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Tag: asia

  • UBS Rolls Out Permanent Hybrid Working Option

    UBS Rolls Out Permanent Hybrid Working Option

    UBS will allow up to two-thirds of its staff to permanently split working hours between home and the office, in hopes that the approach could help outdo U.S. rivals in requirement.

    An internal analysis of the 72,000-strong global workforce identified that around two-thirds had roles that were fit for hybrid working, according to a report citing unnamed sources, equivalent to more than 48,000 employees.

    The arrangements will be based on an individual’s role, tasks, and location with some, such as traders and branch staff, offered little flexibility with requirements to work on site. For certain activities, even hybrid workers will be required to come into the office to attend.

    No date has been set for a return to the office, according to the plan which is being led by chief executive Ralph Hamers.

    UBS’commitment to more hybrid working contrasts with that of major U.S. rivals which are not only increasingly asking workers to return but also demonstrating relatively critical views about the state of affairs.

    If you can go to a restaurant in New York City, you can come into the office and we want you in the office, Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman said at a recent conference.

    Last year, UBS even explored the potential to have traders operate outside of the office, experimenting with virtual reality headsets for its London-based staff.

  • Nextdoor will help you get that COVID-19 jab

    Nextdoor will help you get that COVID-19 jab

    According to the CDC, about 53% of Americans have received their first COVID-19 shot, and 45% are fully vaccinated. While these numbers are pretty impressive, they’re still far from the 80-85% needed for us to say goodbye to this darn virus once and for all.

    Earlier this year, Uber partnered with Walgreens to offer vaccination appointments and also drive people to the spot when the time comes, and now Nextdoor is following suit. The company announced that it’s launching a special web tool to help more Americans get vaccinated.

    “Vaccine Map will locate nearby vaccine appointment locations, including local Albertsons Companies pharmacy store banners such as Safeway, Vons, Albertsons, and Jewel-Osco, and allow you to schedule an appointment or learn more about the vaccines with educational information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    You don’t need to install the Nextdoor app, you can just follow the link on your smartphone or PC, punch in your ZIP code and get a map of the nearest pharmacies that offer vaccinations. Then, with a simple click, you can schedule an appointment and get this over with.

  • The future of direct carrier billing and carrier-OTT partnerships

    The future of direct carrier billing and carrier-OTT partnerships

    Increased smartphone penetration and a rise in demand for over-the-top (OTT) content have driven the growth of the global direct carrier billing (DCB) market. Valued at US$29.8 billion in 2019, the global DCB market is estimated to reach US$70 billion by 2025, fuelled by a surge in video and audio streaming, as well as consumers’ preference for seamless, secure, and accessible payment modes.

    Linked directly to consumers’ mobile phone bills, consumers can enjoy fuss-free transactions in the absence of a bank account or credit card with DCB. This is in contrast with credit card payments that require consumers to input their credit card number and name. In comparison, a simpler checkout process results in lower abandonment rates and higher conversion rates for merchants. This payment method is also more secure as personal information is not being shared.On top of offering convenience, DCB presents unprecedented opportunities for carriers to tap into Asia-Pacific’s (APAC) unbanked population – totaling more than 1 billion. In Southeast Asia, where financial inclusion is particularly low, about 75% of the population does not have access to formal banking services.

    A flurry of lockdowns and stay-at-home measures have resulted in the rise in video and audio streaming in the past year. According to The Trade Desk, 180 million consumers stream 8 billion hours of over-the-top (OTT) content per month in Southeast Asia, making its OTT market one of the fastest-growing in APAC.

    By 2025, Media Partners Asia predicts that video-on-demand subscriptions will reach 417 million in the APAC region, up from 269 million in 2019. Of which, China will account for 65% of the total subscriptions.

    This trend in increased streaming is expected to persist in a post-pandemic environment driven by more affordable subscriptions, quicker download speeds and a growing DCB market, which in turn spurs more partnerships between carriers and OTT providers.

    Carriers have an advantage in delivering content with a billing mechanism already in place. This gives consumers an added incentive to subscribe to services by OTT providers such as Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify, bundled into carrier subscriptions so that consumers can have all their content needs met by a single source in a single bill. According to Ovum, carrier billing is also the most popular method of revenue sharing in such partnerships.

