Tracing the history of ThinkFree, Kang noted that its origins stemmed from the network computer concept promoted in the late 1990s by Sun Microsystems' Scott McNealy and Oracle's Larry Ellison. The product foundered around for a period. Gradually, it has picked up steam in recent months. Kang said Apple Macintosh users have signed up for the product "disproportionately" although the majority of users of the Java-based product are Windows users.
Apple users account for a disproportionately high ration of ThinkFree users because Apple users tend to be more independent, Kang said. While 5% of PC users use Macs; Mac users account for 10% of the ThinkFree user base.
Kang, who is CEO of ThinkFree, said the use of XML by Microsoft in the office software has made it easier to develop ThinkFree. While ThinkFree has OpenDocument format capability, Kang said not many users seem to want that feature.
While the online basic product remains free and will remain so in the future, supported by ads, the firm plans to add to its premium services. ThinkFree has a paid product aimed at small to medium group collaboration efforts. An offline version for $5 or $10 a month is planned for early next year to complement the online product.
"Companies can buy the software and put it on their servers," said Kang, adding that the Los Angeles Library uses ThinkFree to link its 71 branches.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
