Korea advice

Some 300 Korean IT companies are to launch in the UK this year, and they're looking for distributors and resellers.

While Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, is reported to need half a bottle of vodka before he can go on stage, I'm sure that under the present economic conditions there are some in the channel who could do with a full bottle just to get out of bed in the morning.

But despite the doom and gloom in the market, there are some reasons for optimism. One ray of light is coming from the East, as 300 Korean IT companies prepare to launch in the UK this year.

Some are already established or in the final stages of negotiation, according to iPark, a non-profit organisation that promotes Korean technology and helps firms set up over here.

The companies looking to launch in the UK specialise in a wide spectrum of IT disciplines, from wireless, mobile solutions, embedded software, e-business, Linux and .Net to voice over IP, LCD panels and web authoring tools.

IPark's drive to promote Korean technology in Europe has the backing of the South Korean government, and when I was in Seoul last year I was impressed with the IT manufacturing facilities, build quality and wide range of exciting new technologies that are emerging from this important part of the world.

After London, landing in Seoul was a bit like Futurama; I half expected to see flying cars and high-speed transport tubes.

That aside, South Korea is a great example of how the adoption of technologies such as broadband can affect business. Of its population of 48 million, nearly a fifth have broadband connections, as do most hotels.

Remotely connecting to the office from Korea - a gap of several thousand miles - was often easier than dialling up at 28.8k from Shepherd's Bush.

The good news for the channel is that the majority of these 300 Korean companies are keen to structure deals with distributors and resellers.