    For carriers, it means providing added value and better brand positioning in a competitive landscape. For OTT media providers, it means higher conversion rates. The result is win-win as both parties achieve the benefits of increased user acquisition, retention and essentially, revenue.

    Apart from OTT giants like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime, APAC has a diverse market that includes regional and even local OTT providers. In South Korea, for instance, home-grown Wavve is the leading OTT media provider. This is followed by Netflix. When LG UPlus entered into an exclusive deal with Netflix in 2018, its subscriptions for its IPTV grew by 20%. More recently, it was reported that LG UPlus is now exploring a partnership with Disney+, which has amassed more than 100 million global subscribers just 16 months after its launch. SK Telecom, on the other hand, is reportedly signing a partnership with Apple TV+.

    In India, one of the fastest-growing markets for OTT content in the world estimated to reach US$5 billion by 2023, partnerships are highly coveted to court a burgeoning smartphone population. Worldwide Mobile Data Pricing also noted that India has the cheapest average cost of mobile data in the world, at Rs 6.7 (US$0.09) per gigabyte. According to Ovum, about 56% of Indian consumers are already paying for more than one online video service, with the pay-per-use model being more well-received as compared to monthly subscriptions. To attract more consumers, OTT providers are turning to subscription video on demand or advertising video on demand. Amazon’s miniTV is one such provider that offers its content free.

    Moving forward, the onus is on carriers and OTT providers to better curate content suited for the respective markets and attract consumers consumption. This is on top of overcoming challenges such as integrating seamless back-end systems and ensuring that streamed content is high quality without comprising on profit margins.

  • Axiata expands network leadership with commercial Open RAN across Asia

    Axiata expands network leadership with commercial Open RAN across Asia

    Axiata Group Berhad (“Axiata” or “the Group”) has embarked on an ambitious network transformation program, leveraging Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN) as a key technology for mobile networks designed to narrow the digital divide and enhance rural connectivity across Asia.

    Eyeing large-scale commercial deployments by year-end, the Group has successfully conducted Open RAN commercial field pilots in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka through strategic partnerships with leading global network solutions providers Mavenir and Parallel Wireless and supported by Infosys as systems integrator (SI).

    Through its strategic partnership with Mavenir, the industry’s end-to-end network software provider, Axiata has deployed the MAWair Open vRAN solution including all G Open RAN, Packet Core and Mobile Network applications at selected sites, in Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. To simulate non-ideal backhaul conditions, especially for rural areas, the sites selected are connected with non-ideal backhaul (microwave links), and in some cases satellite, making this the first satellite backhaul powered Open vRAN sites in the world.

    During the testing phase, Axiata was also able to achieve the first live commercial service integration of the Telecom Infra Project (TIP)’s Evenstar 4G Radio through Mavenir’s MAVair O-RAN based solution for Open RAN. Axiata is a participant of the TIP initiative in which a global community of companies and organizations are working together to accelerate the development and deployment of open, disaggregated, and standards-based technology solutions that deliver high quality, low-cost connectivity.

    Axiata’s commercial pilot also encompassed a collaboration with Parallel Wireless, the US-based Open RAN company delivering all G, cloud-native Open RAN solutions. Axiata successfully demonstrated commercial deployment of 2G and 4G Open RAN connectivity within its network in Sri Lanka which is operated by Dialog Axiata.

    Parallel Wireless’s solutions enabled 2G and 4G technology to be installed on the same radio units, with baseband deployed on a x86 commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) platform, and all other applications deployed on Axiata’s OpenStack cloud infrastructure. The field trials now elevated to commercial availability, included 3-Sector, 4-Sector and 6-Sector sites, and demonstrated high-quality network performance.

    End user experience was demonstrated to be seamless and, in some cases, superior in terms of mobile broadband experience including next generation voice services. Commercial deployment encompassed rural, sub-urban and urban environments.

    The paradigm shift in telco networks towards Open RAN requires system integration capabilities to bring together the ecosystem of disaggregated components using standardized open interfaces on general-purpose hardware and ensuring interoperability in a carrier grade environment. Axiata was supported by Infosys in executing multi-faceted system integrations required to demonstrate the comprehensive coverage of Open RAN configuration options.

