SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM) announced today that it opened Cloud Data Center, a cloud computing data center, to offer innovative cloud-based services and solutions to its customers.

Cloud Data Center is located at SK Broadband’s Internet Data Center (IDC) in Ilsan, Seoul. With its 1,500 cloud servers, the center will be providing SK Telecom’s cloud-based services.

SK Telecom’s Cloud Data Center was built in accordance with global standard cloud infrastructure (including IaaS, management solution, security value-added service, etc.) in November 2010. The company conducted tests and launched beta-service for the following two months.
*IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) is the delivery of computer infrastructure (server, storage, network, etc.) as a service

SK Telecom aims to open up a new cloud service market in Korea centered around cloud-based services tailored to each customer’s needs and specialized cloud-based solutions and plans to expand its cloud infrastructure in stages reflecting the market growth.

Moreover, SK Telecom plans to use its cloud for services like marketing analysis solution, LBS and M2M solution to cater to SMEs in the public cloud market. The company plans to lead the cloud market and build a cloud ecosystem by focusing on areas that have clear value. Some of the promising areas include cloud services for hospitals (u-hospital), education companies and game companies.

SK Telecom will also forge more partnerships with and extend greater support to SMEs to help them develop diverse cloud-related source technologies and application services.

The company has been providing cloud-based services through Officepack solution of ’T bizpoint’. ’T bizpoint’, launched in June 2010, is a mobile and fixed one-stop business support solution for SMEs designed to realize an effective working environment. SK Telecom further expanded its cloud-based service by opening ’T cloud biz’ in December 2010, through which it provides a total cloud service for SMEs.

Park In-Sik, Executive Vice President and Head of Enterprise Business Division at SK Telecom said, "Expecting a rapid growth of the cloud market in year 2011, SK Telecom will provide differentiated cloud services by creating customized and specialized solutions. SK Telecom will shape the cloud market while forging close ties with SMEs as it is determined to build an ecosystem that works for mutual benefits."