Canadian firm to sell smartphones in S. Korea

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- A major Canadian handset maker plans to begin selling
one of its most popular smartphone models to South Korea businesses later this
month, a local mobile carrier said Thursday.
Research in Motion (RIM) Ltd. plans to start selling the BlackBerry Bold 9000
model to corporations starting on Dec. 29, SK Telecom, RIM's local wireless
partner, said in a statement. The two companies plan to hold a launch party next
week in Seoul.
The BlackBerry brand, first introduced in 2002, is popular among businesses in
North America and Europe as it allows users to access closed corporate e-mail
servers through a special software package. The device will sell for around
800,000 won (US$596) per unit.
SK Telecom also said it is reviewing the viability of marketing the model to
retail consumers starting in April 2009, when South Korea will remove a
regulation that requires locally sold handsets to be equipped with special Web
software.
On Wednesday, South Korea's telecom regulator said it will scrap the wireless
Internet platform for interoperability, or WIPI, installation requirement
starting in April. Additional software installation costs were seen as a major
hurdle for foreign mobile brands looking to enter the South Korean market.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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