Did my app just crash? A case study of the Kakao superapp disruption event
Abstract
Superapps (ie apps that integrate the features of multiple applications for a more convenient user experience) have become pervasive among Internet users. This case study examines a recent disruption to one such application: KakaoTalk — the most widely used messaging application in South Korea. Specifically, the case study examines a fire incident at the SK C&C data centre, which caused an extended outage for one of South Korea’s leading tech companies — Kakao Corp. The review of this event reveals how ineffective disaster readiness resulted in inadequate fire response, leading to serious ripple effects across the data centre. During the outage, cyber-security threats rose. As a result of these disruptions, Kakao users turned to competitor apps, resulting in changing market dynamics. This case study highlights the unforeseen costs and socio-economic influences caused by such interruptions, highlighting the importance of holistic risk management strategies.
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Author's Biography
Bill Hefley is a clinical professor at the Naveen Jindal School of Management at the University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas), where he serves as Faculty Director of the MS Business Analytics Cohort programme and Secretary of the University’s Faculty Senate. He is also a faculty affiliate of the University’s Center for Teaching and Learning and serves on the Faculty Advisory Boards for the Center for Asian Studies and the Center for Retail Innovation and Strategy Excellence. Dr Hefley teaches information systems, business analytics, project management and international management courses in the undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and Systems programme, the MBA programmes, MS Information Technology and Management programme and MS Business Analytics programmes. He has previously led, developed and taught a national capability development programme, administered by Carnegie Mellon with South Korea, to develop a national cadre of software process improvement and assessment specialists. He is an editor or editorial board member of multiple journals and was the founding editor of Springer’s Service Science book series.
Steven Haynes is Assistant Professor of Practice and Director of the Risk Management and Cybersecurity programme at the University of Texas at Dallas. Dr Haynes is an experienced practitioner with over a decade of continuity and disaster risk management experience and has previously served in the US Navy. His research interests include risk analysis, organisations under crisis, mixed methods design and disaster science.
Travis Green is the Assistant Fire Chief/Fire Marshal and an arson investigator for the Town of Fairview, Texas. He is also an active member of the Collin County Fire and Arson Investigators Association. As a PhD candidate in public administration at the University of Texas at Dallas, his dissertation research focuses on using the agile methodology to improve efficiency within municipal government. His research interests centre on the potential of utilising the agile mindset to improve public sector performance, particularly in human capital management, service delivery and citizen engagement.
Citation
Hefley, Bill, Haynes, Steven and Green, Travis (2024, March 1). Did my app just crash? A case study of the Kakao superapp disruption event. In the Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, Volume 17, Issue 3. https://doi.org/10.69554/QPKJ9262.
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