Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket
November 15, 2024
Rakuten Group announced that Rakuten Card and Mizuho Financial Group have entered into a strategic capital and business alliance. Additionally, an agreement was signed between Rakuten Group, Rakuten Card, Mizuho Financial Group, Mizuho Bank, UC Card and Orient Corporation to form a business alliance. These agreements bring together the strengths of each of the companies to create new, innovative retail business models. Following the announcement, Rakuten Group Chairman Mickey Mikitani, Mizuho Financial Group President and CEO Masahiro Kihara, and Rakuten Card Representative Executive Vice President Koichi Nakamura took to the stage to explain the alliance and launch of the "Mizuho Rakuten Card".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjEkELyIc0U
NOVEMBER 18, 2024
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/innovation/rnn/2024/2410_018/
Rakuten Mobile's irreversible cost structure advantage
Rich data from both online and offline
Rakuten Ecosystem is one of the largest membership platform in Japan and Globally
Strong Rakuten Brand
Englishnization: Access to wealth of global talent
Overseas Growth
Latest IR Materials Third Quarter 2024
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/investors/
Mariia Martyrosian
Global PR & Marketing Innovations Director at Rakuten Viber
November 13, 2024
Rakuten Viber, a pioneer in secure global messaging solutions and a leading super app in Europe, today launches new security solutions to further protect communication on the platform. Now businesses can authenticate users to enhance trust and reduce fraud.
Verification messages provide a secure and seamless way to authenticate clients through one-time passwords (OTPs). Businesses can use ready-made templates, which are designed to increase conversions, to send OTPs easily and save time. Rakuten Viber offers lower costs than SMS and allows businesses to set a time limit for delivery. The messages are encrypted, and the sender is marked with a blue tick to indicate a verified business, adding an extra layer of trust. When users receive a Viber verification message, they can quickly copy the PIN code using a ‘copy’ button in the chat. Push notifications also feature a 'copy' button, allowing users to copy codes without even opening the chat.
SecurePlus messages add an extra layer of security by checking the recipient’s number to confirm it’s not flagged for potential fraudulent activity. Private and sensitive information, such as transaction details and bank statements, is only delivered once Rakuten Viber has verified the recipient in real-time. Originally developed for Eurobank, one of Europe’s leading banks, this solution is now available globally to meet the growing demand for advanced security from companies handling sensitive customer information.
New solutions help businesses increase trust and meet rising consumer expectations, as 60% of online customers now prioritize security and transparency in communications with businesses. This is especially important for companies in the finance, insurance, and pharmaceutical industries, handling sensitive customer information. In addition, Viber verification messages support a fast, frictionless authentication process, and data shows that this smooth experience can boost conversions by up to 54% for new customers.
These updates are complemented by Rakuten Viber’s recent SOC 2 Type II certification, a rigorous security audit that validates the app’s robust data protection measures. As one of the top three messaging and calling apps rated for security by Stiftung Warentest, Rakuten Viber provides encryption in transit for communication between businesses and users, while maintaining end-to-end encryption for private and group chats as well as private calls. Rakuten Viber’s enhanced security means that private messages are never stored on the super app's servers and that all connections remain HTTPS-secure.
Sokratis Kalamatianos, responsible for Digital Solutions at Eurobank comments, “As a bank, security is paramount to us. Collaborating with Rakuten Viber to develop a product for enhancing the protection of sensitive information was truly rewarding for Eurobank. Our journey through this process was seamless, driven by our shared commitment to security. The fact that this solution is being rolled out further is a testament to our innovative collaboration.”
"Security is a part of Rakuten Viber's DNA," said Cristina Constandache, Chief Revenue Officer at Rakuten Viber. "Our new solutions reinforce our commitment to safeguarding every brand-user interaction while solidifying our role as a secure super app. Our mission is to create a platform where everyone can engage seamlessly, with confidence in the privacy and integrity of their communications.”
The new security solutions are available to businesses worldwide on demand.
https://www.forbusiness.viber.com/en/blog/post/...ons-for-businesses/
18. November 2024
Die erste Phase der US-Aktientiefeninformation völlig kostenlos!
