Japanese tech giant Rakuten Symphony has announced the large-scale commercial launch of its own cloud storage service in Japan. While the 10GB free storage it offers is reasonable, the real game changer here is its unlimited file transfer service.
Aimed at both individual and enterprise customers, Rakuten Drive allows users to send large files quickly and offers secure and intuitive file storage and sharing in the cloud. The service has integrated Microsoft 365 productivity applications, allowing real-time viewing and editing of documents, presentations and spreadsheets.
Rakuten Drive began life as Sendy in 2019, but became part of Rakuten Symphony in 2021 when the company acquired its South Korean developer, Estmob. Since then, Rakuten Drive has seen substantial growth, both in Japan and around the world, but until now it has never been commercially available.
Rakuten Drive PRO
“Our cloud file storage service allows users to securely and efficiently manage their valuable personal and business files and data,” said Ryan Son, CEO of Rakuten Symphony Korea.
“From freelancers and small business owners to large enterprises, our promise is to continue developing Rakuten Drive as a reliable and secure cloud service of choice.”
The consumer-facing version of Rakuten Drive is integrated with Rakuten ID, a shared ID that allows Rakuten members to access multiple services. This integration makes it possible for Rakuten's 100 million members in Japan to use the service with their existing Rakuten login.
Rakuten Symphony says Rakuten Drive operates under strict information security and data storage policies. The company plans to continue actively developing its services and launching additional features for the B2B market, supporting freelancers, small and large businesses. A future integration with Rakuten Points, Rakuten's loyalty program, is also in the works.
For users who require additional cloud storage and other features, Rakuten Drive PRO is now also available for $7.99 per month. This paid version increases the maximum file upload size per link to 50 GB, adds a customizable link expiration time (up to 30 days from 48 hours in the free version), and increases cloud storage to 1 TB.
