TechNave NewsBytes 2020 #21 - Acer Malaysia + SME, Celcom + SME, digi altHR Sales Kit, Acronis True Image 2021, Kingston KC2500 and more

Welcome back TechNavers and NewsByters, in this issue of TechNave NewsBytes 2020 #21, Acer Malaysia will offer deferred instalments on technology to help SMEs and Celcom accelerates digital transformation for SMEs. Digi announced that their HR Super App altHR has rolled out their altHR Sales Kit.

In other news, Acronis announced their True Image 2021 which combines cloud backup with antimalware in a single solution. Kingston also announced the launch of their KC2500 NVMe PCIe SSD in Malaysia.

For Misc Announcements, check them out below:

Acer Malaysia has introduced an initiative to assist SMEs in Malaysia to transform their businesses to work remotely or via an online model by helping to equip them with the necessary IT devices.

Understanding that both SMEs and enterprises are adapting to the new normal of online operations, Acer Malaysia’s use-first-pay-later scheme enables businesses that need to equip their staff or upgrade their equipment, gain immediate access to the technology required to adopt a more digital model.

Based on a model that allows the option of rent-to-own or rent-to-use, the scheme allows SMEs and enterprises in Malaysia to lease a minimum of RM50,000 worth of IT devices from Acer that suit their business needs. The instalment or lease period ranges from 24 to 36 months, depending on the devices required and monthly instalment amount they can afford.

To further assist these businesses during this difficult time, the commencement of the instalments can be deferred for six (6) months, where businesses will only need to pay the initial instalment in the first month and begin repayment for the rest of the instalments in the seventh month onwards. With this usefirst-pay-later scheme, Acer Malaysia aims at alleviating SMEs’ burden in the initial stages of technology acquisition, so that they can fully focus on generating revenue through new channels.

Acer Malaysia is also offering a zero-interest lease option  for eligible businesses. For instance, a business requiring 20 units of laptops worth RM60,000, the approved SME would only need to pay RM2,500 per month for a two-year period. The only other cost incurred would be insurance, stamp duty, and processing fees.

This initiative is a comprehensive solution for PCs, services, and software from Acer and can be tailored to meet the requirements of the customers. Additionally, Acer Malaysia is extending three years of onsite warranty for free with their package.

For SMEs who prefer a hire purchase model, Acer Malaysia is making it available through its leasing and credit partners. Acer Malaysia will also be providing the first 88 successful SMEs with RM1,000 support each to further assist in easing their burden.

With over 30 years of presence in Malaysia, Acer has established 16 branches nationwide and works closely with partners to support the needs of businesses in the country. Supported by 16 service centres, Acer Malaysia is committed to help SMEs recover during this challenging time.

Acer Malaysia’s initiative is open for application now. Interested SME applicants can apply for Acer Malaysia’s scheme at their site or contact Acer Info Hotline at 1800-88-1288 or email to [email protected]

As the nation’s economic landscape is striving to rise again from the impacts of COVID-19, Celcom Axiata Berhad (Celcom) is extending its reach in helping  local businesses to face new challenges through its national campaign, ‘Celcom Business: Reimagine SME for Tomorrow’, in support to accelerate digital adoptions among local Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), in optimising their business operations and ensuring business sustainability.

13 organisations encompassing government agencies, financial institution, entrepreneurial organisations, and technology partners are joining the cause driven by Celcom, to provide immense potential to expand the SMEs’ business network, creating room for skills development amongst the business owners, and the opportunity for them generate new revenue and drive future growth.

Understanding the setback that many enterprises are facing today, which include limited resources and knowledge, Celcom is reaching out to them through the campaign. Celcom and the partners will be promoting relevant technology related awareness through knowledge sharing and skill enhancement programmes, as well as co-development of multiple digital programmes for SMEs.

