Rakuten Expands Partnership with Ampere for Sustainable AI Compute Solutions
Rakuten Group is expanding its partnership with Ampere Computing LLC to lower power use for AI computing. Rakuten will be the first company in Japan to deploy Ampere-based platforms on a large scale. Since 2023, they have tested Ampere hardware in Rakuten’s data centers. These tests showed a 36% energy saving per rack and an 11% reduction in space used per rack for Rakuten Cloud’s internal container services.
Data centers significantly contribute to Rakuten’s electricity consumption. With the rising demand for servers due to AI usage, energy-efficient data centers are vital for sustainability. By 2025, Rakuten aims to further implement Ampere-based platforms to enhance energy efficiency in its data centers.
Rakuten is committed to creating value through innovation. It will continue collaborating with customers, partners, communities, employees, and stakeholders to achieve a sustainable society.
How is Rakuten Group planning to achieve its sustainability goals in data center operations?
Interview with Hironori Yoshida, Executive Officer at Rakuten Group
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Interviewer: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today, Mr. Yoshida. Rakuten has partnered with Ampere Computing to enhance your data center’s energy efficiency. Can you explain the significance of this partnership?
Hironori Yoshida: Thank you for having me. Our partnership with Ampere Computing is a significant step towards achieving greater energy efficiency in our data centers. As we see a rising demand for AI computing, it becomes essential for us to adopt scalable and sustainable solutions. The results from our trials with Ampere’s hardware have been very encouraging, showing a 36% energy saving per rack, and an 11% reduction in space used per rack. This not only highlights the efficiency of the Ampere-based platforms but also our commitment to sustainability.
Interviewer: That’s impressive progress. Can you elaborate on the impact of energy-efficient data centers on Rakuten’s overall operations?
Hironori Yoshida: Certainly. Data centers have a significant contribution to our overall electricity consumption, and as we scale up our operations to accommodate AI workloads, the need for energy efficiency becomes even more critical. By 2025, we aim to further implement Ampere-based platforms, which will not only help in reducing our carbon footprint but also lower operational costs. This aligns with our long-term vision of creating value through innovation while ensuring that we contribute to a sustainable society.
Interviewer: You mentioned the rising demand for compute due to AI adoption. How does Rakuten plan to meet this demand sustainably?
Hironori Yoshida: Meeting the demand sustainably involves collaborating broadly with our customers, partners like Ampere, employees, and stakeholders. We are exploring continuous innovations that support an efficient, scalable infrastructure capable of handling the increasing compute requirements. These partnerships are vital in creating effective and cost-efficient solutions that allow us to scale our offerings without compromising on sustainability.
Interviewer: Sean Varley from Ampere highlighted your joint efforts in offering scalable services for internal workloads. How does this collaboration benefit both companies?
Hironori Yoshida: Our collaboration with Ampere is grounded in shared goals. By working together, we leverage Ampere’s advanced technology and our operational expertise to deliver superior services to our internal workloads. This partnership allows us to not only enhance our capabilities but also ensure that our growth is aligned with sustainable practices, something that we both value highly.
Interviewer: Looking ahead, how do you envision the future of Rakuten’s data centers?
Hironori Yoshida: The future of our data centers is bright and focuses strongly on sustainability and efficiency. We aim to be a pioneer in adopting cutting-edge technology that minimizes energy consumption while maximizing performance. Through continued collaboration with partners like Ampere and ongoing investments in innovation, we believe we can create a model for not just data centers but the entire industry that demonstrates that growth and sustainability can go hand in hand.
Interviewer: Thank you for sharing these insights, Mr. Yoshida. It’s clear that Rakuten is making significant strides towards a sustainable future in AI computing.
Hironori Yoshida: Thank you for having me. We are excited about the opportunities ahead and are committed to contributing to a sustainable society through our endeavors.
Hironori Yoshida, Executive Officer at Rakuten, stated that as the demand for compute increases with AI adoption, cloud operators must find platforms for sustainable computing. He expressed optimism about the trial results with Ampere and the ongoing collaboration for energy-efficient data centers.
Sean Varley from Ampere highlighted their joint efforts to offer scalable services for internal workloads. He noted that as AI grows in usage, they will focus on providing effective and cost-efficient solutions together.