Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket
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SE Asia startup Carousell becomes unicorn
Alex Chen, Taipei; Yusin Hu, DIGITIMES
Tuesday 5 October 2021
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20211004PD209.html
Rachael Phillips
Thu, November 4, 2021, 7:18 PM
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/...ra-2-review-improved-181830000.html
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08/10/2021
After surpassing one billion Google Play downloads worldwide, Viber announced a new feature that was previously available only for one-on-one chats: disappearing messages. Starting today, Viber is rolling out this option for group chats too.
More importantly, users won’t need to go through a multi-step process to change the status for messages in the group, as the feature has been implemented so that members can easily toggle it on and off right within the chat.
https://www.retailnews.asia/...aring-messages-feature-in-group-chats/
In this video, Tareq Amin, CEO of Rakuten Symphony, discusses their success in the use of Open RAN to disrupt the mobile market and how they prevailed despite naysayers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MclEym6jYlM
https://rakuten.today/blog/...obiles-5g-network-speed-ranks-high.html
Nov 2, 2021
The Brazilian telecom industry group, Open RAN do Brasil, said in a May 10 letter to the country’s telecom regulators that Open RAN is necessary to ensure an innovative, “competitive and secure ecosystem” for Brazil’s 5G development.
The Open RAN Policy Coalition, a Washington-based industry group with a local chapter in Brazil founded earlier this year, says Open RAN would allow new companies to more easily enter the multibillion-dollar 5G market by specializing in single network components.
Open RAN’s interoperability allows a variety of vendors to provide software, components, maintenance and oversight, which increases competition, spurs innovation, improves transparency and drives down prices. It also means equipment from an unreliable vendor can be more easily replaced.
Companies already deploy Open Ran networks in major markets around the world and conduct advanced pilot programs in Latin America, including Argentina and Colombia. Open RAN technology now could put Brazil at the forefront of 5G innovation in the region.
https://share.america.gov/why-open-5g-tech-vital-brazil-future/
The gist of this criticism is that Open RAN software is not network ready, and still too immature for a significant role in the network. The proof against this claim is in the networks that are now running using Open RAN.
Experience with building production Open RAN networks proves that it is ready for prime time. Open RAN solutions are already deployed at scale and providing the highest level of performance in the Rakuten Mobile network in Japan, which has some of the most quality conscious consumers in the world.
The Rakuten Mobile solution supports advanced technologies, including macro, indoor/outdoor small cells, massive MIMO and mmWave radios, all supported by one Open vRAN software layer. In terms of performance, the network is delivering throughput of 1.77 Gbps on the 5G network. As for speed of deployment, the network is expected to cover 93% of the country by the end of 2021, after having only launched in April 2020.
Support for Open RAN has also been echoed by major operators, including DISH, AT&T, Verizon, Telefónica, Airtel, STC, and Deutsche Telekom. Telefónica has reaffirmed its commitment to Open RAN in recently announcing its intention to deploy 800 Open RAN sites across its networks in four countries as the next step to mass deployment.
https://www.altiostar.com/dispelling-open-ran-myths/
How BlueVine’s partnership with NEXT Insurance ties insurance to SMB banking
We know small businesses are underserved by traditional FIs -- but what exactly do they need?
When essential financial services like banking and insurance join forces, SMBs win.
BLUEVINE | AUGUST 18, 2021
HTTPS://TEARSHEET.CO/SPONSORED/...ANCE-TIES-INSURANCE-TO-SMB-BANKING/
At BlueVine, our mission is to empower small businesses through innovative banking solutions that are thoughtfully designed to meet their unique needs. To date, we’ve supported over 87,000 small businesses with our product stack and more than 300,000 small business owners through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Headquartered in Redwood City (CA) with additional offices in New Orleans (LA), Jersey City (NJ), Salt Lake City (UT), and Tel Aviv (IL), we’re now thrilled to announce our continued expansion with the opening of our sixth office in Israel’s Bar-Lev High-Tech Park.
