SK Telecom Launches B2B Cloud Management Platform 'Taco'

Multi-Hybrid Cloud Service Platform 'Taco' Developed In-House
First Applied to SKB Btv, Demonstrating 50% Total Cost of Ownership Reduction and Performance Improvements

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] SK Telecom launched TACO, a cloud B2B platform for enterprises, on the 5th.

TACO is a cloud management platform developed in-house by SKT, offering excellent scalability and flexibility. It applies container technology that delivers software to desired locations on cloud servers, and Kubernetes technology that enables self-healing without interruption during service inspections or updates.

Enterprises can use TACO to easily install, manage, and operate their applications in cloud environments. It is also easy to expand services in multi-cloud environments that combine clouds from multiple providers, as well as hybrid cloud environments that interoperate between public and private clouds.

SKT expects TACO to be widely used across industries undergoing cloud transformation. It plans to provide TACO in optimized forms to various companies in fields such as media led by the broadcasting industry, public sector, finance, and distribution.

TACO platform was successfully commercialized by applying it to SK Broadband’s Btv service, proving its performance. The existing foreign service platform was replaced with TACO and applied to personalized services, purchase/payment services, and web UI. After applying TACO, Btv’s Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) was reduced by more than 50%, and development and operational productivity improved by over 30%.

Since 2015, SKT has been conducting cloud research related to TACO and enhanced service quality through collaboration with global companies such as F5 Networks, NetApp, and HashiCorp. In 2018, SKT formed the global open-source software project ‘Airship’ with companies including AT&T and partially applied TACO to SKT’s telecommunications infrastructure to improve network operation efficiency. In January, TACO was also piloted as a core cloud technology in ‘Cast.era,’ a joint venture established with the US terrestrial broadcaster Sinclair Broadcast Group. Recently, SKT has continued technology exchanges with the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) and small and medium cloud companies, contributing to the development of domestic cloud technology.

SKT plans to accelerate its open cloud solution business as enterprises are expected to build service ecosystems centered on multi-cloud or hybrid cloud in the future.

Choi Pan-cheol, head of SK Telecom’s Enterprise Business Division, said, “Cloud is no longer a choice but an essential element for survival for enterprises,” adding, “Based on TACO, SKT plans to support enterprises to operate their businesses more flexibly and quickly in cloud environments in the rapidly changing digital transformation era.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.