TECHNOLOGY : Irvine’s Netsoft Finds a Seoul Mate to Sell Bilingual Programs

Asian languages are more difficult for computers to display and process than those using the Roman alphabet, a problem for many enterprises in the Far East using American equipment.

But executives at Irvine-based Netsoft see that problem as a market opportunity. The firm recently announced a partnership with a company in Seoul to sell software that will allow computers to display programs in Korean, even programs that were originally written in English.

“Everybody has spent a lot of time writing their own (software) applications, but workers can still be more productive in the local language,” said Isaac Kong, founder and chief executive of Netsoft.

When installed on mainframe and mid-range computers, the partnership’s programs will allow users to enter information through a traditional Roman-alphabet keyboard in either language. Users also will use a mouse to select Korean characters displayed on the screen, and will be able to choose the language in which to read information.

Netsoft’s partner is Insung Information Co., Ltd., a unit of Deawoong Pharmaceutical. Netsoft is also negotiating similar agreements to sell programs in Taiwan and Japan, Kong said.

The privately held company has 200 employees worldwide, including 110 in Orange County. The company, which is profitable, had revenue of $25 million in its most recent fiscal year, Kong said.