The partners engaged together with Celcom’s ‘Celcom Business: Reimagine SME for Tomorrow’ campaign consist of the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), SME Corporation, Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad (PUNB), Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) and Alliance Bank Berhad. Organisations such as The Malay Chamber of Commerce (DPMM), Usahanita Kebangsaan, SME Association, Selangor Freight Forwarders and Logistics Association (SFFLA), Microsoft, Slurp!, and Avana Asia are also working together in the campaign.

Through Celcom’s ‘Celcom Business: Reimagine SME for Tomorrow’ campaign, participating SMEs will also have the unique opportunity to be digitally empowered with the innovative one-stop SME digital kit from Celcom. With Celcom Business Suite™, SMEs can now rapidly transform and optimise their business operations with simplicity, flexibility and affordability.

Celcom Business Suite™ offers multiple digital solutions for SME businesses such as cloud-based e-POS, electronic payment, digital marketing solutions and additional productivity tools such as tablets and Microsoft Office365. This comprehensive end-to-end service enables businesses with all the right digital solutions, tailored to simplify digitalisation of smaller scale businesses.

Celcom’s participation as a Technology Solutions Partner with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), enables Celcom Business Suite™ offerings to qualify for the SME Business Digitalisation Grant. The grant, introduced by the government in Budget 2020, offers SMEs a 50% matching grant of up to RM5, 000 for any subscription of digital services such as electronic Point of Sales (e-POS), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), electronic payroll system, Digital Marketing, Procurement, e-Commerce and Remote Working.

Celcom Business Suite also qualifies SMEs application for the SME Digital Matching Grant, introduced by the government through the Short-Term Economic Recovery Plan (PENJANA), in collaboration with telecommunication companies.

Local SMEs may register their interest at their site and experience a simplified digital transformation for their businesses. Over 250 touchpoints including Celcom dealers, channel managers, and selected bluecube nationwide are also ready to assist SME business owners to embark on their digital transformation.

For more information on Celcom Business Suite™ or wide range of product and services, latest updates and offerings from Celcom, please visit their site.

Digi’s HR Super App, altHR rolls out altHR Sales Kit – a new module in the app which enables companies to store and allow employees to access relevant sales and marketing materials that can be shared to external parties, all on their own mobile devices.

With this, employees can access relevant company content on-the-go, such as brochures on current promotions, products or solutions, in various formats including images, documents and video links, within the altHR app. altHR Sales Kit further simplifies the work for dedicated sales teams, where they can carry digital sales kits anywhere without the need to invest in additional, complex software.

By using altHR Sales Kit, sharing information is simple as employees can immediately send the right files or folders through email, text message as well as social and chat platforms to potential customers. For example, product images, slides or demo videos can be sent out right from the altHR Sales Kit on their mobile devices during a sales presentation or upon receiving an enquiry. This helps in capturing the customer’s interest instantly and reduces human error in forgetting to follow up after meetings. Additionally, employees can capture lead information on the spot by filling up the forms created within altHR.

altHR Sales Kit empowers employees to be their company's ambassadors, placing the responsibility of business growth not just on the sales team, but on every single employee. Businesses can maintain up-to-date information about products and services, which employees are given access to share with their own contacts at any given time.

Through a simple one-stop solution, altHR Sales Kit equips employees to be well-versed with credible company information to best represent their company in and out of the workplace. Managing a variety of sales kits is made convenient on altHR, increasing the capability of your dedicated sales teams while keeping the rest up-to-speed. The synchronisation and accessibility provided by the altHR ensures that all employees can stay proactive and productive anywhere.

As a whole, altHR fulfils the expectations of companies in search of an integrated digital solution that goes above and beyond its mission as a HR app. The latest addition of altHR Sales Kit in the Super App enables companies to take a step further by upskilling a qualified line of well-informed employees in standing for their company and uncovering more avenues for growth.

For more information about altHR Sales Kit or to sign up for altHR, please visit their site.

Acronis, recently announced the release of Acronis True Image 2021. The new release integrates advanced cybersecurity capabilities with unmatched personal backup to create the first complete personal cyber protection solution for home users, prosumers, and small businesses around the world.

Delivery comes as the COVID-19 pandemic exposes gaps in traditional solutions and strategies. Securing home machines has never been more important, yet a recent Acronis survey found nearly half (47%) of remote workers never received clear guidance on working from home.

Incorporating cybersecurity capabilities such as real-time antimalware protection, on-demand antivirus scans, web filtering, and videoconference protection into Acronis True Image ensures users have complete cyber protection. For individuals and small business users, unifying these vital capabilities in one solution makes their protection easier to manage and more affordable, while greatly improving the security.

Standalone backup and cybersecurity are obsolete. With the modern reliance on everyday devices like computers, smartphones, and tablets, the data they contain has an inherent value. Cybercriminals are constantly evolving their attacks to reach that data, which is why security research firms such as AV-Test report more than 350,000 new malware threats every day.

Since backup software and files are often the targets of these new attacks to prevent recovery, backup alone no longer provides suitable protection for users. Similarly, conventional cybersecurity solutions do not provide the data protection and recovery capabilities users need.

Relying on multiple products that were not designed to work together creates security gaps, is more complex to manage, and is more costly. With a single, integrated solution, Acronis True Image 2021 users can proactively stop any malware attack and then quickly restore affected files. The single, intuitive interface reduces the complexity of managing their security and backups.

Integration delivers superior cyber protection. For the last few years, Acronis True Image has been the only personal backup solution with a built-in antiransomware that stops attacks in real-time, while automatically restoring any affected files.

With the launch of Acronis True Image 2021, those capabilities are expanded with the addition of the company’s advanced antimalware technology, which is currently deployed in Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud. This next-gen, full-stack antimalware has been shown by independent security labs such as Virus Bulletin and AV-Test to return a 100% detection rate with zero false-positives.

As a result, home users gain advanced capabilities with Acronis True Image 2021, including:

These advanced antimalware capabilities are included with Advanced and Premium licenses, and offered as a three-month trial with Standard and Essential licenses.

Four versions of Acronis True Image are available: Standard, Essential, Advanced and Premium. One-computer licenses starting at SG$82 for Standard and SG$68 for Essential. Special launch prices for Advanced and Premium licenses (starting at SG$96 and SG$137, respectively) are available until November 2020, at which time the full MSRP will be in effect (starting at SG$123 and SG$171, respectively).

For more information, please visit their site.

Kingston Technology, recently announced the KC2500, its next generation M.2 NVMe™ PCIe SSD for desktop, workstations and high-performance computing (HPC) systems. KC2500 NVMe PCIe SSD delivers powerful performance using the latest Gen 3.0 x 4 controller and 96-layer 3D TLC NAND. With speeds1 up to 3,500MB/s read and up to 2,900MB/s write, KC2500 combines outstanding performance and endurance that improves workflow for desktop, workstation and power users.

KC2500 is available in capacities up to 2TB2 housed in a compact M.2 2280 form factor that saves space for other components while allowing users to take advantage of PCIe speeds. The self-encrypting SSD supports a full-security suite for end-to-end data protection using AES-XTS 256-bit hardware-based encryption. It allows the usage of independent software vendors with TCG Opal 2.0 security management solutions such as Symantec™, McAfee™, WinMagic® and others. KC2500 has built-in Microsoft eDrive support, a security storage specification for use with BitLocker.

KC2500 is currently available in 250GB, 500GB and 1TB capacities with 2TB2 shipping soon. KC2500 is backed by a limited five-year warranty and free technical support.

As COVID-19 drastically accelerated the adoption of new consumer trends driven by technological innovations and new consumption habits, the end-half of the year may just be the most highly anticipated season. According to a research update from Facebook IQ, Mega Sales and self-gifting are among the key insights that businesses should look into to maximise their business success during the holiday season.

