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Tag: asia

  • Large Hong Kong enterprises lack cloud expertise

    Large Hong Kong enterprises lack cloud expertise

    Large enterprises in Hong Kong could be losing out on revenue as 84% of IT decision makers say that they don’t have the required cloud expertise.

    Large enterprises across the world are losing out on $258.1 million a year as a result of a cloud skills gap, according to a new report commissioned by Rackspace in collaboration with LSE academics.

    The study also found that this lack of expertise is stifling creativity, with 80% of IT pros saying they could bring greater innovation to their organization with the right cloud insight.

    Beyond innovation and growth, 44% of IT decision makers believe a lack of skills is causing a lag in their organization’s ability to deploy cloud platforms. The wide majority (77%) also believe they need to invest more in their workforce to meet the developmental challenges of cloud computing.

    “While the rise of Artificial Intelligence and automation may cause some to think that human insight is less important, our report shows that this is not the case,” Rackspace CTO John Engates said.

    “With technology and the cloud now underpinning business transformation, the growing technology skills gap means organizations must have a strategy to access the expertise needed. Those that don’t will struggle to be competitive and innovative.”

    The Cost of Cloud Expertise report looks at the wider implications of the cloud skills gap and provides a route for businesses to tackle the realities of modern IT and the resulting skills gap. Consisting of research amongst 950 IT decision makers and 950 IT pros – as well as in-depth conversations with IT leaders – in large enterprises around the world, the study uncovers current and future trends in cloud expertise.

  • Five tips for using messaging in retail

    Five tips for using messaging in retail

    Messaging in retail is increasingly becoming a tool of choice both online and offline. Instead of just phone or email, companies can now reach people through social messaging channels, such as Facebook’s Messenger, Twitter Direct Messages, Line or WhatsApp.

    Business Insider Intelligence recently reported the use of messaging apps has surpassed the use of social networks, while a report by The Economist states over 2.5 billion people have installed at least one messaging app on their smartphones. And while messaging may have started out as a way for friends to chat socially, its high engagement levels means customers are on these channels and that messaging is an ideal way to reach out to them.

    For example, by using Facebook Messenger – which has more than 1.2 billion active monthly users – customers can shop, purchase and communicate with businesses. Two years ago, global customer support software company Zendesk partnered with Facebook to allow businesses to easily manage conversations on Messenger.

    Many businesses chose to use messaging as a way of improving their customer service. For instance, when BarkBox, a service provider for dog owners, began managing customer conversations on Messenger, it saw a dramatic decrease in average response time from 60 minutes to four minutes. This helped earn the company a ‘responsive badge’ on their Facebook page.

    Effective engagement

    In today’s connected world, no one leaves home without their mobile phone. Therefore, when used correctly, messaging can be very effective for retailers to engage with customers. Here are some practical tips on how businesses should get started when it comes to messaging their customers:

    Know your entry points:  Not everyone may be comfortable with messaging a company, so it’s best to introduce them to the concept. Businesses with existing Facebook pages or Twitter handles should use the “Message us” button to bring relevant conversations from a social media platform into a one-to-one setting. Similarly, various messaging apps have embeddable buttons that allow customers to message businesses from the website. For retailers without a website, you can encourage customers online through QR codes, which they can scan at retail outlets and start following your messaging profiles. Usually pairing this with a discount or promotional item, helps incentivise the customers.

    Identify your audience and the needs: Don’t try and put all customer conversations onto a messaging platform.

    Instead identify who will be best served by messaging, and which are the best situations. Generally, messaging works well when relatively short answers need to be provided quickly, but not necessarily immediately. For example, if you run a travel business, and offer online travel bookings, things can get complicated due to the many different permutations. In situations where you need to explain numerous details on a particular travel destination, it may be better for the customer to talk over the phone to one of your staff, who can convert the sale more effectively. However, if you want to send out an alert on a price reduction or communicate how to make payment via the website, then messaging is ideal.