    Thomas Hundt, Axiata’s Group Executive Vice President – Technology said, “Open RAN is the future for mobile networks, and it will be critical for 4G expansions as well as the 5G evolution that Axiata’s markets will soon embrace. Aligning with our vision to become The Next Generation Digital Champion, the benefits from open networks will enable Axiata to better serve rising connectivity needs across the region, especially in rural and underserved areas, whilst ensuring sustainable value creation for our stakeholders.”

    “Together with our partners Mavenir, Parallel Networks and Infosys, and in line with the global connectivity push under the Telecom Infrastructure Project, Axiata is committed towards embracing fully automated infrastructure to boost the open network’s ecosystem in Asia. Our successful trials in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia prove that Open RAN solutions enable greater operational and cost efficiencies using advanced technologies, whilst also meeting the needs of our digital inclusion efforts across the region. We look forward to taking the next step towards commercialization in our pursuit of catalyzing game-changing advancements across emerging Asia,” he said.

    Pardeep Kohli, Mavenir President and CEO said, “Mavenir is delighted to work with Axiata on their radio network transformation initiative and to achieve excellent results in the live everyday environment, proving the extreme flexibility of Open vRAN. The collaboration will transform existing networks into a dynamic, agile and cloud-native based platform where Mavenir and Axiata will build the Networks of the Future.”

    Keith Johnson, President of Parallel Wireless said, “We are honored to partner with Axiata, replacing their incumbent vendors equipment with our leading-edge Open RAN Solution to enable 2G and 4G broadband services in Sri Lanka and other Axiata subsidiaries. We are thrilled that the trials are successful, and we look forward to the commercial deployments in 2021.”

    Anand Swaminathan, EVP & Global Industry Leader, Communications, Media & Technology Infosys said, “Open RAN is transforming the wireless architecture and is enabling Telecom operators to be more competitive and innovative, while providing them flexibility in RAN component suppliers’ ecosystem. The successful completion of the field trial on live network was a major milestone for accelerating the scaled deployment of virtual and Open RAN networks. Infosys is excited to be the SI partner to Axiata in this transformational journey and is committed to stand together to achieve many more milestones in the near future.”

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  • Railways seeks bailout as Covid-19 rages

    Railways seeks bailout as Covid-19 rages

    Vietnam Railways (VNR) is seeking a VND800 billion ($34.82 million) loan to fund operations amid plummeting demand for its services because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    The state-owned company has requested the government for the funds, saying that if the pandemic impacts persist until the next year, it would run out of money to pay staff salaries.

    It is, therefore, proposing that the government gives it an “emergency” loan and provide support for its 13,000 employees, who are either suspended or working part-time.

    It is also proposing that over 6,000 employees are prioritized for vaccination; and that infrastructure fees and land fees are lowered or scrapped for the projects it is implementing.

    Last month, the company suspended 393 trains, and there were times when just one pair of trains was used for the North-South route.

    The company’s revenues in the first five months fell 19 percent year-on-year to VND1.11 trillion and 40 percent from 2019, when the pandemic was yet to hit the country. It posted a loss of over VND1.32 trillion last year.

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  • Google Chrome delays removal of third-party cookies to 2023

    Google Chrome delays removal of third-party cookies to 2023

    Google has moved to an updated time frame for fulfilling its 2020 plan to eventually remove all third-party cookies from its official browser, Chrome. That annoying third-party data collection prompt asking you to “accept” or “reject” cookies, on most websites we visit these days, will soon be a thing of the past.

    This new leap is just one of Google’s recent initiatives to associate its brand name with a bit of privacy awareness, although everyone knows how Google gets its big bucks: AdSense and advertising services. And that goes hand-in-hand with the fact that the more Google uses tracking and data collection to target audiences, the more money there is to be made.

    It’s a bit of a catch-22 situation, but with the Privacy Sandbox initiative announced back in 2019, Google has seemingly been trying to work towards a slightly less privacy-invasive balance.

    Today, Google announced that by the end of 2023, we can expect third-party cookies to be gone entirely from Chrome. More specifically, they will be phased out over a period of exactly three months, “starting in mid-2023 and ending in late 2023.” The original plan was to remove them in early 2022.

    The reason for leaving two years in between is because, Google wants to have certain “key technologies” in place by the end of next year. Among these key technologies is the “widely disabled FLoC” (an algorithm that allows ad selection without sharing individuals’ browsing behavior), as well as other APIs driven by privacy.-

    Google has shared the following two-step plan for phasing out third-party cookies in Chrome.

