Reigning over world large-size LCD TV market As Samsung Electronics and LG Philips LCD launched operation of their 7th lines three or four months earlier than initially scheduled, Korean companies are likely to dominate the world markets for large-sized LCD TVs in the year ahead. In particular, as LG Philips LCD opens its Paju plant era, its domestic LCD production base will be reorganized into a pluralistic system, which is linked to Tangjeong, Gumi and Paju. LG Philips LCD said to begin with that the company opened the New Year, presenting first 42 inch mass production product in its Paju cluster 7th generation production line. The company is expected to rush into a mass production system as the company secures a stability of production line just one month after LG Philips LCD dashed in its pilot production at the end of November 2005. About its success in mass production in such a short period, LG Philips LCD underscores that this is the outcome to prove LG Philips LCD's the best line construction ability in the world and process technology power once again. Samsung Electronics also said that the company began LCD 7-2 line's operation, located in the Crystal Valley, Tangjeong, and Chungnam. An official responsible for LCD 7-2 line at Samsung Electronics notes that 7-2 line's full-scale mass production will be a key diverging point to assume leadership of large-sized LCD TV standardization. '5~10% growth expectation' This year's Korea IT market is expected to grow 5~10%, according to a survey enforced from the world's major global IT enterprise's CEOs. These CEOs forecast that Korea's IT market would turnaround into a growth period, getting out of continued stagnation period till last year. In addition, these CEOs forecast that media convergence such as fusion of communication and broadcasting will be the biggest trend of world IT market. Concerning the prime mover which drives the growth of the Korean IT industry, global IT enterprise's CEOs named 'excellent technology power and product (35%), continuous economic growth (25%), leading enterprise's imitative role (20%) and so forth. However, they pointed out that the government's regulations (25%) should be controlled along with 'excessive competition' (40%) so that Korea's IT industry may develop. The government institutions have proclaimed a conversion from a Linux user country to a Linux production country this year. Korea, which in the meanwhile has been using core technology developed by worldwide Linux development institutions, is planning to be reborn as a production country in the forthcoming 2010 by taking part in at firsthand core technology development work. An official responsible for server development at ETRI said that Korea would consolidate its phase as a Linux technology suzerain state by allowing our technology to be used abroad, not using Linux technology made abroad. 'Optimism over the New Year's cellular phone market' WCDMA, 'the third-generation mobile communication service', and 'Low price' rose up as the largest issue in global cellular phone market this year. Associated institutions and market survey institutions presented optimistic opinions in general about the New Year's cellular phone market. Moreover, as emerging market new demand such as India and Central and South America is on the rise, cellular phone market growth pace initiated from 2003 was forecast to continue during four consecutive years. To begin with, about a solid growth pace, major cellular phone manufacturers and market survey institutions forecast that the New Year's global cellular phone market would post a growth rate over 10% on an average. Market scale also is forecast to increase from 708 million units last year to 820 million units at the lowest estimate and up to 900 million units at the most estimate. Such optimism's background is based on a fast growth speed of emerging market such as India, China and Central- & South America. Particularly, India market, which deserves to be called as the second China, is forecast to form 36 million units scale, up 22% from 29 million units from last year. China also is forecast to form 86 million units' market this year from 82 million units last year. Brazil and Russia are forecast to grow to 36 million units and 42 million units respectively, up 10% from 32 million units and 38 million units last year. The victory and defeat of global market in the New Year will be decided by definitely the third WCDMA cellular phone. Accordingly, global big 4's competition will begin in earnest for this third-generation market including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Nokia and Motorola. 'The New Year's world IT trend in 2006' The New Year's world IT trend in 2006 is forecast to continue a big trend on the basis of communication and broadcasting fusion. Particularly, as up to convergence phenomenon without mentioning IT service is rapidly accelerated, such tendency is likely to have an effect on related products, parts as well as technology's dissemination and spread current as well. In a nutshell, the topic of conversation in the world IT industry circle for the New Year is the communication broadcasting fusion service and full bloom of screen market. Screen service, which is represented by TV, is forecast to a kernel growth engine of world IT industry in the New Year. As TV fuses with high speed Internet and state-of-the-art communication service, this creates an explosive video (SW) demand and forges a pre-cycle structure of IT investment, which stimulates again network equipment (HW) demand. Major global IT enterprises have launched fierce forestalling through M&A & tie-up, noting huge growth potential of all sorts of video market associated with TV since last year. Accordingly, IPTV market in which TV and high definition are united, rose up as the largest competitive field of broadcasting communication fusion in the New Year. Mobile TV which can see moving screens with cellular phones, is making an appearance as a representative player to assume leadership of world mobile market following camera phones last year in the New Year.