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Tag: Singapore

  • Singapore Airlines adds another Airbus A350 to Perth

    Singapore Airlines adds another Airbus A350 to Perth

    Singapore Airlines is continuing its rolling upgrade of flights to Australia, with Perth set to see a second Airbus A350 from July 1, 2019.

    The advanced jet, which boasts Singapore Airlines’ latest flat-bed regional business class seats in what the airline calls a ‘medium-range’ configuration, will slot into daily flights SQ214 (departing Perth at 5.10pm) and SQ223 (wheels up from Singapore at 9.30am).

    SQ226/SQ213 already hosts an A350, with a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner rostered onto SQ216/SQ215.

    This leaves just one daily flight on the Star Alliance member’s older Airbus A330, and its days are surely numbered.

    The Airbus A350’s 40 business class seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 layout, providing every passenger with direct aisle access, with access to inflight WiFi if you need to work rather than rest – or luxuriate over your Book the Cook meal – on the quick five-hour hop.

    Singapore Airlines intends to roll out lie-flat beds across its entire fleet from 2020, from the longest of globe-spanning trips to short hops such as Singapore-Kuala Lumpur on SilkAir, which will be adopting new flat-bed business class seats on its factory-fresh Boeing 737s.

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  • Visa Expands Contactless Payments to Public Transport

    Visa Expands Contactless Payments to Public Transport

    Singapore joins other major cities that have enabled open-loop Visa payment cards for public transport, including London, Sydney and New York. Commuters in Singapore can now use their Visa contactless cards or compatible devices to pay for bus or train rides under the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) SimplyGo initiative, Visa said in an announcement on Thursday.

    According to Visa, the project with LTA is one of its largest implementation for contactless acceptance for transit globally, with 30,000 acceptance points.

    SimplyGo was rolled out for MasterCard users in April, aiming to make traveling by public transport seamless and convenient by eliminating the need to carry a travel card or wait in line to purchase or top up a travel card. Fees under SimplyGo are the same as paying with a travel card.

    Visa said has been working with partners and merchants to expand the acceptance of contactless payments nationwide, including transport, quick service restaurants and hawker centers.

    Today, Singapore is already one of the top markets globally in terms of contactless penetration with more than 80 percent of all Visa transactions being contactless. We expect this number to grow even faster with the opening of transit acceptance, Kunal Chatterjee, Visa country manager for Singapore and Brunei, said.

  • Clarks opens first dual concept store

    Clarks opens first dual concept store

    Footwear retailer Clarks has opened its first dual concept store at Suntec City Singapore.

    The store showcases Clarks casual footwear products on one side and Cloudsteppers line, which targets Millennial and GenZ consumers, on the other.

    The store marks what Clarks’ management describe as a “milestone of the retail transformation initiated in Southeast Asia”.

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  • Unmanned pop-up store Unboxed by Singtel

    Unmanned pop-up store Unboxed by Singtel

    In the 45sqm store, customers can consult with a live bot, which is powered by facial recognition technology, to receive personalised recommendations, try out phones, sign up for mobile plans at video-assisted self-serve kiosks and buy and collect phones and devices via an in-store POPStation.

    Customers can browse and buy accessories including headphones, phone cases, power banks and contract-free handsets.

    They can also make bill payments, top up prepaid cards and Dash wallets, and get SIM card replacements.

    “The future of retail is here and now. Our digital transformation integrates online and offline customer touchpoints to deliver fresh and fuss-free buying experiences to consumers,” said Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO of consumer at Singtel.

    “Unboxed fulfils the needs of today’s consumer and provides a peek into the next-generation of retail – fast, instant, convenient and experiential.

    Co-created by Singtel, NCS and SingPost, Unboxedbuilds on the success of the digital transformation of Singtel’s flagship Comcentre store, which offers integrated online and in-store shopping carts, and instant purchases via an automated checkout.

    The store will move to a new location every few months to serve customers at high-traffic areas such as transport hubs and school campuses.

  • Janice Wong continues expansion outside Singapore

    Janice Wong continues expansion outside Singapore

    Confectionery and food brand Janice Wong is expanding its reach both within Singapore and beyond as it chases a broader customer demographic.

    In Singapore, the local foodie’s popular three-year old restaurant at the National Museum will close after its current lease expires this month, allowing the company to focus its attention on her retail business. Janice Wong plans to expand beyond Paragon, Raffles City Shopping Centre, T Galleria and Changi airport Terminal 3, working closely with brands and key partners, as well as developing the menu of the 2am Dessert Bar, which has just marked its 12th year.

