The latest volume of Ubiquitous Society Research Series published by NIA titled “Forecasting This Year’s Ubiquitous Society through 2008 IT Trends” presents some of the hot issues of the Ubiquitous IT (u-IT that will receive most of the spotlight this year.

Ubiquitous Society Research Series is a paper published by NIA to provide understanding in regards to the changes and issues of the preparation of ubiquitous society. According to this paper, 10 key IT words and 10 major IT issues will lead the Ubiquitous Society’s IT in 2008. In addition, the paper provides insight on the obstacles and solutions for the actualization of ubiquitous society in Korea.

This year’s 10 key words and 10 major issues on Ubiquitous Society were selected by conducting surveys and interviews of 50 experts from academic, private, and public sectors. The IT 10 key words for this year were all related to IT services and market. Almost all the experts forecasted that the continuously decreasing RFID tag prices will enable its commercialization of hence it will become one of the key words that will lead IT.

The experts commented that until 2007, high prices on RFID tags were the biggest obstacle that hindered its commercialization. The 10 key words are expected to be 1) RFID 2) City 3) Wibro 4) Web 2.0 5) Information Security 6) Fixed Mobile Convergence 7) Digital/Mobile Contents 8) Convergence of Network and Contents 9) BcN (Broadband Convergence Network) 10) Life Solution and Virtual Reality. (* Life Solution : IT technology or service that enhances and/or brings convenience to daily lives of people)

The 10 IT issues of 2008 are foreseen to be related to business issues for IT industries and technologies. The selected issues are 1) Broadcasting & telecommunication convergence; and the coming of IPTV era, 2) Personal information security & privacy in the online environment, 3) Seamless networking environment, 4) Growth of digital contents market, 5) Enhanced Standard of living through wide spread of Life Solution technologies, 6) Wide spread diffusion of RFID applications in on the private sector, 7) Increase of demand on wireless Internet service (e.g. Wibro service), 8) Intellectual property rights issues on digital contents, 9) Network environment enhancement through FTTH and BcN etc., 10) User Interface and Human Computer Interface.

In addition, this report notes that the lack of services and conflicting opinions between the government ministries served as the main obstacles that hindered the actualization of ubiquitous society in Korea. Experts commented that the reforms on legal institution, adjustment of duties among the ministries, and solution to information security problems are some of the priority tasks that should be carried out by the government this year.