Tag: Partnership

Thailand – Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry and cloud service provider Huawei Technologies in Thailand have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), aimed at establishing the ‘Joint Software Innovation Centre’, as part of their commitment to promote the cloud ecosystem in the public and private sectors.

The new centre seeks to support the cloud ecosystem, including government agencies, industrial partners, start-up businesses, and jointly developed applications that can be customised in the government cloud for users in the country’s government agencies.

Chaiwut Thanakmanusorn, DES’ minister, shared that they have signed a cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Digital Affairs and Huawei Technologies Thailand to drive collaboration on cloud technologies, innovative research, and big data management, as well as the development of the digital workforce.

“Most importantly, they will be upgrading the development of government personnel, enhancing their skills. The goal is to reach 2,000 people and create opportunities for government officials to travel and exchange experiences at Huawei’s Global Innovation and Learning Center, as well as explore new innovations in future technologies such as big data, AI, linkages of intelligent devices, and 5G technology,” said Thanakmanusorn.

In addition, both are also looking to expand the public cloud storage to keep up with the needs and support the use of users in Thai government agencies by taking advantage of cloud services.

Singapore – Japan-based virtual space office platform VoicePing has tapped global cloud communications company Vonage to power its virtual reality travel experience via its Dokodemo (Anywhere) Door Trip service, which uses 360° photography and video, as well as VR goggles and a computer, to enable users to enjoy virtual travel as if they were there in real life.

To provide a high-quality VR travel service, VoicePing needed to implement superior video calling capabilities quickly and seamlessly within their application and at scale. Using the Vonage Video API, VoicePing built a VR travel service that enables overwhelmingly realistic video playback, two-way voice communication, and automatic AI translation. 

In addition to Dokodemo Door Trip, VoicePing and MetaReal are developing a variety of VR services powered by the Vonage Video API, including Dokodemo Door Party, which creates a realistic karaoke experience; VR Therapy, which allows users to experience therapy in a virtual space; and VR Music, a live music distribution service. 

Kei Shimizu, project manager at VoicePing, said that their company aims at building solutions that empower people around the world to interact with anyone, anytime, anywhere, language-free, and enjoy their lives, work, and lifestyles through the use of the latest technology.

“We chose Vonage to develop the video function within our advanced VR experiences because Vonage provides high-quality video and audio, is easily implemented and operated within our applications, and has global reach and scale to grow as user adoption grows around the world,” Shimizu said.

Meanwhile, Amitha Pulijala, VP of product, platform services, AI and video at Vonage, commented that they are proud to enable innovative businesses at VoicePing to build immersive, interactive virtual experiences around the world.

“The pandemic has greatly restricted the ability to travel and experience new countries and cultures, and caused a major shift in the way we engage with one another. As more and more experiences become virtual, demand continues to increase for experiences that rival in-person interaction,” Pulijala said.

Hong Kong – Hong Kong’s online collectables and artwork e-commerce service provider Oriental Culture Holding (Oriental Culture) and tech company Heng Well Information Technology Co. (Heng Well) have signed a strategic cooperation memorandum of understanding (MOU), aimed at launching comprehensive cooperation on blockchain-based digital cultural and artwork products service business.

As part of the MOU, both companies will be developing blockchain+ and NFT related services and business for cultural and artwork products to take the advantage of Heng Well’s experience and strength in the areas of blockchain and NFT, and Oriental Culture’s experience and connections in the cultural and artwork market. 

Moreover, Oriental Culture will be drawing on its extensive knowledge and experience in the existing and traditional cultural and artwork products market to build up an ecological service networking for the blockchain-based digital cultural and artwork business by working together with Heng Well to expand the trade in cultural and artworks and engage a wide range of the population in the collection, trade, and communication of cultural and artwork products in different forms.

The parties have also agreed to hold regular meetings between their senior management to provide guidance, support, and supervision of the development of new business, and to coordinate and resolve major issues arising in the business practice.

Mun Wah Wan, Oriental Culture’s chairman, noted that the market size of cultural and artwork products is increasing quickly, and the market demand for cultural and artwork trade platforms and related services presents a diversified trend with the recent development of blockchain technology and NFT. 

