Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket

As WhatsApp users lose faith, Israel-founded Viber sees a boost
Viber’s CEO, Djamel Agaoua, has not shied away from slamming WhatsApp’s update.

By ARIEL SHAPIRA
JANUARY 25, 2021 12:30

Now that people are hurrying to remove WhatsApp from their phones after changes in the app’s privacy policy, millions have already moved to messaging apps like Signal, Telegram, and the Israel-founded app Rakuten Viber.

Viber told The Jerusalem Post it saw growth of up to 29% in some regions in the period between January 6 and 11 compared with the previous week, before WhatsApp’s announcement that it would share user data with Facebook. In stark contrast with WhatsApp, Viber was among the companies that spearheaded last year’s #StopHateForProfit boycott against Facebook for its inability to combat hate speech, cutting all ties with the social media giant. The app pulled all advertising from Facebook and its sister app Instagram, while also removing all Facebook technology from its platform.

www.jpost.com/opinion/...el-founded-viber-sees-a-boost-656567

Rakuten Viber continues its impressive performance in APAC region in 2020

Viber, one of the world’s leading apps for free and easy communication, has recorded an overall increase in app usage across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region in 2020, a year marked by massive changes on how people communicate and interact with each other.

www.mmtimes.com/news/...ive-performance-apac-region-2020.html

Rakuten adds to its international rollcall of suppliers for more automation

03 NOVEMBER 2020

France’s Infovista join the Japanese cloud-native operator with global ambitions

French company Infovista describes itself as “the leading provider of network planning, testing, performance and application control solutions”.

It said it is collaborating with Rakuten Mobile “to deliver the first carrier-grade, cloud-based platform for radio network planning, optimisation and modelling to support the rapid roll-out of Rakuten Mobile’s end-to-end cloud-native 5G mobile network across Japan”.

Integrated planning on-demand

The strategic radio network planning solution, made available as Rakuten Communications Platform (RCP) NEO by Rakuten Mobile, is intended to directly contribute to the agility, high performance and scalability of the cloud-native network.

Infovista said this “on-demand” radio network planning solution was built for deployment in Rakuten Mobile’s RCP, and uses microservices architecture with open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).

It will enable Rakuten Mobile’s engineering teams to use advanced planning and design features to reduce the time and cost of network deployment, through extensive automation and integration with other applications within RCP.

Planetary solution

The solution is based Infovista’s award-winning Planet software: the joint solution runs entirely on Linux and all microservices are delivered as Docker containers for high availability and scalability, and to readily integrate into the orchestration and automation provided by RCP.

These capabilities allow Rakuten Mobile to manage its planning database, automatically generate coverage, interference, throughput and other analysis and, in turn, enable capabilities such as auto-commissioning of sites and automation of other workflows.

www.mobileeurope.co.uk/press-wire/...al-rollcall-of-suppliers

to monitor services end-to-end.

RADCOM offers monitoring tech for cloud-native networks. The company announced will implement its containerised assurance solution, RADCOM ACE, and its load-balancing wizardry to provide automated, end-to-end assurance for Rakuten Mobile’s recently launched Non-Stand Alone (NSA) 5G service and its Stand Alone (SA) 5G service launch, expected in 2021.

Eyal Harari, CEO of RADCOM, said, "Following a successful partnership during Rakuten Mobile's full-scale commercial launch of the world's first fully virtualized mobile network, we are excited to also support their 5G launch".

www.mobileeurope.co.uk/press-wire/...al-rollcall-of-suppliers

Jeden Herbst führt mThink die größte Umfrage in der Performance-Marketing-Branche durch, um das führende Affiliate-Netzwerke zu ermitteln. Mehr als 25.000 Advertiser, Publisher und Agenturen werden gebeten, ihre Top Cost-per-Sale (CPS) Affiliate-Netzwerke zu wählen. Die Ergebnisse dieser Umfrage werden auch einem Gremium von Branchenexperten zur Einsicht und Bewertung vorgelegt. Die im Ranking bewerteten Unternehmen sind Branchenführer, die überragenden Kundenservice, Professionalität und konsistenten ROI bieten. Bei der Umfrage werden für die Blue Book Top-20-Liste fast 400 Netzwerke in Betracht gezogen.

„Es ist uns eine Ehre, dass unsere Kunden und Partner uns zum zehnten Mal in Folge als bestes Affiliate-Netzwerk ausgezeichnet haben“, sagte Nick Stamos, CEO von Rakuten Advertising. „Besonders in einem Jahr, das für Händler in allen Branchen so herausfordernd war, danken wir den Advertisern und Publishern, die unsere starken Partnerschaften in dem letzten Jahrzehnt anerkannt haben und unsere Agilität, mit der wir ihnen geholfen haben, sich unter herausfordernden Marktbedingungen zu behaupten“.

„Im Laufe des nächsten Jahres wird Rakuten Advertising erheblich in neue, personalisierte Möglichkeiten für Advertiser und Publisher investieren, um ihre Zielgruppen zu erreichen“, erklärt Stamos weiter. „Die Partnerschaft mit Rakuten Advertising verschafft Advertisern und Publishern Zugang zu Insights aus dem gesamten globalen Rakuten Netzwerk. Auf diese Weise können sie personalisiertes und tiefgreifendes Engagement mit ihren Marken erzielen. Zudem freuen wir uns sehr auf die neuen KI-gestützte Lösungen, die wir 2021 einführen werden, um unseren Kunden und Partnern noch bessere Geschäftsergebnisse zu liefern.“

blog.rakutenadvertising.com/de-de/news/...affiliate-netzwerk/

Outraged by WhatsApp’s privacy update, Viber’s CEO calls on users to seek alternatives
January, 11, 2021

Rakuten Viber, one of the world’s leading apps for free and easy communication, expresses outrage over WhatsApp’s latest privacy update. While in the past WhatsApp users could opt-out of the app sharing their number with Facebook, going forward, it will be mandatory. Users must agree to the new terms within 30 days, or they won’t be able to use their accounts.

To understand the slippery slope WhatsApp users are in, we suggest going back to WhatsApp Co-Founder Brian Acton’s interview with Parmy Olsen for Forbes in 2018. There he discusses the reasoning behind his departure and his tweet in which he advised people to delete their Facebook: “I sold my users’ privacy to a larger benefit. I made a choice and a compromise. And I live with that every day.”

With its latest update, WhatsApp completed its assimilation into Facebook. As Facebook and Whatsapp become one, the messaging app’s users are being monetized to a larger extent than before, and this should be alarming for those seeking private messaging.

bizenglish.adaderana.lk/...alls-on-users-to-seek-alternatives/

Rakuten Card Annual Gross Transaction Value for FY2020 Exceeds 11 Trillion Yen
- Rakuten Card grows to a record 21 million cardholders

Tokyo, January 28, 2021 - Rakuten Card Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Rakuten, Inc., today announced that its annual card gross transaction value for FY2020 (January-December) reached a record 11 trillion yen. In November 2020, the number of Rakuten Card cardholders exceeded 21 million, with 1 million new cardholders joining during the preceding five months. This matches the record-breaking five-month time span achieved in January 2020.

For the 2020 fiscal year, Rakuten Card's gross transaction value exceeded 11 trillion yen, an increase of more than 20% year-over-year*1. This achievement is the result of a steady increase in the number of Rakuten Card cardholders, as well as an increase in the use of Rakuten Ichiba and other e-commerce services. The trend toward cashless transactions due to growing demand for contactless payment options for everyday purchases further contributed to this achievement.

global.rakuten.com/corp/news/update/2021/0128_01.html

günstiger als der Rest der Börsen.

https://www.ariva.de/rakuten-aktie/kurs

If we compare the data with the countries from the neighborhood – digital privacy is the most important for users from Serbia. Most people consider this topic especially important – and is the leading country in the region when it comes to it – for as many as 92% of Viber users, while the average in the region of Central and Eastern Europe is just over 80%.

In addition, 79% of users worldwide say they would change their messaging app if they felt their privacy was compromised.