    Chairman of Janice Wong Singapore, Manoj M Murjani, says the company has created “a fun-loving and whimsical brand” that has brought joy to customers in creative and innovative markets like Japan, Singapore, Korea and even London.

    “This is the right time to capitalise on our success and expand our presence in the region and globally. We believe the Janice Wong brand also provides a unique platform for strategic corporate partners who want to engage their customers in a bold and memorable way.”

    In the first quarter of this year, Janice Wong has announced partnerships including new concessions at DFS T Galleria in February and at Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 in March, allowing travellers to get a taste of a Singaporean creative chocolatier brand on home ground and broadening the brand’s exposure to a larger demographic.

    Taking her edible art exhibitions abroad, Janice Wong launched her latest installation at the Solaria Plaza shopping mall in Fukuoka, Japan, a 10-day edible-art exhibition featuring 12 ‘edible-flower walls’ made from chocolate and lollipops.

    In South Korea, Janice Wong’s longest-spanning exhibition to date, Wonderbox, in Seoul, will become a permanent work for the next three years, moving to South Korea’s newest indoor theme park, Paradise City in Incheon. It will feature creations such as her Lollipop Ceiling and a four-metre-tall Chocolate Drip Paint.

    In addition to the long-term installation, Janice Wong’s first Wonderbox retail store in South Korea opened last month, featuring a selection of her signature products, such as boxed chocolate collections, chocolate bars and lollipops.

    Three years after entering Japan, the company has formed a new local venture Janice Wong Japan Company. “This newly registered business represents the next steps in affirming a long-term plan in Japan and to significantly growth the brand within this market,” the company said.

    Beyond Asia, Janice Wong is looking to follow up last year’s launch in Harrods in London, with forays into Dublin and Berlin by the end of this year.

    Murjani says that as convenience becomes more significant, the brand will shift its efforts towards innovation and product development within the retail section of the company to meet consumer demands. That will see the brand focus on expanding its retail selection of chocolate-coated products and other confectionery offerings.

  • Singapore’s Funan mall Opening Date Revealed

    Singapore’s Funan mall Opening Date Revealed

    Funan mall is set to open its doors on June 28 – ahead of schedule after a three-year redevelopment.

    Located in the heart of Singapore’s Civic District, the mall will host more than 180 brands under six themes: tech, craft, play, fit, chic and taste. One in three of the stores will be new-to-market brands, new concept stores or flagships.

    “Shaped by its unique location in a new-gen live-work-play hub, Funan brings together experiential and activity-based retail at a scale not seen before in Singapore’s Civic District, while providing a collaborative platform for retailers to share their brand stories,” said Chris Chong, MD, retail, at CapitaLand Singapore.

    “With a dedicated community manager, Funan goes beyond a singular focus on achieving a certain retail mix to curate community experiences that consumers are passionate about, as it seeks to build social connections and networks beyond the transactional.”

    Experiential and activity-based retail takes centrestage at Funan – Climb Central will operate the highest climbing facility in the Civic District, extending from the base of the Tree of Life at Basement 2 to Level 1.

    “To date, Funan has achieved about 92 per cent in commitment for its retail leasing and we expect more leases to be signed in the coming months,” said Tony Tan, CEO of CapitaLand Mall Trust Management Limited.

    “The robust demand for Funan’s retail space comes on the back of a strong pre-leasing commitment of 98 per cent for its twin office blocks. With a clear focus on offering differentiated experiences and connections that are not replicable online, Funan aims to anchor and grow its own community of followers who will keep returning. This innovative approach in curating a mall will augur well in creating sustained value for our unitholders over the long term,” said Tan.

    New-to-market brands

    Tech company Dyson will unveil its first standalone store in Singapore at Funan. The beauty-only concept store will be dedicated to its Dyson Supersonic hair dryer and recently-launched Dyson Airwrap styler.

    British folding-bikes maker Brompton Junction will open its first Southeast Asian flagship store, and launch a Lion City special edition bike.

    Golden Village’s seven-screen multiplex in Funan will feature two new seating concepts – Deluxe Plus and Gold Class Express – along with virtual reality pods in its foyer, showcasing popular games and cinematic content for customers.

    FairPrice Finest will introduce a digital shopping experience at Funan, allowing customers to shop and pay through their phones.

