Rakuten Cloud secures position of ‘Leader and Fast Mover’ in GigaOm Radar Kubernetes for edge computing

• Categorized as Leader/ Fast Mover in Innovation/ Platform Play quadrant
• Exceptional performance in large enterprise, specialized service provider and NSP settings
• Ranked Exceptional in scalability, ease of use, integration, automated platform deployment, and app deployment features
• Easy-to-use distribution and bundles for NFs and enterprise applications and strong partnerships differentiate Rakuten Cloud from its peers ‍

Rakuten Symphony has consistently demonstrated its capabilities in edge computing for telcos and enterprises. The 2024 GigaOm Radar report for Kubernetes for Edge Computing recognized this recently, classifying us as 'Leader and Fast Mover' in the Innovation/ Platform Play quadrant. This achievement comes on the heels of the 2023 GigaOm Radar report for Kubernetes Data Storage, where Rakuten Cloud Native Storage was named 'Leader and Outperformer' for the fourth consecutive year. [Explore further here] These acknowledgments reflect Rakuten's dedication to innovation and excellence in the field.

Rakuten Cloud’s strategic placement in the Innovative/ Platform Play quadrant of the report reflects our continuous push for technological advancements while maintaining a stable and integrated platform. As per the report, this positioning is crucial for clients who need not only individual capabilities but also a unified solution for diverse edge computing needs. It indicates that while we continue to introduce innovative features, we also emphasize the maturity and reliability of our solutions.

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Driving edge computing use cases

Rakuten Cloud supports a variety of edge use cases, extending from near-edge to far-edge. This is achieved through its cloud-native, automated, and unified management plane that operates seamlessly across edge locations. Rakuten Cloud is particularly focused on supporting stateful applications at the edge, in environments that demand high availability and performance.

• Near-edge use cases include deploying video analytics in retail, private 5G networks underpinned by AI/ML to improve production lines and maintenance in manufacturing, enhancing patient care through faster data processing and response times in healthcare and so on.
• Rakuten's technology supports domain-specific workloads, ensuring that data-intensive applications run smoothly and efficiently. This is particularly useful in use cases such as smart cities. Additionally, in telecommunication networks, the deployment of Radio Access Network (RAN) functions, including the central unit/distributed unit (CU/ DU), is streamlined across both edge and central data centers.
• On the far-edge, Rakuten’s platform excels in deploying RAN distributed units and radio units at cell sites and base stations, supporting applications that require local data processing like content caching and database management at remote locations.

Leader and fast mover

The GigaOm report refers to Rakuten Cloud Native Platform being a standout in the suite that includes Rakuten Cloud Native Storage and Rakuten Cloud Native Orchestrator, offering a Kubernetes distribution that supports both containers and VMs. Designed for carrier-grade reliability, Rakuten Cloud Native Platform provides flexibility and industry-leading features focused on ease of use and automation. It is notable for its certified integrations, automated platform deployment, hardware orchestration, and scalability.

Rakuten Cloud Native Storage, recognized for its robust performance, integrates with Kubernetes-native tooling to provide application-aware storage solutions tailored for edge applications. It’s capable of managing stateful applications with minimal resources, which is essential for edge computing scenarios.

Rakuten Cloud Native Orchestrator further simplifies network management, offering sophisticated automation workflows through a single interface. It extends its capabilities beyond traditional platforms, managing lifecycle operations across a variety of network functions and service chains. It can be deployed on any cloud (AWS, Azure, Google), on bare metal, or as a VM, making it highly versatile.

While it leverages proprietary elements that enhance feature delivery and support, Rakuten Cloud balances this with its adherence to CNCF-certified Kubernetes foundations. This ensures compatibility, reliability and many other comprehensive benefits. Any application that can run on Kubernetes will run as-is on Rakuten Cloud Native Platform. We ensure this through our ongoing collaborations and cross-certifications with leading industry players. ‍

‍Conclusion

Clients with highly complex and customizable needs stand to benefit from Rakuten Cloud’s extensibility. Interchangeable components allow for significant customization and scalability, catering to a wide array of use cases from retail to healthcare. By leveraging the agile and elastic nature of its cloud-native architecture, Rakuten Cloud not only leads but also redefines the possibilities within different industries through its scalable and reliable edge computing solutions.