Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket

Optimism is more than just a feeling; it’s a strategy

7 hours ago

https://rakuten.today/blog/...than-just-a-feeling-its-a-strategy.html

 

Red Hat Partners With SoftBank, Fujitsu, Rakuten & More To Boost Its OpenShift Cloud Solutions

Updated on Mon, Mar 3, 2025

Red Hat announced that it will provide Rakuten Mobile with access to its expertise, technology, and experience in managing complex and expansive Linux estates, all while allowing its own experts to innovate and enhance customer experience. This consists of using Red Hat’s Enterprise Linux for its fully virtualized end-to-end cloud-native network.

The same solutions will be provided to Rakuten Symphony, a global provider of cloud-native open RAN infrastructure and services, allowing them to empower its global telco and enterprise customers.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux’s advanced security features, vendor neutrality, and hybrid cloud consistency—along with other features—will boost Rakuten’s open RAN initiatives, licensing, private 5G partnerships, and satellite-enabled LTE connectivity.

Red Hat will also support Rakuten Cloud’s efforts to certify its Cloud-Native Storage on Red Hat OpenShift facilitating easier integration with Kubernetes-native tooling.

https://www.techdogs.com/tech-news/td-newsdesk/...ift-cloud-solutions
 

We are Symphony: A conversation with Vijayaragavan R

April 15, 2025

From dismantling radios to leading cloud-native telecom integrations in Japan, Vijayaragavan R, Tech Lead at Rakuten Symphony, shares how his passion for technology turned into a career shaping the future of telecom.

What’s next for you in your career?

I’m always looking forward to new opportunities to explore and innovate. Right now, I’m focused on enhancing network automation and improving interoperability within Open RAN networks.

I’m also excited about exploring AI-driven solutions for network management, finding ways to make telecom operations even smarter, more efficient, and future-ready. The industry is evolving rapidly, and I’m looking forward to being part of that transformation.

https://symphony.rakuten.com/blog/...onversation-with-vijayaragavan-r
 

Building an AI-Ready Culture at Rakuten Product Conference 2025

13 hours ago

Rakuten Product Conference (RPC) 2025, a flagship event from Rakuten India, is set to take place virtually on April 23. Now in its fifth year, RPC 2025 offers a deep dive into what it takes to build an AI-ready organization. Free and open to the public, the conference promises to be an insightful and engaging experience for anyone looking to leverage AI for sustainable growth and innovation.

https://rakuten.today/blog/...at-rakuten-product-conference-2025.html
 

Rakuten Symphony Adds Highly-Scalable, Kubernetes-Ready Object Storage to Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage Platform

Rakuten Symphony, Inc. announced the addition of object storage to the Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage Platform. Kubernetes-ready, highly scalable and cost effective, object storage brings greater durability, flexibility and simplification for managing large volumes of data in use cases including data lakes, cloud-native storage, and machine learning. Object storage will be generally available to any Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage customer in May 2025.

"Data storage and management is becoming increasingly challenging to industries operating in dynamic cloud environments and at the edge," said Partha Seetala, President, Cloud BU at Rakuten Symphony. "To address these challenges, we're adding object storage to the Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage Platform. We're excited to bring our complete Cloud Native Storage to vital industries around the world."

“We're operating the world's first telecom edge cloud deployment with Rakuten Mobile in Japan, deploying Open RAN and core services on the cloud while serving more than 8.5 million subscribers and growing," said Ryota Mibu, General Manager, Cloud Platform Department at Rakuten Mobile, Inc. "Rakuten Cloud and its suite of solutions including cloud-native platform, orchestrator and storage enable Rakuten Mobile to run virtual network functions and cloud network functions 30 percent faster while massively reducing deployment time and costs. With object storage, we can deploy cloud-native applications and microservices faster, at a lower cost, while reaching more subscribers."

https://vmblog.com/archive/2025/04/09/...native-storage-platform.aspx
 

Rakuten Establishes Rakuten Tech Center Europe in Paris, Strengthening European Technical Presence

