TechTouch Asia

Singtel unveiled its first 5G use case with 5G Now@UNBOXED, its 24x7 unmanned popup retail store, on 9 September. The store gives consumers and retailers alike a taste of 5G and how it can transform and reshape the shopping experience. Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO, Consumer Singapore, Singtel, said at the time of the announcement, “Having launched our 5G NSA network last week, we are keen to share the benefits of 5G and the opportunities it brings for the retail industry. What better way to demonstrate this than through our unmanned store now powered by a faster, more reliable network that enables seamless, personalised engagement with customers and new efficiencies for retailers.” The deployment of 5G with its low latency and high speeds makes the modular store even more portable as it can be set up anywhere without having to lay fibre cables. In addition, Singtel’s customers will benefit from a more seamless and swifter service on its connected self-serve kiosks which allow SIM card replace...

Singapore’s vCargo Cloud (VCC) has launched GUUD , a new ecosystem involving companies and a technology platform aimed at simplifying complicated trade processes globally. GUUD will help customers bypass long-standing barriers to trade, and digitally transform trade processes so they become simpler, more efficient and more inclusive, VCC said. In line with the GUUD vision to Trade for Good , GUUD aspires to help all businesses, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), to become a player in global trade and to export and import from any part of the world by reducing red tape, eliminating middlemen and providing greater access to logistics and financial services. GUUD is also guided by UN’s Sustainable Development Goals . GUUD references the UN/CEFACT Buy-Ship-Pay model to cover all aspects of trade facilitation. The GUUD platform streamlines all processes relating to trade, including compliance, shipping, financing and payments through an integrated platform which a...

By Anthony Spiteri, Senior Global Technologist, Product Strategy at Veeam Software Time does not wait for organisations to be well prepared before it encounters a cyberattack. When it comes to the threat of ransomware and hacking, all organisations are equal. While these threats have pushed many Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) to intensify their security efforts, the reality is that almost any computer system is vulnerable to a breach. Organisations should shift their focus toward IT strategies to balance security and availability. It is important for businesses to prepare for the road ahead, especially in today’s context where we are seeing a rise in telecommuting. Preparing for flexible working arrangements The recent pandemic has brought upon a new normal; namely remote working. Many have gotten comfortable with the idea of telecommuting and we can only expect employers to be more flexible with work arrangements in th...

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...