US Market News
3月前
SK Telecom, Supermicro and Schneider Electric Sign MOU on Total Solutions for AI Data Center DeploymentMarch 3, 2026 7:57 PM
PR Newswire (US)
- Collaborate on adoption of a pre-fabricated modular model for integrated server and infrastructure design - Accelerated artificial intelligence data center (AIDC) deployment and enhanced cost efficiency to strengthen global responsiveness and competitivenessBARCELONA, Spain, March 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM) announced it has signed a three-party memorandum of understanding (MOU) with global server manufacturer Supermicro and global mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) leader Schneider Electric to develop a total solution for artificial intelligence data centers (AIDC).The agreement, signed at MWC26, aims to shorten AIDC construction timelines and help alleviate supply bottlenecks by leveraging the combined expertise of the three companies.The companies will collaborate on a pre-fabricated modular model that integrates AI computing servers with supporting power and cooling infrastructure into a single pre-manufactured module, enabling AIDCs to be constructed in a building-block configuration.Compared with the conventional steel-reinforced concrete (SRC) method, in which servers and infrastructure are installed sequentially after completion of the data center building, the pre-fabricated modular model offers both faster deployment and improved cost efficiency.In addition, modules can be deployed in phases as demand grows, enhancing scalability while reducing the burden of significant upfront investments and enabling flexible responses to evolving market needs.Under the MOU, SK Telecom will contribute its AIDC operational expertise; Supermicro will provide high-performance GPU servers optimized for customer-specific AI computing scenarios; and Schneider Electric will deliver MEP infrastructure design and construction capabilities to reliably support large-scale AI demand."Through collaboration with global leaders in the AIDC business, we are advancing a total solution based on a pre-fabricated modular model," said Ha Min-yong, Head of SK Telecom's AIDC Business. "Building on this initiative, we aim to proactively address the AIDC deployment needs of global hyper-scalers while further strengthening our cost competitiveness.""In the era of AI, the true measure of competitiveness lies in how fast and sustainably organizations can deliver high-performance infrastructure," said Andrew Bradner, Senior Vice President at Schneider Electric. "Through this collaboration, we are introducing an integrated AI DC model based on a pre-fabricated modular design — empowering customers to lower carbon emissions, eliminate supply bottlenecks, and operate high-density AI workloads with greater resilience and efficiency.""Supermicro is excited to partner with SK Telecom to bring data centers online faster than ever before," said Cenly Chen, Chief Growth Officer at Supermicro. "This new integrated solution will leverage Supermicro's high-performance, GPU-optimized servers tailored to customer workloads. We look forward to helping organizations meet their growing data center needs with this latest technology."About SK Telecom SK Telecom has been leading the growth of the mobile industry since 1984. Now, it is taking customer experience to new heights by extending beyond connectivity. By placing AI at the core of its business, SK Telecom is rapidly transforming into an AI company with a strong global presence. It is focusing on driving innovations in areas of AI Infrastructure, AI Transformation (AIX) and AI Service to deliver greater value for industry, society, and life. For more information, please contact skt_press@sk.com or visit our LinkedIn page www.linkedin.com/company/sk-telecom.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sk-telecom-supermicro-and-schneider-electric-sign-mou-on-total-solutions-for-ai-data-center-deployment-302703229.htmlSOURCE SK Telecom
Original: SK Telecom, Supermicro and Schneider Electric Sign MOU on Total Solutions for AI Data Center Deployment
US Market News
3月前
SK Telecom Expands Global AI Partnerships at MWC Barcelona 2026March 2, 2026 6:30 PM
PR Newswire (US)
CEO Jung Jaihun hosted the AIDC conference, presenting the role and vision of telcos as key players in AI infrastructure.SKT introduced the 'Sovereign AI Package' strategy, which combines AI infrastructure, proprietary models, and industry services.
Jung also discussed AI cooperation with major telecom operators and technology groups across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.BARCELONA, Spain, March 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM, hereinafter referred to as "SKT") announced that its CEO, Jung Jaihun, met with senior executives from major global telecom operators during MWC Barcelona 2026 (MWC26) to discuss collaboration in key areas including AIDCs, AI models, and next-generation networks.¦ Hosting AIDC Conference to Present New Role and Vision for Telcos in the AI EraOn March 2 in Barcelona, SKT held its 'AIDC Conference,' under the theme 'Redesigning Telco Infra for the Next Phase of AI.'The conference was attended by Jung Jaihun, CEO of SKT; Chung Suk-geun, CTO and President & Head of AI Company-in-Company (CIC) at SKT; Bill Chang, CEO of Singtel Digital InfraCo; Sabri Albreiki, CTO of e& international; Khalid Murshed, CEO of e& enterprise; and Tadao Yanase, Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO) at NTT.During his keynote speech, CEO Jung emphasized that "Telecom operators' proprietary infrastructure and operational expertise are key to building AI infrastructure and expanding AI services, and that telcos must move beyond the rapid and secure delivery of data to play a leading role in shaping AI infrastructure."SKT also introduced its 'Sovereign AI Package,' which integrates AIDC infrastructure built on SK Group capabilities, SKT's sovereign AI foundation model, A.X K1, and AI services tailored for industrial and enterprise use. This strategy involves building a proprietary AI foundation model that understands local language and culture on infrastructure that is controlled and operated domestically, taking data sovereignty into account, and providing integrated AI services that have been validated in real industrial settings. Through this approach, SKT aims to protect national AI sovereignty while accelerating business innovation.Panel discussions covered a broad range of topics, including AIDC innovation, regulatory considerations and strategic direction. Participants agreed that, given AIDCs simultaneously require large-scale power supply, high-performance equipment, and ultra-high-speed networks, greater efficiency can be achieved through joint collaborative efforts among telecom operators.¦ Discussions on AI Cooperation with Major Global Telcos and Technology Groups On the same day, CEO Jung also met with e& Group CEO Hatem Dowidar and Group Chief Strategy Officer (GCSO) Harrison Lung to further strengthen their strategic partnerships in expanding global AI infrastructure.On March 3, CEO Jung is scheduled to meet with CEO Christel Heydemann, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer (CTIO) Bruno Zerbib, and other executives of Orange Group, which serves 340 million customers across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. This will be the first meeting between the CEOs of the two companies.SKT also plans to explore AI collaboration with its long-standing European partner, Deutsche Telekom. Jung will meet with Deutsche Telekom's CEO Tim Höttges to introduce SKT's AIDC technologies and operational capabilities, its experience in developing the proprietary AI foundation model A.X K1, and its AI RAN technologies.CEO Jung stated, "Competitiveness in the AI era depends not only on technology, but also on how infrastructure is designed and interconnected. We will work together with global telecom operators to build a trusted AI infrastructure and service ecosystem."About SK Telecom SK Telecom has been leading the growth of the mobile industry since 1984. Now, it is taking customer experience to new heights by extending beyond connectivity. By placing AI at the core of its business, SK Telecom is rapidly transforming into an AI company with a strong global presence. It is focusing on driving innovations in areas of AI Infrastructure, AI Transformation (AIX) and AI Service to deliver greater value for industry, society, and life. For more information, please contact skt_press@sk.com or visit our LinkedIn page www.linkedin.com/company/sk-telecom.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sk-telecom-expands-global-ai-partnerships-at-mwc-barcelona-2026-302701596.htmlSOURCE SK Telecom
Original: SK Telecom Expands Global AI Partnerships at MWC Barcelona 2026
US Market News
3月前
SK Telecom CEO Unveils 'AI Native' Strategy at MWC26, Driving Korea's Leap in AI InnovationMarch 1, 2026 7:35 PM
PR Newswire (US)
- Seizing the golden time for a major transformation, with 'Customer Value & AI' as the top two priorities for driving change- Major overhaul of systems and infrastructure, the foundation of telecommunications, centered on AI- Redesigning customer-friendly products, promoting integrated AI agents, and strengthening communication with customers - Advancing hyperscale AI data centers, developing 1000B AI models, and focusing on manufacturing AI to help Korea become one of the world's top three AI leadersBARCELONA, March 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM, hereinafter referred to as "SKT") has announced a major transformation to lead the era of AI.