    Contextual information: Customers hate having to repeat themselves, so if you need to transfer a conversation from one support agent to another, make sure you pass the necessary context, like customer details, previous purchases, outstanding queries, or shipping updates. When using Facebook Messenger, it is also helpful to link their Facebook identity with your records.

    Response time matters: Response time has a strong correlation with customer satisfaction scores. This is particularly important with messaging, as it’s meant to be a way to get answers fast. Messaging is often used for time-sensitive communications, such as someone asking about their food delivery, or a customer having problems in the middle of his/her e-commerce purchase. The golden rule is to answer at least 90 per cent of your messages within 15 minutes. If you can hit this goal, you will earn a “Very responsive” badge on Facebook. In situations where you are not able to respond quickly, for instance after office hours, set an auto-responder so that customers are aware and not left waiting.

    Pair humans with bots: This works well as long as you have boundaries about how you use your bots. As the accuracy of conversational bots isn’t there yet, masquerading your bots as a human or having open-ended conversations is not recommended. Instead, use bots for repetitious answers, such as checking account balances, tracking delivery, or handling FAQs. Whenever a bot is driving the conversations, make sure the customer has the option to switch over the conversation to a human agent, with the full context available. The bot space is very exciting and has great potential. For example, one of our customers allows people to order online from restaurants, grocery stores and other businesses. They are leveraging Facebook’s AI-powered concierge that inserts recommendations on Messenger. So, if two friends are messaging each other, discussing dinner, the bot can suggest placing an order online. Ordering and payment can all be seamlessly completed within the same messaging app.

    The messaging space has evolved significantly over the past few years, and is still evolving. As this technology and the way people are using it is still so new, the best way for retailers to use messaging is to start slowly and test each approach. Then evaluate the response and if it works well, expand your messaging channels.

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  • SingPost Centre to have Gong Cha flagship

    SingPost Centre to have Gong Cha flagship

    Never mind bubble wrap, the new SingPost Centre in Paya Lebar is about to have the flagship store for bubble-tea chain Gong Cha as it returns to Singapore.

    Under construction, the store will open in December.

    In May, the brand announced it was leaving Singapore and that its outlets would be replaced by new local chain LiHo. However, Royal Tea Taiwan, the company behind Gong Cha, revealed a couple of months later that the chain would return under a new master franchisee. Former Mr Bean co-founder/MD Kang Puay Seng is leading the return of the brand.

    The new SingPost Centre mall will officially launch next Thursday.

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  • Lawson Japan expecting profit turnaround

    Lawson Japan expecting profit turnaround

    Japanese convenience store chain Lawson is expecting a 4 per cent growth in net profit for its half-year to August, defying a projected 7 per cent decline.

    Lawson Japan attributes the swing to strong sales of salads and other private-label items. Lower costs for store closings also appear to have helped.

    The Tokyo-based retailer says it expects to report a group net profit of around ¥23.5 billion (US$208 million) instead of the ¥21 billion it forecast in July.

    Gross operating revenue is likely to rise 7 per cent to nearly ¥330 billion. The operating profit is predicted to ease 3 per cent at nearly ¥39 billion. Lawson had projected a 6 per cent drop.

    In-house products, which have higher profit margins, have helped boost revenue. Lawson sold out all 2.5 million servings of a cream roll cake in just two weeks, part of a new line of sweets introduced in June.

    The chain also found success with its salad offerings, which it increased from 16 to 26 in response to consumer health consciousness.

    Same-store sales rose 1 per cent on the year during the half. Meanwhile, the chain closed about 150 locations, a third fewer than in the year-earlier period.

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  • Honda to cut Japanese production by a quarter as domestic sales stagnate

    Honda to cut Japanese production by a quarter as domestic sales stagnate

    Honda Motor plans to end production at its Sayama plant in Japan by 2022, cutting domestic capacity by around 24 percent as it shifts focus to electric cars (EVs) and other new technologies.

    The automaker has seen stagnant domestic sales and said on Wednesday it was streamlining its Japanese operations as it takes a more nimble approach to development and manufacturing in the face of fierce competition from carmakers and technology companies to make EVs and self-driving cars.

