Retail News CRM

Category: Telecom

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Telecom & Telco news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Connected pallets are next greenfield IoT apps

    Connected pallets are next greenfield IoT apps

    Connected pallets are the most promising greenfield application enabled by the new wave of cellular and non-cellular LPWA technologies, according to Berg Insight.

    The research firm said in a new report the global installed base of pallets used for transportation is estimated at around 10 billion units.

    “With an average sales price of $10 per unit for regular pallets, the cost of adding connectivity can be justified by increasing efficiency in many logistics operations,” said Tobias Ryberg, senior analyst at Berg Insight.

    “The ability to track pallets can also contribute to extending their lifespan which is currently around two years,” said Ryberg.

    He added that several large industry players are evaluating connected pallets right now and they could proceed with large-scale deployments in the very near future.

    Smart cities and smart agriculture are other potential mass-volume market segments where LPWA technologies will be a key enabler. Berg Insight however believes that there are significant barriers that must be overcome before they can scale.

    Moving from today’s limited smart cities demonstration projects to city-wide deployments will be costly, complex and time-consuming. Smart agriculture is in an even earlier stage of development where the initial focus lies on proof-of-concept and application prototyping.

    “Today’s top IoT devices – the connected car and the smart meter – needed more than a decade to mature”, said Ryberg. “The smart city and the intelligent farm will need at least that much time to grow from vision to reality.”

  • IoT revenues jump 19% to $8b in Q4’16

    IoT revenues jump 19% to $8b in Q4’16

    Nearly all tracked IoT segments recorded double-digit growth in the fourth quarter of 2016, driving an overall 19% year-to-year revenue gain to $8.2 billion for the 29 companies benchmarked in Technology Business Research Inc.’s (TBR) Commercial IoT Benchmark.

    Cloud services was the benchmark’s fastest-growing segment, at 64% year-to-year as customers increasingly adopted centralized analytics, storage and other intensive computing applications such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

    The experimentation on the edge and the necessity of hybrid IoT are also delivering ICT infrastructure a more permanent position in the IoT stack, rather than it being a victim of cloud-based IaaS. The ICT infrastructure segment grew 7% year-to-year to 10% of total benchmarked revenue.

    IT services grew 14% year-to-year and remains a crucial component of the IoT market due to the necessity of build, run and training services in IoT. However, IT services revenue growth decelerated from 15% year-to-year in the second quarter of 2016.

    Business consulting grew 29% year-to-year. TBR believes business consulting will be less impacted by standardization, prepackaged solutions and AI due to the complex knowledge and creativity necessary to guide transformation.

    The security and connectivity segments, necessary aspects of an IoT solution, grew 28% and 16% year-to-year, respectively. Both of these segments’ revenues scale extremely close to IoT adoption — as more devices and sensors are deployed by customers the more security and connectivity are required.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Nokia, University of Technology Sydney team on IoT projects

    Nokia, University of Technology Sydney team on IoT projects

    Nokia and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have signed a MoU under which Nokia will join the university’s UTS: Rapido, a new technology development unit.

    The two partners will collaborate on developing IoT-based business applications using high-speed, ultra-low latency technologies such as 5G.

    In the technology partnership with UTS: Rapido — established to help businesses unlock the potential of IoT — Nokia will work on advanced engineering projects that support the development of future network services to address the specific technological challenges of service providers and enterprises.

    Nokia and UTS will also explore the expansion of the advanced engineering activity into new areas of innovation and proof-of-concept development.

    The MoU covers the creation of a collaborative innovation and training facility at UTS, for which Nokia will provide IP routing, optical, fixed and 4G and 5G mobile network components, and applications and analytics platforms for project work and training. Nokia will also participate in the advisory board of the UTS Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.

    In one of the first UTS: Rapido projects, researchers at the university are integrating video downloads filmed around the world using the Nokia OZO virtual reality camera into the UTS 3D Data Arena. This will show how operators could combine 3D footage with real-time data and graphics to explore new services and business opportunities.