“Heng Well is a company that has advanced blockchain+ technology and rich experience in related areas, and the cooperation between our two companies will help us to offer blockchain-based services for the digital cultural and artwork products, marking another milestone of the Company in its efforts to create a full-service and new technology-driven platform for cultural and artwork products,” said Wan.

Vietnam – Vietnam’s banking and financial services provider, HD Bank, has announced its strategic partnership with Thought Machine, the UK-headquartered core banking technology company, aimed at deploying modern technology as part of its transformation programme, starting with its core platforms and internal workflows. 

HD Bank said that it has selected Thought Machine for collaboration due to its unique flexibility and control which will enable the bank to both migrate existing systems and design highly innovative financial products and services at scale.

The partnership will see HD Bank implementing Thought Machine’s core banking platform Vault to reinvent the financial services ecosystem in Vietnam, and accelerate financial inclusion across the country.

Pham Quoc Thanh, HD Bank’s CEO, shared that there is a clear need in the Vietnamese market for financial services which are real-time, always-on and forever adapting to the customers’ needs.

“With Thought Machine, we intend to fill this gap and push digital banking innovation in unexpected ways. We are proud to be joining forces with Thought Machine as they have built a product that is transforming the industry,” said Thanh.

Meanwhile, Nick Wilde, Thought Machine’s managing director for APAC, noted that their clients are unlocking incredible gains in innovation and efficiency as they combine advanced technology with clear vision. 

“HD Bank joins a rapidly expanding family of clients who can leverage the advanced capabilities and products available with Vault to redefine the future of banking. We are looking forward to working with HD Bank in their mission to significantly improve financial services in Vietnam,” said Wilde.

Vietnam – The Vietnam Payment Solution Joint Stock Company or VNPAY has entered into a partnership with global payments company Visa to improve the digital payment experience in Vietnam.

Through the partnership, Visa and VNPAY will bring digital payments closer to Vietnamese users by strengthening and expanding the network of partners accepting electronic payments, and cooperating to deploy new services to users as well, including a solution to accept contactless payments via mobile phones (Tap to Phone), Visa prepaid virtual cards, Visa Direct money transfer and receipt services and instalment solutions Visa Installment Solution (VIS).

In addition, Visa and VNPAY will launch several payment solutions in the local scene, typically a solution to accept contactless payments via mobile phones (Tap to Phone). When merchants deploy this solution, any Android smartphone or tablet can become a contactless payment acceptor, operating on a software application and no hardware support is required.

Nguyen Tuan Luong, vice chairman of the board of directors at VNPAY, said, “Visa is the world’s leading multinational payment technology company. VNPAY believes that the strategic partnership with Visa will continue to promote digital payment trends, bringing many useful solutions to users and business partners in VNPAY’s network. This also makes the digital transformation process of businesses easier, creating stronger and more sustainable growth through electronic payment solutions.”

Meanwhile, Dang Tuyet Dung, director of Visa Vietnam and Laos, commented, “The strategic partnership with VNPAY will accelerate the ongoing digital transformation and cashless payment process in Vietnam. Along with making VNPAY partners and users a part of Visa’s secure and reliable digital payment ecosystem, the deployment of digital capabilities of both sides also helps to expand the electronic payment network. death of Visa and drive adoption of contactless payments.”

Pakistan – Pakistan-based bank network HBL has partnered with Temenos, a global banking software company, to adopt the company’s core banking platform, aimed at providing domestic and international operations with a cutting-edge banking experience.

Through the partnership, HBL will be onboarding over 25 million of its clients onto Temenos’ open platform for composable banking, which will accelerate its services across all segments, markets, and channels. HBL clients will now have an enhanced user experience in the form of increased reliability, security, and a modern platform that will enhance the bank’s digitalisation journey.

In addition, the Temenos implementation will include a full suite of client-friendly products and services that will provide end-to-end, technologically advanced solutions to both HBL’s conventional and Islamic banking clients. This faster onboarding and quicker transaction processing will provide a more seamless client experience, enabling HBL to increase its digital footprint across Pakistan and internationally.

