Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket
The extended version of the Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF) is to the Linux kernel (and now MS Windows) as Javascript is to a Web browser. eBPF enables programs to run in the kernel of the host operating system and to instrument the kernel without changing the kernel source code. This revolutionary technology allows us to program the kernel safely and dynamically without rebooting or crashing the machine. When Kubernetes (K8s) or other cloud platforms are used for running multiple applications on containerized environments, eBPF provides excellent visibility of all programs running in the user space and policy enforcement capabilities in the kernel space to mitigate vulnerabilities. Also, due to its low overhead, eBPF programs enable us to efficiently simplify the kernel networking stack, reducing latency between end points. eBPF is ideal for Telco cloud as its programs, with little effort, can be made portable between kernel versions and can be updated atomically, avoiding disruption of workloads and the need to reboot nodes in thousands of clusters. Most kernel versions used in production currently do support most relevant eBPF features and more kernel subsystems become extensible using eBPF. Cloud-native architecture is one of the key drivers of eBPF-based applications. An example of a cloud-native radio access network is the Open virtual Radio Access Network (Open vRAN), defined by the O-RAN Alliance,1 and the next generation of mobile communication systems (6G) will inherit all cloud-native architectural and operational principles, including K8s lifecycle management, agility, resilience and observability. This is where eBPF comes into play.
https://assets-global.website-files.com/...Telco_Whitepaper_final.pdf
Intel and Rakuten Power A Revolution in How Mobile Networks Are Built
Last Updated: Feb 27, 2023
By Sushil Rawat
Here are some words you don’t always associate with standard COTS servers for Open RAN:
But Rakuten Symphony Symwar product was not just any Open RAN distributed unit (DU). When it was introduced in 2022, it was designed to power the Open RAN revolution while standing apart in its features, performance and industrial design.
At MWC Barcelona, Rakuten Symphony is announcing its latest version, the Symware 2.0 server for Open RAN distributed unit (DU) applications. If you think its aesthetics make a statement, just wait until you read more about what’s inside.
Symware 1.0 server first debuted at the 2022 MWC Barcelona. Powered by an Intel Xeon D Processor the server is now generally available and shipping to mobile network operators worldwide. It is installed in the Rakuten Mobile 4G and 5G networks in Japan with more than 30,000 units being deployed. In addition to its sleek lines, the product is hardened and sized for deployment on utility poles, buildings and remote cabinets.
Symware 2.0 Next Generation Platform Debuts at MWC Barcelona
At this year’s MWC Barcelona Rakuten Symphony and Intel are showing off the new and improved Symware 2.0 product. One big change is that there are two Symware 2.0 variants: an outdoor model that has been made even more compact than the first generation and an indoor model that is designed for 19” rack in data centers and, due to its shorter depth, it is also well-suited for short-depth racks found in outdoor cabinets.
Both models have extensive automation capabilities that enable remote zero touch provisioning and life cycle management minimizing human installation and updating time and reducing total cost of ownership for MNOs.
Both models also include integrated cell site routing with Class C timing support and up to 24hrs hold over time.
For pole or building deployments, the outdoor unit has an IP67 enclosure that can be installed without a cabinet. The outdoor model is fan-less with an option to add fans , supports fiber connectivity, and can be used in both greenfield and brownfield deployments.
Symware 2.0 server is powered by Intel
Symware 2.0 platform was developed by Rakuten Symphony in collaboration with Intel. The latest version of the product is powered by 4th Gen. Intel Xeon Scalable processor that have specific performance and acceleration features for 5G and cloud-based network applications to improve network performance, energy efficiency, and reduce total cost of ownership (TCO).
Specifically, Symware 2.0 server makes use of the 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Edge Enhanced (SPR EE) with Intel vRAN Boost device. This CPU has specialized vRAN accelerator built in so it can boost capacity without the power and space needed for a discrete accelerator. With 32Core SPR EE CPU, Symware 2.0 supports 27 sectors which 3x the capacity of the first-generation product with a smaller form factor.
Reduced Power Consumption
As a result of 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Edge Enhanced (SPR EE) with Intel vRAN Boost CPU, the power consumption per sector in Symware 2.0 has decreased by 50% compared to the first-generation product. This reduction not only improves efficiency and cost-effectiveness but also has a positive impact on sustainability by significantly decreasing energy consumption and reducing the network's carbon footprint.
In addition, Symware 2.0 platform utilizes the Intel FlexRAN Reference Architecture for PHY-level wireless access.
The Symware 2.0 product also supports open standards for fronthaul connectivity allowing customers to choose their own radio vendors and utilize different vendors based on the application.
See Symware 2.0 server at MWC Barcelona
When it comes to Symware 2.0 product, seeing is believing and I encourage you to stop by our booth (#2D46) as well as the Intel booth (#3E31) at MWC Barcelona to experience the next generation of RAN technology.
Our show theme is Mobile as a Software and we’ll be demonstrating ways to take the cost out of mobile networks. We’ll have experience zones to share our knowledge, a booth theater, partners in the booth demonstrating their products and a separate partner programme discussing technologies that are disrupting the industry. In addition, several of our executives will take the stage to discuss security, supply chain, ecosystems, metaverse and Open RAN. More details on all of our activities at MWC Barcelona are available on our website.
Symware 2.0 platform joins Open RAN as revolutions in technology that are changing the mobile network. Its sophisticated design communicates the thoughtful functionality, performance, and features that make it the right product to be the foundation of your 4G and 5G Open RAN.
https://networkbuilders.intel.com/blog/...w-mobile-networks-are-built
“Rakuten Mobile Business Plan” offers three plans to suit monthly data usage needs - Includes unlimited calls in Japan and international calls options
March 1, 2023, Tokyo, Japan – Rakuten Mobile, Inc. announced the “Rakuten Mobile Business Plan”, a mobile phone carrier service for business customers. To suit all business customer needs, the new service offers different price plans based on monthly data usage and includes unlimited calls in Japan and options for international calls.
The 4G/5G service is available with a choice of three price plans based on monthly data usage (voice calls + data) *1, *2. The three plans are: 1,980 yen (2,178 yen including tax) for monthly data up to 3GB, 2,380 yen (2,618 yen including tax) for up to 5GB and 2,780 yen (3,058 yen including tax) for up to 30GB*3, *4. While away on business, users can also use monthly data overseas of 1GB, 1.5GB or 2GB for each of the three plans*5.
Rakuten Mobile Business Plan customers will also be able to use the Rakuten Link Office app, the business version of the Rakuten Link communication app provided to individual Rakuten Mobile customers*6. This app enables unlimited free domestic calls to fixed lines and free SMS, as well as free SMS and calls to Japan from overseas locations*7, *8.
Rakuten Mobile also offers my Rakuten Mobile Office, a dedicated subscriber website for managing business subscriptions, including convenient features all in one place, from downloading bills to checking on voice calls and data usage, changing contract plans and adding new options.
Rakuten Mobile fully launched its mobile phone carrier service in April 2020 with the aim of democratizing the mobile industry. The company created the world’s first*9 end-to-end fully virtualized mobile network, dramatically cutting network costs and providing a simple and inexpensive price plan.
Now, with the launch of the Rakuten Mobile Business Plan, Rakuten Mobile is offering simple-to-use plans for businesses too – suiting a range of business needs in Japan and overseas. With a limited release in July 2022 ahead of full launch, this service is already in use by around 400 businesses*10 across a wide range of industries, allowing them to reduce their mobile phone costs and select plans to suit their usage profile.
https://corp.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/english/news/...20230301_01_lang_en
San Jose City, Kalifornien und Barcelona, Spanien, 2. März 2023
Mit Rakuten Symphony werden flexible, skalierbare und auf offenen Standards basierende 5 G-Netzwerke mithilfe von Supermicro Application Optimized Servers einfacher implementiert und aktualisiert.
Supermicro, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMCI), ein kompletter IT-Lösungsanbieter für Cloud, KI/ML, Speicher und 5G/Edge, kündigt eine enge Zusammenarbeit mit Rakuten Symphony an, um die nächste Generation von Servern und Speichersystemen für eine breite Palette von Arbeitslasten bereitzustellen. Als wichtiger Kooperationspartner von Rakuten Symphony stellen die beiden Unternehmen Betreibern Pläne für cloudbasierte mobile Dienste zur Verfügung, die modernste Server und Netzwerkarchitekturen nutzen und Betreibern weltweit eine einfach zu implementierende Lösung bieten. Darüber hinaus kann Rakuten Symphony schnell Open RAN-Lösungen mit zeitnahem technischen Support und Beratung anbieten.
Mobilfunkanbieter weltweit sehen sich bei der Übernahme von Open RAN mit mehreren Herausforderungen konfrontiert, einschließlich dem Aufbau neuer Hochleistungsnetze von Grund auf, neuer Arten von Komponenten, die Investitionen und Zeit für die Einarbeitung erfordern, einer anderen Art der Skalierung und Absicherung dieser Netze sowie der Abwägung der Kompromisse zwischen verschiedenen Technologien. Mit Rakuten Symphony, das vordefinierte und getestete Server von Supermicro nutzt, steht eine hochleistungsfähige, kostengünstige, optimierte und sichere Lösung bereit, um dem wachsenden Trend hin zur mobilen Kommunikation und Datengenerierung am Rande des Netzwerks gerecht zu werden. Der Supermicro's Building Block-Ansatz für das Serverdesign ermöglicht die schnelle Zertifizierung und Nutzung einer breiten Palette von Servern für spezifische Workloads.
https://www.presseportal.de/pm/63529/5454199
Beim Mobile World Congress in Barcelona werden die Global Mobile Awards an Etablierte und Newcomer vergeben. Europa geht nahezu leer aus.
2. März 2023, 13:40 Uhr, Achim Sawall
Rakuten gewinnt bei bester Netzwerksoftware und Cloud
Ebenfalls stark schnitt das auf Open-RAN-Produkte spezialisierte japanische Unternehmen Rakuten ab, das die Jury in der Kategorie Bester Durchbruch im Bereich Netzwerksoftware überzeugen konnte und gegen Cohere Technologies aus den USA sowie zwei nominierte Huawei-Produkte gewann. Auch der Preis für die beste Cloudlösung ging an Rakuten.
https://www.golem.de/news/...en-bei-mobilfunk-oscars-2303-172317.html
Hilal Azmi, Ibrahim Sani Mac 2, 2023 10:06 MYT
Barcelona: Axiata Enterprise, a business solutions company of Axiata Group Berhad and Rakuten Symphony today announced an agreement that will see Rakuten Symphony supply and deliver private network telecommunications services.
This service is across Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Indonesia.
https://www.astroawani.com/berita-bisnes/...s-network-services-408924
MARCH 2, 2023 BY AKIM BENAMARA
Zain KSA and Rakuten Symphony have announced that they have signed an MoU in an effort to develop a next generation telecom network.
Rakuten Symphony and Zain KSA announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enable strategic collaboration in building next-generation telecommunications networks based on open standards and network infrastructure provided by Rakuten Symphony.
Under the terms of the MoU, Rakuten Symphony and Zain KSA will collaborate to accelerate the delivery of mobile network services through the use of open technology that will facilitate and revolutionize wireless infrastructure, with the potential to deliver cost-effective solutions in a quick and efficient manner. Rakuten will work with Zain KSA on a blueprint for a cloud-native, fully virtualized, new-generation radio access solution architecture, which will be Open RAN 4G and 5G-based with advanced automation capabilities.
The signing of this MoU is in alignment with Zain KSA’s digital-first strategy and its goal of accelerating the inclusive digital transformation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia while driving business growth and scaling up user experiences through a wide range of applications across sectors.
https://www.techafricanews.com/2023/03/02/...a-nex-gen-telco-network/
By: AuthorMirko Parlevliet
Posted onPublished: March 3, 2023
Spring is here and the Rakuten Viki March 2023 lineup is blossoming with must-see Asian content! Headlining the month of March is The Secret Romance Guest House, a Korean drama that follows Yoon Dan Oh as she works with guests at Ihwawon Inn to help solve the mystery of a guest who disappeared over a decade before.
Debuting later in the month is Japanese drama Unexpected – Love Story in Maison Ginseiso, quirky comedy Delivery Man, and Road Home, a Chinese drama about lovers who reconnect to find their road home.
https://www.vitalthrills.com/rakuten-viki-march-2023/
Why telecom’s hopes and dreams hinge on software
March 03, 2023
At a pivotal moment for telecoms, Rakuten Symphony unveils the revolutionary future offered by a Mobile-as-a-Software mindset & modular technology
Cast your mind back over the last forty years of evolution in telecoms – a considerable amount has changed in this time, right?
Though this may appear to be the case, what with the development of mobile phones themselves, the critical layers upon which such evolution has been predicated have actually remained pretty much, well, the same. After all, if it isn’t broken, why fix it?
But it’s this attitude that has the industry trapped in a vice-like grip, reliant on arduously clunky hardware-based systems that should, by now, have been relegated to the past.
With the very nature of mobile services ripe for a revolutionary reimagination, then, Rakuten Symphony was born. Functioning as the telecoms arm of the Rakuten Group – a strategic B2B, digital bank and ecommerce and digital contents group with more than 1.7 billion members worldwide – its entire premise is based on one radical decision: choosing not to build its mobile network on legacy hardware.
https://mobile-magazine.com/company-reports/...eams-hinge-on-software
Kostendruck und Inflation führten im letzten Jahr dazu, dass auch viele Unternehmen den Gürtel enger schnallten. Bei manch einem wurde da auch in Sachen Marketing gespart, schließlich kostet dieses vor allem Geld und setzt nur bedingt selbst welches um. Doch laut Loewenthal ist genau in solchen Zeiten Affiliate Marketing die beste Möglichkeit, um mit geringem Risiko dennoch Umsätze zu sichern.
Wie genau das abläuft und wie Publisher das Risiko minimieren, erzählt er im Podcast mit Ricarda Eichler.
https://www.onlinehaendler-news.de/...ting-praktisch-aeltesten-themen
March 2, 2023
Riyadh, Barcelona and Tokyo, March 2, 2023
Salam and Rakuten Symphony today announced the signing of a strategic alliance framework agreement that will see Rakuten Symphony provide Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) and network planning, implementation and operation services to the Saudi-based telco (Salam).
This strategic alliance lays the foundations for Rakuten Symphony to provide its innovative and state-of-the-art software, hardware, service delivery platforms and managed services in mutually agreed growth areas including but not limited to e-commerce, fintech, online and mobile banking, gaming, streaming, digital content, OTT platform, the metaverse, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence.
The signing was honored by the attendance of Eng. Bassam Al-Bassam, Deputy Minister, Telecom & Infrastructure, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology Saudi Arabia, ensuring the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be a leading country in adopting and developing advanced technologies under the objectives of the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030.
Salam is a home-grown Saudi success story operating one of the region’s most established telecom networks since 2005. It provides market-leading next-generation enterprise and wholesale ICT solutions for business, government and local and international carriers, as well as fixed and mobile services for Saudi Arabia’s new digital generation. Salam was named the fastest growing and most innovative Saudi telco brand in 2022, driven by its commitment to play an active role in the Kingdom’s digital transformation journey.
https://symphony.rakuten.com/newsroom/...-in-saudi-arabia-and-the-gcc
A Mission to Modernize and Monetize the World's Networks
March 01, 2023
On this episode of The Six Five – CXO, u/Patrick Moorhead and u/Daniel Newman welcome Sachin Katti, SVP and GM of the Network and Edge Group at u/Intel, Martin Lund, SVP of Telco, Ops and Private 5G at u/Microsoft, and Tareq Amin, CEO and CTO of u/Rakuten Mobile/Rakuten Symphony, Inc.
Their discussion covers:
Focusing network upgrades toward performance, energy efficiency, and flexibility of choice
Catalyzing virtualization with their ecosystem partners
Streamlining network upgrades, while driving down platform complexity and cost
The factors that contribute to the complexity of service delivery
How Intel is helping operators navigate their cloud-native journeys, both modernizing and monetizing their networks
It’s a great conversation, and one you won’t want to miss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp7T01nP2Yc&t=34s
Symware 2.0 server is the company’s latest next-generation distributed unit server designed with commercial off the shelf (COTS) components.
The platform offers three times the capacity of previous generation platform in smaller form factor and power envelope resulting in a new level of energy efficiency.
Integrated Multi-Service Cell Site Routing capabilities, with Class C precision timing and syncE support.
Performance comes from new 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors with Intel vRAN Boost, an integrated vRAN L1 accelerator.
Symware 2.0 models include an outdoor server with an IP67 enclosure, and a telco cloud version designed for datacentre environments.
Symware 2.0 is offered by Rakuten Symphony RAN Business Division.
https://www.telecomtv.com/content/open-ran/...-3x-ran-capacity-46810/
“The idea to move the entire mobile architecture into a software-centric platform isn’t a small evolution. It's a revolution of how networks are engineered, built, and architected based on new, modern cloud architecture, in which Open RAN is just one pillar of the many things that we have done,” says Tareq Amin, CEO and CTO of Rakuten Symphony.
https://mobile-magazine.com/company-reports/...eams-hinge-on-software
A 30-episode adaptation of the celebrated science-fiction novel “The Three-Body Problem” is premiering simultaneously in China and on the American streamer Rakuten Viki.
The highly acclaimed trilogy of Chinese science-fiction novels collectively known as “Three-Body,” in which Earth is threatened with invasion by technologically superior aliens, is generally understood to reflect historical Chinese anxieties about Western domination. Which makes it a little amusing that, 17 years after the story was first serialized, the books are about to get more attention than ever because of a big-budget American adaptation, due later this year on Netflix. Comments about appropriation and cultural sensitivity will start to pour in minutes after the episodes are posted.
In the meantime, little attention is being paid in the United States to an ambitious Chinese series, “Three-Body,” that has beaten Netflix’s “3 Body Problem” to the screen. No trade barriers or worries about state secrets here: The 30 episodes of “Three-Body” are premiering on Rakuten Viki in the United States, with subtitles in English (among many other languages), on the same day they appear in China, where they are reportedly setting viewing records for Tencent’s WeTV streaming service. Outside of the sci-fi fan base, however, they don’t appear to be causing a ripple in America. (The 21st episode arrived on Friday; early episodes can be watched free with ads.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/03/arts/...ion/three-body-review.html
After failing to evolve alongside the global technological landscape for the past few decades, telecoms has proven slow to change, to drive forward, and to differentiate. This has led to declining revenues and returns amid increasing costs and competition, placing the industry in a precarious position.
Meanwhile, across this same 40-year period, cellular networks and enterprise IT have undergone multiple stages of evolution to reach where they are today – so why is it that progress for the infrastructure itself has stymied? One suggestion is the sheer amount of capital invested in data centre real-estate; another is a collective lack of understanding regarding the cloud. Amin had his own ideas.
https://mobile-magazine.com/company-reports/...eams-hinge-on-software
While consumer devices have evolved substantially since the invention of the 1G mobile network in the 80s, the fundamental foundation of these networks has never changed. They are still run on proprietary hardware, have a strong hardware dependency, require long lead times to build, and bring extremely high operational complexity.
https://mobile-magazine.com/company-reports/...eams-hinge-on-software
2023/02/26
At Rakuten Ichiba, a high point return campaign “Shopping Marathon” will be held from March 21, 2023 (Tuesday) 20:00 to March 28 (Tuesday) 1:59.
If you use "shop shopping", you can earn up to 10 times the points just by shopping. There is also a chance of up to 44 times the points if you combine the point-up settings of each shop. It is attractive that you can get points even for products that are difficult to discount, such as cosmetics and books.
https://www.roomie.jp/2023/01/954263/?lang=en
https://payment.rakuten.co.jp/news/2023030300/
Digital shoppers courted by Rakuten
Since a lot of digital shoppers will be watching the Super Bowl, ecommerce brand Rakuten is taking the opportunity to boost brand awareness with a nostalgic campaign featuring 90s star Alicia Silverstone.
“The goal of the campaign is to show consumers how easy it is to save with Rakuten while shopping all their favorite brands,” said Vicki McRae, SVP of brand, creative and communications at Rakuten.
She added, “Last year we had a Super Bowl ad that was a big brand awareness play. We saw great success with that ad, seeing a four-point increase in brand awareness. This year we’re building on that momentum, while still benefiting from the brand awareness that comes with the Super Bowl, and we’re taking it a layer deeper. We want to explain to shoppers what is that we do, and how we can help them save.
Rakuten’s approach this year is to “span across multiple pieces of content before and after the Big Game for sustained storytelling and reach,” said Michael Knott, Rakuten’s senior director, brand media.
The content includes the 30-second game day spot, a 60-second extended cut on YouTube, and a 15-second retargeting ad that will air after the Super Bowl. The campaign will be extended through other digital ads on paid social, display, paid search and affiliate partners, as well as through email and Rakuten-owned social channels, running throughout Q1.
“There is a lot of noise during the Super Bowl and brands will fight for attention in the weeks leading up to, and during, the game,” said Matt Conlin, Chief Customer Officer at performance marketing company Fluent. “It’s what you do after the game that matters. Leverage the brand equity gained during the Super Bowl to your benefit in the weeks that follow to re-engage consumers and drive conversions.”
https://martech.org/...uten-are-approaching-the-super-bowl-this-year/