Being a reliable financial partner for small-to-medium-sized companies is more than just a commitment; it’s a responsibility. It’s our job to consistently improve our products and our technology to make sure that we measure up to the promises we make to our small business community.
Achieving this comes down to many factors, not the least of which is growing our team and global presence. By expanding worldwide, BlueVine can tap into top diverse talent to elevate our business.
HTTPS://WWW.BLUEVINE.COM/NEWSROOM/...SRAEL-TO-BAR-LEV-HIGH-TECH-PARK/
Von Rakuten Advertising | 18 October 2021 |
Rakuten TV ist eine führende Video-on-Demand-Plattform in Europa und bietet neben einem Premium-Portal für Home-Entertainment auch exklusive, kostenlose Advertising-Video-On-Demand-(AVOD)-Inhalte. Mit Rakuten TV können sich Verbraucher erstklassige Hollywood-Filme und -Serien, lokale europäische Inhalte, sowie exklusive Sportdokumentationen ansehen.
AVOD-Plattformen wie Rakuten TV bieten Marken eine enorme Chance, neue und bestehende Zielgruppen zu erreichen. 21 % der Verbraucher in Europa streamen, sehen sich jedoch keinen Live-TV an (diese werden auch als Cord Cutter bezeichnet), was bedeutet, dass Marken, die keine AVOD-Dienste nutzen, den Großteil der Zielgruppe nicht ansprechen.
Die AVOD-Chance
AVOD ist ein noch relativ neuer Video-on-Demand-Dienst, bei dem die Verbraucher Inhalte mit Werbung kostenlos ansehen können. Da sich in den letzten 18 Monaten immer mehr Menschen Streaming-Diensten zugewandt haben, können Marken nun bestehende TV-Werbestrategien mit AVOD ergänzen.
Außerdem bieten AVOD-Dienste kostenlosen Zugang zu Inhalten, die für Verbraucher bisher nicht verfügbar waren. Während des Lockdowns hatten 64 % der Menschen in Europa das Gefühl, Inhalte zu verpassen. Über sein AVOD-Angebot bietet Rakuten TV Zugang zu mehr als 100 Live-Streaming-Kanälen und einzigartigen Inhalten.
Einführung von Kanälen und Inhalten 2021
Im Jahr 2021 hat Rakuten TV seine Partnerschaft mit Samsung TV Plus Neue Kanäle auf Rakuten TV ausgebaut und über 100 neue Kanäle eingeführt, darunter CNN und Euronews. Die neuen Kanäle bieten Marken die Möglichkeit, ihr Werbeinventar über das erweiterte Portfolio zu nutzen und so ein größeres Publikum in ganz Europa zu erreichen.
Zu den neuen Kanälen, auf denen Marken jetzt werben können, gehören FilmRise, Real Stories, Timeline und der Kanal LEGOÒ in Großbritannien. Darüber hinaus bietet ein erweitertes Programm mit globalen Mediengruppen wie Bloomberg TV, Bloomberg Quicktake, CNNi, Euronews, Glamour, GQ, Qwest TV, Reuters, Vogue, Vanity Fair und Wired den Verbrauchern einen noch besseren Zugang zu Inhalten.
Connecting in the Moment
Rakuten TV bringt alle Hausbewohner zusammen, um gemeinsam stundenlang auf dem größten Bildschirm des Hauses Unterhaltung zu genießen. Jeder dieser Bewohner erlebt im Laufe des Tages bestimmte Stimmungen oder einen besonderen Moment, und für Marken ist es entscheidend zu verstehen, wie der Kontext eines solchen Moments die Kundenbindung verbessern kann.
