Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket

Rakuten (4755 JP) | Time to Cover the Shorts

Equity Bottom-Up

19 Apr 2022 03:40

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

We have a non-consensus Bullish call on Rakuten and see over 60% upside to the share price

The key driver will be a recovery in the Mobile Business

We expect losses to gradually improve as roaming fees and customer acquisition costs start to decline

https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/...55-jp-time-to-cover-the-shorts  

Delivery of a model that reduces application deployment from months and years to minutes and hours

Traditionally, the deployment of software applications in a mobile network requires manual testing and installation in a process that can last months, if not years. And, once in the network, lifecycle management of these applications can be slow and require substantial resources.

With the availability of F5 CNFs in the Symworld marketplace, Rakuten Symphony and F5 are working to accelerate and simplify this process for telecom operators through cloud-native functions and a delivery model that reduces application deployment from months and years to minutes and hours. This gives F5 quicker access to market and offers telecom operators a vastly improved network update cadence, critical for ensuring security.

https://www.lightreading.com/...-symphony-adds-f5s-cnfs/d/d-id/776571  

My advice for shortsellers: Hurry with your covering.  

How Rakuten Mobile’s network performance stacks up against other major city networks around the globe

16 hours ago

A new study from independent analyst firm umlaut, now part of Accenture, confirms again just that, ranking Rakuten Mobile as one of the world’s top performing mobile networks. In a comparison of mobile networks in 14 large metropolitan areas, Rakuten Mobile’s network in Tokyo outperformed most mobile networks in the study.

“I am incredibly proud of our entire team for achieving this remarkable result, ranking our network performance among the top of our peers across the globe,” said Rakuten Mobile CEO Tareq Amin. “What distinguishes us is the disruptive cost structure we employ and our ability to rapidly deploy upgrades, expansions and new services, to continue to improve our network performance and service and ultimately to transform the telecom industry.”

Continuing to improve

Compared to a similar umlaut study from summer of 2021, this recent report shows major improvements for Rakuten Mobile, moving from 920 to 945 dots out of 1,000. With Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony’s sights set firmly on transforming the telecom industry from traditional, legacy hardware-based approaches to a more open software-centric future, the success of Rakuten Mobile’s network performance is a strong message to the rest of the industry: the next phase of telecom architecture is already here.

https://rakuten.today/blog/rakuten-mobile-umlaut-2022.html  

Rakuten Mobile and Technical University of Munich launch Digital Network Twins Research

Tokyo, April 20, 2022 - Rakuten Mobile, Inc. today announced that it reached an agreement with Technical University of Munich (TUM) to collaborate on research into digital twins in networks. Based on the agreement, Rakuten Mobile will provide financial support to one Post-Doctoral researcher and two PhD students for a 42-month period and carry out collaborative research into digital twins and their applications in validating mobile networks.

Rakuten Mobile aims to create a fully autonomous network that uses an evolutionary-based approach for the creation, validation and application of logic within the network. This approach requires large amounts of data and a highly adaptive testing environment, neither of which is compatible with traditional methods of verification. However digital twins, which can be realized in a hybrid form by combining tools, such as simulations and testbeds, in order to exhibit features of an actual network, provide a compatible verification method for testing autonomous networks.

The research will be led by Rakuten Mobile Research Engineering Lead Leon Wong and TUM Professor Wolfgang Kellerer. The aim of the research is to study the concept of digital twins in networking and their relationship to simulations and real testbeds. In the collaborative research, Rakuten Mobile and TUM will explore methods to utilize digital twins to drive existing network testing environments towards being sufficiently ready for future network design demands as needed by autonomously evolving networks.

https://corp.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/english/news/press/2022/0420_01/  

Rakuten Mobile is excellent

2022/04 Audit Report - OpenRAN Network Rakuten Mobile Japan

Open RAN (Radio Access Network) is one of the hottest topics and technology trends in the telecommunications industry. In April 2020, Rakuten Mobile launched full-scale commercial service on the world's first OpenRAN network. In our analysis we compared the OpenRAN network of the 10-million-inhabitant metropolis of Tokyo with the network performance of other cosmopolitan cities allover the world. We used our proven methodology to calculate the umlaut score for the networks in Atlanta, Berlin, Johannesburg, London, Mexico City, Milan, New York, Riyadh, Rome, Sao Paulo, Seattle, Sydney and Zurich. This audit report provides a compelling and detailed look into Rakuten’s Open RAN network, and how its performance compares to networks across the globe.

