Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket

4.91 million mobile subscribers in July 2023

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20230804173450003/  

Rakuten Medical to commence a Phase 1 Trial of Alluminox Treatment Utilizing Anti-CD25 Antibody-Dye Conjugate, RM-1995, Targeting Regulatory T Cells in the Treatment of Advanced or Recurrent Solid Tumors with Liver Metastasis in Japan

August 2, 2023

Rakuten Medical, Inc. is a global biotechnology company developing and commercializing precision, cell targeting therapies based on its proprietary Alluminox platform, which, in pre-clinical studies, has been shown to induce rapid and selective cell killing and tumor necrosis. Alluminox therapies have not yet been approved outside of Japan. Rakuten Medical is committed to its mission to conquer cancer by delivering our innovative treatments as quickly as possible to as many patients as possible all over the world. The company has offices in 6 countries, including the United States, where it is headquartered, Japan, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Switzerland and India.

https://rakuten-med.com/us/news/press-releases/2023/08/02/7727/
 

https://www.reddit.com/r/RakutenUndervalued/...nt_owners_of_shopback/
 

Viber: What’s next for Armenia’s most popular messaging app?

August 03, 2023

Petya Kamburova, global business development and partnerships lead at Rakuten Viber, sits down with CivilNet’s Mark Dovich to discuss Viber’s money transfer service, the company’s mission to develop a “super-app,” and how she and her team are responding to the AI revolution. Petya also talks about her impressions of Armenia and what surprised her most on her first visit to the country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCyUmtdvG58  

Viber launches two new features for Premium users, but only on iOS

PUBLISHED: AUG 03, 2023, 7:49 AM Cosmin Vasile

Viber clarified after the announcement went live that Android users in the selected regions will have access to Invisible Mode in the next few weeks (in August), while Read Voice Messages is coming in September.

It’s been less than a month since Viber launched its premium service in the United States and several other countries, and the company has just announced it’s now rolling out two new features to those who chose to pay to be Premium users.

So, if you’re paying for Viber Plus, you should be getting two new important features: Invisible Mode and Read Voice Messages. Both should further enhance privacy and ease of communication on Viber.

And if you don’t have Viber Plus yet, perhaps these two new features will make you start paying for it. To go premium, you’ll have to pay just $1.99 per month, and you’ll be getting not just new features, but you will stop seeing ads too.

The new features will be rolled out to the premium service for iOS in the US, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Switzerland, Kuwait, Australia, Tuvalu, Israel, Sweden, Austria, India, and Italy, with additional regions added on a rolling basis.

https://www.phonearena.com/news/...ready%2520anytime%2C%2520anywhere.  

By Keith Dyer 7 August 2023

Tareq Amin has left his role Rakuten Symphony and Rakuten Group. A statement from the company said that Rakuten Group CEO Mickey Mikitani would take over as CEO of Rakuten Symphony. The statement said that Sharad Sriwastawa will act as its Acting President to “lead the company and advance its commercial interests”.

https://the-mobile-network.com/2023/08/...akuten-mobile-and-symphony/  

Von der technischen Entwicklung her sicher zu bedauern, aber andererseits habe ich schon immer Bedenken gehabt, dass Tareq Amin trotz oder wegen seiner Genialität mit seinem Investitionstempo Rakuten überfordern könnte.

Daher habe ich auch den Tritt auf die Investitionsbremse vor einigen Wochen und die Einsparung von ca. 2,2 Milliarden US-Dollar an Investitionen in den nächsten drei Jahren für richtig gehalten. Da hat dem Tareq sicher nicht gefallen, auch wenn jetzt auf ein Ausscheiden aus gesundheitlichen Gründen hingewiesen wird.

Rakuten muss die Investitionen dem Cash Flow anpassen - und das geschieht jetzt.  

