Here in South Korea, we work to provide a wide variety of research and tailored services for our clients, but that's not the whole story. I thought I'd share this example of another kind of really important work we do.
Since 2002, NDS, a digital pay TV solutions provider, has invested over US$ 85 million in Korea by establishing a world-class research centre and developing local talent. Its contribution to the national economy is also significant. NDS has partnered with Korean consumer electronics companies and facilitated over US$2 billion in exports.
Despite this, the company found itself facing invisible barriers last year when Korean authorities appeared to favour local companies at the expense of foreign businesses. In December 2010, Korea moved to adopt technologies developed by Korean companies under a single cable TV industry standard. Foreign investor vendors such as NDS would have been squeezed out of the Korean market.
CableLabs in the United States has adopted NDS’s technology specification as the Open Media Security extension to its OpenCable standards and European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has approved NDS’s technology specification as one of its multiple standards.
To help NDS, UKTI organised a series of official meetings with the Korean authorities.
Our persistence paid off and Korean officials recently approved NDS’s technology to be used along with locally developed models. NDS is now firmly back in the market with business worth several millions of pounds a year. In a thank you letter to UKTI, Sue Taylor, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Asia Pacific of NDS, said:
"I wanted to write to you to express my personal sincere thanks to you for giving this matter your personal attention, for securing its priority within the British Embassy and for the British Embassy’s assistance, efforts and perseverance in achieving this result. It is no exaggeration to say that you and your team have helped to save NDS’s business in Korea"
If you are having difficulties with local market access issues in any market - please do contact UKTI. We may be able to help.
Soomee Moon, UKTI South Korea
soomee.moon@fco.gov.uk
2 comments
Comment by Damp Away posted on
I visited your blog for the first time and just been your fan. Keep posting as I am gonna come to read it everyday.
Comment by Damp Away posted on
I visited your blog for the first time and just been your fan. Keep posting as I am gonna come to read it everyday.