"World-Class Vascular Role Middleware... Proven 650,000 Concurrent Online Class Connections"

Interview with Lee Hyung-bae, CEO of TmaxSoft

Hyung-bae Lee, CEO of TmaxSoft

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] "We have proven that simultaneous online class access can reach up to 650,000 users. This is at a world-class level."

Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), unprecedented online classes are being conducted nationwide in elementary, middle, and high schools. The educational platform 'e-Hakssutuh,' which forms the foundation of this system, is operated by TmaxSoft. On the 6th, Lee Hyung-bae, CEO of TmaxSoft, said in an interview with Asia Economy, "We increased the number of servers by dozens of times to prepare for the surge in simultaneous users," adding, "Enabling 650,000 users to connect simultaneously within one second itself is a highly advanced technology."

Although e-Hakssutuh experienced slowdowns at the beginning of the online semester, it has been operating relatively stably since then. In comparison, the National Tax Service's 'Hometax Year-end Tax Settlement' system struggles when about 400,000 users access it simultaneously, but according to CEO Lee, e-Hakssutuh can handle even more users without issues. This ability to maintain stability despite large-scale access is derived from TmaxSoft's differentiated technological capabilities.

TmaxSoft is the top domestic player in the middleware software sector. Middleware acts as the 'blood vessels' within the entire IT system, enabling various data to move. CEO Lee explained, "Because the 'blood vessels' are healthy, e-Hakssutuh can operate stably even under large-scale access."

TmaxSoft's middleware software 'Zeus' has surpassed Oracle and IBM to hold the number one domestic market share (44%). According to market research firm IDC, the domestic middleware market size was 145 billion KRW as of 2019. About 4,000 companies in Korea use TmaxSoft's middleware products.

Another goal of TmaxSoft is cloud computing. Cloud technology stores data in a single virtual space and allows sharing of that data. Last month, TmaxSoft introduced 'HyperFrame OE,' which integrates various middleware solutions such as web servers and application (app) servers into a cloud environment. It supports building cloud environments at low cost through open software (SW) technical support.

CEO Lee predicted that domestic companies will adopt cloud computing to reduce IT costs in the future. He explained, "In the U.S., more than 50% of public institutions, financial sectors, and private companies have moved to the cloud," adding, "It is already a global IT trend and flow." This is why global companies like Google and Amazon Web Services are offering cloud services. According to Gartner, the domestic cloud market size is estimated to grow from 2.7818 trillion KRW currently to 3.7238 trillion KRW by 2022. CEO Lee stated, "TmaxSoft will become a comprehensive service company based on the cloud, alongside the sales of existing commercial software products."