European video streaming service Wuaki TV is getting ready to expand to 10 additional countries this year. Wuaki, which was acquired by Japan’s e-commerce giant Rakuten in 2012, plans to launch… Read more »
The Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten is shelling out $1 billion for the U.S. cash-back site Ebates, a 15-year-old business that claims 2.5 million active members and 2,600 merchants in its network… Read more »
Insurance is notorious for being among the sleepiest and most conservative of industries, but it is also one of the products most frequently sold online. Not only is technology poised… Read more »
Given the usual strategy for OTT communications apps is to grow big and then sell out to an internet giant, Line’s plan to go independent runs counter to the market. Read more »
Viber’s new look for iOS 7 isn’t just cosmetic. It’s added a handful of new features such as multi-photo messaging and block lists. It’s also finally supporting BlackBerry’s latest OS. Read more »
As Rakuten attempts to become a worldwide player in e-commerce, an environmental group is calling on it to stop selling and advertising whale meat and ivory on its Japanese website. Read more »
The huge price tag attached to Facebook’s purchase of WhatsApp — one of the largest web deals in history — actually makes more sense than you might think at first glance. Read more »
Facebook’s blockbuster $19 billion purchase of WhatsApp won’t necessarily kick off a consolidation wave. There aren’t that many more major OTT players left in the market that aren’t focused on Asia. Read more »
Viber users can look forward to welcoming Rakuten’s “Shopping is Entertainment” philosophy into their lives, as the Japanese e-commerce outfit intends to use the messaging platform as a tool for breaking… Read more »