Samsung-AOL Strategic Cooperation

Samsung Electronics announced yesterday it`s strategic cooperation with the world largest multimedia firm AOL-Time Warner.

Samsung Electronics will supply the set top boxes for digital TV to AOL-Time Warner and AOL will provide its contents through the Samsung`s set top boxes.

In addition, Samsung will hold the privilege to supply the next generational cable TV set top boxes to AOL. Samsung will start selling its mobile phones equipped with the AOL contents in CDs this year and advertise its products through TIME, CNN, and TNT.

Samsung is also planning to apply the contents and services of AOL to its home network products in a couple of years.

Kim Byung-Guk, vice chairperson and CEO of Samsung Electronics, remarked that ``it`s a strategic cooperation of the world best on and off-line media industry, which promotes the supply of the general entertainments and communication solutions through the Samsung`s digital products.

The worldly renown internet service company AOL merged with Time Warner, which owns CNN, Warner Brothers, Time Warner Music, etc., to create the AOL-Time Warner in January this year. AOL holds 23 million members in the U.S. and 30 million worldwide.

artemes@donga.com