With great fanfare and applause, the World IT Show 2010 was opened on May 25, 2010 at the Coex Hall, under the theme of "Feel IT, See the Next." The 3rd World IT Show was co-hosted by the Ministry of Knowledge and Economy, the Korea Communications Commision and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. President Hwang Joong-yeon of KAIT called the event "the highlight of the newest technology, innovation and convergence landscapes," and "the unparalleled, one-stop IT event in Korea."
Feel IT, See the Next
Even though Korea is known as a dominant IT nation, there is a lack of active interaction between the IT industry and its buyers. The World IT Show was first held in 2008 as a solution to this problem. The World IT Show is the largest IT exhibition in Korea which is a collaboration of 4 exhibitions which include KIECO IT-Korea and Expo Comm Korea. The WIT has become the center of the local IT industry for it relieves the pressure of IT Industries of having to appeal to foreign buyers while providing a competitive advantage in the global market.
This year, delegates from foreign countries including Indonesia and Mexico, 554 exhibitors of the IT industry, attended the show. The Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, Choi Si-joong also attended the show to congratulate them on the opening of the event. Large companies including SK Telecom, KT, LG and Samsung took part in the event and exhibited a marvelous array of new technology including smartphones, Wi-Fi technology, IPTV and 3D display technology.
SK Telecom
SK Telecom first showed off its smartphone application store which provides applications for users of all the telecommunciation services including SKT, KT, and LG. In addition to the application store, SK Telecom also featured its wi-fi zone which provides free wi-fi service for users of all telecommunication services. Its Smart Payment services also grabbed a lot of attention from viewers. The Smart Payment system can be thought of as a credit card embedded into a phone. The Smart Payment system lets consumers make payments using their cellphones. The service does not stop there. The consumers who use their cell phones to pay may also benefit from membership services and point card services, identical to those provided by a regular credit card.
KT
KT introduced the first ever Open Cross Platform. The platform enables the enjoyment of digital services like IPTV via a telephone. A picture that is taken by an iPhone will instantaneously be uploaded into other mediums and devices, further maximizing the consumer's digital experience. KT also showed its Wibro egg, a device that enables users to use wireless internet for all devices including computers and iPhones. One gadget that attracted much attention at the event was a system that could upload paperbase writing. Any writing that is done on paper can be uploaded immediately into a digital media. This device helps preserve then sensitive loops and curls of paper-based writing.
LG
LG's exhibition was, in one phrase, a 3D Television Extravaganza. LG introduced its world's first full LED 3D TV which displays pictures at 480 frames per second. Right next to the world's first full LED 3D TV was the world's largest 72 inch full LED TV with 480 true motion technology. A gadget that certainly attracted a lot of attention was the LG Optimus Q, which is a smartphone that has been tailored to Korean consumers. For example, all of its applications are in Korean, which will provide the product a competitive advantage over the iPhone which still provides most of its applications in English. In addition, users are able to get reviews and ticket information just by snapping a picture of a movie poster.
Samsung
Of the gadgets Samsung had to offer, two that stood out were Samsung's new Amoled Beam cellphone and 3D LFD TV. The Amoled Beam can be thought of as a portable projector within a phone. The Amoled Beam can project up to a 60 inch screen without difficulty. The phone can also act as a movie player, file viewer, and even flash light. In addition, the Amoled Beam has a Divx player which means that, unlike other cellphones, the Amoled Beam does not require the encoding process. The 3D LFD TV is 3D less the clumsy looking glasses. Unlike LG and its large array of TVs which all come with a pair of glasses, the Samsung 3D LFD TV does not require glasses for the full 3D experience, a slight deviation from the current global interest in 3D televisions, but certainly a great item that promises to strike gold.
Dr. Ing Kalamullah Ramli, Senior Advisor to the Minister (Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Indonesia) who was one of the VIPs to attend the event said, "I am interested in consumer products, especially those to do with telecommunications like the Wibro egg. I can see these products being incorporated in Indonesia soon."
