Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket

- und daher habe ich mir nach dem Einstieg bei Alibaba, die inzwischem mehr als 20% gut gemacht haben, auch einige Rakutens gekauft.

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/  

Posted : 2024-01-31 21:53

A bidding agent for Stage X arrives at IT Venture Tower in Seoul, Wednesday, for an auction to pick the operator of the 28 gigahertz band of the fifth-generation network in Korea.

A local consortium was selected as the new operator of the 28 gigahertz (GHz) band of the fifth-generation network (5G) in South Korea on Wednesday, the science ministry said, becoming the country's fourth mobile carrier.

Stage X, a consortium of Stage Five, a communications affiliate of tech giant Kakao, and other unidentified companies, will be the fourth operator of the 5G network.

Currently, three major mobile carriers ? SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus ? are the country's sole operators of the network.

Stage X won the 28 GHz band on the fifth day of the auction against Sejong Telecom and Mobile Consortium, writing in the highest bid of 430.1 billion won ($322.1 million), according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.

In the previous auction in 2018, the country's three major mobile carriers won the same spectrum in the low 200 billion-won range.

However, these three operators lost the license for the new 28 GHz spectrum last year due to insufficient investment.

As a response, the government has taken steps to introduce a new operator to foster competition in an industry traditionally dominated by the three major carriers.

Stage X will be required to build 6,000 base stations nationwide within the first three years and implement measures to address frequency congestion and interference.


"We will work to become a new brand in the communications market and facilitate fresh and innovative changes in the market by boosting the 5G network service," Stage X CEO Seo Sang-won said.

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2024/02/133_368005.html
 

Stage X partners Rakuten units on greenfield rollout

May 2, 2024

The agreement includes sharing industry knowledge and expertise with Rakuten Mobile and the delivery of services from Rakuten Symphony.

https://www.mobileworldlive.com/rakuten/...its-on-greenfield-rollout/
 

Both mobile telecom newbies of Japan and Korea will cooperate on 5G network services in the 28 gigahertz spectrum

By Ji-Eun Jeong

As Stage X has gained the nod for its operation from the ICT ministry on the condition that it should build 6,000 base stations nationwide in three years, it plans to start offering nationwide mobile network services in the first half of next year.

It will launch both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) services. But it will offer its services first to companies and organizations, including universities, airports and hospitals before branching out.

With the cooperation with Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony, Korea?s fourth mobile carrier hopes to expedite its venture into the Korean mobile network market with high-speed, ultra-low latency and extensively connected mobile services.

Rakuten Mobile, which entered the Japanese telecom market in 2020, will share its expertise with Stage X on mobile network services, while its cloud-based mobile service-providing subsidiary Rakuten Symphony will share its solutions.

https://www.kedglobal.com/tech,-media-telecom/newsView/ked202405020013
 

Rakuten Ichiba launches Rakuten AI University to boost merchant efficiency

PUBLISHED: 13 HOURS AGO

The RMS AI Assistant (Beta) offers features such as automated product descriptions, image processing, and text generation.

Japan's online shopping mall Rakuten Ichiba launched the Rakuten AI University, a comprehensive suite of video-based e-learning resources tailored to assist merchants in integrating AI solutions into their daily business routines.

With this strategic move, Rakuten aims to propel efficiency gains and productivity enhancements for its vast network of 57,000 merchants.

The cornerstone of this initiative is the RMS AI Assistant (Beta), an AI-powered store management tool unveiled earlier in March 2024. This tool, accessible via the Rakuten Merchant Server (RMS), offers features like automated product descriptions, image processing, text generation, sales trend analysis, and an AI chatbot for operational queries.

https://retailasia.com/technology/news/...y-boost-merchant-efficiency
 

Elliott and Warren Buffett Are Now Both Bullish on Japan

Hedge fund Elliott has built a position in Sumitomo, joining Berkshire Hathaway. The trading firm?s shares are up 10% this week.

