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Photo = Yonhap news |
[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Sangjin] Naver's infrastructure subsidiary, Naver Cloud, has postponed the global launch of its own web browser "Whale" to next year. With global tech giants already dominating the market with AI-powered search services, Naver is reportedly aiming to improve Whale’s competitiveness and refine its features before entering the international market.
According to sources in the IT industry on the 13th, Naver has decided to delay Whale's planned global release, which was initially set for this year. While the technical development is largely complete, the company is focusing on enhancing marketing strategies to offer a more localized service tailored to overseas markets. One such effort includes exploring options to allow users to log in to Whale using other social network accounts like Facebook and Instagram, aiming to make the service more accessible and user-friendly for global audiences.
In the global web browser market, Google holds a commanding lead, making it challenging for Naver to break through. According to market research firm StatCounter, Google’s Chrome browser leads with a 66.68% global market share, followed by Apple's Safari (18.07%) and Microsoft’s Edge (5.25%). In contrast, Whale has gained a 9.75% share in the South Korean market, surpassing Microsoft Edge (7.56%).
Meanwhile, global tech companies are integrating AI into their search services to strengthen their market positions. Google is expected to launch an AI assistant called "Jarvis" by the end of this year, capable of performing tasks like purchasing products or booking flights. Microsoft has already incorporated AI into Edge’s mobile version and plans to gradually introduce AI features to its search services as well.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim SangJin(letyou@alphabiz.co.kr)
