-  To offer Near Kids to 11 work-site childcare facilities operated by SK Group affiliates including
   SK Telecom and SK Innovation
-  In just four months after launch, the mobile-optimized service enables interactive communication
   between parents and caregivers at over 100 daycare centers nation-wide

Seoul, Korea, December19, 2013—SK Planet today announced that it will offer smart childcare service Near Kids (Near Kids, www.nearkids.co.kr) to 11 work-site childcare centers sponsored by SK Group subsidiaries.

Near Kids was launched in August 2013 to provide smart childcare service that enables interactive communication between childcare facilities and parents. Its service features include: real-time management of child’s arrival at and departure from the daycare using NFC tagging, smart bulletin boards for sharing news, photos and other records pertaining to children, and interactive services for shuttle bus arrival updates, request for medication and early leave, and reporting missing children. 

In line with SK Group’s policy of pursuing employee happiness through strong employee childcare support, SK Planet will provide Near Kids to on-site childcare facilities sponsored by 11 subsidiaries of SK Group including SK Telecom and SK Innovation.

The key features of Near Kids such as real-time alert function, using NFC tagging for management of child’s arrival and departure and mobile-optimized screen layout will allow customers working couples and working moms within SK Group to feel more secure about sending their child to daycare centers in the workplace.

As Near Kids supports both mobile and internet access, allowing for real-time availability regardless of the user’s environment, employees can feel confident that their child is being well cared for in a safe environment. Together with SK Group’s employee childcare programs aimed at preventing career interruptions due to childbirth and childcare, Near Kids is expected to helps employees stay focused and productive.

In merely four months after launch, Near Kids is aggressively expanding the reach of it service as it addresses the varying needs of both the parents and the childcare providers. Parents wish to stay close and to ensure safety of their children. The caregivers want to be able to focus solely on child care instead of being distracted by inefficient paper work. Both parties have mutual need for better communication and trust. Near Kids is designed to meet these important needs of all who are involved in the care of children.

The first to adopt this service in August is the Bidan Summer Hill Childcare Center located in Suwon. In October, SK Planet entered into a partnership with Moamom, Korea’s largest operator of employee childcare service program and expanded the scope of Near Kids (www.nearkids.co.kr) to include 39 daycare centers in the workplace including National Tax Service, LG Electronics, Lotte Department Store, Korea Airport Corporation and Seoul Medical Center. Currently, 100 childcare facilities across the nation have signed up to the service. 

SK Planet intends to discuss partnership with local governments and large childcare center franchises to further expand its user base, while adding on new contents relevant to childcare and education so that Near Kids can truly become an integrated childcare service offering.