    “This association will allow us to contribute our expertise in areas such as 5G, IoT and data analytics, through UTS: Rapido, to help Nokia’s customers unlock the potential of emerging digital capabilities,” said Myriam Amielh, associate dean for external engagement at UTS.

    Ray Owen, head of Oceania at Nokia, said the successful implementation of IoT and the connectivity of potentially billions of devices will rely on the deployment of technologies such as enhanced 4G and high-speed, low-latency 5G.

  • NTT Com secures international license in India

    NTT Com secures international license in India

    TT Com has announced it has secured an international telecoms operating license in India via its affiliate NTT Communications India Network Services (NTTCINS).

    NTTCINS has secured a virtual network operator – international long distance (VNO-ILD) license in the market, becoming the first Japanese ICT provider to secure such a license.

    The acquisition will allow NTT Com to launch its Arcstar Universal One International Network Services in India, in addition to the national long distance network services it provides through NTTCINS.

    The company plans to offer a range of ICT solutions in the market, including WAN, LAN, data centers and value-added services. NTT Com also plans to enhance its network services and improve service quality in the market via closer relationships with local operators.

    NT Com has data centers in Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi. The company’s portfolio in India also includes colocation, managed hosting, cloud and ICT management services provided through affiliate Netmagic.

    “With the enhanced network capabilities coupled with managed hosting and cloud services, we are always committed to enable our customers to reap the maximum value from their technology investments,” Netmagic CEO Sharad Sanghi said.

    “This suite of offerings provides a robust value proposition as an ICT provider to meet our customers’ IT infrastructure and connectivity requirements.”

    Lees ook:

  • Executives betting on Industrial IoT

    Executives betting on Industrial IoT

    Many companies are unprepared for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), but most executives at those companies realize that the future of their business depends on it, new research suggests.

    The study from the Business Performance Innovation (BPI) Network also suggests that large-scale integrators and other channel partners will be among the biggest IIoT beneficiaries over the next several years.

    The study was based on a global survey of some 350 global executives and interviews with innovation leaders at large global enterprises, including companies such as Airbus, Balfour Beatty, Embraer, Philips Lighting, Whirlpool, LafargeHolcim, TVH, Hitachi and others.

    “Executives are telling us that IIoT technologies are about to play a significant role in business and industrial performance, delivering significant improvements in operational efficiency and uptime, as well as growth from new business models, products, services and customer experiences,”  BPI Networks head of thought leadership Dave Murray said.

    “Nevertheless, less than 2% of large companies say they have a clear vision for how to move forward or have large-scale implementations underway. That dichotomy suggests we are experiencing the lull before the storm of IIoT transformation. This is an opportunity for real competitive differentiation and advancement.”

    The IIoT survey shows that 52% of executives at large enterprises—and 41% of executives at all companies—expect IIoT to have a significant or major impact on their industry within three years.

    In addition, 55% of all executives say IIoT is gaining adoption within their industries, including both pilots and larger-scale adoption.

    However, just 1.5% of executives at large companies say they have a clear vision with implementation well underway, while another 57% are either beginning implementation, have pilots underway or are committed and in the planning stages.

    New products and services lead as the area most companies say they will focus their IoT investments (35%), followed by customer touchpoints (29%), and manufacturing (23%).

    More cost-efficient operations (47%), product and service differentiation (36%), and improved customer engagement and satisfaction (34%) are seen as the top benefits of IIoT.

    Lees ook:

  • Myanmar mobile payment firm ONGO gets new investor

    Myanmar mobile payment firm ONGO gets new investor

    National Bank of Canada (NBC) has acquired a 22% stake in Myanmar-based mobile payments firm ONGO for an undisclosed sum.

    ONGO is the consumer facing brand of Ronoc Asia, a subsidiary of the emerging markets investment business Ronoc. It offers retailer payments solutions, payroll programs and direct to consumer services leveraging payments technology.

    ONGO currently employs over three hundred people in Yangon and is expected to grow to five hundred by year end.

