Gigabit magazine – September 2018 by Technology Magazine

S e pte m b e r 2 0 1 8

Top 10 Technology Leaders

SOTI BULLETPROOF MOBILIT Y TECHNOLOGY

Arkadin

A connected workplace, a digitallyenabled future

Chayora

International scale in China’s data centre space

KANSAI/VINCI AIRPORTS How VINCI Airports is transforming passenger experiences in Japan

Digitising risk management Gigabit speaks exclusively to Marsh Indonesia’s CEO, Alistair Fraser-Hawkins, and Operations & Technology Leader, Andreas Tanadi

W R W EG W IS .C T LO ER U N D O EX W PO FO A R SI Y A OU .C R O M FR /B E IZ E T CL IC IK KE -M T ED : IA

BE PART OF ASIA’S LARGEST

Supercharge Your Cloud Harness the limitless power of innovation for the future of your business at Cloud Expo Asia 2018. Come and explore the ways in which emerging technologies are transforming our world. Discover the latest thinking in Cloud, DevOps, SDN & NFV Technologies, IoT, Big Data, Blockchain, Security, AI and Edge Computing. And do it all cost-effectively and comprehensively over two days, in one location, with one ticket.

CO-LOCATED WITH

ECOMMERCE EXPO 10 – 11 October 2018, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

www.ecommerceexpoasia.com

EVERY EMERGING TECHNOLOGY. ONE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY.

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

ORGANISED BY

& BEST-ATTENDED TECHNOLOGY EVENT Hear from over 500 world-class experts, including tops CIOs & CTOs, acclaimed global tech leaders and practitioners from blue chip companies, service providers and leading enterprises including DiDi, JD Central, PingAn Technology, Credit Suisse, Go-Jek, United Overseas Bank, FitBit, Visa, LEGO Singapore, Moneysq.com, Prudential and many more. Be inspired with hundreds of hours of sessions covering the latest thinking in Cloud, DevOps, SDN & NFV technologies, IoT, Big Data, Blockchain, Security, AI and Edge Computing. Source the latest products and solutions from more than 300 of the world’s leading suppliers and innovators including Citrix, Singtel, Huawei, Fujitsu, NEC, Silver Peak, Western Digital, Seagate, Rackspace, Chef, Docker and many more. Network with thousands of your peers, with a projected attendance of over 15,000, there has never been a better opportunity to meet and network with industry visionaries, business leaders and professionals who have faced – and overcome – the same challenges as you. Benefit from our unique multiple show features including DevOps Live – laser-focused practical workshops on the latest techniques in DevOps, Containers and MicroServices. Fintech & Blockchain streams – presenting the start-ups and technologies disrupting and challenging traditional business models, or SD-WAN streams – where you can learn first-hand how SDN & NFV are better suited to meet the dynamic compute and storage needs.

WHEN?

WHERE?

10-11 OCTOBER 2018

Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre Level Basement 2, Hall E 1 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018971

9.15am to 5.00pm on Day 1 9.30am to 5.00pm on Day 2

INVITE YOUR COLLEAGUES & WIN!

THINK YOU SHOULD BE A VIP?

OUR VIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Fast track access to Cloud Expo Asia

Complimentary premium refreshments

Access to exclusive VIP lounge, where you can network with thousands of your peers from across the technology ecosystem Reserved front row seating in the conference theatres and seminars Exclusive business matching with exhibitors prior to the show Numbers are limited. Contact Alger Goh, VIP Programme Manager today on +65 6817 5817 or email alger.g@closerstillmedia.com to find out more.

Photos courtesy of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts Pte. Ltd

Stand a chance to win a Banyan Tree Spa voucher & a Google Home device (worth S$400) when you invite your colleagues to attend Cloud Expo Asia! *Terms & Conditions apply.

FOR MORE DETAILS, VISIT WWW.CLOUDEXPOASIA.COM/PRIZEDRAW

24 – 26 September 2018 Suntec Convention Centre, Singapore www.terrapinn.com/subnets

2018 SPEAKERS INCLUDE Steve Alexander

Nigel Bayliff

Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Ciena

Tim Stuch

Managing Director Telecoms, Global Marine Systems Limited (GMSL)

Erick Contag

Mike Constable

Executive Chairman GlobeNet

Chief Executive Officer Huawei Marine Networks

Dave Crowley

Mohamed Nasr

Brett Lay

Chief Technical Advisor Microsoft

AVP – EMEA Cable Development PCCW Global

Chief Financial Officer RTI Connectivity

Chief Executive Officer Aqua Comms

Bruce Neilson-Watts

Global Optical Architect Facebook

Linette Lee Chairperson, SJC2 consortium & Director, Submarine Cable Investment Singtel

Larry Schwartz Chief Executive Officer Seaborn Networks

Nanang Hendarno Chief Technology Officer TELIN

2018 SPONSORS AND EXHIBITORS Platinum Sponsor

Morning Refreshments

Gold Sponsors

Lanyard

Silver Sponsors

Speakers Lounge

Associate Sponsors

Exhibitors

Modular

Exclusively for Business Chief Asia’s subscribers Quote LPBQ for a 10% discount off your delegate pass!

Work Lounge

FOREWORD

elcome to September’s edition of Gigabit Magazine, delivering your latest batch of fascinating insights into the technology initiatives transforming businesses worldwide. This month’s cover feature brings the digitisation efforts of global insurer Marsh into the spotlight. Narrowing in on its operations in Indonesia, Olivia Minnock discovers how it is supporting business growth in the country through the use of technology. “In essence, our brand stands for quality advice in times of change,” says regional CEO Alistair Fraser-Hawkins. “The world changes on a constant basis - in fact, the only constant is change - so we are always adjusting how we approach clients to help them with the risk their businesses face.” In our latest leadership focus, Carl Rodrigues – founder, President and CEO of business mobility leader SOTI – tells us how his company has remained at the forefront of its industry despite facing many forces of change in the digital era. Other standout articles this month include an analysis of data virtualisation from Gordon Cullum, CTO of Mastek, plus our newest Top 10, which reveals the tech CEOs most highly-rated by their employees. Finally, our exclusive digital reports feature interviews with, on top of Marsh, Chayora, and many more – all based on in-depth discussions with top executives and industry experts. We hope you love our September edition and if you have any feedback, you can find us across social media: @GigabitMag.

Ben Mouncer Editor ben.mouncer@bizclikmedia.com

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

We deliver you the stories that matter… CLICK HERE TO READ THE LATEST ISSUE

www.supplychaindigital.com

HOME T O IND U S T R Y– L E A DING DIG I TA L B U SINE S S P L AT F OR M S

“ We recently worked with BizClik Media on an article which characterizes and explains the total value that Kudu Supply Chain has on company growth plans. From start to the finish, it was a pleasure working with the BizClik team. The feedback we have received from different audience groups on the article was phenomenal. It has attracted a lot of interest and attention to our company, our growth plans and has definitely created additional value to what we are trying to achieve.” —M urat Ungun, Senior VP Supply Chain, Kudu Corp

HAVE YOU SEEN OUR OTHER TITLES?

Supporting Indonesian business growth through

digitisation

EVENTS

SOTI

BULLETPROOF MOBILITY TECHNOLOGY

EUROPE ARKADIN

NORTH AMERICA KEMET ELECTRONICS CORP HIGHLANDS RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGES

ASIA-PACIFIC MARSH KPMG NZ UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA CHAYORA KANSAI/VINCI AIRPORTS SUNSHINE INSURANCE GROUP SURBANA JURONG PRIVATE LIMITED TELEKOM MALAYSIA

DATA VIRTUALISATION

THE BUSINESS ENABLER OF THE FUTURE

AFRICA SOLUGROWTH PVT LTD TIGRE DE CRISTAL

MIDDLE EAST KEMPINSKI HOTEL GOLD COAST CITY

TOP 10 TECHNOLOGY LEADERS

Supporting Indonesian business growth through

digitisation WRIT TEN BY

OLIVIA MINNOCK PRODUCED BY

A LE X PAGE

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

MARSH

Marsh Indonesiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CEO, Alistair Fraser-Hawkins, and Operations & Technology Leader, Andreas Tanadi, on how the business uses brains and technology to support clients undergoing growth 12

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

lobal insurance leader Marsh has a rich history dating back to 1871, with more than 30,000 colleagues in over 130 countries. On a worldwide scale, Marsh works on behalf of clients spanning industries and companies of all sizes, with a distinct focus on the commercial, corporate and risk management segments. Marsh’s Indonesian business has been in operation for 35 years. “We’re a very established player here,” says Alistair FraserHawkins, CEO of Marsh Indonesia. “We’re the biggest broker in Indonesia, and our growth rate has been steady, but in the last two years we’ve seen a significant increase driven by a more segmented strategy, targeting particular sectors and helping clients identify and manage their risks.” Importantly for such a global business, Marsh is keen to establish and maintain its brand identity while emphasising its commitment to both employees and clients in Indonesia. The global brand revolves, as Fraser-Hawkins describes, around Marsh as a ‘brains business’. “Through our consulting, risk management and broking businesses, it’s about maintaining the core ethos of the brand as well as using technology where we can to either enhance the colleague experience of working with us, or deliver a higher quality of advice or service w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

MARSH

to our client base.” Fraser-Hawkins describes the period of VUCA (vulnerability, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) Marsh is committed to helping its clients overcome by guiding them through their risk management needs and process. “In essence, our brand stands for quality advice in times of change. The world changes on a constant basis – in fact, the only constant is change – so we are always adjusting how we approach clients to help them with the risk their businesses face.” SEPTEMBER 2018

Localised service The rapid pace of change is the same the world over. “Our goal is to ensure that wherever a client touches us, they get a consistent level of service. We operate under a number of global guidelines, which we call our ‘Client First Principles’ – a global set of professional standards that all colleagues who engage with clients adhere to. “On top of that, we have our multinational ‘Rules of the Road’ – set guidelines of service that must be delivered to a client wherever they are in the world. The only changes to this are driven by local regulation. Indonesia is no different – we are conscious of the consistency of brand,

A S I A - PA C I F I C

“We have an almost entirely Indonesian colleague base and that’s the way we will grow, through developing Indonesian talent in Indonesia” — Alistair Fraser-Hawkins, CEO, Marsh Indonesia

service delivery and structure.” All this is put in place to ensure clients receive the same level of service in any country, with a key USP for Marsh being that it can help businesses through a smooth transition from country to country. “This is something Marsh holds very dearly, particularly around our ‘Client First Principles’ to ensure the client is ultimately get the best of Marsh,” says Fraser-Hawkins. “One of our selling points when competing with local brokers, for example, is our global network and global expertise. We have a very strong collaboration culture as we handle a lot of different multinational organisations,” he adds.

Committed to Indonesian talent With the Indonesia business part of a global firm spanning 130 countries, how does the MNC demonstrate that it’s here to stay in a smaller market? The key to this for any business is putting its money where its mouth is by investing in the local economy and local people – over 150 of them, to be exact. “When you look at our client profile, the majority are Indonesian domiciled and owned businesses as opposed to multiw w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

#OnlineInAja - Insurance Goes Digital

Take control for a better life

AXA GI Indonesia recently launched AXA MyPage â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a secure digital platform, giving you the freedom in choosing and obtaining personalized protection to your needs. Smart Traveler, dedicated for international and domestic traveler, Smart Drive for your car protection, Smart Home for your home, and Smart Care Executive for your health assurance, are among the most desirable products available in the platform. Not just for customers, the solution also serves as one stop digital solution for AXA GI Indonesiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

business partner. This platform enables our partners to digitally engage their existing and potential clients, to complete an end-to-end sales process. In addition, they are also equipped with the facility to do personal branding and to monitor their business performance and keep track of their incentives on real time basis. AXA MyPage marks another milestone in AXA GI Indonesia digital transformation journey. This year we pick #OnlineInAja as our theme, resonating the easiness,

transparency, and speed to both our customers and partners in doing business with us. Aligned with our vision to empower people to live a better life, AXA GI Indonesia is committed to always put you, our customers and partners, at the center of our digital transformation, providing you with ease and convenience in living a better life with us.

AXA MyPage â&#x20AC;&#x201C; www.mypage.axa.co.id

A S I A - PA C I F I C

national businesses in Indonesia. Moreover, as far as I’m concerned as CEO, I hold responsibility for the income of the 150 families of the colleagues that work for Marsh. “We have an almost entirely Indonesian colleague base and that’s the way we will grow, through developing Indonesian talent in Indonesia. Annually, we do a training needs analysis of the colleague base, and we will develop an annual training plan either utilising some of our regional and global resources internally, or engaging Indonesian third parties to train colleagues from both a technical and soft skills

perspective,” says Fraser-Hawkins. In addition, Marsh Indonesia is committed to working with local Indonesian businesses, forming partnerships and relationships with Indonesian insurers as well as the Indonesian arms of global insurance businesses.

Two-way investment As well as helping global clients make a splash in an emerging market, Fraser-Hawkins emphasises that outward growth is being seen from Indonesia in equal measure. “We are dealing with companies which are headquartered all over the w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

“SWEATING IT OUT IN THE GYM,

WHY WOULD I DO THAT?”

Hard work now means I can take it easy later. That’s my why.

AIA is registered and supervised by Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK).

AIA Indonesia aia-financial.co.id

A S I A - PA C I F I C

world, including Indonesian headquartered companies as they expand overseas.” More widely, Fraser-Hawkins is confident about growth across the continent, not least in the Southeastern nation. “As the world changes and Asia becomes an increasing powerhouse, how can we help organisations in Indonesia which want to expand globally? That’s where our benefit comes in. Increasingly businesses in Asia are becoming larger contributors to the overall growth of the organisation… we’re investing in Indonesia just as much as we are in the rest of Asia.” In particular, Fraser-Hawkins points to cybersecurity as a growing business segment for Marsh Indonesia, and an example of growth in a fast-emerging economy. “As our customers become more sophisticated around risk and insurance, we’re seeing a demand for more sophisticated insurance products such as cyber insurance – clients are facing more exposure to risk through digitisation including hacking and data extraction. That’s a significant area

BIO

Alistair Fraser-Hawkins is the Chief Executive Officer & President Director of Marsh Indonesia with over 20+ years of experience in the Insurance industry. He began his career in in the mid-1990s in the London market and joined Marsh over 10 years ago where he has held a number of leadership roles at both national and regional levels. Fraser-Hawkins moved to Asia in 2012 to be based in Singapore before moving to Jakarta to become President Director & Chief Executive Officer for Marsh in Indonesia. In addition to his CEO role with Marsh, he undertakes the voluntary role as Chairman of the Board of Governors at the British School Jakarta. Alistair holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Certificate in Insurance from the Chartered Insurance Institute of the United Kingdom.

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

A S I A - PA C I F I C

of growth over the next three to five years that I see both in Indonesia and across Asia.”

Leveraging tech for colleagues and clients As Operations and Technology Leader, Andreas Tanadi explains, digitisation is vital to all aspects of the business whether internal or external, and Marsh is utilising technology across three strands to grow its operations in Indonesia: with clients, with partners and internally among Marsh colleagues. “In our Employee Benefits business, we have developed a Marsh Portal for clients as an easy-to-access site where a customer can access applications and account information as well as look at industry-leading thought leadership,” says Tanadi. “For clients, having this portal here means they are able to access their data and see basic analysis of their claims,” he explains. “A few years ago, we also started to move towards secure electronic filing so that as

BIO

Andreas Tanadi is the Operations & Technology Leader of Marsh Indonesia with over 10+ years of experience managing operations and information and technology in the Insurance industry. He began his career in 2006 at a manufacturing company, and then shifted to the insurance industry by joining various multinational insurance companies in Indonesia. Tanadi joined Marsh Indonesia as Operations and Technology Leader in February 2016. Tanadi also has experience as a part-time Lecturer in Knowledge Management and Information System at Bina Nusantara University from 2008 to 2017. He holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Bachelor of Computer Science degree from Bina Nusantara University in Jakarta, Indonesia. He recently received the prestigious performance award from Marsh Asia for his significant contribution. For relaxing, he enjoys coffee and listening to jazz.

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

www.myprotection.id

A S I A - PA C I F I C

we transform digitally colleagues can access client information anywhere they want. This access can also be restricted to those colleagues only involved with a client, thus increasing our data privacy capabilities.” “Additionally, for our insurance partners, we are working towards having full Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) that will allow both parties to work on the same data simultaneously,” Tanadi adds. “The basis for this EDI is the investment in a brand new internal platform which integrates data from the insurer as well as from the clients.” Internal use of software has a particu-

larly important place in growing the business through local talent. “In the next six to nine months we will be transitioning to a fully smart office,” says Fraser-Hawkins. “All colleagues will be equipped with the necessary tech equipment to work flexibly.” This is specifically important in Indonesia, where traffic congestion can be a major bugbear for working people. “Sometimes, a journey that would take you 20 minutes elsewhere might take two hours in Jakarta,” FraserHawkins explains. “In order that we’re able to deliver to clients 24/7, we’re investing in a smart office environment where colleagues can

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

MARSH

collaborate across teams, engage with clients both physically and virtually, and work flexibly from wherever there’s Wi-Fi.”

A solid future

This transformation through utilising the latest and greatest tech at Marsh’s fingertips doesn’t just end with an office renovation, but is something Marsh is fully committed to for the future. “Marsh globally is invested in digital transformation, and from an Asian perspective we mirror that,” Fraser-Hawkins explains. “From an Indonesian point of view, we will certainly continue to look to invest in technology that gives our colleagues more time to spend in front of clients. “Equally, building our client facing technology that enables us to engage in a more informed and detailed fashion will be a priority,” he adds. “This will enable us to open up new channels of distribution and also utilise data and analytics capabilities to help clients make more informed SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

“From an Indonesian perspective, we will certainly continue to invest in technology that gives our colleagues more time to spend in front of clients” — Alistair Fraser-Hawkins, CEO, Marsh Indonesia

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

MARSH

PLEASE VISIT US ON WWW.MAG.CO.ID CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION AT magline@mag.co.id

Indonesiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading General Insurer delivering World Class Experience Fair & Friendly Insurer

A S I A - PA C I F I C

decisions around their risk profile.” Indonesia is a populous but geographically fragmented country, made up of over 17,500 islands housing more than 250mn people. Marsh’s use of digitisation, as well as something a little less tangible - those ‘brains’ offering expert advice - promises to help bring risk management services together for global clients wishing to make their mark on Indonesia, and equally those Indonesian businesses ready to continue

their growth journey in Indonesia or take to the world stage. “Our biggest challenge is how to distribute our advice and broking service across the country as a whole,” Fraser-Hawkins emphasises. “We can use technology partnerships and strategic initiatives in line with technology to distribute our service and advice to a wider audience. We’re very focused on ensuring our development over the next few years centres on a combination of brains and technology.”

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

20 - 21 November 2018

Main Hall 1. RDS, Dublin

INFRASTRUCTURE. SERVICES. SOLUTIONS. DataCentres Ireland combines a dedicated exhibition and multi-streamed conference to address every aspect of planning, designing and operating your Datacentre, Server/Comms room and Digital storage solution Whether internally, outsourced or in the Cloud.

12 REASONS TO V

DataCentres Ireland is where you can get the latest in information, best practice, products, services and solutions that can help your business become more effective and efficient, whist remaining secure and resilient.

Outsourcing - An option for you

DataCentres Ireland is FREE TO ATTEND and the largest and most complete event in the country.

