Tag: Cloud Technology

Malaysia – Microsoft has announced that it will invest US$2.2 billion over the next four years to promote Malaysia’s digital transformation. The investment demonstrates Microsoft’s commitment to developing Malaysia as a hub for cloud computing and related technologies like generative AI. This project seeks to increase the nation’s productivity, competitiveness, resilience, and economic growth. 

The investment in digital infrastructure continues Microsoft’s April 2021 initiative, Bersama Malaysia (Together with Malaysia), which aims to promote inclusive economic growth. This project included preparations to set up the company’s first datacenter area in the nation. 

The disclosed investment places Microsoft in a position to handle Malaysia’s growing need for cloud computing services. Furthermore, it enables Malaysia to capitalise on the significant economic and productivity opportunities presented by AI technology. 

Microsoft revealed a broader pledge to provide 2.5 million people in the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with chances for AI skill development by 2025. Governments, nonprofit organisations, corporate entities, and communities throughout Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam will all work together to give this training and support. 

The commitment builds on Microsoft’s recent skilling efforts in Malaysia, including its success in providing digital skills to over 1.53 million Malaysians as part of the Bersama Malaysia project. 

Microsoft intends to continue working with the Malaysian government on a number of projects aimed at strengthening the country’s digital environment. Among these efforts is the establishment of a national AI Center of Excellence in collaboration with Malaysia’s Ministry of Digital Agency. The objective is to ensure compliance with AI governance and regulatory standards while fostering the deployment of AI across critical industries.

In order to strengthen Malaysia’s cybersecurity capabilities, Microsoft will continue to work with the National Cyber Security Agency of Malaysia (NACSA) as part of the Perisai Siber (Cyber Shield) program. Through security evaluations and capacity building, our alliance will put the public sector’s security and resilience first. 

Furthermore, Microsoft wants to support NACSA as it develops the next stage of the country’s cybersecurity strategy, serving as NACSA’s principal agency for cybersecurity matters in Malaysia. The two organisations will also engage in more extensive cooperation to develop cybersecurity knowledge via programs such as Microsoft’s Ready4AI&Security initiative.

Microsoft continues to support the growth of Malaysia’s developer community by launching new projects like AI Odyssey. This initiative aims to assist 2,000 Malaysian developers in becoming AI subject matter experts by acquiring new skills and obtaining Microsoft credentials. 

Speaking about the investment, Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO, Microsoft, said, “We are committed to supporting Malaysia’s AI transformation and ensure it benefits all Malaysians. Our investments in digital infrastructure and skilling will help Malaysian businesses, communities, and developers apply the latest technology to drive inclusive economic growth and innovation across the country.”

Meanwhile, YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade & Industry, said, “Microsoft’s 32-year presence in Malaysia showcases a deep partnership built on trust. Indeed, Malaysia’s position as a vibrant tech investment destination is increasingly being recognized by world-recognized names due to our well-established semiconductor ecosystem, underscored by our value proposition that ‘this is where global starts’.” 

He added, “Microsoft’s development of essential cloud and AI infrastructure, together with AI skilling opportunities, will significantly enhance Malaysia’s digital capacity and further elevate our position in the global tech landscape. Together with Microsoft, we look forward to creating more opportunities for our SMEs and better-paying jobs for our people, as we ride the AI revolution to fast-track Malaysia’s digitally empowered growth journey.” 

Andrea Della Mattea, president of Microsoft ASEAN, expressed, “We are honoured to collaborate with the government to support their National AI Framework, which enhances the country’s global competitiveness. This strategic emphasis on AI not only boosts economic growth but also promotes inclusivity by bridging the digital divide and ensuring everyone gets a seat at the table, so every Malaysian can thrive in this new digital world. As a result, Malaysia is steadily establishing itself as a regional hub for digital innovation and smart technologies, embodying a forward-thinking approach that prioritises sustainable development and societal well-being through digital transformation.” 

Singapore – Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced plans to invest an extra S$12 billion in its existing cloud infrastructure in Singapore between 2024 and 2028. This decision was initiated by the growing demand for cloud technology and services in the country. 

By 2028, AWS aims to have invested over S$23 billion in its cloud infrastructure, tripling its initial S$11.5 billion investment in the AWS Asia Pacific (Singapore) Region through 2023. 

AWS is working with Singaporean public organisations to develop solutions powered by AI and generative AI technology. These initiatives include SEA-LION by AI Singapore, Analytics.gov by GovTech Singapore, the Maritime AI-ML Digital Hub by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, StoryGen by the National Library Board, and Synapxe’s national healthcare data and AI app. 

AWS intends to launch its flagship AI program, AWS AI Spring for Singapore, in order to support Singapore’s Smart Nation and National AI Strategy 2.0 (NAIS 2.0) goals. With the goal of accelerating the use of AI and generative AI technologies across Singapore, this extensive program incorporates collaborations with the government, enterprises, and public sector organisations in Singapore. 

