South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. said Tuesday it plans to focus on beefing up price competitiveness of its handsets next year, apparently as its foothold in the global market has been challenged by new players from China.In an investors' relations meeting held in the United States, Samsung said it plans to work to bolster its price competitiveness and also reduce its number of smartphone models.Samsung Electronics took up 24.7 percent of the global smartphone market in the third quarter, pl

Korea’s productivity from state-funded research and development projects is the lowest among advanced economies, despite high investment and budget allocation, according to data from the National Assembly and the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning.Researchers and scientists say this is because the country does not have a sound platform or infrastructure enabling transfer of technology developed through state-run R&D programs to the private sector. The low rate of technology transfer le

Most of Samsung Group’s second-half recruits this year are science and engineering majors, reflecting the company’s push for software development, according to industry sources. Samsung Group’s affiliates have been announcing from last week the results of the recruitment for the second half of the year, which began in September.Among some 4,500 new hires at the 25 Samsung affiliates who went through weeks of tests and assessments to get into South Korea’s largest conglomerate, most were science

Samsung Electronics, the world’s top memory chipmaker, and smaller local rival SK hynix saw their combined share of the global dynamic random access memory (DRAM) market reach an all-time high of 69.7 percent in the third quarter, industry data showed Sunday.According to the data compiled by market researcher DRAMeXchange, the third-quarter market share of Samsung and SK hynix was up 1.7 percentage points from the previous quarter. It was also slightly up from the previous record of 69.6 percent

Shares of Samsung SDS, an IT services unit of South Korea's top conglomerate Samsung Group, nearly doubled in price as it debuted on the Seoul bourse on Friday, reflecting expectations over the company's role in the group's forthcoming business reshuffle.    Samsung SDS was changing hands at 367,000 won ($333.30), far above the initial offering price of 190,000 won, in the first 15 minutes of trading, but slightly lower than the closing price in the over-the-counter market of 389,500 won on Thur

Canada-based smartphone maker BlackBerry Ltd. said Friday it plans to join forces with South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. to roll out a new security solution for mobile devices, set to be released in the first half of 2015.   Under the plan, the two players will combine the BlackBerry Enterprise Server 12 mobility management solution with Samsung Electronics' KNOX security system, and aim to provide "end-to-end security for Android."   "Early next year, enterprise customers will have a new ch

Mobile platform developer SK Planet’s Flitter, a public relations program consisting of college and university students, won first prize at the KPRA Award 2014 on Thursday. The award event was organized by the Korean PR Association, a leading organization committed to promoting the local PR market. Launched in 2013, Flitter has been serving as an important marketing outlet for SK Planet, helping the firm to better communicate with consumers. The team of college and university students participat

Hyundai Elevator Co., South Korea's No. 1 moving solutions provider, said Thursday it has developed a wireless control system that permits ordinary people to summon lifts using their smartphones.The Hyundai Real Time Service (HRTS) 2.0 system aims to enhance the convenience of people living and working in high-rise buildings, who have to wait for some time to get a ride. The system, which can easily be used by downloading a dedicated app, can also reduce construction costs and allow real-time mo

Top handset maker Samsung Electronics Co. said Thursday it plans to roll out its first virtual reality headset in the U.S. market in December, gradually expanding into other countries.The device, first showcased in August, provides 360 degree rotating view, creating a life-like experience for users. It is currently linked to the Galaxy Note 4 through a micro-USB. "Not only will Gear VR provide a vivid entertainment experience for users, it can also be applied to automobile or aircraft simulation