On October 1, 2014, Kakao will be merging with Daum Communications, a technology services company based in Jeju, South Korea. We’d like to tell you more about Daum as a company, their history and what they do so you can get to know them better.
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Daum Space in Jeju, South Korea
Daum Communications has been at the forefront of the web revolution since the beginning. The company has lived up to its name from the get-go: “daum" means “next” and “diverse voices” in Korean. All in all, the linguistic significance behind Daum's name has set the company's philosophy as a future-oriented company that strives to play a leading role in creating the next generation of communication. In 2014, Daum Communications is the parent and operator of over 200 services constantly shaping the way Koreans live online and on mobile.
Timeline - History
1994 - Dawn of the Internet
1995 - Daum Communications established
1997 - Launch of Hanmail.net, Korea's first email service
1999 - Daum Café
2000 - Daum launches search service
2003 - Daum Media launches
2006 - 2007 - Daum Global Media Center, the first Jeju office, is complete. tvPot launches.
2008 - Launch and vision of Daum's new map services
2009 - Smartphones first introduced to Korea
2009 - Mobile map services launch: Daum Sky View, Road View
2010 - Launches the new mobile ad platform Ad@m
2012 - Relocates headquarters to Jeju Daum Space
2013 - Mobile exclusive content applications such a StoryBall and Webtoon launch
May 2014 - Announces merger with Kakao Corp
Services
Daum Mail (Formerly Hanmail) introduced in 1997 as Korea’s first free web-based mail service, boasts 38 million subscribers and is Korea’s leading mail service. As for mobile users, Daum was first to provide IMAP service and mobile webmail in Korea. Daum Mail includes Daum's custom spam blocker, which automatically recognizes and blocks spam emails, as well as free domain service for business and government users.
Search
Daum's search engine offers comprehensive results customized to fit the users' needs, with optimal usability on both PC and mobile.
Cafe
Daum Cafe is the single biggest Korean community service. Since the launch of Daum café in 1999, has cultivated its own unique online culture. Through Cafe, today’s Internet users not only socialize, but also share information, create and find content on personal hobbies, religion, employment and social issues.
Map/ Location / Local Service
Offering resolution as high as 50cm, Daum provides an aerial view of the entire Korean territory and the 360 degree panoramic Daum Road View, Daum Store View, which also shows panoramic 360 degree photos of famous restaurants, hospitals, and pension-style lodging inside and out. Daum maps have become essential tools for daily life.
News/Media
Daum Media sources more than 20,000 news articles a day from over 100 media outlets, putting users in touch with breaking news and real-time information on news topics from sports and entertainment to global news optimized for PC and mobile.
Video
Daum tvPot is an easy-to-use video platform where everyone can post and watch the videos that interest them. Daum also provides the user-friendly video editing software called Pot Encoder and a video player called Pot Player, which eventually made it the undisputed leader in video services.
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Daum, which has been at the forefront of the Korea's Internet development, is now merging with Kakao in aim of creating a better world and more connected world. We hope you'll cheer for us and stay tuned to the new innovations we have in store!