    Kopitiam will launch its latest concept KopItech, where patrons can place their orders via one of 17 self-service kiosks or through Facebook’s messaging app.

    Singapore’s True Group will open a flagship TFX fitness centre in Funan, True’s first fitness centre in Singapore with a swimming pool and outdoor deck.

    Other retailers will make their return to Funan, including tech retailer AddOn Systems which will operate Singapore’s Lenovo Flagship Store, and GamePro Shop, which will organise esports tournaments.

    Courts is opening its first uniquely IoT store, featuring simulated smart home concepts where consumers can visualise their dream home fully connected.

    Local eateries Ya Kun Kaya Toast, Qi Ji and Old Chang Kee will also return, with Qi Ji marking its 16th outlet islandwide since its first stall in Funan Centre back in the 1990s.

    Local labels

    More than half of Funan’s tenants are homegrown brands, both established and emerging.  These include artisan jeweller Carrie K’s first standalone boutique and fashion label Love, Bonito’s largest outlet in Singapore. Footwear brand Another Sole will also launch its first menswear collection there.

    Native online brands opening their first brick-and-mortar outlets include fashion retailer All Would Envy and creative confectionery brand Nasty Cookie.

    Specialty coffee roaster Papa Palheta, the group behind Chye Seng Huat Hardware, will be launching Singapore’s first employee-owned cafe, PPP Coffee and Sinpopo will open its first coffee concept in Funan. Designer store Grafunkt will include an in-store bistro.

    At an urban farm on Level 7 operated by Edible Garden City, farmers will work with chefs to curate, grow and harvest pesticide-free produce, supplying the produce straight to restaurants in the building.

    Located in the heart of Singapore’s Civic District, the mall will host more than 180 brands under six themes: tech, craft, play, fit, chic and taste. One in three of the stores will be new-to-market brands, new concept stores or flagships.

    “Shaped by its unique location in a new-gen live-work-play hub, Funan brings together experiential and activity-based retail at a scale not seen before in Singapore’s Civic District, while providing a collaborative platform for retailers to share their brand stories,” said Chris Chong, MD, retail, at CapitaLand Singapore.

    “With a dedicated community manager, Funan goes beyond a singular focus on achieving a certain retail mix to curate community experiences that consumers are passionate about, as it seeks to build social connections and networks beyond the transactional.”

    Experiential and activity-based retail takes centrestage at Funan – Climb Central will operate the highest climbing facility in the Civic District, extending from the base of the Tree of Life at Basement 2 to Level 1.

    “To date, Funan has achieved about 92 per cent in commitment for its retail leasing and we expect more leases to be signed in the coming months,” said Tony Tan, CEO of CapitaLand Mall Trust Management Limited.

    “The robust demand for Funan’s retail space comes on the back of a strong pre-leasing commitment of 98 per cent for its twin office blocks. With a clear focus on offering differentiated experiences and connections that are not replicable online, Funan aims to anchor and grow its own community of followers who will keep returning. This innovative approach in curating a mall will augur well in creating sustained value for our unitholders over the long term,” said Tan.

  • Singapore launches the Smart Nation Innovations Week

    Singapore launches the Smart Nation Innovations Week

    The Smart Nation Innovations Week 2019 kicks off today in Singapore, where local and international attendees will share and learn about the impact of technology and innovation on business, economy, government and society.

    The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), together with Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO), GovTech and in partnership with Unbound, will host the Smart Nation Innovations Week (SNI Week) from 24-28 June 2019. The event will see more than 15,000 global government and industry leaders convene in Singapore to discuss challenges and opportunities in a digital age.

    Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is the Guest of Honour at The Smart Nation Summit, an annual by-invitation only forum aimed at facilitating impactful conversations among senior leaders and stakeholders from governments and businesses on the policies, strategies, technologies and mindsets needed as the global digital economy accelerates its growth. PM Lee will participate at the closing dialogue of the Summit and Minister for Communications and Information, Mr S Iswaran will speak at the opening of the Summit.

    Themed “Digital as Usual”, the Smart Nation Summit is a constituent event of SNI Week and will bring together a thousand delegates from around the world, including industry leaders and ministers, to discuss thought-provoking topics that interrogate the intersections across sectors (economy-government-society), geographies (East-West though Southeast Asia) and time (future-present) in this digital age. The Summit will shine the spotlight on Asia’s transformation, tensions between technology, security and trust – how they all come to bear in the services sector, and call for new leadership in a digital-as-usual age. SNI Week also includes events such as the Straits Digital Exchange (SDE) and the Digital Government Exchange (DGX).

