Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket
Look Out Amazon, Here Comes...Rakuten?
Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten announced on Tuesday it is acquiring Ebates for $1 billion.
The acquisition, which Rakuten hinted at last week, is part of the Japanese company’s push to grow its base beyond its domestic market and hopefully, become a global player. Having made some $1.2 billion acquisitions to date along these lines, this is Rakuten’s most ambitious move to date.
However, investors are dubious that the company can absorb yet another foreign acquisition, much less one the size of Ebates, despite Rakuten’s strong cash position.
Then there is the ever-present Amazon, which dominates the e-commerce market in the U.S. Few believe it will falter in the face of Chinese giant Alibaba, much less a Rakuten-Ebates combo.
Rakuten Goes Forth
Not surprisingly, Rakuten says it is undaunted. For starters, it has assembled a very interesting mix of acquisitions. There is messaging app Viber, which it purchased for $900 million in February, the Canadian ebook offering Kobo, Spanish video service Wuaki.tv, Viki, a digital content platform and Buy.com.
Now it has picked up Ebates.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikamorphy/2014/09/...ere-comes-rakuten/
https://www.angelone.in/news/...ckid=3eb545a8a0016c4e121753bfa1d36d44
9 hours ago
Rakuten is using Anthropic’s AI coding agent, Claude Code, to transform software development, enabling their engineering teams to automate coding tasks that accelerate time to market while reliably powering AI features for millions of customers.
Key results with Claude Code
Achieved 7 hours of sustained autonomous coding on a complex open-source refactoring project
Reduced time to market for new features by 79% (from 24 days to 5 days)
Delivered 99.9% accuracy on complex code modifications
Empowering every team to innovate at speed
With over 70 businesses spanning e-commerce, travel, fintech, digital content and communications, Rakuten is using AI to better serve their customers, business partners and employees. “We want to give all our teams the power to innovate quickly and drive greater impact for customers faster,” said Yusuke Kaji, General Manager of AI for Business at Rakuten. “It’s about multiplying what each team can achieve, not just automating existing tasks.”
The scale of Rakuten’s ambition presented unique challenges. With thousands of developers serving millions of customers, they needed AI to accelerate time to market while maintaining enterprise-grade quality and security standards. “Speed and ROI are our key metrics,” Kaji explained. “We measure success by how quickly we can deliver value to customers, not just how fast AI can write code.”
Rakuten is weaving AI throughout its entire business operations as part of its “AI-nization” strategy. This includes building AI agents and large language models from the ground up, giving the company a unique understanding of the technology’s potential. That foundational approach, coupled with a commitment to providing Rakuten employees with the best tools available, inspired the team to push the boundaries of AI-assisted software development.
Selecting Claude Code for enterprise-scale development
Rakuten’s evaluation of existing AI coding tools revealed a consistent problem: most required constant human guidance and couldn’t navigate complex, multi-language codebases. Claude Code solved both issues, delivering genuine autonomous development at enterprise scale.
This autonomy has started to multiply engineering capacity across Rakuten. “You can have five tasks running in parallel by delegating four to Claude Code while focusing on the remaining one,” Kaji explained.
An inflection point came when Kenta Naruse, Machine Learning Engineer, tested Claude Code’s capabilities by giving it a complex technical task: implement a specific activation vector extraction method in vLLM, a massive open-source library with 12.5 million lines of code in multiple programming languages. Claude Code finished the entire job in seven hours of autonomous work in a single run. “I didn’t write any code during those seven hours,” Naruse recalled. “I just provided occasional guidance.” The implementation achieved 99.9% numerical accuracy compared to the reference method, reinforcing that Claude Code could handle Rakuten’s advanced engineering challenges.
This breakthrough, combined with Anthropic’s commitment to responsible AI that aligned with Rakuten’s values, convinced leadership that Claude Code could transform their development process.
Transforming development workflows across the organization
Instead of retrofitting existing processes with AI, Rakuten redesigned their development workflows around Claude Code’s capabilities.
Engineers use Claude Code throughout the development lifecycle: writing unit tests, mocking APIs, building components, fixing bugs and generating documentation. New team members leverage Claude to understand complex codebases and architectural decisions, dramatically accelerating their ability to contribute meaningfully to projects.
This accelerated development directly benefits Rakuten’s organization and customers alike. Teams ship features in days instead of weeks with augmented workflows:
AI-powered code review: Provides instant feedback on pull requests, improving code quality and development speed
Parallel development: Runs multiple Claude Code sessions simultaneously to eliminate bottlenecks and accelerate feature delivery
The transformation extends to how individual developers work. Diego Mateos, Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Rakuten, discovered Claude Code changed his approach to coding, saying “I wasn’t naturally using test-driven development before, but Claude Code makes it so easy. It generates comprehensive tests instantly, then builds features that pass them. It’s completely changed how I develop and made me a much more efficient engineer.”
Achieving measurable business impact
The results have been impactful for both Rakuten’s business and their employees. Engineering teams saw their average time to market for new features drop from 24 working days to 5 days—a 79% reduction that changed how Rakuten delivers innovation. “Our time to market has been significantly brought down because Claude Code gives us those super powers to make executions much, much faster,” said Manoj Desai, Manager at Rakuten’s AI Empowerment Section. The seven-hour autonomous coding session became a turning point for Rakuten. “After the announcement, teams from across the company were asking about it,” Naruse shared. “When I explained that Claude Code did it with minimal human input, people were stunned. They realized this could transform how we build software.”
Beyond speed, Claude Code has democratized development capabilities across Rakuten. “We asked non-engineers to use Claude Code as well,” said Kaji. “Thanks to the terminal interface, colleagues from non-technical roles can contribute to coding projects without directly editing code. With appropriate context and coding guidelines, Claude Code acts as a safety guardrail.” This expansion of contributors to technical projects has accelerated innovation velocity, one of Rakuten’s key metrics alongside test coverage and “AI-nization ratio.”
The success has inspired even more ambitious projects. Naruse is now building an “ambient agent” that breaks complex tasks into 24 parallel Claude Code sessions, each handling different aspects of updating Rakuten’s massive monorepo. This project would typically take over a month to complete manually.
Rakuten and Anthropic: Building the future of AI-powered development
Following successful pilot implementations, Rakuten’s leadership is committed to scaling Claude Code access across their massive developer organization. The company is expanding Claude Code’s capabilities from handling quick tasks to managing complex, multi-hour workflows that will become routine parts of development.
“Claude Code is not just a tool—it’s part of our AI journey,” said Desai. This journey, built on shared values between Rakuten and Anthropic around developing helpful, honest and harmless AI, aims to responsibly transform how software is created and delivered to customers.
Rakuten’s AI-nization offers a blueprint for enterprise transformation. By giving thousands of employees access to AI that can code autonomously and significantly augment engineers’ capabilities, Rakuten is creating an organization where technical barriers no longer limit innovation. Complex technical challenges become manageable, non-engineers can contribute to development and customer features ship in days instead of months.
https://rakuten.today/blog/...elopment-with-claude-code%ef%bf%bc.html
1 day ago
Late last year, Rakuten Securities launched a brand-new asset-building app designed with first-time investors in mind: iGrow. Developed by a team of young Rakuten Securities employees, the app aims to cut through the noise and strip away the complexity of investing for a smoother, more intuitive way to manage long-term financial goals.
iGrow represents a major move in Rakuten Securities’ push to empower the next generation of investors – especially those in their 20s and 30s, who are driving much of the platform’s growth.
Making finance friendly
Rakuten Securities users have long relied on the platform’s iSPEED app to manage their portfolios. In fact, iSPEED was one of the Rakuten Group’s very first apps, launching on the Apple Store as early as 2008. iGrow, however, is shooting for a different experience, tailored specifically to newer investors.
