TechTouch Asia

Alibaba Cloud, the digital technologies and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, has unveiled a suite of innovations at its 12th annual Apsara Conference , highlighting the technology pioneer’s commitment in helping people adapt to a more digitised world and accelerate customers’ digital transformation during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference, themed Leap Into the Future of Digital Intelligence , was entirely hosted online for the first time. Source: Alibaba Cloud. Alibaba Cloud's first cloud computer is palm-sized . Alibaba Cloud’s first cloud computer, a palm-sized personal computer, made its debut at the event. Weighing in at about 60 g, the cloud computer offers high-performance computing thanks to robust back-end cloud resources. By connecting the cloud computer to a standard display monitor users can access computing resources limited only by their cloud consumption budget or subscription. “We hope our cloud computer can help people access resili...

Airport Railroad Express (AREX), a commuter railway connecting South Korea’s international airports to its capital city Seoul, is the country’s first domestic railway to feature a modern all-Internet Protocol (IP)-based communications network that integrates wired and wireless networks, enabling efficient network deployment as well as strengthened security and stability through MPLS VPN*. The transportation specialist selected Juniper Networks ’ solutions for its network upgrade. As an important international hub for business and tourism, having efficient transportation infrastructure between the country’s busy ports of entry and the metro urban centres is crucial. Particularly important is connectivity to and from Incheon International Airport (ICN), which has consistently been rated as one of the best and busiest airports in the world**. ICN has seen continued growth in traffic as one of the largest international gateways into Asia. Initially launched as a link between ICN and Gim...

Xero, the global small business platform, has released a report highlighting the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses around the world. Source: Pandemic Insights: Small Business Experience report. Searches in Xero’s app marketplace from February to July 2020. Shopify and Woocommerce enable e-commerce while Stripe and Square facilitate payments. The Xero Small Business Insights (SBI) Special Report, Pandemic Insights: Small Business Experience , was produced with AlphaBeta (part of Accenture), and based on anonymised and aggregated records of over 300,000 Xero subscribers. It shows the impact on small business revenues and jobs in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. In North America and Asia, these insights are supported by survey-based customer research. According to the report, digital tools have helped small business adapt to new trading environments, through remote working solutions, and using online stores or delivery apps. The report also noted that apps en...

Barco , a professional visualisation provider, has introduced new RGB laser rear-projection video walls and reinforced its commitment to the mission-critical control room market. The new offering strengthens the value proposition of rear-projection technology as the reliable, sustainable and long-lifetime visualisation solution, and will be available for both new installations and to upgrade the installed base. As a broad visualisation solution supplier, Barco offers rear-projection, LCD and LED indoor video walls with options depending on the specific application and customer needs. For mission-critical control rooms, rear projection remains a key visualisation technology, the company said. This is especially so for medium-to-large control rooms that work with dashboards and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) content, typically within the utilities and transportation markets. The Barco RGB Laser ODL series is a flagship solution. With the introduction of this new la...

Navigating work practices, spaces and culture the right way will help respond to crises, and reinvent the future of work says Plantronics , (Poly–formerly Plantronics and Polycom), a global communications company that powers meaningful human connection and collaboration. Poly issued a new report that highlights a granular shift in focus from “place” to “purpose” of work as businesses respond to the COVID-19 crisis. A slide from a Poly presentation to media, sharing what to expect in the next normal. As organisations respond, redesign and reinvent their business models, technology will play a fundamental role in enabling the shift to hybrid working. Out-of-city co-working spaces, ergonomic at-home work setups and virtual water cooler moments, all effects of the current pandemic, will epitomise a new age of hybrid working said the company. Drawing on experts in the future of work, workspace design and psychology, Hybrid Working: Creating the “next normal” in work practices, s...

More businesses in Singapore, especially small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), are turning to cloud-based technologies as a result of COVID-19 lockdown measures, said Alibaba Cloud. A more than 50% surge in demand that the cloud service provider experienced earlier this year reflects the need for businesses to embrace technology for continued operation, Alibaba Cloud said. Since January 2020, Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, has partnered with a range of companies including SMEs to expedite their digitalisation capabilities and migrate their offline businesses rapidly to an online platform. The fast and simple deployment solutions meant companies can start running their operations on cloud in under 48 hours, increasing business resilience during the pandemic. “Alibaba decided to go all-in with technology during the 2003 SARS epidemic, back when we were still a SME and on the verge of launching our Taobao e-commerce platform. Whe...

Acronis , a global cyberprotection provider, has released Acronis True Image 2021 . The new release integrates advanced cybersecurity capabilities with personal backup to create a cyberprotection solution for home users, prosumers, and micro businesses - those under five seats - around the world. Stas Protassov, Acronis Technology President and Co-founder, said that data has become the 5th basic human need in the digital world, together with water, air, shelter and food. He explained that the Aconis mission is to protect everything under the SAPAS framework. The acronym stands for safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity, and security. Acronis True Image 2021 addresses challenges with remote working. As more people stay away from their offices, securing home machines has never been more important. Despite this, a recent Acronis survey found nearly half (47%) of remote workers have never received clear guidance on working from home. "The traditional security perimeter o...