NHN Japan to Launch LINE's New Platform Service, 'LINE Channel'

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• Publié par: asianet-kyodo-news-agency
• Nombre de lectures: 53
• Langue: English

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NHN Japan to Launch LINE's New Platform

Service, 'LINE Channel'

PR Newswire

TOKYO, July 3, 2012

TOKYO

,

July 3, 2012

/PRNewswire/ -- NHN Japan Corporation has announced

that a new platform service, 'LINE Channel', is scheduled to be implemented

very soon into its free-calling and free-messaging app 'LINE'

(http://line.naver.jp/). This important announcement took place on

July 3

at the

first ever 'Hello, Friends in

Tokyo

' conference held at the new Shibuya Hikarie

Hall. NHN Japan stated that 'LINE Channel' will be catered firstly toward the

Japanese market, followed by a gradual move overseas.

Since the launch of 'LINE' on

June 23, 2011

, this smartphone app, which allows

its users to enjoy free calls and messages, has been used in over 230 countries

worldwide, and within approximately a year since its launch, the total number

of registered users has exceeded 45 million (20 million in

Japan

). With this

rapidly growing user number in mind, NHN Japan is introducing a new platform

service, 'LINE Channel', which aims to expand the range of services on offer,

using LINE as its foundation. This new feature will be available on the iPhone

and Android versions of the LINE app, with Windows Phone versions planned for

the near future.

http://naverland.naver.jp/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/ch001.jpg

Designed on the basis of the concept of the 'Smartphone-life Platform' which is

intended to provide a more fun and enriching experience to smartphone users,

'LINE Channel' functions as a platform integrating additional apps and services.

With 'LINE Channel', users can enjoy additional apps with or without their

friends connected via LINE.

NHN Japan aims to establish a new ecosystem (economic zone) for

smartphone-related services by offering various content and services

developed by its external business partners for the 45 million users worldwide.

In the first installment, services including games, fortune-telling and money-

saving coupons are scheduled to be released from early July.

LINE Channel's Ecosystem

http://naverland.naver.jp/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/ch002.jpg

These new services and content are provided in 2 ways. The first is 'Web apps'

based on HTML5 that operate within the LINE app and the second is 'Native

apps' that are available at the app markets for iOS and Android devices and

can be linked to the LINE service. Although NHN Japan's self-developed apps

alone will be released at first, NHN Japan has made it clear that it plans to

increase the availability of apps developed by external business partners by

opening its API and offering developers access to LINE's functions including

friends lists, messaging and payment. NHN Japan has opened a webpage

dedicated to finding new external partners via the contact form within LINE

(http://line.naver.jp/partner/).

Moreover, 'LINE Coin', a mobile, virtual payment service for purchases of the

content/services within 'LINE Channel', has been released. By purchasing LINE

Coins in advance, users can access the paid content within 'LINE Channel'.

NHN Japan will first of all apply this 'smartphone-life platform' strategy towards

the Japanese market, before gradually increasing these services overseas. The

company has also announced that it wishes to work together with external

developers from all countries and regions, and use its expertise to expand

LINE's linked services/apps worldwide, as well as creating a connecting point for

overseas services/apps to

Japan

, for the successful establishment of a 'global

smartphone-life platform'.

About NHN Japan Corporation

NHN Japan is the local affiliate of Korea's premier Internet company, NHN

Corporation. NHN Japan is headquartered in Shinagawa,

Tokyo

, with Akira

Morikawa as CEO.