    Following the Smart Nation Summit on 26 June, the Innovfest Unbound festival returns to Singapore for its fifth and largest-ever edition as the anchor event of SNI Week on 27-28 June 2019. As one of Singapore’s key event platforms connecting technology entrepreneurs, brands, investors, businesses and thought leaders for growth and partnership opportunities, this year’s conference will attract more than 15,000 participants, feature over 350 exhibitors, and more than 400 speakers. Minister for Communications and Information Mr S Iswaran will be the Guest of Honour at Innovfest Unbound and deliver the opening speech.

    IMDA will also be presenting two new panel discussions – Services 4.0 and Trusted AI. A high level panel will convene on 28 June 2019 to discuss topics on building trusted AI ecosystems, with Senior Minister of State Mr Janil Puthucheary delivering the welcome address for the day. A select list of promising local digital companies will be featured at IMDA’s Tech Alley and booths as well.

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  • Changi Airport liquor & tobacco concession Open

    Changi Airport liquor & tobacco concession Open

    The Changi Airport liquor & tobacco concession is up for grabs after DFS Venture opted not to proceed with a two-year extension.

    Changi Airport Group (CAG) will launch a tender for the concession on June 4, covering 18 stores, spanning more than 8000sqm of retail space across the airport’s four terminals. It will run for six years from June 9 next year.

    CAG is seeking a strong partner with retail concepts to augment the passenger experience for the liquor and tobacco concession.

    From store design and product range, to in-store activations and e-commerce strategy, the retailer should put forth a robust and compelling proposal, leveraging new technologies and innovations, to elevate travel retail at Changi, CAG said.

    The Changi Airport liquor & tobacco concession will serve more than 66 million international travellers who pass through Changi Airport annually.

    “We look forward to new retail concepts to take the liquor & tobacco concession to new heights,” said CAG VP for commercial, Lim Peck Hoon.

    “Changi is fully committed to growing with our concession partners through impactful innovation and effective collaboration. There will be a wealth of opportunities for the liquor & tobacco partner to showcase its offerings to Changi’s global audience, delivering revolutionary best-in-class retail experiences, to build and grow its business.”

    Interested retailers will be required to attend a compulsory tender briefing and site visit scheduled on June 25. The deadline for submissions is August 5.

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  • A&W Singapore opening second outlet

    A&W Singapore opening second outlet

    American fast-food chain A&W Singapore will open second outlet in Ang Mo Kio Hub in July.

    The outlet at AMK Hub’s basement will span 2812sqft and seat up to 142 diners.

    Unlike the Jewel Changi outlet, the AMK one will be ‘family-oriented’ and more flexible to accommodate larger groups of diners.

    There will also be a counter for customers to watch waffles being made, and a selfie corner to satisfy millennials.

    A retail section will sell merchandise such as t-shirts, caps and pins will be set up.

    “The A&W brand is something people remember from childhood,” A&W international manager for business development Sally See said.

    “We see baby boomers taking their children to the Jewel outlet. With the AMK Hub outlet, we hope they can relive those memories of the time when A&W used to be in Ang Mo Kio.”

    Initially, the new store will trade during normal mall hours but it will eventually be open 24-seven.

    The menu will feature A&W signature items, and will expand to include breakfasts as well.

    More A&W Singapore stores are scheduled to open from the second quarter of next year with the Tampines and Jurong areas targeted.

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  • Swee!’s celebration of Singaporean culture through creative branding lands RedMart global brand award recognition

    Swee!’s celebration of Singaporean culture through creative branding lands RedMart global brand award recognition

    Swee!, a hyper-local brand under the Private Label umbrella of RedMart, Singapore’s leading online grocery retailer, has been awarded Gold in the New Brand category at the 2019 Vertex Awards. The annual Vertex Awards celebrates and recognises the best in private brand packaging design across the globe.

    Other Gold Award winners this year include renowned overseas retailers such as Woolworths Supermarkets in Australia, 7-Eleven in the US, Sobeys in Canada, Albert Heijn and SPAR in the Netherlands, El Corte Inglés in Spain, and German supermarket chain Aldi.

    Launched in February 2018, the Swee! brand is a celebration of Singaporean tastes and preferences, offering entry-level, everyday groceries and household items ranging from oyster sauce and sesame oil to sausages and scourers for Singapore shoppers. It is one of three brands under RedMart’s Private Label range, along with RedMart Label and World’s Cellar. Launched in May 2015, the three brands together house more than 320 products across 13 categories, all sold exclusively on RedMart.

    Richard Ruddy, Chief Retail Officer and Head of Grocery for Lazada Singapore, said, “We launched our RedMart Private Label range in May 2015 with the aim of delivering value for money to customers with no compromise on quality or innovation. Since then, the range has grown by leaps and bounds – we have experienced 80 percent year-on-year growth and more than tripled our Private Label revenue since June 2017, and almost 50 percent of RedMart shoppers now buy RedMart Private Label products.”

    Nupur Agrawal, Private Label Lead at RedMart, said, “We are thrilled to receive this award with Anthem Singapore for RedMart’s Swee! Label, which is under our Private Label umbrella. We will continue to expand our offerings to provide Singapore grocery shoppers with the best product range and quality regardless of price point, as well as look for ways to enhance the online-to-offline experience, such as through innovative and iconic packaging designs.”

    Anthem, the global creative agency responsible for Swee!’s packaging design, was challenged by RedMart to deliver a brand story with local relevance and ultimately attract more traditional shoppers who are more comfortable buying from their regular brick-and-mortar supermarket. RedMart and Anthem’s goal was to create a brand proposition that connects with the local consumer and answers their need for a range of simple, fit-for-purpose items.

    Spencer Ball, Creative Director of Anthem Singapore, said, “It is a proud moment seeing Swee!, a brand born out of Singapore’s heartland, being honoured on the world stage. This is a perfect example of the shared belief in a simple, strong idea, from a talented creative team and a bold client.”

    As a strictly online brand, packaging presentation and branding is paramount. RedMart and Anthem collaborated to create a brand with a ‘chirpy’ personality, but with a familiar simplicity. Drawing on inspiration from Singapore’s heartland, with a nod to the utilitarian aesthetics of high-rise public housing estates and the unpretentious language of the neighborhood wet market, Anthem landed with the brand name ‘Swee!’ – a Hokkien expression that roughly translates to ‘works perfectly’. Since its debut on RedMart, the line has continued to grow with a diverse range of products.

    Anthem is known for choosing to collaborate exclusively with retailers and brand owners who share their company values in ensuring the highest quality products. The brand development partnership with RedMart was a great fit, as RedMart’s Private Label is built on stringent quality guidelines with a deep commitment to supporting sustainably and responsibly sourced products.

    Anthem, part of SGK group, had previously won Vertex awards for other projects. This year, the group has also won Gold Vertex Awards for the work developed for Woolworths Supermarkets.

    The 2019 Vertex Awards received a record number of entries from 33 countries representing the absolute best in packaging design from across the globe.

    RedMart is fully owned by Lazada Group, Southeast Asia’s leading eCommerce and shoppertainment platform.

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  • Boots Chain Closing Down 200 Stores

    Boots Chain Closing Down 200 Stores

    The Boots chain of health & beauty stores is looking to cull as many as 200 outlets in its home UK market as its US parent embarks on a strategic review.

    Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) says the Boots business saw profits fall 20 percent to £398 million for the year to August 31. Sales slipped 0.8 percent to £6.7 billion during the period.

    Many of the Boots chain stores would close when their current leases expire. Others which are performing badly, would be shuttered more quickly, especially in smaller towns where there are two stores operating yet one would suffice.

    WBA will review the future of 2500 stores worldwide, including about 200 in the UK, which is equivalent to about 10 percent of Boots’ local network.

    Patrick O’Brien, UK retail-research director at GlobalData, said the Boots closures are overdue.

    “It has taken Boots a long time to address the midmarket squeeze that has wrought so much damage to major multichannel retailers in other sectors such as food, fashion and department stores. Shoppers have been trading down to discounters, and trading up to higher-end retailers for more expensive treats and gifts,” he said.

    “Like Tesco and M&S it has actually been in this predicament for years, but unlike them, it has done little to address the issue until very recently, and now we have to wonder if Boots has left it too late to halt its market share decline.”

    O’Brien said a long-term lack of investment in stores has become more noticeable to shoppers.

    “Its dated approach also extends to pricing, where multi-buy promotions and a generous loyalty scheme have made its shelf edge prices uncompetitive with discounters such as Aldi, Lidl and Savers, who have all been eating into its market share in health & beauty,” he concluded.

  • Cafe Amazon Opens in Singapore

    Cafe Amazon Opens in Singapore

    Thai coffee chain Cafe Amazon has opened its first outlets in Singapore.

