Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket
LONDON, March 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PremFina Ltd, the U.K.'s first venture capital backed alternative insurance premium finance company announces its UK collaboration with Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software company by revenue, has resulted in its artificial intelligence (AI) driven chat bot handling 70% of all data-led customer queries with zero delay in response times.
PremFina Ltd is a UK-based premium finance company that promotes financial inclusion by enabling the payment of insurance premiums via instalments. It supplies insurance brokers with funding lines and enables broker-funded and branded credit agreements via its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and enables affiliate IXL PremFina Ltd. With PremFina, brokers receive higher profit, greater autonomy, and the opportunity to increase the lifetime value of their customers as well as cross-sell and up-sell additional products. PremFina's shareholders include global investors Rakuten Capital, Draper Esprit Plc, Thomvest Ventures, Emery Capital, Rubicon Venture Capital, Talis Capital and the company's founder.
https://finance.yahoo.com/finance/news/...oration-sees-084500961.html
Friday 25 June 2021 | 08:42 CET | News
Rakuten Mobile, NEC and Intel report they have achieved a performance of 640 Gbps per server for the containerized User Plane Function (UPF) on the 5G SA core network jointly developed by Rakuten Mobile and NEC running on the Rakuten Communications Platform (RCP). The 640 Gbps performance per server for the containerized UPF on the 5G SA core network was achieved in a laboratory environment in Tokyo.
https://www.telecompaper.com/news/...rized-5g-core-lab-trial--1387975
JUNE 25, 2021
STOCKHOLM, June 25 (Businesshala) – Rakuten Mobile (4755.T) said on Friday that it plans to use new routing technologies from network gear maker Cisco (CSCO.O) to support 5G and commercial operations to expand our ability to support customers with so-called Internet of Things (IoT) services.
Rakuten, with 4 million customers, will use new technology to further automate the entire network to deploy services faster, reduce latency and lower power consumption.
“We’re going to scale the enterprise in a very elegant cost-efficient way, without increasing costs,” Chief Technology Officer Tariq Amin told analysts over a telephone call.
https://businesshala.com/...e-cisco-routing-tech-for-5g-iot-services/
https://investor.cisco.com/news/news-details/2021/...ces/default.aspx
Rakuten's USGA Golf channel will offer live streaming of its marquee events.
Posted: June 24 2021
Rakuten TV, the Japanese ecommerce giant's streaming service, has added content from the Tennis Channel and the United States Golf Association (USGA) to its free tier.
The Tennis Channel's archive library and original productions are now available in the UK, Germany, Austria, as well as Switzerland, with live matches from the likes of the UK Pro Series and Tennis Bundesliga also being made available.
Rakuten TV's USGA Golf channel is now accessible in the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. In select territories, it will offer live streaming of the US Open, US Women’s Open, US Senior Open and US Amateur championship, together with archive footage of historic championships, films, as well as exclusive interviews with iconic golfers.
Rakuten has been expanding its presence in the live sports space, having launched its dedicated global streaming service in 2019. Rakuten Sports' flagship offering is live matches from Japanese soccer's top-flight J1.League, but since going live, it has also added basketball, motorsports, table tennis and other sports to the platform.
https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/...ports-tennis-channel-usga-golf
Fundbox targeting $300 million raise at a $1.5 billion valuation via Wall Street SPAC
The fintech company that blossomed during the Covid-19 crisis is in talks with a shelf company to join the growing list of Israeli firms going down the SPAC route
Sophie Shulman0
17.02.21
Another Israeli Fintech company is on its way to Wall Street via SPAC. Calcalist has learned that data-based credit startup Fundbox Inc. is in negotiations to merge with a SPAC to raise $300 million at a $1.5 billion valuation.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3894237,00.html
A source for a compare of Fundbox and BlueVine
https://www.owler.com/company/fundbox
LAS VEGAS, April 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rakuten Super Logistics (RSL) announced its 20th anniversary as a national, full-service Third-Party Logistics provider (3PL).
