NAVER Cloud Expands Across Japan’s AI and B2B Markets, Leading Field Innovation Through AI

NAVER Cloud Expands Across Japan's AI and B2B Markets, Leading Field Innovation Through AI

- LINE WORKS solidifies its position as Japan's top collaboration tool, with field-friendly features and usability

- AI-powered voice and image recognition and field-specialized functions, evolving into an AI business platform

- CareCall becomes Japan's first welfare service to adopt AI, garnering attention

- Expanding B2B technology business to cloud and smart building sectors

July 10, 2025

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NAVER Cloud (CEO Kim Yu-won) held a press conference to commemorate the 10th anniversary of "LINE WORKS," its business collaboration tool offered in Japan, and shared its key achievements over the past decade along with the future direction of its B2B business in Japan.

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At this conference, NAVER Cloud highlighted its on-site AI strategies aimed at addressing Japan's major challenges of an aging society and labor shortages. The session showcased LINE WORKS's evolution from a communication tool into an AI-based business platform and introduced CareCall, which integrates AI into welfare administration.

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Since its initial launch in Japan, LINE WORKS has maintained a dominant position in the Japanese business messenger market thanks to its field-oriented features, mobile-centric intuitive UX, and rapid feedback. With Japan's industrial structure emphasizing field and sales personnel over office staff, LINE WORKS's design as an easy-to-use, messaging-based all-in-one app has been a key factor in its success.

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According to the market research institute Fuji Chimera, LINE WORKS has maintained the no. 1 market share in the paid business messaging market for 7 consecutive years since 2017, solidifying its industry-leading position with a 41% market share in 2023. Annual revenue has also grown by approximately 40% each year and surpassed an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of JPY 16 billion as of July 2025, demonstrating its software as a service (SaaS)-based business's stability and growth potential.

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Looking ahead, LINE WORKS is accelerating its transition from a simple collaboration tool to an AI-powered business platform. Its AI voice recording service, "AiNote," has confirmed the demand for voice-based recording. Other services, such as "Roger," a walkie-talkie-like voice-to-text converter; "AiCall," an AI call response service; "Vision," an AI analytics cloud camera; and "OCR," an image recognition-based document processing, have also contributed to on-site automation and efficiency, receiving positive feedback.

In the future, LINE WORKS plans to continuously expand various AI features that enhance work efficiency, including the "AI Agent" function that automatically analyzes and processes repetitive and patterned tasks such as daily reports from chat, email, and calendar. The strategy is to firmly establish itself as an "AI tool designed for frontline workers."

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While LINE WORKS is an example of AI utilization centered around office environments, CareCall represents an AI application in welfare services that heavily relies on human resources. Recently, Izumo City in Shimane Prefecture, Japan, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with NAVER Cloud to introduce the AI check-in call service "CareCall." This agreement marks Japan's first case of using AI for check-in calls previously made by social workers, aiming to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of local government welfare administration.

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Kim Yu-won, CEO of NAVER Cloud, stated, "CareCall and LINE WORKS are integrating AI technology into fields lagging in digital adoption, innovating actual work processes." He added, "Although they originated from different sectors, they share a common mission of supplementing and sustaining 'workplaces with decreasing human resources' through AI."

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Kim further emphasized, "AI must advance beyond technological competition to serve as a practical tool for solving social issues," adding, "Building on our successful experiences in Japan, we will continue to expand into other countries facing similar challenges."

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In addition to LINE WORKS and CareCall, NAVER Cloud is developing various technology-based businesses in the Japanese B2B market. It is expanding its cloud services using the Japan region as a base and is strengthening collaborations with local partners such as GOP and Cloocus, particularly to enter the gaming industry.

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Moreover, NAVER Cloud has introduced smart building solutions that combine digital twin, robotics, and cloud technology, in collaboration with NAVER LABS. This innovation has attracted significant interest from major corporations in Japan, and strategic partnerships with leading companies are actively being discussed.

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Lastly, CEO Kim Yu-won stated, "Addressing social challenges through technology is NAVER Cloud's ultimate goal in its B2B initiatives and reflects the philosophy of 'Sovereign AI.' Going forward, we will continue to develop field-oriented B2B services based on cloud and AI technologies, providing tangible value to Japanese society and establishing ourselves as a recognized technology partner in the global market." (/End)