SK Telecom, in its pursuit of AI Transformation (AIX) for industries, has broadened its reach by forming strategic alliances with companies in Australia, Singapore, and Japan to facilitate the international distribution of 'X Caliber,' the company's AI-based veterinary X-ray image diagnosis assistance service.
On November 17, 2023, SKT established a strategic partnership with ATX Medical Solutions, a leading provider of medical devices in Australia. This collaboration aims to leverage ATX's expertise in distributing medical imaging devices and operating cloud software for veterinary services. Given that 69% of Australian households had pets as of 2022, with a substantial market for cat-related products and services, SKT plans to actively promote X Caliber in veterinary clinics across Australia.
In Singapore, where the pet population has surged since the onset of COVID-19, SKT inked a strategic partnership with Smitech on September 21, 2023. Smitech, a prominent medical equipment distributor, specializes in providing various veterinary medical devices and solutions to animal clinics and hospitals in Singapore. Through this partnership, SKT aims to foster cooperation with major veterinary clinics and hospitals, enhancing awareness of animal health and welfare while boosting the distribution of X Caliber.
Expanding its horizons to Japan, SKT strategically partnered with Anicom Holdings, Japan's largest pet insurance group, on September 20, 2023. This collaboration extends beyond mere distribution, as SKT plans to utilize Anicom Holdings' pet life cycle data to engage in AI healthcare research and develop medical services for pets. The company also signed a business cooperation agreement with Anicom Pafe, a subsidiary specializing in electronic chart solutions, to promote X Caliber's distribution to veterinary hospitals in Japan. With Japan's veterinary healthcare market exceeding KRW 3 trillion as of 2021, SKT aims to capitalize on Anicom's extensive network to establish a strong presence in the Japanese market.
On November 19, 2023, X Caliber marked a significant expansion by including cats in its diagnostic scope. The service now covers a comprehensive range of conditions, analyzing X-ray images of cats to offer diagnoses for five chest conditions and seven abdominal conditions within a mere 15 seconds. For dogs, the service currently encompasses seven musculoskeletal conditions, ten chest conditions, and 16 abdominal conditions, in addition to automatically measuring heart size for both dogs and cats.
The feature of measuring heart size has been well-received by veterinarians, providing highly accurate measurements in a short timeframe. SKT anticipates a positive response for cats as well, expecting this feature to be actively used moving forward.
“By expanding X Caliber’s service coverage to cats, we expect to further strengthen our presence in the Korean market as we can now target 98% percent of the nation’s pet population,” said Ha Min-yong, Chief Development Officer of SKT. “Following our partnerships in Japan, Singapore and Australia, we will accelerate our expansion into the global veterinary market, including the Americas and Europe.”
