Tag: Telecommunications

Singapore – Singapore telco StarHub has announced today that it will soon be launching the first-ever ‘GeForce NOW’ in SEA, a cloud gaming service by computer systems services brand NVIDIA.

The ‘GeForce NOW Powered by StarHub’ aims to offer new gaming experiences to its customers, allowing them to play their favorite games on nearly every device and gain access to a vast library of over 800 game titles, without the need for huge storage space or gaming hardware.

The new cloud gaming service will launch in Singapore in the third quarter of 2021, and in preparation for the commercial launch, StarHub is currently deploying NVIDIA’s RTX servers in its data centers.

“This is a game-changing move, harnessing the power of 5G and the cloud for customers to enjoy unrivaled connectivity and entertainment,” StarHub said.

StarHub’s Chief of Consumer Business Group, Johan Buse, shared that they are eager to enable the customers to play without the hassle of hefty downloads and equipment upgrades and to truly have fun without limitations. 

“Our vision is to be the powerhouse of gaming for customers. What we want to offer is not just a new platform for gamers, but an entire ecosystem for our gaming customers to live out their fullest gaming potential, bringing them together to co-create an all-new experience that is meaningful, unique, and unmatched, only with StarHub,” said Buse.

Meanwhile, Phil Eisler, the vice president and general manager of GeForce NOW cloud gaming at NVIDIA, commented, “StarHub is a welcome addition to the GeForce NOW Alliance as our first deployment in Southeast Asia. StarHub’s world-class 5G network is the perfect platform to stream GeForce NOW to millions of gamers in Singapore.”

Customers can now register at www.starhub.com/geforcenow to be the first to receive updates about ‘GeForce NOW Powered by StarHub’. More information about pricing and availability will be announced closer to launch.

Manila, Philippines – Philippine telco Smart Communications (Smart) has partnered anew with event and tournament organizer Eplayment Entertainment, to launch the third season of Liga Adarna, the country’s biggest all-female esports league.

The Liga Adarna Season 3 has already kicked off last 8 April and will be running until 7 June 2021, with the theme ‘Women Rising’. The event aims to showcase the prowess of the country’s top female esports players in four different games, including Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Valorant, and Call of Duty: Mobile, as well as League of Legends: Wild Rift. 

Furthermore, the event is also in line with Smart’s long standing support for the fast-growing Philippine esports scene to cultivate the passion, skill, and talent of Filipino gamers. The winners of Liga Adarna Season 3 will enjoy a total prize pool of ₱215K.

The Liga Adarna will stream the matches live on its Facebook page.

Last 24 November 2020 to 17 January 2021, the second season of Liga Adarna was launched. Smart and Eplayment Entertainment have partnered with non-governmental organization World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in the Philippines for the season’s ‘Now Loading: Gamers for Nature’ campaign, which aims to raise funds for the organization’s environmental education initiatives.

Most recently, the telco has also partnered with game developer Moonton for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Season 7, which is the largest mobile esports league in the Philippines. The event has seen 10 of the country’s top Mobile Legends esports teams compete.

Jakarta, Indonesia – To further strengthen the esports ecosystem in Indonesia, telecommunication company Telkomsel has launched the third edition of its national-level event Dunia Games League (DGL) this year. 

Following the previously successful editions of DGL, which attracted tens of thousands of gamers that participated, and captured millions of esports enthusiasts that streamed the event, this year’s event aims to reach more players and fans throughout the country.

The DGL 2021 will be bringing together PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile game enthusiasts from all over Indonesia, and will target thousands of professional and amateur teams to participate. 

Online registration will be from 16 April to 31 May. All participants will compete in the Qualifier and Play-Ins round between 5 June to 11 July, and thereafter, the best players will compete in the Grand Finals on 17 to 18 July for a total prize of more than US$40K. 

“Telkomsel, through Dunia Games, strives to create more opportunities for Indonesian online game enthusiasts to sharpen their skills and competitiveness. The return of DGL is one of the manifestations of our passion to enable gamers to share their interests, connect, and collaborate for a more holistic esports ecosystem in Indonesia,” said Rachel Goh, the marketing director of Telkomsel.

