LINE: An app that does a lot more than messaging

What is the differentiating factor for LINE?
LINE, the world's leading mobile platform, offers free text and voice messaging, voice calling and group chat with up to 200 people, integrated with various interactive elements such as Stickers, Timeline and Official Accounts. One of the main reasons why LINE is being adopted so rapidly compared to other major messenger apps is its dynamic services and entertaining features such as variety of stickers, hidden chat, timeline, the competitively priced premium calls and much more. The stickers are extremely well-received by users as they provide exciting way to express their emotions. The sticker characters, include LINE's original characters and a variety of over 500+ famous characters such as Disney, Hello Kitty and Ironman, are especially loved by the users, igniting LINE's growth in many regions. Through the LINE premium calls feature users can make calls on landlines and mobile phones at incredibly low rates. High quality voice calls can be made directly to a mobile phone number or landline for as low as 61 paise per minute. There are no Initial Costs, Monthly Subscription Fees, or Connection Charges. In addition, LINE contains free voice call service and provides high quality related apps such as gaming and camera as a platform service.

Do you believe LINE's monetization strategy gives the company its biggest chance of success?
We are the global smartphone lifestyle platform provider. Main business models are the followings: free massaging application (including free voice message, voice call, group chat, stickers, and more), various family applications (including games, camera, tools, etc), B2B, Licensing/Merchandising and E-commerce. Few examples of In-app purchase and B2B models are stated below:

Paid stickers (B2C) - In addition to basic LINE character stickers provided for free, paid stickers are also available for download at the Sticker Shop via in-app-purchase system.
Game in-app purchases (B2C) - LINE provides number of game titles through its gaming service. The gaming system enables users to share their scores with their LINE friends according to ranking, and allows friends to battle through games.
Official account & sponsored stickers (B2B) – Partner brands can open their own official brand accounts on LINE for marketing, which allow users who befriend them to benefit from discount offers and coupons.

Tell me about the other apps that are connected to LINE that seem to be quite popular?
Though most of the applications available are for free or at a nominal cost, there is fierce competition. So the key to sustain in the face of such competition is constant innovation and differentiating one's offerings. This is where LINE gets an edge over its competitors as apart from the normal text and image communications that other IMs provide, LINE differentiates itself with its fun features such as unique stickers, LINE Camera, LINE SnapMovie, official accounts and easy to use voice and video call (with group chat).

Tell me about LINE as being a distributor for games and digital content?
LINE PLUS Corporation provides 30 game titles through its gaming service, LINE GAME. LINE GAME offers a rich entertainment experience that can be shared among close friends who are connected with one another via LINE. The gaming system, which enables users to share their scores with their LINE friends according to ranking, as well as allowing friends to battle through games. By combining LINE's significant user base with experts in developing games with global potential, LINE strives to strengthen its commitment to providing users worldwide with unrivaled experiences in mobile gaming. LINE has always differentiated itself from existing applications by making use of highly innovative and bespoke services. With this free service, LINE will now cater to the Indian mobile users that are active online and are looking for adventure on the go.

What can we expect from LINE in the future both on an Indian as well as a global scale?
India is the world's one of the largest mobile phone market in terms of subscribers. This trend clearly indicates the fast movement from feature phones to smartphones and subsequently from SMS to IMs. At LINE, our main stratagem is to tap the growing popularity for instant messengers. With our record of more than 18 million registered users in India, we are quite confident about repeating the success story in India. As we have just entered the Indian market, our strategy would be to establish LINE as Lifestyle Platform. Will continuously find the needs and demands of our users and implement the most dynamic and entertaining features to our service.