RSL offers order fulfillment services including pick/pack, kitting, returns, and freight services. In 2001, RSL began as Webgistix with a single warehouse and the mission to provide eCommerce retailers with fast, accurate, and cost-effective order fulfillment services. In 2013, Rakuten Group, Inc. acquired Webgistix, enabling RSL to grow over the next eight years. RSL has now grown to 15 warehouses nationwide enabling a 2-day delivery network using ground services. In 2019, Rakuten Group, Inc. acquired FirstMile and IFS360, a Salt Lake City, UT based eCommerce parcel carrier company.
Over the past 20 years, RSL has successfully evolved with the ever-changing eCommerce industry to stay ahead in the order fulfillment industry and position itself as a leader in the 3PL business.
"RSL works collaboratively with its clients to assess their fulfillment and shipping needs and leverage RSL's facility and carrier network in the most effective manner possible to meet consumer demand." Manzione said. "RSL's newest product is Xparcel Expedited, a ground-breaking, cost-effective shipping solution that provides 2-5 day transit times with lower costs, allowing small to mid-size eCommerce retailers to compete with larger brands."
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/...tics-celebrates-20th-130000166.html
•§Open RAN won’t be commercially viable for another 3-5 years.
•§It doesn’t include the features existing mobile operators want.
•§Open RAN standards and specifications are still being developed.
If Open RAN weren’t going be ready for another 3-5 years, Rakuten Mobile simply would not exist. It most certainly wouldn’t be winning awards by objective third-party companies such as Opensignal for availability and network speed, beating the three incumbent Japanese operators. Nor would it have scored so well against all global mobile network operators in a recent report from umlaut. These accolades bode well for a barely one-year-old network.
The fact is, Open RAN is ready for prime time. And Rakuten Mobile’s commercial deployment, which covers nearly the entire population of Japan, is Exhibit A. The Open RAN specs and standards by which Rakuten Mobile’s many partners have developed their novel technologies are ready for any mobile operator around the world to use to build, deploy and maintain their mobile network.
The current Open RAN ecosystem standards and specifications are sufficiently mature for implementation-ready interfaces, evidenced by the continued proliferation of Open RAN-compliant solutions, equipment, and network components.
https://rakuten.today/blog/mythbusting-open-ran.html
Recorded at Infovista’s RAN Summit in June 2021, experts discuss how Rakuten delivers the first carrier-grade, cloud-based platform for radio network planning, optimisation and modelling to support the rapid roll-out of their cloud-native 5G mobile network across Japan.
Learn about:
•§The world’s first fully virtualized New Generation network
•§How Rakuten Mobile architecture is designed around open networks
•§How open networks deliver cost-effective and vendor-agnostic solutions
https://www.infovista.com/resources/re/...-planning-the-rakuten-story
Open RAN can’t sufficiently support different densities
Open RAN doesn’t support urban areas.
Open RAN doesn’t support suburban areas.
Open RAN doesn’t support rural areas.
The fact is, Open RAN is capable of supporting different geographies with different population densities. Rakuten Mobile has successfully deployed its high-performing mobile network in all kinds of population densities.
Rakuten Mobile launched its network in three cities in Japan: Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. These cities are among the most densely-populated cities in the world. Its open, virtualized architecture allowed the network to be built with base stations that require a minimal footprint while delivering high capacity and coverage. Considering greater Tokyo’s population of 25+ million people — arguably the world’s largest city — we’d say this network is sufficient proof to bust the myth about Open RAN not working in big cities.
At an accelerated pace, Rakuten Mobile has expanded its network to many other parts of the country. It is currently on track to cover 96% of country’s population within 2021, five years ahead of schedule, including numerous suburban and rural areas like Shimane and Shiga that are defined more by their mountains and rice fields than skyscrapers and neon signs. In each of these cases, Open RAN has proven to be the optimal architecture with high flexibility to accommodate different population densities
https://rakuten.today/blog/mythbusting-open-ran.html
June 25, 2021
News Summary:
Rakuten Mobile using Segment Routing over IPv6 and Cisco Routed Optical Networking to simplify its network architecture and lower costs.