    “The addition of National Bank of Canada is an important milestone for our business. We have aggressive growth plans for Myanmar and have set ourselves a goal of providing over one million consumers with access to finance over the next three years,” said Michael Madden, the Founder and Chairman of Ronoc Asia/ONGO.

    “The addition of NBC as a strategic investor will strengthen our capabilities and accelerate our timelines in Myanmar as well as our expansion to other markets in the region.”

    “National Bank of Canada is proud to become a partner of Ronoc Asia/ONGO. This investment in fintech complements the activities we already have in the ASEAN zone through our subsidiary ABA Bank, in Cambodia,” stated Louis Vachon, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Bank of Canada. “We look forward to contributing to ONGO’s success.”

  • Delhi leads India by internet readiness

    Delhi leads India by internet readiness

    The state of Delhi leads India in internet readiness, according to a new report from the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Nielsen.

    In the report titled Index of internet readiness of Indian states, Delhi has overtaken last year’s winner Maharashtra and is followed by Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

    According to the report, Delhi has won top spot because of its superior infrastructure and online participation.

    Releasing the report, Aruna Sundararajan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeiTy), Government of India said: “We are hopeful that India will leapfrog from the present 155th position to world’s top fifth in connectivity, within the next 5-6 years. India today is one of the most rapidly digitizing economies in the world with the telecom industry leading the change. Things have improved multifold with state governments of Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana among others taking proactive steps to improve connectivity and internet reach.”

    “The combination of various indigenous digital platforms along with innovative and disruptive startups holds the greatest scope for digital transformation in India. Post demonetization, the country today has 3 million POS as compared to 1.5 lakhs POS earlier which is clearly a transformation and going forward, the infrastructure for digital payments will grow 3X within a span of one year,” she added.

    The North East has ranked low in terms of overall internet readiness. Much more needs to be done in the form of investment and infrastructure development in the region. Among the north eastern states, Nagaland tops the list, closely followed by Manipur and Tripura. Nagaland leads in IT environment and performs moderately well in other categories to get to the top.

    Internet readiness index is a composite benchmark of four components: e-Infrastructure index, e-Participation index, IT-Environment and government e-services index. All four components have equal weightage in this model. Separately, a fifth Index (named the Core Internet Index) has been created this year, consisting of select variables already used in constructing the above indices.

    The purpose of the index is to give a sharper perspective for digital industries looking to expand their business in India.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • IMDA warns StarHub over October outages

    IMDA warns StarHub over October outages

    Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has issued StarHub a warning over two brief home broadband outages from October last year, after finding that the disruptions were caused by a surge in legitimate DNS traffic.

    StarHub Online’s home broadband network was disrupted on October 22 and October 24, causing fiber customers in parts of the market to lose connectivity intermittently for around 130 minutes and 55 minutes respectively.

    The initial symptoms of the outage bore the hallmarks of a DDoS attack, and the timing coincided with the massive DDoS attacks on DNS provider Dyn in the US.

    But IMDA said an in-depth investigation involving reviewing logs of StarHub DNS servers and consumer devices identified as responsible for the disruptions did not uncover any evidence to suggest that the cause was a DDoS attack.

    Instead, a higher-than-usual build-up in StarHub DNS traffic just prior to the disruption appears to be to blame, as these mostly legitimate DNS requests eventually overloaded part of StarHub’s home broadband infrastructure.

    IMDA and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) identified areas of improvement in StarHub’s network infrastructure during the investigations, and said StarHub has taken steps to mitigate the risks of further outages, including boosting home broadband DNS server capacity and enhancing traffic monitoring.

    In an emailed statement, StarHub said it noted the findings that the outages did not fit typical DDoS patterns.

    “The authorities have acknowledged the fact that we have increased our DNS processing capacity and taken additional security measures to better avert similar incidents,” the statement reads.

    “We assure our customers and the regulator that we will continuously review our security posture and enhance network resilience in partnership with network and security providers.”

    Lees ook:

  • M1 shareholders may seek sale to China Mobile

    M1 shareholders may seek sale to China Mobile

    Major shareholders in Singapore’s M1 have reportedly approached China Mobile with an offer to sell their majority stake in the operator.