Meanwhile, Oliver Ye, the director of PUBG Mobile SEA, commented “We are proud to have PUBG Mobile in DGL these 2 years in a row with Telkomsel as the biggest telco operator in Indonesia. We were also happy to announce that the top 2 of DGL 2021 will be invited to our PUBG Mobile Indonesia National Championship 2021 Grand Final.” 

The whole event will be broadcasted live through the Dunia Games YouTube channel, MAXstream apps, and Dunia Games League website.

Manila, Philippines – The international unit of PH media network giant ABS CBN, international Filipino entertainment content producer and distributor ABS-CBN Global, has partnered with Hong Kong-based telecommunications provider SmarTone to provide quality service to Filipinos in the territory, which they announced through a virtual contract signing ceremony.

Through the partnership, the content library of ABS-CBN’s dedicated channel for overseas Filipino viewers, The Filipino Channel (TFC) will be made available to SmarTone. This also marks another milestone in ABS-CBN Global’s innovation and technology agenda as it furthers its undertaking to connect more than 200,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong to their families back home, especially with the ongoing pandemic, through easy and affordable access to information and entertainment through SmarTone.

“ABS-CBN Global remains steadfast in its commitment to serve the Filipino worldwide. It continues to be part of the OFW journey by staying as a market leader in international distribution of Filipino news and entertainment for over 25 years, consistently offering compelling content, innovative products, world-class event experiences, and strategic philanthropic outreach,” said Maribel Hernaez, managing director for Asia Pacific at ABS-CBN Global.

Meanwhile, Josephine Lam, head of marketing & sales for SmarTone, commented that their pursuit in strengthening market dominance will always be prevalent in addition to being the leading brand of prepaid SIM cards among overseas Filipinos in Hong Kong. 

“We are going to be the exclusive mobile network partners of iWantTFC in Hong Kong. Soon viewers can enjoy the greatest shows and TV dramas anytime, anywhere under SmarTone’s fast, stable and smooth network,” Lam stated.

Present in the virtual contract signing ceremony as well is Aldrin Cerrado, chief operating officer at ABS-CBN Global who stated, “In just a few years, we were able to progress with our alliance, this time to bring the home of Filipino stories via iWantTFC to hundreds of thousands of Filipinos in Hong Kong, made possible by SmarTone’s reliable payment solution.”

He added, “When partners speak the same language, they help each other continue to excel at what each does best. SmarTone and ABS-CBN Global speak the same language in this partnership, and that is the language of true service.”

Manila, Philippines – PLDT Global Corp. (PGC), the international arm of Philippine-based telecommunications company PLDT, has announced that it has partnered experience management (XM) company Qualtrics to redesign its customer experience (CX).

PGC will be utilizing and standardizing the use of Qualtrics’ CustomerXM program in order to better understand and act on customers’ unique needs. Qualtrics will provide PGC with a single platform to capture, analyze, and act on experience data, enabling PGC to uncover deeper customer insights, scale and personalize engagements, and automate workflows to resolve or escalate customer issues in real time.

Furthermore, CustomerXM integrates with PGC’s existing CRM platform to deliver further value. Bringing together experience data from Qualtrics and operational data from the CRM platform aims to assist PGC in better understanding the drivers of its CX so the company can take targeted action to continually design and improve the experiences delivered.

According to Leah Garcia, VP for experience at PGC, Qualtrics’ XM service best serves the company’s commitment to bring innovative services across their customers and enterprise partners globally.

“We will be able to listen closely to the needs of our customers and rapidly respond, which will ensure PGC continually brings to market the products and services our customers want and deserve,” Garcia stated.

Meanwhile, Mao Gen Foo, head of Southeast Asia at Qualtrics stated that their service comes in response to the recent consumer behavior shifts by the offset of the global pandemic, which has also changed customer expectations significantly.

“It’s a reality that means being able to listen, understand, and rapidly act on the changing needs of your customers is a key competitive advantage. By standardizing its CX program with Qualtrics, PGC is well placed to unlock critical insights enabling the company to continually design and improve customer experiences that drive business outcomes,” Gen Foo stated.

Manila, Philippines – Philippine telecommunications company Smart Communications (Smart) has partnered anew with Moonton, a Chinese video game developer and publisher, to be its official telco associate for the upcoming season of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL), which is the largest mobile esports league in the Philippines.