Malaysia's retail landscape remains dynamic and is one of the hotspots for year-end shopping. From 9.9, to mega sale days like 10.10 and Single’s day on 11.11, Black Friday or Christmas, the year-end season is full of shopping moments that businesses and consumers still look forward to, despite the slowdown.

Facebook IQ’s Mega Sales & Holiday 2020 insight study outlined five rising trends that brands should take into consideration as part of their festive-season planning. These include:

The study was conducted in partnership with YouGov from 2 December to 24 December, 2019, 48,348 people aged 18 years and above were surveyed across 31 markets on their seasonal shopping habits and attitudes. Results were also drawn and analysed from Facebook conversion and conversation data from 1 October, 2019 to 31 January, 2020.  These insights are vital to businesses as they look to navigate the changing demands of the different generations and meet the needs of their consumers.

As brands pivot to meet the changing needs of consumers, it’s also important to incorporate these insights into the planning and execution of campaigns in order to be consistent in communication and experience that will create that unique and lasting image in today’s marketplace.

TIME dotCom Berhad (“TIME” or “the Group”) announced its financial results for the half year period ended 30 June 2020 (“1H 2020”) today as the Group continues to focus on ensuring 100% network availability and stability for its customers as Malaysia remains on guard in facing the COVID-19 situation.

TIME recorded a consolidated Group revenue of RM598.8 million for 1H 2020, a 10.8% increase in revenue over the same period of the preceding year. This was a result of higher sales across all core product segments. Recurring revenue from data, data centre and voice grew 11.7%, 7.2% and 0.4%, respectively. All core customer groups also contributed to revenue growth, led by the Retail and Wholesale customer groups.

The Group recorded a profit before tax of RM223.5 million for 1H 2020, and ended the period with cash and cash equivalents of RM480.2 million as of 30 June 2020.

The economy is expected to face continued uncertainties and challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the country focusing on returning to normalcy. The impact of COVID-19 on the Group’s business has so far been modest and the impact has mostly been felt from the hospitality, tourism and aviation sectors. TIME remains vigilant and continues to closely monitor any changes and developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Group is focused on adopting pro-active measures to safeguard all its employees, while minimising potential disruptions to its operations.

Over the medium-term, the Group continues to support the Malaysian government in its national telecommunications objectives by strengthening and improving its existing domestic fibre network infrastructure as it concurrently intensifies efforts to expand its coverage footprint.

On the regional front, the Group will continue working with its partners in Thailand and Vietnam to tap on the increasing demand for cross border connectivity across the ASEAN region. Towards the goal of establishing the Group as a key regional data centre player and operator, the Group has embarked on the construction of a new data centre in Bangkok, Thailand, built in partnership with its associate Symphony Communications Public Company Limited, as well as, a new wholly owned data centre in Cyberjaya, Malaysia. Both data centres are expected to be operational by the end of the year and will serve to ensure continued future revenue growth and benefit the Group strategically in the longer term.

The 11th edition of Kre8tif! will see the event, hosted by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), going completely virtual with a focus on inclusivity and globalisation through its “Kre8tif!-vity without Boundaries” theme.

Running from September 7 to 10,  2020, Kre8tif! 2020 will be the region’s hotspot for all types of digital content that are now trending and taking this sector to greater heights. As an industry-leading event, it will bring together movers-and-shakers in the animation, broadcast, licensing and merchandising, visual effects, digital technology, and content creation space.

Conferences, Workshops, Business Xchange (pitching and business matching) and Xhibition sessions at Kre8tif! 2020 will be headlined by international players and Malaysian creative content industry stalwarts. This includes, among others, Octopie Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Weta Digital, Netflix, WarnerMedia Entertainment Network, Animonsta Studios, Primeworks Studio, MEASAT Broadcast Network Systems, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), Muslim Kids TV, YouTube, Licensing international and WildBrain.

Kre8tif! 2020 is expected to attract over 2,000 participants from all over the region and has already connected and attracted  a growing list of attendees who are keen to tap into the event’s growing credentials and expand their reach within the digital creative content space.

LG Electronics (LG) is sharing its vision for the home of the future at IFA 2020, taking place virtually for the first time in its 96 year history. Under the banner Life’s Good from Home, LG’s online exhibition booth will allow visitors to explore the company’s latest innovations from the comfort of their homes and mobile devices. LG’s IFA 2020 press conference will take place in Messe Berlin on September 3 at 11:00 CEST and livestreamed on the LG Global YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/GlobalLG).

Under the banner of Life’s Good from Home, Dr. I.P. Park, CTO of LG Electronics, will present the future vision for consumers to enjoy a safer and more convenient home living as people world over settle into new lifestyle habits. LG ThinQ Home Solution, making its world debut at IFA 2020, is the company’s innovative response to the new normal and exciting vision for how our life will look in the future.

With the cancellation of IFA’s exhibition in Berlin this year, LG created its own physical smart home showroom in Korea to demonstrate how LG products work seamlessly together to deliver the best home experience possible. For its IFA unveiling, K-pop star Henry Lau will take visitors on a virtual tour of the four story home highlighting all the ways the home contributes to comfort and maximum sustainability using LG technology. The home tour will be accompanied by an interactive video of a family residing in an LG home, which viewers can customize based on their choices.

In addition to its smart home showroom and interactive video content, LG’s virtual IFA booth will provide a compelling interactive experience of how the company is making home living more relaxing, efficient and rewarding. Visitors to LG’s IFA 2020 virtual booth will learn all about the benefits of the company’s comprehensive range of smart home appliances and integrated services by making their way through a variety of different zones.

TikTok, the leading destination for short-form mobile video, partners with Media Prima, the largest integrated media group in Malaysia, to launch #KitaBersama in celebration of Malaysia’s Independence Day. From 17 August to 17 September, Malaysians are able to express their love for Malaysia through the campaign with an interactive Merdeka-themed feature, as well as earn points for redeemable vouchers through TikTok Rewards in support of local businesses, especially during this period.

TikTok creators can use Faizal Tahir’s song “Malaysia”, the official music for the #KitaBersama challenge, alongside the fun festive filter to create unique Merdeka themed videos.

As part of TikTok’s positive efforts in assisting the economic recovery of local businesses, TikTok is launching the second phase of their TikTok Rewards program throughout the Hari Merdeka to Malaysia Day period, from 24 August to 20 September. TikTok Rewards is a referral program that allows users to collect points and redeem vouchers from brand partners, such as foodpanda and Ikano Centres, to name a few. Over RM 300,000 worth of vouchers from Ikano Centres are available throughout their shopping centres IPC, MyTOWN, and Toppen.

TikTok Rewards aims to boost consumer confidence for businesses affected by the Covid-19 pandemic by helping brands connect with users nationwide. Being an effective channel for companies to drive brand awareness, TikTok Rewards encourages Malaysians to #SupportLocal products and services.

So what are you waiting for? Download or open the TikTok app now to check out the interactive challenges from the #KitaBersama campaign and learn how you can win exclusive vouchers and promotions from TikTok Rewards!

vivo has officially announced on the arrival of an exclusive motivational Short Film starring popular Malaysian television personality, Gan Jiang Han – produced entirely by vivo Malaysia. The film has been released on vivo’s official Facebook page.

In celebration of the recent launch of the luxurious X series, X50 and X50 Pro, Gan Jiang Han – who is known for his quick wit and unorthodox presenting style – has been featured in vivo’s upcoming X50’s short film, where the coming together of vivo and Malaysia’s beloved entertainment personality is expected to draw the interest of those especially from the Chinese Market.

In pairing up X50 Pro’s unique and advanced features together with this iconic Malaysian TV personality, the short film is set to make a huge impact on showcasing X50 Pro’s capability as a redefined photography flagship, while encouraging Malaysians to reset, recover and readjust to embrace the new norms after the life-changing Covid-19 experience.