    Malaysia’s Axiata Group, Singapore Press Holdings and Keppel T&T – which together hold a controlling 61% stake in M1 – are reviewing their investments in the operator in the wake of lackluster financial results and intensifying competition.

    The shareholders have now reached to China Mobile as well as other prospective bidders with a proposal to sell the stake, citing unnamed sources.

    Negotiations are still at an early stage and it is unclear whether China Mobile was receptive to the offer, the report notes.

    M1 is worth around S$1.9 billion ($1.36 billion), and has long been considered an acquisition target due to its smaller size and diverse shareholder base. Rumors were circulating last month that rival StarHub may be considering acquiring or merging with M1, but later reports disputed those rumors.

    The report adds that Singapore trading rules would require the purchaser of the stake to make an offer to buy out the rest of M1.

    The review comes ahead of the arrival to the market of new entrant TPG Telecom, the Australian fixed line operator that recently won the auction to become Singapore’s fourth mobile operator. TPG is also planning a mobile foray in its home market.

  • PT Telkom launches TV-based video calling

    PT Telkom launches TV-based video calling

    Indonesia’s PT Telkom has soft-launched the market’s first TV-based video communications service, in collaboration with Huawei.

    The IndiHome Video Call service will allow subscribers to PT Telkom’s triple-play IndiHome fiber broadband, telephony and TV service to also use their TV to place video calls.

    The service combines IPTV and IMS functionality, incorporating a set-top box with integrated video communication capabilities and a webcam to support video communication between TV and TV, TV and smartphone as well as smartphone and smartphone.

    IndiHome Video Call supports high-definition video with a resolution up to 720p as well as HD voice.

    PT Telkom plans to launch the service commercially in the East Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara area by the middle of next month.

    “With the soft launching of IndiHome Video Call, we hope that the presence of IndiHome may be useful to the community of East Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara,” PT Telkom’s district executive vice president for the region Suparwiyanto said.

    “IndiHome is easy and practical, a complete digital solution as well as a positive entertainment.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • SoftBank taps Ericsson to improve indoor coverage

    SoftBank taps Ericsson to improve indoor coverage

    Japan’s SoftBank plans to deploy Ericsson’s Radio Dot system across Japan to improve indoor coverage for its large subscriber base.

    The operator will target medium to large buildings in high-density urban areas including Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya with the deployment, Ericsson said. Deployment will commence in the densest areas of the three cities, in buildings including office towers, shopping malls and train stations

    SoftBank began testing Radio Dot technology in Japan in June 2015 as the company explored ways to better meet the huge demand for improved indoor coverage in urban areas. Now after extensive testing and verification, the operator is ready to enter the mass deployment stage.

    “We are always interested in adopting the latest technologies to ensure our subscribers receive the best possible network service,” SoftBank SVP Hideyuki Tsukuda said.

    “After evaluating a number of options, we concluded that the Ericsson Radio Dot System was the most cost-efficient solution for large buildings. Its deployment in crowded urban indoor environments will enable us to meet user expectations for a consistently high quality of network coverage.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Singtel lines up $2.94b in credit facilities

    Singtel lines up $2.94b in credit facilities

    Singtel has lined up a total of S$4.1 billion ($2.94 billion) in credit facilities for debt refinancing and general corporate purposes.

    In Singapore, the operator’s subsidiary Singtel Group Treasury has entered into a three-year S$2.5 billion revolving credit facility with 12 banks.

    These include Australia’s ANZ, Bank of America Singapore, BNP Paribas, the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Citibank Singapore, DBS Bank, HSBC Singapore, Mizhou Bank, OCBC, Standard Chartered, Sumitomo Singapore and United Overseas Bank.

    Singtel’s Australian subsidiary Optus has meanwhile signed a three-year A$1.5 billion ($1.13 billion) credit facility with 15 banks, including local branches many of the above banks as well as Australia’s Westpac and Commonwealth Bank.

