The next turn was Jang Yoo-chul’s.
He mentioned the video file format for smartphones that was discussed at the last meeting.
Like Woo Sang-won, it wasn’t something new, so he scratched the back of his head, but one advanced piece of information was that they would soon be researching video file formats jointly with 【Macro Soft】.
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’ve already contacted them, and they accepted our proposal. They promised to distribute the jointly researched results for free.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing what comes out.”
“You don’t have to say that. As always, I know that I’m not very creative when it comes to making something new.”
“Why are you saying that? Even so, you’re doing the best. Anyway, isn’t it my turn now? Initially, I thought of a game, but then I broadened the scope and thought of a store where software programs for smartphones could be traded.”
What came out from the back-and-forth with Jang Yoo-chul was a platform distribution network.
“Think of it as moving the existing PC software platform store to smartphones.”
“Sounds good.”
“Right. Developers can freely upload, and those in need can download.”
“And you take a commission in the process?”
“Exactly. That’s the best advantage a platform operator can have.”
“Now it’s Min-woo’s turn.”
“I’m most looking forward to it.”
“Me too.”
“The bigger the expectations, the bigger the disappointment, but I’m confident I can meet your expectations.”
“Enough with the preamble. What have you thought of?”
“Curious, aren’t you? Alright, I’ll reveal it. Drum roll, please… The genius Oh Min-woo has thought of this: easy payment.”
“Easy payment?”
“Yes, easy payment via smartphone. As you all know, when payments are convenient, people tend to spend money. Think about how people’s spending habits increased since the credit card issuance criteria were relaxed two years ago.”
Hearing this, people nodded their heads.
In this era where even a dog or a cow could get a credit card, household expenditures skyrocketed.
“We also reaped the benefits. As more credit cards were issued, internet commerce exploded. My idea started from there. The smartphone will be used like a credit card, but even more conveniently. What do you think will happen then? Internet commerce, and furthermore mobile commerce, will grow significantly, right?”
“That sounds possible.”
“It seems more than possible, it seems certain.”
“It’s hard not to be excited. Of course, intermediate stages have to be passed through, but…”
“Hey, hyung, all ideas presented here today need to go through intermediate stages. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, indeed.”
“In that sense, how about we prepare the intermediate stages to realistically push forward next week instead of thinking of something new?”
“I agree.”
“Me too.”
“Okay, good. Let’s do that then.”
With this, the four of them chose the topic for the next study session.
If Lee Hyun-woo were here, he would have looked at them with quite a surprised expression.
Each idea that came out of their mouths was a core function of smartphones.
In fact, Lee Hyun-woo was currently busy establishing the basic infrastructure that would allow smartphones to be born.
Towards the end of summer, Kim Tae-hyun and Park Jin-yong visited again.
This time, they came together. It was because the collaboration of both companies was necessary to set up the wireless network equipment.
Although a long discussion ensued, the conclusion Lee Hyun-woo wanted was simple.
Rather than commercializing it immediately, 【Jungle】 would become the test bed, so he asked them to hurry up and create the equipment somehow.
Knowing that things would slow down significantly without urging, he emphasized ‘speed,’ and finally, within a month, a wireless network environment was established at 【Jungle Holdings】.
Of course, it wasn’t that there was no existing wireless network.
It was just that commercialization or popularization had not been attempted.
However, the wireless network environment established at 【Jungle Holdings】 now was different from the usual wireless LAN.
No, it was made to connect devices like PDAs and e-book readers smoothly at a speed that included general wireless LAN.
Naturally, the latest PDA made by 【Guseong Electronics】 and the 【E-liber】 version 2.4, commissioned by 【SJ Electronics】, were put to the test.
On the test day, Kim Tae-hyun was surprised by the speed of the wireless connection, and Park Jin-yong was speechless, imagining the future that 【E-liber】 would bring.
At the same time, Park Jin-yong took out a recently developed laptop from 【SJ Electronics】.
“This is equipped with the wireless LAN card to be connected here.”
As expected, seeing the wireless world connected via the laptop, Lee Hyun-woo smiled as if he knew it, and the other two were filled with dreams.
“Although I knew the era of laptops would come instead of desktops, facing the reality like this… my heart is pounding.”
“Same here. However, I felt that the existing laptops couldn’t keep up with the wireless network.”
“Yes, me too. It might be due to the CPU, mainboard, and chipset.”
“That’s right. The current ones are just slightly modified desktop versions.”
“So, can you make a proper one, as mentioned earlier?”
At Park Jin-yong’s request, Kim Tae-hyun nodded.
‘It doesn’t seem too difficult.’
Since they were already developing mobile CPUs as requested by Lee Hyun-woo, they accumulated know-how and felt they could take on the challenge.