Wenn beispielsweise die Eltern an einem Sonntagnachmittag einen Cartoon mit den Kindern anschauen, erleben sie dabei eine ganz andere Stimmung, als wenn sie später am Abend eine romantische Komödie anschauen. Das Verständnis des besonderen Moments, in dem sich das Publikum befindet, erlaubt es Marken und Agenturen, kontextbezogene Strategien anzuwenden, welche die Leistung und den Ertrag der Werbeausgaben verbessern.
https://blog.rakutenadvertising.com/de-de/...-tv-reichweite-erhoehen/
So then how does this Amazon vs Rakuten battle play out over the next half-decade?
A previous WPIC article depicts the two companies’ primary differences. In particular, Rakuten’s approach is to have brands sell on its platform, which looks more like a partnership. As a result, business owners looking to leverage Rakuten are able to manage aspects of the e-commerce ecosystem like inventory, logistics and customer service. Conversely, Amazon manages all of these aspects on behalf of a brand inside the market. In short, Rakuten affords a level of control and personalization to its brands that Amazon does not.
• Rakuten’s level of control and personalization allows for a more intimate shopping experience than other platforms. This goes a step further, as a major selling feature for customers of Rakuten takes the form of a loyalty-based membership program that offers perks like Rakuten Super Points and cash-back offers.
• But Rakuten’s focus on building personal relationships with consumers taps into something much deeper than the instant gratification of earning cash just for shopping – Japanese expectations with respect to customer service greatly surpass those of most Westerners.
• Children in Japan are raised with reverence vis-a-vis the notion of omotenashi, which promotes deference and putting oneself at the service of another. Omotenashi therefore engenders a presumption of personalized customer service that Rakuten’s platform provides in ways that Amazon’s, perhaps, does not.
Will this devotion to personalized service allow Rakuten to keep pace and ultimately surpass Amazon in the Japanese e-commerce space? Or are cultural norms in the famously insular Japan slowly shifting? A 2018 article in the Economist suggests that a shift is indeed taking place, and the customer is king approach might be slowly disappearing.
Nevertheless, Rakuten’s solid positioning within Japan, which includes over 70 different services ranging from credit cards to insurance to messaging platforms, suggests that the company will not be decidedly overtaken by Amazon anytime soon, and might even begin to dwarf its American competitor in the coming years.
Though this might be somewhat wishful thinking, it fits appropriately within Rakuten’s ethos. After all, in Japanese, the word for optimism, is Rakuten.
https://www.wpic.co/blog/...apan-the-future-of-rakuten-and-amazon-jp/
- Research selected by Japanese National Institute of Information and Communications Technology’s
Tokyo, November 8, 2021 - Rakuten Mobile, Inc., Nagoya University and Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (OKI) today announced the launch of research and development (R&D) into autonomous networks to enable autonomous mobile services. The R&D will be carried out as part of the “Beyond 5G R&D Promotion Project” for which the Japanese National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) recently invited applications for proposals. The R&D will be carried out under the theme of “R&D into coordinated type autonomous networks.” The organizations will carry out R&D into autonomous network key technologies that allow networks to autonomously respond to communications service requests and coordinate various services while operating stably (coordinated type autonomous networks).
“Beyond 5G” refers to the next generation of communications standards to follow 5G, which is expected to be deployed after 2030. In Beyond 5G, communications technology will be utilized in every aspect of life. As a result, network traffic is expected to increase dramatically and demands for networks are expected to diversify. To support the increasing traffic and new demands, it will become necessary for networks to be able to respond autonomously without human intervention.
Autonomous networks are mobile networks that incorporate into the network systems artificial intelligence (AI) which is capable of managing networks in the same way as human engineers do. This will enable networks to manage all operations independently and to autonomously respond to diversifying network demands.
In this R&D, Rakuten Mobile, Nagoya University and OKI aim to build the key technologies and practical applications for autonomous networks to further automate network operations. The three organizations will develop an autonomous mobile robot that can move while adapting to its surrounding environment through linkage to autonomous network key technologies. The organizations also aim to create efficient video streaming and IoT services using the autonomous mobile robot.
https://corp.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/english/news/press/2021/1108_01/
4 days ago
For this vignette of a recent episode of the Futurum Tech Webcast, Part of the 5G Factor series, analysts Ron Westfall and Shelly Kramer assess the 5G ecosystem implications of the Rakuren Symphony, Intel, and Juniper Networks collaboration to develop Symware, a carrier-grade Open RAN solutions aimed at modernizing radio cell sites by using the latest cloud-native architecture and capabilities.
Their conversation emphasized:
Why the Symware multipurpose edge alliance can provide communications service providers with the flexibility to densify their network, support new features while reducing the required hardware per site, and ultimately accelerate Open RAN deployments.
How the Symware solution combines the containerized cell site routing functionality and a containerized DU (Distributed Unit) one a single general purpose server platform, which can ease adoption complexity and decrease mobile operator capital and operational expenditures.
The use of Intel’s Xeon D Processors and FlexRAN reference software showcasing Intel portfolio innovation by enabling the consolidation of RAN workloads into a single Symware server as well as fulfilling the performance, capacity, and cost requirements of 5G RAN environments.
How the integration of Juniper’s routing technology and ORAN into a single platform can leverage disaggregation techniques and routing stacks to advance 5G networking slicing capabilities key to CSP 5G monetization objectives.
Shelly and Ron concluded that the three-way collaboration gives mobile operators the streamlined Open RAN solution along with the smart security, automation capabilities, and supply chain confidence needed to ramp up their Open RAN plans especially as they are increasingly candid about making Open RAN integral to their overall 5G network build and business objectives.
https://player.fm/series/futurum-tech-podcast/...r-to-deliver-symware
16th September 2021
Cloud-based software-as-a-service technology provider for broadcast and connected TV Amagi has strengthened its partnership with streaming platform operator Rakuten TV to provide channel distribution and monetisation services.
Rakuten TV combines transactional video-on-demand, advertising video-on-demand or AVOD, free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST), and subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) with a catalogue that includes content from Warner Bros., Disney and Sony Pictures, free films and TV shows, on-demand access to premium subscription services, and over 90 free linear channels.
For Rakuten TV, Amagi delivers a line-up of nearly 50 third-party linear channels, working alongside Rakuten TV’s primary monetisation partner Rakuten Advertising. These include BITE, Bon Appétit, Brat TV, IMG EDGEsport, Insight TV, PopSugar Fitness, Qwest TV, Talk Radio TV and XITE.
In Europe, Amagi supports premium content brands, including A+E Networks UK, Horse & Country TV, NBCUniversal International, News UK, Sofy TV, Koch Media, ADN, OFIVE TV and Viceland UK, among others, on its cloud broadcast platform.
“This partnership with Amagi is key for Rakuten TV as we continue our European expansion. It has provided access to a great line-up of third-party content across a wide range of genres,” said Jacinto Roca, CEO and founder at Rakuten TV.
https://www.digitaltveurope.com/2021/09/16/...ership-with-rakuten-tv/
Nov 8th 2021
Amobile-telecoms revolution is under way—one reminiscent of the way personal computers replaced mainframes in the 1980s, and cloud-based apps are replacing traditional software today. Openran, a new way of building mobile networks, will transform the telecoms industry by cutting costs, improving security and boosting competition. This new technology will sweep across the world in 2022.
Historically, a few large vendors have dominated the business of supplying mobile-network equipment, providing costly proprietary systems in which they control both the hardware and the software. Openran networks are completely different: they are software-driven, based on open standards and run in the cloud on commercial, off-the-shelf servers.
https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2021/11/...-mobile-telecoms
- The Global Presenting Partner and Global Innovation and Entertainment Partner of the Davis Cup by Rakuten connects tennis fans worldwide with their favorite teams at the Davis Cup like never before.
- Fan messages to be part of 19 tennis ball art installations at the sites of the quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals of the Davis Cup by Rakuten.
- Submit your message now: https://rakutenfans.com/
Tokyo and Barcelona, November 9, 2021 – Rakuten Group, Inc. and Kosmos Tennis announced today the launch of the Davis Cup Fan World Cup Presented by Rakuten, a unique chance for tennis fans around the world to cheer on their favorite team at the Davis Cup Finals by submitting messages of support for the national teams competing in the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals, held from November 25 till December 5, 2021. Fans can submit their messages here from now until December 5: https://rakutenfans.com/
Davis Cup Fan World Cup Presented by Rakuten
To celebrate Rakuten’s presenting partnership of the Davis Cup, the global leader in e-commerce, fintech and communications has invited tennis fans from all over the world to submit messages of support for their national teams. These messages will be printed on tennis balls and canvas to create 19 unique art installations, one for each team, spread across the Madrid Arena in Madrid, Olympiahalle in Innsbruck and Pala Alpitour in Turin, the sites of the group stages, quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals of the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals 2021. The installations will be installed at the venues where each national team is playing in the Group Stage of the tournament, ensuring that each team has the opportunity to experience the fan messages first-hand.
Each installation represents a national team at the Finals, with a special one dedicated to all fans at Madrid Arena, and the designs were all inspired by key victorious moments each team experienced on their journey to the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals 2021. The 19th installation is a tribute to the fans and tennis community from all over the world who have supported the Davis Cup and their beloved teams over the years, especially in the challenging times faced over the past two years. Fans will have the opportunity to continue sending messages of support, to be included in the 19th installation, even during the final week of the tournament – both through the website and also at the Rakuten Fan Zone in the Madrid Arena.
Rahul Kadavakolu, Director of Global Marketing and Branding at Rakuten Group, Inc., said: "In a historic national team tournament like the Davis Cup, fan support is key. Over the past two years, the pandemic has highlighted the ever-increasing importance of engaging fans not just in the stadium, but all over the world. With the Davis Cup Fan World Cup Presented by Rakuten, we are launching a platform for fans to show their support in a way that players can experience first-hand – even when the fans are half a world away.”
Enric Rojas, CEO of Kosmos Tennis, said: "The Davis Cup fans are very important for the competition. Their passion for cheering on the players is unique, there is no other tournament where they are so strong, so colourful and so much fun. The fact that Rakuten, in partnership with Kosmos, has come up with this campaign to reinforce their role and prominence, seems to us to be extremely appropriate and we encourage all fans to send their messages. It’s a unique opportunity for fans, that cannot travel to the venues, to be there supporting their teams.”
Rakuten, empowering people and society through sports
With more than 1.5 billion members worldwide, Rakuten leverages its expertise in e-commerce and customer loyalty programs to bring innovation to the Davis Cup through digital and offline engagement to enhance the fan experience. As the Global Presenting Partner and Global Innovation and Entertainment Partner of the Davis Cup by Rakuten, the two partners have succeeded in opening up new avenues for online communication and content sharing with fans, including the use of the Rakuten Viber messaging platform to launch Davis Cup sticker packs and other exclusive content on the Davis Cup Viber Community, and the creation of new programs that engage and reward fans both locally and globally, such as launching a curated selection of tennis-related books on Rakuten Kobo and introducing Rakuten Pay as a cashless payments solution – complete with special merchandising benefits – at the Madrid Arena.
Rakuten’s innovation extends to the tournament itself, enhancing the fan experience on-site and virtually. The partners have introduced the Rakuten Optimism Award for the Most Inspiring Player, in which Rakuten selects one message contributed from fans to engrave on the trophy awarded to the player, as well as the Rakuten Optimism Award for the Most Inspiring Team, which is voted only on the dedicated Davis Cup Viber Community. Rakuten TV released “Break Point: A Davis Cup Story” in 2020, a documentary about the oldest and largest international team competition in tennis. The documentary, a Kosmos Studios production, reviews the final phase of the Davis Cup by Rakuten Madrid Finals 2019.