    • Stage 1 (Starting late-2022): Once testing is complete and APIs are launched in Chrome, we will announce the start of stage 1. During stage 1, publishers and the advertising industry will have time to migrate their services. We expect this stage to last for nine months, and we will monitor adoption and feedback carefully before moving to stage 2.
    • Stage 2 (Starting mid-2023): Chrome will phase out support for third-party cookies over a three-month period finishing in late 2023.

    It’s already been over a year since Google began searching for ways to limit personally identifying data while still being able to deliver ads to the right groups of people “sufficiently large enough to maintain anonymity,” with the Google Sandbox. We can’t fool ourselves that the search will ever be on the same level as Apple when it comes to browsing and privacy, but it’s definitely taken a couple of steps in the right direction.

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  • Google Fi enables VPN service on Apple’s iPhone

    Google Fi enables VPN service on Apple’s iPhone

    Google Fi has been offering customers a VPN service to protect their data while they’re browsing the internet for quite a while. Unfortunately, the said service was only available to those using Android devices.

    Today, Google Fi announced that it’s expanding the VPN service to iPhone. Those using Apple’s smartphone will be happy to know that Fi’s VPN service is included in all the carrier’s plans. It will allow Fi’s customers to stream, browse and download on an encrypted, private connection.

    More importantly, the service is meant to protect Fi customers against hackers on unsecured networks, as well as prevent websites from using their IP addresses to track their location. To enable Fi’s VPN service on an iPhone, you’ll have to go to Phone settings, tap Privacy & security, and enable Protect your online activity.

    You’ll get a pop-up, so make sure to choose Got it, and then Allow. You will then be required to enter your device passcode or fingerprint. If everything went well, you should see a VPN icon in the status bar when you’re connected.

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  • E-commerce platform Leflair set for Q3 comeback

    E-commerce platform Leflair set for Q3 comeback

    E-commerce platform for branded goods Leflair is expected to resume operations under a new owner in Q3.

    The U.S.-based Society Pass Incorporated announced Wednesday it had bought Leflair and other intellectual properties, including the domain name, from a company in Hong Kong.

    The revived Leflair will expand operations to other Southeast Asian markets next year, Society Pass Inc. said.

    Society Pass is an e-commerce startup that specializes in connecting consumers with suppliers in Southeast Asia and South Asia. In Vietnam, Society Pass currently runs Sopa, an e-commerce platform for foods and drinks and gastronomy, and #Hottab, a supplier of solutions and marketing connections for users’ data management.

    Leflair was established in 2015 by two French young entrepreneurs, Loic Gautier and Pierre-Antoine Brun. It acted as an e-commerce platform for branded goods and flash sales. It did not operate as an online marketplace, but worked directly with brands and official distributors in Vietnam and overseas.

    In four years ending in 2019, it secured over 120,000 clients and made net revenues of tens of millions of dollars a year. It ceased operations early 2020. Co-founder and COO of Leflair, Brun, had told suppliers then that the firm had not settled debts totaling $2 million.

    Society Pass said it has nothing to do with Leflair’s old legal entity in Vietnam as also the two individuals who’d co-founded it earlier.

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  • DBS Starts Commodity Trading on LME

    DBS Starts Commodity Trading on LME

    The bank is the first in Asia to hold a London Metal Exchange (LME) trading membership outside of London.

    DBS is one of four Category 4 members on the LME, which allows it to trade and issue client contracts but doesn’t give it clearing abilities.

    The LME membership paves the way for the bank’s corporate clients in Singapore, China, India, Indonesia, Korea and Hong Kong to have access to a broader suite of hedging and financial solutions to support the diverse needs of metal businesses, DBS said in an announcement this week.

    It will also provide the bank’s clients in the metals and mining space with the option to access sustainably-produced metal, Tan Su Shan, DBS group head of institutional banking, said.

    «Metals are an essential enabler to achieve a sustainable future, and as global demand for the commodity continues to grow exponentially, so will expectations on the industry’s sustainability standards,» Tan said.

    The 144-year-old bourse is the global hub for metals trading and was acquired by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing in 2012.

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  • The Year Global Banking Became Impossible

    The Year Global Banking Became Impossible

    U.S. sanctions and China’s new anti-sanctions law are creating internal compliance mayhem for international banks – and Swiss finance.

