SK Telecom Keeps Smartphones in Mind with Context Platform

SK Telecom (News - Alert), a wireless telecommunications operator in South Korea, launched a new and innovative platform called 'Context Platform' at MWC 2014.

By utilizing diverse smartphone functions including camera, sensors, GPS and Wi-Fi, SK Telecom’s Context Platform can provide real time information on what its customers are doing. It is a smart platform that can guess based on the usage patterns of the smartphone users, noted the operator.

"Along with big data, Context Platform is an important pillar of the newly emerging field of ICT intelligence," said Park Jin-hyo, senior vice president and head of network technology R&D Center at SK Telecom. "With Context Platform, smartphones will truly become an indispensable life partner for customers.”

Context Platform can make conclusions based on a customer’s device usage patterns involving calls, SMS, SNS, schedule, and applications, and figure out his or her personal connections, amount of spending, and time spent on games. Through repeated analysis, the platform also becomes smarter and more accurate.

One such analysis that the company highlighted was when a user walks with a smartphone, which is embedded with the platform, in his pocket, the phone detects the user's repeated movement and speed via its sensors and GPS, and analyzes the collected information through an algorithm to come up with the conclusion that the user is "in a walking situation."

Although information produced by services based on Context Platform is highly personal, SK Telecom assured that it will take all steps necessary to safeguard the information. Also, the company confirmed that it is currently developing an application that can lock features that records only preselected type of information to prevent leakage of information.

Along with Context Platform, the company also mentioned about its new service 'Life Log,' a service that automatically keeps track of one's daily lives (leisure, habit, health-related activities, etc.) and allows the user to later look up past records and statistics.