Six key pillars comprise the comprehensive AI program, which is in line with Singapore’s S$1 billion investment in NAIS 2.0 to advance AI initiatives. Its goal is to benefit partners, customers, and the community of AWS. 

These pillars include AI Spring Public Sector, focusing on collaboration with the Singapore Government and government agencies to advance AI initiatives for industries and citizens; AI Spring Workforce, offering AI skilling and professional certification programs; AI Spring Enterprise, aimed at fostering AI adoption in local enterprises; AI Spring Startups, dedicated to nurturing core AI startups in Singapore; and AI Spring Communities, contributing to community development. 

Within the framework of AI Spring Public Sector, AWS will form collaborations with Singapore government agencies to facilitate and accelerate AI integration in the public sector and across industries. In a significant move, AWS just signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Synapxe, Singapore’s HealthTech agency. This cooperation intends to create a data and AI application that will enable healthcare practitioners to use data analytics and AI technology across several healthcare systems.

In addition to this, AWS and the Infocomm and Media Development Authority (IMDA) have signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) in support of AI Spring Enterprise. The partnership intends to leverage Amazon Bedrock, Amazon SageMaker, and Amazon Q’s capabilities to create an AI adoption program specifically designed for regional businesses. 

The goal of this project is to give companies the ability to identify and scale AI applications for important use cases in their operations. The IMDA’s GenAI x Digital Leaders program, which aims to support locally established, digitally mature businesses in creating, developing, and implementing unique generative AI digital solutions, includes the MoI as a key component

AWS’s AI Spring Workforce program is prepared to raise Singapore’s workforce through skilling and professional certification programs in cloud and AI technologies. In accordance with this commitment and in support of the Singapore Government’s goal of tripling the number of AI practitioners to 15,000 within five years, AWS will work with Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) such as universities and polytechnics, as well as the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), to improve AI education. The goal is to train 5,000 people in AI skills per year across these educational institutions over a three-year period, from 2024 to 2026. 

By utilising its generative AI capabilities, AWS is expanding its assistance to instructors and students in Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), enhancing their educational experiences and facilitating technological discovery and experimentation. AWS and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to incorporate AI education into the ITE curriculum, which is a big step. 

Speaking about the investment, Priscilla Chong, country manager of AWS Singapore, stated, “AWS has been deeply committed to helping Singapore grow its economy, workforce, and digital prowess with cloud and advanced technologies since it launched its first Asia Pacific infrastructure Region here over a decade ago.”

She added, “AWS is doubling down on its cloud infrastructure investments in Singapore from 2024 to 2028 to support customer demand, and help reinforce Singapore’s status as an attractive regional innovation launchpad, and a global leader in digital competitiveness. This investment will create a ripple effect across Singapore by increasing economic growth and cloud adoption. It also brings additional contributions to the local economy by AWS, such as upskilling the local digital workforce, developing renewable energy projects, and creating a positive impact in the communities where AWS operates.”

Meanwhile, Elsie Tan, country manager, Worldwide Public Sector, Singapore, AWS, said, “With AWS AI Spring, we are eager to embark on this collaborative AI journey with the Government and customers to unlock the potential of AI, and accelerate Singapore’s Smart Nation vision and goal to become a beacon in the international AI field. By leveraging AWS’s broadest and deepest set of artificial intelligence and machine learning services, cloud infrastructure, and network, AWS will empower local organisations and students with technology and skills to tackle unique challenges, unlock new opportunities, delight customers, and scale in a secure, resilient, and sustainable manner.” 

Leong Der Yao, assistant chief executive, Sectoral Transformation Group, IMDA, commented, “We believe that AI can be harnessed by enterprises to transform and stay ahead. In 2023, IMDA supported over 3,000 SMEs to adopt AI-enabled pre-approved solutions. Earlier this year, we also launched the GenAI Sandbox for SMEs and GenAI x Digital Leaders initiatives to enable our SMEs to adopt generative AI technology to generate greater business value. Building on this, we are excited to partner with AWS to uplift and empower our enterprises in generative AI. AWS, as a key global partner, will bring the necessary expertise to support IMDA’s GenAI x Digital Leaders initiative to help our digitally mature local companies identify and develop AI solutions for business transformation and growth.” 

“We are also working with AWS to incorporate AWS Training and Certification programmes in polytechnic and ITE curriculums. IMDA will continue to collaborate with AWS to upskill and reskill professionals in roles such as AI and Analytics,” Yao added. 

Furthermore, Low Khah Gek, CEO of ITE, said, “ITE intends to equip all her students with AI and Gen-AI understanding and competencies to ensure they are industry-ready, job-ready and future-ready. AWS expertise and programmes will accelerate ITE’s plans for the students and staff to learn prompt engineering and start to use Gen-AI and LLM in their learning, projects and work. ITE and AWS will also conduct short CET Gen AI courses for the public and workers to support the upskilling of Singapore’s workforce.” 