May 2, 2024 10:38 am ET

Activist and value investors are converging on Japan. The smart money may be onto something: With U.S. shares suddenly under pressure from high rates again, hitching a ride on a long-term, structural trend like Japan?s corporate-governance reforms may make good sense.

https://www.wsj.com/finance/stocks/...on-japan-c821fea6?siteid=yhoof2
 

Get Ready to Meet Okaimono Panda: Rakuten Presents New Anime Series Starring Beloved Mascot

- First-ever TV anime series featuring Rakuten?s official mascot due in fall 2024
- Rakuten Panda! teaser video now available

Tokyo, May 2, 2024 - Rakuten Group, Inc. today announced the launch of an anime series starring the company?s official mascot, Okaimono Panda, set to premiere in the fall of 2024. Content production for the series will be led by Rakuten Content Central, a company specializing in intellectual property and media franchising.

https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2024/0502_02.html
 

Systemic Operations for Dynamic & Virtualized Environment

April 01, 2024

In this session we hear from Hiren Joshi, Head of Telecom Business Applications & IT Systems at Rakuten Mobile about how Rakuten Mobile has embarked on a unique journey to transition from plan to build to operate and now to optimize in it?s operational journey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTEFYOONBI0
 

The future of the RAN is open. An open RAN is more than Open RAN, and benefits all operators and the entire RAN ecosystem, even those who are still on the sidelines. Openness in the RAN starts with open interfaces and disaggregation but goes beyond this.

An open RAN has to be an energy-efficient RAN.

Energy efficiency has become a key requirement for new RAN deployments. Opening the RAN cannot be done by sacrificing sustainability. On the contrary, energy efficiency has to continue to improve as the RAN becomes more automated, disaggregated and virtualized.  We looked at energy efficiency in Open RAN in the context of wireless networks in the report ?Energy efficiency in wireless: RAN and beyond? on how sustainability is an opportunity to decrease costs without compromising network performance. See also ?Is Open RAN more energy efficient than traditional RAN??, ?Energy efficiency in 6G?, and ?Will Open RAN increase power efficiency in the RAN?? a Sparring Partners with Deutsche Telekom

Open RAN needs a new ecosystem. It is here.

Read our Deep Dive report ?The Open RAN ecosystem gathers steam. The future RAN is open? where we tried to address many of the outstanding questions, with the help of eleven vendors and operators: NEC, Vodafone, Ciena, Analog, Fujitsu, Rakuten Symphony, Picocom, Dish, Verizon, TIP, and Radisys. You can get the report for free, and read or watch the conversations here.

https://senzafili.com/open-ran/
 

Hiroshi Mikitani on the last conference call: "Especially ad, of course, revenue in the Link is going to increase. And we believe that is going to take place and already for iPhone basically it's going to be open on RCS. So there will be some revenue that we'll be able to drive out of this. So we have high expectation on this. So in the future per PET capita JPY 300 per month in terms of ad revenue is what we are trying to achieve. And we would like to do most."
 

JPY 300 per month in terms of ad revenue = JPY 3,600 per year in terms of ad revenue = about $25 in terms of ad revenue per year from every subscriber

When Rakuten reach 10 million subscriber during 2025 = a quarter billion $ from ad revenue.

When Rakuten reach 20 million subscriber during the years after 2025 = a half billion $ from ad revenue.

All analysts I ever had read ignored this point.  

Sangwon Seo, CEO of Stage X, said: ?Rakuten Mobile and Stage X are the latest mobile network operators representing their respective countries, and together with Rakuten Symphony we wish to continue broad cooperation. Rakuten Mobile built and deployed the world?s first fully virtualized, cloud-native mobile network with a modern infrastructure that ensures stable telecommunication services as the newest mobile network operator in Japan. As Stage X builds out its infrastructure to provide 5G services in the 28 GHz spectrum, we look forward to working with Rakuten and learning from their experience across a wide range of areas.?

Stage X, which has been awarded spectrum that will enable it to be Korea?s fourth mobile carrier, plans to launch nationwide mobile network services in the first half of 2025, Korean press reported.

https://www.rcrwireless.com/20240503/5g/...hip-korean-newcomer-stagex
 

The global open RAN market size was valued at USD 1.8 billion in 2023 and is expected to hit around USD 32 billion by 2033, poised to grow at a CAGR of 33.40% from 2024 to 2033.

https://www.precedenceresearch.com/open-ran-market
 

Oliver Matthew: ....  question on Mobile. I've been using the service reception is very good in Tokyo, thank you. But I'd like to check what you mean about the ad revenue. I don't really see ads. So I'd like -- could you explain more about how it works or how you think it will work? That's the first question.

Hiroshi Mikitani: Oliver, you use iPhone right?

Oliver Matthew: No, I'm actually using the Xiaomi RedMi. Sorry.

Hiroshi Mikitani: No. So now we introduced the rich communication service called Link. So people who call on Link, who message on Link it is SMS and also the free voice. And then in exchange we have two things. We can utilize their data. And also we will be able to display the ads. And we are really personalizing ads on - based on our CNDA database code. We have a consumer database for everybody and there Rakuten each display ads are connected. Number one.

And we are sending so much traffic to our ecosystem. And if you calculate that so if you calculate the gross revenue we are making from our ecosystem it is already ¥2,769 which is we are not counting as our ARPU. So maybe we can make this like affiliate model a little bit and because we are sending -- creating a lot of the value through the other services.

So basically ad is - and also we periodically send an e-mail to Rakuten Mobile users. In the future probably we will integrate the Rakuten Pay SDK into Rakuten Link app. So Rakuten Link app will become super app for Rakuten ecosystem. There are so many display opportunities because 40 million people a day will come to our website. And we also can include the Link. And I should say, I assume the line ARPU which most of the money is coming from ads and maybe some will understand it's about ¥300 per sub I think. So I think it's kind of a reasonable to say we can probably get close to what noise making using our data and the engagement level.

Oliver Matthew: Okay. So I get it. I haven't been using the Link app.

Hiroshi Mikitani: Please, please, please use it.

Source: Last Conference Call  

Read more At:

https://aninews.in/news/business/...-edition-of-rpc-2420240503154129/
 

Overall, Rakuten Mobile?s focus on improving ARPU and subscriber numbers has contributed to its positive financial performance in FY2023. The company aims to achieve self-funding at the group level by leveraging the mobile business?s financial performance along with cash flow from other segments  

 

Starting from FY2024, the company aims to increase self-funding at the Group level by:

- Improving the mobile business?s financial performance.
- Leveraging free cash flow generated from the Internet Services segment.
- Utilizing cash flow generated from the FinTech segment.

The company maintains financial stability through a disciplined financial policy  

MS AI Assistant (Beta): This AI-powered store management tool is accessible to merchants via the Rakuten Merchant Server (RMS).

Features of RMS AI Assistant (Beta) include:
Product description generation: Automatically creating compelling product descriptions.
Product image processing: Enhancing product images.
Text generation for user inquiries: Crafting responses to customer queries.
Data analysis of sales trends: Helping merchants make informed decisions.
AI chatbot for store operations: Assisting with common questions.

By leveraging these AI features, merchants on Rakuten Ichiba can enhance efficiency and reduce workload hours.

AI-nization: Rakuten is actively driving the use of AI across its entire business.

For Rakuten Ichiba, this means improving the customer shopping experience through AI while simultaneously empowering merchants and realizing operational efficiencies.

The goal is to strengthen connections with customers and drive better results.

In summary, Rakuten Ichiba is embracing AI to enhance its platform, benefitting both shoppers and merchants. If you?re a merchant on Rakuten, these AI tools could significantly improve your business operations!  

Switch to Rakuten Mobile from DOCOMO?no MNP Reservation Number

May 05, 2024

In this video, I'll guide you through the process of transferring your Docomo carrier to Rakuten Mobile without needing an MNP (Mobile Number Portability) reservation number. Whether you're looking to switch carriers or simply want to explore your options, this step-by-step tutorial will make the transition smooth and hassle-free. From understanding the requirements to completing the transfer, I've got you covered with all the essential information. Watch now and make your move to Rakuten Mobile seamlessly!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhth2eGizDc
 

Revenue in the advertising business grew to 206.5 billion yen in FY2023, achieving double-digit growth of 12.9% YoY and surpassing the full-year sales revenue target of 200 billion yen.  

