SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM), Samsung Electronics and Cisco signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on June 5, 2019 to promote 5G-based smart office business. Under the MOU, the three parties will cooperate on planning and developing new 5G smart office services; developing a comprehensive package by integrating their proprietary technologies and services; and jointly promoting integrated marketing initiatives.

The MOU is expected to bring SK Telecom’s 5G smart office business in full stride. Along with smart factory, smart office is considered a key 5G-based service for businesses, which will significantly improve work efficiency and productivity.

With SK Telecom’s 5G smart office, only a smartphone is needed to fulfill all office tasks. Desktop PCs and laptops will be replaced with mobile virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). Powered by Samsung’s DeX solution, the mobile VDI enables employees to do their work on a shared monitor without any PC or laptop by connecting their smartphones to the docking pad.

Landline business phones will disappear as well. SK Telecom’s mobile business phone service will provide two separate phone numbers for business and personal use, allowing employees to access all existing features of a business phone from their smartphones.

Moreover, by cooperating with Cisco, SK Telecom will provide a mobile-based video conferencing and a virtual coworking space, which will further enhance the work efficiency. Unlike in the past where a separate equipment was needed for video conferencing, the 5G smart office only needs a smartphone to launch an immediate video conference. On a team-only virtual coworking space, all collaborative work such as file sharing can be done via smartphones.

The three companies will work together to plan and develop a comprehensive smart office package and plan to launch it in the second half of 2019. The comprehensive smart office package will include a mobile business phone, collaboration solutions, mobile-centric work environment and 5G network, all of which will be tailored specifically to the needs of each business.

To realize this, SK Telecom will supply core elements of the 5G smart office such as 5G network infrastructure, smart office solutions and mobile business phone service. Samsung Electronics will provide business-use smartphones, KNOX security solution and DeX solution, while Cisco will provide network security and coworking solutions such as Webex.

Meanwhile, as a preemptive move to usher in the 5G era, SK Telecom has already unveiled its 5G smart office last February at Centropolis Building located in downtown Seoul. Applied with cutting-edge information and communication technologies including 5G and artificial intelligence (AI), SK Telecom’s 5G smart office featured a ‘5G walking-through’ system, which allows entry without ID cards/passes via AI-based facial recognition, and a mobile VDI docking system that replaces desktops to realize an optimal work environment.

“In 5G smart offices, smartphones are all you need for work,” said Choi Il-gyu, Executive Vice President and Head of B2B Business Division of SK Telecom. “As leaders in our respective fields of telecommunications, smartphone and collaboration solutions, we will put all our efforts in creating the best possible and innovative work environment.”

“The idea of a digital workspace that Cisco is in pursuit of has now embarked upon a fast track with the opening of the 5G era,” said Choi Ji-hee, Vice-President of Cisco Korea. “Cisco will work together with SK Telecom and Samsung Electronics to provide users with the best smart office experience.”