Rakuten, Kosmos Tennis and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced that the top men's tennis team competition would be renamed the Davis Cup by Rakuten in June 2019. Rakuten is recognized worldwide for its association with sporting greats such as FC Barcelona, the Golden State Warriors and the NBA, as well as for its ownership of the Japanese J.League professional soccer team Vissel Kobe and professional baseball team Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. The company has also been the title sponsor of the ATP Rakuten Japan Open since 2009 and contributes to sport around the world as part of its mission to empower individuals and communities.
Tickets on sale now
Tickets for the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals, to be held from 25 November to 5 December, are now on sale at www.daviscupfinals.com.
The 2021 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals will be played in a multi-venue format. The Austrian city of Innsbruck and Turin in Italy will host the competition alongside Madrid, which remains the main venue. Each of the cities will host the group stage of two groups as well as a quarter-final, with Madrid hosting two quarter-finals. The Spanish capital will also host the semi-finals and the final.
About the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals 2021
Founded in 1900, Davis Cup by Rakuten has grown to become the largest annual world championship in sport, with 142 nations entered in 2021. The new Finals format, which sees the top 18 nations compete to be crowned Davis Cup champions, was introduced in 2019 with Spain winning the title in Madrid. The 2021 Finals - held from 25 November until 5 December - will see the 2019 semi-finalists and two wild card nations joined by the 12 winning teams from the 2020 Qualifiers. Madrid will be the host city for the group stage, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of this year edition, while Innsbruck (Austria) and Turin (Italy) will be host cities for the group stage and the quarter-finals. The Finals have been held since 2019 with the support of the Greater Madrid and Madrid City Council.
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/update/2021/1109_01.html
NOVEMBER 04, 2021
•§First of its kind in Italy, single-point-of-access subscription allows Italians to synchronize bookmarks across Kobo eReader or Kobo App devices
•§Kobo Plus, the all-you-can-enjoy subscription service, offers hundreds of thousands of titles from Italian and international authors
•§With new Kobo Audiobook titles, booklovers can read or be read to on the Kobo App or latest eReader devices with Bluetooth® wireless technology
ITALY – November 4, 2021 — Global digital eReading leader Rakuten Kobo announced today the Italian launch of Kobo Plus, the all-you-can-read subscription giving booklovers unlimited access to hundreds of thousands of eBook and Kobo Audiobook titles for as little as €9,99 per month, in partnership with Mondadori Store.
Since launching their partnership in 2012, Rakuten Kobo and Mondadori Store have worked together to provide Italy’s best digital reading experience. Kobo Plus marks the first service in Italy to provide a combined reading and listening subscription offering at an affordable price and single point of access. Italian booklovers now have the opportunity to read or listen to their favourite stories within a single subscription on their Kobo eReader or through the Kobo App, all without having to worry about losing their place thanks to Kobo’s synchronized reading experience that keeps all eBooks and audiobooks seamlessly synced across all of a reader’s devices.
“Italy was the first country that taught us how to embrace digital reading to make reading lives better during the difficult times of the lockdown, and we have seen significant growth in digital reading as a result. It’s why we are so proud to be launching Kobo Plus here – it is our way of expanding on our commitment to Italy by making a great reading experience even better. The all-you-can-enjoy subscription allows Italian booklovers to explore new titles and genres risk-free, while also introducing them to Kobo Audiobooks and Kobo Originals selected and curated by skilled and committed book experts,” said Michael Tamblyn, CEO, Rakuten Kobo.
Tamblyn continued: “Our mission has always been to make the reading experience better and more accessible to everyone. By working with equally committed partners, like Mondadori Store, we can continue to connect more authors to more Italian readers.”
