Globalization has allowed Samsung to become a global electronics brand. Founded in 1938 in Korea, Samsung began manufacturing electronics like TVs and radios. In the 1980s it expanded into telecommunications, and in the 1990s it partnered with Sprint to launch its mobile phones in the US market. This helped Samsung become a threat to Apple. As Samsung expanded globally with assembly plants in 61 countries, it gained advantages of low costs. It has won many design awards and now employs over 319,000 people worldwide. Globalization helped spread Samsung's technology and allowed it to launch popular product lines like the Galaxy smartphones that compete with Apple's iPhones.