    The average compliance officer is facing a world of hurt right now. President Joe Biden’s executive order earlier this month drastically expanded the scope and range of prohibitions against Chinese companies and sovereign-owned entities, and it was met a week later by China’s new anti-sanctions law.

    Although conventional wisdom seems to point towards technological decoupling and irreconcilable compliance problems, the immediate truth is probably a starker, simpler one.

    The average bank or international company in Asia has probably spent the last couple of weeks shadow boxing itself into an unenviable corner. There are likely to be any number of incredibly angry emails going around and quickly convened meetings that decide nothing much. They are then immediately forgotten until the next unsolvable quandary pops up.

    What usually happens is that the combined compliance and risk apparatus, including the legal function, are caught fighting a desperate rear-guard action while still trying to grapple with doing the right thing. So, they call in external legal counsel.

    And law firms have been more than glad to provide. Although they are simply saying what a senior compliance person should be able to verbalize at management or committee meetings, they at least provide a lead-in, a buffer, in front of an irate front-line and management demanding clear and instant answers when there are none.

    It always seems to sound nicer when you schedule a conference call with external parties or, failing that, you can at least point towards or wave a fresh color printout – kind of like Chamberlain after Munich.

    After canvassing the web for literally five minutes with one search engine, a few opinions stand out for the average compliance person to choose from. Law firm Wilmer Hale goes pretty far out on a limb, saying the anti-sanctions law «creates far-reaching potential risks including the extraterritorial scope and a seemingly unbounded catchall provision.»

    They should probably only be used in extremis, although the firm did say it was «prepared to advise clients on how to comply with sanctions regimes in a way that makes sense for their business and to assist as needed in assessing the business implications of the ASL».

    Law firm Mayer Brown was more moderated, saying the law «further expands the risks for both Chinese and non-Chinese companies and individuals who have operations or dealings in or with China, particularly those who may be subject to conflicting legal obligations».

    Linklaters was much more subdued, saying «with these measures the PRC intends to counter attempts to influence its affairs by foreign governments via sanctions or other measures» before adding that clients should reach out to their usual contacts if they want to discuss it in more detail. All three are good choices to pad out any internal meeting even though they might not sway a decision in the direction intended.

    If all else fails, and the decision goes completely the wrong way, blame the screening team for everything.

    After all, they are the messenger and they always deserve to get shot.

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  • HelloFresh to open giant new ‘Tuckerbox’ complex in Victoria

    HelloFresh to open giant new ‘Tuckerbox’ complex in Victoria

    Meal-kit maker HelloFresh is to open a new 25,500sqm production facility at Ravenhall in Victoria next month.

    Described as the largest such facility of its kind in the nation – and nicknamed Tuckerbox – the new production and distribution center will speed deliveries to Victorian destinations and nearby states, as well as reduce delivery distances for the company’s suppliers.

    “The launch of our third and largest Australian chilled production facility marks an impressive milestone for the business and will allow us to better serve our growing customer base,” said HelloFresh Australia CEO, Tom Rutledge.

    “Ultimately our focus is to continuously improve the product offering to our customers and how we can increase the value, convenience, and accessibility of our service. The Tuckerbox, with its size, situation, and sophistication provides a tremendous platform for us to realize these objectives over the years to come.”

    The complex will employ about 350 staff including pick packers, forklift drivers, quality control personnel and management.

    HelloFresh has also worked to reduce carbon emissions through the new facility, by shortening delivery routes and using environmental features including skylights to maximize natural light, a rainwater harvesting system, 600kW solar panels for both electricity and heating water, and the use of motion and daylight sensors to reduce overall energy consumption.

    “As the world’s largest meal-kit provider, we also have a responsibility to set a clear precedent and strive towards more sustainable ways of working in our production facilities, said Rutledge.”

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  • Twitter’s Facebook-like emoji based Tweet Reactions could be coming to all very soon

    Twitter’s Facebook-like emoji based Tweet Reactions could be coming to all very soon

    Back in March, we passed along the word that Twitter was considering adding Facebook-style emoji reactions for tweets. Android Developer Dylan Roussel discovered that this new feature might be closer to becoming a way for Twitter users to weigh in on a tweet. Currently, there is a heart icon that can be tapped to express one’s positive feelings about a tweet, but the new emoji reactions reveal a much broader range of feelings including  thinking, crying, laughing to tears, clapping hands, and a heart.”