    Both credit facilities are guaranteed by the respective operators and certain subsidiaries, Singtel said.

    “The Singtel Group is very pleased with the level of support demonstrated by our bankers in Singapore and Australia, which reflects their confidence in the Singtel Group’s credit quality and business fundamentals.” Singtel group CFO Lim Cheng Cheng said.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Thailand plans to build Bangkok-China-Hong Kong cable

    Thailand plans to build Bangkok-China-Hong Kong cable

    The Thai government is eager to build a new subsea cable linking China, Bangkok and Hong Kong, as part of the efforts to transform Thailand into Southeast Asia’s digital hub.

    The Digital Economy and Society ministry is drawing up a master plan for the cable project, and lso aims to attract foreign investors to the project.

    According to the report, the government is currently in the process of identifying a marine route for the planned cable system.

    Thai cabinet has approved a 5 billion baht ($145.5 million) investment in the system. The investment will be handled by state-owned operator CAT Telecom via the Neutral Gateway Network & Data Center project.

    Investment in the cable forms part of the government’s Thailand 4.0 strategy, which aims to transform the nation’s economy with a focus on digitally-enabled innovation and establish the nation as a digital hub for the wider region.

    As part of this project, the government is also investing in establishing Digital Park Thailand, a planned new digital business economic zone, and has just approved the establishment of he facility along the Eastern Economic Corridor.

    Lees ook:

  • APeJ Ethernet switch market grew 21% in Q4

    APeJ Ethernet switch market grew 21% in Q4

    The APeJ Ethernet switch market grew 21% during the fourth quarter, with vendor revenues of $131.23 million, IDC research indicates.

    Increased spending from the enterprise segment due to technology refreshes drove the overall LAN market in Q4 2016.

    There was a significant increase in uptake of L3 and ADC switches in both the enterprise and service provider segments in Q4 2016. Investments in the government, education, telecom, professional services and BFSI were the key drivers for growth this quarter.

    But the router market witnessed a year-on-year decline of 4% to $69.2 million.

    The router market was propped up mainly by investments from the service providers for 4G rollouts and technology refreshes in Q4 2016. Increased uptake of high end router from the service provider segment and the enterprise segment drove the market.

    With the evolving network environment and the huge amount of data available, adoption of advanced analytics in this area is becoming mainstream. This will enable efficient network management for improved performance. Also in 2016, there was an increased uptake of SDN deployments and NFV POCs.

    Cisco continues to be dominant in Q4 2016 with a 65.74% market share, followed by Huawei and HPE. Avaya posted a significant growth in Q4 2016 mostly due to increased investments in the enterprise space.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • CTM, csl launch VoLTE roaming between Hong Kong and Macau

    CTM, csl launch VoLTE roaming between Hong Kong and Macau

    Hong Kong’s csl, Macau’s CTM and PCCW Global have jointly launched the first service offering end to end VoLTE and video over LTE calling services between Hong Kong and Macau.

    The new service will be available to mobile customers of the csl, 1O1O and CTM brands at no extra charge. It makes use of csl sister company PCCW Global’s high-speed IP connection between the two markets.

    CTM and csl jointly launched he Call Macau Home Pass voice, data, SMS and video call roaming service last year. The service has a monthly fee of HK$138 ($17.75) or a daily fee of HK$38.

    “CTM was the first telco in Macau launching the VoLTE and ViLTE services last year. This year, we are delighted to have achieved new breakthroughs in the service level through the collaboration with and PCCW Global on a broader horizon,” CTM CEO Vandy Poon said.

    “Upcoming, we will continue to develop our local and roaming services to facilitate Macau’s trade and economic exchange with foreign countries and to promote the diversified development of the Macau economy as well as the enhancement of our customer experience.”

    Former monopoly CTM still dominates the Macau mobile market. Earlier this month, the Macau Business Daily published a collective statement from the operator’s rivals calling on the MSAR government to even the playing field by reducing the cost of leased line access and creating conditions that would encourage investments in competing network infrastructure.

    Lees ook: