Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category
Thursday, June 2nd, 2016
With the blistering pace at which technology develops in this cognitive era, the mantra of the day is “disrupt or be disrupted”. IBM explores the possibilities of exploiting disruptive cutting-edge technologies through real-life case studies of how industry leaders have transformed their organisations and markets to lead the pack.
I am at a one-day thought leadership conference held by technology leader IBM at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre in Singapore. The conference will discuss leading-edge technologies that organisations can exploit to win. I’m looking forward to the solutions showcase that will demo the latest in cloud, Internet of Things (IoT) and analytics, amongst other technologies of the day.
Brett Michael Nulf brought delegates through various examples of how technology-driven disruptions had decimated many traditional leaders in various industries in recent years, emphasising the importance for enterprises to stay vigilant in order to avoid getting eliminated because of disruption from existing competitors and new startups.
The impetus for disruptive innovation
At the rate at which devices proliferate, their numbers will reach 75 billion by 2020. In fact, some ninety percent of data created was in the last two years because of this proliferation of devices.
Computing systems nowadays are increasingly capable of taking in unstructured data in its many forms though IoT and the rise of the API economy. This has led to the rise of cognitive computing which is transforming digital organisations into cognitive enterprises.
As a result, new business models are emerging, with many of these based on mobile strategies.
New disruptive businesses are leveraging the confluence of analytics, IoT and cloud to create new applications, putting them ahead of incumbent leaders entrenched in legacy technologies.
To succeed in this competitive race, enterprises must be nimble and creative, despite their size.
In order to do this, winners need to accelerate innovation by evolving a progressive technology mindset, mastering technologies such as hybrid clouds and integrating into the API economy.
He mused at how more than seventy percent of companies have dropped off the Fortune 500 list, with the “Unicorn Club” of privately-funded startups reaching US$1bn in value becoming increasingly crowded.
Nulf is a Business Unit Executive for MobileFirst Platform & Cloud, Asia Pacific, IBM Corporation.
He cautioned that although the Fintech arena is currently seeing the most disruptions, other industries are also prone to technology-driven disruptions, such as in manufacturing, healthcare, and even traditional sectors with a long history – such as consumer packaged goods.
An interesting phenomenon that Nulf described was what he called the “Uber syndrome – where a competitor with a completely different business model enters your industry and flattens you”.
It was an interesting example where the innovative newcomer (in this case Uber) enjoyed rapidly growing revenue and market share at the expense of traditional taxis – while the overall pie remained the same.
One key reason why these disruptive newcomers do so well is the speed with which they move and innovate.
(more…)
Tags:API, Cisco, cognitive, disruptive, Flipkart, Google, GrabTaxi, IBM, IBM SolutionsConnect 2016, Kickstarter, Netflix, SAP, Singapore, SolutionsConnect, technology, VMware, WeChat, Yes Bank
Posted in Big Data, Business IT, Cloud, Enterprise IT, Events, events, IBM, Mobile, Opinion, SAP, Seminars, Technology, Uncategorized, VMware | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 26th, 2016
The Singtel Cyber Security Institute (CSI) aims to hone cyber skills and preparedness of businesses and governments in Asia Pacific by providing holistic training for company boards, management, technology and operations personnel to deal with cyber attacks.
Update (18 May, 2016):
Competing telco StarHub announced plans to grow the local cyber security ecosystem with the launch of its Cyber Security Centre of Excellence (COE).
* All photos in this article provided by Singtel.
Chua Sock Koong, Group CEO, Singtel Group, giving her opening remarks at the launch of the Singtel Cyber Security Institute.
The CSI is a hybrid between an advanced cyber range and an educational institute.
“Based on our engagements with companies in Singapore, more than 85% do not have robust cyber response plans nor the opportunity to conduct realistic drills to test and sharpen such plans. This lack of cyber preparedness is worsened by the severe global shortfall of trained cyber security experts, which Forbes puts at some 1 million in 2016. This is why we’ve stepped up to the plate. We know we have to help companies secure themselves against a potential slew of increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks,” said Bill Chang, Chief Executive Officer, Group Enterprise at Singtel.
Singtel boasts that the CSI is the first-of–its-kind in the region to test and train companies in dealing with sophisticated cyber threats.