    Roussel says that the reaction emojis don’t work yet since Twitter has just started to implement it. Back when we first discussed the possibility of Facebook-style emoji responses coming to Twitter, a spokesman for the latter said, “We’re exploring additional ways for people to express themselves in conversations happening on Twitter.” Besides Facebook, another social media app that includes the use of reaction emoji is LinkedIn.

    Late last month, reliable Twitter tipster Jane Manchun Wong disseminated a tweet about what she called “Tweet Reactions. Wong said that it would include emoji for like, cheer, hmm, sad, and haha. That seems to match up with some of the reactions spotted by Roussel: thinking=hmm, crying=sad, laughing to tears=haha, and clapping hands=cheer.

    The fact that the emoji reaction showed up on Roussel’s tweet shortly after Wong’s tip should be a sign that Twitter will soon be rolling this out for everyone.

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  • Three times more scammed via bank transactions than Bitcoin payments in Australia

    Three times more scammed via bank transactions than Bitcoin payments in Australia

    Bitcoin remains the most popular cryptocurrency playing a role as an investment vehicle and also a payment medium. However, scammers are exploring the payment aspect to defraud victims resulting in losses of millions of dollars.

    According to data compiled by cryptocurrency trading simulator Crypto Parrot, Australians lost an equivalent of AUD 26.65 million in scams where Bitcoin was the payment method in 2020. Despite Bitcoin being a new payment method, the fraud linked to the cryptocurrency ranked second behind banks.

    Scams involving bank transactions amounted to AUD 97.65 million, which is at least 3.7 times more than the amount lost in bitcoin payments scams. Other unspecified payment methods ranked third at AUD 24.17 million while cash ranked fourth at AUD 8.57 million. Credit cards emerged fifth at AUD 8.1 million.

    Elsewhere in terms of reported scams in 2020, payments methods not provided ranked top at 190,959 cases, followed by banks at 8,215. Credit cards rank third at 6,267 cases, followed by PayPal at 2,761. Other payment methods ranked fifth at 2,680 cases. Bitcoin cases emerged sixth at  1,985.

    The coronavirus health crisis partly played a role in Bitcoin being used as a payment method for scams in Australia.

    According to the research report: “Amid the pandemic, most people spend more time online on social media platforms, which became perfect grounds for targeting potential victims. Notably, victims deployed social media to share their referral codes with friends and contacts, bringing more people into the group involving the fake investment scheme. Overall, social media is an excellent tool for scammers who understand most people face the fear of missing out.”

    Furthermore, Bitcoin’s underlying nature of being decentralized and anonymous contributed to the crypto being utilized as a payment method in scams. Notably, this status means that the beneficiaries cannot be traced easily.

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  • Singapore to increase ICT spending to accelerate Government digitalisation

    Singapore to increase ICT spending to accelerate Government digitalisation

    Singapore’s Government Technology Agency (GovTech) will spend up to an estimated S$3.8 billion on info-communications technology (ICT) procurement this year, an almost 10 percent increase from FY20’s procurement value of S$3.5 billion.

    This spending will go towards transforming government digital services used by both citizens and businesses and re-engineering government digital infrastructure to support modern application development. It will build on the momentum generated by past years’ investments and serve to lock in the digitalization gains brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will be able to participate in close to 83 percent of the total potential procurement opportunities.Transforming government digital services for the future

    An estimated S$2.7 billion (70 percent out of S$3.8 billion) will be spent on 250 projects to transform, integrate and streamline digital services across different sectors to create a more digitally empowered nation.

    Of the S$2.7 billion expected to be spent on digital application services, 44 percent will be developed on the cloud in FY21. Developing applications on the cloud increases agility and innovation, resulting in faster delivery of new public services for citizens and businesses. In addition, leveraging on cloud infrastructure increases resiliency and scalability, leading to better performance during periods of high demand. To date, the government has close to 600 systems on cloud and is on track to have 70 per cent of eligible systems on the cloud by FY2023.

    Number of Artificial Intelligence projects to increase

    Over S$500 million (13 percent out of S$3.8 billion) will be spent to accelerate the adoption and deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the public sector. AI can help the Government to deliver better services, make better decisions based on data-driven insights, and optimise operations to increase productivity. To support government agencies in deploying AI, GovTech has built various central platforms to support common use cases in the area of video analytics, natural language processing, fraud analytics and personalization to help agencies reduce the cost of onboarding AI solutions. The central platforms also enable agencies to access common features and enjoy lower cost of management, maintenance and updating of systems.