Paris, April 17, 2025 - Rakuten Group, Inc. today announced the establishment of Rakuten Tech Center Europe, a new tech entity committed to fostering innovation, enhancing collaboration and solidifying the company's technological leadership within the European market. The new center officially commenced operations on April 1, 2025, with a launch event held at its office in the heart of Paris on April 16.

https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2025/...&category=corp
 

The dominance of Rakuten in Japan stems from its innovative business model that prioritizes customer satisfaction and loyalty. Unlike traditional online retailers, Rakuten functions as a marketplace, connecting sellers with a vast pool of eager shoppers.  

Step of 160.1 billion yen  ($1.12 billion) YoY

In addition to revenue growth, significant improvements in Rakuten Mobile's profitability and cost optimization successes at the Group level contributed to consolidated Non-GAAP operating income of 7.0 billion yen for FY2024, up 160.1 billion yen YoY.

If the same step will happen in 2025, the consolidated Non-GAAP operating income for FY2025 will be 167.1 billion yen = $1.21 billion = $0.56/share.
 

That is by a P/E of  20 a share-price of $11.2  

Edge emerges as essential for modern enterprise needs

The mission is to connect everybody and enable all to be.

April 17, 2025

Edge computing has steadily found its footing, adding value to an expanding set of enterprise use cases. Today, it is increasingly common to see edge deployments supporting point-of-sale systems, factory operations and distributed branches.

Now, it is set to play a more prominent and critical role in a range of deployments.

This is a key takeaway from Rakuten Cloud and Google Cloud 's discussions with customers and partners at Google Cloud Next '25 , which took place last week in Las Vegas.

Driven by AI-powered applications, the need for real-time decision-making and rising operational complexity, edge deployments are evolving from isolated systems into critical enablers of modern business strategies.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/...rprise-needs-rakuten-symphony-qchfe
 

April 15, 2025

Rakuten Mobile executives take the stage at the Rakuten Booth during MWC 25 as they share the remarkable journey of Rakuten Mobile since its 2019 launch as Japan's fourth network operator. This insightful session explores how Rakuten's autonomous automation technology and Rakuten AI innovations have revolutionized network performance and capacity. Discover the end-to-end strategy that has positioned Rakuten Mobile as a disruptive force in telecommunications.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZnvk0Npvds&t=32s
 

We want to be the number one wireless provider in Japan

What is your vision for Rakuten Mobile as co-CEO?

“For Rakuten Mobile we want to be the number one wireless provider in Japan. In the years to come we will be working towards full network automation, which is zero touch, zero trust, zero intervention operations for a secure and optimized network – this is the beauty of Open RAN and Cloudification.”
“The industry is now seeing an accelerated rate of adoption of Open RAN, and Rakuten is leading the way driving this growing trend. Building the world’s first virtualized Open RAN in a vendor agnostic environment was a challenge, but Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony are now able to provide network operators and network vendors with all the tools they need to plan, build, deploy and operate a world-class network. We are all excited to continue this journey.”

https://corp.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/english/about/...ew-ceo-cto_lang_en
 

MNOs that are not growing are dying

New services and improved value are a must. People want and need to use telecom services every day—but we must continually evaluate the value of connectivity we deliver, and change or expand offerings to match the opportunity. MNOs that are not growing are dying. This is the most important focus of all telecom ecosystem participants. The future will run on AI and data. Rakuten makes an additional 50% ARPU from non-direct connectivity revenue through the bigger digital ecosystem. As operators we all need to design our own growth. This starts with business models and experience above the network. We openly share our learnings, but if you want to learn more please reach out.  

https://symphony.rakuten.com/blog/...realities-to-guide-2025-planning


 

RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) Market to Reach USD 15.12 Billion by 2032, Driven by 5G Rollouts, AI Integration, and Open RAN Adoption

Pune, April 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) Market Size Analysis:
“The RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) market was valued at USD 222.4 million in 2023 and is projected to surge to USD 15,124.9 million by 2032, expanding at a remarkable compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 59.83% from 2024 to 2032.”

