LG Electronics – MS Pursue ‘Home Network’ Business

LG Electronics will launch a home network business with US Microsoft. LG Electronics announced at 17th that Ku Ja-hong, vice-president visited US Microsoft to discuss about joint venture with CTO and others.

The two managements of both parties agreed to cooperate for technological development and marketing about home network connecting all of home electronic products and computer and the next generation mobile phone. Additionally, they decided to have regular meeting of CTOs once or twice a year.

In this time, LG will cooperate with MS about platform technology to realize networking by installing MS operation system into Internet home electrical appliances. Independently from the cooperation, domestic electrical home appliance manufacturers discuss about the communication standard of their own networking.

LG Electronics forecast, “The cooperation of home network business between MS having strength in software and LG having strength in Internet, home electrical appliances, etc will offer an opportunity to develop new products.”

Mr. Ku introduced a monitor installing MIRA software of MS. MIRA is a software installed with wireless protocol to enjoy multimedia such as audio, video, etc by PC at home. The monitor can be used as a part of desktop ordinarily, and also can be used as multimedia in dining room.

Samsung Electronics discussed with MS the development PC as a server of home networking in the last year as well.

Im-Sook Ha artemes@donga.com