Kostenlose Informationen für alle Kunden
https://www.rakuten-sec.co.jp/web/company/...se/pdf/press20241118.pdf
Rakuten Symphony President outlines 2025 vision for next wave of disruptive global telecom innovation
By James Dartnell
Corporate Communications Director - Europe, Middle East and Africa Rakuten Symphony
November 12, 2024
Rakuten Symphony President Sharad Sriwastawa has laid out his strategic plan for the coming year as well as highlighting how the organization has progressed in its efforts to “mature” following a high velocity start to life on the global telecom stage.
In a conversation with EMEA comms director James Dartnell on employee-facing series Inside Track, Sriwastawa outlined his 2025 vision for Rakuten Symphony and discussed the strategic changes he has implemented since taking on the role – alongside his duties as Rakuten Mobile co-CEO - in 2023.
Sriwastawa outlined numerous areas in which he believes Rakuten Symphony holds competitive advantages, including its OSS portfolio, a wide variety of AI use-cases and access to the wider Rakuten ecosystem and associated partnership opportunities. The Inside Track session came as Rakuten Mobile announced that it had reached the 8 million subscriber milestone in Japan.
“When I took on the role, Rakuten Symphony had great vision and had already built great products,” Sriwastawa said. “It was similar to the 2019-2020 period with Rakuten Mobile - we built this new network with great technology, but the important thing became how we stabilized things after launching. We had to enhance our operational maturity.”
Having overseen this maturation phase, Rakuten Symphony is now looking to how it can create its next wave of disruptive telecom innovation, Sriwastawa said. “Over the last year we’ve focused on enhancing our operations, governance structure, products and software maturity,” he said. “In 2023 and 2024, we executed our plan of making things more reliable – next year I think we need to prioritise our innovation. Either we do it ourselves or we buy certain startups. Maybe in 2025 we will think about a few smaller additions.”
Sriwastawa went on to outline the main areas of focus and strategic change he has led since taking over as Rakuten Symphony President. “Delivering for our biggest customers has obviously been paramount - Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony go hand in hand and Rakuten Mobile’s success is Rakuten Symphony success. Anything that we implement in Rakuten Mobile can be used by Rakuten Symphony and vice versa. It allows us to show to the industry what we can accomplish - how we can increase rollout speed, automation levels, operational efficiency and how can we enhance synergy with the broader Rakuten Group ecosystem.
“In Germany, we need to successfully complete 1&1’s mobile network migration. Both those projects are critical to Rakuten Symphony’s success. Then it’s about BU-specific sales: instead of focusing on end-to-end deals, we started focusing on very specific product development. We’ve also been exploring how we can use our partners to sell products and enhance our go-to-market strategy.”
Sriwastawa was bullish on Rakuten Symphony’s opportunities associated with being part of the Rakuten Group ecosystem which spans e-commerce, Fintech, digital content and more than 70 other internet services businesses. “No other company has our kind of dataset and expertise - how can we monetize this ecosystem given our experience in running a mobile operator? Rakuten has been the only successful OTT player who has gone into connectivity, whereas all the legacy operators have typically been trying to go the other way. That gives us a unique advantage. Any new mobile subscriber that joins the Rakuten ecosystem ends up using multiple services, and that increase in GMS across the Rakuten ecosystem is significant. Part of our 2025 strategy is how we can package our ecosystem or Group products and white label or sell them to other operators globally. The major equipment and software providers don’t have this - that could be huge. That puts Rakuten Symphony in a very unique position.”
The conversation moved on to the ways that mobile network operators can accelerate their network transformation, and how Rakuten Symphony can support that journey. “Tier one operators are yet to see ROI from 5G,” Sriwastawa said. “Their focus is to reduce cost or monetize their network. Rakuten Symphony can do both – that’s a huge advantage for us. If operators want to go to the next generation, their only option is an OSS transformation. The next big thing in every industry is going to be AI. From AI-powered operational efficiency gains to reducing power consumption, Rakuten Symphony’s capabilities are tailored to meet the needs of operators that have faced challenges in getting ROI from 5G. We need to embark on this and use it efficiently and as fast as possible. It's about the entire mobile ecosystem and how networks can be monetized.”