The synergy of SRv6 and Cisco Routed Optical Networking will provide Rakuten Mobile with unmatched operational flexibility, network simplicity, speed-to-market and a path to profitability.
Cisco Customer Experience (CX) will manage the architecture design for the network enhancements to help Rakuten Mobile speed time to market with new services and applications.
TOKYO, JAPAN, June 25, 2021 – Cisco and Rakuten Mobile, Inc. today announced a major milestone for Rakuten Mobile’s network infrastructure in support of efforts to build a better, more inclusive internet for the future.
Rakuten Mobile operates the world first’s fully cloud-native mobile network. It launched 4G service in Japan in April 2020, and launched 5G non-standalone (NSA) services in September 2020 in record time. With four million subscribers today, Rakuten Mobile continues to advance and scale its network to support new demands driven by the growth of remote and mobile workers.
With the implementation of Segment Routing over IPv6 (SRv6) and Cisco Routed Optical Networking, Rakuten Mobile plans to expand its capabilities to support enterprise customers with 5G and IoT services. To support its future 5G SA services with network slicing capabilities, Rakuten Mobile will introduce SRv6 micro-segments, an extension to the SRv6 network programming model that is key to addressing multi-domain 5G deployments across its network. Cisco Customer Experience (CX) will plan and implement the overall architecture and design.
Transitioning to SRv6 will help Rakuten Mobile increase network resiliency and support a wider range of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that are foundational for upcoming 5G and IoT services. With Cisco Routed Optical Networking, Rakuten Mobile can consolidate coherent pluggable optics into a router, making the entire network more automated to deploy services faster (from 100 days down to 40), reduce power consumption by nearly 30 percent, and increase profitability through high-quality services at a competitive price.
“Reimagining mobile networking is at the very heart of Rakuten Mobile’s strategy, and our decision to go full-speed ahead on SRv6 and Cisco Routed Optical Networking demonstrates our effort to take advantage of technology innovation at every layer of the stack,” said Tareq Amin, Chief Technology Officer, Rakuten Mobile. “We knew that Cisco would walk in lock-step with us as we worked through each phase needed to implement this new technology and align it to our business goals.”
“Cisco and Rakuten Mobile are on a path to profoundly change the way network infrastructure is built, in order to connect as many people as possible to quality internet services,” said Jonathan Davidson, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Mass-Scale Infrastructure Group, Cisco. “Rakuten Mobile continues to mark important milestones to take its network to the next-level, and together we are showcasing the blueprint for the internet for the future to support our world of wireless and cloud-powered experiences.”
https://newsroom.cisco.com/...t?type=webcontent&articleId=2174308
Open RAN ecosystems expand the attack surface of a network.
Working with multiple vendors poses greater risk than using RAN from just one vendor.
Open RAN solutions increase security by enabling greater visibility and control points in the network, greater responsiveness, and greater isolation capability. By deploying Open RAN architecture, cloud-native solutions and a zero-trust security posture, Rakuten Mobile has removed the “black boxes” found in traditional telecom networks and introduced greater visibility and more control points into the network. This drives enhanced security and enables greater automation.
Open RAN provides the flexibility to easily swap out a vendor’s component that might be problematic for a more trusted source. Operating a trusted, secure, and resilient network starts with a trusted supply chain and continuous verification of the trust level of the system and its physical, virtual, hardware and software components. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in Rakuten Mobile’s network also facilitates additional security analytics. As Open RAN evolves it will incorporate new capabilities such as real-time and non-real-time RIC (RAN Intelligent Controller) that use AI models to protect against new and emerging network threats.