Housed in a permanent space of over 10,000 sq ft, the institute provides cyber skills development and education programmes tailored to the varying needs of company boards, C-suite management, technology and operational staff.
Boards and C-suite level participants will be trained in the areas of cyber threat awareness, risk management, business continuity planning and crisis communications preparation.
The cyber operations team will be trained in defence and response capabilities to sharpen their skills.
In conjunction with the launch of the CSI, Singtel announced that it is the first company in Singapore to work with the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore on the Cyber Security Associates and Technologists (CSAT) Programme to train infocomm professionals in cyber security.
Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information, delivering his speech to open the new Singtel Cyber Security Institute.
Under this programme, Singtel will train fresh infocomm technology professionals and equip them with basic cyber security skills.
(more…)
Tags:Asia Pacific, CSI, cybersecurity, security, Singapore, SingTel, training
Posted in Business IT, Enterprise IT, Events, events, Launch, News, Press Release, Security, SingTel, Technology, Visits | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2016
Oracle ERP Cloud streamlines RedMart’s business processes, reduces IT costs, and improves business agility.
“Large, mid-sized, and start-up companies are turning to Oracle for cloud-based solutions to better manage their resources to improve the efficiency of their operations. We are happy that Redmart has chosen Oracle ERP Cloud. It clearly outlines Redmart’s vision to modernize their finance and procurement processes to propel the company to the next level of growth,” said Neeraj Shaabi, Regional Managing Director for ASEAN and Sage, Oracle.
RedMart, one of Singapore’s largest online supermarkets, has chosen Oracle Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Cloud to fuel the company’s growth.
“We are glad to have achieved the success we have today, but we are still growing and constantly exploring how to further improve our internal operations. Being a startup, business priorities tend to change quickly to respond to the competitive needs of the market. Our systems need to be flexible to match up with our priorities. Technology is at the heart of our business, and we need to constantly strengthen it in order to grow, and we’re glad that Oracle is along that journey with us,” said Jim Boland, Head of Finance, RedMart.
Oracle Enterprise Resource Planning Cloud will serve as a key business platform for RedMart’s growth.
RedMart is a successful start-up in Singapore that serves as an e-commerce platform which allows customers to buy groceries and household products, including fresh and frozen food, personal care, health and wellness, baby, and beverage, and pet products online.
Since its launch in 2011, RedMart has grown 10-20% month-over-month and more than doubled each year.
Previously, the legacy ERP system could not scale to the high transaction volume in line with the company’s growth, did not have the capability to produce useful reports, and was not flexible enough for the company’s fast changing business priorities.
RedMart needed to improve system performance and flexibility to enable further expansion of the business.
(more…)
Tags:Business IT, cloud, enterprise IT, ERP, grocery, online, Oracle, RedMart, shopping
Posted in Announce, Business IT, Cloud, Enterprise IT, events, Internet, Lifestyle, Oracle, Press Release, Shopping, Software | No Comments »
Monday, March 21st, 2016
The newly renovated Customer Value Innovation Hub in Fuji Xerox Towers serves as an experiential platform for the latest Fuji Xerox innovations, solutions and services.
This year’s DocuWorld is held at the Customer Value Innovation Hub on Level 1, Fuji Xerox Towers, at 80 Anson Road, Singapore 079907. It takes place from 22 -23 March 2016 from 9am to 6pm.
Listen to insights by industry experts, visit the Innovation Office, catch Fuji Xerox solutions and services demos, collect lucky gifts to fill up your fukubukuro, win attractive prizes hourly from 12 to 4pm daily, and enjoy an exhilarating Taiko Drum performance.
Highlights from Fuji Xerox DocuWorld 2016
- Creating Tomorrow’s Intelligent Systems. Together, Today by Mr. Michael Chong, General Manager, Innovation Office, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
- Concept Demo: Discussion on how intelligent systems, in this case an intuitive dashboard can help users sense, visualize and respond to large amount of data and help businesses make impactful and timely decisions.
- Technology Demo: Discussion on how selected Fuji Xerox technologies in areas such as video, security and robotics, can help increase business efficiency.
Details of the seminars and demo sessions can be found in the event poster below.
