Sundosoft is making a strong push for the "Geovision" project along with SK Telecom, a top executive of the geographic information system (GIS) specialized company said.
Commenting that Sundosoft aims to attain the sales target of KRW 35 billion this year, Yoon Jay-joon (Jay Yoon), CEO of Sundosoft which is the space information solution specialized company, said, "Since 2011, Sundosoft and SK Telecom have been pushing ahead with the Geovision project."
Under the project, Sundosoft combines a massive database possessed by subsidiaries of SK Telecom and a map to provide customers, including founders of business start-ups and salesmen, with such managerial supporting services such as analysis of commercial power and customer management.
"We also have a plan to conclude a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korea Cadastral Survey Corp for active advancement into the overseas market this year. At the same time, we are seeking various ways to explore the overseas market through close GIS cooperation with the government, institutions and large companies," he said.
Noting that most state-run institutions are now using GIS, Yoon said that Sundosoft is also planning to integrate the GIS business at many departments of the Seoul Metropolitan City into a single system.
"In addition, Sundosoft projects will combine GIS technology with the 4th generation mobile communication. This model has been emerging as a promising new project," he said.
"Since the demands for smart phones and cloud system have been increasing at a rapid pace, the 4th generation mobile communication will handle large data figures, which will explode up to 100 times present level," said the CEO.
Advanced GIS technology
Last year, Gwangju City (Gyeonggi Province) won the presidential award with its administrative comprehensive observation system using GIS at the public informational grand prize contes. This was a successful event, in which all central government agencies, provincial governments and public institutions participated.
"The GIS technology used by Gwangju City is the core technology of Sundosoft. By making the best use of Sundosoft-developed GIS, Gwangju City combines space information and administration to produce effective business process. By doing so, they succeeded in carrying out its business administration for citizens effectively," he explained.
GIS refers to an information system that analyzes and processes geography and geographical information data that enables people to utilize them in various fields. This includes land, resources, environment and transportation.
"For instance, we can effectively manage traffic congestion and logistics movement by combining GIS with logistics and transportation data. We can also apply the GIS technology to manage various facilities, including roads, water/sewage systems, gas pipe and electrical facilities, for easy, rapid and efficient management," he noted.
"Currently, the advanced GIS technology is being used as the core technology of the National Geometry Information System (NGIS), which is in charge of national defense," he said.
CEO Yoon said, "After all, GIS technology is helpful for people's living and enhances productivity, but is also an ideal system for national security."
Recently, GIS technology is also being applied to the financial sector; including helping banks, securing companies and insurance firms to manage customers' assets and suggesting investment guidelines.
"Since its establishment in 1987, Sundosoft has been focusing its R&D projects on the GIS-based solution, app and service development. We boast of our high-class GIS technology as we concluded the business partnership with Esri, and used the software engine of Esri in GIS," he concluded.
GIS convergence project
Yoon, the CEO of the nation's No. 1 GIS specialized firm, is striving to activate GIS and saying that the government's supports for GIS are still insufficient compared with those with general information systems.
Major customers of GIS are the central government, provincial governments and public institutions.
The basic framework was made in 1995 by the government and was mostly used by research centers and schools. In 2000, it began to be commercialized. As a result, government agencies in charge of GIS suffered serious difficulties.
"To rectify this, Sundosoft began operation of the GIS field education school with its own cost in 1992. Since then, it fostered a total of 13,000 GIS software experts," he said.
Suggesting that the GIS convergence project should be propelled to activate GIS business, Yoon suggested, "We can reduce costs and enhance productivity by combining logistics and GIS technology. By applying the advanced technology to the environmental sector, we can easily grasp movement of animals and offer assistance in keeping the ecosystem. Additionally, we can protect the environment by applying the system to disposal of construction wastes and radioactive materials."
CEO Yoon majored in mechanical engineering at Seoul National University, and obtained a Master’s Degree from Stanford University. Under the impression that the era of digital and computer would come soon, he changed his career to software.
After obtaining a Master’s Degree in the United States, he was employed at Amdahl and began his career in system analysis and software technology.
After returning home in 1984, Yoon introduced the AutoCAD and monitor graphic card to the domestic market for the first time and set up a company supplying CAD/CAM. Later he established Sundosoft, a GIS specialized firm, in an attempt to explore the GIS market.
Through it maintains a close partnership with Esri, it secured the top GIS position in Asia and dominates over 70 percent of the total domestic market share.
Predicting the advent of the Cloud era computing in the near future, CEO Yoon stated, "All information system users will use the cloud system in the future. The most important aspect of the cloud system is GIS technology. Sundosoft will become a top-tier company offering cloud-based services with advanced GIS technology."