But what does this mean for mobile customers? Simply put, it means all-around security. Their data is secure. Their device is secure. Their privacy is secure.
https://rakuten.today/blog/mythbusting-open-ran.html
Here are some of the ways Altiostar is participating in MWC with our partners to showcase the future of Open RAN and 5G:
•VMWare and Altiostar collaboration with Intel
Hosted on Intel Network Builders, VMWare and Altiostar demonstrates how Altiostar’s Open vRAN solution runs on VMware Telco Cloud Platform to disaggregate the RAN into a flexible, high-performance stack based on COTS hardware. Watch the video and read the other materials here:
https://networkbuilders.intel.com/events2021/mwc-event/vmware
•Collaborating to Accelerate 5G vRAN Deployments – TelecomTV webinar
In this TelecomTV webinar, Anil Bhandari, VP of Product Management at Altiostar, along with Intel and other collaborators, discusses all things vRAN including the myths vs. realities, value chain evolution and successes from early carrier trials. To learn about the importance of a virtualized RAN and to see how it promises a more agile way to roll out services, watch the webinar here:
https://www.telecomtv.com/content/...e-5g-open-ran-deployments-41633/
• Secure your path to 5G with Open RAN – Webinar
This webinar features Red Hat and Altiostar experts discussing how Open RAN security initiatives lock down Open RAN networks and provide network operations transparency. To learn about preparing for a secure move to 5G, register here:
https://www.telecomtv.com/content/...e-5g-open-ran-deployments-41633/
• Intel and Red Hat Showcase New 5G Offerings
Altiostar was featured partner in the launch of cloud-native open RAN (O-RAN) using Intel FlexRAN and Red Hat OpenShift. This 5G solution will help pave the way for other O-RAN solutions. It allows mobile operators to achieve a high-performing, highly optimized and time-sensitive 5G O-RAN solution. To learn more about Intel and Red Hat’s partnership with Altiostar, read the news here:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/newsroom/...gs.html#gs.42adnk
• AWS Virtual Village Demo
During MWC week, Altiostar is participating in the partner pavilion with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to showcase how to use cloud-based Open RAN to accelerate business outcomes for mobile operators and consumers. Register for this virtual pavilion to learn how AWS and Altiostar are working together: https://www.altiostar.com/aws-virtual-village-at-mwc-2021/
https://www.altiostar.com/...look-into-the-future-of-open-ran-at-mwc/
„We had to look for opportunities elsewhere“: Cabify founder on LatAm expansion
Long one of Spain’s only two unicorns, ride-hailing startup Cabify is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month. After a rocky start in Madrid in 2011, the company launched operations in Mexico, Peru, and Chile just one year later, and is now also present in Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador and Uruguay.
Cabify says it now has 33 million registered users globally and more than 400,000 collaborating drivers. It also offers e-scooters and e-mopeds under the Movo brand name, long-term bike rental under Bive, the WiBle car-sharing service and a delivery service called Cabify Envíos.
Founder and CEO Juan de Antonio spoke to Tech.eu’s Crossing Borders series.
https://tech.eu/interviews/39819/...abify-founder-on-latam-expansion/
Recorded June 2021
https://www.telecomtv.com/content/...q-amin-on-5g-and-open-ran-41808/
Meine Empfehlung: Untertitel aktivieren
Rakuten targets cost-cutting with Cisco IPv6 kit
Rakuten Mobile extended a partnership with Cisco, deploying the vendor’s segment routing over IPv6 (SRv6) equipment to simplify its network architecture, lower operating costs and support a wider range of service level agreements for enterprise customers.
The Japanese operator is using Cisco’s SRv6 and routed optical networking equipment to improve operational flexibility and increase speed to market, the companies said in a statement.
In an online briefing, Rakuten Mobile CTO Tareq Amin highlighted the simplicity and flatness of Cisco’s end-to-end IPv6 architecture, noting “to implement an all IPv6 architecture into the fabric of your network is not a trivial task. It has enabled fixed-mobile convergence using the same IP backbone.”
Cicso explained the equipment will enable Rakuten Mobile to expand its capabilities to support enterprise customers with 5G and IoT services, and deliver future standalone services with network slicing capabilities.
Jonathan Davidson, EVP and GM of Cisco’s Mass-Scale Infrastructure Group, said Rakuten Mobile can automate its entire network by consolidating routing operations. He suggested the “dramatically simplified infrastructure” offered potential capex saving of 30 per cent and an overall cost reduction of close to 50 per cent when operational benefits were included.