(more…)
Tags:demos, events, Fuji Xerox, innovation, printers, seminars, technology
Posted in Business IT, Events, events, Fuji Xerox, Gadgets, Laserjet, Printers, Seminars, Technology | No Comments »
Saturday, January 23rd, 2016
As part of the National Cloud Computing Distinguished Speaker Series, Serguei Beloussov – Co-founder, CEO & Chairman of the Board for Acronis – will be addressing the challenges that the explosion of data poses for the technology landscape in the future, and what it takes for technology workers to be prepared. Admission: Free.
The talk is on 17 February, 6-8pm. Register online (click on image above). Venue: Seminar Room 1 (COM1-02-06), NUS School of Computing, 13 Computing Drive, Singapore 117417.
The talk is co-organised by IDA Singapore and Acronis, and supported by the National University of Singapore, Singapore Computer Society (SCS) and the Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation (SITF).
Abstract and speaker’s biodata below.
(more…)
Tags:Acronis, backup, Big Data, brief, events, recruitment, Serguei Beloussov, software, talks
Posted in Acronis, Big Data, Brief, Events, events, Internet, Opinion, Promotions, Seminars, Software, software, Technology | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 18th, 2015
Both the Transformer Book T100HA and Transformer Book Flip TP200 will be available at S$499 from today onwards at all ASUS authorised retailers and ASUS brand stores.
Both the Transformer Book T100HA (left) and Transformer Book Flip TP200 (right) will come pre-installed with the latest Microsoft Windows 10 operating system.
The Transformer Book T100HA sports an aluminium-clad lid and is available in four new colours – red, blue, white and grey.
It ships with the latest quad-core Intel® Atom™ x5 ‘Cherry Trail’ processors, hardware support for Windows 10 Cortana and Continuum, plus USB Type-C ports.
-> The Transformer Book T100HA 2-in-1 detachable laptop is thinner & lighter and promises up to 12-hour battery life.
-> The Transformer Book Flip TP200 claims to be the world’s first 11.6-inch Windows 10 convertible laptop with a 360-degree flip screen.
Transformer Book Flip TP200 is the world’s first 11.6-inch Windows 10 convertible laptop with USB Type-C port.
It is slim and light – only 18.45mm thin and weighs 1.2kg – with up to 8 hours battery life.
Its robust 360-degree hinge with multi-gear alloy steel construction enables the screen to flip and to be used securely at any angle.
More details in the press release below.
(more…)
Tags:Asus, computers, hybrid, laptops, notebooks, tablets, Transformer, Transformer Book
Posted in Announce, Asus, Events, Gadgets, gadgets, Hybrid, Launch, Mobile, newArrivals, Notebooks, notebooks, Prices, Specifications, Tablets, tablets, Windows | No Comments »
Thursday, October 29th, 2015
ASUS has unveiled in Singapore a slew of new Zen-inspired products – ZenWatch 2 smartwatch, Zen AiO Pro all-in-one desktop, ZenPad Audio Cover for ZenPad 8 tablet, and UX305 Ultrabook. Prices & availability below.
ASUS ZenWatch 2 (S$229) will be in Singapore from 14 November 2015.
ASUS Singapore unveiled the following products at today’s launch event at The St. Regis Singapore hotel.
- ZenWatch 2 smartwatch: S$229 – 14 Nov, 2015.
- Zen AiO Pro series of all-in-one desktops: See below for prices.
- ZenBook UX305 Ultrabook: S$1,298 – Nov, 2015.
- ZenPad 8 Audio Cover: S$129 – 14 Nov, 2015.
ZenWatch 2
The ZenWatch 2 is ASUS’ latest wearable and is the company’s first smartwatch to be introduced in Singapore.
ZenWatch 2 is available in two sizes:
- Sparrow, the larger 1.63-inch gunmetal housing and navy blue leather strap.
- Wren, the 1.43-inch silver housing and khaki leather strap.
(more…)
Tags:AIO, Asus, BX305, computers, desktops, notebooks, Singapore, smartwatches, The St. Regis, ultrabooks, UX305, Zen AiO Pro, ZenPad, Zensation, ZenWatch 2
Posted in All-in-One, Asus, audioVisual, Desktops, Events, events, Gadgets, gadgets, Launch, Mobile, newArrivals, Notebooks, notebooks, Prices, speakers, Specifications, Ultrabooks, Windows | No Comments »
Thursday, October 1st, 2015
Targeted at driving business growth in the region, the US$1 million innovation hub will serve as a test bed for advanced networking & communication solutions to empower businesses in the region.
