NHN Dooray introduces AI agents, signaling 'second growth phase'

NHN Dooray, a key player in the collaboration tool market, has declared its strategic pivot towards an AI-centric future, unveiling its new AI agent services. This move signifies what the company terms its "second phase" of growth, aiming to differentiate itself in a competitive landscape dominated by global giants like Notion, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. Unlike competitors who are also integrating AI, Dooray's unique selling proposition lies in the depth of data accumulated within its platform—encompassing email, messenger, projects, wikis, and calendars—which serves as a robust foundation for its AI agents.

The company held a press conference to introduce its "Dooray! AI Agent" platform, emphasizing its transition from a tool that merely facilitates communication to one that drives action. CEO Baek Chang-yeol articulated this vision, contrasting the "first phase" of AI, which focused on auxiliary roles like summarizing content and answering queries via chatbots, with the "second phase" where AI agents will actively participate in and execute tasks within the workflow. This includes personalized AI assistants ('My Agent'), project-specific agents ('Project Agent'), and agents that integrate with external enterprise systems ('Extension Agent').

A particularly noteworthy feature is the 'Extension Agent,' which leverages a Python-based SDK to connect external systems like ERP and MES directly into the Dooray messenger. This allows for seamless data retrieval and manipulation within the collaboration platform, a capability that has reportedly been integrated by clients within hours of the SDK's release. The upcoming 'Built-in Agent' is set to offer specialized functions for legal, accounting, and regulatory domains, even capable of generating reports from public filings. This focus on deep integration and task execution, rather than just conversational AI, positions Dooray as a tool that aims to automate significant portions of the work process, effectively delegating human tasks to AI.

This significant technological leap necessitates a shift in the company's business model. Currently operating on a fixed subscription fee, Dooray plans to transition to a usage-based, or pay-as-you-go, pricing structure for its AI agent services. The company is considering a model with a low entry cost, where charges increase based on the utilization of high-demand features like file generation. This strategic pricing adjustment reflects the advanced capabilities and resource intensity of the new AI offerings, aiming to make powerful AI tools accessible while ensuring sustainable revenue.