New Samsung chief: I want SOFTWARE
Samsung is going to have to do better in software if it wants to stay up near the top of the tech industry, its new CEO said today.
"Samsung needs to improve its competitiveness in software, and is now at a crossroads. To become the top global technology company, we need to challenge and innovate continuously. I will give more authority to our employees for creative ideas," shiny new chief exec Kwon Oh-hyun said in his inaugural speech, reported by the Korea Times.
He said that the company could only produce new customer experiences and value by strengthening its capabilities in design, user experience, solutions and software.
Samsung does have its own operating system for phones – Bada – but its Bada handsets have proved far less popular than its Android models, which have propelled it to the top of the mobile phone charts.
Former CEO Gee-Sung Choi was also keen to ramp up the company's software business, one of the few places the tech giant is weak.
Android was a winning operating system for Samsung's phones and tablets, but it makes sense for the company to make sure it has a fallback.
Many have wondered if Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility will put it into the hardware game, which could change the stakes for its current hardware partners. Android is also fighting patent battles on many fronts through its various hardware partners, so it would be prudent to have the option to drop the operating system.
(Source: theregister.co.uk)