    One store is located at Jewel Changi, the other at Jurong Point shopping center.

    An opening ceremony was held at Cafe Amazon Jewel Changi, which marked the 2750th branch of the franchised chain worldwide. The chain was founded in 2002 to provide beverages and food to travelers refueling at the company’s gas stations.

    PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited (PTTOR) chairman Auttapol Rerkpiboon said the company was pleased to open in the Lion City.

    “Throughout 15 years of business, we’re proud to say that Cafe Amazon has received an overwhelming response in every country it operates.”

    Singapore joins Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Japan and Oman on the list of countries Cafe Amazon has entered. It has about 2500 stores in Thailand and nearly 200 abroad.

    To adapt to Singaporean taste, Cafe Amazon has adjusted its snack and beverage menu, making Yin Yang, a premium matcha latte its signature drink.

    PTTOR plans to invest US$1.3 billion to open 20,000 branches of Cafe Amazon over the next five years under a franchise business model.

  • Rimowa opens store in Singapore, Raffles

    Rimowa opens store in Singapore, Raffles

    LVMH’s luggage brand Rimowa Singapore has opened a new store at the newly refurbished Raffles Hotel.

    The 600sqft store features a greenery space with the floral walls which provides an immersive conceptual experience to visitors and shoppers alike.

    Customers can find the latest Rimowa luggage collections there, including the Rimowa Original, Rimowa Classic, Rimowa Essential, Rimowa Essential Lite, Rimowa Essential Sleeve, and Rimowa Hybrid.

    The store also includes a sticker wall featuring classic, new and exclusive luggage stickers from the Rimowa Sticker Collection.

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  • Singapore Payments Startup InstaReM Partners Thai Banking Group

    Singapore Payments Startup InstaReM Partners Thai Banking Group

    Digital remittance company InstaReM has partnered Thai banking group Kasikornbank in an agreement that would see the Singapore startup power cross-border payments for the bank’s clients in select markets, it announced in a press release on Thursday.

    This relationship further cements InstaReM’s position as a leading provider for cross-border transactions. With InstaReM, KBank clients will be able to realize faster turnarounds, while providing certainty on delivery times and payout amounts, Prajit Nanu, co-founder and CEO of InstaReM, said.

    “This is an important partnership for KBank at an exciting stage in our evolution. We are continuing to expand our cross-border payment capabilities into key markets across the world, as we are witnessing increasing demand from our customers.

    Kasikornbank is Thailand’s second-largest and Southeast Asia’s eighth-largest bank in terms of total assets, at $96.9 billion, according to data from Forbes. At $14.5 billion, it is also the country’s largest bank in terms of market capitalization.

    InstaReM, which has a presence in 40+ countries in Asia-Pacific, North America and Europe enables low-cost cross-border payments to 55+ countries. It has enhanced its payments capabilities by partnering global payments leaders like Ripple, Visa and First Data.

    In March, the firm announced the close of its $41-million Series C funding round, which will be used to support growth and expansion to new markets, including opening a regional headquarters in Latin America and expanding its teams in London and Seattle, the firm said. This brings the total funding InstaReM has raised to $59.5 million since it started operations in 2015.

    It is expected to receive licenses for Japan and Indonesia later this year, and continues to prepare for an initial public offering, planned for 2021.

  • StarHub selects Red Hat to help train its engineers

    StarHub selects Red Hat to help train its engineers

    Singapore’s StarHub has selected Red Hat to provide specialized training for its Integrated Network Engineering team to help them keep abreast of best practices in next-generation cloud-based platforms.

    Under the agreement, StarHub engineers will take part in the Red Hat Training and Certification program based on the Red Hat OpenStack Platform, which the operator has deployed across its infrastructure.

    The program will include hands-on and lab-based training designed to help them better understand Red Hat tools to enable the faster delivery of OpenStack solutions, as well as training and knowledge of selected tools and solutions for various real-world scenarios.

    The Integrated Network Engineering team is tasked with designing and maintaining efficient and scalable fixed and wireless networks for StarHub’s Singapore operations. It is led by StarHub CTO Chong Siew Loong.

    “Our networks can only be as good as the team managing them. This is why at StarHub, we invest in the development of our people to maintain the high levels of professional competency required to offer our customers the best network experience,” Chong said.

    “Amid rapid technological advances, we work with renowned software companies like Red Hat to hone skills that are not only relevant today, but a catalyst for future innovation.”