The new system will also enhance adherence to local banking regulations and improve reporting standards for international markets in China, GCC, Europe, and SAARC countries.

Muhammad Aurangzeb, HBL’s president and CEO, said “The open technology platform provided by Temenos is flexible, global-ready and has the breadth of banking services to meet our clients’ fast-developing banking needs. This partnership contributes to our goal to become a ‘Technology company with a banking license’.”

Meanwhile, Sagheer Mufti, HBL’s chief operating officer, noted, “At HBL, we are always looking at better ways to serve our clients. By adopting this leading platform, we will add to our capability to give clients an improved experience when using our services, now and for many years to come.”

Max Chuard, Temenos’ CEO, commented that HBL is a forward-looking bank with a pioneering approach to shaping the future of banking, and Temenos’ open platform for composable banking will free the bank from legacy constraints. 

“To innovate safely at speed, as well as scale its offering and achieve its growth goals. We are proud to support HBL as it delivers on this exciting vision for more than 25 million clients worldwide,” said Chuard.

Manila, Philippines – Tinkoff, the global online financial ecosystem centred around the needs of customers, has extended its partnership with integrated digital ecosystem provider BPC, to leverage the firm’s SaaS Cloud payment services for its planned expansion to the Philippines.

The project is an extension of an existing partnership between the two companies. This is a testimony to BPC’s proven technical expertise in digital banking and payments, as well as its extensive local knowledge and experience in the Philippines and across Asia.

The new agreement entails that BPC’s next-generation payment processing company, Radar Payments, will be managing the end-to-end payment experience for prospective Tinkoff customers in the country. This includes virtual and physical card production, as well as debit, credit card issuance and management, SmartVista ACS for 3DS secure services, and fraud prevention.

Moreover, BPC will be supporting Tinkoff in cloud SaaS payment adoption in the Philippines, a trend that has emerged globally for many reasons, including greater flexibility in accessing banking services, and cost savings and security.

Tinkoff said that it also chose BPC for its capability to support its ambitious growth both in terms of customers and expected transaction volume.

George Chesakov, Tinkoff’s international expansion lead, believes that their technology and experience will help them build the right products, boosting financial inclusion in the Philippines. 

“With BPC’s payment processing business, we have a partner with whom we have a long-standing relationship and who aligns with our SaaS Cloud vision. Moreover, we value BPC’s strong local knowledge of the Philippines’ banking sector, which should help us start operating in this market faster,” said Chesakov.

Meanwhile, Evgenia Loginova, the CEO at Radar Payments by BPC, shared that they could not be any prouder to continue their journey serving Tinkoff and its future customers in Asia. 

“Success depends on the speed of deployment of new services in the digital banking industry, especially in the Philippines market, which will welcome a number of new market players in 2022,” said Loginova.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — The Malaysian Football League (MFL) announced their partnership with Luno, the country’s leading regulated digital asset exchange, as a crypto investment partner and official co-sponsor of Liga Super Malaysia, the nation’s most popular football league, and Piala Malaysia, the annual prestigious football tournament. The one-year partnership agreement covers a series of branding rights including billboards on the sidelines, use of club logos as well as player images, and brand activation at tournament venues.

The collaboration was announced at a ceremony officiated by Stuart Ramalingam, chief executive officer of the Malaysian Football League, and Aaron Tang, country manager of Luno Malaysia.

Ramalingam, shared his enthusiasm with the collaboration, saying, “Today marks a historic day for Malaysian football as we welcome new-age partners that will bring a new exciting image to our League and the reach Liga Malaysia will offer to commercial brands. I would like to welcome the newest MFL partner – Luno, Malaysia’s first regulated and leading digital assets exchange. As the world opens its door in its acceptance of cryptocurrency, this collaboration opens up a whole new horizon for the MFL family of partners with such an extraordinary partnership.”

This collaboration with MFL marks Luno’s first entry into the local sports industry. In addition, the digital asset exchange plans on more collaborations to further boost their presence in Malaysia.