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/asia/asia-news/rakuten-cisco-ipv6
„The company had 493 million annual active users for the 12 months ended in March, around 377 million of them in China.“
https://qz.com/2019750/...iant-didis-mega-ipo-filing-in-five-numbers/
DiDi has with 493 million the 15-fold of Cabify (Source #6940).
If we divide the valuation of DiDi of 70 billion dollars through 15 = a valuation of 4.67 billion dollars for Cabify.
Rakuten Mobile
The world?s first commercial O-RAN deployment
4M subscribers in Japan
Rakuten Communications Platform (RCP) has 15 confirmed global partners
https://s27.q4cdn.com/544787048/files/...resentation-June-2021-v2.pdf
•§Rakuten Mobile in Japan digitalisiert das Kundenerlebnis (Customer Journey) mit der gesicherten Embedded-SIM(eSIM) und der SIM-Expertise von Thales
•§Unterstützung des digitalen Kundenerlebnisses im ersten vollständig virtualisierten, Cloud-nativen Mobilfunknetz
•§In den 4G- und 5G-Original-Smartphones von Rakuten Mobile ist die miniaturisierte eSIM von Thales bereits integriert
June 29, 2021 04:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
PARIS LA DÉFENSE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thales spielt eine Schlüsselrolle im weltweit ersten Cloud-nativen1 End-to-End-Mobilfunknetz, das von Rakuten Mobile, Inc. betrieben wird, einem dynamischen Neuanbieter auf dem japanischen Markt. Dieser agile Mobilfunknetzbetreiber nutzt das umfangreiche Portfolio an eSIM-, SIM- und Remote-Connectivity-Management-Lösungen von Thales, um seinen Kunden ein zügiges digitales Onboarding zu ermöglichen. Die eSIM-Technologie von Thales spielt auch eine Schlüsselrolle bei der Entwicklung der innovativen 4G- und 5G-Smartphones von Rakuten Mobile.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210629005484/de/
The News: Rakuten Mobile, NEC Corporation, and Intel Corporation announced that they have achieved a performance of 640 Gbps per server for the containerized User Plane Function (UPF) on the containerized 5G SA (Standalone) core jointly developed by Rakuten Mobile and NEC running on the Rakuten Communications Platform (RCP).
The 640 Gbps performance per server for the containerized UPF on the 5G SA core network was achieved in a laboratory environment in Tokyo. The trio sees the lab trial as representing a significant opportunity to drive high performance of the commercial network in the future.
The 5GC power trio of Rakuten, NEC, and Intel are at the vanguard of powering open 5GC adoption and deployment across the mobile ecosystem. With the 5G SA Core demo, all three are firmly positioned to drive high-speed processing of containerized UPF, boosting the role Rakuten Mobile’s RCP can play in enabling rapid and agile deployment of UPF from edge to central locations based on traffic characteristics, using RCP’s full automation capabilities.
https://futurumresearch.com/research-notes/...g-sa-core-breakthrough/
by Diana Goovaerts |
Jun 25, 2021 12:10pm
Japanese operator Rakuten Mobile tapped Cisco to help it overhaul its optical and IP infrastructure, planning to deploy technologies which will drastically simplify its architecture and yield substantial cost savings.
Specifically, the operator is planning to implement Segment Routing over IPv6 (SRv6) and Cisco’s Routed Optical Networking solution, which was unveiled in March, for its transport needs including backhaul.
Jonthan Davisdon, EVP and GM of Cisco's Mass-Scale Infrastructure Group, told Fierce SRv6 allows operators to predetermine the paths different types of traffic take to get from point A to point Z in the network. He pointed to security, compliance and quality assurance as some of the reasons why providers might want to send certain traffic down a specific route.
He added SRv6 “dramatically simplifies” the routing architecture in comparison to legacy MPLS and VLAN designs and makes it easier to “automate and deploy services wherever you want to deploy them in the network.
https://www.fiercetelecom.com/operators/...co-for-optical-ip-overhaul
Tokyo, July 1, 2021 - Rakuten Group, Inc. announced today that the corporate name of Ticket Star, Inc., a Rakuten Group company, has been changed to Rakuten Ticket, Inc.