Lastly, Ngiam Siew Ying, CEO of Synapxe, stated, “The inking of the MOU with AWS reflects our mutual commitment towards enabling our public healthcare users with leading edge cloud-native analytics tools. It will catalyse more efficient analyses towards actionable insights, and transform the way we enhance the quality of healthcare for Singapore.” 

As digital technologies dramatically reshape industries, customer expectations are also rapidly evolving in a hyper-connected environment. In fact, we see the same technologies which are changing customer behavior also enabling businesses to redefine customer journeys. This has led to customers increasingly seeking differentiated experiences built on convenience, speed, and accessibility.

While putting the customer first is not a new idea, many organizations are still trying to crack the code on how to integrate this effectively into the business model. An easy first place to start is cloud agreements. Businesses often focus on digitizing the upfront customer experience however often overlook the process of agreement and rely on paper-based processes that aren’t aligned to customer expectations. Digitizing the agreement process removes the potential friction introduced by needing to print, send, and sign paper documents.

With modern electronic signature tools available, it’s now up to leaders to leverage technology and reorient the business towards customer needs. Here are three ways cloud agreements help to strengthen business touchpoints.

Make customers part of your solution

Delays and miscommunication are the most common risks every business that is not digital-first is exposed to. This incurs unnecessary time and revenue costs to the company, resulting in decreased productivity. Today, where the expectation for convenience becomes the norm, make yourself as easy to do business with as possible which starts with digitizing contracts. 

It’s important to provide full transparency throughout your engagement with each customer from pre- to post-sales. By leveraging cloud agreements, businesses can better accommodate customer needs by tapping into the flexibility and convenience of the system.

This is evident in the financial and banking industry where online contracts and e-signatures have helped global banks bridge the broken customer experience with an end-to-end digitalization of offerings like home loans. As a result, customers now enjoy improved and faster services that are aligned to their expectations.

A frictionless agreement process

A great customer experience starts with a frictionless agreement. We’ve all experienced the pain and frustration of having to print, sign, and mail documents. And it’s not enjoyable, to say the least. So why impose this on your customers? With cloud agreements, you can assimilate your business to the anywhere economy by eliminating manual steps in your processes and focus on service quality.

A robust cloud system that is compliant and reliable is a key part of any business success. The strong technology infrastructure from AI to machine learning that supports cloud services helps to build trust and confidence among customers. Additionally, the greater visibility of agreement processes allows senders to see real-time signing status which removes any customer fears and worries. This makes the customer experience holistic and safe.

A renewed focus on corporate and social responsibility

Providing a superior customer experience doesn’t hinge only on the customer’s benefit—it’s a strategic business decision. Thus, having a modern digital agreement process is also a reflection of your brand and corporate social responsibility. Through automated processes, paper wastage is greatly reduced which minimizes the negative impact on the environment.

As the world is gearing up towards building a green environment, your digital-first mindset of cloud-based agreements will help reduce your carbon footprint. This is critical especially for socially responsible customers, shifting mindsets that the cloud system is purpose- and value-driven instead of focusing on profits.

To be truly customer-centric, technology alone isn’t enough. Organizations must provide customers with a connected and meaningful experience that is supported by cloud agreements. This would make the customer journey easy and memorable for all the right reasons.

This article was written by Andrea Dixon, senior marketing director of DocuSign for APJ.

Singapore – Xtremax, a cloud technology company, has recently appointed advertising company BBDO Singapore to take over its branding duties.

BBDO Singapore will aid Xtremax on creating new brand initiatives, as the tech company is currently hosting more than 500 government websites and has been a significant partner to a large number of Singapore’s government bodies.

According to Xtremax, BBDO Singapore’s appointment will help them spread the message of technology importance among Singapore institutions, vital in aiding Singapore to be a ‘Smart Nation’. 

“Technology is supposed to make our lives easier and be an efficient and impactful tool, but it can sometimes be overwhelming and overcomplicated, especially as it continues to evolve and change,” Xtremax said in a press statement.

Speaking about the appointment, Denise Kee, CEO at Xtremax, said, “Xtremax is a thought leader in the development of cloud tech space in Asia. However, few know our story. I am confident that with the appointment of BBDO Singapore as our brand agency, we will be able to tell that story to a global audience. Our story needs to be told.”

Meanwhile, Monica Hynds, general manager at BBDO Singapore, commented that their appointment by Xtremax is an ‘exciting’ space for them, not just from branding and creative perspective, but also from a business perspective, adding that the Singapore government has a clear vision for the country’s digital future.

“As our infrastructures change, we will be at the forefront, streamlining and adapting too. We join Singapore’s path to becoming a Smart Nation and look forward to contributing in the booming tech space – we couldn’t be more thrilled to do so by joining forces with XTREMAX, bringing our creative expertise to the big players in tech,” Hynds stated.