Leveraging the Rakuten Group’s first-party data for market research purposes

7 AUGUST 2023

Rakuten Insight Global is responsible for leveraging the Rakuten Group’s first-party data for market research purposes. It manages onling panels across 12 Asian markets and the US.

https://www.research-live.com/article/news/...s-sales-team/id/5115733

For over 25 years, Rakuten Insight Global has been at the forefront of consumer market research data collection. By combining our first-party data with the highest levels of quality assurance processes, Rakuten Insight Global has remained our clients’ trusted research partner for Asia, US & Beyond.
Our proprietary, double opt-in online panels have been developed throughout 12 major Asian markets & the US. All of the panels are managed by dedicated local support teams and meet the highest industry standards. The Rakuten Insight Global team offers 24-hour coverage from 11 worldwide locations, providing exceptional service for 500+ clients across the globe.
Rakuten Insight Global is tasked with leveraging the first-party membership assets of the Rakuten Group for market research purposes. Having access to such a diverse and unique group of research participants allows Rakuten Insight to remain at the forefront of online research.

https://ie.linkedin.com/company/rakuten-insight
 

“Prior to the CTO role, Sriwastawa served as the Head of Connectivity Platforms, where he was the driving force behind constructing and industrializing cloud-native RAN, highlighting his unwavering commitment to openness and revolutionizing the telecommunications sector.

With a rich career spanning nearly three decades, Sriwastawa has been a transformative figure across continents. Before his tenure at Rakuten, he held positions such as Vice President of Airspan Networks Holdings, National Head of 3G at Reliance Communications, and Northeast Regional Manager for T-Mobile USA.”

https://www.telecomtv.com/content/open-ran/...ership-transition-48174  

27 mins ago Joel Soisson

https://www.opp.today/news2/...t-at-rakuten-mobile-and-symphony/3607/  

Rakuten Mobile Unveils Beta Version of Rakuten Link Desktop

3H AGO

Rakuten Mobile announced the launch of a public beta version of Rakuten Link Desktop, a desktop version of the mobile communications app Rakuten Link, available exclusively to subscribers of the Rakuten SAIKYO Plan, allowing users to enjoy multiple Rakuten Link Smartphone version features on their personal computer from August 2, 2023.

Rakuten Link Desktop version (beta) provides users with select features from the Rakuten Link Smartphone version. Users can make local calls, domestic video calls and international calls for free. In addition, Rakuten Link users can chat with each other individually or in groups and can send and receive SMS messages with users not using Rakuten Link. Rakuten Link Desktop version (beta) allows customers to enjoy these features – all while using their computer. Furthermore, chat histories and other data are synchronized in real time between the Rakuten Link Smartphone version and Rakuten Link Desktop version (beta), enabling seamless communication across devices.

In the future, Rakuten Mobile plans to gradually expand the features for Rakuten Link Desktop version (beta) and improve the service based on customer feedback. The company will also continue to broaden its range of services, leveraging the Rakuten Ecosystem to provide users with value that extends beyond communication services.

Features available:
Individual chat, group chat, domestic calls, international calls, domestic video calls between customers using Rakuten Link.
Domestic calls, SMS messaging and international calls (subject to fees) with customers who are not using Rakuten Link.

https://www.thefastmode.com/technology-solutions/...uten-link-desktop
 

Rakuten TV: App für die PlayStation 5 veröffentlicht

VON CASCHY AUG 3, 2023

Durch das Hinzufügen der Rakuten-TV-App für die PS5 können Benutzer direkt über ihre Spielekonsole auf eine Vielzahl von Inhalten zugreifen. Dies umfasst Optionen wie AVOD (werbefinanziertes Video on Demand), TVOD (kostenpflichtiges Video on Demand) und Live-Kanäle. Nutzer können Filme kaufen oder mieten, Inhalte mit Werbung kostenlos ansehen oder verschiedene Genres wie Nachrichten, Filme, Kinder, Sport und Unterhaltung über kostenlose TV-Kanäle erkunden.

https://stadt-bremerhaven.de/...er-die-playstation-5-veroeffentlicht/  

Rakuten TV streaming app on PS5

August 1, 2023

Rakuten TV has announced the launch of its video streaming app for the PlayStation 5 gaming console across Europe.

The app will provide users access to a range of content directly from their gaming console. Ranging from AVoD to TVoD and Live Channels, viewers will be able to buy and rent the latest Hollywood titles straight out of cinemas, watch for free with ads top Hollywood movies or stream free tv channels across various genres such as News, Movies, Kids, Sports or entertainment.

The app is available in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Poland, Romania.

https://advanced-television.com/2023/08/01/...g-app-on-playstation-5/  

Tareq Amin excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and the chance to make a difference in the world once again

What is open RAN backer Tareq Amin’s Rakuten legacy?

Dan Meyer | Executive Editor August 7, 2023 10:38 PM

High-profile Rakuten executive Tareq Amin has left the Japanese operator and platform provider, taking with him a legacy of leading that firm’s innovative open radio access network (RAN) development and deployment.

In a message posted to his LinkedIn profile, Amin stated a desire to spend more time with his family. “I am eager to channel my energy and attention toward creating cherished moments and nurturing bonds that matter most in life – my children,” he wrote.

Amin added that he was “excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and the chance to make a difference in the world once again,” and that he would “embrace new challenges and continue to strive for innovation and disruption in the industry.”

https://www.sdxcentral.com/articles/news/...s-rakuten-legacy/2023/08/
 

Die Rakuten Group veranstaltet Rakuten Optimism 2023, eine der größten praktischen Veranstaltungen der Gruppe, im Pacifico Yokohama. Am ersten Tag, heute, dem 2., betrat Herr Hiroshi Mikitani, Chairman of the Board und Chief Executive Officer des President und Chief Executive Officer, die Bühne. In der Eröffnungs-Keynote sprach er über die Zukunftsaussichten rund um Rakuten Mobile.
Rakuten Mobile, das sich zum Ziel gesetzt hat, "den Mobilfunkmarkt zu demokratisieren" als soziales Menschenrecht für Smartphones, hat im Juni einen neuen Preisplan "Rakuten Strongest Plan" auf den Markt gebracht. Nach den von Herrn Mikitani vorgelegten Daten steigt die Zahl der Abonnenten nach dem Start des Plans tendenziell an.

Herr Mikitani ging auch auf die Analyseergebnisse von Opensignal ein und äußerte sich zuversichtlich über die Verbesserung der Leitungsqualität. Die Desktop-Version (Beta) der Kommunikations-App "Rakuten Link" wurde heute, am 2., veröffentlicht, und wir werden den Service weiter verbessern.
Das Geschäft von Rakuten Mobile scheint ein wichtiger Teil der damit verbundenen Dienstleistungen der Rakuten Group zu sein. Herr Mikitani, der Daten zeigte, dass der Gesamtvertriebswert von "Rakuten Ichiba" aufgrund des Rakuten Mobile-Vertrags gestiegen ist, sagte: "[Rakuten Mobile] trägt zum Wachstum der Rakuten-Gruppe bei."

Von vollständig virtualisierten Netzwerken, die zu Kostensenkungen führen, bis hin zum Einsatz von Drohnen und Satellitenkommunikation "macht Rakuten Mobile in jeder Hinsicht die fortschrittlichsten Dinge der Welt", sagt Mikitani.

Weltweit wird Rakuten Symphony eine Rolle bei der Bereitstellung der Technologie von Rakuten Mobile in der Welt spielen. Das Unternehmen und VEON of Ukraine werden mit Open RAN im Bereich der digitalen Dienstleistungen zusammenarbeiten, um die Infrastruktur in der Ukraine wieder aufzubauen.

Am Ende der Keynote erscheint als Überraschungsgast OpenAI-CEO Sam Altman aus der Ferne. Es wurde bekannt gegeben, dass die Rakuten Group und OpenAI vereinbart haben, Dienste mit der neuesten KI-Technologie zu entwickeln. Durch die Kombination der riesigen Datenmengen, die sich im Besitz der Rakuten-Gruppe befinden, mit der Leistungsfähigkeit von KI (künstliche Intelligenz) werden wir neue Dienstleistungen schaffen.

https://k-tai.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/1521169.html
 

Sharad Sriwastawa succeeds Tareq Amin at Rakuten Symphony

Natalie Bannerman August 08, 2023 12:41 PM

The news follows the departure of representative director and CEO Tareq Amin, who left the role on August 7 2023. Sriwastawa assumes all of the roles and responsibilities of Amin.