Overview of name change
1.Company name: Rakuten Ticket, Inc.
2.Name change effective as of July 1, 2021
Reason for name change
The name was changed in order to strengthen synergies within the Rakuten Group. Additionally, Rakuten aims to further expand the functionality of ticket booking and sales website Rakuten Ticket through collaborations across the Group.
About Rakuten Ticket
Rakuten Ticket is a ticket reservation and sales website managed by Rakuten Ticket, Inc., a Rakuten Group company. The site offers reservation and general sales of tickets for various events, including sports, live performances, concerts and theater/stage performances. In addition to users being able to earn and use Rakuten Points, the Rakuten Group aims to contribute to the maximization of entertainment experiences by providing a range of original value-added services.
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2021/...category=corp%20ec
Top-Aktien für Juli
Motley Fool beitragende Investmentanalysten | 29. Juni 2021
Ralf Anders: Rakuten
Rakuten (WKN: 927128) ist ein E-Commerce-Pionier, der vor allem in Japan eine beeindruckende Marktstellung in vielen Bereichen erobert hat, darunter Logistik, Finanzdienstleistungen, Beherbergung und Entertainment. Die Plattform wird gezielt für Crossselling-Aktivitäten genutzt.
Besonders viel verspricht sich das Management dabei vom Vorstoß in das Mobilfunksegment. In einem aufsehenerregenden Schritt hat die Mobile-Tochter eine Infrastruktur gebaut, die auf traditionelle Netzwerkausrüster verzichten kann. Stattdessen werden Cloud- und Virtualisierungstechniken genutzt, um eine moderne softwaredefinierte Architektur mit günstiger Standardhardware zu schaffen.
In Deutschland ist aktuell 1&1 dabei, diese Kommunikationsplattform zu lizenzieren und Rakuten ist überzeugt, dass weltweit viele Mobilfunkbetreiber dem Beispiel folgen werden. Da Rakuten im Vergleich zur kalifornischen Konkurrenz handlich bewertet ist, steht sie im Juli weit oben auf meiner Watchlist.
https://www.fool.de/2021/06/29/top-aktien-fuer-juli-2021/
2021-06-28 by rehow
Rakuten Mobile launches “Rakuten Mobile iPhone Upgrade Program” that allows you to use iPhone at up to half price
Rakuten Mobile Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, President: Yoshihisa Yamada, hereinafter “Rakuten Mobile”) has up to half the price of the main unit, “iPhone 12 Pro”, “iPhone 12 Pro Max”, “iPhone 12” , “IPhone 12 mini”, “iPhone SE (2nd generation)” can be used “Rakuten Mobile iPhone Upgrade Program” (hereinafter, “this program”) will start from today.
This program can be selected when purchasing an “iPhone” from Rakuten Mobile’s official website or the target Rakuten Mobile Shop, and payment for the main unit is made in 48 installments using Rakuten Card. By returning the “iPhone” after completing 24 payments, the remaining installment payments are no longer required and the model can be changed to a new “iPhone”. After using this program and changing the model to the new “iPhone”, the installment payment for the changed model will start anew.
If you wish to cancel this program, you can return the “iPhone” to Rakuten Mobile after completing 24 installments to eliminate the need for the remaining installments, and you can use this program without repurchasing the “iPhone”. You can cancel the contract. In addition, this program will be automatically canceled when 48 installments are completed.
This program can be applied only when purchasing “iPhone”, and can be used by purchasing “iPhone” alone or by contracting with Rakuten Mobile’s rate plan “Rakuten UN-LIMIT VI”.
With this program, “Rakuten Mobile” has realized an environment where anyone can easily use the latest and highly functional “iPhone” by reducing the burden on customers not only for the plan fee but also for the main unit fee and monthly payment. did. Going forward, we will continue to strive to reflect this in our services so that our customers’ lives will be even more convenient and comfortable through the development of various products and the provision of new services.
https://re-how.net/all/1195677/
1 Nutzer wurde vom Verfasser von der Diskussion ausgeschlossen: Scansoft