    “As we focus more on adopting electrification and other new technologies, we want to hone our vehicle manufacturing expertise in Japan and expand it globally,” CEO Takahiro Hachigo told a press conference.

    Hachigo has been trying to revive a culture of innovation at Japan’s No. 3 automaker, after a number of major product recalls in recent years as well as lackluster product offerings, partly because it focused so much on increasing volumes and profit.

    Honda said it would end production at the ageing Sayama plant in Saitama Prefecture north of Tokyo, consolidating output at its Yorii plant in the same prefecture by the end of the 2022 financial year. Most workers currently at Sayama would be transferred to the Yorii facility, it said.

    The move would cut overall domestic annual production capacity to around 810,000 units, the same as Honda’s current output levels, which are around 76 percent of its current production capacity of 1.06 million vehicles.

    “Domestic sales haven’t increased as much as we were expecting and it has become difficult to boost exports,” Hachigo said.

    Following consolidation, Honda said the Yorii plant will produce EVs and serve as a major center for developing manufacturing technology for electric cars. It will also produce other vehicles including larger-sized global models.

    While the automaker cuts capacity at home, it plans to open a new plant by 2019 in China, where it has seen explosive growth. Overall, global annual production would remain largely unchanged at around 5.06 million units, it said.

    Honda has struggled to expand sales at home in the past few years, facing stiff competition from popular offerings including Toyota Motor Corp’s (7203.T) Prius gasoline hybrid and Nissan Motor Co.’s (7201.T), Note compact hatchback.

    In the year ended March, it sold 668,000 units domestically, almost the same as in the previous year.

    With an annual production capacity of 250,000 units, the Sayama plant opened in 1964 and is one of Honda’s oldest plants, producing the Accord sedan, the CR-V SUV crossover and other models.

    The Yorii plant began production in 2013 and also has an annual production capacity of 250,000 units. Its output includes the Fit compact hatchback and the Civic sedan.

    Hachigo also said he was confident Honda was following proper procedures for final vehicle inspection for the Japanese market.

    He said the company was complying with a request from Japan’s transport ministry for inspection records after Nissan said on Monday it would recall 1.2 million vehicles due to procedural irregularities with its final inspection processes.

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  • Facebook building $1b data center

    Facebook building $1b data center

    Reports out of Richmond say that Facebook is moving in next door. The tech giant is said to be building a $1 billion data centerin eastern Henrico County, a few miles east of town.

    The first phase of Facebook’s new facility will span 970,000 square feet and add more than 100 full-time jobs to the area. As currently envisioned, follow-up phases would bring that total up to 2.5 million square feet and 240 full-time jobs.

    The data center(s) will be on a 328-acre site at Technology Boulevard and Portugee Road within the White Oak Technology Park.  That’s the complex which also happens to also house the 1.3 million square foot former Qimonda semiconductor plant that is now a giant QTS data center.

    Virginia as a whole has been a hot infrastructure market lately. The construction of the new MAREA cable system is bringing the state its own submarine cable access point at Virginia Beach, and new fiber has been put in the ground and on poles throughout the region in anticipation.

  • X2 Logistics Network member handles transport for project cargo of oversized equipment

    X2 Logistics Network member handles transport for project cargo of oversized equipment

    X2 Logistics Network member Centauro was nominated to handle Integrated Multimodal Logistics by Sea and Land of an Autoclaved Cellular Concrete Plant (HCA) from Shanghai, China to the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. After participating in a competitive bid along with locals and multinational freight forwarders, Centauro was honoured by client’s nomination due to the proven experience and trajectory of the company in the development of projects in Argentina.

    Centauro arranged the overall negotiation and vessel contract, as well as port operations and road transportation upon arrival at Port of Buenos Aires to client’s plant. A fluid and permanent contact was maintained with all parties involved including a European technologist, the Chinese manufacturer and the Argentine importer with the aim of complying times and logistical restrictions presented in the project.