“This survey showed us that privacy should never suffer because of anything else, especially at a time when the fear of eavesdropping on private conversations for profit is growing,” said Jamel Agaoua, CEO of Rakuten Viber, adding: “Because Data privacy is paramount to our users, it is also an absolute priority for us, and we will continue to provide people around the world with a platform where they can safely conduct private conversations. ”

tekdeeps.com/...st-important-for-92-of-viber-users-in-serbia/

Viber In 2020: Focus On Business (Infographic)

Selina Davis
2 days ago

Rakuten Viber summed up the results of 2020 and spoke about how brands communicated with their audience via the program.

What Is Known

So, due to the pandemic, businesses have started to actively switch to electronic tools for interacting with clients. Therefore, the amount of brands that began using Viber to solve business issues has grown internationally by 58 percent compared to 2019. At the exact same time, companies preferred more messages regarding trades (order confirmation, delivery of products, etc.) than promotional messages (promotions and special offers).

Also because of the high demand for communicating with brands on the internet, customers have begun to use more two-way communications (dialogues)… Naturally, the desire to interact with consumers has also resulted in an increase in the amount of businesses that advertise on Viber. All over the entire world their number increased by 115%. In Ukraine, the index increased by 65%. Most frequently, advertising tools were used by developers of mobile games (122 percent over last year), food delivery services (174 percent ) and social media (244%).

Over the last year, the amount of companies which use chatbots has increased by 48%. In Ukraine, this figure was 25%.

gizmonova.com/viber-in-2020-focus-on-business-infographic/

“We’re looking to drive automation across all the facets of telecom functions from planning to building, building to operation and operation to support,” Gupta continues. “Through collaborative efforts and an innovative mindset, we want to build the first completely autonomous network and take what we learn to the global market.”

Taking the platform global with RCP

In the summer of 2020, Rakuten Mobile announced that it would be taking its cutting-edge tech global in the form of the Rakuten Communications Platform.

While telecom operators have traditionally relied on expensive hardware vendors to construct and maintain their complex network infrastructure, Rakuten’s software-centric approach enables it to employ non-proprietary hardware, allowing it to work with more affordable off-the-shelf network solutions.

Through RCP, operators around the world can take advantage of this model and start to break free of the shackles of decades-old infrastructure. The goal is also to drive down the cost for smaller operators who want to build their own scalable networks without the need for custom hardware.
Leveraging advanced OSS (operational support systems), BSS (business support systems), automation, and orchestration technology solutions, InnoEye is helping Rakuten Mobile achieve its global vision.

The RCP initiative is another place where the support of InnoEye has been crucial. “InnoEye is providing core development for RCP,” Gupta says. “We are bringing our platforms and associated applications to accelerate the whole RCP development and maturity.”

“InnoEye’s portfolio actually acted as a base layer for RCP,” Atri explains further. After years of building and developing together, it was clear that InnoEye’s proven expertise was too good to pass up. “It now had OSS, it was cloud-native, but it also had automation and other applications that are required for any operator, and not just in the telecom industry.”

Gupta isn’t shy about voicing his ambitions for a futuristic network. “We want to play a key role in the journey of transforming the overall industry,” the InnoEye CEO says. “Joining hands with Rakuten provides us with a unique ability to contribute towards this large industry movement and create a highly innovative cloud-based communication platform that is open, scalable, and highly secure.”

rakuten.today/blog/innoeye-delivers-for-rakuten-mobile.html

In Bangladesh, Viber has witnessed a 72 percent growth in activations versus last year.

All of these makes 2020 one of Viber’s strongest years in its 10-year history as specific markets in the APAC region like Bangladesh also logged notable growth rates when data from January 2020 and December 2020 are compared.

In Bangladesh, Viber has witnessed a 72 percent growth in activations versus last year. Based on the numbers logged on Viber, it seemed that Bangladeshis spent more time on Viber Communities last year as users who viewed Communities jumped up to 149 percent and messages sent to Communities grew by 116 percent.

They were also texting, audio calls, video calling, and using chat extensions more. Viber has witnessed an increase in Video Calls by 40 percent and usage of Chat Extension by 47 percent.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a Viber chatbot that answers some of the people’s pressing questions on the coronavirus. UNICEF Bangladesh, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, and ICT Division have created their own Viber Chatbot and Community to provide crucial information about the country.

www.daily-sun.com/printversion/details/...ance-in-APAC-region

2021 Japan Contact Center Customer Value Leadership Award Rakuten Communication

www.thenfapost.com/2021/01/02/...cos-for-industry-excellence/

Rakuten Communications erhält Frost & Sullivan 2021 Best Practices Award
27. Januar 2021

Rakuten Communications wurde im Bereich contact center solutions für die allgemeine Fortschrittlichkeit, das Wachstum und die Kundenerfahrung von Rakuten Connect Storm, das flexibel Know-how und fortschrittliche Technologien wie KI durch die Cloud bietet, ausgezeichnet.

Seit April 2018 bietet Rakuten Communications Rakuten Connect Storm an, eine äußerst zuverlässige Contact Center-Plattform für Unternehmen und Unterstützungs mittels dx für Unternehmen. Es bietet die Vielseitigkeit der Plattform, Omnichannel-Unterstützung für die Anpassung an eine breite Palette von Kommunikationsmethoden wie Chat, zusätzlich zu Telefonanrufen und E-Mails, und flexible Skalierbarkeit entsprechend der Größe des Contact Centers. Im Juni 2020 begannen wir mit der Bereitstellung von "Home Contact Center-Paketen", um die Heimnutzung von Contact Centern zu unterstützen. Wir unterstützen den Bau einer Umgebung für Home Contact Center mit Blick auf „With Corona“ und „After Corona“.

Krishna Baidiya, Forschungsdirektorin für Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific ICT Customer Contact Research Director, kommentierte die Auszeichnung so: "Rakuten Communications hat ein tiefes Verständnis für eine Vielzahl von Bedürfnissen basierend auf seinem Know-how. Darüber hinaus kombiniert das Unternehmen geschickt Cloud-basierte Contact Center-Systeme und Kommunikationstechnologie und ist damit seit langem ein zuverlässiger One-Stop-Service-Provider.“

Rakuten Communications wird weiterhin darauf abzielen, durch die Entwicklung innovativer Dienstleistungen, die Spitzen-Technologien kombinieren, einen Mehrwert zu schaffen, der den

comm.rakuten.co.jp/news/2021/20210127.html

New price-plan of Rakuten Mobile could come tomorrow

Rakuten Mobile Data 20 giga or less to reduce prices to compete with major companies
28.1.2021, 16:53:03

Rakuten Mobile is making final adjustments in the direction of gradually reducing the charge according to the actual usage when the data usage is 20 giga or less.

It seems that the aim is to compete with the new rate plans launched by the three major companies.
Rakuten Mobile currently has a monthly charge of 2980 yen with no limit on data usage, but according to the people concerned, a new plan has been introduced that gradually reduces the charge according to the actual data usage. It turned out that we are making.

Specifically, from April, if the amount of data used exceeds 3 GB and is up to 20 GB, it will be reduced to 1980 yen, if it exceeds 1 GB and up to 3 GB, it will be 980 yen, and from zero to 1 GB will be free. We are considering in the direction.

If it exceeds 20 gigabytes, the amount of data used will be unlimited and will continue to be 2980 yen.
Rakuten seems to have the aim of competing with other major companies by lowering the charges for users with relatively low data usage, and will announce a new price plan on the 29th. ..

www.tellerreport.com/business/...panies-%0A--.HkSDyRLlgd.html

nicht das Gelbe vom Ei für die Ertragskraft eines Unternehmens. Es stellt sich allerdings die Frage, ob das überhaupt eine Preissenkung ist, wenn die ersten drei Millionen erreicht sind und das Freijahr ausläuft, wovon wir nicht mehr allzuweit entfernt sein dürften.

Dass die Sache mit dem Einheitspreis und der unbegrenzten Nutzung ein Werbegag ist, war mir  von Anfang an klar und nur zu machen, weil die Konkurrenz für Wenignutzer zum Zeitpunkt der Bekanntgabe des Einheitspreises selbst für Wenignutzer noch teurer war. Aber Wenignutzer zu niedrigen Preisen, die man sonst nicht erreichen würde, sind immer noch besser als keine, da Rakuten Mobile nach meiner Einschätzung fast ausschließlich Fixkosten hat und die Grenzkosten gegen Null tendieren dürften. Und wenn man damit Kunden erreicht, die bisher keine Rakuten-ID haben, ergeben sich dadurch zudem Synergie-Effekt zu den anderen Angeboten von Rakuten.

in Anbetracht des Aufbaus eines eigenen Mobilfunk-Netzes okay:

www.finanzen.net/nachricht/aktien/...sten-quartal-vor-9743625

Der Nachrichtensender CNN ist ab sofort Teil des kostenlosen AVoD-Dienstes von Rakuten TV und fortan über Samsung TV Plus zu empfangen. Der Deal gilt für Deutschland und Großbritannien.

Die Video-on-Demand-Plattform Rakuten TV verbreitet neuerdings das Programm von CNN International über Samsung TV Plus in Deutschland und Großbritannien. Der englischsprachige Nachrichtenkanal ist hier bereits seit einigen Tagen zu empfangen. Die Plattform erweitert damit ihr Angebot an kostenlosen News-Inhalten im werbefinanzierten AVoD-Bereich.

www.dwdl.de/nachrichten/81271/...nn_auf_smarttvs_von_samsung/

Bei der Umsatzsteigerung bin ich ein klein wenig optimistischer als die in der Quelle in #6216  genannten 13,07% -

"Rakuten soll das vergangene Quartal mit einem Umsatz von insgesamt 404,97 Milliarden JPY abgeschlossen haben – davon gehen 5 Analysten durchschnittlich aus. Das entspricht einer Umsatzsteigerung von 13,07 Prozent im Vergleich zum Vorjahresviertel, in dem 358,15 Milliarden JPY erwirtschaftet worden waren."

Umsatzschätzung und Marktkapitalisierung sind fast identisch, was auf ein für einen Internetkonzern extrem niedriges Kurs-Umsatz-Verhältnis von 1 hinausläuft

„Den Umsatz sehen 14 Analysten durchschnittlich bei 1.452,94 Milliarden JPY, gegenüber 1.263,93 Milliarden JPY im entsprechend vorherigen Fiskaljahreszeitraum.“  
(siehe Quelle in 6216)

Capitalization§1 439 B
www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/RAKUTEN-INC-6814873/

As with previous Rakuten UN-LIMIT plans, customers can use unlimited high-speed data in the Rakuten network area, with a monthly allocation of 5GB of high-speed data in the domestic roaming partner network areas and 2GB of high-speed data in the 66 countries and regions covered by the overseas roaming partner network areas. Domestic calls made through the Rakuten Link communication app are free of charge.

Applications for Rakuten UN-LIMIT VI will be accepted both online on the Rakuten Mobile website and at Rakuten Mobile shops nationwide.

After the launch of Rakuten UN-LIMIT VI, new applications for Rakuten UN-LIMIT V will no longer be accepted. Customers who apply for Rakuten UN-LIMIT V and Rakuten UN-LIMIT VI will be eligible for the campaign offering 3 million customers the first full year of service free of monthly fees. The campaign will continue until the number of applications reaches the 3 million mark. Existing Rakuten UN-LIMIT V customers who are currently taking part in the campaign will continue to be eligible for the campaign after the automatic upgrade to Rakuten UN-LIMIT VI.

global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2021/...mp;category=mobile

global.rakuten.com/corp/about/company/commerce.html

The new fees will be automatically applied in accordance with data usage without subscribers having to apply, the company said. Domestic calls will be free of charge if they are made using a Rakuten Mobile app, it added.

The unit will also continue providing unlimited data usage over 20 gigabytes per month, employing ultrafast 5G networks in some areas, for 2,980 yen per month.

"Our mission is to offer the best service fee plans for all people in Japan," Rakuten Mobile Chairman and CEO Hiroshi Mikitani said in an online press conference.

Rakuten's new price plan targets people who use a small amount of data as part of efforts to boost the number of its subscribers.

english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/01/...gigabyte-free-data.html

WhatsApp-Alternativen: Sichere Messenger für iOS, Android, PC und Mac

von Dennis Kochinky, Kilian Muth

15.01.2021, 12:00 Uhr

Mit WhatsApp chatten und telefonieren Sie kostenlos, allerdings gibt es in Sachen Datenschutz Kritik. COMPUTER BILD stellt Ihnen die Alternativen zum Messenger-Dienst mit dem grün-weißen Logo vor.


WhatsApp-Alternative Viber: Nutzer chatten und telefonieren gratis.

Sichere Kommunikation und einen großen Funktionsumfang bietet Viber. So versenden Sie Nachrichten, Bilder, Videos und Dokumente und telefonieren per Audio- oder Videoanruf. Eine Besonderheit sind die riesigen Gruppenchats. Die Anzahl der möglichen Mitglieder einer solchen "Community" ist unbegrenzt. Es lassen sich Administratoren mit besonderen Rechten bestimmen, die über das Geschriebene wachen und für ein respektvolles Miteinander sorgen.

www.computerbild.de/artikel/...cherer-Messenger-18902117.html

Also significant growth in 2020 was observed and at chat-bots - their popularity around the world grew by 48%, and in Russia this indicator reached 36%. The organizations prefer to transfer the solution of simple tasks to virtual assistants and by that to release time for the processes requiring bigger involvement. Clients, in turn, appreciate efficiency and high quality of service which the companies manage to reach thanks to bots.

Marketing trends and digits of the business direction of the company described above are supported also with active use of Viber by users. So, according to App Annie analytical company, Viber in Russia the fourth year in a row was included into the five of the most demanded applications of 2020.

Changes happened also in communication models which brands use at communication with the audience. In 2020 the companies began to realize stronger the value of online communications with clients. And messengers - as platforms for interactive interaction of business and audience - helped the companies to be focused on dialog with clients. Interest in communication with the consumer in the messenger and desire to provide them the best client experience was led to growth of quantity of brands which created own business profiles and directly bought advertizing in Viber. So, for 2020 the quantity of business profiles in Viber increased by 58% in the world and, in particular, for 10% in Russia. And in the messenger in the world and in Russia brands addressed direct advertizing for 115% and 53% are more often respectively.

tadviser.com/index.php/..._of_instant_exchange_of_the_message

Von Rita Deutschbein | 08. Januar 2021, 11:27 Uhr

WhatsApp gehört zu den beliebtesten Messengern auf dem Smartphone. Viele Nutzer kennen vielleicht auch ähnliche Anwendungen wie den Facebook Messenger. Doch es gibt noch weitere Apps, über die sich Nachrichten versenden lassen. TECHBOOK stellt die besten Alternativen zu WhatsApp vor.

Viber
Mehr als eine Milliarde Nutzer sollen Viber weltweit schon verwenden. Ursprünglich wurde die App für Anrufe via Internet geschaffen, inzwischen steht sie anderen Messengern aber in nichts nach. Nutzer finden alle gängigen Funktionen von WhatsApp auch bei Viber, wie das Senden von Nachrichten, Bildern, Dokumenten und Videos. Auch Audio- und Videoanrufe sind möglich sowie große Gruppenchats, die Communities genannt werden.

Mit der eigenen Sicherheit wirbt Viber: „Dank einer End-to-End-Verschlüsselung werden sämtliche Daten, die du teilst, immer zwischen dir und der Person, mit der du sprichst, verbleiben. Das bedeutet, dass du nicht zweimal darüber nachdenken musst, was du auf Viber teilen kannst und was nicht.“

Das macht Viber besser als WhatsApp: Nutzer haben die Möglichkeit, selbstzerstörende Chats zu verwenden. Dabei löschen sich ausgewählte Nachrichten nach dem Lesen automatisch. Die Communities erlauben Chats mit unbegrenzt vielen Mitgliedern. All das macht Viber zu einem schöneren Messenger-Erlebnis.

Download: iPhone/Android

www.techbook.de/apps/die-besten-alternativen-zu-whatsapp