The world’s largest IT trade fair Consumer Electronics Show 2010 came to a close on Sunday, January 10th in the United States. The global IT industry event was highly anticipated amid the projections of improving economies around the world and the dawn of new digital broadcasting. So, what new developments were touted as flagship products in this year’s consumer electronics market? Today we’ve invited reporter Ryu Eui-sung류의성 of E-Daily, who’s been in Las Vegas to cover the trade show, to tell us more about the event. Let’s first find out about the kind of attention the trade show garnered from around the world.

The CES is a venue where the leading trends in IT products can be identified at a glance. So we can generally predict which IT company will lead the IT business in 2010. Consumer electronics companies unveil their most ambitious products at the show and have them evaluated. What kind of evaluation a product gets largely determines its success. Many companies, therefore, wait until the CES to release their strategic appliances and prepare for the event for nearly a year. In addition to such global names as Sony, Intel, Microsoft, Nokia, Sharp, and Panasonic, roughly 2800 companies from around the world took part in this year’s CES.

Some 2800 businesses from 140 countries came to the trade fair to foresee how the global electronics market will change in the year 2010. The scale of the show was larger than the previous one and the number of new participants amounted to 330, the highest ever. Korea accounts for 30% of the world’s mobile phone market and 57% of the D-Ram semiconductor market. How many Korean companies take part in the CES?

About 80 Korean companies were at the CES. Even those businesses that didn’t take part in the event at least sent their representatives and executive officers to the show. It’s estimated that some 150 Korean companies were either directly or indirectly involved with the affair. The reason for such eager participation is that a visit to the CES is considered a must to set the course for the year’s business operation and devise strategies. Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, LG Display, and other leading IT companies from Korea introduced a wide array of new products.

About 80 Korean IT companies took part in the CES. That number represents roughly the entire Korean household appliance industry. Korean participants used more than 500 booths at the CES held in Las Vegas, USA to showcase most innovative products. As a matter of fact, Samsung Electronics won 23 Innovation Awards for its digital cameras, home appliances, and mobile phones among other items. LG Electronics was not far behind, garnering 17 Innovation Awards. Small and medium businesses also did well. The CES recognized SLIMDISK in the portable multiplayer category and Kwang Sung Electronic Company in the video accessory category for their innovation. What was so new and interesting about these award-winning products?

The three-dimensional TV was the hottest item at the fair. Things on a 3D TV appear as if they’re really right in front of your eyes. For instance, viewers feel like a car is actually hurling toward you. World-leading TV makers are expected to compete fiercely to get the biggest piece of the 3D TV market this year. Other eye-catching items were super-slim LED TVs, environmentally-friendly LED monitors and giant projectors, and network Blue Ray players. Also earning great interest was the broadband TV, which allows users to talk on the videophone while watching TV, and the full LED TV that has borders only 8.5 millimeters wide.

Korea’s two premier appliance makers Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are pushing to prop up 3D TVs as their flagship products for this year. Samsung Electronics built a cube comprised of 36 three-dimensional LED TVs to win the attention of fair participants, while LG Electronics unveiled its strategic Infinia series, which includes top-of-the-line LED TVs with 8.5 millimeter-border. They have also showcased flexible e-books that can be bent like paper, demonstrated a 4G LTE mobile phone that can download a movie in just one minute, and introduced a camcorder that can broadcast what it shoots on internet TV in real time. Some experts predicted that Korea will now be the dominant force in the world IT sector. Will Korea be able to defend its industry dominance in 2010, too?

The buzzwords at the CES this year were 3D TV and environment-friendly technology. Leading companies like Samsung Electronics, LG electronics, Toshiba, Sony, and Panasonic have predicted the advent of the 3D TV market and rolled out their latest 3D TV models. Also environmental friendliness is no longer a choice, but a requirement. This is why so many of the products featured high energy-saving functions and eco-friendly materials. In last year’s show the hottest items were Samsung Electronic’s LED TV and LG Electronic’s watch phone, a mobile phone shaped like a watch. This year these two premier Korean companies were honored with several Innovation Awards. This is why Korean consumer appliance companies have a chance at dominating the global market.

Top executive officers of Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics were in Las Vegas during the CES to promote their products and announce their aggressive marketing and business operation strategies. Armed with innovative ideas and unrivaled technology, Korean companies are very likely to create a huge sensation in the world’s appliance industry this year.