NAVER’s OpenTalk becoming the eyes and ears of users in times of need
NAVER’s OpenTalk becoming the eyes and ears of users in times of need
NAVER has a team that responds in real-time to natural disasters 24/7, 365 days a year. The team members would never go anywhere without their laptops to check their messengers in case of emergencies, and monitor news from across the globe.
OpenTalk, where all users become correspondents on-site
As NAVER played the role of identifying and responding to emergencies across the nation in an agile manner, we used our general response measures against frequent natural disasters and know-how to create the “OpenTalk” service. In case of emergencies such as localized heavy rain, earthquakes, and typhoons, NAVER would open the service for users to check the accurate real-time information for each region.
▲ “OpenTalk” service during the localized heavy rain in August 2022
Localized heavy rain, which is categorized as one of the six major disasters in Korea, was forecasted in August 2022. News reports all cited forecasts for concentrated downpours, which kept the “OpenTalk” team busy. The OpenTalk service was connected to all pages users could easily see, including the NAVER main page, and displayed texts, images, and breaking news from media outlets following the changing conditions of the downpour.
A hundred thousand reports filled with goodwill and care
When OpenTalk was made available, the open chat was filled with reports from users all over the nation. From road closures to passable routes to real-time precipitation by region, NAVER’s users shared what was happening on the ground that the news could not keep up with. Numerous texts, photos, and videos were shared – all in hopes that no one would get hurt or suffer from the heavy rain.
Users who were worried about families and friends living far away could share useful information and check for real-time information in other regions through OpenTalk. A total of 105,000 reports were shared over approximately 3.5 days, with the total number of visitors reaching over 7 million.
“When you look at what our users are uploading, they are all information they need and want to know for themselves. They are all very likely to have the good intention of sharing this information with their family and friends.“
OpenTalk – something that can only be, and has to be, done by NAVER
Upon seeing OpenTalk being used to share countless information and chats, a user commented that it was “a service that can only be done by NAVER, and has to be done by NAVER.” As OpenTalk is where the essential information for users all across the nation is shared, those in charge are tasked with a greater sense of duty and responsibility as they operate the service. As a platform that is closely connected to the day-to-day lives of users, NAVER will continue to contribute by “finding something that can only be done by NAVER.” ●