Lee Hyun-woo, watching from the side, thought the same.
Originally, the laptop started to be widely used due to the laptop platform brand 【Cente Rino】 from 【Inter】.
【Cente Rino】 referred to a package consisting of the CPU, mainboard, chipset, and wireless network adapter that was mentioned, but in reality, it was just a combination of not-so-new components.
However, since 【Inter】 successfully marketed it, Lee Hyun-woo thought the laptop market could grow significantly even if he just assisted from the side.
Of course, there was a prerequisite.
Naturally, the wireless network environment being tested here had to be established for such laptops to sell well.
‘Now that we know it works well here, it’s only a matter of time.’
Lee Hyun-woo immediately summoned Hwang Do-hoon, the head of external collaboration, and instructed him to inform the Ministry of Science and Technology.
As if proving bureaucratic tendencies, the response came around late autumn.
“The Ministry of Science and Technology wants to see a demonstration themselves.”
“Really? Got it.”
Lee Hyun-woo immediately called Kim Tae-hyun.
“Hyung, it’s me.”
(Oh, yeah.)
“The government wants to see it.”
(Perfect timing. The laptop platform is almost complete.)
Lee Hyun-woo and Kim Tae-hyun were in frequent contact. So, when advised that there was no need for a new package in the laptop platform, a result came out much faster than expected.
However, what Lee Hyun-woo wanted was not a laptop but a mobile CPU, now called an AP (Application Processor).
(Ah, your stuff is also complete. I was thinking of contacting 【Samjin Computer】 and 【Won Computer】 today.)
He mentioned this information belatedly.
It meant that the laptop platform was more of a priority for Kim Tae-hyun than the AP.
‘I understand. He must see it as more profitable immediately.’
Anyone could see that there was still a long way to go to reach the smartphone stage.
But the era of laptops had come quite close.
Therefore, if 【Guseong Electronics】 could just create a proper platform, it could attract laptop manufacturers as clients.
By aiming for over-technology like this, useful developments would naturally fall into place.
‘At this rate, the landscape of top-tier companies might change sooner.’
Before Lee Hyun-woo died, 【Guseong Electronics】 was already a top global company beyond Korea.
Recently, he felt they might achieve that goal sooner than expected.
Of course, there was still the task of 【Guseong Electronics】 manufacturing all the semiconductors for the laptop platform, but they were already working on that, so it seemed they might soon become the No.1 semiconductor company.
Moreover, the 【SG Group】 also seemed to be climbing to a completely different status than in the past life.
In the previous life, they were neither here nor there, stuck between top-tier domestic PC manufacturers like 【Guseong Electronics】 or 【GB Electronics】 and assembly PC companies producing budget computers. But in this life, they rose with internet services and transformed into a top-tier foundry company by producing e-book readers for 【Jungle】 and 【Pineapple】.
Especially, since they were considering equipping the laptop platform while collaborating on the wireless network, they had a chance to become a global laptop computer manufacturer.
Furthermore, the response from the Ministry of Science and Technology was very positive after the demonstration in Jeju, leading to another opportunity.
That was the emergence of 【SJ Telecom】 as a strong candidate for the next-generation wireless internet business promoted by the government.
It made sense since one of the companies conducting the test bed in Jeju was 【SJ Telecom】, and not allocating the frequency for the next-generation wireless internet to them would have caused backlash.
Even the now giant 【SJ Group】 skillfully started a public opinion campaign through the media.
『【SJ Group】, becoming the protagonist of the wireless network era?』
Eventually, as winter set in, 【SJ Telecom】 won the bid for the frequency allocation promoted by the Ministry of Science and Technology and grabbed the new business.
‘Phew, now we can move on to the next era.’
Since there were processes to go through before the smartphone era, it was necessary to quickly pass the previous stages.
Now was precisely that stage.
To put it simply, it was the stage of transitioning from the 2G era to the 3G era.
Various forms of mobile phones were likely to coexist.
Commonly known as feature phones and mobile phones that might not be called smartphones yet but still pursued that direction.
As 2001 began, 【Guseong Electronics】 announced the launch of a mobile phone similar to the latter.
『A mobile phone to open a new era, 【Guseong Electronics】’s smartphone!』
But was it because they kept making new products?
When Kim Tae-hyun, who visited Jeju for the first time in the new year, asked Lee Hyun-woo,
“Ahem, didn’t 【Jungle】 say they would make a smartphone too? Why haven’t you started?”
“It’s okay.”
“It’s okay?”
“Yes, it’s okay.”
Hearing ‘it’s okay,’ Kim Tae-hyun didn’t ask further, and Lee Hyun-woo smiled inwardly.
‘We should launch a real smartphone, not a fake one, after the environment is ready.’
Until then, there was still a way to go.