Here?s a breakdown of the most popular messaging services by active monthly users:

      Rank§Messaging Service Number of Active Monthly Users

         1  WhatsApp§2.4 billion
         2§Facebook Messenger 2.1 billion
         3    WeChat§1.2 billion
         4     Viber§823 million
         5  Telegram§500 million
         6  Snapchat§347 million
         7      LINE§178 million
         8   Discord§170 million
         9        QQ§57 million
        10 KakaoTalk§49 million
        11    Signal§40 million

https://explodingtopics.com/blog/messaging-apps-stats
 

Feb 6, 2024

In 2023, global retail e-commerce sales reached an estimated 5.8 trillion U.S. dollars. Projections indicate a 39 percent growth in this figure over the coming years, with expectations to surpass eight trillion dollars by 2027.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/379046/...etail-e-commerce-sales/
 

Rakuten CEO: Hope to be EBITDA breakeven with mobile business this year

Mickey Mikitani, the CEO of Rakuten, speaks to CNBC?s Arjun Kharpal at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

TUE, FEB 27 20248:53 AM EST

https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/02/27/...bile-business-this-year.html

 

Tech Experts discuss Rakuten?s unique AI approach at MWC Barcelona 2024

4 days ago

Continuing its dominant run as the telco industry?s buzziest topic, AI was a key theme throughout Mobile World Congress 2024 in Barcelona. Throughout the four-day event, Rakuten?s booth was a hub for AI discussions, demos and forward-looking insights. Headlining the company?s booth theater on Day 3 was a special AI Showcase featuring three experts from Rakuten Mobile, Rakuten Symphony and the Rakuten Group, who came together to share their unique perspectives on today?s most transformative technology.

In a panel session moderated by Appledore Research?s Robert Curran, Rahul Atri, OSS BU president at Rakuten Symphony; Madhukiran Medithe, Chief data and AI officer at Rakuten Mobile; and Ting Cai, Chief Data Officer at Rakuten Group explored the impact of AI in revolutionizing operations in telco and enhancing customer experience.

Born from a mission to share Rakuten Mobile?s pioneering mobile network technology with telecom operators worldwide, Rakuten Symphony is an industry leader in telco automation and AI. And through its unique embrace of virtualization, Rakuten Mobile has offered a perfect playground to apply AI.
From a Rakuten Group perspective, mentions Cai, the company is on a mission of AI-nization, leveraging AI as much as possible across the Rakuten Ecosystem to empower clients, partners and employees.

https://rakuten.today/blog/...-ai-approach-at-mwc-barcelona-2024.html
 

Certainly! In May 2024, Rakuten Mobile is making significant strides in deploying its mobile network using the ?Platinum Band? in Japan. Here are the key details:

Platinum Band Allocation:
The 700 MHz band, also known as the ?platinum band,? was allocated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on October 23, 20231.
This band has unique properties, allowing it to maintain a strong signal even in the presence of obstacles like buildings or indoors.

Deployment and Technology:
Rakuten Mobile will deploy base stations using mobile network radios developed by Nokia Solutions & Networks G.K. in the 700 MHz platinum band.
These Nokia mobile network radios are small, lightweight, and energy-efficient.
Leveraging its expertise in building the world?s first fully virtualized, cloud-native mobile network compatible with Open RAN, Rakuten Mobile aims to promptly start operating base stations in this band.
By using a next-generation Distributed Unit (DU) developed by its subsidiary Rakuten Symphony, Rakuten Mobile can easily deploy the radio in its virtualized, Open RAN network.
The newly deployed antennas compatible with both the 1.7 GHz band and the 700 MHz band will coexist alongside existing 1.7 GHz radios, allowing for prompt operation through software updates.

Benefits and Customer Satisfaction:
Rakuten Mobile aims to realize a high-quality mobile network by optimally combining the allocated 700 MHz platinum band with its existing 4G and 5G frequency bands and roaming.
The deployment will start in urban areas with high user volume and traffic.
Rakuten Symphony will collaborate with Nokia to provide these radios to customers in select markets worldwide.

In summary, Rakuten Mobile?s deployment of the platinum band aims to enhance network capacity, improve user experience (especially indoors), and provide cost-effective services across Japan.