Key Takeaways

The first OpenRAN mobile network of Rakuten Mobile in Japan achieves an umlaut Score of 945 dots out of 1000, which is "very good".

In Tokyo, Rakuten Mobile shows competitive performance with the leading operators in all tested cities.

In the speed category and in coverage Rakuten Mobile is competitive with the leading operators in all tested cities.

In latency, the Rakuten Mobile network shows room for improvements compared to leading operators in all tested cities.

https://www.umlaut.com/en/benchmarking/japan  

Rakuten to Acquire SKY ESTATE - Rakuten set to strengthen its unmanned solution business with drone schools and drone operator crowdsourcing

Tokyo, April 20, 2022 - Rakuten Group, Inc. today announced that it has concluded an agreement to acquire all shares of SKY ESTATE Inc., a leading developer of various drone-related businesses, including drone pilot dispatch and training. Through this agreement, SKY ESTATE becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Rakuten Group.

SKY ESTATE is a leading company in the development of a wide array of drone-related businesses, including drone schools and operator crowdsourcing (human resource matching), drone-conducted external wall inspection and solar panel measurement and inspection, aerial photography, filming and video production using micro-drones, and consultation on the use and implementation of drones. Both companies intend to leverage SKY ESTATE’s management expertise and network in the drone industry to further expand Rakuten’s unmanned solution business, which operates drone schools and promotes labor-saving and efficiency improvements for work involving drones (including inspections, surveys and filming), and aim to further expand employment opportunities in the industry through producing highly skilled operators and crowdsourcing.

Rakuten launched a delivery project using drones in 20161 and has implemented a number of unmanned delivery service demonstration trials – some of which were firsts in Japan – to address logistics issues facing Japan by reducing the human resources required to make deliveries. Rakuten has also founded the Rakuten Drone Academy, a school intended to provide operators with the knowledge and skills necessary to pilot drones, conducted inspections of Rakuten Mobile base stations using drones as well as surveys for fire insurance conducted by Rakuten General Insurance, among other initiatives. Both companies are confident that the combination of Rakuten's vision and past achievements with SKY ESTATE's drone schools and expertise in drone-conducted inspections will make a significant contribution to the further growth of the drone industry.

Rakuten and SKY ESTATE will continue working to promote the use of drones, driving innovation and delivering new services.

https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2022/...&category=corp  

Interactive CTV Ads Can Drive 2x Higher Engagement with Viewers

By Rakuten Advertising | April 20, 2022 | NEWS

Rakuten Advertising, in partnership with Innovid, recently launched its Interactive Connected TV (CTV) Ad Format available to advertisers and agencies via Rakuten TV and Rakuten Viki.

CTV Interactive Ad formats generate a higher level of engagement with audiences by combining dynamic and native ad elements with a call-to-action in the form of a QR or coupon code. The new Interactive Ads are available to run via CTV, mobile and desktop devices.
The CTV Interactive Ad Experience

More than a traditional TV commercial, CTV Interactive Ads create a memorable consumer experience, help advertisers build meaningful awareness of their brand and creates higher engagement with audiences.

This solution enables media buyers and planners to layer in additional content that increases performance for their brands. Using Interactive Ad formats, agencies can leverage shoppable product images, website content and more to create multi-faceted ads and a value-add experience for the viewer.

