Park Young-shin, senior vice president, Internet Business Division, Dacom Corporation

Dacom (http://www.dacom.net) is Korea's second largest communications service provider. It has been devoted to the development of the Korean information and communication industry since it was founded in 1982. It is now responding proactively to such changes in the communication market environment as the emergence of voice/data, wire/wireless, communication/broadcasting convergence-model services. In particular, the company's Internet Business Division, whose revenues have increased from 19% of the total in 1998 to 44% in 2003. Dacom's telephone and Internet/data businesses are now the company's twin pillars of its business, accounting for 47% and 44%, respectively, of its entire turnover. Park Young-shin, senior vice president, Internet Business Division, Dacom Corporation, says in an interview with The Korea IT Times, "Dacom's Internet Business Division also is headed for Internet networking as well as being a business solution provider in step with the management's vision". To feature Mr. Park as the IT leader for our March issue, 2005, The Korea IT Times met with him to learn first hand of the business achievements of Dacom's Internet Business Division and to hear of the company's vision to become the country's no. 1 Internet network solution provider. Q: Could you describe the major activities of Dacom's Internet Business Division A: Dacom's Internet Business Division offers users its Boranet (Broad Open Rapid Access Network) service, DLS (Digital Leased-line Service) service, IDLS service, high-speed national network service, information security service, satellite broadcasting relay service, and ICT service. To take the Boranet service first, this is an Internet exclusive-use service through which all users connected to a customer's network can connect to the customer's domestic as well as overseas Internet. Since Dacom launched the Boranet service in October 2004, the service has grown steadily in terms of subscribers and turnover as it has been selected as the highest-quality Internet service in the Asia-Pacific region by Data Communication Magazine. Second, our DLS service, which began in late 1989, is meeting the needs of those customers who want to use a stable, corporate exclusive-use circuit. In addition to this, we are responding to the concerns of the finance industry -- expressed by the building of DR (Disaster Recovery) centers -- in a proactive manner by using Dense Wave length Division Multiplexing (DWDM). Third, IDLS (International Digital Leased-line Service) is a service that handles information such as voice, data, and screen data between main points at home and abroad through a submarine cable and satellite link involving cutting-edge digital transmission technology. Dacom has ensured the stability of the end-to-end circuit by diversifying its submarine cable routes. Fourthly, Dacom's high-speed national network service offers services of the highest quality such as its Soft PVC and MPLS-VPN service, which are difficult for competing companies to match. Fifthly, the company's information security business provides network security products such as Firewall, VPN, & N-IDS and system security products like Dcaom's server security service and PC security service. The broadcast relay service transmits screen, voice as well as data by using satellite as well as local circuits. Lastly, our ICT service is a new project, which is being driven by Dacom's Internet Business Division in step with the recent convergence trend. Q: We understand that Dacom is operating a domestic IX (Internet Exchange) center, so taking a central role of the operation of the Internet at home and abroad. Could you explain in more detail Dacom's role and function in this regard A: Dacom allows traffic at home and abroad to flow smoothly through the operation of its domestic Internet Exchange Center (IX), along with NCA (National Computerization Agency) and KT. Chief business providers working in conjunction with Boranet IX include Trunet, Onse, EPN, SK Networks, Samsung Networks, Ncsoft, and SKT. Q: KIDC (Korea Internet Data Center), the largest hotel server operator in Asia was the spun-off by Dacom with the aim of making the company a Internet hub for Asia-Pacific region. How is this plan faring A: KIDC, which began IDC service for the first time domestically in 1998, is winning the biggest customers among domestic IDC business providers. As chief services, the Center offers customers managed server hosting, IT outsourcing, mobile (power SMS, PDA hub center, mobile hosting), added service (security, back-up, storage hosting), a streaming center, and theme center. As of January 2005, KIDC accounts for 35% of the Korean IDC market and 40% of domestic Internet traffic is handled by KIDC. Through its IDC centers in Seoul and Daegu, the Company operates 20,000 servers for some 1,740 customers. Through its differentiated high-quality service, KIDC plans to develop as a leading IDC in the Asia-Pacific area by virtue of its competitiveness compared with oversea business providers. Q: We understand that Dacom is responsible for some of the highest quality network solutions on the domestic market. How did Dacom manage to do this A: As Dacom was selected last year as a BCN and Ipv6 test business provider under a program that the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) is driving as part of its next-generation growth engine projects, our company is coping with communication market environment changes proactively such as the rise in voice/data, wire/wireless, and communication/broadcasting convergence-model services. The Gwanggaeto Consortium, in which Dacom is the lead company, plans to invest a total of 10.7 billion won in BCN project this year. To this end, Dacom is planning to launch a total of 31 pilot service models such as a fusion of 9 communication/broadcasting services (digital broadcasting, data broadcasting, HD-notch VOD, TV portal, T-Gov, T-Commerce), 13 integrations of voice/data services (VOIP, multimedia messenger etc.), 7 integrations of wire/wireless services (WPBX, URC (Ubiquitous Robotic Companion), and Open API 2 application services. Q: Within the Dacom Internet Business Division, could you please explain in detail your Boranet as well as Bora home net services A: As of the end of January 2005, Dacom Boranet is offering its 10,000 customers (companies as well as PC rooms) the highest quality Internet exclusive-use circuit service that is unmatched for speed and safety. Based on Dacom's Boranet Internet backbone network and technology, Bora home net provides residential customers with faster and more stable Internet connection through the most appropriate forms among various composition modes such as HFC, and FTTC. Q: What is the nature of the overseas business operated by DLS and Dacom's Internet Business Division A: Dacom's DLS (Digital Leased-line Service), which came on stream in late 1989, is a high quality service that rapidly transmits or receives information in large quantities exactly where customers want through the construction of a 2.5Gbps high-speed long-distance optical communication network. Dacom Internet Business Division's overseas business breaks down into two parts. On the one hand is the IDLS service, which handles information, voice, data, and images via submarine cable and satellite. On the other hand is Boranet's Global IP transit Service that Asia chief ISP business providers (CAT, Asiainfornet) use to good advantage.