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Tag: Rakuten

  • Rakuten Rolling Out Revolutionary 5G Mobile Network In Japan

    Rakuten Rolling Out Revolutionary 5G Mobile Network In Japan

    Building World’s First Fully Virtualized Cloud-Native Network

    With our new mobile network, all these network services are directly connected to the internet,” says Rakuten founder and CEO Hiroshi Mikitani. “Our firewall is probably much stronger than any other hardware-dependent mobile network. It is a pretty wrong idea that hardware is stronger in terms of security than software. It’s kind of a syndrome.”

    Rakuten is in taking a revolutionary approach to building out Japan’s fourth major mobile. Network. “The journey that we are embarking on in Japan will enable a complete transformation in the telecom infrastructure buildout,” explains Rakuten Mobile Network Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Tareq Amin. “We are building the world’s first end-to-end fully virtualized cloud-native network.” At the Rakuten Technology Conference, last October, Amin said that they are deploying a very different architecture and leveraging Rakuten IT skills.

    “The majority of the telecommunication companies in the world have been on this journey of transformation. And yet I would argue that very little progress has happened to deploy a true end-to-end cloud-native network,” says Amin. “In fact, there is not a single telco in the world that has moved all of its workloads to the cloud. I think Rakuten is going to be the only company in the world that’s going to enable this.”

    Rakuten Mobile Network Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Tareq Amin Announcing New Mobile Network for Japan.

    Last night on CNBC Rakuten CEO Hiroshi Mikitani discussed how the network is set to deploy 5G nationwide in Japan by June 2020:

    Rakuten Rolling Out Revolutionary 5G Mobile Network In Japan

    We are rolling out our 4G network before we launch 5G. We are going to deploy what we call mobile edge computing in Japan. We are going to have over 4,000 edge servers all over Japan. Therefore, we do not have to create a new network for 5G. What we need to do is modify our edge servers a little bit. Our core network throughput is really fast. What we have to do is just add a 5G antenna, which we already have developed together with Qualcomm as well as NEC. We will be rolling out 5G in June 2020.

    As 5G rolls out consumers will understand the benefits. The key is an edge computing. There is a very low latency between your device and edge. It’s just a millisecond latency, so it’s almost like you have artificial intelligence. You hold your own artificial intelligence in your hand. Definitely, the speed is going to be much faster, maybe 1,000 times faster than 4G. Of course, latency is going to be much shorter. So autonomous driving and other autonomous applications are going to be really becoming true.

    Rakuten Rolling Out Revolutionary 5G Mobile Network In Japan, Says Rakuten CEO Hiroshi Mikitani
  • Rakuten Super Logistics To Open 6 New Ecommerce Fulfillment Centers

    Rakuten Super Logistics To Open 6 New Ecommerce Fulfillment Centers

    The recent USPS shipping structure changes will increase retailers shipping costs, says Rakuten CEO Mike Manzione. What Rakuten does is help retailers offset these increases by utilizing a network of order fulfillment centers, thereby controlling shipping costs while decreasing shipping times. “With the change to zone-based pricing for First Class Packages, all clients must reconsider how to locate their product closer to their customers,” says Manzione.

    Mike Manzione, CEO of Rakuten Super Logistics, discusses RSL’s plan to open six additional ecommerce fulfillment centers in 2019:

    Retailers Must Locate Products Closer to Customers

    Our continued expansion into major metropolitan markets is a commitment to our clients. We’re creating a network that provides our clients a greater choice and flexibility that aligns their customer base with their product. With the change to zone-based pricing for First Class Packages, all clients must reconsider how to locate their product closer to their customers.

    By 2021, worldwide retail e-commerce sales are projected to be 4.9 trillion dollars (USD). At the same time, customers are demanding shorter shipping timelines. RSL is uniquely positioned as an industry leader with our nationwide network of fulfillment centers. With our increased major metropolitan presence, RSL will reduce ground transit delivery to within one day.

    RSL To Open 6 New Ecommerce Fulfillment Centers

    Houston and Los Angeles will be our first 2019 expansion markets. The new Houston facility will be strategic for our clients importing product and materials from all over the world – including Brazil and Germany. Los Angeles will be strategically located near the Port of Los Angeles, a major container port. The Los Angeles location will be instrumental for our clients that import product from Asia.

    As a leader in the order fulfillment industry, RSL will also be employing state-of-the-art technology in all six new facilities. In 2018, RSL began deploying ‘order fulfillment robots’, developed by inVia Robotics, in its facilities nationwide and will be expanding with inVia’s automation technology in the new warehouses.

    About Rakuten Super Logistics

    RSL  Fulfillment Centers have been carefully managed from the ground up, to create unique, high-velocity operations:

    • Maintain complete control of your fulfillment with a cloud-based fulfillment management system.
    • Save on shipping costs and expedite shipment times with the 2-Day Delivery Network.
    • Improve customer satisfaction and earn repeat business from shoppers.
    • Focus on your business by partnering with the industry leader in eCommerce order fulfillment.
  • Rakuten CEO: Very Difficult to Use Chinese Venders for a While

    Rakuten CEO: Very Difficult to Use Chinese Venders for a While

    Rakuten CEO Mickey Mikitani says he’s happy he didn’t choose to use Huawei and ZTE. “I kind of sensed the potential risk even if it’s only one percent” said Mikitani. “I told myself actually I cannot take a one percent risk that something may happen to prohibit Chinese network equiptment to be used for the Japanese mobile network. So I decided not to use Huawei or ZTE because of the risk.”

    Mikitani added, “I don’t know what is going to happen to be very honest as far as the telecom industry is concerned, but it is very difficult to use Chinese vendors for a while.”

    Mickey Mikitani, founder, chairman, and CEO of Rakuten, Inc., talks about his fortunate decision not to use Chinese vendors in an interview with Bloomberg Technology:

    Decided Not to Use Huawei or ZTE Because of the Risks

    One thing I can tell you is when we were deciding what kind of network equipment we are going to use I talked with the Japanese government and asked about whether I should use Chinese network equipment or not. They said no problem, use it. But I kind of sensed the potential risk even if it’s only one percent. I told myself actually I cannot take a one percent risk that something may happen to prohibit Chinese network equipment to be used for the Japanese mobile network. So I decided not to use Huawei or ZTE because of the risk.

    Happy I Didn’t Choose Huawei and ZTE

    I don’t know what’s true or not but I’m very happy I didn’t choose them. If I had chosen them that would mean I would need to go back one year and I cannot rush my service. We chose Nokia, but basically we are building our own hardware. We just buy certain hardware from Nokia but maybe in the next generation we’re going to build our own. So it’s a totally different concept.

    We are an IT company integrating and building core network, radio station network, all the technology by ourselves. Versus other telcos which are asking system integrators to integrate everything. I don’t know what is going to happen to be very honest as far as the telecom industry is concerned, but it is very difficult to use Chinese vendors for a while.

  • Pinterest Raises $100 Million at $1.5 Billion Valuation

    Pinterest Raises $100 Million at $1.5 Billion Valuation

    Regardless of varying reports of Pinterest’s growth as of late, the social photo-sharing site was still able to raise $100 million in venture capital, with a valuation of $1.5 billion. Tokyo-based Rakuten, Inc., one of the world’s largest internet companies, contributed $50 million to the latest investment round. Since its inception in 2008, Pinterest was only able to garner about $40 million, and more investors beyond Rakuten and the others who signed on should be announced tonight by CEO Ben Silbermann.

    According to All Things D, while looking for a global strategic investor, Silbermann spoke with many companies in Asia, and went with Rakuten, and according to an insider, “He just really liked them.” Other Pinterest investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners and FirstMark Capital, and other well-known angel investors. Rakuten is one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world, with revenues of $4.7 billion last year, and will help Pinterest to better monetize its pinboards.

    It was recently reported that Pinterest was losing Facebook-connected users, as well as regular users in general. Though other reports document the site’s growth, putting it on par with Facebook in average user time spent on the platform, at 405 minutes per month. Either way, Pinterest is still a relatively new platfrom. Ups and downs can be attributed to mere growing pains.

  • E-reading Company Kobo Sold To Rakuten For $315 Million

    E-reading Company Kobo Sold To Rakuten For $315 Million

    Kobo, makers of e-readers and e-reading apps, announced today that their sale to Rakuten has closed. Rakuten, based in Japan, is a major global marketplace, selling a wide variety of products around the world. The sale was first announced in early November.

    The sale means that Kobo will have a new marketplace for its e-readers, something it desperately needed after Borders, its previous primary retail partner, went out of business. Though hardly one of the big names in the e-reader business, Kobo’s products are generally well-reviewed. Their products include a line of e-readers, as well as e-reading apps for iOS, Android, and Blackberry.

    Kobo saw a remarkable surge during the 2011 holiday season. They gained over a million new users in December. New customers increased 10-fold compared to pre-holiday numbers. Meanwhile, this year saw a 500% increase in eGifting, and a doubling of sales eReaders and eBooks.

    Michael Serbinis, Kobo’s CEO, said that the acquisition by Rakuten “will accelerate our growth internationally, bringing new products, a leading eReading experience and a world class catalogue to passionate readers everywhere.”

    [Source: Kobo Press Release]