Interactive CTV Ads provide agencies with innovative and high impact branding opportunities to achieve their client’s marketing KPIs, including:

         •§Higher creative impact
         •§Increased engagement (+2X engagement rate of QR code benchmark)
         •§Measurement on CTV through shoppable formats

Additionally, the partnered solution allows agencies to use various data signals to personalize creative and serve more relevant and targeted messages. These include:

         •§Time/Day of Week/Year
         •§Geo Location
         •   Weather          §
         •§1st Party Data

On CTV First Impressions Matter: Best Practices

Understanding the best tactics to use when implementing a CTV strategy can help drive engagement and reach with audiences.

         •§Leverage data and technology to personalize ads for each viewer. Nielsen data shows that 75% of consumers struggle to correctly identify a brand the day after being exposed to their TV ad. CTV publishers leverage first-party data and signals to personalize the user experience while generating a higher brand recall with viewers.

         •§Choose a premium and relevant environment for your brand message. Carefully select CTV partners who can guarantee premium content and deliver messages to the right audience within a brand-safe environment.

         •§Creative experience: test and continued learning. Consumers don’t dislike advertising; they really dislike bad advertising. Delivering a good advertising experience can take different forms, from improving video creative, testing ad lengths or adding innovative and creative ad features.
Each viewer consumes differently. It’s recommended to AB test different versions of an ad to understand what appeals to each audience.

https://blog.rakutenadvertising.com/news/interactive-ctv-ads/

 

Rakuten TV extends FAST channels to mobile apps in 42 European markets

APRIL 20, 2022

Rakuten TV has brought its line-up of FAST (Free Ad Supported TV) linear channels to its web and mobile platforms in all its 42 European markets.

Previously limited to the firm’s Smart TV apps, the service offers an average of 100 channels per country, with a wide variety of genres from news, sport, factual, and music available.

Originally focused on digital rentals and purchases of films, Rakuten TV now offers a rotating catalogue of ad-supported movies to watch on-demand in addition to its free linear channels.

“After years of positioning as Your Cinema at home, RTV takes this step forward according to our strategy to become one of the leader of AVOD & FAST in Europe, and bringing entertainment everywhere the users need”, says Cédric Dufour, CEO of the company.

https://www.seenit.co.uk/...ls-to-mobile-apps-in-42-european-markets/  

VIAVI selected by Rakuten Symphony for 5G Open vRAN „lab to the field“ trails

21 Apr 2022

Rakuten Symphony, which was established in April 2021 by Rakuten Group to bring together Rakuten Communications Platform (RCP), Open RAN software and all of Rakuten’s international telco solutions, has selected Viavi Solutions (VIAVI’s) TM500 Network Tester to validate performance of its solutions ‘from the lab to the field’. In a press release the vendor noted that the two companies are looking to accelerate the deployment of 5G Open vRAN and the testbed has been designed to simulate a citywide network.

https://www.commsupdate.com/articles/2022/04/21/...-the-field-trails/  

Open RAN has become more widely accepted and implemented around the globe, with almost 100 service providers and vendors participating in the most recent O-RAN Global PlugFest. As its technology moves from the lab into the field, Rakuten Symphony is seeking partners with expertise in that transition, including VIAVI for network test and measurement.

VIAVI is supporting Rakuten Symphony with instrumentation strengthened with decades of experience supporting the world's leading service providers and network equipment manufacturers (NEMs) in the lab and the field.

https://stockhouse.com/news/press-releases/2022/...-from-lab-to-field  

Rakuten France announced last month the launch of Rakuten Fulfillment Network, a full service logistics model covering the handling, storage, packaging and shipping of e-commerce orders. Rakuten’s goal is to allow merchants to take back control of their fulfillment, while supporting the development of the e-logistics business. This offer is aimed at small merchants as well as large brands, in France, Europe and internationally.

Rakuten France, 4PL aggregator

The network’s logistics providers (Kuehne + Nagel, GXO, Cubyn, Ades, Up Log, etc.) take charge of the end-to-end service, from procurement to shipping and delivery, including storage, packaging, order preparation and returns.

In return, Rakuten puts its community of 8,500 sellers and its advanced technology at the service of fulfillment players, without ever competing with them.


The Rakuten Fulfillment Network already has 8 partner warehouses: 4 in France (in the Ile-de-France, Oise, North and South of France), and the others in Germany, the UK and Spain. By the end of 2022, the network should include more than 20 warehouses, covering not only Europe but also North America and Asia, two regions where Rakuten already operates a network of logistics services.

This service is available through a very simple interface, where the seller can easily manage all his data and services, such as the management of Rakuten points or Rakuten ads.


https://www.actuia.com/english/...ipping-offering-launched-in-france/
 

Incredible. More than Amazon soon. Taking things to another level.  

Rakuten Mobile has an advantage compared to incumbents of around 40% capex and 30% opex on a per site basis

The analysts at New Street Research commissioned some detailed technical modeling from industry consultant BlueNote, which found that Rakuten has an advantage compared to incumbents of around 40% capex and 30% opex on a per site basis. Capex savings come from lower infrastructure, equipment and civil works costs. And opex savings derive from lower real estate costs and much lower maintenance costs on a per site basis.

https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/...k-saves-40-opex-site-basis  

 

Cabify: Why Latin American Gig Platforms Must Make Space for Digital Payments

As Latin America’s gig economy expands, these same employees are also looking for flexibility and convenience in how they’re paid. In PYMNTS new “Digitizing Payments In Latin America Playbook,” Cabify’s Ruth Sosa explains how the rideshare company is offering payment tools that balance the strengths of cash and digital money while also bolstering workers’ loyalty.

https://www.pymnts.com/news/international/...ce-for-digital-payments/  

Cabify wants to grow in Colombia in 2022 – Apps – Technology

February 22, 2022 by admin

500,000 new users tried Cabify for the first time during the last year“this is how we became a safe and efficient mobility option in the midst of stage of economic reactivation of the country. We have completed 6 years of operations in Colombia and we are very proud to see all the projects we have carried out carried out, the achievements we have obtained and the impact we have generated as a company”, explained Daniel Schlesinger, Director of Growth at Cabify Colombia.

They have also served as an additional source of income for more than 80,000 drivers and taxi drivers.

https://www.nenroll-nenroll.com/sports/...ia-in-2022-apps-technology/  

The valuation of Cabify is after my estimates about $ 4 billion = $ 1.6 billion for the about 40% ownership of Rakuten on Cabify.  

The Metaverse market size is predicted to reach as much as $800 billion by 2024

JP Morgan predicts the Metaverse market size will be worth $1 trillion (no time frame given)

Goldman Sachs predicts the Metaverse market size will be worth $1-12 trillion (no time frame given)

The Metaverse market was worth $46 billion in 2020

https://earthweb.com/metaverse-statistics/  

April 6, 2022
Robin

https://www.robin.io/video/...g-the-open-ran-network-metaverse-ready/  

Robin Cloud-native, flexible Kubernetes platform

Communication Service Providers (CSPs) and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are facing huge 5G investment decisions over the next few years. Robin Cloud-native, flexible Kubernetes platform offers greater choice and agility to accelerate new connectivity and service options. Robin.io is already helping operators provide the 5G/MEC service promise with unmatched lifecycle simplicity, performance, scale, and advanced workload placement.