On March 1, SKT CEO Jung Jai-hun held a press conference in Barcelona, Spain, and announced the company's 'AI Native' innovation strategy, which includes a reorganization of AI infrastructure and large-scale investment plans.This strategy reflects SKT's ambition to redesign its telecommunications leadership DNA into an AI-driven DNA, building on its core strengths, and to lead Korea's leap toward becoming one of the world's top three AI leaders through bold challenges and change. CEO Jung Jai-hun stated, "SKT is currently at a golden time of transformation, where the two tasks of 'customer value innovation' and 'AI innovation' intersect in a borderless, converged environment that goes beyond telecommunications. SKT defines 'the customer as the very essence of our business,' and through innovation driven by AI, we will evolve into a company that makes meaningful contributions to our customers and to Korea."Maximizing Customer Value with 'AI-powered Telco' SKT plans to build stronger relationships with customers and significantly enhance customer-perceived value by applying AI across all areas of telecommunications.To achieve this, SKT will undertake a major overhaul of its integrated IT systems, the foundation of its telecom services, redesigning them to be optimized for AI.SKT will build all integrated systems, including sales IT, line management, and billing systems, around AI, enabling the company to promptly design and provide personalized plans and memberships tailored to each customer's needs.In particular, SKT will establish a Zero Trust information security framework across all systems, strengthening security through rigorous authentication, access control, network segmentation, and AI-based integrated security monitoring.SKT is also accelerating its 'autonomous network operations' strategy, which leverages AI to automate network management.SKT is set to transition from human-centered operations to AI-driven autonomous systems across wireless quality management, traffic control, and network equipment and facility operations, with the goal of maximizing customer-perceived quality. With AI-RAN technology, the company plans to deliver ultra-fast, seamless, and ultra-low latency communications.Customer-Friendly Redesign Across All Touchpoints, from Services to Customer Touchpoints—Enhancing Two-Way Communication with CustomersSKT plans to redesign its telecom services and products to be more customer-friendly, while also strengthening two-way communication with customers.For services such as pricing, roaming, and membership, SKT will prioritize customer convenience by restructuring them into simple and intuitive formats and automatically offering personalized packages.SKT is also developing an 'integrated AI agent' that connects the dispersed customer experiences across various touchpoints, such as T world (SKT's main customer portal) and T Direct Shop (SKT's official online store).By quickly analyzing customers' daily patterns and needs with AI, SKT aims to create a single agent that delivers personalized experiences at every touchpoint. In addition, SKT will enhance its AI Contact Center (AICC), enabling all customer service representatives to use AI for accurate and prompt support.Offline stores will also leverage AI to shift from sales-focused operations to providing deeper customer experiences, accurately identifying needs, and automatically offering personalized recommendations even after a visit—delivering highly tailored curation services. In addition, SKT plans to create 'AI Personas' to analyze digital behavior data across various customer segments, enabling a comprehensive understanding of each customer's needs and preferences through natural, conversational Q&A. This approach will allow SKT to communicate more effectively with all customers.SKT is further advancing 'A. phone (A-DoT phone),' developing it into a true AI agent that can automatically organize call notes and schedules, connect customers to personalized services, and even perform related actions. SKT plans to expand opportunities for employees to engage directly with customers in the field, fostering two-way communication. This year, SKT plans to actively listen to a wide range of customer groups, as well as experts from industry and academia, and thoroughly reflect their voices in all aspects of company management.Building 1GW-Class AI Data Centers Nationwide to Establish Asia's Largest AIDC HubSKT will build 1GW-class hyperscale AI data center (AIDC) infrastructure across Korea, aiming to attract global investment and establish the nation as Asia's largest AIDC hub.In addition to its GPU cluster Haein, SKT is building AIDCs and plans to expand to hyperscale capacity exceeding 1GW through global partnerships. The company also plans to build an AIDC in Korea's southwestern region in collaboration with OpenAI, as part of its broader vision to establish a nationwide AI infrastructure network.Together with SK hynix, SK Ecoplant, and SK Innovation, SKT will secure solutions across the entire value chain—from AIDC construction to cooling, servers, energy, and operations—to provide AIDCs with industry-leading cost efficiency.Last year, SKT applied its high-performance, high-efficiency virtualization solution 'Petasus AI Cloud' to Haein, its GPU cluster built for GPUaaS, and this year plans to offer Petasus AI Cloud in the global market.SKT will upgrade its sovereign AI foundation model, currently the largest in Korea at 519B parameters, to over 1T (one trillion parameters), securing AI sovereignty and driving innovation across industries. In particular, SKT plans to enhance the model by adding multimodal capabilities, enabling it to process not only image data but also voice and video data, starting in the second half of this year.Moreover, SKT will focus on jointly developing a 'manufacturing-specialized AI solution' package with SK hynix to strengthen the competitiveness of Korea's manufacturing industries, including semiconductors and energy. This package analyzes process data in real time to reduce defect rates and maximize equipment efficiency, and will be offered in three forms: infrastructure, model, and