Seoul-based telecommunications giant SK Telecom (SKT) has revealed its strategic move to broaden the presence of its metaverse product, “ifland,” in Southeast Asia through a partnership with Malaysian operator CelcomDigi. This announcement comes as part of SK Telecom’s ongoing efforts to establish ifland as a global app.
The collaboration between SK Telecom and CelcomDigi, which commenced in February 2023, has now extended to include joint efforts in bringing ifland to Southeast Asia. Additionally, SK Telecom has inked Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with prominent entities in the region, namely Indonesian game developer and publisher Agate and Philippine IT company Cosmic Technologies, recognized for its expertise in IoT platforms and consumer electronics.
Under these partnerships, CelcomDigi, Agate, and Cosmic Technologies will take charge of providing localized content and executing marketing initiatives for ifland within their respective markets. They will also play a pivotal role in delivering primary customer support. In the broader scope, SK Telecom will focus on aspects applicable to all global versions of ifland, including service planning and operation, as well as content creation.
Yang Maeng-seog, Vice President and Head of Metaverse CO at SK Telecom, emphasized that these agreements enable partners to delve into the metaverse service business without initial development investments. Simultaneously, SKT gains the ability to swiftly tailor content to the unique characteristics of each country or region.
“By signing agreements with three leading IT companies in Southeast Asia, we will be able to carry out customized marketing in these countries,” stated Yang Maeng-seog.
As part of the global expansion strategy, SK Telecom is actively working to integrate additional languages into ifland, such as Indonesian, Malay, Hindi, and Spanish, targeting large potential user groups. The company is also developing a curation feature that recommends content based on user characteristics and regional access.
Looking ahead, SK Telecom plans to grant more administrative rights to its partners to stimulate ifland usage in each region. The telecommunications giant is also eyeing further collaborations, with ambitions to recruit ifland partners in the United States, India, and Europe.
“We will continue to do our best to provide ifland users with content and services that understand their culture and society by partnering with more local companies,” affirmed Yang Maeng-seog.