Learn from industry best pract

Assess your options Plan for the future

Be more efficient

Reduce costs

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

Mark Acton CBRE DCS

Emma Fryer techUK

Tanya Duncan Interxion Ireland

Jerry Sweeney CloudCIX

Garry Connolly Host In Ireland

Shane Nolan IDA

John Fitzgerald Eirgrid Group

Conall Boland An Bord Pleanรกla

Mike Gilmore CENELEC

Anthony Rourke EY Ireland

Supporting Organisations

Media Partners

For more information and to register onli

EXHIBITOR LIST (Correct as of 10/08/2018)

VISIT Meet the leading suppliers Save power

ur company?

tice

Network with your peers Improve your resilience See the latest technologies under one roof Improve your network speed

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: • Multi Stream Conference • 85 Exhibitors • 26 Hours of Conference Content • International & Local Experts • 55 Speakers & Panellists • Networking Reception Find out how you can be part of Ireland’s largest Data Centre Event Call +44 (0) 1892 518877 or email: datacentres@stepex.com

Aggreko Ireland Ardmac ASHRAE Ireland Chapter Bicsi Business Solutions Magazine Butler Technologies CBRE Data Centre Solutions Clarke Energy Ltd (A Kohler Group Co.) Cleveland Cable Company Ltd CloudCIX Cova Security Gates CUBIC DE Power Solutions Limited Dycem Ltd EDPAC International Ltd EkkoSense Ltd ELAND CABLES Eltek Power (UK) Ltd ESB Networks Fire Eater Ltd Future Facilities Ltd Gas Networks Ireland Gigabit - Media Partner Great Lakes International Ltd Infrastructure Masons (IM) Supporting Organisation Invest Northern Ireland John Paul Construction Kedington Europe Limited KOHLER-SDMO Manotherm Limited Metartec Ltd OPTERNA PowerShield Europe Limited Profire Engineering Ltd Pure Power Systems (A Kohler Group Co.) Rahi Systems Reg Farrell Engineering Ltd Rentaload Rittal Ltd Roxtec Starline Steplift Ltd Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd Synergy Security Solutions Systemair Ltd Test Incorporated Ltd Tridium Vimpex Limited Wisetek

ine visit www.datacentres-ireland.com

413 112 106 136 527 239/612 331 201 228 526 620 121 201 433 427 214 301 311 315 438 429 407 234 237 410 616 201 134 231 415 604 624 201 131 335 439 211 307 220 630 209 606 218 238 133 117 115

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

SOTI

BULLETPROOF MOBILITY TECHNOLOGY WRITTEN BY

SEPTEMBER 2018

BEN MOUNCER

Carl Rodrigues, co-founder, President and CEO of SOTI, reveals how his company has remained a trendsetter in the field of business mobility technology

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

hen Carl Rodrigues

exponentially over the past two

left his job as an IT

decades, but the core idea that

consultant in 2001 to

Rodrigues first developed – soft-

go it alone from his basement,

ware that allows a user to control

not even he could have foreseen

his or her mobile device from

what was to be achieved over the

their computer – remains a key

next 17 years.

component of its flagship

Now the President and Chief Executive Officer of SOTI, the

product, MobiControl. “I went down to the basement

Canadian business mobility firm

and I created some early

valued at over $1bn, Rodrigues has

technology that actually became

spearheaded the company’s

part of our enterprise product,”

transformation from a developer

he tells Gigabit Magazine. “Now

of Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)

we have over 17,000 customers

software to an industry power-

in 176 different countries around

house working with thousands

the world using that technology.”

of clients around the world. Today, SOTI boasts an

Initially developed as a consumer product, Rodrigues

advanced suite of applications

recognised the potential for his

that includes innovative mobility

technology to transform

management, helpdesk and app

enterprises when he was

development solutions, all

approached by a major retailer

tailored to support businesses in

based in the United Kingdom

unlocking the power of mobile

wishing for integration to support

technology. Unrecognisable

its remote-working staff.

from its humble beginnings, SOTI

“I was in the basement and a

has embarked on a fascinating

lady with a British accent called

journey through the digital era.

and said ‘hi, can I speak to someone in sales?’ And it was

ONE IDEA, ONE $1BN BUSINESS

me! I put the phone down on the

SOTI has adapted and grown

desk for a while and then I picked

SEPTEMBER 2018

“ I went down to the basement and I created some early technology that actually became part of our enterprise product. Now we have over 17,000 customers in 176 different countries around the world using that technology.” — Carl Rodrigues, President and CEO of SOTI

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

it up and said ‘Hello, sales’!” laughs Rodrigues. “Around that time, people using the consumer app were saying ‘we need something like this for business. We need to support our sales people out in the field’. Listening to customers, it made me realise that I needed to morph this into an enterprise product.” That product grew into MobiControl, an advanced mobility solution that allows a business to easily track its 34

mobile devices and to keep data generated from Internet of Things (IoT) touchpoints secure, fully optimising operational performance in a safe and secure manner. From a staff and office space originating of one man in a basement, this simple solution has powered rapid growth at SOTI. “We’ve come a long way from the basement; we have opened up offices around the world. We have four offices in Canada, our European headquarters is in the UK, in Birmingham, and we have also opened a SEPTEMBER 2018

new office in Melbourne, Australia,” he adds. “We have eight offices around the world right now and then we have our own people in 22 countries. That has created a partner network of over 4,000 around the world.”

AN UNRIVALLED PORTFOLIO In order to satisfy the ever-increasing requirements of its clients, SOTI has steadily grown its portfolio of products, in turn delivering one of the most comprehensive sets of business mobility solutions available on the market today. SOTI One is its package which offers each of its six tools: MobiControl; SOTI Assist, the industry’s first helpdesk application; SOTI Central, a community of the company’s customers and partners created for users to obtain answers to product questions; SOTI Insight, a cloud-based data analytics platform; SOTI Connect, a management tool for IoT touchpoints and SOTI Snap, a rapid app development w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

platform for business. Each solution can be sold as either an individual product or under the SOTI One umbrella. “It’s a whole ecosystem, to take those core problems and make them really easy to solve,” says Rodrigues. “Our parts are integrated, so each product, each part, becomes better if you buy another product. Each of them gains information from the other.” Innovation is at the heart of SOTI as a company but Rodrigues is keen to emphasise the importance of intelligent growth – or the adoption of what 36

he refers to an ‘old-fashioned,

Click to watch: ‘From Tech Startup to Scaleup: Carl Rodrigues, SOTI CEO Thinks Big’

conservative mentality’. “Some interesting DNA about our company is that we’ve never taken any

learning and those sorts of

VC funding, so there’s not a penny of

things. But we are long-term

owed money,” he notes. “That makes us

thinkers. The world certainly is

very resilient and we’ve been profitable

waking up - we have some of the

for 88 consecutive quarters because

largest multi-nationals in the

of that. In fact, we’ve never had a losing

world using our technologies, so

quarter. There’s some different

one of our biggest challenges

dynamics here and it’s that old-fash-

here is to really grow smartly.”

ioned, conservative mentality that allows us to do that. “We have some interesting ideas in

SIMPLIFIED APP DEVELOPMENT SOTI Snap has proven to be one

the pipeline. Let’s say, secret ideas that

of the most popular products

actually are going to incorporate

created by SOTI’s engineers.

artificial intelligence and machine

Businesses have previously

SEPTEMBER 2018

frittered away money and time

various different models and operating

on in-house app development;

systems, such as iOS and Android.

software specialists are

Rodrigues is clearly enthused by the

available only at a premium and

potential of Snap and highlights an

such projects can be all-con-

annual case study involving a group of

suming end-to-end, even if

teenagers at a Canadian high school.

efficiently managed.

“Every year at SOTI here, we have

Through Snap, users are able

youngsters who are in grade nine of high

to build apps faster, cheaper and

school, so they’re about 14 years old,” he

on deadline. A simple drag and

explains. “They get to come into our

drop interface negates the need

offices and we give them SOTI Snap

for coding specialists while the

before giving them a secret envelope.

platform’s adaptability means

When they open the envelope, we say

that apps can be developed for

‘you have to build this kind of app’. w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

“This area that we’re in, it’s hugely It’s fun and it’s relevant to the futu we have to do a better job at gettin interested, it really is important.” — Carl Rodrigues, President and CEO of SOTI

SEPTEMBER 2018

y exciting. ure. I think ng kids

Youngsters who have never programmed and, in fact, do not know how to programme with SOTI Snap, are deliver an app to us within 45 minutes. “Last year, I worked with one of them and we had to build an app to be able buy a movie ticket. You could select a movie, you could select if you wanted to buy some popcorn and some drinks and things like that. Then it would tell you your total, you could submit it, and you would buy your movie ticket online. That’s the kind of things you can do with SOTI Snap, which completely changes the game.” Ensuring that today’s youth is prepared for a digital future is a particular passion for Rodrigues. As a science and mathematics enthusiast from an early age, he is an inspirational example of what can be achieved through a career in the technology sector. “There’s a gap in our education system that we have to address if we are going to get the kids of the world better prepared for life in the 21st century,” he concludes. “This area that we’re in, it’s hugely exciting. It’s fun and it’s relevant to the future. I think we have to do a better job at getting kids interested, it really is important.”

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

December Dubai, United A ABOUT HITEC Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®) is the world’s largest hospitality technology exposition and conference brand. HITEC Dubai 2018, co-produced by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) and Naseba, will feature 30+ speakers, 500+ hospitality stakeholders and 50+ solution and service providers. The show will give Middle East buyers currently worth over USD 75 billion, access to global top solution providers in hospitality market, through a top-notch education program planned by the expert HITEC Dubai Advisory Council, as well as an exhibition debuting the latest in hospitality technology, and a summit with one-to-one business meetings.

Ho Stak

www.hitec.org/dubai Amir Abdin | Marketing Manager | amirabdin@naseba.com | +97144557920

r 5-6, 2018 Arab Emirates

500+

ospitality keholders

40+

30+

Solution and service providers

Industry expert Speakers

D I G I TA L D I S R U P T I O N

SEPTEMBER 2018

Data virtualisation the business enabler of the future WRITTEN BY

GORDON CULLUM

Gordon Cullum, Chief Technology Officer at Mastek, writes about how data virtualisation is not a silver bullet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but definitely a silver lining

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

D I G I TA L D I S R U P T I O N

ata virtualisation has often been heralded as the answer to enterprises caught in a vicious circle in a world

riddled with data, both online and offline. However, it is important to remember that no technical solution is a silver bullet and data virtualisation should not be thought of as a one stop solution for all an enterpriseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs. Businesses want to act and improve their decision-making in real time while containing costs and supporting business-as-usual activities, which can leave CIOs struggling to navigate through an array of complex applications and systems.

To get the most out of data virtualisation, and when deployed with the right capabilities and methodology to achieve the desired result, businesses can leverage existing investment to solve current and future analytic needs without compromising on quality, budget and time.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get caught in the data maze It seems like a Catch-22 situation where businesses need data to derive meaningful insight and improve decision-making. However, many large enterprises have evolved over years of operation and accumulated a variety of data resources along the way, which can make it difficult to access and

SEPTEMBER 2018

utilise information across numerous business systems. Businesses are increasingly implementing retention strategies, which means that the industry is witnessing a proliferation of structured and unstructured customer information. As a result, enterprises are feeling compelled to feed the analytical needs of the business with complex, enterprise data warehouses (EDWs) and business intelligence (BI) solutions. On the face of it, investing in BI solutions may seem like the clear 'get-out-of-jailfree' card; however, these systems can create a whirlpool of data management challenges. From master data management, to data integration and data storage, BI systems lack agility and ďŹ&#x201A;exibility. Moreover, the complexity of the data landscape makes it difficult for BI systems to accommodate additional business needs with ease. These analytic solutions combine multi-vendor product deployments and disciplines across complex integration patterns. Unsurprisingly, they are deployed at the cost of lengthy timeframes and excessive capital investments. While the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Gordon Cullum, CTO, Mastek

solutions address several operational use cases of the business, they struggle to provide quick and actionable insights.

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

D I G I TA L D I S R U P T I O N

The Swiss Knife of the Data Tool Box

However, enterprises must be

In such a disparate business and IT

not a silver bullet. It should be

landscape, data virtualisation

deployed with the right capabilities

comes to the rescue. The need of

and methodology to achieve the

the hour is to invest in existing

desired results with an integrated

technologies whilst retaining

view of the business.

aware that data virtualisation is

business engagement without Rather than replace existing EDWs,

When is data virtualistion viable?

which is time-consuming and can

Transforming business dynamics

result in loss of data, enterprises

requires that enterprises access

should utilise the available knowl-

information in a variety of formats

edge and leverage it with other

across numerous business systems.

systems, to effectively address and

As a result, enterprises are still

resolve business issues in a matter

getting to grips with the data that

of days, not weeks, months or years.

is supposed to empower them.

having to start all over again.

With 35% of enterprises planning

Data virtualisation is an agile and

to implement data virtualisation in

effective way for organisations to

some form as a forward-thinking

stay on top of their ever-changing

option for data integration by 2020, it

data needs and should be used

is increasingly gaining favour as a

to harmonise their existing

versatile tool in the enterprise data

enterprise data landscape.

toolbox. Data virtualisation seam-

As structured and unstructured

lessly bridges the gap between

information grows exponentially,

existing systems and processes

organisations must capitalise on

without requiring a complex

data to gain the competitive

transformation to deliver quick

advantage. Their IT departments

results, unlocking value without

are surrounded by a plethora of

increasing resources, processes or

reporting solutions including

technology investments.

databases, data marts and data

SEPTEMBER 2018

‘ TO GET THE MOST OUT OF DATA VIRTUALISATION, AND WHEN DEPLOYED WITH THE RIGHT CAPABILITIES AND METHODOLOGY TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED RESULT, BUSINESSES CAN LEVERAGE EXISTING INVESTMENT TO SOLVE CURRENT AND FUTURE ANALYTIC NEEDS WITHOUT COMPROMISING ON QUALITY, BUDGET AND TIME’

Click to watch: ‘How GDPR Helps You Gain Customer Insight?’

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

D I G I TA L D I S R U P T I O N

warehouses. All these solutions aim to address the business userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs, which results in data silos and lack of governance. Businesses are constantly trying to address disparate data systems by building big data platforms. However, data virtualisation allows disparate data sources to be combined within a logical layer or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;virtual databaseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Such a solution will result in quicker access to data, reduce development and implementation timelines, minimise data replication, reduce cost, and deliver an agile approach that can 48

adjust to new business needs.

When virtualisation won't work While it is easy to understand the merits of data virtualisation, it begs some obvious questions around when enterprises should avoid using the solution. Trend and analytics reporting requires voluminous data to be crunched using complex business rules. Crunching huge volumes of data virtually could impact performance and slow down analysis, so it is better to create a physical copy of the required data in order to boost performance. Most of the time source systems are already stretched to the limit and cannot process any more queries. SEPTEMBER 2018

‘ IN SUCH A DISPARATE BUSINESS AND IT LANDSCAPE, DATA VIRTUALISATION COMES TO THE RESCUE. THE NEED OF THE HOUR IS TO INVEST IN EXISTING TECHNOLOGIES WHILST RETAINING BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT WITHOUT HAVING TO START ALL OVER AGAIN’ 49

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

D I G I TA L D I S R U P T I O N

SEPTEMBER 2018

A data virtualisation solution requires

What does the future hold?

frequent reads of source system

As data virtualisation comes of

data to combine data sets and

age, it is going a long way to

deliver insights, so it is advisable to

solving the problem of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

get such data in a physical space

proliferation of data. By providing

before applying virtualisation.

organisations with the ability to

The accuracy of data is of

combine data from a variety of

paramount importance for any

disparate data sources into a

analytical system. Poor quality source

common format, it not only

data if fed directly into reporting would

addresses problems of data

deliver incorrect results so it is

compatibility and volume but also

imperative that data undergoes a

eliminates issues relating to expertise

rigorous data quality check before it

in specific programming languages.

is made available for consumption through virtualisation. Complex merging of incremental

Data virtualisation is a formidable ally and will deliver faster ROI and agility in decision-making

data is necessary to create a version

based on actionable insights. As

of facts that delivers insight from old

an alternative to big bang Data

facts in order to derive new facts.

Warehouse solutions, data

Such operations require enormous

virtualisation offers a lightweight,

processing power and memory and

cost-effective solution in a rapidly

these activities are best accom-

changing market place that

plished by an ETL solution, rather than

enables businesses to remain

data virtualisation.

competitive in their sector.

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

27-2

ASSET MANAGEMENT, W IN RAIL INFRASTRUCTUR During the conference you will learn about collection data, analyzing it and how to apply it into a sustainable asset management-system. In rail, todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s challenges are

The availability and smart use of

algorithm-based recording,

data in the railway sector leads

storing, transmitting, analysing

to a better understanding of the

and visualising of data in order

condition and behaviour of assets.

to get useful information (smart

This enables to derive maintenance

data). The goal is not only looking

and renewal strategies for a

on single values any more, but to

sustainable asset management of

identify dependencies and patterns railway infrastructure and rolling within these data.

stock.

29 NOVEMBER 2018 MALMÃ&#x2013;, SWEDEN

The Intelligent Rail Summit 201 8 covers the measure ment, analysis, storage an d application of data within railway infrastructu res

WTMS & MONITORING RE WHO ATTENDS? The event gathers 150 infra-

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN AS WELL?

structure managers, railway

operators, academics and IT

www.intelligentrailsummit.com

experts. Networking moments such as a cocktail reception, an

Quote IRS18BZCLK10 as VIP code

optional gala dinner and the

on the registration form and get

networking breaks and lunches

your 10% discount.

are part of the event.

MAIN EVENT PARTNER ORGANISER

KNOWLEDGE PARTNER

T O P 10

SEPTEMBER 2018

Top 10 Technology Leaders Gigabit Magazine profiles the ten most highly-rated CEOs of technology companies, as ranked in Glassdoor’s Annual Employees’ Choice awards this summer WRITTEN BY

BEN MOUNCER

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

T O P 10

10 Michael E. Hansen Cengage

Receiving an employee approval rating of 96%, Michael E. Hansen has been CEO of global education and technology com-

Satya Nadella Microsoft

pany Cengage since September 2012. Hansen has been the driver of Cengage’s strategy in the digital age,

You hear Microsoft, you hear Windows.

spearheading its root-and-branch over-

But during Satya Nadella’s maiden pub-

haul from being an established print

lic address as its CEO in 2014, he

publisher to the owner of some of the

refrained from mentioning Windows

most respected, cutting-edge learning

once – an omission that immediately set

products and platforms the world over.

the tone for what has been a transform-

He has had a glistening career in the

ative reign. Nadella has reshaped and

industry, enjoying an 11-year stint at

redefined the computing giant, switch-

Boston Consulting Group and a stand-

ing its core focus from software

out period transforming the operations

development to cloud, mobile and an

at the $20bn German mass media firm

open-arms approach to open-source.

Bertelsmann. Hansen is known for his

On the markets, this has seen Micro-

focus on measurable execution and

soft’s share price triple – a stark contrast

dedication to a company’s culture. www.cengage.com

to the sideways movement endemic under his predecessor, Steve Ballmer. 50-year-old Nadella, who achieved an approval rating of 96%, first joined Microsoft in 1992 and held a number of senior VP roles across its business ahead of becoming only its third CEO. www.microsoft.com

SEPTEMBER 2018

Jonathan H. Corr

Ellie Mae

Jonathan H. Corr’s promotion to the CEO’s office at Ellie Mae represented the final climb on his ladder of progression through the software giant’s ranks. Corr initially joined Ellie Mae as senior

Mark Zuckerberg Facebook

vice president for product management in 2002 before becoming chief strategy officer in 2005 and then chief

He may only be 34, but Mark Zucker-

operating officer in 2011, gathering all

berg – co-founder and CEO of

the necessary experience to fill the

Facebook – has become a globally-

leadership position in February 2015.

recognised face thanks to the truly

Named as one of the fastest-growing

sensational impact his social media

companies in North America last year,

platform has had on the 21st century.

Ellie Mae – through its leading cloud-

Zuckerberg’s personal story is well-

based platform – now processes 35%

documented: a Harvard dropout who

of all the mortgage applications made

helped create a student network that

in the United States each year. Corr

would grow into an online hub uti-

earned an approval rating of 96% in

lised by nearly a third of the world’s

Glassdoor’s survey. www.elliemae.com

population, he became the subject of a blockbuster movie in 2010. Throughout many highs and a few lows as Facebook’s leader, Zuckerberg –

who achieved an approval rating of 96% - has accumulated a net worth estimated to be in the region of $67bn. investor.fb.com

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

T O P 10

Jim Kavanaugh

World Wide Technology Entering the list with an approval rating of 97%, Jim Kavanaugh – who had a successful professional soccer career before moving into business – has been

Shantanu Narayen Adobe

CEO of World Wide Technology since co-founding the company with David Steward in 1990. In growing WWT from

According to his executive biography,

an ambitious startup to a worldwide

Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen would

organisation specialising in information

have been a professional golfer if he

technology and supply chain solutions,

hadn’t studied electronics engineering.

the Saint Louis University alumnus has

Some may question the validity of that

been recognised with a host of busi-

claim, but the 56-year-old has certainly

ness, entrepreneurial and charitable

been successful in steering his com-

awards. According to WWT, Kavanaugh

pany around a challenging course in

‘currently focuses his time in the areas

recent years. Still the owner of the

of technology innovation, long term

world’s foremost creative suite, Narayen

planning, strategic acquisitions, financial

has overseen Adobe’s shift from desk-

performance, employee development,

top to the cloud while also founding and

and passionately overseeing its unique

leading its innovative digital marketing

corporate culture’.

category. Receiving an approval rating

www.wwt.com

of 96%, Narayen has now been in the CEO role for over ten years while his other notable achievements include the co-founding of Pictra and his continued membership of the United States President’s Management Advisory Board. www.adobe.com SEPTEMBER 2018

Jeff Weiner LinkedIn

This December, Jeff Weiner – who received a 97% employee approval rating in Glassdoor’s survey – will reach his tenth anniversary as CEO of LinkedIn. At the beginning of his tenure, the

Marc Benioff Salesforce

business networking platform’s membership base stood at 33mn, but over the last decade Weiner has helped grow

The son of a department store owner

that number to half a billion through

in San Francisco, Salesforce co-CEO

an inventive strategy involving game-

Marc Benioff says his journey to

changing recruitment tools and an

becoming a billionaire software entre-

aggressive approach to advertising.

preneur is in big part down to copying

The New York native has enjoyed

his father’s insatiable work ethic.

a fascinating career that saw him begin

Earning a 97% approval rating from

as a junior at Warner Bros before rising

his employees, Benioff founded

several rungs to become a VP during the

Salesforce in 1999 having spent 13

dotcom bubble. He has also had influen-

years at Oracle, where his desire to

tial roles at the likes of Windsor Media

improve alongside his creative spark

and Yahoo.

resulted in rapid progression.

about.linkedin.com

Over nearly 20 years, Benioff – alongside fellow co-CEO Keith Block – has grown Salesforce to become a pioneer in the field of cloud computing and the fastest-growing of the top five enterprise software companies in the world.

www.salesforce.com

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

T O P 10

Dan Springer DocuSign

Dan Springer has only been leading DocuSign since January 2017 but his impact in that short period is reflected in his 99% approval rating from the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staff. Initially uncertain about taking on the role at the electronic signature disruptor having served for over a decade as CEO and President at Responsys, Springer was eventually persuaded to take on the reins â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and has had his hands full since, guiding it through an IPO earlier this year. An immediate stock jump led to a business valuation of $6bn, double what DocuSign had been measured at three years earlier and a mark of success for Springer in his early days at the firm. www.docusign.com

SEPTEMBER 2018

Eric S. Yuan

Zoom Video Communications Topping Glassdoor’s list with an approval rating of 99% is Eric S. Yuan, founder and CEO of Zoom Video Communications, the San Jose-based provider of remote conferencing services through the cloud. A graduate of the Stanford University Executive Programme, Yuan spent 14 years at Webex where he grew its team of engineers from 10 to 800, transforming it into an $800mn business. He worked for Cisco Systems following the two companies’ merger in 2007 before forming Zoom in 2011. A Chinese immigrant, Yuan is known for his creativity and has 11 issued and 20 pending patents in real time collaboration. “When I came to America, I did not even speak English, but I knew I could write software code,” he said in a recent interview. “I knew I had to work hard, so I did.” www.zoom.us

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

S.M.A.R.T Specific, Measurable , Attainable, Realistic, Timely

is what would define “Mines of the Future”. “Smart Mining 1.0” aims at bringing together several thought-provoking sessions that promises to be an eye-opener and spark discussion within the industry to Build Innovation Roadmap, Improve Productivity from Mine to Market and Promote Long Term Sustainability.

18+ hours of face-to-face networking

Peer-to-peer interactions

New Cutting Edge Technologies and Innovations

20+ Thought Leaders & Expert Speakers

Extraordinary value for your time

Book YoUR SEAT Now! Kindly register via our website or write to

hello@ikonnect.world

CODE : GRPSM01

20 - 21 September 2018 | The Adelaide Hotel Downtown, Toronto, Canada Our Smart Speakers

SPEAKER

Joe AbiDaoud

Tobias Frank

Vice President Information Technology, Yamana Gold Inc.

CTO VALE SA

SPEAKER

FEATURED PANELLIST

Duane Parnham

Jason Kozar Director IT

Hudbay Minerals, Canada

Chairman of Board & Director Giyani Metals Corp & Broadway Gold Mining Ltd.

SPEAKER

Marcus Thomson

Manager, Innovation & Prosperity Office, Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation

FEATURED SPEAKER

Tejas Kashyap

Mineral Resource Specialist Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife

SPEAKER

Terry Cutler

Vice President Cyber Security SIRCO

Arun Narayanan

Group Head- Data Analytic Anglo American

Our Smart Partners Gold Partner

Gold Partner

StrateGiC Partner

networkinG Partner

diGital Solution Partner

SuPPortinG CounCil

Start-uP Pavilion

Channel Partner

Digital Mining Solutions

SuPPortinG orGanizationS

Media PartnerS

afsea AFRICAN SUSTAINABLE E N E R GY A S S O C I AT I O N

SMART COMPUTING FOR INNOVATION

FoR PARTNERSHIP oPPoRTUNITIES: +971.4.455.8660 / +1.416.800.9976 +91.984.528.7972 partnership@ikonnect.world www.ikonnect.world

EVENTS & A S S O C I AT I O N S

The biggest industry events and conferences WRITTEN BY BEN MOUNCER from around the world 15–17 OCTOBER

SaaStock2018 [ DUBLIN, IRELAND ]

Gather in Ireland for the best news and advice from experts in the flourishing SaaS market as it stands today. Learn real software entrepreneurs. Optimise

Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Europe 2018

your business for the highest monthly

[ FRANKFURT, GERMANY ]

recurring revenue and the lowest costs.

Revolutionise your data strategy, align

Gain knowledge from people who have

business goals and look to the future of

already made the mistakes and the

data analytics at Chief Data and Analyt-

losses so you don’t have to. Collate cut-

ics Officer, Europe 2018. Taking place

ting-edge technologies and hacks to

in Frankfurt, Germany 19-20 Septem-

automate processes that cost valuable

ber the event will explore how you as

time and resources. Hear how to create

a data and analytics leader can deliver

a need for your subscription-based

on insight-led decision making and

product and market it to targeted audi-

drive innovation within your business.

ences. SaaStock aims to be a

Presented in a series of keynotes, panel

“one-for-all” event where marketers,

discussions and our unique discussion

developers, and CEOs can get together

group formats we will be exploring

to figure out the intricacies of and

strategies and approaches for deliver-

establish best practices for emergent

ing actionable insights and embedding

features of the SaaS ecosystem.

the importance of governance and data

Click to view website

quality enterprise-wide.

how to build up a SaaS business from

19–20 SEPTEMBER

Click to view website

SEPTEMBER 2018

01–02 NOVEMBER

05–08 NOVEMBER

Malta Blockchain Summit

SaaS Monster

[ ST JULIANS, MALTA ]

SaaS Monster is the world’s largest

Malta Blockchain Summit is a melting

SaaS conference, connecting more

pot for global influencers in technology,

than 10,000 CIOs and CTOs, buyers

civil society, democracy promotion and

and sellers, experts and investors,

innovation. Expect riveting discussion

startups and established companies.

about the world-changing potential

SaaS Monster has a reputation for

applications of the Blockchain across

bringing together SaaS giants. With

multiple verticals, including, but not

10,000 CIOs and CTOs, experts and

limited to health, entertainment,

investors, start-ups, and established

government, banking, payments and

companies, it is a great event to net-

fintech, and more.

work and get inspired for the

Click to view website

upcoming year.

[ LISBON, PORTUGAL ]

Click to view website

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

October 29-30 2018

Meet the industry leaders who shape the Future of Mining in the Americas Confirmed conference agenda speakers include:

Ricardo Adame

Elena Mayer

Janice Zinck

John Mullally

Afzal Jessa

Gordana Slepcev

Pamela Hackett

Arun Narayanan

Group Executive Global Communications Newmont

Chief Digital Officer Vale

President & CEO Women Who Rock

Chief Operating Officer Anaconda Mining

Platinum Partners:

President, CIM & Dir. Green Mining Research Natural Resources Canada

CEO Proudfoot

Director, Government Affairs and Energy Goldcorp

Group Head, Data Analytics Anglo American

Lanyard Sponsor:

Silver Partners:

Tech Start-up Partners:

Supported by:

Established

1909

NoticiasdeMineracao.com

WHERE? Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver Downtown Convention Center Denver, USA

ICKET T R U O Y K O BO th September 0 3 by % and SAVE 15 e FM15 Apply promo

cod

The Future of Mining Americas takes place from 29-30 October in Denver and has been created to connect C-suite, Heads and Managers of Mine Operations and Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) providers from top enterprises around the globe to debate and define the future mining landscape on a strategic level across the Americas, enabling attendees to discover the latest innovations and technologies which are driving mine productivity, mine efficiency and mine safety.

WHY ATTEND? A packed agenda contains all the key themes shaping the future strategic direction of the industry.

Leading experts from the mining supply chain providing essential industry learning over two days.

Includes dedicated curated content with focus on Exploration, Development, Management, Infrastructure and Leadership.

Numerous networking opportunities with fellow attendees and sponsoring solution providers as over 300 people are expected to be in Denver.

To download the full agenda and register visit americas.future-of-mining.com or email events@aspermontmedia.com

EVENTS & A S S O C I AT I O N S

29 NOVEMBER

05–06 DECEMBER

SaaS North

HITEC Dubai 2018

[ OTTAWA, CANADA ]

[ MADINAT JUMEIRAH ]

2018 marks the third year of this premier

Hospitality Industry Technology Expo-

event and we’re excited to bring the best

sition and Conference (HITEC®) is the

in SaaS back to the Shaw Centre in

world’s largest hospitality technology

Ottawa. This year’s programme, speak-

exposition and conference brand.

ers and networking opportunities

HITEC Dubai 2018, co-produced by

promise to connect you with the best

Hospitality Financial and Technology

opportunities to grow, learn and meet

Professionals (HFTP®) and Naseba, will

funders, founders and executives. SaaS

feature 30-plus speakers, 500-plus

North is known for bringing together

hospitality stakeholders and 50-plus

world class SaaS leaders to connect

solution and service providers. The

and learn. With over 1,500 attendees

show will give Middle East buyers cur-

from over 500 companies, across start-

rently worth over $75bn, access to

ups, global brands, investors and service

global top solution providers in hospi-

providers all specialising in SaaS. It is a

tality market, through a top-notch

great event to network, learn from the

education program planned by the

best in the industry and get inspired for

expert HITEC Dubai Advisory Council, as

the upcoming year.

well as an exhibition debuting the latest in

Click to view website

hospitality technology, and a summit with one-to-one business meetings.

Click to view website SEPTEMBER 2018

08–11 JANUARY 2019

CES

[ LAS VEGAS, UNITED STATES ]

25–28 FEBRUARY 2019

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES)

Mobile World Congress

is the world’s gathering place for all those

[ BARCELONA, SPAIN ]

who thrive on the business of consumer

The GSMA Mobile World Congress is

technologies. It has served as the prov-

the world’s largest exhibition for the

ing ground for innovators and

mobile industry, incorporating a thought-

breakthrough technologies for 50 years

leadership conference that features

— the global stage where next-genera-

prominent executives representing

tion innovations are introduced to the

mobile operators, device manufactur-

marketplace. Owned and produced by

ers, technology providers, vendors and

the Consumer Technology Association

content owners from across the world.

(CTA), it attracts the world’s business

Mobile World Congress 2019 will once

leaders and pioneering thinkers. Janu-

again take place at its traditional Fira

ary’s conference will open with IBM

Gran Via venue in Barcelona and next

Chairman, President and CEO Ginni

year will be built around eight core topics:

Rometty delivering an address to discuss

Connectivity, AI, Industry 4.0, Immersive

how technologies such as AI and quan-

Content, Disruptive Innovation, Digital

tum, when built on a foundation of trust

Wellness, Digital Trust and The Future.

and transparency, will drastically change

Click to view website

business and society for the better.

Click to view website

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

Paving the way for transformation with a connected workplace WRIT TEN BY

L AUR A MULL AN PRODUCED BY

JA MES PEPPER

SEPTEMBER 2018

EUROPE

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

ARKADIN

Partnering with technology giants like Cisco and Microsoft, Arkadin is ushering in a new era of communication services and giving companies the helping hand they need to start their transformation journeys

igital collaboration is a key ingredient of any business’ success; it nurtures innovation,

helps to capture greater business value, and most importantly, delivers sincere experiences for both customers and 76

employees alike. Taking this to the next level, many enterprises are now championing digitally-savvy collaboration services to help them create more connected workplaces and ultimately, deliver better profits. Headed up in Paris, France Arkadin is a leader in the field, standing as one of the world’s largest collaboration service providers. By offering a range of unified communications services, virtual events, and cloud transformation services, it provides the helping hand many businesses need to start their digital transformation. Yet, Arkadin doesn’t just provide products and part ways. Instead of leaving clients to undergo a mammoth transformation alone, the firm guides customers SEPTEMBER 2018

EUROPE

42,000+ Approximate customers

2001

Year founded

1,300 Approximate number of employees

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

EUROPE

services organisation that’s built

“We’re more than just a cloud communication company; we are a leading professional services organisation that’s built around cloud communications” — Charlie Doubek, Vice President of Professional Services EMEA at Arkadin

around cloud communications,” he continues. “It’s more than providing a service, it’s really changing the way businesses work. You have to be able to integrate that service and make it functional within the clients’ future business plan, cost and technical initiatives.” A unique facet of Arkadin is the fact that it is part of the NTT Group, one of the largest telecommunication companies in the

through every step with its unique profes-

world. This means that if a client

sional services, ensuring the transforma-

requires communication services,

tion is an end-to-end success.

it doesn’t need to rely on an

“In the industry today, we’re seeing that

overwhelming number of vendors;

providing a service isn’t enough anymore,”

instead, they can count on

observes Charlie Doubek, Arkadin’s Vice

Arkadin and the variety of skills,

President of Professional Services EMEA.

vendors and services it has

“In my role, I primarily deal with professional

gained from its parent group.

services: this includes organisational

“I would say Arkadin is

change management, consultation and

uniquely positioned because

support. We found that by providing industry

wit has been pulled into a

leading professional services, we have been

network company that has the

able to accelerate our cloud communication

right type of products and

revenues because we are providing more

services that we can offer to our

added-value than our competitors.

own customers – this adds value.

“We’re more than just a cloud communication company; we are a leading professional

Many businesses rely on several vendors to contribute to their e u r o p e . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

ARKADIN

80 transformation but, as impressive as

to deliver a solution that is bespoke

it is, it’s very difficult to manage all of

and tailored to the company in mind.

those vendors. What’s unique about

Working alongside Cisco, Microsoft,

NTT is we have a lot of those compa-

and more, Arkadin’s partners make

nies in-house, so we can do a lot

for impressive reading. As a result,

of the proposals and consultation

Doubek highlights that investing

services without having to balance

in partnerships is a critical part

too many contracts or service-level

of its strategic plan.

agreements (SLAs).” When it comes to technology, one

“Being a cloud communications provider, there’s a delicate balance

size doesn’t fit all. Describing itself as

between finding services that are best

‘technology-agnostic’, Arkadin has not

in the market and provided or building

only created its own solutions, but

services internally,” notes Doubek.

also works closely with some of the

“We’re creating products to fill gaps

industry’s leading technology giants

or creating partnerships to fill gaps.

SEPTEMBER 2018

EUROPE

81 “I would say two of our biggest partners are Microsoft and Cisco,” he adds. “Then we work with some

he highlights the key trends that he thinks are making waves in the sector. “Over the past few years I’ve met

smaller companies that have

with 3,000 different IT leaders from

amazing products, but they need

all over the world and it seems like

a large company like Arkadin to

there are three trends that are

bring them to the fore like Zoom.ai,

happening in the sector: the diverse

Workstreampeople, Kollective,

strategy of business leaders versus

Sennheiser, and Nuvias.”

their IT departments; the movement

Doubek has networked with

of communications into one place;

thousands of business leaders from

and the increasing consumption of

around the globe, most recently

video. These three things are really

speaking at UC Expo, Europe’s largest

initiating a lot of our projects and I

unified communications and collabo-

think Arkadin is positioned very well

ration event. Leveraging this insight,

to tackle these trends. w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

Meet the Future Prepared. Whether in the office, at a meeting, travelling, or working from home, Sennheiser offers a comprehensive range of quality wired and wireless headsets and conferencing solutions to enhance your Unified Communications experience â&#x20AC;&#x201C; helping you to stay in touch and access all the information you need. Visit en-uk.sennheiser.com/headsets

ENTERPRISE VIDEO TO THE EDGE Kollective and Arkadin provide a secure, and scalable enterprise video experience.

LEARN MORE

EUROPE

Doubek, implementing collaboration services is only the beginning for the sector. As more companies shift to the cloud, these solutions can achieve more than just a reduction in IT infrastructure. If unified communications are integrated with cloud technology for example, businesses can generate reports on internal or external interactions, what files have been shared, “One of our key objectives is to accelerate our

and what topics are being

unified communications business, grow our

discussed. This provides the

professional services, and work more closely

perfect foundation for adding

with fellow NTT group companies,” Doubek

new technologies.

continues. “We’re hiring talent, making

“It creates the perfect flower-

partnerships, and getting more and more

bed for you to add new modules

skilled professionals on board to add

such as artificial intelligence (AI).

additional services from a consulting and

This can tell you more about your

delivery perspective. We’re also expanding

business and help leaders make

our professional services because no matter

better solutions,” comments

what our partners launch or offer in the

Doubek. “Therefore, Arkadin

marketplace, there’s always a need for these

tries to look at what we do as

services. We offer the crucial consultation

more than a service; we’re laying

services that ensure our clients don’t make

the groundwork to make your

the same mistakes as their rivals. Technologies

enterprise more intelligent and

change, things are always in flux, but you’ll

this really requires consultants

always need people to deploy these projects.”

and experts to do that properly.”

Technology waits for no-one, and for

Over the coming years, predicw w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

ARKADIN

tions by Wainhouse Research suggest that we could see productivity increases of up to 40% due to AI technology alone. As AI, bots, and virtual assistants quickly become the norm in today’s workplaces, Doubek outlines how businesses could utilise the data generated from collaboration services. “We’re only at the tip of the iceberg,” he notes. “Businesses that recognise the role AI could play in their cloud computing strategy are going to move a lot faster than those that carry on with business as usual. You learn from experience and you make decisions based on your own experiences – AI is no different. This intelligent software can learn, 84

give recommendations or make actions based on what it’s learned from your communications data. “A good example is where we have worked with Microsoft Teams to deliver AI that acts as a scheduling assistant in partnership with Zoom. ai. With this solution, management can open up the solution and it will say, ‘Okay, your team members are available for a meeting at 11:00.’ You don’t have to think about it and you don’t have to go into your calendar. That little gesture saves so much time and helps productivity.” Additionally, Arkadin is also exploring the use of AI in contact centres. “We have implemented unified communications with contact centres which means an employee would use the same system like Skype for Business or Teams to talk to clients and do their day-to-day phone calling,” Doubek explains. SEPTEMBER 2018

EUROPE

“It’s more than providing a service, it’s really changing the way businesses work” — Charlie Doubek, Vice President of Professional Services EMEA at Arkadin

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

ARKADIN

“We’re also expanding our professional services because no matter what our partners launch or offer in the marketplace, there’s always a need for these services” — Charlie Doubek, Vice President of Professional Services EMEA at Arkadin

SEPTEMBER 2018

EUROPE

Click to watch: ‘Arkadin product vision 2018’ 87

“By using that unification, everything

consistent within your organisation,

from a client’s perspective is record-

the better the client experience will be.”

able so if someone calls in with an

With a team of approximately 1,300

angry complaint about an organisation,

people, Arkadin has established itself

that can be measured. You could

as one of the sector’s leading collabo-

implement AI to find out how many

ration and communication companies.

customers were upset by analysing the

Now, by tapping into emerging

patterns of their voice. You could then

technologies such as AI, the company

relay these complaints to senior

is helping businesses edge ahead

leadership and say, ‘There’s a lot of

of their rivals with next-generation

angry people calling in. I think you

collaboration services.

should change something about one of your products.’ The more you unify and the more that you make things more w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

Implementing a

digital infrastructure

Through an aggressive digital transformation, KEMET Electronics tackles tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s challenges today WRIT TEN BY

DA LE BENTON PRODUCED BY

ANDY TURNER

KEMET ELECTRONICS

he role of IT in business is changing. No longer simply a support function, over the

last decade IT has taken on a much more integral role in defining the strategic direction of most business all around the world. “In today’s world, IT is the crux of every business. It is the very foundation that everything is built on,” says Chris Hall, VP Global Information Technology at KEMET Electronics Corporation. “If you’re not taking it seriously, you’re going to be left behind. Businesses 90

make decisions on the fly and so IT must be able to support these decisions with real-time data. IT has to be agile and be

responsiveness to its customers.

able to meet the needs of the business.”

“It all comes back to IT,” says

The notion of IT being a foundational

Hall. “It’s about making our data

component that the business is built

available. Both from a customer

upon is key in the KEMET Electronics IT

perspective (our distributors and

digital transformation journey. With

our partners), as well as, available

customers ranging from producers of

to our internal business groups.

small wearables, laptops, and mobile

However they want to get the

tablets to solar panels, 5G antennas, and

information, it’s our job to ensure

electric vehicles, KEMET is a leading

its available to them.

global manufacturer and supplier of

“Plus, there’s also a responsibil-

electronic components. This is a

ity to keep the lights on. IT still has

continuously growing market, with

to keep the network running, the

demand increasing faster than ever

PCs patched and generally the

before and KEMET prides itself on its

proper infrastructure and security

SEPTEMBER 2018

USA

BIO

in place. I’m here to ensure we have a very strong foundation to carry KEMET into the future, with data management and collaboration tools to make us more agile and ultimately more successful.” Hall tries to sum up the digitization of KEMET in one,

Chris Hall has spent 18 years in the after-market services and electronics manufacturing industries. Rising through the ranks at JABIL, Chris developed a strong understanding of supply chain management, Lean manufacturing, and cross-functional leadership principles. Chris was part of the iQor acquisition of JABIL’s After-Market Services division and was promoted to Vice President of IT Solutions for the newly combined IT department. He spent threeyears developing new technology to support iQor’s joint ventures and general corporate strategy to become a Digital Enterprise. Most recently, Chris joined KEMET Electronics Corporation as VP of Global IT, where he oversees all aspects of IT strategy including infrastructure, systems architecture, and development.

succinct sentence; to create an IT department that enables KEMET’s data to be accessible to any employee at any time, so long as they have security access granting them privileges to that data. The challenge then becomes

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

KEMET ELECTRONICS

one of compiling all data and hosting it in the right place and in a fast and secure way. It’s here that Hall is implementing 5 core pillars to overcome this challenge. These core pillars define the digitization process, described as KEMET 2025. “First, we have to organize,” says Hall. “We have to have a good strong change management process; yet maintain agility,meaning that a simple change is a simple change.” “In order to be agile, you have to very organised. Trying to be agile is difficult because you have a lot of different types of projects, different mandates, and a lot of different requirements to meet all at the same time. Creating an agile environment takes a lot of organisa92

tion, but it’s paramount to support a digital enterprise” A consistent message throughout the digital transformation has been one surrounding data management and access to data, and Hall recognizes that in order to achieve this vision of accessible data, there must be infrastructure supporting it. “When talking about the infrastructure, security goes hand-in-hand with it in today’s world,” he says. “You need a backbone that can carry your data as fast as possible and as securely as possible.” “We live in a very “right now” world, where users have no patience for slowness anymore.” Hall believes that if a company doesn’t have an efficient and robust infrastructure, it does not matter how “slick and cool” the data management and collaboration tools are, if they are slow and poorly managed, they will fail to be adopted by the business

SEPTEMBER 2018

USA

“ WE LIVE IN A VERY “RIGHT NOW” WORLD, WHERE USERS HAVE NO PATIENCE FOR SLOWNESS ANYMORE” — Chris Hall, VP Global Information Technology at KEMET Electronics Corporation

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

KEMET ELECTRONICS

“We have a culture of striving to be more innovative and not resting on our heels. That’s key to delivering success on a wider scale on larger projects” — Chris Hall, VP Global Information Technology at KEMET Electronics Corporation

SEPTEMBER 2018

This is how digital transformations fail; when you don’t pay attention to the foundational components that are required to support it. With the first three pillars aligned, KEMET can turn its attentions to data management and collaboration; “the fun branches” as Hall describes them. Without the foundational pillars in place, any attempts at implementing a company-wide culture shift is futile.

USA

$1.2B

Approximate revenue

knowledge that we need to be able to extract, share and integrate with all our systems data,” says Hall. “These collaboration tools are very important in making that

1919

Year founded

a reality.” Data management in itself is a key topic among many modern businesses, not just IT at KEMET. For some, it is a difficult nut to

16,000 Approximate number of employees

crack as businesses all want better access and better learnings from data, but there is no silver bullet. Hall understands this, noting that the true key to success in data management is approaching it one project at a time with an eye towards the bigger, long-term

KEMET is implementing Microsoft Share-

goal. “We should enter data once

Point Online as the tool set that enables real

and should be available wherever

time communication between its employees.

we need it.”

This information exchange enables far greater

“To achieve this, it’s not a one

collaboration and “starts moving people away

size fits all technology map,” he

from email.”

says. “You cannot build the perfect

KEMET also utilizes Yammer and other

big data mousetrap, instead you

tools from the Microsoft O365 suite to access

integrate new tools progressively

and share information in real time, enabling

into your data management

an increasingly agile culture.

architecture and achieve iterative

“When you start discussing data manage-

success through greater agility.

ment and making all of our data available, our

Overtime, the full data ecosystem

engineers at all the sites have a wealth of

will begin to take shape.”

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

Artificial Intelligence

Business Analytics

ERP Systems ERP

Agile Project Management

Blockchain Technology

Application Development

</> Data Integration

DevOps Services

Cloud Services

Digital Modernization Agile Implementation

Security Services

Contact Herndon, VA 560 Herndon Parkway

Proven Technology Stack Utilize Accelerators Lights-out Operations

#100A, Herndon,VA 20170. Washington, DC 1629 K Street, Suite# 300, Washington, DC - 200006 703.463.9465

24x7 Support

sales@softthink.com

We Empower our Clients from Ideas to Applications WWW.SOFTTHINK.COM

USA

An iterative approach is crucial in

cloud model necessary for future

transforming an organization and

digitization projects, KEMET is also

establishing an IT function that is

partnering with Nutanix to better

responsive and proactive. Hall points to

manage and provide the onsite

this approach and its iterative success,

compute for future projects like IoT.

as a means of building belief in the

These are but three examples of how

process and supporting a cultural shift

KEMET is working collaboratively with

throughout the company.

vendors to serve as coaches providing

“To me, doing the work is actually the easy part. We have a culture of striving to be more innovative and not resting on our

core intelligence and best practices to the company. We are partnering with people who

heels. That’s key to delivering success on

are good at what we are not, and by

a wider scale on larger projects.”

doing so, bringing information and

Another key to the successful delivery of a digitization process and technology transformation is external partners and technology vendors. To this end, Hall feels that selecting

knowledge into KEMET that will serve us well for years to come.” No transformation defined by technology can ever truly end, with technology and innovation continuously

the right partner(s) is actually more a case

evolving and redefining industry and

of cultural fit as much as it is a simple

businesses. KEMET is working towards

technological capabilities analysis.

its 2025 vision and Hall has his eyes

KEMET relies on a number of

firmly set on achieving those goals first

business partners. Sirius, a leading

and foremost as a way for preparing

integrator of technology-based

KEMET for the future and beyond.

business solutions, Halls notes, has

He feels that delivering success with

been instrumental in assisting with the

2025 will define the success of the future.

“reinvention of our infrastructure. “IBM is

“To define success, we have to look

a critical partner in assisting with our

at how we deliver against those core

implementation of SharePoint and

pillars,” he says.

other development projects. To achieve the necessary hybrid-

“By establishing the best infrastructure securely creating a more collaborative

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

KEMET ELECTRONICS

Click to watch: ‘The KEMET STORY’

SEPTEMBER 2018

99 company through communication and having all the useful information and data at the fingertips of our business users, we will be successful.” When broken down, KEMET’s journey can be defined by one real business need and that is to be more agile. All of the pillars of transformation and the technology implementation is designed to make KEMET more efficient, more effective, and more agile to a rapidly changing market. “The challenges of 2025 will be very different

KEMET Leadership Team Group Photo Top row, from left to right: Robin R. Blackwell, J.D., Fernando Spada, Jamie Assaf, Dr. Phil Lessner, Stefano Vetralla, Tim Herring, Andreas Meier, Chuck Meeks, Masayuki (Max) Nakamura, Claudio Lollini, Fumihiro (Hiro) Katakura, Michael Raynor, Brian Burch, Bob Willoughby, Andreas Hammer, Dr. Johnny Boan, Yang Zhang, . Bottom row, from left to right: Shigenori (Sean) Oyama, William Lowe, Monica Highfill, Per-Olof Loof, Susan Barkal, Dr. Daniel F. Persico, Yang Zhang.

from the challenges of 2018,” says Hall. “But if we get it right, if we are better organised and more agile, then we will be able to tackle those future challenges more effectively and successfully.”

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

TECHNOLOGY and the CHANGING FACE of MORTGAGE LENDING The downturn in the mortgage lending market around a decade ago resulted in financial regulators imposing strict requirements on borrowing. New technology has been crucial to ensuring operations run smoothly, however as Joshua Hebert, Senior VP and CIO of Highlands Residential Mortgage explains, rather than being a hindrance, this has turned out to be a win-win for the industry WRIT TEN BY

LEIL A HAWKINS PRODUCED BY

ANDY TURNER

HIGHLANDS RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE

he downturn in the mortgage

now a consumer completes an

lending market around a decade

online application, and provides all

ago resulted in financial

of the necessary information to us.”

regulators imposing strict requirements on

102

On a broader scale, it enables the

borrowing. New technology has been

organization to operate with more

crucial to ensuring operations run

flexibility in a fluctuating market.

smoothly, however as Joshua Hebert,

“There is a constant disruption

Senior VP and CIO of Highlands Residen-

where volume goes up and down”

tial Mortgage explains, rather than being

Hebert explains. “It’s cyclical to

a hindrance, this has turned out to be

some degree due to the timing

a win-win for the industry.

throughout the year when people

Highlands Residential Mortgage,

buy their homes, but you have to

founded in 2010, has seen explosive

utilize technology to make it very

growth in the last five years. To help

flexible, especially in cost. The old

manage this the organization reached out

days of buying a solution outright

to Joshua Hebert, who has over 15 years’

and trying to use it over the next

experience in mortgage banking.

three to five years is not as prevalent

The financial crisis of the late noughties

anymore. Now it’s like leasing

brought with it increased regulation, but

technology, you’re paying either per

Herbert explains that this has in fact lent

unit or per seat and a lot of times

itself well to technology. “Now we’ve got to

those contracts are written in a way

put all these requirements in place, what

that’s very flexible, so if your

better solution is there than technology to

company grows the technology

do that?” he explains. “It created a level

and the cost grow with it, if the

playing field amongst all the companies in

company downsizes, the cost

this industry, because now everyone has

comes down.”

to operate in the same way.” It has also transformed the experience

As a result, Highlands has switched from CAPEX (the capital

for customers. “For many years it was like

expenditure model) to OPEX (the

buying a car,” he says. “You sit in front of

operating expense model), where

someone and fill out reams of paper, but

they pay-per-site and employee

SEPTEMBER 2018

USA

rather than paying upfront costs. To support this change Highlands partnered

“From network to voice to cybersecurity to technology

with Computex, an IT solutions provider

support, all of it has been

headquartered in Houston, Texas. Hebert

enhanced” he says. “We had

explains that Computex took Highlands’

support from 9-5 before, now we

infrastructure and support needs, which were

have it 24-7. We did it in such a way

mainly centred around a traditional IT structure,

that I didn’t have to hire a whole

including the voice, network and subdirectory,

bunch of people to maintain it

and helped transform it into a managed service

because ultimately, we’re using

provider (MSP) model, “where they ultimately

a managed services provider to

manage, service and support all of those types of

do it. We’re able to build the model

technology for me so I no longer have to, from

out to its predictive cost, whereas

a strategic standpoint.”

in the past, when we would do 103

“The amount of effort, time, communication and collaboration we go through on every single loan makes us different” — Josh Hebert, Senior VP and CIO of Highlands Residential Mortgage

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

HIGHLANDS RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE

a proforma to see if a particular branch location was going to be profitable based on how we do business, they would always come up with an arbitrary number and it was very difficult to determine the total cost of technology for that location.” Computex use the most up-to-date technology, allowing Herbert and his team to focus on the more strategic aspects of the business. “Things that are very industry-specific like the consumer experience and fraud, areas that are ultimately going to drive the business forward, that can bring in additional volume for the organization.” 104

In terms of fraudulent activities, new regulations have weeded a lot of these out, however issues like phishing and fake pay stubs still occur because of how easy it is to create bogus payslips. “But there are a lot of solutions that can analyze these and make a phone call to the employer to validate whether that pay stub is truly accurate and that person really does work at that organization,” Herbert explains. While interest rates may be high, making property buying less affordable, and the market as a whole has slowed down as far as mortgage applications go, Highlands has had a record year of growth. Hebert explains that what sets them apart from their competition is their customer service. “The amount of effort, SEPTEMBER 2018

USA

105

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

HIGHLANDS RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE

time, communication and collaboration we go through on every single loan makes us different,” he says.

take between 25 and 60 days.” In addition, Highlands was named as one of the 50 best companies to work

He also cites their agility as a key

for in 2015 and 2016. Hebert puts this

differentiator. “We are very nimble so

down to being a small, independent

consumers are coming at us with all

organization. “We’re not bank-owned,

kinds of different scenarios. It could be

we’re a family-oriented laidback

their credit or the timing in which they

company, so from a cultural standpoint

need to get their loan done. We are able

we’re not constantly breathing down

to support someone closing a loan in as

your neck. We don’t just talk about

little as 10 days if that’s what is needed,

leadership, we live it. We are very much

when most of the larger organizations

about hiring qualified, quality employ-

hardware. software. brainware. Computex Technology Solutions is an award-winning solutions provider with over 30 years of experience helping clients evolve their business through technology. At our core, we are architects and engineers that specialize in delivering data centers, enterprise networking, cybersecurity, cloud and managed services & emerging technologies with offices in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota & Texas.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TAILORED SOLUTIONS 5355 W. SAM HOUSTON PKWY N. SUITE 390 | HOUSTON, TX 77041 (713) 780-7580 | SOLUTIONS@COMPUTEX.NET

www.computex.net

USA

“We are able to support someone closing a loan in as little as 10 days if that’s what is needed, when most of the larger organizations take between 25 and 60 days” — Josh Hebert, Senior VP and CIO of Highlands Residential Mortgage

107

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

HIGHLANDS RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE

“The old days of buying a solution outright and trying to use it over the next three to five years is not as prevalent anymore” — Josh Hebert, Senior VP and CIO of Highlands Residential Mortgage

108

ees who can get the job done with little to

as revamping the organization’s IT

no micromanaging in a heavily regulated

operations. “Overhauling the infrastruc-

environment where you have to know

ture was very much about our internal

your stuff, but at the same time we like to

employees, and we needed to build that

have fun and challenge each other. We’re

foundation. Now we have that in place

all about supporting our employees.”

we can go out and put these strategic

Since Hebert joined Highlands in 2016, he cites his biggest achievement

SEPTEMBER 2018

technologies in, that will ultimately bring in additional sales and loans.”

USA

109

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

HELPING BUSINESSES N AV I G AT E

A D I G I TA L F U T U R E Whilst undertaking an exceptional digital transformation of its own, KPMG New Zealand is giving businesses the helping hand they need to reinvent their digital strategies

WRIT TEN BY

L AUR A MULL AN PRODUCED BY

ANDY TURNER

KPMG NZ

igital transforma-

continuous improvement and service delivery

tion is not a new

to customers,” reflects Chief Information

concept: since

Officer Cowan Pettigrew.

the advent of the internet,

“It’s important to understand that isolated

companies have diligently

digital tools don’t lead to the transformational

adopted new digital tools –

results that business owners seek,” he

from blockchain to edge

continues. “Businesses need to identify what

computing — to transform

problem they’re trying to solve before they

the way they collaborate

search for technologies. Digital tools are only

and do business.

a plank or toolset that supports the wider

What has changed is the

112

goals of an organisation.”

sheer volume of technology

A digitally-driven firm, KPMG NZ has embarked

options that are now flooding

on its own root-and-branch transformation, which

the market. The proliferation

is helping to bring its strategic vision to life. Yet,

of technology choices can

before any company, including KPMG NZ, can

be daunting for business

embark on such a mammoth change, Pettigrew

owners and this is where

believes IT leaders need to look inwardly first.

KPMG New Zealand (NZ)

“I feel the realisation that Chief Information

intends to offer a helping

Officers (CIOs) need to transform themselves

hand. Renowned for its

has been the biggest strength I have brought to

auditing, tax and advisory

KPMG NZ,” comments Pettigrew. “Being a CIO

services, the firm is now

is no longer a position for purely technical

helping companies navigate

people who drive value through infrastructure

the swathes of digital tools

alone. Whilst a technical understanding is

in the market so they can

important, the new multi-hat CIOs are those

achieve their strategic goals.

who have evolved beyond the technical and

“Digital transformation

provide passionate leadership with business-

isn’t a static point in time, it’s

led, customer-facing strategies that enable the

a repeating life cycle of

business to realise its vision and goals.”

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

BIO

THE ‘FANG’ EFFECT

The role of the CIO now is one of transfor-

Coming into the firm in December

mation. It’s aligned with business

2016, Pettigrew notes that one of his

objectives that Cowan assists in defining,

biggest challenges as CIO was to

implementing and continually transform-

transform the company’s discon-

ing so the business stays dynamic and

nected systems. In doing so, KPMG

relevant to its customers.

NZ is evolving to fulfil its growing

Transformation isn’t a point in time, it’s

need for mobility, collaboration,

not a moment - it’s a continuous evolving

integration and, perhaps most

process that breaks from the old ways,

importantly, to meet its growing and

with constant learnings and pivots in

ever-evolving user experience (UX)

direction along the way. What Cowan’s

expectations. Indeed, Pettigrew

role in this? With over 25 years in the I.T.

underlines how the so-called

industry, he says he provides practical

‘FANG effect’ is elevating consum-

strategic leadership with business led, cus-

ers’ expectations. This has

tomer facing strategies that enables the

encouraged KPMG NZ to raise the

business to realise its vision and goals. As

bar to meet their demands.

a multi hat wearing CIO, Cowan lives and

“ON-GOING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ISN’T ALWAYS EASY. IT REQUIRES A CLEAR VISION AND COMMITMENT”

breathes these values, seeking to create customers for life by building supported, sustainable platforms that deliver forward facing customer solutions.

— Cowan Pettigrew, Chief information Officer

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

113

KPMG NZ

The FANG effect has lifted the UX expectation across the board,” he observes. “If the applications don’t collaborate like Facebook, enable procurement like Amazon, look as cool as Apple, allow users to consume media like Netflix and search like Google, you’re missing an engagement opportunity with your clients and staff alike. These giants have set the bar for user experience and it’s driving customer expectations. Smart businesses who respond to this will be a step ahead of the competition.”

SUPPORTING FOCUSED STRATEGIES Pettigrew is keen to deliver technologies that add value. Yet before he talks about digital tools he believes it’s imperative that companies truly grasp their business strategy, 114

otherwise they may get side-tracked or

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

115

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

KPMG NZ

116

distracted by new digital trends.

vision and commitment. In my opinion, I think the

“’Digital’ by itself is not a strategy,

ultimate outcome of any digital strategy is that it

it’s a tool,” he asserts. “It’s critical to

delivers back time; time that can be delivered to

understand that isolated digital

the end user and which can add value elsewhere.

strategies generally don’t lead to the

At KPMG NZ, our strategy started with strength-

transformational result that

ening and stabilising our foundations before

business owners are after. You’ve

moving to unlock and transform based on people,

got to reverse the equation and ask

process and technology. This has helped to deliver

‘what are the business goals? what

a platform based on data-centricity, that is relevant

is the problem you’re trying to solve?

to our people and business needs, and which is

and what’s the role of digital in that?’

setting us up for a tech-savvy future.

“Ongoing digital transformation

“KPMG NZ is on a journey towards becoming

isn’t always easy. It requires a clear

a sector-led, client-focused technology and data

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

KPMG

in New Zealand has over 1,000 professionals across 7 cities

of the unique geographic region in which it operates. “At KPMG NZ everything we do ties back to our purpose of fuelling New Zealand’s prosperity,” Pettigrew says. “It’s our benchmark

Parent group KPMG was founded in

1987

1000+ Approximate number of employees

for the work we do, the clients we work with and the community projects we get involved in. We also have access to KPMG’s global network, drawing on our member firms in 155 countries worldwide. This gives us the freedom to develop IT services that suit our own environment, as well as working on bigger picture pieces that are for the entire network.” With its feet firmly in both New

insights company for our clients,” he adds.

Zealand and global markets, KPMG

“Information technology systems (ITS) is one

NZ has a wealth of expertise to

of the primary drivers of value and efficiencies

draw upon. The firm provides

at the firm.”

services to a wide range of industry sectors including agribusiness,

CUSTOMER-CENTRICITY

insurance, healthcare and more. In

Having undertaken its own transformation and

doing so, Pettigrew says the firm

been in its clients’ shoes, KPMG NZ under-

has become a ‘beacon of insight’

stands first-hand the steps businesses need

into the New Zealand business

to take to deliver exceptional change. Addi-

landscape. On top of this, Petti-

tionally, as the only one of the ‘big four’

grew highlights how the firm keeps

auditors that is 100% New-Zealand owned,

an ear to the ground to truly

KPMG NZ has an unparalleled understanding

understand its clients’ challenges. w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

117

KPMG NZ

“Any transformation we undertake has the client

DIGITAL PIONEERS

at its heart,” says Pettigrew. “We have worked to

KPMG NZ has zeroed in on some

improve the way we do business so we can

of the most disruptive technolo-

provide our clients with sharper, smarter

gies in the sector to achieve this,

services and insights that help them succeed.

particularly looking at tools like:

We’re constantly listening to our clients to

artificially intelligent computing

understand what they need and expect from us,

and robotic process automation

undertaking client surveys and market

as a service, blockchain, intelli-

research to understand our current position

gent customer relationship

versus where we want to be. Ultimately, we want

agents, insight platforms, data

to exceed our client’s expectations – so it truly

management applications,

is the client that’s driving us to ensure we have

security automation and more.

the best tools, the best technology, and the best people to bring these to life.”

Amalgamated with new valuedriven operating models like

118

Click to watch: ‘Do you need Corporate Governance? KPMG New Zealand’

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

“ DIGITALTRANSFORMATION ISN’T A STATIC POINT IN TIME, IT’S A REPEATING LIFE CYCLE THAT IS A KEY ELEMENT OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND SERVICE DELIVERY TO CUSTOMERS”

119

— Cowan Pettigrew, Chief information Officer

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

Make Digital Transformation and the Modern Workplace a practical reality. Talk to Lexelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s award winning and innovative team today.

NZ: +64 9 414 1777 AU: +61 2 9435 0384 info@lexelsystems.com

lexelsystems.com

A S I A - PA C I F I C

“At KPMG NZ everything we do ties back to our purpose of fuelling New Zealand’s prosperity” — Cowan Pettigrew, Chief information Officer technology for business management (TBM) to keep pace with disruption,

like Imanage Work 10 with the RAVN AI engine and the Microsoft Office 365 suite, KPMG NZ is well placed in our strategy to stay ahead of the curve. “Meanwhile, Lexel systems provide critical support for our IT operations including our all-important network, unified communications and sysops management. They are deeply embedded within the business providing thought leadership on ways to improve the business in line with our ITS strategies.” Looking forward, Pettigrew is

the company has collaborated closely

optimistic about the future for KPMG.

with pioneers in the technology sector.

Driven by technological innovation,

“Having these key partners

Pettigrew believes KPMG NZ has

alongside us and deeply embedded

cemented itself as a top choice for any

within the business provides me with

business seeking advisory or

both the advice, thought leadership

sector-led help. “In the next five to ten

and sound boarding I need on a daily

years, I see KPMG NZ as a clear

basis,” reflects Pettigrew. “Leveraging

choice for businesses, establishing

the best from Lenovo for mobility, and

itself as a beacon of information that

combined with the power of platforms

businesses can count on.”

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

121

Champions of change

The University of Tasmania is one of Australia’s oldest universities, but its Chief Information Officer Jeff Murray explains how it’s a stalwart for the digital age WRITTEN BY

NIKI WA LDEGR AVE

PRODUCED BY

GLEN WHITE

U N I V E R S I T Y O F TA S M A N I A

eff Murray, Chief Information

“The team are outstanding and it’s

Officer (CIO) at the University

fantastic their contribution has been

of Tasmania (UTAS), remem-

recognised in this way,” he says. “At

bers reading Martha Heller’s book, The

any one time we’re working on up to

CIO Paradox: Battling the Contradic-

40 capital-funded projects. The

tions of IT Leadership, a few years ago,

current team is 109-strong and

in which she says the CIO’s role is to

we’re a third more productive than

create a team of many CIOs.

ever before, producing a greater

It’s something that’s stuck with Murray, who has built – and continues to build –

“We’ve refined our people,

a solid, award-winning IT team at the

becoming more efficient and we’ve

university, which is ranked in the top 10

done that through programme

Australian research universities and the

delivery and better governance.”

top 2% of universities globally. 124

number of outputs per person.

In the last year alone, the team has

UTAS is one of Australia’s most geographically-splayed universi-

won numerous national and state

ties, with courses across 65

awards, including:

locations and four main campuses at Sydney, Burnie, Launceston and Hobart. It’s home to more than

• AIIA iAward Winners Tasmania (2017)

50 world-class research centres

- Winners of Government and Public

and institutes across science,

Sector for the eResearch Ecosystem

engineering and technology,

- Merit Infrastructure and Platform

health and medicine, marine

Innovation of the year

Antarctic and maritime, business,

• Australian Institute of Project

arts, law and education, and

Management (AIPM) Project Management

together they generate a rich and

Achievement Awards (2017)

diverse research culture, under-

- Winners of Tasmanian Project of the Year

pinned by vibrant multi-discipli-

for Skype for Business project

nary collaborations, world-class

- Winners of Small Project of the Year for

facilities and a global reputation

Skype for Business project

for research excellence.

• 11th ranking in the CIO Australia Top 50

A S I A - PA C I F I C

“OUR PROGRAMME OF SYSTEMS ENHANCEMENT HAS DELIVERED $10MN IN ANNUAL COST SAVINGS.” — Jeff Murray, Chief Information Officer

BIO

Jeff Murray, Chief Information Officer (CIO), as head of the Information Technology Services (ITS) section, is responsible for ensuring the alignment of ICT strategy and services to the business goals of the organisation. This encompasses the strategic development, agile delivery and support of a broad range of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) based services for the University campuses in Tasmania, interstate and internationally. The role is a key executive leadership position within the Division of the Chief Operating Officer, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer. Murray leads the executive management team of ITS and provide high level expert advice to the Chief Operating Officer. He is responsible for strategic management and direction of IT projects/ programmes, services and policies at the institutional level and will be expected to work collaboratively with other heads of administrative section to deliver seamless services and support arrangements across the institution.

125

The University of Tasmania partnered with Huawei on the provision of eResearch infrastructure in the area of high performance compute (HPC) infrastructure. The University’s portfolio additionally offers cloud-compute and research data storage to the Tasmania research community and their collaborators. HPC Solution • 256 CH121 v3 blade nodes (more than 7,000 Central Processing Unit (CPU) cores) • 100Gbps EDR non-blocking infinity band network • Implemented a now Open Source HPC cluster software

The HPC cluster provided a massive increase in capability and performance which was quickly adopted by the research community. Our mission is to deliver the best possible solution to enable researchers to solve the big problems of not just today, but tomorrow. Jeff Murry, Chief Information Officer

Huawei worked well with myself and the eResearch Infrastructure team to have the HPC ordered, delivered, racked and ready for acceptance within a matter of three weeks. There are few other organisations that could have achieved this as effectively. Adrian Dillon, Deputy Chief Information Officer

About Huawei Enterprise With continuous technologic innovation, Huawei is committed to fully leveraging the power of cloud computing. Software-Defined Networking (SDN), Big Data, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to build an open, flexible, resilient, and secure platform. Huawei Enterprise is committed to carrying out joint innovations with customers and partners, and helping customers across industries, including government and public sectors, financial services, energy, transportation, and manufacturing to achieve the goal of digital upgrade with “agility and intelligence” at the core. Currently, a total of 197 of Fortune Global 500, including 45 of the top 100, have chosen Huawei as their partner in digital transformation. Follow us on

Website – e.huawei.com/au Email – Mitar Marescuk (mitar.marescuk@huawei.com)

A S I A - PA C I F I C

MSP external, coutesy of John Gollings 127 Murray is responsible for ensuring the align-

“We know that our programme of

ment of ICT-based strategy and services,

systems enhancement has

encompassing strategic development, agile

delivered $10M in annual cost

delivery and support for the campuses in

savings, and in that time the

Tasmania, interstate and internationally.

university’s revenue increased

Tech transformation is crucial to the future of

$160M a year, which was a 40%

the UTAS business strategy, and Murray has

gain in annual revenue. So we know

heavily invested in IT, spending $120M on

the university is vastly more

systems and technology since he started in 2013.

productive as a result of this.

“The importance is to position us for that new

UTAS runs more sites than any

digital era,” he says. “But the flavour we want to

other university in Australia and

bring to the new digital era is that it’s human-

uses technology to help deploy a

rich. People still like to see a person and a face

richer choice, making it accessible

and know there’s a name associated with the

and connected to its students,

service provision.

academic staff and researchers. w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

U N I V E R S I T Y O F TA S M A N I A

Murray says its aim is to drive the island economy and economic development through a much more integrated, industry-connected, student-connected education system. “We are definitely working to deliver that education across the whole state of Tasmania, not just in the capital cities,” he says. “Tasmania is the least urbanised state in Australia, so technology helps us do that.” UTAS is the second university in 128

the country to introduce augmented reality into its teaching – its architecture students can now

“OUR ERESEARCH ECOSYSTEM (EREC) CAN STORE DATA OF ANY SCALE, WITH 7,100 PROCESSORS SERVING 3.7 PETABYTES OF STORAGE – AND CAPACITY CAN BE INCREASED AT ANY TIME TO MEET NEEDS.” — Jeff Murray, Chief Information Officer

learn 3D spatial principals and design using AR – and it produces the most online content in the country from its lecture systems, producing thousands of hours of video per term and delivering live teaching across the four main sites. With big data, Murray’s team delivered not just the supercomputer but also the software that won the AIIA iAward for the eResearch Ecosystem (eREc), which enables automation and collaboration of the researchers’ data archiving process. SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

“eREc can store data of any scale, with 7,100 processors serving 3.7 petabytes of storage – and capacity can be increased at any time to meet needs,” he says. “We called it ‘Facebook for Researchers’ as we can automatically enable where researchers share their open data, and then gain more collaborative viewpoints and analytical viewpoints on it. “The university’s researchers can move 30GB of data overnight from the International Marine Observatory System (IMOS) between the campus and the mainland. They transport the fifth highest volume of Australian cloud super computations.” Murray, who is also the chair of the Advisory Committee for Australia’s Academic and Research Network (AARNet), reveals eREc’s biggest users come from the main Australian states, explaining: “Our system in an automated way interprets the metadata, the tags on that data, just like your tag on Twitter, and shares it – so when people are looking for datasets in the marine observatory system, those tags queue their search in and bring them right down to the right place in our information set. “We’ve seamlessly provided huge datasets to the world in a collaborative way that enable our researchers to pick rich partnerships with other researchers working in that space. Then they can move towards solving vexing global problems together.” w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

129

U N I V E R S I T Y O F TA S M A N I A

Of course, when it comes to such infrastructure, understanding IT vendor management strategies is key, and UTAS has climacteric partnerships with the likes of Huawei, Dell EMC, HPE, Aruba, Microsoft, VMware, Technology One, ServiceNOW, Presence of IT, Echo360, D2L, InSync, Panasonic, Data#3, Parallo and Park Lane IT. “Huawei gave us that opportunity to build the second biggest supercomputer in the sector,” Murray explains. “They have provided us with best in class technology. “Parallo helped us in our virtual infrastructure area and Park Lane IT has allowed us to automate our database infrastructure. The software we put in place through Oracle and the technical support service we get from Park Lane IT has helped us to position that data layer in a more automated fashion so that it’s more agile and responsive to the business.” 130

Dell is also critical to the education centre, providing all Windows based desktop and laptop infrastructure and enterprise service and integrating its catalogue Amazon-style into all UTAS’ procurement. It is also a platinum sponsor of UTAS’ key innovation event, UHack. Aruba has partnered to improve the wi-fi, which Murray jokes “has come from woeful to no one talking about it anymore, which means it’s excellent.” Data#3 is also on-board and has enabled UTAS to provide

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

131

FACT

MURRAY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR: • 109 employees • $35m annual budget. • $110m systems investment • $10m annualised benefits returned from this investment w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

U N I V E R S I T Y O F TA S M A N I A

catalogue-style purchasing of Apple computers across the organisation, meaning people get that diversity of choice between a Windows machine or an Apple device. UTAS has embraced the Microsoft cloud provision as a very rapid adopter and has Office365 across the entire organisation for students and staff. “Cloud in the future is going to be a balanced platform of systems that are seamlessly operating the 132

internet,” he adds. “We’ve got a much richer collaborative environment around Microsoft Tools and where it’s improving our internal communications. “Only our supercomputer is on campus and I predict that’s short-lived. We’re constantly

Apply now to study at the University of Tasmania

reviewing whether we can run that

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

Uhack 2018 133 in the cloud. Cloud removes the old steps

eventually be replaced by that one

and jumps that might happen in scaling

computer that can do everything, but

big computing and makes it a lot more of

Murray says that’s not the desired

a smooth and fluid uplift in performance

outcome, insisting artificial intelligence

and uplift in responsiveness.

will be specific automations to the menial

“It gives us balanced high-performance big data seamless to the user.” UTAS now has a dashboard of every single process and every single request –

tasks, enabling humans to get on with the richer, more interesting, more intellectually stimulating roles. “We know that human empathy is

not just for IT – but a service delivery

extremely difficult to program into

across all of the university processes,

a computer – and anyway, will humans

which is bringing everything into one

ever trust a computer if it is expressing

space, in preparation for that automated,

empathy?” He questions. “I expect not.

robotic, artificially intelligent digital era that it’s moving into. People perceive that their job will

“Will people enjoy a flawless ballet performance by a robot? I suspect not either. So we see that artificial intelligence w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

U N I V E R S I T Y O F TA S M A N I A

is not the panacea that’s going to take over everything while we sit on the couch. We see AI as an opportunity to enrich services and roles and jobs, taking away the menial, making us more productive and making our roles more enjoyable.” Of course, with such huge changes across the systems, Murray says the change management is the most critical part of any project, and ensures every project has its own change manager. 134

“Change has become the one constant, and we have critical stakeholders across the organisation who know their local services and local teams, and make sure we don’t overburden them too much,” he says. “They’re called the Champions of Change and become strong advocates and stalwarts for this new future that this digital era is bringing, and my best achievement is that the team is recognised as a very strong, responsive and agile team. “I’m 100% sure that I’ve created a team of many CIOs that are connected to the university’s vision and direction.”

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research Prof Brigid Heywood, Signing New Surface Hub

135

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

136

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

Chayora: INTERNATIONAL SCALE IN CHINAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DATA CENTRE SPACE WRIT TEN BY

DA LE BENTON PRODUCED BY

MIK E SADR

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

137

C H AY O R A

CHAYORA DELIVERS HYPERSCALE INFRASTRUCTURE IN CHINA, CONNECTING INTERNATIONAL LEADERS TO THE MOST EXCITING MARKET IN THE WORLD ith just under 20% of the world’s online community existing within the country, and with annual user numbers growing faster than anywhere else, China is one of the most exciting online technology markets in the world. In 2017, the State Council also set out a vision to establish China as the number one artificial intelligence hub globally, identifying AI as a key driving force of the country’s economic growth over the next decade. Last year alone there were 772 million people online in China, representing 56% of the country’s 1.4 billion population. With a huge customer base and with China looking to surpass the United States as the world leader in

138

SEPTEMBER 2018

GDP terms, it is no surprise that many major international organisations and businesses are increasingly turning towards the country. There are however, many hurdles to clear as access to the technology sector in particular is still subject to tight regulation. “Those figures alone show that it truly is an amazing market,” says Oliver Jones, Chief Executive of Chayora. “But in order to be able to have access to this massive and valuable population, you cannot operate effectively from overseas. You have to have your servers inside mainland China, in a properly licenced data centre and that’s what starts to present challenges to aspirant new entrants.” “It is also where we come in. Chayora

A S I A - PA C I F I C

139

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

C H AY O R A

140

has invested a significant amount of time and money to operate entirely in line with China’s regulations, laws and ambitions as set out in the Five-Year Plan, in order to enable international companies to access China.” Chayora is an infrastructure developer focused on the building and operation of data centre platforms, with a series of hyperscale, fully licensed data centre campuses in key locations across China. Founded together by Jones and his business partners Jonathan Berney who now acts as Chief Operating Officer at the company and Steven Cao, Chayora has a simple vision: to build a trusted international service provider that enables international companies to access this market potential. “We are aiming to combine the best of China and the best of the international

“ We are aiming to combine the best of China and the best of the international environment, for the benefit of our customers” — Jonathan Berney, Chief Operating Officer, Chayora

SEPTEMBER 2018

environment, for the benefit of our customers,” says Berney. “And we feel very strongly that being able to contribute to the economic, political and social environment that we operate in is critical.” 2018 will represent a milestone year for the company as it will complete its initial facility, the TJ1 Data Centre, on its hyperscale data centre campus in Beichen, northern Tianjin. Located

A S I A - PA C I F I C

Chayora; the Tianjin Data Centre Campus covers Beijing

141

between Beijing and Tianjin at the heart of 150m people in the tri-province, TJ1, which is targeting an operating date for early 2019, will be the first data centre of the company’s wider Tianjin hyperscale 300MW, 32-hectare (80-acre) campus which will ultimately comprise nine major data centre facilities. For Jones, this facility is a shining example as to what Chayora can become on the global data centre stage. “What we want to be is a trusted, hyperscale campus provider and

operator so that when people think China, they think Chayora,” he says. “It’s an incredibly exciting time for the business as we can enable some of the biggest companies in the world to fulfil their potential in China.” A crucial element in achieving that vision, something that is arguably more important than the facility itself, is establishing a reputation as an organisation that these international companies can place a great deal of trust in. w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

C H AY O R A

The population of China at 1.4 billion people accounts for one fifth of the world’s population More than the US (298m), the EU (503m) and the former USSR (293m) combined. China has the world’s second largest GDP today at $11 trillion 60% of that of the US and predictions suggest that China could overtake the US in 10 years: and be 2x by 2050. THE EMERGENCE OF CHINA AS THE WORLD’S LARGEST MARKET IS UNQUESTIONABLE 142

China already has the greatest number of Internet users 772 million as of Dec 2017 – 19% of world users. Internet user saturation in China is just 56% This is compared to USA Internet user rates which are c.93% of the population. Adoption is extraordinarily rapid with an increase of 36 million in the last 6 months More than the whole population of the UK every year; at least half a billion people in China will be new online users in the next five years.

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

143

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

C H AY O R A

Establishing this level of trust starts with Jones and Berney. Both men come from very similar career backgrounds, having worked in a number of consulting, services, engineering and technology focused roles all over the world and specifically across Asia. The two met when they found themselves working together as partners and were tasked with exploring the potential of a large international bank wanting to build and operate a data centre in China. It is their deep and diverse service 144

View of Tianjin facility under construction

SEPTEMBER 2018

sector experience that Berney feels enables both himself and Jones to have a certain level of confidence and a keen understanding of how to work with large customers on an international scale. “I think it’s valuable that both Oliver and I have worked in a global environment and also in local environments in Asia and Europe and can recognise and bridge between perspectives” says Berney. “As entrepreneurs in the fast moving

A S I A - PA C I F I C

and exciting Data Centre market in China, we have the opportunity of recognising and leveraging the very best of what China has to offer, which in Tianjin means new, resilient and very high-quality power infrastructure and highly supportive local government, but also to be able to bounce back from and learn from experiences where we don’t get it right. This means we need to see the “big picture” but not be tripped up by the detail. Ultimately our roles are to create a passionate

belief, communicate our vision and get all our stakeholders to come on the journey with us.” Chayora’s ambition includes giving global customers a consistent level of international hyperscale data centre facilities like they would expect anywhere else in the world. We want to be a trusted partner and seen as an enabler of our customers’ success in China. “Trust takes time,” says Jones. “You have to earn it in any sector, but in 145

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

C H AY O R A

“ We feel very strongly that being able to contribute to the economic, political and social environments that we are operate in is critical.” — Jonathan Berney, Chief Operating Officer, Chayora 146

Click to watch: Jonathan Berney talk to Data Economy ‘China demystified. From data centre leaders to foreign investment opportunities’

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

order to earn trust in the data centre market in China it’s not only about building a worldclass facility, it is then about going on to operate it consistently to standards that will satisfy international customer demands.” Listening to and understanding the customer is essential to delivering these standards, but both Jones and Berney recognise that the company cannot simply rest on the notion that it delivers ‘just enough’ – it has to exceed expectations. As Berney notes, there are a number of companies that can provide data centre 147

The Chayora Tianjin campus: 9 major Data Centres with 300MW+

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

C H AY O R A

The stunning Tianjin railway station

148

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

149

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

C H AY O R A

150

facilities in China to international businesses but Chayora’s ambition is to be known as the company which delivers what it promises, all of the time, every time and that what it promises is to achieve international standards of performance, scale and consistent quality that meet the requirements of international customers and are the best available in China. “To put it simply, we need to deliver value,” says Berney. “We need to deliver value to our customers and stakeholders in order to be trusted by them. That’s critical for us, but what’s ultimately even more important is having a drive for excellence as well. Near enough is never good enough for Chayora.” SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

“ We are absolutely crystal clear on the strategy for Chayora; providing the fundamental infrastructure to enable major international companies to access and succeed in China and ultimately deliver prosperity to China.” — Oliver Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Chayora

151

Click to watch: Disruptive’s interview with Oliver Jones, at Cloud Expo Asia, Hong Kong, 2018

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

C H AY O R A

“ What we want to be is a trusted, hyperscale campus provider and operator so that when people think China, they think Chayora.” — Oliver Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Chayora

152

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

That’s what the Tianjin hyperscale campus represents for the company and its customers: a physical manifestation of Chayora’s ambition and drive for excellence. It shows customers that Chayora is not only incredibly ambitious in its vision but can deliver on it both now and in the future as the company continues its growth journey and adds further campuses to its portfolio. “We are at a massively exciting moment for our business because it’s a very significant inflection point for Chayora,” says Jones. “The hyperscale market is growing rapidly and it’s growing at an incredible rate. We are absolutely crystal clear on the strategy for Chayora, providing the fundamental infrastructure to enable major international companies to access and succeed in China and ultimately be part of the new and burgeoning prosperity of the country.” Over the next five years, Chayora will look to add a further four hyperscale campuses across China as it looks to cement its position as the go-to partner for international customers targeting online business in the country. The future of Chayora will of course be dictated by the evolving marketplace, but ultimately it will be defined by the very same thing it has always been defined by: the customer. “I can genuinely see us as a business going into new places and a whole series of new directions with our customers,” says Berney. “That comes down to the trust we have developed with them. As they embark on their growth journeys here in China, they want a trusted data centre partner that can deliver and exceed and that is Chayora.”

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

153

How Kansai Airports is transforming passenger experiences in Japan

154

WRIT TEN BY

CATHERINE S TURM AN PRODUCED BY

MIK E SADR

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

155

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

KANSAI / VINCI AIRPORTS

Kansai Airports is undergoing a significant transformation. Pascal Pipon,General Manager at Kansai Airports, tells us more…

apan is continuing to reap the rewards of a global tourism boom, where people from all over the world are keen to

explore its rich history and breathtaking landscapes. From January to June during this year alone, the estimated number of international travellers exceeded 11mn, with

156

an increase of 20% in overseas visits compared to previous years. Whilst many travelers would have normally utilised Kansai International Airport, the country’s Osaka Itami Airport and Kobe Airport also significantly serve those situated in the nearby cities of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto. Altogether, the three airports provide services to over 47.6mn passengers annually. To ensure the airports remain fully equipped to service such increased traffic flow, shareholders at VINCI Airports and financial services group ORIX Corporation are directing significant investment towards the digital transformation of the airports, driving maximum value for tourists and residents, whilst unlocking its growing potential. SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

FACTS

• From January to June during this year alone, the estimated number of international travelers exceeded 11mn, with an increase of 20% in overseas visits compared to previous years • Kansai International Airport, Osaka Itami Airport and Kobe Airport provide services to over 47.6mn passengers annually • VINCI Airports serve nearly 250 airlines worldwide • VINCI Airports catered to 156.6mn passengers in 2017, amassing €4 billion in consolidated revenue • Working with air transport IT specialist SITA, Kansai Airports has implemented an intelligent check-in kiosk named KATE, which will identify bottlenecks in passenger flow

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

157

Building better outcomes – securely – for the world we live in For many, Unisys provides the fit they’ve been searching for. We build inspired, superbly crafted solutions to the most complex business problems and demanding standards. Our track record of success is second to none. Our solutions consistently deliver the significant, measurable results that matter most to our clients. Better still, we build security into solutions themselves to provide a level of assurance that’s exceedingly hard to come by. What drives us to excel with such passion and purpose? Simple: a vision of enhancing peoples’ lives through ensuring that the advanced technologies we build perform reliably and securely. In support of this goal, we design with the client experience in mind.

A S I A - PA C I F I C

A key player within the international airport sector, VINCI Airports serves nearly 250 airlines worldwide. Spanning Europe, Asia and Latin America, the company served 156mn passengers in 2017 across all of its 36 airports. In Japan, Kansai Airports successfully took over Kobe Airport in April 2018, and all three airports have amassed a combined growth of 9.6% in the second quarter. With international growth continuing to rise, Kansai International Airport achieved over 12% growth, with Kobe following

FACTS

• Kansai International Airport, Osaka Itami Airport and Kobe Airport provide services to over 47.6mn passengers annually • Kansai Airports took over Kobe Airport in April 2018, where all three airports have amassed a combined growth of 7.8% in Q2 • VINCI Airports serve nearly250airlines worldwide • VINCI Airports catered to 156.6mn passengers in 2017 • In the second quarter of 2018, traffic across the 36 platforms managed by VINCI Airports saw 42.9mn passengers handled in the network during Q2 • Japan continues to see increased numbers of visitors from neighbouring countries China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Macau, as well as attracting tourists from areas such as Europe

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

159

KANSAI / VINCI AIRPORTS

closely behind at 5% growth. The country continues to see increased numbers of visitors

deals from low cost carriers and new routes which have recently become established. By building on VINCI Airports’ world-

from neighbouring countries

renowned expertise alongside ORIX

China, South Korea, Hong

Corporation’s strong roots in the Kansai

Kong and Macau, as well as

region, the three Japanese facilities are

attracting tourists from areas

set to be fully transformed.

such as Europe, with attractive

“We’ve secured a comfortable budget to invest in tomorrow’s IT and digital solutions,” says Kansai Airports General Manager for IT, Pascal Pipon. “We aim to make the passenger journey as peaceful, easy and stress-free as possible. We

160

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

will be leveraging digital solutions, such as self-service, mobile services and biometry, in order to achieve seamless travel. We want to integrate all steps of the passenger journey within one complete digital experience.” In order to optimise the management of the existing airport infrastructures, Kansai Airports is transforming the organisation’s back-office applications. “Our task is to centralise and consolidate all flight data and resources from the airports, automate operational processes to facilitate decision making,” he adds. 161

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

ABOVE. BEYOND. We were created to look beyond. To go further. And to transform air travel through technology. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re already helping airports across the world to blaze a trail. Airports that have been built so intelligently that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be just as smart, and just as well equipped for the future in 10,15, 20 years as they are today.

Explore more at: www.sita.aero/future-proof

A S I A - PA C I F I C

“ We’ve secured a comfortable budget to invest in tomorrow’s IT and digital solutions” — Pascal Pipon, Kansai Airports General Manager for IT

163

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

KANSAI / VINCI AIRPORTS

DIGITALLY ENABLED Working with air transport IT specialist SITA, Kansai Airports has tested an intelligent check-in kiosk, which will identify bottlenecks in passenger flow, eliminate congestion and contribute towards a fully connected passenger experience. Through a number of inbuilt technologies, such as collision avoidance, the kiosk will move swiftly to different areas of the airport when required. The facilities have also sought to introduce artificial intelligence devices, check-in robots, and self-propelled floor cleaning robots where Kansai Airports is turning 164

towards automation across its entire portfolio. Among initiatives to optimise the use of existing capacities, Kansai Airports has sought to minimise waiting times and boost passenger throughput using real-time queue monitoring tools. “To do this, we implement different tools. One tool is called Passenger Flow Management, which provides real-time information surrounding passenger flow. Operation staff react to queues building up. We also display congestion information to the passengers at the airports and on our websites. With this technology, we have drastically reduced waiting times from 45mins peaks to 15mins,” notes Pascal. “Automation helps increase the capacity of SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

165

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

The queue measurement system trusted by 66 airports

Eliminate queues and boost passenger satisfaction By delivering real-time KPIs, such as waiting times, process times and passenger throughput, Xovis paves the way for the digital transformation of passenger flows and queues. Now, 66 airports count on Xovis 3D Sensors and software solutions at checkin, security, retail, immigration, taxi ranks and many other highly frequented sites. Based on the collected data, airports are able to optimize both operations and capacity utilization. Shorter queues and waiting times lead to higher passenger satisfaction and hence higher revenues. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s work together to enable a seamless travel experience. Get in touch for more information. info@xovis.com

A S I A - PA C I F I C

the airport to serve more passen-

ground handlers, the air traffic

gers and better serve the airlines.”

service provider, etc., which also

Collaborating with various

provide essential services,” he says.

team to provide the best solutions,

“The collaboration between

Kansai Airports continues to look

all the actors is at the core of

at harnessing new digital tools

the optimisation of airport

surrounding departures, arrivals,

operations. Technology will be

the scheduling of flights and the

key for all to converge toward

handling of various aircrafts.

this common goal.”

“IT is helping with all of this, but

With a keen awareness that the

we also have a lot of different

most important aspect will be to

actors, such as the airlines,

ensure that all passengers leave

“ We want to make the passenger journey as peaceful, easy and stress-free as possible” — Pascal Pipon, Kansai Airports General Manager for IT

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

167

Over 80 years of experience in researching, developing and providing commercial audio and security solutions. Since first installing intercom systems at Japanese airports in 1978, TOA has been involved in numerous airport projects across the world. Today, most people who use Japanese airports hear the announcements delivered by TOA systems. Offering the sound systems and engineering capabilities required for safe, reliable passenger transit, we facilitate the accurate transmission of information to passengers and the smooth airport operations. ...and yet you are still led out of the terminal quickly and safely in an emergency.

We supply sound, not equipment

www.toa.jp

international_marketing@toa.co.jp

Today, over 500 airports worldwide depend on Daifukuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s baggage handling systems and self-service solutions to deliver a seamless experience for their travellers. Our world-class technology combined with our end-to-end integrated services ensure complete visibly, reliability and security, essential to your success.

www.daifukuatec.com

See why Daifuku is one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s number one in aviation technology.

A S I A - PA C I F I C

“ We want to integrate all steps of the passenger journey within one complete digital experience” — Pascal Pipon, Kansai Airports General Manager for IT

and arrive on time, Kansai Airports must remain completely operation-centric, with an emphasis on promoting an exceptional passenger experience, in line with VINCI Airports’ commitment to quality of service and customer satisfaction. In the long-term, it will further introduce self-service facilities, and the passenger journey will become fully automated. “The sharing of information between all actors will be critical to maximise airport capacity and passenger satisfaction,” concludes Pascal. “Technology is essential to the future of Kansai Airports and the entire aviation industry.”

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

169

170

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

A pioneer of AI-powered insurance WRIT TEN BY

L AUR A MULL AN PRODUCED BY

A LE X PAGE

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

171

SUNSHINE INSURANCE GROUP

172

With its pioneering use of artificial intelligence and big data, Sunshine Insurance Group is disrupting the insurance sector in China

rtificial intelligence (AI) may be in its infancy but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set to radically transform the way we do business. As the cutting-edge technology gains

more traction, it could be argued that no industry is more ripe for disruption than the data-rich insurance

sector where everything from customer service to claims processing has the potential to be enhanced. A recent study from Tata Consultancy Services reported that the insurance sector has invested $124mn in AI compared to an average of $70mn invested by other industries. In China, Sunshine Insurance Group has emerged as a gleaming example of how insurance firms should ready themselves for this seismic shift. SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

BIO

Zhenbin Xu is a seasoned technology leader with world class experiences building highly secure, reliable software and internet-scale services powered by big data, AI and machine learning, for over a billion users. Starting his career with a successful tele-communication startup company in China for one year, Xu joined a software startup on the US East Coast for one year, then moved to the West Coast to join Microsoft in 1998. He worked there for 19 years, with a few years in between working for Microsoft’s Search Technology Centre Asia in China, before joining Sunshine Insurance Group in Beijing in early 2018 to oversee its Big Data and AI strategy and implementation. Reporting to Sunshine Group’s CEO, he also spearheads the group’s longterm technology transformation strategy. Zhenbin has a unique combination of business acumen with technology breadth and depth, a deep understanding of both US and Chinese industry as well as culture, and a startup mentality. He has deep expertise in browser development and web technology, having been a key technical leader for Microsoft’s IE core team and formation of HTML 5 Standard. He worked with Microsoft’s prestigious new Operating System (code name Midori) team for three years incubating future general OS and technologies. In the last few years Xu has held Engineering Leadership roles on Bing Search Engine, Bing Ads and Microsoft Cortana. Key achievements include the founding of Microsoft Internet Security Center Asia and the creation of a security product with 265M installation, 60M DAU within 6 months of release; invention of technology/strategy that generated hundreds of millions of revenue for Bing; delivery of a brand new ad platform/product within one year with committed revenue of $1bn+; incubation of Microsoft Mobile Edge browsers; and development of Cortana Smart Speaker Invoke. w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

173

SUNSHINE INSURANCE GROUP

One person at the helm of Sunshine

paradigm shift, Sunshine

Group’s AI strategy is Zhenbin Xu,

Insurance Group has delved

President’s Office and Chief AI

deep into what AI could offer

Scientist at Sunshine Insurance

the industry.

Group. “The way I look at it, we are at

Xu’s objective is a far-reach-

a transition in time in terms of

ing one: he has worked diligently

technology,” Xu explains. “If we

to transform the company into

define an era by its technology then I

a technology-driven one –

would say we have been through the

enhancing the firm’s culture,

PC internet time, then we went

management and business

through the mobile internet time.

model – and he has also helped

Now we are entering what I call the AI

to drive the insurance group’s AI

or ubiquitous computer era, whereby

and data strategy. Blending both

more and more smart devices are

a people-oriented and technolo-

entering people’s lives, and AI could

gy-driven approach, Xu believes

be applied to them.” Recognising this

that Sunshine Insurance Group

Click to watch: ‘Sunshine Insurance Group - Company overview’

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

is leaving its mark on the sector. “One of the unique aspects of Sunshine Insurance Group is its strong work culture and vision,” says Xu. “We want to create a financial group that fulfills customers’ multiple needs around financial security and protection. That’s one of the reasons why today Sunshine Insurance Group is extending outside of the core business – insurance is our core business but we also have an internet finance and healthcare function.” “We are also a very technology-driven company. Sunshine Insurance

“ If we define an era by its technology then I would say we have been through the PC internet time, then we went through the mobile internet time. Now we are entering what I call the AI or ubiquitous computer era” — Zhenbin Xu, President’s Office and Chief AI Scientist at Sunshine Insurance Group

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

175

SUNSHINE INSURANCE GROUP

Group is one of the top insurance

Group is frequently cited as a China

companies in China and compared to our

Top 500 Enterprise and a China Top

peers we are very technology focused

100 Service Company by China Enter-

and agile. Today there are more smart

prise Directors Association (CEDA).

devices and entry points for people to

Three years after the establishment of

interact, it is still unclear how insurance

its property and casualty company,

companies should adapt to this transition

Sunshine Property and Casualty

– this has presented an opportunity for

Insurance Co. Ltd, it has also surpassed

Sunshine whereby we can invest in AI

71 competitors to become one of the top

with a distinct strategy and product to

eight insurance companies in the region.

best serve customers. We see it as

Delving into the growing field of AI, Xu

a chance to become a market leader.”

is excited for what the future holds.

It seems that this distinctive approach is

Today Sunshine Insurance Group is

paying off: today, Sunshine Insurance

exploring the use of virtual agents,

176

WE FOCUS ON AI Zhongke Guoli Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. is the industrialization main body of the intelligent information research results of the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It is an artificial intelligence high-tech company that provides intelligent operation solutions, and promotes the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ intelligent semantics, knowledge management, intelligent search, and natural language leadership. The application of technology scenes is grounded.

WWW.KNOWLOGY.CN 1805, Twin tower-A, Jing twelve road, Ding Mao, Zhenjiang, Jiansu Province

A S I A - PA C I F I C

“ In the future, our goal is to become the best adapter of the AI technology” — Zhenbin Xu, President’s Office and Chief AI Scientist at Sunshine Insurance Group

177

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

SUNSHINE INSURANCE GROUP

voice technologies, image technologies, video technologies, smart devices and natural language processing (NLP) – and this is just the start. “There are a lot of touch points within our operation where we interact with customers,” Xu adds. “For all the cross points, if you can leverage AI technology, through voice and emotion recognition, face recognition, liveness detection, micro expression analysis, optical character recognition, natural 178

Click to watch: ‘Sunshine Insurance Group Campus’

language understanding, knowledge graph and image-based damage assessment, then we can

the workforce and promoting more

improve the customer experience

data-driven projects.

and speed up the entire process.

“We think big data will also allow

Customers today expect faster

us to provide more differentiated

services, more reliable services and

products to our customers,”

more natural ways to interact with

comments Xu. “For example, in terms

our services. Nowadays we can use

of product pricing, big data definitely

AI technology to achieve that.”

helps us give a more accurate

Leveraging the vast amount of data

service and, in a lot of cases, a much

at its fingertips, Sunshine Insur-

better price to our customers.”

ance Group has also embarked

Xu points out that AI and big data

on a pioneering ‘Data Sunshine’

could also help to fight against one of

strategy to aid the company’s

the costliest elements of the insur-

transition to a more data-driven

ance industry: fraud. By preventing

enterprise. This involved educating

and detecting fraud this will help to

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

179 reduce the premium for the compa-

Situated in Weifang City in east

ny’s customers, as overhead costs

China’s Shandong province,

will be reduced. On top of this, the

Sunshine Union Hospital stands as

firm is also tapping into other

the country’s first hospital founded

emerging technologies like block-

by an insurance group. Additionally,

chain and usage-based insurance

in its short history, it has also

(UBI) to stay ahead of the curve.

passed the highest standard of

Sunshine Insurance Group has

international medical services and

already proven itself to be a pioneer

management (the Joint Commission

of new technology although interest-

International Accreditation Stand-

ingly, the firm is also exploring new

ards for Hospitals, 6th edition).

sectors and avenues for disruption.

“With our hospital, I believe we

Take for example its latest foray into

tried to achieve two things: firstly,

the healthcare sector with the

we tried to figure out how to combine

company’s own hospital.

insurance with medical treatment. w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

SUNSHINE INSURANCE GROUP

For example, if you do a health exam at

talent in the sector, recognising that

the hospital you can have the data

these people not only need to be well

available to the insurance part of the

versed in insurance operations, they

business electronically to speed up

also need to be technology-savvy

underwriting and reduce premium.

individuals so that Sunshine Insurance

“Secondly, we also aimed to build

Group can grow its own technology

a first-class hospital using smart AI technologies. It is a technology-rich

“Today many firms rely on outside

facility: we are exploring the latest

companies to provide a technology

AI-enabled digital services and tools to

product for them; the past model

improve the efficiency and the customer

doesn’t work well in this new AI era,”

friendliness of all hospital operations.”

Xu says. “We have to start to consider

With such a far-reaching remit, Xu 180

capabilities internally.

how we can develop our own big data

notes that the firm has worked

and AI capabilities. We need data

diligently to attract and retain the best

scientists. We need AI scientists. We

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

need the ability to even produce our

our customer experience and

own AI product. That is quite a change:

become a market leader. We’re not

it requires a special company culture,”

just thinking about how we can have

he adds. “Culture is very important

better profits – what my team brings

because without the right culture you

to the company is ‘value innovation’.

cannot hire the right technology talent.”

We’re not thinking about what our

Sunshine Insurance Group has

peers are doing in the Chinese

come leaps and bounds since it was

insurance industry. We’re thinking

first founded over a decade ago. Now,

about where society is moving to,

Xu believes the firm is upending the

how our consumers are changing

insurance sector by becoming an

and how we can serve our customers

early adopter of AI.

with best value and quality of service,

“In the future, our goal is to become

and basing our strategy on that.”

the best adapter of AI technology,” he says. “It is truly helping us to improve

181

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

182

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

BLENDING SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN NORTH ASIA WRIT TEN BY

L AUR A MULL AN PRODUCED BY

A LE X PAGE

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

183

S U R B A N A J U R O N G P R I VAT E LT D .

Surbana Jurong’s motto ‘Building Cities,Shaping Lives’is a meaningful one for North Asia CEO Michael Ng. He reveals how the firm is combining sustainable design,technological innovation and partnerships to make this happen

urbana Jurong has established itself as a powerhouse in the architecture and engineering and masterplannning sectors.

As cities seek more environmentally-conscious and hi-tech designs, the Singapore-based firm has risen to the challenge and today stands as one of 184

the largest Asia-based urban and infrastructure consultancy firms in the world. Combining sustainability-focused design with cutting-edge technology, CEO of Surbana Jurong North Asia, Michael Ng, says that the company’s unique approach makes it a standout force in the market.

Health City Novena Sigapore

SEPTEMBER 2018

One North, Industry park in Singapore

A S I A - PA C I F I C

185

Tianjin Ecocity, Aerial perspective of the government administrative centre “Surbana Jurong’s motto ‘Building Cities, Shaping Lives’ reflects its belief that development is more than just steel and concrete,” observes Ng, “Surbana Jurong creates spaces and designs infrastructure where people live, work and play, shaping cities into homes with sustainable jobs where communities and businesses can flourish. “The company has a track record of close to 70 years and has built more than a million homes in Singapore, crafted master plans for more than 30 countries, and developed over 100 industrial parks globally,” he adds. w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

华建数创

SMART CITY, DIGITAL

BUILDING

Dedicated to the excellence in architectural design, ARCPLUS has been ranking among the top three in China. The past 60 years has witnessed its profession, persistence and progress. Today, ARCPLUS has accomplished thousands of consultancy and design projects, and designed vast of landmarks across the globe. It was honored by Engineering News-Record (ENR) as one of the “Top 150 Global Design Firms”. Arctron Data & Innovation Technology Co. Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ARCPLUS which devotes to the digital transformation of ARCPLUS. Now,Arctron has became one of the finest integrated services providers of full life cycle digital engineering and digital transformation for engineering & construction companies. Convergence of following technologies: • Internet • Cloud Computing • Internet of Things • Big Data

Integrated Industry technical solutions: • BIM (Building Information Model) • FM (Facility Management) • GIS (Geographic Information System) • Artificial Intelligence

www.arctron.cn

www.surbanajurong.com

A S I A - PA C I F I C

BIO

Mr Michael Ng heads up the North Asia division of Surbana Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd, Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading engineering, construction and infrastructure multi-disciplinary consultancy. He is responsible for the overall delivery, leadership and development of the division across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and other parts of North Asia including Korea, Mongolia and Russia. He sits on the boards of five of Surbana Jurongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s subsidiaries and associated companies, including SMEC Asia Ltd, SinoSun Architects & Engineers and Arcplus SJ Digital Ltd. Before Surbana Jurong, Ng had spent the initial 20 years of his career in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry with portfolios ranging from telecommunications, Managed Services, Smart City solutions to emerging technologies such as Machine to Machine (M2M) and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Michael had held several senior appointments in SingTel Group and StarHub Ltd, heading up business units for Managed Services, Global Enterprise Sales, Solution Sales, Enterprise Mobility, Partnership & Alliances, Product, Delivery and Operations. He has accumulated vast experience in managing global teams of diverse background and competencies in more than 20 countries. Ng holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc)(Hons) from the National University of Singapore. He also holds several technical design certifications in Network and Unified Communications from Avaya, Nortel and Cisco. Ng enjoys jogging and soccer. He is married with three children.

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

187

S U R B A N A J U R O N G P R I VAT E LT D .

Ng speaks passionately about the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rapid growth and rich heritage, but the numbers also speak for themselves: boasting a global workforce of over 14,000 employees, Surbana Jurong Group is now present in over 40 countries across Asia, Australia, the UK, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas, generating an annual turnover of around $1.09bn (S$1.5bn). In North Asia alone, Surbana Jurong has successfully completed over 2,000 projects and three government-to-government projects in China â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Suzhou Industrial Park, Tianjin Eco-city and Chongqing Liangjiang New Park. 188

In its North Asia operations, Surbana Jurong is a gleaming example of a technologically-driven firm. To remain at the forefront of the industry, the business sees technology as an enabler and embarked on its digitisation journey years ago, leveraging technology to enhance performance within the company and to provide better solutions for its clients. It is also a pioneer in designing and implementing precast technology in Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public housing programme, as well as one of the first multidisciplinary consultancies to harness the Building Information Modelling (BIM) system in planning and design. Additionally, Ng highlights how Surbana Jurong is leveraging emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and data analysis in SEPTEMBER 2018

VR centre

A S I A - PA C I F I C

smart city solutions. This has allowed the company to provide predictive solutions for clients, leading to better cost and schedule estimation. “In the building industry, technology helps to take the guesswork out of design, brings more efficiencies into work processes, improves productivity, brings about long-term cost savings and alleviates manpower crunch,” Ng notes. “Going forward, we will continue to integrate technology into our processes and as part of our solution offerings,” he adds. “Technology will play a key role in our growth as we continue to adopt new technologies such as BIM, Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) and Virtual Reality/ Augmented Reality (VR/ AR) to add value to our clients and improve productivity. We are also working with research and technology partners to ensure we stay at the forefront of the industry.” One such partnership helped to set up the SJ-NTU Corporate Laboratory with Singapore’s w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

189

S U R B A N A J U R O N G P R I VAT E LT D .

Architectural ResidentialBaoshan Yunan province China

190

National Research Foundation and

efforts, Surbana Jurong has played an

Nanyang Technological University, which

instrumental role in the development

develops next-generation sustainable

of Singapore’s urban, industrial and

solutions to tackle industrial and complex

infrastructure landscape for more than

urban challenges. The lab’s key

five decades, which explains its unique

objectives are to translate research

in-house capabilities from master

outcomes into practical and viable

planning to township, coastal reclama-

solutions based on three core themes

tion and industrial parks. By keeping

— digitisation; green and sustainable

environmental issues and citizens at

urban solutions; and future of industry

the forefront of its vision, Ng highlights

and productivity.

how the company has earned a

Tracing its roots to government agencies synonymous with Singapore’s early township and industrialisation SEPTEMBER 2018

reputation for sustainable design. “Surbana Jurong infuses sustainability into all our projects and into our

A S I A - PA C I F I C

191

corporate DNA,” he says. “A dedicated

Smart city solutions, sustainable

team of specialised professionals is

design, and technologies like AR and

tasked with driving a global group effort

VR are the keys to our vertical

to ensure urban solutions that are

competencies. As one of the largest

economical, socially and environmen-

Asia-based urban and infrastructure

tally sustainable are always delivered.

consultancies, we believe in the

We take a holistic approach, analysing

development of attractive, liveable

all physical, social, economic and regula-

and sustainable environments for

tory aspects, to ensure a piece of land is

future generations.”

properly developed to its full potential,

Surbana Jurong has grown from

remains relevant and rejuvenates itself

strength to strength to become

for generations to come.

Singapore’s largest engineering firm

“Sustainability isn’t part of our work – it’s a guiding influence for all our work.

and one of the largest Asia-based global urban and infrastructure w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

S U R B A N A J U R O N G P R I VAT E LT D .

“ In the building industry, technology helps to take the guesswork out of design, brings more efficiencies into work processes,improves productivity, brings about long-term cost savings and alleviates manpower crunch” 192

— Michael Ng, CEO of Surbana Jurong North Asia

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

193

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

S U R B A N A J U R O N G P R I VAT E LT D .

consulting firms offering best-inclass solutions. As a group (comprising member companies AETOS, KTP, Robert Bird Group, Sino-Sun and SMEC), it can now offer end-to-end services, and tap into niche, higher-end markets. Zeroing in on the growing China market, Ng highlights that local cooperation has been pivotal to the company’s expansion. “We believe that by working with local partners, we are better able to apply our expertise and 194

experience in the local market. Partnerships augment each other’s capabilities and allow us to grow together,” he notes. “There have been numerous collaborations so far. For instance, in 2015 we formed a strategic

highway and infrastructure-related projects globally as well as to undertake projects under China’s Belt and Road initiative.” “Our collaboration with Vanke to jointly

partnership with China’s CITICC

develop Industrial New Town projects in

(Africa) Holding which will see us

China’s Midwest regions aims to create

potentially developing 30,000

sustainable cities for the residents to live

affordable homes in Africa in the

and work in, focusing on developing the city

next five years; while last year, we

while supporting industries and the govern-

formed a joint venture with China

ment,” Ng adds. “Not forgetting the memo-

Highway to provide design and

randum of understanding (MOU) with

consultancy services for highway

Zhejiang Communication Investment Real

and municipal projects. This joint

Estate Group Co. Ltd, to develop a new

venture allows us to pursue

township as well as commercial and residential

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

195

Sydney Metro Northwest

“ We understand that through our design, we are not simply designing and building a city, but with some of these technologies such as smart city solutions and sustainable design technologies, shaping the lives of those who dwell within the city” — Michael Ng, CEO of Surbana Jurong North Asia

properties in China. We will explore the development of the masterplan for the township and development management services for the project.” Surbana Jurong also embarked on a joint venture with ADIT to provide cutting-edge facilities management digital solutions using BIM technology. “This collaboration will put us ahead of the digital curve which aligns with Surbana Jurong’s digital transformation to introduce w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

S U R B A N A J U R O N G P R I VAT E LT D .

digital tools across our services to

“In recent years, China’s focus on

raise productivity and performance

sustainable cities and buildings

of manpower-intensive businesses

have seen demand for our solutions

such as FM for our customers,”

increase, and we expect that we will

comments Ng. “Our sterling track

continue to contribute our expertise

record in managing operationally-

in this area,” Ng says. “China’s

ready facilities testifies to our

growth will increasingly be tied to

capability and experience.”

consumer-led economies, such as in

Surbana Jurong has established

196

healthcare, retail, tourism, education

itself as a world player in the

and so on. Stable consumer-led

industry – with the firm securing

growth is an important anchor for

25th place in ENR’s ranking of Top

China’s economic transformation.

225 International Design Firms –

Infrastructure construction is also

and this can doubtless be credited

expected to play a key role in

to how it addresses the need for

stabilising growth for China, with

sustainable design with a blend of

the rising emphasis on environmental

innovative technology and partner-

regulations and sustainability. To

ships. Nowhere can this be seen

that end, Surbana Jurong has deep

better than at the company’s opera-

domain knowledge, experience and

tions in China, where the firm has

expertise which we have both

celebrated steady growth.

brought with us to China but also

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

learned and built over the past two decades in this region, providing our sustainable design and engineering solutions, from master planning to design and engineering and facilities management, especially in the public housing, healthcare, high tech industrial parks and transit-oriented development.” Whilst Surbana Jurong has held its own on the world stage, it hasn’t forgotten its roots. Ng notes that the firm’s meteoric rise has stayed in keeping with the firm’s motto: ‘building cities, shaping lives’. “We understand that through our design, we are not simply designing and building a city, but with some of these technologies such as smart city solutions and sustainable design technologies, shaping the lives of those who dwell within the city.”

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

197

T 198

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

TELEKOM MALAYSIA redefining procurement for supply chain success WRIT TEN BY

DA LE BENTON PRODUCED BY

CHARLOT TE CL ARK E

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

199

T E L E K O M M A L AY S I A

Through a full-scale transformation journey, Telekom Malaysia redefines its procurement function

H 200

istorically, procurement has

With a career spanning over 20 years,

always been perceived as

working in a number of roles within TM

a support function. Over the

from insurance management to enter-

last decade however, there has been

prise risk management, Mohamad has

a considerable shift as more and more

seen first-hand the changing role of

businesses around the world are

procurement and feels his experience

investing heavily to create greater

finely positions him to lead TM’s trans-

alignment between procurement and

formation journey.

the strategic direction of the company. For Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM),

Procurement was identified as one of the key pillars to the company’s Perfor-

Malaysia’s Convergence Champion,

mance Improvement Plan (PIP) 3.0,

procurement has evolved far beyond its

which focuses on delivering value via total

traditional function and is now pivotal in the

cost ownership savings, increased speed

success and future growth of the business.

of procurement process to support

“Procurement has indeed played

speed to market and be more

a pivotal role in ensuring speed to market,

responsive to the dynamic business

improving customer stickiness via quality

needs across the wider TM Group.

products and services while also assuring

“The Group Procurement’s vision is

supply sustainability to support all

to optimise productivity,” says Moham-

year-round dynamic business needs

ad, “while also building an organisation

and strengthening supplier relation-

that has a sustainable competitive

ships to deliver shared value to the

advantage towards “Procurement

organisation,” says Mohamad Moham-

Made Easier” with stable, effective

ad Zain, Chief Procurement Officer, TM.

and efficient sources of supply.”

SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

“The Group Procurement vision is to optimise productivity,” says Mohamad, “while also building an organisation that has a sustainable competitive advantage towards “Procurement Made Easier” with stable, effective and efficient sources of supply” — Mohamad Zain, Chief Procurement Officer, TM

201

Through his role, Mohamad is part of the senior management committee, something he feels enables him to change the perspective of procurement. One of the key changes that he has implemented, in order to measure the success of this strategic transformation, is the addition of optimising the supply chain and procurement management as the Group’s key performance indicators. w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

Building a Better Connected Malaysia Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. With integrated solutions across four key domains – telecom networks, IT, smart devices, and cloud services – we are committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organisation for a fully connected, intelligent world. Huawei’s presence in over 170 countries, serving 45 of the world’s 50 largest communication operators and is at Forbes Top #79 company. Huawei achievement are through trusted partnership and collaboration. Where

www.huawei.com/my

Huawei creates value, drives growth and improves customer operation, create lasting dynamic to the ecosystem and co-existence with our customer. At Huawei, we fulfil our customer needs of experience centric services and strategic focus and our customer sustainable growth that inspire global and local innovation in their organisation. Emphasising in innovation focuses Huawei invest heavily in advance research, concentrating on technological breakthroughs that drive the world forward. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees.

T E L E K O M M A L AY S I A

â&#x20AC;&#x153; We are expecting the Industrial Revolution 4.0, and so the future of procurement will largely dependent on technology, robotic and Internet of Things (IoT). Through our journey, we are laying the foundations in order to be ready for this futureâ&#x20AC;? 204

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Mohamad Zain, Chief Procurement Officer, TM

SEPTEMBER 2018

BIO

Mohamad Zain Chief Procurement Officer, TM Mohamad, 54, gained vast experience in insurance services while serving a UKbased insurance company for six years, including as Officer in charge for agency and direct client underwriting, claim management and re-insurance, designing insurance for credit card company and bank assurance, serving both domestic and Multinational Corporation clients. He joined TM in 1993 as an Assistant Manager and has been tasked with managing the corporate insurance programme and implementing the Enterprise Risk Management programme for TM in 2001. In 2007, he was appointed GM entrusted with an expanded portfolio of Group Business Assurance covering Enterprise Management, Revenue Assurance, Fraud Management, Insurance Management, Credit Management Policy & Monitoring, Corporate Compliance, Business Continuity Management and Enterprise Business Management. He was promoted to VP, Group Business Assurance, a position he held from 2011 until his appointment as Chief Procurement Officer on 1 September 2014.

A S I A - PA C I F I C

What this does is present a challenge that Mohamad must continue to overcome; continue to demonstrate to stakeholders the true value of the new procurement model in contributing positively to the Group’s profitability. “I need to continue to show how procurement can assist our marketing team on speed to market with competitive product and services,” he says. “This can then ensure that our suppliers can fully apprise on the overall objective of our new procurement model.” TM’s transformation journey began in 2013, overseen by Mohamad’s predecessor. Mohamad took over in 2015 and immediately worked across the Group

205 ment model, but any transformation journey is not without challenge. For Mohamad, he views challenge as an opportunity to continue pushing forward. “I look across our transformation to date, the

on understanding the already

results that we can point to, and it gives me the

identified gaps in the Company’s

additional adrenalin I need to keep on pushing

basic procurement function.

for better results,” he says. “Whilst we have

These gaps allowed TM to

successfully established a cross functional

anchor its transformation with

category management team, improved govern-

three key pillars; value creation and

ance to allow speed of procurement approval,

expansion, responsive to business

and strengthened supplier relationship manage-

dynamics and speed in procure-

ment, there is still room for improvement,

ment process and execution.

including embracing technology.”

The pillars will enable TM to implement a best-in-class procure-

The transformation by its very nature is defined by improving performance. Mohamad’s w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

C O M PA N Y N A M E I N C O R P O R AT E C O L O U R

FIBERHOME GROUP FiberHome Technologies Group is a leading equipment vendor and global solution provider the field of information technology and telecommunications. This high-tech enterprise is directly affiliated to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council. It is also the largest enterprise located in the Optics Valley, Wuhan, China.

206

FiberHome Group Add:No.6, Gaoxinsilu, East Lake High-Tech Development Zone, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R.China 430205 Tel:+86-27-81618829 | Fax:+86-27-81618977 Email: marketing@fiberhome.com Wuhan FiberHome International ( Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. Add:Level 43 South Wing, Menara TM, Jalan Pantai Baharu, 59100 Kuala Lumpur Tel: +603 2241 5780/4818/4808 | Fax:+603 2241 4770

MONTH 2018

Sales Directot: Aslan Zhou Email: zhoujun@fiberhome.com

www.fiberhomegroup.com/en

A S I A - PA C I F I C

sentiment of continuous learning is shared across the Group. Four

transformational journey. “To support the procurement transformation,

years into this journey and TM can

technology has and will be fundamental in the

already point to RM1.0 billion

delivery of speed and efficiency in our processes,”

(USD250 million) TCO savings

he says. “As such, we have embarked on PINTAR

through the expansion of value

project, designed to provide data analytics on

creation, as well as expanding its

spend analysis for our category managers.”

strategic vendor portfolio and

PINTAR, or the Procurement Institutionalisa-

improving overall governance and

tion of Technology Applications and Resourc-

control in order to achieve faster

es, specifically enables greater efficiencies

procurement process.

across spend analysis, online tender and

But Mohamad is a firm believer in

quotation, supplier performance management

not standing still and is already

and contract management and repository,

looking at the next step in order to

amongst other key areas.

continue to improve, with technol-

With technology redefining industries all around

ogy and embracing digital procure-

the world this brings upon a challenge that is not

ment a clear goal.

unique. The global technology conversation is

While Mohamad looks to the

defined by Artificial Intelligence, Automation, Big

future of technology, that’s not to

Data, but are these terms simply turning into

suggest that technology hasn’t

buzzwords? What work does Mohamad and TM

played a defining role in this

do to ensure that the Company is implementing w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

207

T E L E K O M M A L AY S I A

the right technologies for the right reasons and not just following trends? “As a technology company, technol-

management system.” As a supply chain and procurement function, having a strong supplier network

ogy and digitalisation have been part of

is crucial. In the journey of implementing

our business DNA from the very start,”

a new procurement model, that supplier

says Mohamad.

network proves more vital than ever.

“TM has its own R&D team, Network

Mohamad admits that a transformation

& IT Technical Committee and Chief Digital

of this scope is not one that can be complet-

Officer that continue to provide advisory

ed alone, with the strengthening of supplier

across the Group on new technology and

relationships in itself a core pillar of the

digitalisation plan. At the same time, we

journey. TM has redefined how it

also benchmark with peers across the

approaches supplier and vendor

globe and in some instances securing

management, with expanded collabora-

advice from our key suppliers who have

tion with mega suppliers (foreign and

implemented robust supply chain

domestic) and those local vendors

Tel : +604 642 3626 Fax : +604 642 3625

THE LITE WAY TO COMMUNICATE Design and Manufacture of Optical Fibre Cables and Trade of Related Accessories for Information and Communication Technology.

Website : www.litekabel.com Email : info@litekabel.com

A S I A - PA C I F I C

“ Whilst we have successfully established a cross functional category management team, improved governance to allow speed of procurement approval, and strengthened supplier relationship management, there is still room for improvement, including embracing technology.” — Mohamad Zain, Chief Procurement Officer, TM

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

209

T E L E K O M M A L AY S I A

nurtured via its Bumiputera-Vendor Development Programme (BVDP). To date, we have over 9,200 vendors registered with us with close to 4,400 Bumiputera vendors. At TM, we have a robust and transparent procurement process; and we adhere to industry’s best practices. We are committed to maintaining the highest degree of integrity, transparency and accountability in the conduct of our business and operations. At least 42% of our projects are based on tenders and we also award projects that require economies of scale to our long term and strategic partners. The BVDP is designed to stimulate the activity 210

and involvement of local suppliers across Malaysia in tenders and other procurement activities. These activities can be stand-alone or through collaborating with foreign partners, with the goal of sharing technology and knowledge to the local suppliers in order to develop the capabilities of the local supplier network. “This programme will not only support the capability building of local vendors who will then be able to compete for regional business needs through tenders,” says Mohamad. “For TM, based on our BVDP framework, the entry level would be the Entrepreneur Development (ED) and Blue Lane (ED programme specific for ICT-based or start-up technology company companies) levels. Once the vendors show improvement in their processes and capabilities, SEPTEMBER 2018

A S I A - PA C I F I C

they will then be upgraded to Strategic Partners, and then elevated to become a Corporate Champion and finally to a National Champion. This journey may take three to five years.” TM has already amassed a strong portfolio of both foreign and local strategic suppliers such as Huawei, Fiberhome, Nokia as well as Opcom, Dura Mine and Lite Cable. As the title implies, this procurement journey is one of continuous improvement. Procurement as a function will continue to change and evolve and TM must continue to evolve with it in order to continue to deliver success. “The future will see TM begin to better embrace new technology, organisational and process redesign, and continue to push for cultural change in supporting this changing space,” says Mohamad. “We are expecting the Industrial Revolution 4.0, and so the future of procurement will largely dependent on technology, robotic and Internet of Things (IoT). Through our journey, we are laying the foundations in order to be ready for this future.”

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

211

212

Empowering a digital workforce WRIT TEN BY

CATHERINE S TURM AN PRODUCED BY

M A LVERN K ANDEM WA

SEPTEMBER 2018

AFRICA

213

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

SOLUGROWTH

SOLUGROWTH HAS COMPLETELY OVERHAULED ITS DIGITAL CAPABILITIES TO BECOME A LEADING BUSINESS PROCESSING OUTSOURCING COMPANY WITHIN SOUTH AFRICA. DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY, VIKASH RAMHARUK,TELLS US MORE

enowned as the first black-owned, business process outsourcing (BPO) company in South Africa, SoluGrowth

has gained significant traction in supporting

growing African multinationals in industries such as mining, automotive and the public 214

sector, with the emergence of technologies helping the industry surpass $20bn in 2017. Previously part of multinational professional services network Deloitte for close to 30 years, the business has completely overhauled its systems and processes and reinvented its digital infrastructure, embedding new policies and procedures which will cater to its growing client base. Vikash Ramharuk, Director of Technology, explains that whilst taking care of SoluGrowth’s back office capabilities and services which it offers to clients, it has been essential for the business to improve its efficiency, productivity and its overall margins. “In my role, I wear two hats: one is in terms of how we’re growing projects as SEPTEMBER 2018

AFRICA

a business and as a brand but I’ve also got the responsibility of the Chief Technology Officer, where I look after all of the technology requirements and the digital and information requirements of the company itself,” he explains. “It’s been a good but challenging, both from a front-end perspective of growing the business digitally and also from a back-end perspective, making sure that we can actually keep the lights on and that the transition from Deloitte was as seamless as possible.”

Click to watch: SoluGrowth – About us 215

ADDRESSING STAFF FEARS Bringing new policies and proce-

When they leave, access needs to be

dures on board whilst embracing

revoked to remove them from the system.

new digital tools, SoluGrowth has

It is laborious, mundane and repetitive.

overcome a significant culture

“Nonetheless, when we introduced

change and readdressed the way

automation, staff were up in arms

staff work with new technologies.

and were more than willing to do this

“What we started understanding is

repetitive work because they just didn’t

that the communication was not too

want a robot to do it. So, we changed

clear. To this end, we have worked to

tack. What we said was, ‘We’re intro-

fix the communication, the culture,

ducing a new employee, and we give

and the way the firm introduces

all our robots South African names

technology,” observes Ramharuk.

and employee numbers. We’ve got

“Previously, employees had to manually create user access for people that had joined to log on to a particular system.

Zuki, Zazu and Khuti and changed the communication around it. “We told employees, ‘Here’s a new w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

SOLUGROWTH

virtual employee, let this employee help you.’ So, in terms of changing the mindset of the employees, and changing the mindset of the workforce was very important to us. “It moved from ‘this is what’s going to be automated,’ to, ‘here’s a new virtual employee, how can he help you?’,” he says. “We have moved employees up the value chain, where they can take on tasks which are more strategic, creative, and more emotionally intelligent. We changed the way we introduced the technology to them, and now they’re more excited and want to learn what other technology can they 216

use and have become more passionate, analytical and exploratory. “By successfully sending a positive message out to the market, where workers collaborate with technology, the business has improved its overall productivity and efficiency.”

“ Previously part of multinational professional services network Deloitte for close to 30 years, SoluGrowth has overhauled its systems and processes and reinvented its digital infrastructure” — Vikash Ramharuk, Director of Technology SEPTEMBER 2018

AFRICA

217

UNLOCKING DIGITAL VALUE

SoluGrowth to support providers

By investing in updating its business

with executive reporting and business

processes, its backend processing,

intelligence. Whilst it has its core client

and robot process automation (RPA)

audience, the business remains keen

to improve operational efficiency

to open further doors.

for repetitive processes, increase

“We don’t want to limit ourselves to

client satisfaction and reduce costs,

just BPO work. What we are finding in

the business has fully ramped up

the market is that a lot of companies

its engagement with customers,

are not ready to outsource complete

vendors and suppliers.

business processes to us, but are

The use of automated reporting and data analytics (with information gathered from providers) has also

reaching out for basic solutions,” comments Ramharuk. “There are a number of organisations

enabled the business to undertake

that want us to help them automate

predictive analytics, which has allowed

their processes with RPA. Our goals w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

SOLUGROWTH

are twofold: one is driving automation efficiency and improving productivity, and our core business processes of the BPO company and our core organisation and secondly, we are using digital technology and solutions to look at new opportunities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We did an exercise for a huge mining company in South Africa, where weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re using RPA for their group travel. We found that some of the travel is booked too late or booked out of the policies and rules which are in place. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We use the information and analytics that we derive from them to help the

AFRICA

“ We have worked to fix the communication, the culture, and the way to introduce technology” — Vikash Ramharuk, Director of Technology 219 organisation - but not to take that

South Africa, as many clients in the

information and use it to attract

country remain hesitant for their

new clients. We tend to stay away

data to leave the country.

from that, in order to gain the security and trust of our clients.”

“Even in our non-disclosure agreements with clients, we tend not to use information that we gather

PROMOTING COLLABORATION

from clients and then take them to

Whilst SoluGrowth remains on the

other potential clients. Instead, we

lookout for new opportunities that

look at the information provided and

digitisation will bring, the business

then illustrate a model where we can

faces challenges with regards to its

help them,” explains Ramharuk.

newly adopted, cloud infrastructure.

“We don’t want to accumulate data

With competitors such as Amazon and

from a company and go to a competitor

Microsoft Azure, the business has

and provide them with the same solution.

appointed provider, Dimension Data in

Our principle is to gather a lot of data w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

SOLUGROWTH

and assist our clients with that data,

to its secure network, SoluGrowth

to help them grow, to make them more

has integrated three different firewall

effective, more efficient, and make

technologies and firewall layers within

them more aware of how this data—

its cloud environment, and invested

with machine learning, and predictive

heavily in cybersecurity strategies,

analysis — has brought about change

technologies, and implementations with

in the organisation.”

third parties, vendors and companies.

With such vast volumes of data

“A lot of policies we have also driven

obtained from its clients, the business

by requirements that come in from

has placed significant investment in

businesses,” notes Ramharuk.

strengthening its data security. Intro-

“For example, we run a payroll division,

ducing factor authentication for any

where we do payroll for organisations

client or individual that wants to connect

in South Africa and worldwide. So, for

220

“ SoluGrowth has partnered with Dimension Data in South Africa, as many clients remain hesitant for their data to leave the country” — Vikash Ramharuk, Director of Technology

SEPTEMBER 2018

AFRICA

them to give us their payroll, it comes with a whole list of security requirements and recommendations that drive a portion of our cybersecurity strategy, to align with Industry 4.0. “With so many interconnected devices and interconnected solutions and a digital workforce, people are also not always having to be in the office and also want to connect elsewhere. It’s something that we take seriously and have started to implement our move towards to an increasingly digital workforce.”

ADOPTING INTELLIGENT SOLUTIONS Driven by machine learning, analytics, mobile and cloud technologies, Ramharuk believes that both robotic and cognitive solutions will further transform the market. “This is a big play for us, so we are investing now in cognitive machine learning to be ahead of the curve in

FACT

• The first black-owned, business process outsourcing (BPO) company in South Africa • T he global business processing outsourcing industry surpassed US$20bn in 2017. • Previously part of multinational professional services network Deloitte for close to 30 years, SoluGrowth has overhauled its systems and processes and reinvented its digital infrastructure • SoluGrowth has invested in Robot Process Automation (RPA) to improve operational efficiency for repetitive processes, increase client satisfaction and reduce costs • S oluGrowth has partnered with Dimension Data in South Africa, as many clients remain hesitant for their data to leave the country • S oluGrowth has introduced factor authentication for any client or individual that wants to connect to its secure network, integrating three different firewall technologies and layers within its cloud environment

five years’ time,” he says. w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

221

SOLUGROWTH

“ We’re the first BPO company in South Africa that’s 64% blackowned. It’s something that we’re extremely proud of and is something that we take to the South African continent” — Vikash Ramharuk, Director of Technology “A lot of countries are now looking into the 222

African market as a great BPO destination. Given our location, our communication skills and with the third-highest skilled chartered accountants in the market, companies are looking to do a lot of business here and are looking to us to deliver solutions.” In alignment with SoluGrowth’s 2020 vision, the business sees itself as an increasing hotbed for shared services, with new technologies, predictive analytics and data reporting leading the way. “We’re also looking at how a VPN solution can run across a shared services platform, to deliver more technology, efficient workflows and efficient processes,” he adds. “Other technologies are also starting to emerge, such as optical character recognition. SEPTEMBER 2018

AFRICA

We can help companies with the onboarding of customers. In South Africa, people are now using an app to undertake facial recognition, eradicating traditional paper-led processes, for example. “We’re looking at these sorts of trends, where people are investing a lot more in digitising a lot of back-office capabilities, using automation, analytics, and VPN technology solutions. We want to package all of these technologies together to create products that we can go to market with.” Gaining a positive, home-grown reputation, SoluGrowth has built the trust and respect of its target audience and enabled the business to drive engagement with its clients across South Africa and worldwide. “We’re the first BPO company in South Africa that’s 64% black-owned. It’s something that we’re extremely proud of and is something that we take to the South African continent,” Ramharuk says with pride. “Whilst we’re not competing with the likes of Accenture and the Tech Mahindra’s of this world, when we’re sitting in front of a Chief Financial Officer, he is pleasantly surprised to be working with a South African company that can give him world-class capabilities,” he concludes. “There is a lot that we take out of that, and a lot that we can take home and say, ‘You know what? We’ve done something valuable. We’ve created so many jobs for South African people and will remain a leading, respected South African organisation.”

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

223

Tigre de Cristal 224

Technology and the gaming world of tomorrow WRIT TEN BY

DA LE BENTON PRODUCED BY

M A LVERN K ANDEM WA

SEPTEMBER 2018

AFRICA

225

Tigre de Cristal Hotel and Resort is nominated for participation in ‘World Travel Awards’ in ‘Russia’s Leading Hotel 2018’ category

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

T I G R E D E C R I S TA L

Through the strategic implementation of technology and innovation, Tigre de Cristal targets a new generation of gamers

ne of the biggest challenges facing many businesses in any number of sectors and industries in the

modern world is how to embrace change. This could be a change in the form of the industry redefining itself, or a change from legacy infrastructure to a new, more robust 226

and agile IT architecture in order to adapt to a changing marketplace and client base. The latter is a challenge faced by numerous organisations nowadays including Tigre de Cristal, the first casino, hotel and entertainment destination and the only area in the Russian Far East where gaming and casino activities are permitted. The gaming industry is not immune to the changing world, but Paulo Moreria, VP of Information Technology at Tigre de Cristal, believes that the industry has remained very much the same over the years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Technology at the end of the day is the cornerstone of any gaming company,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Casinos are casinos and slot machines

SEPTEMBER 2018

AFRICA

227

Tigre de Cristal Hotel & ResortÂ has 121 rooms of different categories, from Standard King to Presidential Suite

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

T I G R E D E C R I S TA L

are slot machines. They’ve been

the moment casinos were

around for more than 30-40

legalised across the country.

years and the game itself hasn’t

Having worked on the opening

changed. It’s the technology

of close to 14 of the biggest

around those components that is

casinos in South Africa, Moreira

the real changer and the way to

has significant experience in

redefine the customer experience.”

understanding the role of IT

Born and raised in South Africa,

and innovation and ensuring

Moreira has lived and breathed IT

how it becomes more aligned

and technology in gaming since

with any business strategy.

228

“ Technology in gaming is essentially breaching an old environment and older generations of gamers and looking at millennials and the new wave of gamers” Paulo Moreira, VP of Information Technology

SEPTEMBER 2018

AFRICA

It is this experience he feels

“So, the key to the success of

provides him with a key under-

Tigre de Cristal is understand-

standing of one of the biggest

ing the business wall to wall

problems facing the IT function

from a gaming perspective

of any business worldwide and

and being able to implement

it is a problem of knowhow.

technology to either innovate,

“There are very technically

reduce operational expenses

knowledgeable people from IT,

or more importantly creating

but these people can lack the

a unique and memorable

business perspective,” he says.

experience for customers.”

229

Tigre de Cristal started functioning in 2015, and since then more than one million people have visited the Complex.

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

T I G R E D E C R I S TA L

IGT is focused on crafting innovative products with cutting edge design that will entertain and satisfy your players! Visit www.IGT.com for more information. ©2018 IGT. Except where ownership is otherwise identified, the trademarks used herein are owned by IGT or its affiliates, may not be used without permission, and where indicated with a ®, are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Artwork, descriptions, game play, photographs, videos, and other product details depicted herein are subject to change.

WITH CUSTOMER SUCCESS IN OUR HEART One-stop solution for Smart Office, includes the following: • Visitor Management • Meeting Room Booking System • Smart Workspace

wafersystems.com/en/ tel: +852-39008859

AFRICA

Creating that unique and memorable experience drives repeat visitation. Moreria, through his role of VP of IT, is exploring new ways in which technology can be implemented in order to drive that repeat customer. Historically, gaming and gambling can be a controversial topic and this is a result of certain stigmas attached to it. So how does a business approach this, how does a business make customers feel comfortable in investing in an experience. With an industry that dates back as far as it does, how does this apply to the millennial generation, a generation that is defined by instant gratification? “Technology in gaming is essentially breaching an old environment and older generations of gamers and looking at millennials and the new wave of gamers,” says Moreiraa. “Millennials are not the most loyal of generations and so we have to adapt our gaming and

BIO

Paulo Moreira is an accomplished and versatile IT Executive with over 20 years’ experience in optimizing business operations and profitability through successful management of various IT Divisions. Moreira, from Portuguese decent grew up in South Africa, starting his IT career in Olivetti and ending off with the largest Casino and Hotel operator, namely Tsogo Sun Gaming. “IT is a unique profession, requiring unique skills, however in Gaming, IT takes on a totally new meaning”. His experience in Gaming comes with opening over 14 Casino Resort facilities in South Africa, the largest been Montecasino. Moreira believes that the key ingredience as an IT professional is understanding business, especially in gaming and been able to strategically use technology as a key driving factor and differentiator in a business.

our technology solutions to fit this new market. Millennials seek w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

231

T I G R E D E C R I S TA L

“Casinos are casinos and slot machines are slot machines. They’ve been around for more than 30-40 years and the game itself hasn’t changed. It’s the technology around those components that is the real change” Paulo Moreira, VP of Information Technology

232

instant gratification, loyalty

ments and their successes,”

is not important and tend

he says. “It’s all about

to frequent whats “in” and

providing the opportunity

driven by technology.

to “brag” and operations

This millennial generation

like ours are looking at

is vastly different to the older

Social Media integration.

generation of gamers.

This is part of what

Where casinos could rely

Moreira believes is a key

on the demand for slot

differentiator from many

machines, gaming tables,

competitors. He feels that

the casinos of today and

technology is and will continue

tomorrow need to redefine

to be an enabler of added

how they incorporate this

value out of existing gaming

demand for instant gratifica-

systems, which in turn adds

tion for a newer generation.

value to the Tigre de Cristal

For Moreira, two key trends have emerged over recent

resort overall. “All hotel rooms are built

years – instant sharing of

pretty much the same,

experience and social media.

casinos and slot machines

“People spend a large

are a commodity,” he says.

portion of their time on social

“So, it’s about creating that

media sharing their achieve-

different experience,

SEPTEMBER 2018

AFRICA

233

Tigre de CristalÂ started functioning in 2015, and since then more than one million people have visited the Complex. w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

T I G R E D E C R I S TA L

Click to watch: ‘Tigre de Cristal — Hotel and Casino’

234

Our guests can experience unique entertainment facilities of casino, 2 restaurants, 3 thematic bars, and unique entertaining activities.

SEPTEMBER 2018

AFRICA

which is a continuous challenge.” The traditional experience within a casino often tends to be a solitary one. A customer will sit behind a single

restaurant with friends and still play on their favourite game, whilst socialising with friends and family. With any technology, it opens

slot machine for a number of hours.

a doorway to capturing and ultimately

Tigre de Cristal looks to flip that on its

utilising data and information. As

head and, through social media and

a business that is looking to create

leader boards, turn that solitary

repeat business, the data that is

experience into a communal one.

captured will prove instrumental in

One way in which this is being utilised is through the way in which millennials

understanding the customer behaviour and demands.

can access the games themselves.

Moreira recognises as much but

Through leading mobile applications,

understands that it’s not about the

such as Candy Crush, the slot machine

quantity of the data, rather the quality.

mechanism has been brought to the

“The question is how accurate and

palm of the customers hand. Providing customers with the ability

quick the data is available before it becomes obsolete? The habits of

to partake in one of the casinos games

today are not necessarily you’re

on a mobile device and through

habits of next week,” he says and in

a secured wi-fi infrastructure, will be a key

this fast pace environment decisions

differentiator for any casino operation.

need to be taken fairly quickly.

This, Moreira feels, capitalises on

“Tigre de Cristal has been incredibly

the millennial generation’s multi-task-

successful on this front because we

ing mentality and instant gratification.

encourage mistakes as mistakes prove

“They want to be able play our games

crucial in achieving success. The data

but play them at their own time and with

allows us to recognise a mistake, act on

their own devices,” he says. “It’s just an

the mistake and take learnings from that

example of where the technology is not

mistake in order to improve as we grow.”

brand new but the experience around

A journey of this scope, embracing

it is. Customers can be on site, sat at

the future but respecting the past, is

the bar, in the lounge, or even in the

not a journey a business can achieve w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

235

T I G R E D E C R I S TA L

alone. This level of change brings with

pany works closely with Tigre de

it an element of risk as it requires

Cristal in the provision of gaming

a change to a formula or a model that

technology, but Moreira notes that

has proven successful for decades.

the relationship is one that goes

To that end, Tigre de Cristal can call

beyond simple give and take.

upon key partners and IT vendors to

â&#x20AC;&#x153;To me, we measure partners

successfully navigate this changing

based on the benefits we gain and

landscape and redefine the gaming

the benefits the partners gain too,â&#x20AC;?

customer experience.

he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are all in the business

One such partner is International Game Technology (IGT). The com-

236

SEPTEMBER 2018

of making money, but the true partnerships see both parties invest.

AFRICA

“We have partners such as IGT that invest just as much as we do along

on one key component. “Customer experience is key and we

this journey and take the risk just as

are in the business of selling a unique

much as we do. That proves key.”

experience he says. “This will guaran-

As Tigre de Cristal continues to

tee return business from customers and

embrace the future of gaming, a future

we will continue to innovate and drive

that could include 3D and 4D capabili-

change in order to achieve this.”

ties and a completely redefined casino management system, Moreira is keen to stress that ultimately the business’ core focus is and will forever remain

237

Pavlo is the head chef of entertainment complex Tigre de Cristal.

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

238

Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City: Engaging guests through technology WRIT TEN BY

CATHERINE S TURM AN PRODUCED BY

CR AIG DANIEL S

SEPTEMBER 2018

MIDDLE EAST

239

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

KEMPINSKI HOTEL GOLD COAST CITY

Khaled Koro, IT Manager for Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, discusses how technology will support the group to deliver exceptional customer experiences

A 240

strengthening worldwide

a visit to Kempinski Summerland

economy has led to a significant

Hotel & Resort, Beirut reflects the

boom in global tourism.

culture of the destination” explains

The hotel business is thriving, where

Khaled Koro, IT Manager for Kempin-

smaller enterprises are competing

ski Hotel Gold Coast City.

against large corporations in develop-

Joining the Group in 2016 to support

ing new products and services to

the opening of Kempinski’s first

entice travellers.

European luxury hotel and Resort in

Situated within the hospitality

Lebanon, Koro believes that technol-

industry for over a century, Europe’s

ogy has been a significant driver

oldest luxury hotel group, Kempinski

across the group’s operations. Working

Hotels, provides guests with unforget-

alongside designers and contractors,

table experiences, inspired by exqui-

Kempinski has overhauled its digital

site European flair. Believing that life

infrastructure and outdated network

should be lived in style, its growing

to radically enhance its performance.

collection of distinguished properties provide a five-star, European luxury

Implementing new digital tools

service, wherever the destination may be.

Implementing high standards across

“If you visit Kempinski Hotel Gold

its entire portfolio, Kempinski Hotel

Coast City, Accra you’ll immediately

Gold Coast City has adopted new digi-

observe the European cultural fusion

tal tools to support staff and engage

engaged with technology. Likewise,

with customers.

SEPTEMBER 2018

MIDDLE EAST

“ Technology is going to further reshape the way we do business. All the big enterprises worldwide are focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT) and virtual reality (VR)” — Khaled Koro IT Manager for Kempinski Hotels

241

From migrating its fibre connection and increasing its bandwidth capabilities, the group has worked alongside esteemed technology leaders to install wireless and mobile technologies, network switching capabilities, point-of-sales systems for restaurants and more. Hence improving efficiency and reliability. For guests, Internet Protocol w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

KEMPINSKI HOTEL GOLD COAST CITY

MANAGED PRINT SERVICES

Hardware

Supplies

Services

MANAGED DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS

Solutions Document Management

Capture

Webforms

Multi-year contract

www.waspltd.africa sales@waspghana.com

Process Automation

Reporting & Compliance

MIDDLE EAST

“ From video and audio conferencing to banquet conferencing, we are implementing a new digital solution to promote our events” — Khaled Koro IT Manager for Kempinski Hotels

Television (IPTV), is installed

“These applications will instantly

in all rooms where they can gain

communicate the rooms’ status

full access to view bills and other

update, additional requests and

interactive services.

more. Nowadays, Kempinski

“We also use technology to

Hotel Gold Coast City has

enhance check-in and check-

invested in migrating into mobile

out experiences for guests

technology. So, from having

and suitable applications for

every room attendant having a

housekeeping, engineering

smartphone, this particular

and other operational depart-

application has enhanced the

ments,” he adds.

employees’ productivity.”

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

243

KEMPINSKI HOTEL GOLD COAST CITY

Disrupting present business models Fully enhancing its network and guests’ services, Koro is continuing to seek new ways to further utilise data and analytics to transform ways of working and guarantee further business growth. “Whether it’s a hotel property, museum, or tourist destination, guests are able to take a look without even leaving their living room due to upcoming 244

inventions in the next 10 years. The goal is to offer a preview of what guests will experience, or offer the next big thing.” “Technology is going to further reshape the way we do business. All the big enterprises worldwide are focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT) and virtual reality (VR),” explains Koro.

Recreating success Following the successful opening of its first hotel in Lebanon, Koro is expected to deliver the same success by moving to Accra, Ghana, and SEPTEMBER 2018

MIDDLE EAST

BIO

Khaled Koro joined the Kempinski Summerland Hotel & Resort, Beirut in 2016 as an IT Assistant Manager overseeing and managing the pre-opening phase of the Hotel. Which he played a main role in creating the successful story of Kempinski Lebanon. Khaled joined Kempinski from the CampbellGray Hotels in Downtown Beirut, where he worked as an IT Administrator from 2014 to 2016 managing the IT operations of the 103 boutique key Hotel and leisure facilities.Â Khaled studied Information & Communication Technology at the American University of Science & Technology in Beirut. A Lebanese national, Khaled speaks basic German and Turkish, fluent in English and his mother tongue Arabic.

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

245

KEMPINSKI HOTEL GOLD COAST CITY

Click to watch: ‘Kempinski Hotels - An Iconic Resort in Beirut’

246

SEPTEMBER 2018

MIDDLE EAST

implement policies, standards and keep the technology up-todate with the latest software and hardware releases. However, with limited technology providers available, challenges will be clear from the outset. By partnering with authorised dealers and suppliers, Kempinski Gold Coast City has worked tirelessly to upgrade systems and servers and implement customer-focused tools and services. Eradicating the use of traditional newspapers, mobile applications and iPads are provided which enables e-newspapers to be accessed. Guests can also stream media over TV, mobile and tablets. For corporate guests, the hotel in Accra has successfully delivered exceptional banquet events by providing advanced technology and support. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From video and audio conferencing to banquet conferencing, we are implementing a new digital solution to promote our events at the hotel premises,â&#x20AC;? says Koro. w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

247

KEMPINSKI HOTEL GOLD COAST CITY

“Unlike the old days, the hotel lobby is equipped with a stateof-the-art digital screen guiding guests to the hotel events and their location. “Future will utilise the VR technology in running more efficient “virtual” meetings whereby the individual won’t feel distant or remote from the other participants and would feel as all in one venue. “Technology is going to further reshape the way we do 248

business. All the big enterprises worldwide are focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT) and virtual reality (VR),” explains Koro. There will be truly no end to the value technology can add to travel and tourism, but we need to be careful it doesn’t become so good that guests prefer technology over the real thing.” By embracing technology, eliminating all paper-led processes and reaching business maturity, Kempinski Gold Coast City is no stranger to change and will continue to train its staff members on all technology SEPTEMBER 2018

MIDDLE EAST

“ There will be truly no end to the value technology can add to travel and tourism” — Khaled Koro IT Manager for Kempinski Hotels

249

w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

KEMPINSKI HOTEL GOLD COAST CITY

250

SEPTEMBER 2018

MIDDLE EAST

FACTS

• Khaled joined Kempinski Hotels in 2016 to support the opening of its first European luxury hotel and resort in Lebanon • Following the successful opening of its first hotel in Lebanon; Koro is expected to deliver the same success by moving to Accra, Ghana, and implement policies, standards and keep the technology up-to-date with the latest software and hardware releases. • Kempinski Gold Coast City Hotel provides guests with unforgettable experiences, inspired by exquisite European flair 251

which it believes to be essential to business growth, catering for luxury and offer memorable experiences for our guests. “We are always up-to-date with technology; we invest in our employees for them to serve our guests at their best.” notes Koro. “There are few hotels that can match us. Our service, believe me, is more exquisite, and more guest-oriented — technology is set to take us to the next level.” w w w. g i g a b i t m a g a z i n e . c o m

16 - 17 October 2018, Suntec Convention Centre, Singapore 6 CONFERENCE TRACKS

150 SEMINAR SESSIONS

70 EXHIBITORS

SHOWCASING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS FOR ACCOUNTANTS & FINANCE PROFESSIONALS DIGITAL INNOVATION

BUSINESS IN THE CLOUD Evaluate cloud technologies that will help improve process efficiency, save money and modernise your business. Sponsored by

MONEY IN MONEY OUT

Learn how AI, blockchain, crypto-currency and cyber security technologies are changing the finance function. Sponsored by

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT