Tokyo, April 3, 2020 - Rakuten, Inc. today announced that the company has become a silver member of the global cloud native software proponent, the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF).
CNCF is dedicated to building sustainable ecosystems and fostering communities to support the growth and health of cloud native software. CNCF hosts critical components of the global technology infrastructure, including Kubernetes, Prometheus, and Envoy. CNCF brings together the industry’s top developers, end users, and vendors, and runs the largest open source developer conferences in the world. Supported by more than 500 members, including the world’s largest cloud computing and software companies, as well as over 200 innovative startups, CNCF is part of the nonprofit Linux Foundation.
Rakuten is a global leader in internet services based in Japan, providing more than 70 services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications. Rakuten Group company Rakuten Mobile is Japan’s newest mobile network operator, with the launch of its world first fully virtualized mobile network. From RAN to core, all network functions run as VM (virtual machine)-based virtualized applications across a carrier-grade telco cloud platform. This enables high efficiency from the converged infrastructure, reduces cost and drives operational simplicity and ability to repurpose, as well as increasing the speed of adding new apps and optimal scale out capability. Rakuten Mobile is now also developing a container-based next generation cloud platform for its upcoming 5G network which will host cloud-native mobile and other applications completely decoupled from the infrastructure.
“Container technologies will play a pivotal role in the 5G-ready architecture of our new mobile network and other group systems,” said Dr. Ashiq Khan, Executive Officer and head of cloud infrastructure engineering and operations, Rakuten Mobile. “We are delighted to join the Linux Foundation and CNCF and with our development and operational know-how, we hope to enrich the CNCF and its innovative community by not being only a consumer but also an active contributor.”
“CNCF is excited to have Rakuten join as a silver member,” said Dan Kohn, executive director of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. “We look forward to Rakuten's participation in the community and their contribution to the growth and development of cloud native technologies.”
Rakuten, as a silver member of CNCF, will proactively contribute to the development and adoption of cloud native computing technologies.