Looking ahead, Rakuten Symphony is increasing its development of AI-driven solutions. By consolidating data into a unified platform, operators can leverage Rakuten’s advanced AI to enhance customer experiences and optimize network and business operations, Sriwastawa said. “Operators have to centralize their data for AI to be effective. We already do churn prediction and prevention using AI - how we are deploying sites, how we are using AI for operational efficiency or reducing power consumption. It's not just about the network, but all these algorithms which are done on top of it. Legacy operators don't have a data lake, which Rakuten Symphony does have. Their data is bifurcated. That opens the door for Symphony to sell a Data Lake as a solution.”
Global analytics firm Opensignal’s October 2024 Japan Mobile Experience Report confirmed that Rakuten Mobile users now experience the fastest 5G speeds in the country – the network won the 5G Download Speed award outright with a score of 176.5Mbps, and also defended the 5G Upload Speed award with a score of 27Mbps. While Rakuten Mobile remains the sole winner of Upload Speed Experience, the network’s target is to be “number one” in all the KPIs,” Sriwastawa said. “We’re also yet to start working on 6G. Towards Q4 2025 we'll start working on that.”
Open RAN software licensing will play a key role in Rakuten Symphony’s “mid-term” strategy. “Rakuten aims to support diverse chipsets and technologies, both of which will enhance Open RAN’s potential. We want to be a leader in that space.”
Rakuten Symphony will also look to extend its reach beyond telecom and will look to work more broadly with enterprises across industries. “With cloud, we are focusing both on telco and enterprise,” Sriwastawa said. “We are seeing good traction in both domains. Our OSS is a good fit for any industry that is distributed – our tools, including those for inventory and site management, have applications beyond telecom, opening doors for enterprise collaboration. These are industry-agnostic and can be used by anything which is distributed in nature and needs a centralized operation.”
Sriwastawa rounded off the conversation by answering various audience questions, including those around his ability to successfully manage top positions both at Japan’s newest mobile network operator and one of the world’s leading tech companies in the telecom industry. “I need to wear two hats,” Sriwastawa said. “I have known the Symphony team for six years, mainly through the lens of a vendor-customer relationship. The challenges of running a mobile network compared to a software company are quite different. With a mobile network, we need to maintain our performance every day or we risk losing customers. At Rakuten Symphony, the challenge is different. We have to work towards delivering complex software that helps our customers to solve operational problems and provide great experiences – that takes time.
“There is huge potential for Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony. We are at the forefront of a technology revolution that is actually reshaping the entire telecom industry, - not just in Japan, but globally. Our company mission is to disrupt the industry and democratize connectivity. I have huge confidence in our team to make that vision a reality.
“Our future is bright and our potential is limitless. now we are much more structured and focused. We know what we want to achieve.”
https://symphony.rakuten.com/blog/...uptive-global-telecom-innovation
November 12, 2024
Rakuten Symphony President Sharad Sriwastawa recently laid out his strategic plan for the coming year as well as highlighting how the organization has progressed in its efforts to “mature” following a high velocity start to life on the global telecom stage. In a discussion on employee-facing series Inside Track, Sriwastawa discussed the strategic changes he has implemented since taking on the role in 2023. Sriwastawa outlined numerous areas in which he believes Rakuten Symphony holds competitive advantages, including its OSS portfolio, a wide variety of AI use-cases and access to the wider the Rakuten ecosystem and associated partnership opportunities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igAH3u3WWAI
It allows creators to add affiliate product links from Amazon, Walmart, Target, LTK, Rakuten, Impact, CJ, Expedia, Clickbank, Flexlink, and Temu.
https://www.threads.net/@lindseygamble_/post/...third-party-affiliate
Meanwhile, the rebate platforms point to their own solid growth as proof that consumers are finding them a useful savings tool.
