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As a head start, Woori Bank spearheaded the open banking experience by expanding its online service protocols beyond Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browsers last month to support various engines such as Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera. The services are now being provided to non-Microsoft operating systems like Linus and Microsoft’s long time nemesis, Apple’s Macintosh.

Also looking to tweak its online banking service is the nation’s Industrial Bank of Korea. IBK is revamping its Internet services to have accessibility in variety of browsers. With the new slogan of “any browser and any time,” IBK announced it will completely change its systems by early October.

Existing regulations required encrypted online communications to be based on electronic signatures that are enabled through public-key infrastructures. After the fall of the protocol named Netscape in the early 2000, Microsoft Active-X technology was the only plug in tool used to download public key certificates onto computers. This completely banned users of non-Microsoft browsers such as Firefox and Chrome from banking or purchasing products online.

Things went horrifically wrong last year when a massive Internet attack left more than 80,000 Korean computers crippled. Analysts concluded that Active-X provided an easy route for cyber criminals spreading viruses. The Korea Communication Commission was pressured by countless calls from people and authorities to provide more flexibility in Internet security technologies. It soon announced it will allow other verification methods besides public-key certificates for protecting encrypted communication. It was only a matter of time for banks to come up with new ideas to differentiate themselves.

There’s no doubt complete independence from the Microsoft-shaped past is far away. However there are variety of banks in the nation, including IBK, Shinhan, Kookmin and SC First Bank and they are all providing non-Microsoft online banking experiences. Don’t you think it is only a matter of time before a full transition is made?  

마이크로소프트 시대가 끝나가고 있다?

좋은 일도 끝이 있기 마련이다. 그리고 빌게이츠와 한국에서 그의 마이크로 모노컬쳐도 예외가 아닌 것 같다. 수년 간 마이크로소프트는 사실상 한국의 컴퓨터 세상을 지배했다.