Kakao unveils new mobile platforms

Kakao Chairman Brian Kim

Kakao, the company that runs mobile messenger Kakao Talk, showcased its three new mobile platforms Tuesday.

Chairman Brian Kim highlighted three key words ― mobile, social and platform ― as the new trend in the mobile market in a rare appearance at a press conference at the Westin Chosun Hotel in downtown Seoul. He said platforms were especially important for a healthy ecosystem.

“The mobile ‘Big Bang’ has begun. A small starting point instigated by a smartphone called iPhone is bringing tremendous changes,” said Kim. “We have never before controlled a device that is not limited by space and time (as much as the smartphone). This generation has no precedent.”

“The biggest goal in making our platforms was to make it one that benefits our partners before us. We will move in a direction that will create 1 million profitable partners backed by out platforms,” he added.

The newly launched platforms are Kakao Page, Story Plus and Chatting Plus.

Kakao Page allows paying consumers to make content using web editors and upload it on the firm’s webpage. Smartphones users can pay for the content they like via a Kakao provided app.

“Before Kakao page, you needed to make an app move content to mobile. It was costly and needed continuous update,” said the company’s co-CEO Lee Sir-goo, also at the conference. “We will charge for the service as we believe content has great value.”

Story Plus allows small and mid-sized merchants to use the firm’s Kakao Story social network service (SNS) without limit to the number of friends. Chatting plus allows users to upload apps during chats.

“We have up until now focused on serving individual users but have thought of many ways we can market in mobile together,” said Lee. “Our Kakao Story has 30 million users and marks 11.4 million daily visitors.”

Kakao co-CEO Lee Jae-beom also presented recent achievements and growth, especially its main revenue pipeline game platform.

Since its launch, “Play Game” marked 4.7 billion won in revenue in August. It contributed 13.8 billion and 40 billion won in September and October, respectively.

It had 10 titles in its roster at the start that will be expanded to 31, said Lee. Ani Pang, Candi Pang, Dragon Flight each saw 10 million downloads.

Lee said they were planning to expand the platform globally.

Its popularity saw the company turnaround after near two-years of deficit.

Its gift giving service had 107 products in December 2010 but now has 9,970 due to its rise in popularity. Plus Friend, in which subscribers can add Kakao affiliated partners and get information on them constantly, now has 260 firms on its list. It started out with 21.

The executives also said that it had no immediate plan to go public despite its positive growth projections.

NHN, the company that manages mobile messenger LINE which competes with Kakao Talk, have also released various platforms and boasts 73 million users. <The Korea Times/Cho Mu-hyun>