solution.CEO Jung stated, "AIDC can be seen as the heart of Korea, and hyperscale LLMs as the brain. By combining SKT's AI capabilities with collaboration from domestic and global partners, we will lead true AI-native transformation for Korean customers and enterprises."Transforming Work Culture Around AICEO Jung emphasized, "To drive future growth, we must reinvent our way of working from the ground up. SKT will fundamentally transform its corporate culture to be centered around AI."SKT has built an 'AX (AI Transformation) Dashboard' that provides a comprehensive view of AI utilization by department and individual, accelerating AI adoption across the organization. In addition, SKT operates an 'AI Board' to strengthen dedicated support for AX initiatives and is fostering a work environment and culture where employees can naturally incorporate AI into their daily tasks.SKT has also built an 'AI playground,' enabling employees to easily develop and use AI agents for their work without coding. Currently, more than 2,000 AI agents are being actively used across areas such as marketing, legal, and PR.CEO Jung stated, "By implementing company-wide AI upskilling education and campaigns, we will transform our organizational culture to be AI Native. Through SKT's new transformation, we will do our utmost to regain the trust of our customers and become a company that contributes to the nation and society."About SK TelecomSK Telecom has been leading the growth of the mobile industry since 1984. Now, it is taking customer experience to new heights by extending beyond connectivity. By placing AI at the core of its business, SK Telecom is rapidly transforming into an AI company with a strong global presence. It is focusing on driving innovations in areas of AI Infrastructure, AI Transformation (AIX) and AI Service to deliver greater value for industry, society, and life.For more information, please contact skt_press@sk.com or visit our LinkedIn page www.linkedin.com/company/sk-telecom.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sk-telecom-ceo-unveils-ai-native-strategy-at-mwc26-driving-koreas-leap-in-ai-innovation-302700470.htmlSOURCE SK Telecom
Original: SK Telecom CEO Unveils 'AI Native' Strategy at MWC26, Driving Korea's Leap in AI Innovation
US Market News
4月前
SKT's Haein Gains Momentum as a Core Driver of Korea's AI StrategyFebruary 4, 2026 7:28 AM
PR Newswire (US)
SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- SK Telecom today marked the six-month anniversary of Haein, its GPU cluster built for GPUaaS, launched on August 1, 2025, designed to support large-scale AI workloads and the development of advanced AI models.The name Haein is inspired by Haeinsa Temple, home to the Tripitaka Koreana— one of the world's most complete and enduring collections of Buddhist scriptures. SK Telecom chose the name to reflect its vision of building a foundational AI infrastructure that enables the creation, accumulation, and responsible use of knowledge over time.Over the past six months, the cluster has progressed from initial deployment to stable operations, enabling faster experimentation, improved training efficiency, and scalable collaboration across teams and partners.A key differentiator of SKT Haein Cluster is its integrated full stack software, comprising Petasus AI Cloud, AI Cloud Manager, GPUaaS Service Orchestrator. Together, these components form an end-to-end platform optimized for complex AI workloads, allowing customers to move seamlessly from infrastructure provisioning to model development and deployment.At the infrastructure layer, Petasus AI Cloud provides a high-performance, AI-optimized data center virtualization platform that supports heterogeneous xPU environments, including GPUs and CPUs. Its Dynamic Allocation technology enables flexible partitioning and assignment of large GPU clusters by virtualizing various transport protocols such as NVLink, InfiniBand, and RoCEv2, thereby enhancing security, performance, and resource efficiency.Through Petasus AI Cloud's virtualization features, Haein provides each customer with a fully segregated environment by logically isolating both the GPU and network fabric at the tenancy level. This process takes less than an hour to prepare an isolated environment, compared to physical isolation, which can take several days to weeks depending on the size of the cluster.Building on this foundation, AI Cloud Manager simplifies large-scale AI training through intelligent job scheduling and multi-tenant user environment, enabling multiple teams to train massive models concurrently on shared GPU clusters while maintaining predictable performance and optimal utilization.The GPUaaS Service Orchestrator provides unified, real-time visibility into GPU, network, and storage resources, delivering actionable insights that help customers run their AI jobs in a more stable and efficient manner. This enables customers to develop models and bring them to market faster, while allowing SK Telecom to minimize operational overhead and total cost of ownership.By integrating these software layers, Haein streamlines the traditionally complex process of configuring and validating multiple infrastructure tools. This integration significantly reduces deployment lead times and mitigates economic losses associated with delayed fault detection. Furthermore, Haein's comprehensive monitoring and AI-driven anomaly detection capabilities—delivered through the GPUaaS Observability solution—enable immediate identification of failures and rapid service restoration, minimizing customer downtime and ensuring reliable service continuity.In August 2025, Haein was selected for a national initiative aimed at strengthening the foundation for developing globally competitive AI foundation models. Currently, Haein is actively utilized as a core AI computing infrastructure supporting large-scale AI model training and experimentation under Korea's Sovereign AI Foundation Model Project.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/skts-haein-gains-momentum-as-a-core-driver-of-koreas-ai-strategy-302678922.html
Original: SKT's Haein Gains Momentum as a Core Driver of Korea's AI Strategy