Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket
by Brooke Frischemeier
Head of Product Management, Unified Cloud Rakuten Symphony
I truly believe Rakuten CNS is at the forefront of the edge revolution. Our integration with Google Cloud and our focus on key edge use cases are enabling businesses to unlock new opportunities and improve their operations. If you're looking for a storage solution that can help you take advantage of the power of edge computing, I encourage you to learn more about Rakuten CNS. We're excited to continue working with Google Cloud and our customers to drive innovation at the edge.
https://cloud.rakuten.com/blogs/...google-distributed-cloud-connected
By Dhruv Sood
Global Digital Marketing Manager Rakuten Symphony
April 8, 2025
A key theme at this year's KubeCon was the growing momentum around edge AI workloads. At the heart of this is Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage (CNS) — our persistent, software-defined storage solution built to support stateful applications at the edge. Recognized for its innovation, it also powers Google Distributed Cloud connected servers, demonstrating its role in enabling resilient and scalable infrastructure for real-world AI use cases.
https://cloud.rakuten.com/blogs/6-highlights-from-kubecon-europe-2025
Rising demand for flexible, cost-efficient networks drives Open RAN growth as operators seek vendor diversity and lower costs.
April 11, 2025
“The SNS Insider report indicates that the Open RAN Market was valued at USD 5.1 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 41.5 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 26.24% during the forecast period from 2024 to 2032.”
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/...y-SNS-Insider.html
Published by Statista Research Department, Mar 6, 2025
In the fiscal year 2024, Rakuten Group generated over 221 billion Japanese yen in revenue through its advertising business.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1369442/...p-advertising-revenue/
https://www.techcircle.in/2025/04/11/...s-ai-platforms-for-global-ops
Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of generative AI are other factors that will influence the future of GCCs in India, says Sunil Gopinath, CEO of Rakuten India, the Indian unit of the Japanese ecommerce, internet and telecom group Rakuten.
Gopinath is also executive officer at Rakuten Inc. And he oversees some 2,000 people delivering software development and innovation from Bengaluru for Rakuten’s internet businesses. A separate team works on the telecom side. Overall, Rakuten has close to 4,000 people in India.
The use cases of AI that can come out of India’s immense scale and diversity will be globally relevant, he says. These AI applications have to work for a billion people and address diversity of language, culture, physical distance and location, and so on. “So, anything we build for India, just the experiences that the team here gets from doing that for AI… that can be easily translatable to anywhere else in the world,” Gopinath says, be it Mexico or South America, or South Africa.
In the process, India will develop so much expertise in AI that even though the US has taken the lead with companies such as OpenAI, over the next few years, because of its talent base, “India has an opportunity to leapfrog”. And within the GCCs, the knowhow that’s generated will be relevant for the parent company’s global business, he adds.
Therefore, Gopinath sees today’s mature GCCs evolving further to take greater ownership of products. “Over time, we will mature to the point where, within the company, for services that we provide to the company, there will be a lot of ownership of the products.”
This will mean that in the foreseeable future, product definition, business strategy and even execution, R&D and implementation, “everything will be done from here”. Sales can happen wherever the market is, be it the US or Japan or China or Taiwan, he says.
This all makes sense because the experience has reached a point where there’s no need to break down one product portfolio into multi-site development, which has its own challenges. Eventually organisations with mature GCC experience will decide on clear product lines that can be delivered end-to-end from India or China and so on, he says.
Another “transformation” is illustrated by Rakuten’s experience with its SixthSense platform. This is a “unified observability platform” which helps businesses monitor their cloud infrastructure and software. Rakuten India played a key role in developing this, initially for internal use, but now even in India several external enterprise customers are using it.
“This opens up a fantastic frontier for us, where products will be built ground-up from India. It’s almost like an intrapreneurship opportunity,” Gopinath says.
https://www.forbesindia.com/article/leadership/...tes-exports/95332/1
The Global Open RAN Market size is expected to be worth around USD 79,379 Million By 2034, from USD 2,957 Million in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 38.9% during the forecast period from 2025 to 2034. North America dominated a 34.6% market share in 2024 and held USD 1,024.3 Million in revenue from the Open Ran Market.
The market for Open RAN is experiencing significant growth, propelled by its promise to reduce costs and increase system flexibility. With the backing of major telecom operators and the active involvement of a broad array of equipment vendors, the Open RAN ecosystem is rapidly expanding. This market evolution is driven by both technological advancements and strategic partnerships among key industry players, making Open RAN a viable alternative to traditional RAN solutions.
https://market.us/report/open-ran-market/
By Krishna Mohan SK
Associate Director - Product Management Rakuten Symphony
April 11, 2025
The deployment of fiber networks is a highly intricate and resource-intensive process that demands careful planning, precise execution, and ongoing maintenance to ensure success. From identifying optimal routes to managing construction and ensuring compliance with regulations, every step of the rollout process involves significant challenges. These challenges are further compounded by the need to meet growing customer demand for high-speed internet, while keeping costs under control and adhering to tight timelines.
In this context, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative technology to automate and optimize various aspects of fiber network deployment. By harnessing the power of AI, telecom and internet service provider companies can streamline operations, reduce manual effort, and make data-driven decisions that improve efficiency and accuracy. AI not only accelerates the rollout process but also helps minimize costs, enhance network reliability, and ensure a better customer experience.
https://symphony.rakuten.com/blog/...ations-transforming-the-industry
The global open RAN market size was estimated at USD 4.51 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 25.6% from 2025 to 2030. An open radio access network, or O-RAN, is a nonproprietary version of the radio access network (RAN) that allows interoperation between cellular network equipment provided by different vendors. Open RAN enables operators to choose hardware and software solutions from various vendors, which can lead to reduced equipment and operational costs. The vendor diversity, cost reduction, and flexibility offered by open RAN are anticipated to drive the market's growth over the forecast period. In February 2018, China Mobile, AT&T Inc., Deutsche Telekom, Orange, and NTT DOCOMO, founded the O-RAN ALLIANCE.
https://www.grandviewresearch.com/...-analysis/open-ran-market-report
For NBA, Pacific League, music and magazines, it’s Rakuten Mobile!
https://network.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/en/campaign/digital-contents/
Apr. 14, 2025
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6084511
April 02.04.2025
Watch this MWC 2025 Barcelona panel discussion on Rakuten’s Real Open RAN Licensing Program, an open community subscription model that is set to allow third party access to Rakuten Symphony’s innovative Open RAN code base. In this session: Roy Chua, Founder & Principal, AvidThink (moderator) Sharad Sriwastawa, co-CEO, Rakuten Mobile & President, Rakuten Symphony Mohit Joshi, CEO & Managing Director, Tech Mahindra Masum Mir, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Cisco Glenn Laxdal, President & CEO, Airspan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwDAmPrfgik
Since the full-scale launch of its mobile carrier service in April 2020, Rakuten Mobile has continued on its mission to democratize the mobile industry, surpassing 8.5 million subscribers in just less than five years. The company offers an affordable and simple service plan, the Rakuten Saikyo Plan, and has continued to improve its network quality. As a result, Rakuten Mobile ranked first in the 2024 Oricon Customer Satisfaction Survey of Mobile Carriers for the second consecutive year.
https://corp.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/english/news/press/2025/0228_02/
Taipei, April 15, 2025 – Taiwan Rakuten Card, Inc., a subsidiary of Rakuten Card Co., Ltd., today announced the launch of two new premium Visa credit cards: the Rakuten Premium Infinite Card and the Rakuten Premium Signature Card. Designed for frequent travelers and customers seeking enhanced rewards, these cards offer enhanced rewards that include travel insurance, Taiwan Rakuten Card Points, and airline mile conversion with Asia Miles and EVA Air.
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2025/...p;category=fintech
- Non-Japanese residents account for approx. 25% of all Rakuten Mobile Store contracts
Tokyo, April 15, 2025 – Rakuten Mobile, Inc. today announced it has been ranked first in the "Most Used Mobile Services Ranking Among Foreign Residents" category in a survey conducted by MMD Labo* on mobile services used by non-Japanese residents.
Rakuten Mobile stores have seen a significant increase in foreign subscribers, who now represent approximately 25% of all contracts, as a result of the mobile carrier’s initiatives specifically targeting foreign residents of Japan.
MMD Labo's survey shows that Rakuten Mobile's pricing plans and data capacity are attracting non-Japanese users, with 21.0% of surveyed foreign customers already subscribed to Japan’s newest and most modern mobile network. In addition, Rakuten Mobile received high marks in the ranking of mobile carriers considered for switching, with 25.2% of foreign residents considering signing up.
Notably, word-of-mouth referrals from acquaintances and colleagues are the primary driver of awareness for Rakuten Mobile, demonstrating a growing influence among users born abroad.
https://corp.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/english/news/...20250415_01_lang_en
Singapore, April 15, 2025 – Rakuten Travel today announced that it will hold an interactive on-site event entitled “Rakuten Travel Arcade: Capture Japan,” in collaboration with the internationally recognized Japanese discount chain DON DON DONKI.
Jasmine Seah, Country Marketing Manager for Rakuten Travel Singapore, stated, “Singapore is a key market for Rakuten Travel, and we are thrilled to launch this campaign together with the internationally recognized Japanese retailer DON DON DONKI. We believe this unique initiative will resonate with Singaporean travelers and inspire them to explore the wonders of Japan with us. Rakuten Travel is committed to provide our customers with a seamless and rewarding travel booking experience, offering them a wide selection of accommodations to create unforgettable memories in Japan.”
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/update/2025/0415_02.html
By Linda Hardesty Mar 27, 2025
Rakuten Mobile is using AI in conjunction with photos to check the work of field technicians
Rakuten is also using AI to detect "sleeper cells" in its network
https://www.fierce-network.com/modernization/...work-field-operations
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, April 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In Vietnam's fast-paced digital dating scene, swiping is easy—but finding something real proves far more difficult. Moreover, dating apps are no longer just about romance; they've become a gateway to meet new people and expand social circles. According to A Decision Lab survey, while 56% of single Vietnamese use dating apps, only 39% are actively seeking love. A surprising 48% prioritize friendship, and 34% even leverage these platforms for networking.
Viber also understands that you may want to keep your dating life private. That's why your dating profile will be strictly separate from your primary Viber account, and will only be visible to other Viber Dating users. Your main Viber connections will never know or be notified when you are signing up to and using the dating feature nor see your dating-related conversations and activities. Viber Dating is accessible in a separate tab from your Chats.
David Tse, Senior Director at Rakuten Viber APAC, shares that Viber Dating was developed after a series of focus groups with Viber users, which revealed that people want genuine connections with real people and high-quality matches, but were very concerned about keeping their identities private. "Viber's mission as a super app is to create safe and trusted connections, and this extends to the dating world, providing users with much-needed peace of mind," says Tse. "Given these measures, we hope we can further protect our users from fake profiles and love scams."
https://en.prnasia.com/releases/apac/...e-now-in-vietnam-485225.shtml
April 15, 2025
Did you know that, thanks to the recent popularity of Korean products in Japan, many Korean businesses are opening stores on Rakuten Ichiba in Japan? In fact, the transaction value of Korean cosmetics on Rakuten Ichiba has grown approximately ninefold in the last six years, making Rakuten Ichiba an important platform for Korean businesses expanding into the region. At the Rakuten Ichiba Korea Conference 2025 held in Seoul, Rakuten shared strategies and deepened collaboration with Korean merchants.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3joEUsOcB5w&t=48s
April 16, 2025
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&t=35s
Online conglomerate Rakuten is home to Japan’s largest loyalty points programme. More than 100 million members access upwards of 70 online services from its ecosystem, ranging from hotel bookings to brokerage and banking. Despite achieving consistent revenue growth across the 27 years since its inception, the company’s stock trades at a mere 0.6 times price-to-sales ratio. That's half the market average, meaning other investors appear to undervalue it. The reason for their caution is because of Rakuten’s capital-intensive decision to develop its mobile phone network. This venture required a significant outlay. However, its accelerating pick-up in paying subscribers could make the network profitable by year-end.
If Rakuten Mobile grows its share of the Japanese market from about 4 per cent to 10 per cent, the parent group’s enterprise value could double (ie its total value, taking debt and cash reserves into consideration). In addition, the division could add value to the entire ecosystem. By providing another customer touchpoint, the business improves Rakuten’s access to data and could help the parent company cross-sell more services.
https://www.bailliegifford.com/en/uk/...he-next-opportunity-10049002/