The MPL Season 7 will see 10 of the country’s top Mobile Legends esports teams compete, namely Aura PH, Onic PH, and Cignal Ultra, as well as Smart Omega Esports, and the defending champion Bren Esports, among others.

The teams will battle in a round-robin format for a chance to win the coveted championship title and a US$120K cash prize.

The telco company will stream the matches live on its Facebook page. Smart subscribers and esports fans are encouraged to watch the live stream for a chance to win exciting prizes, as well as receive exclusive updates, and freebies throughout the season.

Smart has previously partnered with Moonton, where the telco hosted events and gaming treats for Mobile Legends fans in 2017. Earlier this year, Smart has also supported Moonton’s M2 World Championship, where Filipino team Bren Esports won the top prize.

Manila, Philippines – One of the biggest year-ender surprises for Filipino K-pop fans arrived in early December when the country’s telco giant Globe revealed that its newest endorser is the girl group and global superstars BLACKPINK. Almost a month after, the telco finally released the first installment of its campaign: a spanking one-minute spot with the message ‘Reinvent your world’. 

The campaign bled the girl group’s DNA, where the ad injected elements straight out of BLACKPINK’s production style in music videos. Its videos, which broke records, hovering around half a billion to a billion views on YouTube, have a number of them that showcase a nocturnal setting with strobing lights, and Globe didn’t waste any chances to demonstrate the same with the new campaign. 

The campaign wasn’t service-specific, instead, spotlighted the general features of the telco’s connection, such as its unlimited fiber internet and 5G and LTE-advanced mobile connection. 

With the main message of ‘reinvention’, the campaign aims to inspire one to transform into a better version of oneself together with an “attitude of resilience.”

“Globe and BLACKPINK’s partnership sends a strong message of reinvention – transforming oneself through powerful self-expression aided by digital technology with an attitude for resilience [amid] modern-day challenges,” said the telco in a press release. 

Issa Guevarra-Cabreira, Globe’s deputy chief commercial officer said, “We believe that Filipinos have the power to reinvent themselves in this new digital world. With Globe as their life partner, we will open up a world of greater possibilities we’ve never done before. BLACKPINK embodies the meaning of taking control and reinventing to achieve one’s dreams. We want to inspire our customers to be in control so they can do more and be more, especially with all the new technologies we have today.” 

The ad was launched across Globe’s social media and online platforms with a pre-show, announcing the extension of its ‘The Ultimate Stan promo’, the telco’s promo for ‘Blinks’ or BLACKPINK fans to win tickets to the group’s first live stream concert in January.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – AirAsia’s payment platform BigPay has announced a new Bills Payment feature which allows users of the app to pay to more than 20 billers, ranging from telecommunication providers to energy providers.

Some of these billers include Astro, Celcom, Air Selangor, Sabah Electricity, and Sarawak Energy Berhad. 

With the new feature, billers are also enabled to set payment reminders, save transaction details and even split bills from one payment platform. 

“We are thrilled to launch our financial marketplace with Bill Payments. This brings us one step closer to becoming a one-stop solution for our users’ financial needs. 2021 will be an exciting year for BigPay as we have a pipeline of new products and features to be rolled out including digital loans, insurance, and wealth management. We can’t wait to bring all of this to our growing community,” said Salim Dhanani, co-founder of BigPay.

To access the Bill Payments feature on the BigPay app, users can simply click on the ‘Payment’ option from the main screen, select the preferred biller and insert the requested details. After confirming the transaction with a secure PIN, the user’s account will be debited. 

Hong Kong – HGC Global Communications (HGC) has launched its retail ICT (information, communications, and technology) solution to cater to the needs of SME retailers in making their digital transformation strategy easier, especially as enterprise activity has been greatly affected by the pandemic.

An initial offering by the network company is making retailers stay connected to their customers, including Whatsapp+ service and automated chatbots for the retailer’s online chat system.

Furthermore, the new offering also aids SMEs in creating their online shop from scratch, including marketplace tools such as inventory management, trade reports, and analysis, as well as support for multiple payment methods.

Lastly, the digital offering allows retailers, more specifically in the catering industry,  to practice electronic point of sale (ePOS) systems. The system supports digital menus, enabling customers to use their smartphones to order and pay for meals. This can reduce the necessary manpower and limit mistaken orders, so restaurants can deploy staff more flexibly and efficiently. 