Kobo Plus is available in three subscription plans: Kobo Plus eBook for €9,99 per month; Kobo Plus Audio for €9,99 per month; or Kobo Plus eBook & Audio for €12,99 per month. All subscribers will receive a free 30-day trial, where booklovers can access the full Kobo Plus catalogue and switch between the three subscription plans to determine which is best for their needs.
"As the first network of bookshops in Italy, our task is to intercept the new interests of readers, offering them also the possibility to access the most advanced forms of digital reading. We have done this with Kobo since its arrival on the Italian market, through our e-commerce site and our network of bookshops. Since then, we have witnessed a transformation in the way content is used and in purchasing habits. Today we are delighted to renew this profitable partnership, which over the years has enabled us to reach an increasing number of readers and which today also extends to audiobooks, a segment that is recording very interesting growth rates," declared Carmine Perna, managing director of Mondadori Retail.
To build the Kobo Plus catalogue, Rakuten Kobo worked with the country’s biggest publishers—including Montessori, Garzanti, Longanesi, Feltrinelli, and many others—along with the best Italian independent publishers, like Sur. The catalogue also features Kobo Originals, like Silvia Volpi’s Il silenzio dell'erba, and eBooks published through Kobo Writing Life—stories from Rakuten Kobo’s own publishing platform that allows authors to self-publish—as part of the subscription service.
The new Kobo Plus collection features a breadth of stories including literary classics and popular genre page-turners such as Ilaria Tuti’s Fiori sopra l’inferno; Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge novels, including as Pillars of the Earth; Non è la fine del mondo by Alessia Gazzola; and La guerra dei Courtney by Wilbur Smith, among many more. Other authors featured within the catalogue include Fabio Volo, Cristiana Capotondi, Melania Mazzucco, Gianrico Carofiglio and Alice Basso, while great actors like Anna Bonaiuto and Fabrizio Gifuni bring stories to life as narrators of Kobo Audiobooks.
In addition to hundreds of thousands of eBooks, Kobo Plus also offers a wide selection of Kobo Audiobooks, depending on your monthly subscription service. While Kobo Plus eBooks can be enjoyed with any eReader device, Kobo Audiobooks can be listened to on any smartphone or can be paired with the new Libra 2 or Sage eReader devices, which both feature Bluetooth® technology, allowing booklovers to read or listen to their favourite story.
Italian readers will be able to discover the features of the new devices and the Kobo Plus service in participating Mondadori Stores throughout Italy, ambassadors of culture and reading in all its forms. At the same time, Mondadoristore.it is also expanding its offer, which from today includes a new section dedicated to audiobooks with over 4,000 Italian titles, from new stories to the great literary classics. At the time of purchase, users will be redirected to Kobo.com and with just a few clicks can start listening to a new story directly on their PC, tablet or smartphone device, through the Kobo app.
Readers can also sign up for their subscription and free trial directly through kobo.com, the Kobo Android app or on a Kobo eReader. Kobo Plus launches in Italy November 4, 2021.
About Rakuten Kobo Inc.
Rakuten Kobo Inc. is the world’s digital bookseller created by and for book lovers. Owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten Group, Inc. and headquartered in Toronto, Rakuten Kobo’s 58 million worldwide users can read any time, anywhere, and on any device. With a mission to make reading lives better for all, Rakuten Kobo connects readers to stories using thoughtful and personalized curation of eBooks and audiobooks, and the best dedicated eReaders and apps for reading. With the singular focus of making reading lives the best they can be, Kobo’s open platform allows people to fit reading into more moments in their busy lives.
About Mondadori Store
Mondadori Store is the largest network of bookstores in Italy, active throughout the country with over 500 stores and online with the e-commerce site Mondadoristore.it. It supports readers and users through a cultural offer that, in addition to books, the heart of the offer, includes entertainment experiences, events and multi-channel services, reaching over 20 million customers every year.
https://www.kobo.com/news/...ooks-in-partnership-with-mondadori-store
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Third Quarter 2021
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Earnings release, presentation material and supplement
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