sponsorship
Doha
On December 1, Doha, one of the most spectacular cities in the Arab world, was the host of the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006, and Samsung—a sponsor of the Asian Games since 1986—was there as a Prestige Partner. With athletes on hand from 45 countries, competing in 39 sports as varied as chess and kabbadi, karate and baseball, the games were exciting for everyone, and particularly for Samsung which had the honor of selecting the games’ Most Valuable Player. But Samsung’s sponsorship didn’t end with the selection of the MVP. The Samsung Digital Gallery provided Asian Games fans with a great opportunity to explore and experience Samsung’s latest product offerings, while the Samsung Lounge acted as a media center and the base for information sharing and interview coordination. Samsung is proud to have been a Prestige Partner of the Asian Games Doha 2006.

event
High on Dubai
Is everyone going to the Gulf? Sometimes it sure seems like it. In late November, crowds gathered in Dubai for GITEX, the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition, among the world’s top three IT exhibitions with over 3,000 exhibitors from more than 60 countries worldwide. At GITEX, the spotlight was on technology—but the excitement was all about the upcoming 15th Asia Games Doha 2006 starting in nearby Qatar a week later. For Samsung, GITEX was a great opportunity to highlight its strong commitment to promoting global sports and, in particular, its sponsorship as a Prestige Partner of the 15th Asia Games, with a booth buzzing in anticipation of the games. The center of the excitement? A unique photo exhibition displaying enduring moments in world sports where fans could pick up postcards of the photos and even have their picture taken with Orry, the official mascot for the 15th Asian Games. No wonder why everyone’s headed to the Gulf.

technology
50-nm DDR2 DRAM
Samsung has just announced that it has developed the industry’s first 50-nanometer (nm) DDR2 DRAM (dynamic random access memory) chip. The new 1-gigabit (Gb) DRAM increases production efficiencies from the 60-nm level by 55 percent, greatly enhancing performance and data storage capability. With the 50-nm DRAM development, Samsung continues its technology leadership, paving the way for its customers to achieve greater cost efficiencies and to create superior products.

manufacturing
S-LCD 8th G topping-out
In early November, S-LCD Corporation, the joint venture created by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Sony Corporation to manufacture new generations of LCD products, held a “topping out” ceremony to celebrate the construction of their 8th-generation LCD fabrication line in Tangjeong. (“Topping out” refers to the placement of the uppermost steel beam in a new building.) The ceremony was attended by the top executives of Samsung and Sony who had already ushered in the creation of a 7G line to help the partners become global market leaders for 40 inch screens. The new 8G line will start production in Fall 2007 and will expand the collaboration to production of LCD TVs in the 50 inch range.

sponsorship
WCG
If using a joystick isn’t yet an Olympic activity, you can’t blame the World Cyber games. Each year the games become more popular with a growing audience from around the world—in large part thanks to Samsung’s tremendous support. At this year’s games, held in Monza, Italy at the Autodromo di Monza, Samsung hosted the Samsung VIP challenge: two randomly picked players competed against famous Italian radio host and showgirl Maddalena Corvaglia in a game of Dead or Alive 4, and the winner received Samsung’s new signature MP3 player, the K5. Indeed, this year’s World Cyber Games were chock full of Samsung sponsorship activities, including the Samsung Football Challenge (guess how fast you can kick a digital football) and a Carom 3D Promotion Area where you could play digital billiards. With mainstream fans and worldwide media flocking to watch the games, a truly global cyber game culture is speeding around the planet—and Samsung is proud to be part of that growth.