How Darakwon sped up publishing, cut costs, and gained control

Background

Darakwon publishes language-learning materials for students around the globe. Based in South Korea, they collaborate with 86 partners across 27 countries. From early drafts to final print files, content moves constantly—crossing borders, teams, and time zones.

Challenge: slow file delivery and large IT overhead

For years, Darakwon shared files the old-fashioned way—burning them to USBs, hard drives, and even Blu-rays, and then shipping them overseas. Each transfer could take about a month, sometimes two. And it didn’t always work: devices got damaged, downloads failed, and files went missing.

Darakwon stored files on on-premises servers, but the system was difficult to manage:

• The hardware needed constant upgrades.
• Breakdowns were common and often slowed down work.
• Maintenance costs kept piling up.
• Backups were complicated and didn’t always feel secure.

Some teams tried using their own cloud tools, but that only created new problems—scattered data, security risks, and no clear way to manage it all. Darakwon needed one platform that could bring it all together.

Solution: one place to store, send, and manage files

Darakwon chose Dropbox for its simplicity, reliability, and support. At the time, what stood out was local Korean-language support, strong global performance, and better overall value than other platforms.

Now, all of Darakwon’s content lives in one place. The entire team has easy access to files, but granular permission controls make sure each person sees only what they need. The team uses Dropbox Transfer to send large assets—like book layouts, audio files, and design work—to partners across South Korea and around the world.

For e-learning projects, they occasionally use Dropbox Replay to leave frame-specific comments on video and audio files—making edits easier when remote review is needed.

They also use Dropbox Sign to handle contracts digitally—without leaving Dropbox.

Results: faster delivery, lower costs, more confidence

Now, Darakwon shares files in seconds—no failures, no delays.

With faster sharing and fewer bottlenecks, projects now move faster from draft to delivery. “Since switching from our previous system, overall work efficiency has improved by 5–10%,” adds Shin Kyung-chul, General Manager at Darakwon.

Dropbox has also helped cut costs across the board:

• Shipping costs dropped from about $30,000 in 2021 to around $15,000 in 2024, with most files now being sent digitally.
• The team spends less time printing, packing, and mailing materials.
• Moving away from an on-premises system saved them hardware costs and around $7,500 a year in IT staffing.

The new setup has brought peace of mind. “Dropbox version control has been a lifesaver,” says Shin. “It’s saved us more than once when files were lost or corrupted.” The company also has more security and control over intellectual property.

Finally, the admin console helps the team onboard and offboard staff quickly, while detailed activity logs show exactly who accessed, edited, or deleted a file. System alerts—like notifications for large file transfers—help the IT team spot unusual activity and respond quickly.

With fewer delays and simpler workflows, Darakwon has expanded its global publishing efforts with more confidence and ease.