According to various sources, Amin has left the due to 'personal reasons', said the company.
“The appointment of Sharad Sriwastawa is emblematic of Rakuten Symphony’s mission to reimagine telecom,” said Mikitani.

“With his proven track record at Rakuten Mobile, deep understanding of global technology trends and the evolving commercial opportunities for companies in the telco sphere, we are pleased to expand Sharad's role as a visionary leader who will guide the company’s expansion, capitalise on our business momentum, and solidify its future as an industry-disrupting enterprise.”

With over 30 years' experience in the mobile industry, as acting president Sriwastawa will be responsible for progressing Rakuten Symphony’s telco solutions including spearheading the global adoption of cloud-native Open RAN infrastructure and services.

Having joined Rakuten Mobile in September 2018, Sriwastawa assumed the role of chief technology officer in March 2022. Following this he was also appointed as group managing executive officer of Rakuten Group in April 2022.

Prior to the CTO role, Sriwastawa served as the head of connectivity platforms, where he oversaw the construction and industrialisation of cloud-native RAN.

Before his time at Rakuten, he held positions such as vice president of Airspan Networks Holdings, National Head of 3G at Reliance Communications, Northeast regional manager for T-Mobile USA, and a stint at Siemens Public Communications Network.

https://www.capacitymedia.com/article/...5a5-af7f-fdbd90bb0000-page=2
 

Rakuten Bank Sees Edge Over Rivals Once BOJ Ends Negative Interest Rates

21h ago

Japanese online lender Rakuten Bank Ltd. says it’s better positioned than rivals to enjoy a profit boost when the Bank of Japan eventually ends its negative interest-rate policy.

A rise in short-term rates would have an immediate benefit for the newly listed bank given that many of the loans and other assets on its books have adjustable rates, Chief Executive Officer Hiroyuki Nagai said.

“I think the proportion of our assets that have floating rates is the highest among Japanese banks,” he said in a Bloomberg Television interview, without giving figures. “So for us, the end of the negative interest rate policy means a big increase in profits.”

Rakuten Bank had 13.7 million accounts as of March — the most of any Japanese digital lender — up 58% from 8.7 million three years earlier. It aims to increase the number to 25 million by March 2027, which is the equivalent of one for every five people in the country.

The stock has jumped about 39% since its April initial public offering, which was Japan’s largest debut share sale since 2018.

https://www.bnnbloomb  

https://www.reddit.com/r/RakutenUndervalued/...areq_amin_on_linkedin/  

The timing of Amin’s departure ironically coincided with the telco just finishing a week-long Rakuten Optimism 2023 event, which saw Mikitani (above) highlighting the collaboration underway with OpenAI.

To date, Rakuten has already launched several services powered by OpenAI’s technology. The messaging app Rakuten Viber provides users with an official chatbot powered by the interactive AI ChatGPT and image generation AI DALL·E 2 provided by OpenAI.

Rakuten Securities has launched an Investment AI Assistant (beta version) which uses ChatGPT to help customers learn about the basics of investment and investment methods suited to their experience level. And last month, Rakuten Life Insurance also introduced ChatGPT to its dedicated terminals to assist insurance agents in their daily work.

https://fr.techtribune.net/smartphones/...mobile-and-symphony/772325/

 

NEC radio unit receives first O-RAN compliance certification from JAPAN OTIC

TOKYO, Aug 9, 2023 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) has obtained O-RAN Certification from Japan OTIC (Open Testing & Integration Centres)(1) for its MB5450 5G base station radio unit (RU), certifying that the RU conforms with the O-RAN Fronthaul Interface Specifications(2) established by the Open Radio Access Network Alliance (O-RAN ALLIANCE)(3). This RU has been delivered to Rakuten Symphony and is being deployed globally.

This is the first certification issued by Japan OTIC since its establishment, making NEC the first major global vendor to obtain this certification(4).

Japan OTIC was established in December 2022 by YRP R&D Promotion Committee, NTT DOCOMO, INC., KDDI CORPORATION, SoftBank Corp. and Rakuten Mobile, Inc. at Yokosuka Research Park near Tokyo as a center for testing and certification based on the international standard specifications defined by the O-RAN ALLIANCE. A test environment developed by Japan OTIC and Rakuten Mobile was used for this certification. The certification confirms that NEC's RU conforms to O-RAN specifications and that it has cleared the requirements for performance and interoperability between devices connected to the O-RAN interface.

Sharad Sriwastawa, Acting President of Rakuten Symphony, commented: "Rakuten Symphony is thrilled to celebrate this significant milestone together with NEC and Japan OTIC. This is an example of Japan's leading role in advancing the global Open RAN ecosystem by nurturing local technology innovation and providing a collaborative, open and impartial testing environment. We look forward to providing NEC's 5G O-RAN certified products, developed in Japan, to our customers around the world."

https://www.asiaone.com/business/...mpliance-certification-japan-otic  

Watch Rakuten Bank Sees Edge Over Rivals - Bloomberg

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2023-08-07/...-edge-over-rivals  

Additional to my last posting: on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4zkFrEPny0  

Rakuten Viber launches two new features for Premium users

4/08/2023

0It’s been less than a month since Viber launched its premium service in the United States and several other countries, and the company has just announced it’s now rolling out two new features to those who chose to pay to be Premium users.

So, if you’re paying for Viber Plus, you should be getting two new important features: Invisible Mode and Read Voice Messages. Both should further enhance privacy and ease of communication on Viber.

The new Read Voice Message feature turns voice messages into text so any message can be ready anytime, anywhere. Invisible Mode is just as useful since it allows users to read messages and browse on the platform privately.

Not only that, but users will also be able to see who is online while their own status shows offline. More importantly, thanks to Invisible Mode, you’ll be able to open messages without revealing that it’s been read.

And if you don’t have Viber Plus yet, perhaps these two new features will make you start paying for it. To go premium, you’ll have to pay just $1.99 per month, and you’ll be getting not just new features but also stop seeing ads.

The new features will be rolled out to the premium service for iOS in the US, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Switzerland, Kuwait, Australia, Tuvalu, Israel, Sweden, Austria, India, and Italy, with additional regions added on a rolling basis.

According to Viber, Android users where Viber Plus is available will have access to the two new features sometime in September.

https://www.retailnews.asia/...es-two-new-features-for-premium-users/  

According to the report "Mobility on Demand Market" the mobility on demand market was valued at $552.90 billion in 2021, and is estimated to reach $1694.7 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 11.8% from 2022 to 2031.

https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/...-growth-to-2031-efef4934  

03.05.2023

Rasantes Wachstum am Standort Düsseldorf

Mit der im zweiten Halbjahr 2021 angesiedelten Rakuten Symphony Deutschland GmbH konnte Düsseldorf ein weiteres Schwergewicht der ITK-Branche für den Standort gewinnen.

Als Teil der japanischen Rakuten Group, Inc., einem global erfolgreich tätigen Anbieter von Internet Services, soll Rakuten Symphony den globalen Ausbau des Cloud-nativen offenen Standards Open RAN vorantreiben. Aufgrund der weltweit ersten erfolgreichen Inbetriebnahme eines Open RAN basierten Mobilfunknetzes in Japan, gilt Rakuten als führender Experte auf diesem Gebiet.

Im Zentrum der von der Düsseldorfer Unternehmenszentrale gesteuerten Aktivitäten steht die Partnerschaft mit 1&1 beim Ausbau und Betrieb dessen 5G-Netzes. Das seit September 2021 in Düsseldorf tätige Kernteam ist bereits auf mehr als 200 Beschäftigte angewachsen und soll sich bis Ende 2023 verdoppeln. Seinen Sitz hat das Unternehmen in der Airport City an der Wanheimer Straße 68 in direkter Nachbarschaft zu 1&1.

https://www.duesseldorf.de/wirtschaftsfoerderung/.../rakuten-symphony