SK Telecom, Other Group ICT Companies Share Core R&D Assets for ‘Shared Growth’

SK Telecom CTO Park Jin-hyo explains SK Group’s ICT subsidiaries’ opening of their own application programming interfaces (APIs) to the public and build an integrated platform called, “SK Open API Portal” on June 26.

Officials from ICT subsidiaries of SK Group have joined forces in giving a shot in the arm to the Korean R&D eco-system.

SK Telecom, SK C&C, SK Hynix, SK Planet, SK Broadband, 11STREET, and SK Siltron will open their own application programming interfaces (APIs) to the public and build an integrated platform called, “SK Open API Portal.”

Executive Vice President Park Jin, head of SK Telecom ICT Center, Kim Joon-hwan, chief of SK C&C Platform & Tech 1 Group, Koh Young-ho, head of SK Broadband’s Growth Drive, and other R&D executives participated in an event at SK Telecom’s ICT Center in Bundang, south of Seoul, on June 19.

At the event, they introduced the background behind the opening of the APIs and major technologies.

The portal offers APIs the SK subsidiaries own, utilization manuals and a variety of samples, so developers and startups will be allowed to make application programs and develop new services.

SK Telecom and other ICT companies of SK Group are sharing core R&D assets in AI, big data, IoT and media sectors with the outside to expand the API eco-system.
A total of 46 APIs are to be opened to the public this time.

There are 19 kinds of APIs from SK Telecom, including T-map and Everyair; 13 kinds of APIs from SK C&C, including Aibril; 13 kinds of APIs from SK Broadband, including Could Cam; one API from SK Planet, and one commerce API from 11STREET.

The companies plan to expand the number of APIs, to be made public by the end of this year, to 85.

The SK officials estimate the social value the SK Open API Portal will create at some 10 billion won.

An API is a set of subroutine definitions, communication protocols, and tools for building software, which can be used to make application programs and develop new services.

For instance, SME and venture developers will be allowed to realize map and location information functions via the T-map API based on services they are developing through the SK Open API Portal.

AI functions of recognizing entrants’ faces will be applied in the course of developing security services via SK C&C’s “Vision API.” Real-time image information at major tourist sites can be offered via SK Broadband’s Cloud Cam API to create differentiation tourist services.

SK Telecom said the SK ICT companies’ opening of APIs to the public came after they jointly pondered what to do for the purpose of the development of the Korean ICT industry.

The R&D subcommittee of the SUPEX Committee selected the establishment of the SK Open API Portal designed to raise synergetic effects among ICT subsidies and explore technology business sectors one of joint tasks.

To this end, they decided to gather APIs, ICT assets each company offers, at one place, SK said.

In particular, it is noteworthy that major technologies a company would not divulge to the outside have been opened to developers and venture companies and APIs at diverse sectors such as mobile, wired communications, AI, cloud, and big data can be made available at one place with ease.

The integration of API windows in which developers opened with SKT and other ICT companies under contracts allows them to open the APIS at one place with ease. It will also allow them to mash up new software and services.

SK ICT family plans to divulge more APIs and assets so that developers, startups and academic circle can use them to develop diverse series and study, thus contributing to boosting the R&D eco-system.

SK Telecom CTO Park said, “ICT and services will be changed the direction and speed we cannot predict at an era of 5G, and SK ICT family will "SK ICT family will contribute to creating the 5GX eco-system and social values by sharing core ICT assets.”

A bird-eye view of the SK Open API Portal.

(Photos: SK Telecom)