    The shipment of the three largest pieces, 35 metres long and 74 tonnes each, together with the rest of the components, was shipped on vessel BBC Oregon, taking 55 days transit time from Shanghai to Buenos Aires. The unloading operations in Buenos Aires port were also supervised and controlled by Centauro staff as well as the conditioning and road transportation of the big pieces to the customer’s premises using three multi axle trailers, flat bed carts and support equipment in convoy with special road permits and police custody.

    The multimodal service from Shanghai to Santa Fe was performed in 62 days, delivering the cargo at final destination with full customer satisfaction. This first stage of the project will be completed soon with the shipment of more than 80 containers from Northern Europe ports using Port of Rosario, Argentina as local entrance port.

    X2 founder & CEO Richard Overton commented, “It makes me extremely happy to see the kind of work fellow X2 Members are doing. I have no doubt in my mind that we are going to be seeing a lot more amazing projects before our 5th Anniversary Conference which is coming up in February 2018.”

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  • Ericsson opens 5G chip design center in US

    Ericsson opens 5G chip design center in US

    Ericsson has opened a new design center in the US focused on microelectronics and accelerating the path to 5G commercialization.

    The ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) design center in Austin, Texas will work with core microelectronics bound for 5G radio base stations.

    It will work closely with major Silicon processor manufacturers in the area to develop dedicated 5G ASICs.

    ASICs are specifically designed for the computation needs of mobile infrastructure, and make up the core of all Ericsson Radio System products. Ericsson said such processors are a hundred times faster, more cost-efficient and less power hungry than general-purpose processors in PCs.

    “We are strengthening our radio design capability in one of the world’s 5G pioneer markets. We’ll be up and running with our first group of designers in Austin by the end of 2017,” Ericsson head of networks development Sinisa Krajnovic said.

    “Along with our ASIC design teams in Sweden and China, we’ll be making faster, better and greener 5G products to bring into the Ericsson portfolio by 2019.”

  • Xiaomi plans Indonesia-based business

    Xiaomi plans Indonesia-based business

    Xiaomi has announced plans to set up a permanent business entity in Indonesia. Indonesia is pushing for foreign firms that have internet-based services there to set up local companies for the purpose of tax compliance.

    Speaking at the Xiaomi Way of Innovation event in Jakarta, CEO/founder Lei Jun said Indonesia was the company’s “most important” market after China and India.

    International Data Corporation (IDC) data for the first quarter of this year ranked Xiaomi, which entered the smartphone market in 2010, the fifth-largest smartphone manufacturer in the world. It has a presence in more than 60 countries and last month shipped a record 10 million smartphones, thanks to growing demand in India.

    Lei said Xiaomi was mostly known in Indonesia as a smartphone manufacturer, but he wanted to change that by taking more of the firm’s products mainstream. Xiaomi was also an internet and e-commerce company, he said.

    He referred to the company’s business model as a “golden triangle” as it was propped up by three key elements: hardware, internet and retail.

    Xiaomi’s products include robot vacuum cleaners, rice cookers, washing machines, scooters, toys and desk lamps.
    “Hopefully in the future Xiaomi’s ecosystem of products can deliver a great impact on Indonesian users and producers.”

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  • Cebu Pacific invests in facilities for persons with reduced mobility

    Cebu Pacific invests in facilities for persons with reduced mobility

    The Philippines’ carrier, Cebu Pacific(CEB), is set to roll-out Disabled Passenger Lifts (DPLs) in key airports in the Philippines. The DPLs which would allow Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRMs) an easier and more comfortable boarding experience on Cebu Pacific flights.

    CEB is the first airline to invest in its own DPLs, in line with its thrust to improve passenger experience. The use of the DPL is free of charge for Cebu Pacific passengers with reduced mobility. Aside from Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), these include pregnant and elderly passengers who may have difficulty climbing stairs to board their flights.