Since its founding in 1999, Rakuten says it has grown to 17 million members — membership is free — and has awarded $4.6 billion in rebates. Like other rebate platforms, Rakuten says it earns its money through affiliate partnerships — meaning retailers pay Rakuten a commission for bringing shoppers to their sites.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/...ther-retailers-price-195100329.html
November 20, 2024
Rakuten TV Europe has launched a new B2B business line, Rakuten TV Enterprise Services, which offers a high quality and cost-effective solution for content owners and distributors to easily launch and monetize their FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) channels and video-centric apps. The launch was announced at MIPCOM CANNES, one of the world's biggest entertainment content markets, by Rakuten TV's CEO and President Cedric Dufour during the "Global Streamers Talks" session.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7vQ2kbPbuc
Source: Own transcript from Earnings Call
The yearly improvement of Non-GAAP operating income was JPY53.4 billion, that are about JPY13.5 billion quarterly. The quarterly Non-GAAP operating income was JPY12.3 billion in Q3/24 and will be after a quarterly increase of JPY13.5 billion about JPY 25.8 billion in Q4/24.
If the increases of JPY 13.5 billion in a quarter will continue in 2025, the results will be:
Q1/25: JPY 39.3 billion Non-GAAP operating income
Q2/25: JPY 52.8 billion Non-GAAP operating income
Q3/25: JPY 66.3 billion Non-GAAP operating income
Q4/25: JPY 79.8 billion Non-GAAP operating income
If you now add the four quarterly Non-GAAP operating incomes, the result will be JPY 238.2 billion Non-GAAP operating income in 2025 = $ 1.54 billion.
Earning per share will be $ 1.54 billion divided through 2.15 billion outstanding shares of Rakuten = $ 0.72/share.
And that are by a P/E of 20 a share-price of $ 14.4/share.
- Rakuten is the first company in Japan to deploy Ampere-based platforms at scale; trials demonstrate 36% reduction in energy consumption
Tokyo, November 21, 2024 – Rakuten Group, Inc. today announced that it will expand its collaboration with Ampere Computing LLC to reduce power consumption for efficient AI compute. Rakuten will be the first company in Japan to deploy Ampere-based platforms at scale.
Since 2023, Rakuten and Ampere have carried out trials in Rakuten data centers using Ampere hardware. These trials resulted in a 36% energy saving per rack and an 11% reduction in space required per rack for Rakuten Cloud’s internal cloud container-based services.
As a global technology company offering services to 1.8 billion members worldwide, Rakuten is carrying out various initiatives aimed at realizing a sustainable society. In December 2019, Rakuten Group, Inc. joined the international RE100 initiative, and in 2024 announced that it had achieved its goal of achieving carbon neutrality, or net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, in its Group-wide business operations in 2023. For Rakuten, data centers make up a large portion of the company’s total electricity consumption. With demand for servers growing due to the increasing use of AI, energy-efficient data centers will become even more crucial for companies’ sustainability efforts. In 2025, Rakuten plans to scale out its use of Ampere-based platforms in its infrastructure to further improve energy efficiency in its data centers.
Hironori Yoshida, Executive Officer and Vice Director of the Cloud Platform Supervisory Department at Rakuten Group commented, “As demand for compute increases with the adoption of AI, cloud operators need to look into platforms and solutions to realize more sustainable compute. We have been very encouraged by the results of our trials with Ampere and look forward to continuing our collaboration to realize energy-efficient, sustainable data centers.”
Sean Varley, Chief Evangelist, VP of Business Development at Ampere, commented, “Rakuten and Ampere are collaborating to deliver scale-out services for internal workloads to reduce power usage and increase performance. As AI becomes a volume application, we will look into delivering compelling, cost-effective solutions together.”
With its mission to contribute to society by creating value through innovation and entrepreneurship, Rakuten will continue to work together with its customers, partners, communities, employees and all its stakeholders to realize a sustainable society.
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2024/1121_01.html
By Rahul Atri
President, OSS Business Unit Rakuten Symphony
November 14, 2024
It’s official: Rakuten Symphony has officially been recognized as India’s Biggest Telecom Technology Exporter as well as the winner of Best ‘Made In India’ Telecom Innovation of the Year. I was delighted to accept these awards on behalf of the company at India Mobile Congress 2024, the country’s largest tech event.
Rakuten Symphony India has more than 3,000 incredibly innovative and hardworking employees based in the country. It is no understatement to say that our work is a cornerstone of Rakuten Symphony’s global operation and vital to the success of our global customers, in markets including Japan, USA, Germany, UK and many more.
Our global customers rely on these products – underpinned by more than 300 patents - including Rakuten Mobile, Japan’s newest telecom network with over 8 million subscribers, and 1&1, owner of Germany’s most modern mobile network and Europe’s first commercial-scale Open Radio Access Network.
Here are some of the reasons why Rakuten Symphony has been recognized as one of India’s most innovative companies in telecom.
From local to global
From the beginning, Rakuten Symphony always invested heavily in its Indian operation. We are most likely the first Japanese company who has acquired a company out of Indore and then used that as a core part of its operation to create and evolve products that can transform telecom. Every year, we continue to invest millions of dollars in our Indian portfolio.
Rakuten Symphony is proud to be one of the supporting technology companies for the Indian government’s 'Make in India' initiatives, advancing Telecom and AI research and harnessing India’s rich talent pool. Through our operations in Bengaluru, Pune and Indore, we’re pioneering best-in-class innovation and solutions for the global telecom and technology industries.
Rakuten Symphony has been strongly committed to the broader Indian growth story. In the coming years, along with our robust partner ecosystem, the company envisions closer collaboration with national telecom operators, enterprises, and governments to co-create, innovate, and deliver value for mobile users.
World-class innovation in Bengaluru
With more than 3,000 experts across the country, Rakuten Symphony’s India Global Innovation Lab in Bengaluru serves as a powerhouse for driving the company’s telecom and AI research efforts. The Global Innovation Lab is equipped with end-to-end automation solutions and cutting-edge technologies. Some of the offerings of the lab include end-to-end 5G and 4G automation, next-gen distributed unit automation, auto-healing and auto-commissioning, IoT (Interoperability Testing) with third-party vendors, meshing AI and telecom, edge use cases, and ready-to-use frameworks for effortless deployment and adoption of those solutions.
Indore Employer of Choice
Since launching in Bengaluru, Rakuten Symphony India has expanded its operations across India, and its commitment to advance innovation and strengthen its global operations, becoming a leading employer of choice in Indore, Madhya Pradesh state. This was acknowledged recently at the NASSCOM roundtable on Investment Opportunities event hosted in Indore and attended by state Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav and other key political and industry leaders.
We’re also committed to empowering female leaders within our Indian operation. Recently, as part of Rakuten's efforts to grow our own culture and values, we launched the SHE-E-Os initiative to integrate women leader’s talent and perspectives – one that aims to empower female leaders of tomorrow. Through our monthly meetings, we empower SHE-E-Os to share their stories and insights, boosting confidence and driving change. This initiative enhances diversity and innovation, benefiting both individuals and the organization.
https://symphony.rakuten.com/blog/...ovation%2520of%2520the%2520Year.
By Ray Le Maistre
Nov 19, 2024
https://www.telecomtv.com/content/green-network/...iency-gains-51804/
Bridgewise, the financial investment intelligence platform for global securities, announced today a strategic partnership with Rakuten Securities Inc. (‘Rakuten Securities”) to launch its AI-powered financial investment analysis solutions for its customers.
21 November 2024
From spring 2025, this partnership will include the provision of Bridgewise’s AI-powered investment intelligence services to over 11 million Rakuten Securities customers, with further innovative features set to be rolled out later in the year.
Since its latest $21-million funding, backed by global investors such as SIX Group, Group 11, L4 Venture Builder and other global financial institutions, Bridgewise has been rapidly developing its product offerings and market expansions, with Asia Pacific as a key growth region.
https://www.finextra.com/pressarticle/103289/...vestment-analysis-kit
During our Digital Unwrapped week, Sasha Twining interviewed Peter Jarich, Head of GSMA Intelligence on how open 5G can go.
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/...t-overview-with-gsma-intelligence/
During our Digital Unwrapped week, Sasha Twining interviewed Geoff Hollingworth, CMO, Rakuten Symphony on how open 5G can go.