Tang commented that the MFL has a fan base of over 13 million, so the partnership gives Luno a great opportunity to engage with new audiences and raise the brand’s profile among Malaysians who might be considering exploring the world of cryptocurrency.

“Our mission is to put the power of crypto in everyone’s hands in an accessible, convenient and safe way, and this partnership is a step towards achieving this in Malaysia. We believe this partnership will bring huge benefits for both parties — nurturing support for local football while creating an opportunity to explore and invest in cryptocurrency,” Tang said.

As one of the deals in this collaboration, Luno will host an exclusive educational session featuring industry experts where fans can learn more about financial literacy alongside their favourite football players in the MFL.

Sydney, Australia — Australian health and medical insurance company nib has appointed SLIK as their creative production agency partner. Through the collaboration, SLIK will be responsible for creative rollout, extensions and content development for nib’s new ‘Health First’ campaign, with ongoing work over the next three years.

Via a competitive pitch, the agency has won the mandate to assist nib to move towards their new brand positioning as a proactive health partner that supports all Australians in their journey to happier and healthier lives. With a creative strategy led by BWM Isobar, SLIK will be responsible for the execution of nib’s future campaigns and content across platforms namely radio, OOH, digital, social and more.

Chris Donald, head of marketing at nib, commented, “SLIK impressed us from the start – they’re passionate, shared innovative ideas and delivered impressive outcomes on short production timelines. It’s these qualities which perfectly complement our existing partners and way of working.”

Sarah Wood, general manager at SLIK, said, “This new nib partnership is a great match for SLIK, playing to our strengths in executing large-scale campaigns with creative skill, efficiency and technical excellence. We’re proud to be an extension to the nib team and can’t wait to get stuck into some exciting new work.”

With the addition of nib, SLIK has enjoyed recent success with an expanded portfolio across categories including charity, construction and superannuation, with key clients namely Qantas, Nine, Active Super, Redkite, and Australian fintech Basiq.

Recently, nib has launched their new brand platform via a collaboration with BWM Isobar.

Manila, Philippines – Live-streaming platform kumu in the Philippines has partnered with Komiket, the Filipino comics and art market, aimed at empowering the Philippine comics community globally. 

Komiket serves as an entry point for first-time comics creators, artists, and readers. It provides accessible markets for creators to showcase their work, discover and nurture new talent, and bridge Filipino comics to the rest of the world through the Philippine International Comics Festival (PICOF).

Through the partnership with kumu, Komiket will be able to bring the Filipino comics community together. Its artists can easily share their work with the entire kumunity, and enthusiasts can meet and interact with some of their favourite comic artists, as well as conversations on comics—from lighthearted ones to more important discussions—will have a space of their own. Beyond that, Komiket will be able to connect with young individuals with aspirations to become comic artists and provide them with the tools and guidance that they need to make their dreams a reality.

Moreover, kumu and Komiket will also be funding ₱500,000 worth of awards and publishing deals to comics creators in the Komiket community. All creators included in various genres published by Komiket in 2022 will be eligible, with the top prize being ₱150,000 in cash and a publishing deal with Komiket for both the Komiket Awards and the Kumu Kumunity’s Choice winners.

The partnership kicked off last 13 February 2022 on the @komiket kumu account with legendary comic artist Whilce Portacio announcing the launch of the Stone Omnibus, an epic revival of one of the 90’s top-selling indie comics. This entire series, which spans eight issues, will be bound together in an ultimate collector’s edition. 

Rexy Dorado, kumu’s co-founder and president, shared that local comics, or komiks in Filipino, have historically been one of the cradles of Filipino storytelling and imagination.

“In line with our goals to create the best platform for Filipino creators, we are excited to partner with Komiket, one of the leading organizations in the industry, to make Kumu the best place for fans and creators of Pinoy komiks,” said Dorado.

Kumu said that this is just the beginning of a promising partnership between two organisations rooted in community and culture. It aims to uplift Filipino creators, readers, and budding artists. 

Future streams will be announced on the @komiket channel in the kumu app.