NHN Japan's Free Calling and Messaging App "LINE" Achieves 20 Million Downloads Worldwide

TOKYO, March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

- LINE Reaches 8 Million Users in Japan; Launch of TV Ads in Taiwan Marks Start of Full-scale Overseas Marketing Strategy -

NHN Japan Corporation (hereinafter referred to as NHN Japan) announced on March 5 that its free calling and free messaging app "LINE" has achieved 20 million downloads in total (for both iPhone/Android) in approximately 8 months since its launch.

Changes in number of total downloads (iPhone/Android combined)
http://naverland.naver.jp/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2000mdl.gif

LINE is a smartphone app which allows users to enjoy free calls and messages to one another, both nationally and internationally, regardless of which mobile network provider they are using. Since its launch in June 2011, it has proven most popular with users in Japan as well as those in the Middle Eastern/Southeast Asian regions, and in just 7 months after its launch on January 27, 2012, LINE has achieved 15 million downloads worldwide.

Even after this, LINE has continued to show strong growth at a pace of over 1 million downloads per week and, as of March 5, achieved the 8 million-download mark for users in Japan. From this year, NHN Japan has been putting strength into its overseas marketing, starting with Taiwan, by launching a television commercial on February 17. Soon after its broadcast, LINE achieved the number 1 spot on the Taiwan Android Market in the "Top Free in Apps" section, and the number of users can be seen to be increasing at an astonishing rate.

As a result, in just 1 month after reaching the 15 million-download mark, the number of users has increased by 5 million, bringing the total to more than 20 million downloads in the space of approximately 8 months since its launch.

Furthermore, when comparing the time it took other SNS sites to reach the 20 million-download mark, LINE's overwhelmingly fast rate of growth can be seen clearly. Take overseas apps for example: it took Facebook over 28 months (1152 days) (*1) and Twitter 26 months (1035 days) (*1), while other apps in Japan such as mixi, GREE and mobage required 73 months (*2), 77 months (*3) and 54 months (*4), respectively. (Based on LINE's download figures only.)

Also, as a new feature, NHN Japan will release PC versions (compatible with Windows/Mac) as well as smart-tablet browser versions of the app worldwide, simultaneously, in the near future. The aim of this is to create more possibilities and functions in terms of usage, and in turn to continue to increase the number of users.

As one of the world's leading global messaging services, LINE aims to achieve the 100 million-user mark during 2012 and, consequently, will continue to improve the user-friendliness of its services.

*1: How long it took Facebook, Twitter and Google+ to reach 20 million users
http://www.famousbloggers.net/graph-facebook-twitter-google-20-million-users.html*2: Press release by mixi, Inc. (available in Japanese only)
http://mixi.co.jp/press/2010/0414/2681/
*3: Press release by GREE, Inc. (available in Japanese only)
http://www.gree.co.jp/news/press/2010/0927.html
*4: Press release by DeNA Co., Ltd. (available in Japanese only)
http://dena.jp/press/2010/08/no1edena.php

About NHN Japan Corporation
The company is headquartered in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo. Its CEO is Akira Morikawa.