While iSPEED is packed with functionality for seasoned traders, the sheer depth and volume of options can be intimidating for beginners. iGrow seeks to address this by trimming down the experience to just what new investors actually need, with a streamlined, user-friendly interface that doesn’t sacrifice any key functionality.
The app allows users to check on their Rakuten Securities assets, trade in investment trusts, and manage their iDeCo and NISA accounts – all in one place. It also connects to Rakuten Bank, letting users view deposit balances, and even their Rakuten Points. Regular investments can be tracked with push notifications and a simple calendar feature.
Another standout feature of the app is its robo-advisor savings diagnosis tool, which provides a snapshot of a user’s portfolio health, breaking down the data into simple visuals for actionable insights.
Young Rakutenians welcome new investors
In recent years, Rakuten Securities has seen a significant influx of younger users, with investors in their 30s and below making up 54% of all new accounts in 2024. iGrow was built specifically to empower this demographic and support them through the next 30 years of their financial journey.
“Previously, Rakuten Securities lacked an app for users engaged in long-term asset building,” explains Taichi Hatakeyama, who joined Rakuten in 2022 and oversaw iGrow’s asset management interface.
“To ease anxiety about investing and encourage long-term asset building, we believe it is important to provide a user-friendly design that allows for easy portfolio tracking and transactions. In addition, helping users to view their portfolio from different viewpoints can serve as an opportunity to make their next investment decisions.”
“We took on the challenge of developing our first large-scale app by starting from zero and defining the branding, app function and design,” she recounts. “We always considered the customer’s point of view, never confined ourselves to the boundaries of a finance app, and moved the project forward without compromise and with fresh ideas from young team members. Going forward, we will expand product offerings and level up existing functions, evolving to further support customers in their asset-building journey.”
Capitalizing on the success of Toshiru
Since 2017, Rakuten Securities has operated the investor learning hub Toshiru – a portmanteau of the Japanese words for investment and know. The hub has become a trusted source of financial education for beginners and experienced investors alike, thanks to its clear explainers, expert insights, interviews and video tutorials.
Building on that success, the iGrow team integrated a social media-style newsfeed into their app, delivering curated financial news and asset tips from Toshiru and other trusted sources such as Reuters. By making this content easily accessible, the team hopes that iGrow users will have everything they need to start investing with confidence.
Betting on the younger generation
iGrow is Rakuten Securities’ endeavor to reshape what investing looks like for young users in Japan, lowering the barrier to entry with intuitive design, smart features and powerful insights.
By putting the app into the hands of the very demographic it’s built for – both as users and developers – Rakuten Securities is empowering the next generation of investors for long-term success.
https://rakuten.today/blog/...ans-empower-new-investors-in-japan.html
June 26, 2025
Rakuten Mobile said the trial is part of a government initiative aimed at testing AI technologies that enhance public safety while reducing network strain
In sum – what to know:
Rakuten tests edge AI at stadium – Rakuten Mobile, AWL, and Vissel Kobe launched a smart surveillance trial in Kobe using edge AI to reduce network load and enhance stadium safety.
AI-powered data filtering in real time – Cameras detect risks and compress video based on urgency and network traffic, helping reduce mobile data use and support faster security response.
Portable security for diverse venues – The project aims to create easy-to-deploy, mobile AI-based security systems suitable for stadiums, parks, shops, transport hubs and rural areas.
https://www.rcrwireless.com/20250626/carriers/rakuten-mobile-edge-ai
Thu, June 26, 2025
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. ("AST SpaceMobile") (NASDAQ: ASTS) the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, designed for both commercial and government applications, today announced the successful demonstration of the world’s first Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) tactical satellite communications delivering high-throughput data, voice, and video using unmodified mobile devices in collaboration with Fairwinds Technologies (a privately held company).
This milestone demonstration was conducted near AST SpaceMobile’s gateway facility on Oahu, Hawaii, with active participation from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), including representation from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Army, U.S. Space Command, and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E) FutureG team.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/...nologies-demonstrate-113000447.html
- New lucky draw offers Rakuten Monkeys fans a chance to take the field at Rakuten Super Game
Taipei, June 27, 2025 – Rakuten Group, Inc. and Taiwan Rakuten Baseball, Inc. today announced the return of Rakuten Super Game on July 25 at Rakuten Taoyuan Baseball Stadium. Now in its fifth year, the annual event aims to unite professional baseball with Rakuten’s Taiwan Ecosystem in a festive summer atmosphere.
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/update/2025/0627_02.html
June 23, 2025, 16:23 GMT
Growing penetration of the Internet and smartphones, increasing usage of social media and social commerce, advancement of multiple payment modes drive the growth of the global digital commerce market. On the other hand, online frauds and several cyber security issues restrain the growth to some extent.
The global digital commerce market was estimated at $4.21 trillion in 2020 and is anticipated to hit $17.53 trillion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 15.1% from 2021 to 2030. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the top investment pockets, top winning strategies, drivers & opportunities, market size & estimations, competitive scenario, and varying market trends.
The global digital commerce market is analyzed across components, browsing methods, payment modes, business types, industry vertical, and region.
The key market players analyzed in the global digital commerce industry report include Best Buy, Amazon.com, Inc., JD.com, Inc., Otto GmbH & Co, Rakuten, Inc., Walmart, Inc., The Home Depot, Alibaba Group Holding Limited, Shopify, Inc., and eBay, Inc. These market players have adhered to several strategies including partnership, expansion, collaboration, joint ventures, and others to prove their flair in the industry.
https://www.einpresswire.com/article/824838463/...ied-market-research
April 16
Rakuten Kobo's subscription service, "Kobo Plus," is expanding worldwide, and we report from the event to mark its latest launch in Singapore and Malaysia. With millions of eBooks and audiobooks available in multiple languages, Kobo Plus aims to remove price barriers, encouraging readers to explore new authors and genres across multiple devices, including eReaders, apps, and tablets. Watch this video to learn how Kobo Plus is transforming the reading experience for users worldwide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oraSMpCE72g
June 27, 2025
Rakuten Mobile and U-NEXT Co., Ltd. have announced "Rakuten SAIKYO U-NEXT," a new package that allows unlimited data usage for viewing U-NEXT, which is a video streaming platform offering movies, dramas, anime, e-books, and more, boasting the largest number of unlimited streaming titles in Japan. This new package, offered at the very affordable price of 3,880 yen per month (4,268 yen including tax), is scheduled to begin accepting applications in October 2025.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR1ycHYdsyU
Source: FY2025 First Quarter Consolidated Financial Results May 14, 2025
If we divide the last yearly progress of 25.1 billion Yen through 4 = a quarterly progress of 6.3 billion yen. The results in the quarters of 2025 will be by the same progress:
Q1/25 = - 0.3 billion yen
Q1/25 = + 6.0 billion yen
Q1/25 = + 12.3 billion yen
Q1/25 = + 18.6 billion yen
That are together a Non-GAAP Operating Income of 36.6 billion yen ($ 0.25 billion) in 2025.
Q1/26 = + 24.9 billion yen
Q1/26 = + 31.2 billion yen
Q1/25 = + 37.5 billion yen
Q1/25 = + 43.8 billion yen
That are together a Non-GAAP Operating Income of 137.4 billion yen ($ 0.95 billion) in 2026.
A valuation of a P/E of 20 on the base of a Non-GAAP Operating Income $ 0.95 billion = $19 billion.
Source: FY2025 First Quarter Consolidated Financial Results May 14, 2025
Three months ended March 31, 2025: 79,889 millions of Yen
Three months ended March 31, 2024: 52,766 millions of Yen
We believe that EBITDA is a useful indicator for evaluating the cash flow generation ability of the Rakuten Group's business activities.
Source: FY2025 First Quarter Consolidated Financial Results May 14, 2025
In value terms, the U.S. loyalty market has recorded a CAGR of 17.5% during 2020-2024. The loyalty market in the United States will continue to grow over the forecast period and is expected to record a CAGR of 13.2% during 2025-2029. The U.S. loyalty market is expected to increase from US$23.57 billion in 2024 to reach US$44.73 billion by 2029.
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/...based-Loyalty.html
Data privacy is everything in business and customer consent is not optional.
With more than 70 businesses, Rakuten’s access to first-party data across a range of consumer services is a unique differentiator. Our ability to combine this data with insights from mobile data usage is unprecedented.
Japan’s consumer data privacy laws are among the most robust in Asia and are similar to other global standards like the EU’s GDPR, so Rakuten’s boundaries and possibilities for using data are no different from others.
My focus within Rakuten is uncovering new ways to interpret data in an unending quest to increase ARPU, reduce churn and better monetize what we know about how our services are used.
Cell tower analysis to discover domestic travel patterns
If Rakuten can understand popular travel destinations of its users, it can extend offers that deliver value and are more likely to be acted upon.
One of our earliest and most compelling proofs of concept used anonymized mobile network data to analyze domestic travel behavior across Japan. We hypothesized that if we aggregate overnight device to tower connection patterns with respect to geography, we could infer patterns of travel clusters if vectors appeared greater than 75 km (our arbitrary threshold).
We were able to create characterizations of mobile user travel without ever identifying individuals. Over time, we identified clear seasonal patterns. For example, users who reside in southern Japan during the winter months tend to avoid northern destinations like Sapporo or the Tohoku region due to the cold. This insight allowed Rakuten Travel to personalize offers based on likely behavior, showing customers in warmer regions more relevant travel deals that align with known preferences.
Perhaps we identify that a cohort enjoys visiting shrines in the mountains or maybe consistently chooses beach vacations. We can tailor communications to highlight relevant destinations domestically or internationally with these touchpoints to increase engagement while still respecting boundaries.
Real usage intelligence to boost merchant network for mobile payments
Our data programs also inform surgical business decisions.
Rakuten wanted to strategically boost the network of merchants that accepted Rakuten Pay as a method of payment in specific regions where competitive mobile payment usage was heavy.
We studied Rakuten Mobile subscriber usage of Rakuten Pay, creating a visual geographic overlay to easily identify where mobile payment usage thrived but Rakuten Pay usage was relatively low. This map immediately became a field-enablement tool, identifying streets and districts that were ripe for targeting by the Rakuten Pay sales staff. Teams were able to prioritize outreach in neighborhoods where merchant acquisition would have the greatest impact.
This approach reflects how even small shifts in customer behavior can yield valuable business insights and how mobile network operators can create value far beyond connectivity.
Optimizing Rakuten Mobile retail locations with demographic and usage data
As Rakuten Mobile steadily grew its physical retail presence, it had to prioritize investments where stores would have the greatest impact.
We developed a location intelligence model that combines census data, internal group data and behavioral insights to evaluate over 60 attributes per site. This included considering whether a site is located in a residential or commercial district, the average foot traffic during lunch hours, proximity to competitor stores, local parking availability and how deeply Rakuten’s services are already used in the surrounding zip code.
In some cases, we have even tailored shop features based on hyperlocal trends. For instance, placing more seating in stores that serve older customers who enjoy chatting or emphasizing faster service in areas with heavy weekday foot traffic.
Feedback loops from the retail team also influence the model’s refinement. In Tokyo, where parking is scarce, we found that offering modest proximity to available parking had a significant impact on store traffic.
Analyzing the right data allows us to be iterative and responsive to real-world inputs and make better decisions over time.
Prepping for AI-powered data analysis enhancements
All good data science begins with human analysis, experience and business intuition.
AI also requires us to consider structure, consistency and purpose, taking deliberate steps to ensure data is built for scalable intelligence.
A core component of this effort is a tagging system we’ve implemented that assigns behavioral and contextual labels to user populations based on patterns found in mobile usage, service activity, location data and other Rakuten group interactions.
To be clear, we’re not talking about demographics here. Rather, these are functional indicators. Maybe we’ll tag someone who frequently checks in at golf courses or streams sports content as a “golfer.” Someone who consistently books international travel and uses roaming services might be labeled an “international traveler.”
Importantly, we can abstract personal identities and build intelligence around user behavior types, which is critical from both a privacy and AI-readiness perspective. Each tag becomes a data point that feeds future models, enabling smarter segmentation, targeting and personalization. The tagging is dynamic and context-aware, so we can implement a more flexible input layer for reinforcement learning and predictive algorithms.
Everything we do today is laying the groundwork for intelligent automation tomorrow. By centralizing these behavioral indicators in a shared database, we are creating a powerful input stream that will eventually help AI systems power prescriptive actions.
By this time, we’ll be able to amplify what we are proving already works.
Proven in Japan, ready for the world
What we are doing in Japan is unique and visionary. It is also completely replicable by other tier-one telcos, especially those willing to break out of the mindset of cost-cutting and embrace a culture of experimentation. We are seeing mobile data drive 3-4x better outcomes than when compared to other data sources, due to the high quality and real-time nature.
Yes, Rakuten benefits from an ecosystem of 70+ consumer businesses that can both leverage our insights and feed our findings.
But in actuality, any operator can establish similar value by striking strategic partnerships and asking smarter questions of the data they already have.
With the right differential privacy practices, strict internal controls and a privacy-first mindset in place, competitive intelligence, personalized experience and insight monetization are all possible.
Truthfully, the differentiator isn’t the data itself but the willingness to think differently and act on new ideas. It’s about fostering a company culture where data privacy is respected without compromise and data is viewed as a resource that can responsibly drive innovation.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/...uten-mobile-rakuten-symphony-aruke/
Im Juni 2025 finden bei Rakuten Mobile mehrere interessante Ereignisse und Kampagnen statt. Dazu gehören das "SAIKYO Summer Thanksgiving Festival" vom 3. bis 27. Juni, das Nutzer mit verschiedenen Vorteilen belohnt, sowie die "U-NEXT Early Access" Kampagne für Rakuten Saikyo Plan Abonnenten, die am 23. Juni startet. Zudem war Rakuten Mobile Gastgeber des O-RAN ALLIANCE June 2025 F2F Meetings in Fukuoka und stellte Fortschritte bei der großflächigen Bereitstellung von O-RAN-konformen Netzwerken vor.
Hier ist eine detailliertere Übersicht:
Veranstaltungen und Kampagnen:
SAIKYO Summer Thanksgiving Festival:
Dieses Festival, das vom 3. bis 27. Juni stattfindet, soll die Nutzer für ihre Treue belohnen und bietet verschiedene Vorteile und Kampagnen.
U-NEXT Early Access Kampagne:
Diese zeitlich begrenzte Aktion startet am 23. Juni und ermöglicht Rakuten Saikyo Plan Abonnenten, den U-NEXT Dienst mit unbegrenztem Datenvolumen für einen Monat zum Preis von 2.200 Yen (inkl. Steuern) zu testen.
O-RAN ALLIANCE June 2025 F2F Meeting:
Rakuten Mobile war Gastgeber dieses Treffens in Fukuoka und präsentierte Fortschritte bei der O-RAN-Implementierung, einschließlich des landesweiten RIC-Platforms und der Beiträge zur O-RAN-Standardisierung.
Weitere wichtige Punkte:
Rakuten AI for Business:
Rakuten Mobile plant, bis Januar 2026 eine generative KI-Lösung für Geschäftskunden zu entwickeln, die verschiedene Unternehmensfunktionen unterstützen soll.
Edge AI in Stadien:
Es gibt ein Projekt, das sich auf den Einsatz von Edge-KI zur Verbesserung der Sicherheit in Stadien konzentriert und voraussichtlich von Juni 2025 bis Januar 2026 läuft.
Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass der Juni 2025 für Rakuten Mobile eine Zeit intensiver Aktivitäten und Innovationen ist, mit Kampagnen, Veranstaltungen und Projekten, die sowohl bestehende als auch potenzielle Kunden ansprechen.
https://www.google.de/...B7ASwgcIMS4yLjcuMTbIB9sB&sclient=gws-wiz
June 26, 2025
O-RAN (Open Radio Access Networks) Market Size reached US$ 2.92 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach US$ 45.70 billion by 2032, growing with a CAGR of 41.03% during the forecast period 2025-2032.
The Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) sector is experiencing rapid development, driven by the growing adoption of cloud-based technologies in telecommunications and the increasing need for flexible, scalable network solutions. As digital transformation accelerates, both public and private network operators are turning to Open RAN frameworks to support automation and cloud-native infrastructure.
Key trends fueling this shift include the rollout of 5G, advancements in network virtualization, the push for vendor diversity, and efforts to improve connectivity in underserved rural areas. By decoupling hardware from software, Open RAN presents a cost-effective and adaptable alternative to traditional, proprietary systems helping address the compatibility issues that have emerged over successive generations of mobile networks, from AMPS to 5G.
Similarly, Rakuten Mobile began offering commercial 4G and 5G services using Open RAN infrastructure in Japan in September 2022. By incorporating equipment from multiple vendors, Rakuten demonstrates the flexibility and interoperability of Open RAN in real-world deployments highlighting its potential to support scalable and cost-effective 5G networks.
These developments reflect the growing momentum behind Open RAN as a strategic solution for meeting the complex demands of modern wireless communication.
https://kalkinemedia.com/news/world-news/...-based-network-innovation
MIDLAND, Texas & NEWBURY, United Kingdom, June 30, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vodafone Group and AST SpaceMobile Inc. ("AST SpaceMobile") (NASDAQ: ASTS) today announced that their new joint venture satellite company, SatCo, will be headquartered in Luxembourg, creating a European sovereign integrated satellite service. AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, designed for both commercial and government applications.
Luxembourg’s strong digital credentials and strategic location provide SatCo with the ideal platform from which to exclusively distribute AST SpaceMobile’s broadband satellite services to European mobile network operators under a single turnkey arrangement. SatCo’s wholesale offering of direct-to-device mobile broadband satellite services, which complement terrestrial networks, has generated expressions of interest from network operators in 21 EU member states, as well as in other European markets. Commercial services are expected to begin in 2026.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/...le-choose-luxembourg-060000397.html
The ShopBack Group is Asia-Pacific’s leading shopping, rewards, and payments platform, serving over 50 million shoppers across 12 markets. In 2023, the Group expanded its offerings into Germany, signalling its entry into the European market.
Driven by the vision to be the world's most rewarding way to shop, ShopBack is dedicated to saving members money and time, while delivering delightful experiences with every purchase. The platform also enables merchants and brands to engage with their members in a cost-effective manner.
Founded in 2014, ShopBack now powers over US$4 billion in annual sales for over 20,000 online and in-store partners. Facilitating upwards of half a million transactions daily, ShopBack continues to provide value to both members and merchants through its innovative offerings. Notably, its payment solution, ShopBack Pay, offers members a convenient and rewarding payment option at checkout.
https://corporate.shopback.com/press/...indonesia-with-11-big-rewards
Explore a wide range of exhibits showcasing AI content and cutting-edge technology across the Rakuten Ecosystem
World Cup champion and former Vissel Kobe captain Andrés Iniesta and other new guest speakers announced for the event
Tokyo, July 1, 2025 - Rakuten Group, Inc. today announced its plans for a new exhibition area at Rakuten AI Optimism, the group's largest interactive event. This year’s edition of the annual conference has been significantly transformed through the power of AI.
Taking place at Pacifico Yokohama from Wednesday, July 30 to Friday, August 1, 2025, the exhibition area will showcase future experiences driven by AI and other cutting-edge technologies, alongside Rakuten's newest services.
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/update/2025/0701_01.html
July 02,2025
Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi is constantly evolving into a space where a wide range of customers can enjoy themselves, not just baseball fans. In this RNN video, two second-year Rakutenians from Rakuten Baseball report from the stadium grounds the highlights of the 2025 season renovations. The newly introduced karaoke gondola and sauna-style gondola are must-see additions!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOEM2mV63Ek
Ray Sharma
Rakuten Symphony, Inc. announced that IDEAL Software Design (IDEAL), the leading UAE-based AI Value-Added Distributor, has been appointed as a value-added distributor for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. IDEAL will deliver the Rakuten Cloud portfolio of products, including Rakuten Cloud-Native Platform, Cloud-Native Orchestrator, and Cloud-Native Storage solutions, to resellers and end customers, with a primary focus on the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Rakuten Symphony and IDEAL have partnered to address the MEA region’s burgeoning demand for managing distributed AI workload deployments at an affordable cost, while delivering locally managed and owned cloud-based operations.
Rakuten Symphony also announced a strategic partnership with Simply Tech LTDA, a leading technology company for automation and digital transformation, naming the company as a value-added distributor for Rakuten Cloud solutions and services across the South and Central America markets, with an initial focus on Brazil, Mexico and Colombia.
Under the agreement, Simply Tech will deliver Rakuten Cloud-Native Platform, Rakuten Cloud-Native Orchestrator, and Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage solutions to local resellers and enterprises. This collaboration aims to accelerate digital transformation across key industries—including healthcare, financial services, retail, and manufacturing—by making high-performance, cloud-native technology more accessible and affordable.
https://www.thefastmode.com/technology-solutions/...-mea-partnerships
Rakuten Card Co., Ltd. (im Folgenden als "das Unternehmen" bezeichnet) wird am Dienstag, den 1. Juli 2025, als zweite Zusammenarbeit mit der "Dragon Ball"-Serie mit der Annahme von Anträgen und der Ausstellung von Anträgen für "Rakuten Card Dragon Ball Z Design" beginnen, das mit "Dragon Ball Z" entworfen wurde. Um daran zu erinnern, veranstalten wir eine Aktion, bei der wir ein originelles Sporthandtuch (nicht zum Verkauf) gewinnen können.
Das Design der Kartenseite orientiert sich an dem Motiv der berühmten Szene des Super-Saiyajins Son Goku. Wir hoffen, dass die Ausgabe dieser Karte Fans der Dragon Ball-Serie aller Generationen dazu ermutigen wird, eine neue Rakuten-Karte zu beantragen.
Wie die Rakuten-Karte bietet diese Karte Vorteile wie z. B. lange Zeit keinen jährlichen Mitgliedsbeitrag, 1 "Rakuten Point" für jeweils 100 Yen, die mit der Karte ausgegeben werden, und 3-mal so viele, wenn sie bei "Rakuten Ichiba" verwendet wird. Kunden, die bereits eine "Rakuten Card" besitzen, können diese Karte auch als zweite "Rakuten Card" ausstellen.
Seit der Ausgabe der Rakuten-Karte im Juli 2005 ist das Unternehmen weiter gewachsen, und die Anzahl der ausgegebenen Karten hat Ende März 2025 32,21 Millionen überschritten, und das Unternehmen arbeitet aktiv daran, die Cross-Use mit verschiedenen Dienstleistungen der Rakuten-Gruppe zu fördern und bargeldlose Zahlungen sowohl innerhalb als auch außerhalb der Gruppe populär zu machen.
https://www.rakuten-card.co.jp/corporate/press_release/20250701/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7KxdgpaXP4&t=94s
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/investors/documents/annual.html
(Last integrated report)