Major Players Analysis Listed in this Report are:
Nokia – Nokia Service Enablement Platform (SEP)
Ericsson – Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform
Huawei – Huawei Intelligent RAN Controller
Samsung – Samsung vRAN Intelligent Controller
NEC Corporation – NEC Open RAN RIC
Rakuten Symphony – Symworld RIC
Mavenir – Mavenir Open RAN Intelligent Controller
Parallel Wireless – Parallel Wireless Open RAN Controller
Juniper Networks – Juniper RIC Solution
Keysight Technologies – Keysight RIC Test Solution
VIAVI Solutions – VIAVI RIC Test Suite
Radisys – Radisys Connect RIC
Altiostar (Rakuten Group) – Altiostar Cloud-Native RIC
Capgemini Engineering – Capgemini Open RAN Intelligent Controller
Amdocs – Amdocs AI-Powered RIC

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/...earch-by-2032.html
 

Japan has long been a pioneer in technological advancements, and its payments and ecommerce industries are no exception. With the rapid rise of cashless transactions, digital wallets, and online shopping, the country is experiencing a significant transformation in how people conduct business and make purchases. According to Mordor Intelligence, the payments market in Japan is projected to reach nearly USD 280 billion in 2025, and it is expected to grow to USD 1.07 trillion by 2030, at an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 31% during the forecast period.

Similarly, the Japanese ecommerce market, valued at around USD 380 billion in 2024, is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 7% between 2024 and 2027 per PCMI data, reaching approximately USD 465 billion by the end of the forecast period. This article delves into the key trends, growth drivers, challenges, and future opportunities in both sectors, highlighting how Japan’s digital economy is evolving.

https://paymentscmi.com/insights/...alysis-payments-ecommerce-trends/
 

Major ecommerce players in Japan include:

Rakuten Group, Inc.: Japan’s largest ecommerce platform, offering a wide range of products and services, including financial technology solutions;

Amazon Japan: a significant competitor to Rakuten, offering fast delivery services and a vast product selection;

Yahoo! Shopping Japan: operated by SoftBank, leveraging its ecosystem to attract consumers;

Mercari, Inc.: a popular consumer-to-consumer (C2C ) marketplace where individuals can buy and sell second-hand goods;

DMM.com: specialising in digital content, including video streaming and online retail services.

https://paymentscmi.com/insights/...alysis-payments-ecommerce-trends/
 

AT&T and satellite communications specialist AST SpaceMobile intend to begin direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity trials with emergency services later this year after being granted permission to run tests on spectrum set aside for public safety.

The pair received permission from the US Federal Communications Commission to begin tests on the specifically-allocated Band 14 earlier this week, having already trialled push-to-talk and other relevant applications on AST SpaceMobile’s satellite infrastructure.

https://www.mobileworldlive.com/att/att-ast-advance-firstnet-d2d-aim/

 

By Catherine Sbeglia Nin
March 10, 2025

Is the telecommunications industry behind the AI curve? The industry says no, of course — but why?

Is the telecommunications industry behind the AI curve? During a session at last week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that sought to answer this question, KT’s Chief Responsible AI Officer Soonmin Bae and Rakuten Symphony’s Chief Marketing Officer Geoff Hollingworth both said no, not at all. Of course they did, right? Telcos are not known for being leaders in the adoption of new tech, but the speakers provided the following reasons as to why AI might be different.

https://www.rcrwireless.com/20250310/fundamentals/telco-ai
 

2degrees adds AST SpaceMobile to satellite line-up

March 11, 2025

New Zealand operator 2degrees sealed a deal with AST SpaceMobile to deliver broadband data service directly to smartphones using satellites in 2026, an agreement struck nearly two years after it forged a connectivity contract with Lynk Global.

https://www.mobileworldlive.com/ast-spacemobile/...satellite-line-up/
 

Boost's network chief talks up AI RAN integration with open RAN

Eben Albertyn, a top executive at EchoStar, hinted at Boost Mobile's interest in leveraging its open RAN investments in the development of AI RAN technology.

Mike Dano, Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies
April 17, 2025

Eben Albertyn, EVP and CTO of EchoStar and its Boost Mobile 5G network, said the operator's open radio access network (RAN) design will make it easier for Boost to embrace AI RAN technology.
"The ... thing that's important to remember about open RAN is that open RAN and what people are calling AI RAN are not competitive to each other. They're orthogonal to each other," Albertyn said during a keynote session at the Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) event in Denver Wednesday.
"And because of how open RAN works and how it's been put together, it is far easier to introduce AI RAN components into open RAN than it is any other technology," Albertyn said.

https://www.lightreading.com/open-ran/...an-integration-with-open-ran
 

Rakuten Mobile & Oracle: Powering 5G Growth and Network Automation

April 17, 2025

Shailesh Gupta, Rakuten Mobile, and Andrew De La Torre, Oracle Communications, discuss 5G expansion, cloud-native strategy, network automation, and policy and charging innovation at MWC 2025.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziaJYAg4qo0
 

Paul Smith x by R: Rakuten's Unique Fashion Empowerment Project

April 22, 2025

In March 2025, "Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO 2025 A/W," of which Rakuten Group is the title sponsor, was held. This year, Rakuten supported the "Paul Smith" runway show through "by R," a Rakuten project aimed at empowering the Japanese fashion scene. Enjoy valuable footage of the glamorous show, as well as rehearsals in London and Tokyo with designer Paul Smith, and behind-the-scenes footage from the day of the show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRkkw4h2h30&t=5s
 

The difference to Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk

From carbon neutrality to Science-Based Targets: Rakuten sets its sights on Scope 3 emissions for 2032
1 day ago

A strong position to effect change

Rakuten’s 2032 climate goals see it step outside of its corporate walls to engage external partners and potentially inspire change from Rakuten’s many customers.

“The Rakuten Group operates about 70 services, with over 2 billion users as of 2025,” Ito says. “As a company with such a massive ecosystem, we want to make it easier for people to make sustainable choices – whether that’s through our business practices or the services we develop.”

With a strong userbase and extensive network of business partners, Rakuten is uniquely positioned to make its mark on the fight against climate change. The journey may only just be beginning, but Ito and team are committed to leveraging technology, engaging Rakuten’s partners, and inspiring Rakuten’s customers to make a real difference.

https://rakuten.today/blog/...ghts-on-scope-3-emissions-for-2032.html
 

April 23, 2025  

If you’ve been putting off trying Rakuten, the time to jump in is now. Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) is offering an enhanced sign-up bonus of USD 40 or 4,000 Membership Rewards points for new members who make a qualifying purchase through the platform.

What is Rakuten?

Rakuten is a cashback shopping portal that partners with thousands of online retailers — including Apple, Macy’s, Nike, and even travel booking platforms like Booking.com and Expedia — to offer you a percentage of your spend back in the form of cashback. But here’s the kicker: if you opt in to earn American Express Membership Rewards instead of cashback, you can supercharge your loyalty strategy (only for American members).

https://livefromalounge.com/...ffering-40-signup-bonus-its-best-ever/
 

Rakuten Ad & Marketing Day Spotlights AI and Data-powered Solutions

April 24, 2025

Rakuten Group held the first-ever "Rakuten Ad & Marketing Day 2025", a B2B event focusing on advertising and marketing strategies leveraging AI and data. Among the highlights, Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Store shared how advertisements utilizing Rakuten's AI and data led to a significant increase in store visits and purchases at their renovated store. AI products and strategies developed by the advertising business were also featured.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlwJzjmPLn8