Key Summary
- Naver said it signed an about KRW 2 trillion computing services contract with a U.S.-based AI inference company.
- The agreement includes next-generation GPUs, but the customer name and contract duration were not disclosed.
- Naver said the deal secures a customer for the initial supply volume of its AI Factory in 2027.
- The company said revenue from the contract is expected to begin gradually after commercial service starts in the first half of next year.
- Naver also said its secured data center capacity has already exceeded its previously announced target through 2028.
Main Story
Naver disclosed new details about its artificial intelligence infrastructure business during its third-quarter earnings conference call on the 12th. Chief Executive Choi Soo-yeon said the company had signed a computing services supply agreement worth roughly KRW 2 trillion with a U.S. AI inference company. She said the arrangement covers next-generation graphics processing units.
The company did not identify the customer or provide the length of the contract. According to Choi, the deal gives Naver a buyer for the initial supply volume planned for its AI Factory in 2027. She also said sales linked to the agreement are expected to begin gradually once commercial service launches in the first half of next year.
Naver said the data center capacity secured through the deal has already surpassed the company’s previously announced target for capacity 확보 through 2028. The company also said it is in discussions with Nvidia over what it described as the largest server order in Asia. Naver’s plan is to secure Nvidia’s next-generation GPU platform, called Vera Rubin, ahead of time in order to improve cost competitiveness.
Choi added that Naver is discussing supply contracts with multiple global companies, including developers of large AI models, on both short- and longer-term bases. She said the company aims to broaden its customer base and reduce reliance on any single company. She also said the newly secured U.S. customer could sign additional contracts as the service expands.
Background
The supplied article did not provide additional background beyond Naver’s remarks during the quarterly earnings call and its ongoing discussions with Nvidia and other global clients.
Items Requiring Further Verification
- The identity of the U.S. AI inference company was not disclosed.
- The contract duration was not disclosed.
- The claim that the agreement secures the initial 2027 supply volume for AI Factory is based on the company’s statement and was not independently verified in the source.
- The statement that data center capacity has exceeded the 2028 target is also based on the company’s disclosure and was not independently verified in the source.
- The description of the Nvidia deal as the largest server order in Asia reflects Naver’s discussion and should be independently checked.
- The timing and scale of any future additional contracts with the U.S. customer remain uncertain.