“SMEs are facing various challenges running their business in the midst of the pandemic. Even so, this presents retailers with an important opportunity to optimize their business operations. HGC strives to stand by SMEs at this critical time. Our Retail ICT solution can efficiently address the difficulties they encounter,” said Joe Cheong, COO for corporate business & enterprise market at HGC.

He added, “With the professional follow-up and support provided by HGC’s consultant teams, as well as our competitive pricing, we can guide them on a journey of rapid digital transformation to achieve significant improvements in operational efficiency. We hope to ease the pressure on SMEs, empowering them to continue running their business and identifying new business opportunities even during the pandemic.”

In addition to the digital marketplace package, HGC also offers retailers a unified communication solution (HGC UC) that combines business voice and mobile communication, plus other value-added services like mobile video conferencing to fulfill the needs of enterprises operating during the pandemic through a one-stop ICT solution.

Singapore – Singtel launched its annual festive tribute today, an uplifting short film depicting the staunch determination of seniors who refuse to let COVID-19 upend their lives.

Titled “Seniors go digital too!”, the film tells the stories of three seniors as they head back to “school” to pick up digital skills to help them stay connected and overcome the social distancing brought on by the pandemic.

The weekly attendance of seniors aunty Lilian, aunty Shirley, and uncle Andrew at Singtel’s digital clinics under its Digital Silvers program are documented in the film. Through Singtel staff volunteers, the seniors learn the use of smart devices, to surf the internet, stay in touch with loved ones online, and make cashless payments. 

Held at Senior Activity Centres (SACs) across the country, the Digital Silvers initiative is designed to foster digital inclusion and help ease the sense of isolation that the elderly have experienced as COVID curtailed peoples’ ability to socialize. 

It’s been a tough year for everyone, but the elderly are one of the more vulnerable groups affected by the pandemic. While most of us can easily access the plethora of online channels and apps for communication and entertainment, the older generation may not have the requisite digital skills to do so. This is what we’re trying to address through our digitalization initiative

Lian Pek, Vice President of Group Strategic Communications and Brand, Singtel

In the film, viewers see the conclusion of the seniors’ digital boot camp, with all of them finding a new sense of confidence and purpose: Aunty Lilian learns how to further her singing hobby and learn songs with the aid of apps on her device; Uncle Andrew learns how to use Zoom to stay in touch with friends and family, and Aunty Shirley becomes a “messaging expert”, connecting with her children as well as learning to use the contact tracing app TraceTogether.

Singtel shared that moving forward, the Digital Silvers program will see S$1M worth of assistance go towards transforming SACs into digital hubs to help more than 10,000 seniors build confidence in using digital devices and platforms. This involves tech upgrades including Wi-Fi connections, Singtel TV content, and tablets to facilitate virtual engagement as well as digital clinics and one-to-one tutorials run by Singtel staff volunteers. 

In addition, Singtel has also set aside priority queues for seniors at stores and hotlines so that they can be given digital guidance and served more expediently. 

Commenting on the program, Jeannie Ho, head of social enterprise NTUC Health’s senior cluster network said, “We’re very heartened to see many seniors from our Senior Activity Centres excitedly pick up new skills in the past month, as they realize that going digital is not as difficult as they imagined. This program and the digital workshops by Singtel have greatly empowered seniors to become so much more comfortable with using technology, enabling them to remain connected with their friends and loved ones amid the pandemic and especially during the festive season.”

Lian Pek added, “Even before COVID-19 and the pivot to online channels and tools, digitalization was already happening at breakneck pace, and for the elderly left on the wrong side of the digital divide, this can be very overwhelming. We believe that seniors can benefit from the digital revolution and that the process of picking up tech-related skills, no matter how basic, can also go a long way in helping their active aging.”

The short film is the final film in Singtel’s year-long brand campaign encouraging Singaporeans to keep their spirits up in the current climate through the feature of the lives of ordinary folks. This includes “This Is The Year”, Singtel’s annual National Day film which paid tribute to the Majulah spirit, and “Keeping The Spirit Of Hari Raya Alive” which documented how the Malay Community kept the spirit of Ramadan alive during the circuit breaker period.

The six-minute film will air on Singtel TV and on various social media channels from 3 to 25 December 2020.