    CEB has invested over PHP100 Million for the procurement and installation of 35 brand-new DPLs. The first DPL was installed in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in March 2017 for testing and evaluation. Since July 2017, the DPL has been used to lift PWDs, pregnant and elderly passengers on a limited number of CEB flights.

    Michael Ivan Shau, Vice President for Airport Services of Cebu Pacific said that the rest of the DPL units would be installed starting 2018. Six more units would be placed at the NAIA Terminal 3, with the rest deployed to other CEB hubs across the country, namely, Clark, Kalibo, Iloilo, Cebu and Davao; as well as high-traffic airports across the country with CEB operates flight using Airbus aircraft. Target completion is by June 2018.

    “We are looking at initiatives to improve the passenger experience for everyJuan. For our PWD passengers and those with reduced mobility, we recognize that the experience of being lifted manually can be uncomfortable. Investing in the DPLs will allow us to board and deplane passengers with reduced mobility safely, with minimal discomfort,” said Shau.

    In 2016 alone, over 43,000 passengers availed of wheelchair assistance from the check-in counter. Of this number, more than 14,000 were wheeled from the check-in counter and carried to their seats in the aircraft.

    The DPL was introduced in 1998 by international aircraft service provider Airport Maintenance Services– Ground Service Equipment to give airports a safe, comfortable and dignified way to get PRMs on and off aircraft. The DPL allows PRMs, as well as their companions or service agents to board the aircraft or deplane via the aircraft door designated by the airlines. To date, there have been at least 500 DPLs used worldwide.

    For PWDs and other PRMs who need wheelchair assistance, they simply need to tick the box indicating this requirement upon booking their flights.

    Cebu Pacific has also recently implemented discounts on base fares and value-added taxes (VAT) exemption for all domestic flights for PWDs and senior citizens across all its booking channels. CEB has also integrated the domestic terminal fees into CEB ticket costs—all aimed to provide guests with a more convenient and hassle-free flight experience.

  • AirAsia Philippines will seek US$250mil IPO

    AirAsia Philippines will seek US$250mil IPO

    The Philippines unit of AirAsia Bhd is seeking to raise up to US$250 million via an initial public offering (IPO) in mid-2018 to fund its expansion programme, its chief executive said on Tuesday.

    Asia’s biggest low-cost airline, which has nine units in the region, is beefing up its fleet in the Philippines amid an expected long-term boom in budget air travel. AirAsia first raised the prospect of listing its Philippines unit in 2015, planning at that point to take the airline public as early as 2017.

    “We are working on the IPO, hopefully in the middle part of next year,” Philippines AirAsia CEO Dexter Comendador told Reuters.

    Philippines AirAsia had initially aimed to raise US$200mil but raised its target to fund purchases of more aircraft and to expand its route network, Comendador said.

    The airline, which started Philippine operations in 2012, hired BDO Capital and Investment Corp as its underwriter.

    Its fleet will reach 70 aircraft in the next 10 to 15 years from the current 17, Comendador said. AirAsia is one of the largest customers of the Airbus A320-family of jets.

    The airline has a 10% share of the air travel market in the Philippines, one of the world’s fastest growing economies. The local market is dominated by Cebu Pacific, followed by flag carrier Philippine Airlines, both owned by local tycoons.

    AirAsia has also said it is considering a potential IPO of its Indonesian arm.

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  • Kiwi Property launches virtual reality fashion show

    Kiwi Property launches virtual reality fashion show

    Landlord investment firm, Kiwi Property, has launched  the first 360° virtual reality fashion show in Aotearoa, allowing consumers to see spring fashion collections via headsets.

    Launched as the Non-Stop Fashion Show, shoppers are invited to don a VR head set to be transported to the front-row of a fashion show with 360° views of the catwalk, featuring the latest fashion trends from retailers at Kiwi Property-owned centres..

    “We hope to provide our customers with an exciting experience in a convenient, inclusive and accessible space; we’d like to show them that style can be fun and attainable,” said Karlee Lightbourne, national marketing manager at Kiwi Property.

    “We’re dedicated to create exceptional experiences for our customers, as we continue to evolve in step with demand,” she said.