Tour of the new Innovation Facility in the Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise office in Singapore.
Singapore ALE Pte Ltd today announced the opening of its new office and innovation facility in Singapore – one year after ALE separated from parent company Alcatel-Lucent in October 2014.
“ALE was searching for a solid ground to establish its innovation hub in the region. With Singapore investing heavily in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and amidst plans to become the world’s first smart nation, we saw this country as a natural fit for us to set up base,” said Matthieu Destot, Vice-President of Sales, Asia Pacific, ALE.
The new office and innovation facility will provide ALE new opportunities to deliver specialised solutions tailored to the Asia Pacific region.
As part of ALE’s commitment to innovation, an investment of US$1 million was invested into creating the research and testing facility in Singapore.
The innovation facility will serve as a prime test bed for ALE’s latest networking and communications solutions, aimed at delivering the personalised connected experience to empower businesses in the region for success.
The new office and innovation facility is located in the TechnoPark @ Chai Chee.
This centre is equipped to accomplish the following.
(more…)
Tags:Alcatel, Alcatel-Lucent, ALE, Lucent, Office, opening, Singapore
Posted in Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, Big Data, Business IT, Cloud, Enterprise IT, Events, Launch, Mobile, Software, Technology, Visits | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 1st, 2015
Shaun Wormald, Senior Director of Unified Communications, InterCall Asia Pacific shares six ways to boost meeting productivity during video conferences. This guest blog was contributed by Wormald.
Shaun Wormald, Senior Director of Unified Communications, InterCall Asia Pacific.
The benefits of using video conferencing solutions from an organisational perspective is very clear – it helps businesses achieve their targets while being cost efficient.
While these bottom lines and costs may not directly concern you as an end user, video conferences can actually work to your advantage and help you accomplish tasks – if you know how to do them right.
Six tips to enhance video conferencing efficiency
- Be prepared
- Be early and test the application
- Join the video conference, then mute your microphone
- Speak clearly but don’t shout
- Make yourself presentable
- Focus
To help you realise how prevalent video conferences are in a business setting, a recent Research and Markets study reports that the global video conferencing market is expected to reach US$ 6.40 billion by 2020.
Asia Pacific also sees a similar trend.
While it’s tempting to join video meetings in a way that’s convenient for you, doing so affects not only your ability to contribute to the discussion, but also those of the other attendees.
This wastes what could have been a great opportunity to collaborate.
To make sure your next video conferences will be productive, may I share some tips with you below.
(more…)
Tags:byline, guest blog, InterCall, opinion, Shaun Wormald, UC, unified communications
Posted in audioVisual, Brief, Business IT, Enterprise IT, Interview, Opinion, Technology, Video | No Comments »
Saturday, May 30th, 2015
Reuben Verghese, Global Head of Multiscreen Solutions & Vice President of Asia at Accedo and BroadcastAsia2015 exhibitor and conference speaker shares his top technology predictions for the broadcasting industry. This guest blog was contributed by Verghese.
Reuben Verghese, Global Head of Multiscreen Solutions & Vice President of Asia at Accedo and BroadcastAsia2015 exhibitor and conference speaker.
Asia Pacific has a unique broadcasting market dynamic that boasts a new generation of the Connected Consumer.
4 key broadcasting trends in 2015
- Audience fragmentation
- Varying degrees of infrastructure
- Content partnership
- Data & Analytics
With fast growing economy and a lack of fixed infrastructure in the developing countries, mobility is crucial to many consumers and businesses in the region.
The broadcasting industry will impact enterprises as it adapts to the changing consumer preferences.
Below I share my views on four key trends set to transform the broadcasting industry in 2015.
1. Audience fragmentation
With the proliferation of smart connected display devices, there is a shift in the way consumers and enterprises consume and deliver video.
(more…)
Tags:BroadcastAsia, BroadcastAsia2015, CommunicAsia, CommunicAsia2015, conferences, exhibitions, MBS, Singapore, trade shows
Posted in audioVisual, Brief, Business IT, Enterprise IT, Entertainment, Interview, Opinion, Shows, Technology | No Comments »