    More projects for SMEs to participate in Govt ICT procurement

    The increase in ICT procurement spending will create more opportunities for SMEs, with more than 80 percent of ICT contracts to be made available through streamlined procurement methods. These procurement methods will improve SMEs’ access to Government ICT procurement opportunities. For instance, the government has incorporated dynamic contracting in bulk tenders to allow new suppliers and requirements to be introduced throughout a contract period. Barriers of entry for SMEs are also lowered as government agencies put out more cloud-based services and smaller system projects that allow suppliers with a lower financial grading to bid.

    Mr Kok Ping Soon, Chief Executive, GovTech, said: “We are heartened by the results of the G2C and G2B annual survey on Government Digital Services, which are an affirmation of the Government’s commitment to invest heavily in ICT and digital transformation. Providing more opportunities for SMEs to take on government projects is also important, as SMEs have always been the lifeblood of Singapore, and form a key pillar of our Smart Nation efforts. GovTech will continue to innovate to provide seamless and easy-to-use services and improve the resilience and security of our digital platforms for citizens, businesses and public officers.”

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  • AirAsia readies for Sandbox opening

    AirAsia readies for Sandbox opening

    As the Thai government confirms the country will embark on a reopening phase beginning with a pilot “Sandbox project” in Phuket 1 July, airlines are planning to increase domestic flights.

    In a press statement released Tuesday, AirAsia says it is “set to paint the skies red again in support of the Phuket Tourism Sandbox programme that is also seen as the first step in welcoming international visitors to Thailand.

    Caption 1  Krid Pattanasan

    AirAsia Thailand head of government relations and secretary-general of the Airlines Association of Thailand Krid Pattanasan said: “Domestic travel will be the first to restart with the reopening of Phuket from 1 July 2021. Thai and foreign travellers who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to enter Phuket under strict government guidelines.

    “This initiative will soon be extended to other destinations including Chiang Mai, Krabi, Phang Nga, Pattaya and Hua Hin. AirAsia has been rigorously preparing for this much-awaited programme, and its staff are ready to welcome and facilitate guests, including by getting themselves vaccinated to ensure the safety, wellbeing and peace of mind for all guests.”

    By the end of June, over 80% of AirAsia’s staff will be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The programme started with those who have direct contact with guests such as ground staff, cabin crew and pilots, but it is extending to those working as baggage handlers, technical crew and engineering staff are also ensured to receive the vaccine.

    In preparation to take to the skies again, AirAsia has lined up various attractive promotions to further stimulate travel. These promos will commence as soon as the government provides the green light for mass air travel to kick off.

    Caption 2 Lunchakorn Saengsiri

    Senior Cabin Crew Lunchakorn Saengsiri, as frontline staff in direct contact with guests, said receiving a full vaccination has provided great confidence when interacting with his co-workers, his family and AirAsia guests.

    He noted that despite the low frequency of flights currently, he and his colleagues have been maintaining safety and hygiene standards for every flight.  Close contact with passengers has been reduced to the minimum in accordance with state regulations, while the consumption of food and sale of goods in-flight has been completely restricted.

    Caption 3 Tapachcha Khanpimool

    For Senior Cabin Crew Tapachcha Khanpimool, most people have been adapting to the situation, and she expressed the belief that once vaccinations become widespread, air travel will quickly return especially the much anticipated domestic travel.

    “We are very excited to return to flying and have ensured that we are fully ready by protecting ourselves and staying up to date on the latest information  so that we can provide the best possible service to our guests.”

    Meanwhile, Ramp Agent Noppalit Budrath shared that despite everyone in his department having been fully vaccinated, it is crucial that the highest safety and hygiene measures continue to be observed. He said this is especially true as in the course of his duties delivering aircraft for service and to be present during landing and take-off, he would frequently come into contact with passengers.

    Caption 4 Noppalit Budrath

    AirAsia intends to increase its domestic service by 20 to 30% compared to the same period in 2020 and before the latest COVID-19 wave.

    It will fly Don Mueang-Phuket three times daily and Suvarnabhumi-Phuket once daily every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.