    A 24-camera unit from Jaunt One was used to film the show, which is a Hollywood-quality 360° camera and shoots in every direction.

    “Shot in 3D, anyone can come in and put on a headset for a front-row seat at a live high-end fashion show,” said Craig Whitehead, chief creative officer from creative agency 99 who has worked with Kiwi Property on the campaign since late last year.

    “It’s all about connecting New Zealand shoppers with fashion inspiration in a whole new way, something we’re really excited about.”

    The show is being screened via Vodafone Smart V8 smartphone devices and will feature at

    Sylvia Park and LynnMall in Auckland, Centre Place in Hamilton, The Plaza in Palmerston North, Northlands in Christchurch and North City in Porirua.

  • Grab, Singapore Airlines announce reward points conversion

    Grab, Singapore Airlines announce reward points conversion

    RAB and Singapore Airlines (SIA), in a joint announcement said members of Grab’s GrabRewards programme will be able to convert their GrabRewards points into SIA Krisflyer miles in the near future.

    The announcement was coupled with the launch of a joint booking scheme between the companies.

    Starting Oct 3, passengers can now book rides to airports in six countries on Grab through SIA’s mobile app.

    The service allows passengers to book their Grab trips to airports in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, up to seven days before their flight.

    Passengers who open the SingaporeAir mobile app will be directed to the Grab app, with the airport filled in automatically as the destination.

    “We are thrilled to bring more convenience to our customers on the ground and in the air through our new partnership with Grab, while also offering KrisFlyer and GrabRewards members the opportunity to convert points to miles and redeem them for award flights or flight upgrades,” said Campbell Wilson, SIA senior vice-president of sales and marketing.

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  • City Chain parent warns of loss

    City Chain parent warns of loss

    City Chain parent Stelux Holdings has warned shareholders of a worsening loss for the latest half year.

    Stelux, which also owns the Optical 88 and Egg eyewear chains, says that current information shows the loss for the six months ended September 30 will exceed that of the same period last year.

    But the result appears to be impacted by extraordinary events rather than poor trading in its store network, which spans greater China and Southeast Asia.

    The loss is mainly because of non-cash impact including a one-off gain from the redemption of convertible bonds of HK$75.9 million (US$9.7 million), the amortisation of a share-based payment of convertible bonds of $9.3 million, and an increase in the liability component of convertible bonds of $41.2 million.

    Last July, in advance of the release of final first-quarter data, Stelux reported a year-on-year sales decline of 9.5 per cent (reduced to 8.4 per cent on a foreign-exchange neutral basis) to HK$624.7 million for the June quarter. However, it pointed out that was an improvement on the 16.2 per cent decline for the full financial year to March 31.

    Chairman/CEO Joseph Wong says this has not been reviewed or audited by the company’s
    auditors and is based on the board’s preliminary review of the unaudited consolidated management accounts of the group.

    The group’s results for the half-year may vary, and the interim results will be published next month.

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  • FirstCry talking with potential investors

    FirstCry talking with potential investors

    Indian online baby products retailer FirstCry is talking with potential investors, including Singapore government investment fund Temasek Holdings, to raise equity financing of about US$100 million (Rs665 crore).

    FirstCry owner Brainbees Solutions is ultimately seeking to raise $400-500 million, reports The Economic Times. The Pune-based company was estimated to be worth $300-350 million when it last raised capital 12 months ago.

    Two years ago, FirstCry spun off its logistics arm Xpressbees Logistics as an independent business. A year ago it acquired Mahindra Retail for about Rs362 crore. The Mahindra Group subsidiary owned the Babyoye brand.

    Government-backed investment company Temasek manages assets worth about $275 billion globally. In India it has backed online marketplace Snapdeal, automobile classified portal CarTrade, and online insurance aggregator PolicyBazaar, as well as other companies.

    Meanwhile, India’s baby and child-specific product market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8 per cent, reaching Rs2940 crore by 2021, according to a Euromonitor report.

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