Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket
A broad partnership and project ecosystem is essential
For some time now, this concept has been much more prevalent in the world of enterprise technology. Telecom suppliers may not want to hear or accept it, but they will increasingly need to partner with ecosystem players who sometimes compete in other markets in order to succeed, particularly in the age of open and cloud-native networks.
As general contractor and end-to-end technology partner for the network deployment, bringing together over 80 partners to build and deploy 1&1’s Open RAN network was no small feat. 1&1 and Rakuten Symphony had to team up with many suppliers against whom we would otherwise compete. The associated complexity of rolling out Germany’s newest mobile network required a major mindset shift and demanded tactical soft skills as well as technical expertise that would not have been required in the rollout of a network based on a legacy architecture. This is the way networks of the future will be deployed – where 1&1 has gone, others will follow.
“Rolling out Germany’s newest mobile network required a major mindset shift and demanded tactical soft skills as well as technical expertise.”
-Rabih Dabboussi, Chief Business Officer, Rakuten Symphony
https://symphony.rakuten.com/blog/...tionwide-open-ran-mobile-network
December 11, 2023
Rakuten is grappling with mounting debts as well as a mobile division that remains unprofitable. Hiroshi “Mickey” Mikitani, CEO of Rakuten, said the company will have no problem paying off the debts and its mobile division will be "hugely profitable."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtYY8daBx5E
Feb. 09, 2024 2:35 AM
Gulzhan Musaeva
Summary:
The quintessential Japanese tech titan can make a comeback.
The topline is growing, and losses are narrowing.
An undervalued turnaround prospect.
https://seekingalpha.com/article/...en-stock-reasons-to-be-optimistic
In the early days following the announcement of our partnership with 1&1, we encountered skepticism from various angles, all too often coming from dissenting voices that simply wanted us to fail. In many cases the naysayers and doubters had no reliable reference points or justification for criticizing the new tech. Most of it was founded on fear, uncertainty and doubt.
I’ve always been extremely focused on addressing a customer’s concerns and ensuring we address all their questions. Making sure a solution works and delivering on the customer's expectation has always been my top priority - that took precedence over everything else.
https://symphony.rakuten.com/blog/...tionwide-open-ran-mobile-network
The results for the three months ending October 2023 were broadly in line with expectations. The Group's revenue expanded by 10% y-o-y to ¥518.4b; net loss narrowed by 16%; EBITDA, at ¥35.6b, added 50%. EBITDA, admittedly, can mislead since it ignores debt and capital expenditure, both of which are heavy burdens for growth companies like Rakuten. Nonetheless, with cost control, things seem to be moving in the right direction: (non-GAAP) operating income is expected to turn positive in Q4 (the results for which are to be revealed on February 14).
https://seekingalpha.com/article/...en-stock-reasons-to-be-optimistic
By Rahul Atri
President, OSS Business Unit
Rahul Atri, Rakuten Symphony’s newly appointed President of the OSS Business Unit, outlines his vision for how artificial intelligence will advance Rakuten’s formidable track record in automation, reshaping telecom in the process.
I couldn’t be more excited to have rejoined Rakuten, an organization that’s always been ahead of its peers when it comes to innovation. Through Rakuten Mobile, Japan’s fourth operator, and Rakuten Symphony, the platform provider that is leading change in telecom, we continue to challenge preconceptions and force the industry to ask existential questions of itself.
This is an incredibly exciting time for a company that is already renowned for disrupting the internet services space. Rakuten has now committed to a strategy that puts Artificial Intelligence at the centre of its business, which will enable us to increase revenue, save cost, transform organizational DNA, and deliver unique customer experiences.
"The industry always talks about buzzwords but Rakuten delivers the on-the-ground reality."
In my new role, I hope to make a significant contribution to this journey by using AI to underpin our OSS offerings within Rakuten Symphony. I hope to define, design and deliver Rakuten Symphony’s next-generation AI OSS and automation platform, with a focus on making networks intent-aware, programmable and sustainable. Here’s a quick summary of what I want us to achieve, and where I believe our greatest opportunities lie.
One step ahead, through AI
Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony have already set the standard for change within telecom. When people were talking about a single source of truth, we already had a unified OSS live on-air in production. When people were starting to aspire to using the cloud, we were already there. The same goes for automation - we had done zero-touch automation for thousands of sites when people were saying it was the ‘the next big thing’. We always deliver use cases - we always make things happen. The industry always talks about buzzwords but Rakuten delivers the on-the-ground reality.
That brings me to AI. Over the last year, it has been discussed to a dizzying degree in the global media - but with good reason. Artificial intelligence is without doubt the definitive technology trend - and one of the most important global issues -of our time. It is already changing every major industry. In the same way that Rakuten brought its vision of automation to the telco world, we now want to deliver the same impact with AI.
“Where other organizations will most likely bandwagon off of AI’s mass hype, Rakuten will build tools and platforms that can reshape telecom.”
Telecom is not the quickest at adopting cutting-edge technology. But that doesn’t matter - once again, we will continue our track record of disruption through innovation. We are excited to be working with fellow leading operators in the industry who also want to push the boundaries of what is possible.
Rakuten is now uniquely positioned to succeed amid this new technological wave. Where other organizations will most likely jump on the bandwagon of AI’s mass hype without doing anything meaningful, we will build tools and platforms that reshape telecom.
I hope to build on Rakuten’s already-strong foundations in generative AI. Rakuten has a vast data lake based on its existing ecosystem, to which e-commerce platform Rakuten Ichiba has contributed significantly. Rakuten has the data. We understand the networks. We have some AI use cases already solved in Rakuten Ichiba. Now it’s time to translate those assets into valuable solutions for telecom operators.
Understanding intent
Generally speaking, whenever a user interacts with a tool, the tool needs to become more intelligent and understand the user more and more each time. That doesn’t happen enough at the moment. We want our AI to be acutely aware of all the necessary context that it needs in order to generate sophisticated and successful outcomes. It needs to understand the user’s intent, the specific use case that it is trying to solve as well as being aware of the individual that it is supporting.
Take chatbots - they are currently very generic. We want to build a companion for each individual. We want the AI to deliver insights and contribute meaningfully to each user. Rakuten plans to deliver that in the very near future.
Our systems are always built on big data. We have all the data we have started turning the data into context-aware form, so we can talk to the data. Our tools will soon be able to give quick, accurate summaries that address a user’s initial intent, instead of giving a generic response. We are embarking on a journey to make our data context-aware, where we have AI models integrated so that once you have started talking to the data, you're making sense of it. The system needs to understand the needs of the individual.
We are now working on building a layer where the platform - powered by AI - also understands what a telco needs when managing its network.
The network of the future
When it comes to solving telecom industry problems, Rakuten Mobile provides us with an excellent use case - a network that faces similar challenges to other telcos and has been committed to automation, open interfaces and cloud-native principles since its inception. Through Rakuten Symphony, we are sharing this expertise with operators around the world. One of our biggest advantages is that we have solved many important use cases within the Rakuten Group ecosystem. Rakuten Symphony’s technology is always battle-tested via Rakuten Mobile, and this co-creation is helping us to build advanced AI use cases across the network lifecycle - plan, build and monitor - to improve delivery, efficiency and value creation.
Every operator today has started taking a stance that they want to be data-driven. That means that they have an ingestion layer - all the data that comes in is ingested into a central system. After that, you can create what is called a data product. Data products can ingest data from business systems, network systems, customer systems or any other system.
This unified depository - this data product - can answer meaningful questions, based on what each individual wants. That means that a CEO of a telco can quickly decide where to focus on improving coverage or how to make informed pricing decisions - they will not receive raw data, but recommended business outcomes.
In the meantime
Rakuten has so much potential to create meaningful change through AI. I cannot wait to take the lead on projects that will redefine how we serve customers through smarter telecom networks, as well as solving telecom’s challenges of tomorrow.
https://symphony.rakuten.com/blog/...hul-atris-vision-for-ai-in-telco
By Jason King
Senior Director, Partner Marketing Rakuten Symphony
February 9, 2024
In 2019, our collaboration began with Sercomm with the goal of jointly developing the world's first commercially deployable virtualized small cell. Over the years, the partnership has evolved seamlessly, progressing from 4G to 5G small cells and expanding to 5G FWA CPE. The ultimate goal of the partnership is to enable industry-leading technology solutions globally.
“Rakuten Mobile and Sercomm have deployed 150,000 small cells in Japan, paving the way for the launch of the world's first 100% cloud-native Open RAN network.” - Ben Lin, President & Co-founder of Sercomm Corporation
Behind the scenes with Ben Lin and Sercomm
We had the chance to sit down and talk with Ben Lin, one of the founders of Sercomm Corporation, where he has led the research team in developing various core technologies, including Internet communications, software/firmware integration services, and R&D of Internet Protocols.
With over 30 years of experience in the technology industry and Internet communications, Lin possesses an impressive technical background and a vision for R&D innovation - accumulating over 10 years of experience at the Industrial Technology Research Institute and International Integrated Systems Inc.
His expertise forms the foundation for this compelling partnership.
As explained by Lin, Sercomm was established in 1992, dedicated to the development of broadband networking hardware and firmware. With a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and fully integrated engineering capability, they offer comprehensive telecom broadband solutions.
A journey of growth and impact with Sercomm Corporation
In 2019, Rakuten Mobile and Sercomm Corporation pioneered the world's first fully virtualized cloud-native mobile network. Collaborating with Rakuten Group, Sercomm provided equipment for Rakuten Mobile's network construction, aiming for 98.7% 4G coverage. Noteworthy deliveries include ISC4G InDoor Small Cell, Femto (4G CASA) and Rakuten Turbo 5G (5G FWA CPE).
Addressing hotspot challenges, Sercomm's small and femto cells, equipped with compact antennas, seamlessly complemented Rakuten's innovative cloud-native architecture. The virtualized design simplified operations, facilitating rapid market entry and cost savings. Sercomm's adaptability extended to 5G, ensuring seamless upgrades, catering to 6 million subscribers in Japan.
“We have been collaborating with Rakuten Mobile since 2019 to jointly develop the world’s first commercially deployable virtualized small cell. Since then, our collaboration has grown stronger and stronger, from 4G to 5G small cells, then to 5G FWA CPE.”
A promising partnership
The partnership between Rakuten Symphony and Sercomm Corporation is not just a collaboration; it's an innovative journey shaping the future of telecom broadband. Ben Lin's insights and Sercomm's dedication pave the way for a promising alliance, highlighting the potential for groundbreaking solutions in the evolving mobile landscape.
Explore further insights into these industry-defining partnerships by visiting our partner ecosystem page, where you can also find the full video with Ben Lin’s comments.
https://symphony.rakuten.com/blog/...ity-with-virtualized-small-cells
The $1+ Trillion 5G Services Industry, Analysis & Outlook Report 2023-2028: Market Dynamics, Case Studies, Value Chain & Technology Analysis, Best Practices, Current & Emerging Business Models, Company Profiles
Research and Markets
February 9, 2024
The global 5G services market is estimated at USD 121.8 billion in 2023 to USD 1,002.3 billion by 2028, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 52.4%.
https://de.finance.yahoo.com/news/...services-industry-123400750.html
November 21, 2023
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, staying at the forefront of innovation and global expansion is essential for businesses to thrive. Rakuten Travel Xchange (RTX), one of the fastest-growing businesses within the Rakuten ecosystem, is a prime example of this commitment to excellence.
As a global platform for enhancing travel commerce, RTX has been instrumental in strengthening global transactions and collaborative efforts within the Rakuten Group. In an interview with RTX’s Director and CEO, Munekatsu Ota, we explore the key factors driving RTX’s growth and the future plans that make it a pivotal player in the travel industry.
https://rakuten.today/blog/...-approaches-global-travel-commerce.html
By Linda Hardesty Feb 8, 2024 12:23pm
Rahul Atri became a familiar name in the wireless world during his more than three years working for Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony. But he left Rakuten about two years ago to join Tech Mahindra.
Speaking with Fierce Wireless recently, Atri said he left Rakuten because Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony had reached a level of maturity, and he felt it was important to keep moving forward and learning new things, particularly on the business side.
But he also learned that not all companies move super fast the way that Rakuten has moved. And when Rakuten CEO Mickey Mikitani reached out, asking Atri to re-join Symphony, he welcomed the opportunity. “I thought this is perfectly aligned with how I want to understand my career,” said Atri.
Rakuten Symphony has four business units — OSS; RAN; Cloud and Internet Services. Symphony is led by its President Sharad Sriwastawa.
Atri has been back at Symphony for about a month in the role of president of the OSS business unit. But his title is a bit deceiving because his group is doing a vast number of things and is really tapping into artificial intelligence (AI), which he talks about in a blog today.
He’s been inspired by Sam Altman’s work in generative AI, and he wants to bring that disruptor mindset to the telecom world.
https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/...-rakuten-symphony-focus-ai
https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/...-rakuten-symphony-focus-ai
In the meantime, Rakuten may continue relying on its assets for capital. Thankfully, with over 70 businesses, it has more than enough to choose from. And its core operations, in Internet Services and FinTech, are incredibly robust. Rakuten's ecosystem of businesses is inherently supportive of the mobile business, and the first fruits of this integration are beginning to show.
Add to this the management's proven capacity to execute, building out businesses from scratch, and taking them all the way to the top in every industry of choice, even if they underestimated the challenge of setting up mobile infrastructure.
To sum, Rakuten is suited for aggressive investors whose appetite for a potential recovery is greater than the lingering risk of losses.
https://seekingalpha.com/article/...en-stock-reasons-to-be-optimistic
Tokyo, February 13, 2024 - Rakuten Bank, Ltd. today announced that it has surpassed 15 million customer accounts as of February 11, 2024.
The number of Rakuten Bank accounts has now surpassed 15 million, and the bank recently achieved the milestone of 10 trillion yen in total balance of non-consolidated deposits at the end of December 2023. Rakuten Bank customers are using multiple services after opening their accounts, such as bank transfers and using their accounts to receive salaries and bonuses. As a result, the use of Rakuten Bank as a main account is steadily expanding.
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2024/0213_02.html
Subtitled and dubbed in regional languages, K dramas bring in huge investments and viewership for OTTs in India.
By VIJAYALAKSHMI SRIDHAR, Feb 8, 2024
Rakuten Viki, a global OTT platform that also has operations in India has drama content from Korea, Japan, Mainland China, Taiwan, and Thailand with a few Asian American titles as well. My Lovely Liar, The Night I Became an Animal, Fireworks of My Heart, A Good Day to be a Dog and Only for Love are some that are trending on top in India.
“Asian entertainment is certainly on the rise. From movies to music, food, and beauty products, the culture has taken the world by storm and there's no signs of it slowing down,” says Karen Paek, VP, Marketing, Viki.
The strategies for gaining more viewership are multi-pronged. In addition to targeted promotions and scheduled ad executions on the platform, each viewer has his own way of choosing the shows. Short-form video content, promoted on social media channels is at the back of the popularity of many shows across viewers of all ages. Short form video serves as a great competition to movies too. On November 29th, Viki initiated a global celebration of the first-ever International K-Drama Day, with exclusive content, exciting giveaways and strategic partnerships.
https://www.fortuneindia.com/opinion/...indias-k-drama-economy/115733
February 13, 2024
https://www.bez-kabli.pl/news/en/2024/02/13/...for-o-ran-development/
Telecom is not the quickest at adopting cutting-edge technology. But that doesn’t matter - once again, we will continue our track record of disruption through innovation. We are excited to be working with fellow leading operators in the industry who also want to push the boundaries of what is possible.
Rakuten is now uniquely positioned to succeed amid this new technological wave. Where other organizations will most likely jump on the bandwagon of AI’s mass hype without doing anything meaningful, we will build tools and platforms that reshape telecom.
I hope to build on Rakuten’s already-strong foundations in generative AI. Rakuten has a vast data lake based on its existing ecosystem, to which e-commerce platform Rakuten Ichiba has contributed significantly. Rakuten has the data. We understand the networks. We have some AI use cases already solved in Rakuten Ichiba. Now it’s time to translate those assets into valuable solutions for telecom operators.
https://symphony.rakuten.com/blog/...hul-atris-vision-for-ai-in-telco
From negative 72.6 billion JPY in Q4/22 to only negative 3.6 billion JPY in Q4/23
All segments contributed materially to YoY improvement:
Internet Services Segment Improvement = +18.0 billion JPY
FinTech Segment Improvement = +13.2 billion JPY
Mobile Segment Improvement = +36.6 billion JPY
Consolidated Adjustment Changes = +0.4 billion JPY
Non-GAAP Operating Income aiming to achieve annual profitability in 2024.
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/investors/documents/
Latest IR Materials
Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2023
Q2/22: -16.7 billion JPY
Q3/22: -14.9 billion JPY
Q4/22: 0.9 billion JPY
Q1/23: 3.5 billion JPY
Q2/23: 33.6 billion JPY
Q3/23: 35.6 billion JPY
Q4/23: 75.5 billion JPY
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/investors/documents/
Latest IR Materials
Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2023
FY2024 Bond Refinancing Risk Has Been Addressed: (Feb. 2024)
Raised USD1.8bn of USD Denominated Senior Notes and redeeming USD Denominated Senior Notes maturing in 2024
Investor demand for new USD Denominated Senior Notes exceeded USD10 bn: Showed to have a strong investor base
Self-funding at the consolidated Group level in view for 2024, and aiming to increase free cash flow from 2025 onwards
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/investors/documents/
Latest IR Materials
Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2023
Significant improvement in Mobile Segment FCF
Seek to improve EBITDA materially
Plan to significantly reduce Capex from FY2024
Growing Internet Services FCF Seek continued growth in EBITDA
Seek to shorten cash conversioncycle in the future
Growing CF from FinTech Dividends, managementfees, etc.
(FY2023: JPY 65.7bn)
CF from monetization of assets/businesses if necessary
Mobile’s own funding (Securitization of receivables, etc.)
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/investors/documents/
Latest IR Materials
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