCC Chairman See-joong Choi and company's celebrity endorser Min-Ah Shin.
Those who wish to visit T.um can make reservations at the company's website, http://tum.sktelecom.com/eng/. The tour is provided in six languages: Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and French