Mobile network operators (MNOs) are building their 5G network infrastructure with a new emphasis on cost effective performance. Robin.io is able to quickly bring their platform to deployment and also support 5G vRAN by using Intel Smart Edge – a cloud native based software platform that incorporates advanced Kubernetes networking for Telco deployment, real-time optimizations, 5G acceleration in FPGA or eASIC form factor, orchestration support, advanced observability, and also supports ORAN RIC use cases. Robin.io, as a Titanium level partner at Intel Network Builders Winners’ Circle, has incorporated Intel Smart Edge Open technology in our platform, running Cloud-Native Open RAN and Edge in production today. Robin.io will showcase 5G, ORAN & Edge use cases and demos, running on 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors, at MWC.

https://uktechnews.co.uk/2022/02/  

The metaverse brings another way to facilitate the trading of digital assets such as NFTs and cryptocurrencies, the total market value of which already is more than $2 trillion dollars.
PayPal recently launched a new ‘super app’ and outlined its vision to become a digital wallet platform, not just a payment app. And, outside of the traditional payments sector, many other organisations, including big techs and platform players like Apple, Meta, Rakuten, and Samsung have developed their own propositions. For example, Meta rolled out a pilot for its own digital wallet, Novi. Meanwhile, Rakuten, which launched its digital wallet back in 2017, recently announced a new service to top up Rakuten Cash (online e-money issued by the Rakuten group) via cryptocurrency and make payments at on/offline merchants such as 7-Eleven.

https://navigate.visa.com/europe/...-as-a-strategic-inflection-point/  

The top ten predictions for extended reality and metaverse

The Mars landing by 2026 will be a watershed moment for XR as viewers step with the first astronaut onto Mars.

Board meetings occur in the Metaverse by 2023. In the following years XR will be second nature in terms of the language and operation of government and enterprises to share information and collaborate.

Access to higher education will become more democratised and delivered on virtual campus with digitised assets such as museums as a service.

Digital real-estate, currencies, and other assets in the metaverse will be commonly included in wills.

By 2030:

People will spend more physical conscious time in the metaverse than the real world and the financial value of the metaverse will start to challenge the financial value of physical world assets. People will commonly apply for jobs, earn a living, shop, meet friends and even get married in the metaverse.

The flatscreen, keyboard and a mouse will disappear and be replaced by wafer-like glasses and contact lenses for spatial collaboration across multi-disciplines. A new control interface will evolve.

Customer service will be delivered by digital humans for shopping and other activities and remote support with overlayed information in XR.

Synthetic data generated from simulated worlds will guide robots to problem solve and save humans from high-risk work.

Human thoughts will be able to be tracked, recorded, and influenced with XR and Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) giving rise to privacy focused regulation. Brain power will be used for decision making rather than for memorisation.

XR technologies will achieve horizontal convergence to drive greater interoperability and portability.

https://www.consultancy.com.au/news/5210/...ded-reality-and-metaverse  

INTERVIEW

Rakuten will double e-commerce turnover by 2030: CEO Mikitani
Money-losing wireless business to reach profitability milestone in 2023, tech exec says

SUGURU KURIMOTO, Nikkei staff writer

April 20, 2022 11:08 JST

TOKYO -- Japan's Rakuten Group aims to double its domestic e-commerce turnover to 10 trillion yen ($78.9 billion) as its money-losing wireless business grows into an earnings driver, Chairman and CEO Hiroshi Mikitani told Nikkei in an exclusive interview.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/Interview/...2030-CEO-Mikitani
 

Das japanische E-Commerce-Unternehmen Rakuten eröffnet seine NFT-Plattform

8. März 2022 15:51

Nach Angaben des Unternehmens kürzlich Bekanntmachungplant Rakuten vor dem Hintergrund des exponentiell wachsenden Non-Fungible-Wahns die Schaffung eines eigenen NFT-Marktplatzes. Laut Rakuten wird der NFT-Marktplatz auch eine Plattform hosten, die es Inhabern von geistigem Eigentum ermöglicht, ihre Internetquellen für den Handel mit NFTs zu erstellen.

Während die ganze 126-Millionen-Nation alle begeisterte Fans der Anime- und Manga-Kultur sind, werden die jüngsten Nachrichten über den Beitritt des lokalen Riesenunternehmens zum NFT-Bereich eine Reihe von Vorteilen für das Land bringen.

https://nerdswire.de/...hmen-rakuten-eroeffnet-seine-nft-plattform-2/