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/...o-interview-with-rakuten-symphony/
November 20, 2024
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/rakuten/...shift-as-key-for-open-ran/
1&1 O-RAN belegt im Betrieb erneut technische Leistungsfähigkeit
Über 80 Unternehmen am Ausbau des ersten Open RAN in Europa beteiligt
Open RAN ist eine innovative Netzwerkarchitektur, die auf offenen Standards und Interoperabilität basiert. Im Gegensatz zu herkömmlichen Mobilfunknetzen, die oft von einem einzigen Anbieter abhängig sind, ermöglicht Open RAN die Integration von Komponenten verschiedener Hersteller in einem Netz. Dieser Ansatz schafft Flexibilität und fördert den Wettbewerb. Es überrascht daher nicht, dass immer mehr Netzbetreiber auf die Open-RAN-Technologie setzen und dem Weg von 1&1 folgen wollen. Auf dem Mobile World Congress informieren entsprechend viele Aussteller an ihren Ständen über Open-RAN-Aktivitäten – auch die Deutsche Telekom und O2 kündigten erste Projekte an. Immer mehr Unternehmen folgen damit dem Weg von 1&1, Rakuten (Japan) und Dish (USA), die als Pioniere die Modernisierung des Telekommunikationssektors durch die Verwendung der Open-RAN-Technologie vorantreiben.
Dynamisches Ökosystem mit vielzähligen Handlungsoptionen
1&1 hat die Vorteile der Herstellerunabhängigkeit frühzeitig erkannt und setzt beim Aufbau des vierten deutschen Mobilfunknetzes bewusst auf die Open-RAN-Technologie. Statt wie früher üblich einen Generalunternehmer mit dem Aufbau eines Netzes zu beauftragen, wirken über 80 Unternehmen am Ausbau des 1&1 Mobilfunknetzes mit.
Das Besondere an der neuartigen Open-RAN-Technologie: Durch die Verwendung von Standardrechnern und standardisierten Schnittstellen können Software- und Hardware-Komponenten der innovativsten und sichersten Anbieter flexibel miteinander kombiniert werden. Das macht moderne Netzbetreiber wie 1&1 unabhängig von einzelnen Ausrüstern.
Durch die Zusammenarbeit mit verschiedenen Partnern profitiert 1&1 von den neuesten Entwicklungen in der Telekommunikationsbranche. Die Herstellerunabhängigkeit fördert den Innovationsgeist und ermöglicht es, die besten verfügbaren Technologien („Best of Breed“) zu nutzen und motiviert Hard- und Software-Anbieter bestmögliche Angebote zu unterbreiten. Die Nutzung von Komponenten verschiedener Hersteller fördert zudem die Interoperabilität, da erfolgreiche Systemintegrationen, wie sie 1&1 im Live-Betrieb seines Mobilfunknetzes täglich belegt, den Wissenstransfer für weitere Entwicklungen ermöglichen. Dies wird in Zukunft zu besseren Integrationsmöglichkeiten neuer Technologien führen.
Herstellerunabhängigkeit ist ein bedeutender Faktor in der Evolution von Telekommunikationsnetzen der Zukunft. 1&1 geht als Pionier in Europa voran und verzichtet dabei auf Hersteller aus China.
https://unternehmen.1und1.de/o-ran-mobilfunknetz/...mmunikationsmarkt
By Ian Carlos Campbell
Published Oct 4, 2024
https://www.pocket-lint.com/new-amazon-kindle-wishlist/
By Mihaela Bidilică
April 11, 2024
Wide publishing offers authors the opportunity to maximize their revenue and visibility by distributing their works across multiple platforms. This strategy not only diversifies income sources but also extends the reach to a global audience, making it a crucial aspect of a successful author's business plan.
Kobo and its digital subscription service, Kobo Plus, are key players when it comes to wide distribution.
As a Rakuten publisher service, Kobo Publishing facilitates an accessible pathway for authors to publish and sell on Kobo, maximizing their visibility in the global market.
https://publishdrive.com/kobo-distribution-and-benefits.html
By Kristian McCann
November 11, 2024
Rakuten Viber has unveiled new security solutions designed to protect communication on its platform, with a particular focus on business interactions.
These measures aim to swiftly authenticate users, thereby enhancing trust and reducing the risk of fraud.
"As 60% of online customers now prioritise security and transparency in communications with businesses, it is imperative to redefine trust,” says Cristina Constandache, Chief Revenue Officer at Rakuten at Viber.
https://cybermagazine.com/articles/...he-surge-in-messaging-app-scams
1 Nutzer wurde vom Verfasser von der Diskussion ausgeschlossen: tradeconto