Rakuten Expands Service Offering in Europe, Pioneers New Technology in the Telco Industry and Accelerates the Integration of Sustainability into Its Business Activities
Luxembourg, December 21, 2021 – Over the past few years, Rakuten has continued to grow and diversify its offering in the EMEA region. Today, customers can choose from a variety of services ranging from enjoying a truly cinematic experience with the latest movie releases on Rakuten TV, discovering over 6 million books and audiobooks on Rakuten Kobo, free and secure calls and messages through Rakuten Viber and beyond.
Rakuten has also expanded in the areas of telecommunications, fintech and sports – newly integrating the innovative cashless payment app Rakuten Pay in the region, forming synergies with the latest in sports cryptocurrencies, and, together with 1&1, setting a new standard for future mobile communications in Germany and across Europe.
With the aim of achieving the sustainable development of both Rakuten and society, the company also strengthened the foundation of its sustainability efforts in the region – by researching the motivation to consume more consciously, encouraging sustainable shopping behavior, and empowering employees through an award-winning app.
Some of Rakuten’s key milestones achieved across the EMEA region in 2021 include:
Rakuten pioneers new technology in the telco industry:
- Rakuten launches Rakuten Symphony, a new business organization created to empower the global adoption of cloud-native Open RAN infrastructure and services by mobile network operators, enterprises and government bodies. Read More.
- 1&1 AG and Rakuten Group, Inc. enter into a long-term partnership to build the fourth mobile network in Germany. Together with Rakuten, 1&1 will build Europe’s first fully virtualized mobile network based on innovative Open RAN technology. Read More.
- Rakuten Mobile is awarded the Best Mobile Technology Breakthrough award and CTO Choice: Outstanding Mobile Technology award for its 5G Open RAN on Kubernetes solution. Read More.
Rakuten Europe launches cashless payment service Rakuten Pay:
- Rakuten Europe launches cashless payment app Rakuten Pay at ATP Mallorca Championship, bringing one of the top mobile payment solutions from Japan to Europe for the first time. Read More.
- Rakuten Europe rolls out Rakuten Pay at the Davis Cup by Rakuten, providing fans and visitors with the opportunity to pay cashless at Madrid Arena. Read More.
Rakuten Europe encourages sustainable behavior:
- Rakuten Europe wins Gold at the Internal Communications and Engagement Awards 2021 for its employee sustainability app, “Shift.” Read More.
- Rakuten launches a dedicated conscious shopping campaign, where many sustainable, circular and ethical products can be found at a glance. Read More.
- Rakuten becomes a British Fashion Council Patron to support a diverse fashion scene and a successful circular fashion economy. Read More.
- A recent Rakuten Insight study reveals that global shoppers are embracing a circular economy. Read More.
Rakuten Europe enhances digital experience:
- Rakuten and Telefónica launch Rakuten living app that lets consumers browse and book event tickets directly on Movistar+ TV. Read More.
- Rakuten Europe & fintech blockchain company Chiliz launch Fan Token Partnership, offering fantokens to Rakuten customers and exploring synergies. Read More.
- Rakuten Europe expands its unique membership proposition and launches Cashback Shopping Platform in Ukraine. Read More.
Rakuten connects fans and athletes and empowers sports events:
- Rakuten and FC Barcelona Bring Back Massive Fan Mosaic “The Big Picture” to Camp Nou’s Façade. Read More.
- Rakuten Europe partners with e|motion Group to enhance digital fan experience at ATP & WTA grass court tournaments in Europe, providing a state of the art app. Read More.
- Rakuten, the Global Presenting Partner and Global Innovation and Entertainment Partner of the Davis Cup by Rakuten connects tennis fans worldwide with their favorite teams through fan messages as part of art installations at the sites of the quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals through the Davis Cup Fan World Cup Presented by Rakuten. Read More.
About Rakuten
Rakuten Group, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global leader in internet services that empower individuals, communities, businessesand society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to approximately 1.5 billion members around the world. The Rakuten Group has over 27,000 employees, and operations in 30 countries and regions. For more information visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/.
In Europe, Rakuten has been active for more than a decade and is constantly growing its footprint. The network of business units consists of more than 14 services, available in almost every European country. With Rakuten Europe’s head office in Luxembourg and offices in London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona and other major European cities, Rakuten Europe is more than just a company, it’s a vision of a true Ecosystem. For more information visit https://corp.rakuten.eu
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