In related news, in conjunction with Malaysia’s Merdeka Day, vivo Malaysia teamed up with renowned Netflix Malaysian Director, Ho Yuhang for the first time to pull off a light-hearted Merdeka Film celebrating the diversity in Malaysia.

Having recently unveiled its latest in X series virtually, the upcoming vivo’s exclusive National Day Blockbuster titled – “KITA” will be serving as the first film being shot entirely by vivo X50 Pro in Malaysia. With this, Director Ho Yuhang looked set to take this challenge on a whole new level on his career.

With more parts of human lives playing online as self-isolation measures remain or return across countries in Southeast Asia (SEA), a fresh survey by Kaspersky has unmasked users’ shift of behaviour and views online during this pandemic time.

The Kaspersky’s report titled “More connected than ever before: how we build our digital comfort zones” found out that majority (82%) of the respondents from the region think that their digital lifestyle is safe for their data’s privacy. This is 7% higher than the global average at 75%.

Conducted last May 2020 among 760 respondents from the region, the research also showed that only 1% of the users in SEA admitted that living virtually feels very unsafe for them, 2 notches lower than the world view at 3%. The remaining answered they feel unsafe (11%), still lower than global percentage at 16%, while some 5% were unsure.

Despite the high confidence in the region, survey respondents also admitted to being hacked online. Users acknowledged that their social media accounts (21%), their email accounts (20%), their mobile devices (13%), their Wi-Fi networks (12%), and their banking accounts (12%) have been hacked.

There’s another 2% who even confirmed their accounts have been compromised more than three or four times, while 24% are certain that their data had never been leaked. Almost 2-in-10 of the respondents also confessed they are not sure if their accounts were compromised ever as they do not know how to check (18%) while another 14% revealed they have never checked at all.

When asked about what they did after discovering their accounts’ security was breached, more than half of users (57%) in SEA changed their passwords to all relevant wireless devices and digital accounts and another 54% updated their security codes to only the affected wireless devices and digital accounts.

Only 23% of the respondents who experienced hacking installed security software to protect their accounts while 14% took their hacked devices to an IT expert. There was a small percent (4%) who chose to do nothing.

As part of the Government’s PENJANA Short-term Economic Recovery Plan, homegrown e-wallet Boost is committed to facilitate in digitising the country’s Micro and SMEs (MSMEs) by joining forces with the Government through Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) to roll out the Micro & SMEs (MSMEs) E-commerce Campaign in a bid to help them future-fit their businesses to recover with resilience in this new normal.

With e-commerce increasingly being relied on as a safe, secure and convenient way to shop for essentials and lifestyle needs, businesses need to be able to adapt to keep with changing consumer behaviours in order to remain relevant. This is where Boost comes in to support and train businesses to digitise in order to reach a wider consumer base while simplifying the payments process. This is expected to lead businesses towards greater productivity and growth with the added advantage of receiving advertising and promotional support from Boost, on top of ZERO startup costs.

For the duration of the campaign period which runs from 1 August to 30 September, participating merchants may receive up to RM1,500 worth of rewards and benefits.

On top of that, Boost will be helping merchants digitize and move offline-to-online (O2O) by setting up their own e-commerce catalogue that is integrated with the Boost Business Payment Link feature to allow a seamless end to end online journey. This feature allows merchants to showcase their list of products which customers can easily browse, make an order and proceed to pay in a quick, hassle-free manner via the Boost App. This is a significant step towards transformation where they can pivot their existing business model and proven helpful throughout the MCO period. Boost Business Payment Link is a new innovation by Boost for merchants to collect payments via email, SMS or WhatsApp.

At the same time, Malaysians across the country can do their part to safely support local businesses while stimulating the local economy by using Boost for clean and safe contactless payments. To encourage users to support and spend at MSMEs, Boost will be providing cashback specifically for Boost users throughout the campaign period. Users will earn 20% cashback for a minimum spend of RM10 when payment is made using the Boost Payment Link. The cashback will be credited into the customers’ Micro & SMEs Partner Wallet that can be used at any participating MSME merchant in this Government and MDEC’s Micro & SMEs (MSMEs) E-commerce campaign.

To join the Boost MSME merchant community, interested merchants can sign up online at their site.

Chrome OS has accelerated its expansion within businesses amid the shift to work from anywhere. The new Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise, a 14-inch premium business laptop or 2-in-1 from Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL), boosts productivity with on-the-go power, sophisticated security and fast connectivity features employees need.

With the Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise, Dell expands its Latitude Chromebook lineup – now offering a mainstream and premium option – to give companies more choice in devices without sacrificing enterprise-class scale, manageability and security.

Work Anywhere: Designed for executives, mobile professionals and remote workers, the Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise includes innovative security and productivity features, allowing employees to power up quickly with no time wasted on setting up the device. Co-engineered with Intel as part of the Project Athena innovation program,  the Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise offers LTE mobile broadband , Intel WiFi 6 and up to 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 processors to boost productivity and performance for bandwidth-intensive activities, such as working up to 8.6 times faster in Google Sheets .

Management and Security: As organisations prepare for long-term remote work, Dell Technologies Unified Workspace reduces IT complexity and allows IT leaders to deploy, secure, manage and support the Latitude Chromebook Enterprise. Available in more than 50 countries and with 14 localised language keyboards, companies can select and purchase various configurations to meet employee needs. IT can manage the devices with the same level of support, security and reliability they expect in a corporate environment, and have confidence in platform stability with the Intel® Stable IT Platform. They can service and upgrade storage and batteries and operate the same support model across their entire organisation.

Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise laptop

Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise 2-in-1

Spotify is back again with its latest instalment of streaming trends. While there was gardening, DIY haircutting, baking, dalgona coffee and home workouts in the last few months, this period is more about road tripping and staycations.

But that doesn’t mean everyone is taking to vacations. In fact, there are now more than 1.3M quarantine themed playlists on Spotify globally, and some of the most popular track additions between May 5-July 30 include: “Stuck With U” by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, “Bored In The House” by Tyga and Curtis Roach, “Be Kind (with Halsey)” by Halsey and Marshmello, “Lockdown” by Anderson Paak and fresh off Taylor Swift’s new album, her track “exile” with Bon Iver. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t offer a special shoutout to those quarantining solo who may have been the ones adding Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” to these playlists -- we hear you!

Here’s a round-up of other trends we’re seeing globally - note we’ve listed the timeframe for each trend.

Happier vibes: We’ve noticed a shift in the overall valence - or “vibe” - of the music listeners are streaming around the world. In July, we saw our listeners streaming more upbeat music compared to previous months. If July was the “happiest” month so far in 2020 then we can point to April as the month where listeners were streaming “sadder” or more downtempo tracks.

Road trip, anyone? With road trips more popular, we’ve seen a 92% increase in the creation of road trip playlists from June to July. And which countries have created the most road trip playlists? The United States came in first, followed by the UK, Australia, Canada and Germany.

Popular songs added across these road trip playlists include: “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles, “Here Comes The Sun” by the Beatles, “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus and wind-down-the-window-and-belt-it-out jams like “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, “Livin' On A Prayer” by Bon Jovi, “Hey Ya!” by OutKast and “Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts.

Podcasts also made their way onto road trip playlists. Among the most-added shows: Stuff You Should Know, Crime Junkie, My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark and Ted Talks Daily.

Among road trip playlists curated by Spotify, Classic Road Trip Songs and 70s Road Trip are currently streaming the most.

Showing that many listeners are on the move, we’ve seen users stream music and podcasts in offline mode more in July compared to other months, with a 24% increase.

Let’s go (nowhere) on a staycation: Many people are likely staying close to home rather than travelling for vacations and we’ve seen nearly a 120% increase in the creation of “Staycation” themed playlists from June to July.

Popular picks for staycationers trying to capture vacation vibes through music include: “Summer Clothes” by Marc Scibilia, “Island In The Sun” by Weezer, “Summertime Magic” by Childish Gambino, “Kokomo” by the Beach Boys, “The Boys Of Summer” by Don Henly, “Paradise” by Bazzi, “Could You Be Loved” by Bob Marley & The Wailers, “Take Me Home” by Bryce Vine and “Señorita” by Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes.

The United States takes the top spot in creating staycation playlists, followed by the UK, Brazil, Canada and Ireland.

Is anyone bored? Yes. It turns out life has many feeling a little restless; more than 127,000 playlists have been created with “bored” or “boredom” in the title between May 5-July 30.

Top songs include:  “I Don’t Care” by Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber, “when the party’s over” by Billie Eilish, “High Hopes” by Panic! At The Disco and “The Less I Know The Better” by Tame Impala.

Streaming with friends: And while social distancing remains in effect in many parts of the world, we’ve seen listeners come together via Spotify’s Group Session feature that enables Premium listeners around the world to tune into the same playlist or podcast simultaneously.

Check out Spotify’s blog, For the Record, for even more details around the trends, we’re currently seeing on Spotify!

Ever wondered what questions and requests are sliding into our DMs? You know you’ve probably thought of sliding in a question or two at some point - whether it’s  ‘Can I cast Netflix to my TV?” or the crowd favourite: “When is the new season of my favourite series launching?”

We’ve heard your burning questions and went in search of someone to take them on. Our new Chief Head Of inquiries (CHOI) - also Malaysia’s resident funny man, took up the challenge to help answer your questions!  Here’s the DL from your favourite comedian himself: 1. What is Netflix and what devices can I watch it on?

Netflix is a streaming platform where you can catch hours of entertainment ranging from films to series, variety shows, documentaries and so much more across different genres and languages. The good news is that you can watch Netflix on ANY device! Your smartphone, tablet, or TV - semua pun boleh! 2. How do I register for Netflix and can pay without credit card ah?

To sign up, all you have to do is go to www.netflix.com and fill in your details, choose your plan - and you’re good to go! Senang je. And yes, you can pay without a credit or debit card. All you have to do is either choose to add your bill to your mobile service provider and pay through your postpaid bill. If you aren’t sure how to do this, just call the telco’s customer care line. You can also buy a gift card at the nearest convenience store and key in the code by going to Account>Redeem gift card or promo code.

3. Is there a huge difference between the plans?

The different plans are made to cater to different needs. If you’re malas to go and check out what each plan gives you, don’t worry - we’ll break it down for you: Mobile Plan: The best plan for those who are always on-the-go, the mobile plan lets you stream EVERYTHING from the Netflix catalogue on any mobile phone or tablet. You can stream in Standard Definition (which is perfect for a mobile device). You can only stream on one device at a time and use  features like ‘smart downloads’. Standard Plan: This plan allows you to stream on any phone, tablet, computer or TV in High Definition (HD). You can stream on two devices at any one time which means you never have to fight about which show to watch ever again. Premium Plan: If you think two screens aren’t enough (especially if you’re sharing with a big family) then the premium plan is the best option for you as it lets you watch on four different screens at the same - all in Ultra High Definition/4K! Perfect if you watch to get the full cinematic experience!

4. Is there a way to control what my kids watch?

One of the best features on the service is that you can create different profiles. This means that not only do you get to keep your show recommendations streamlined to your interest, but that you can create a separate kids profile (from Manage Profiles) to cater to your child. You can also prevent your kids from going into your profile by using a Profile PIN which is basically a 4-digit number that you activate so that your child can’t access your profile. 5. How do I get my favourite show on Netflix? Yes, we understand the frustration that comes with going on Netflix to search for your favourite show and then finding out that it’s not on the platform yet! All you want is to be able to binge on your favourite series. We get it. The struggle is very real. If you think that there’s a show that absolutely has to be on Netflix, then head over to www.help.netflix.com/titlerequest and ask to get your favourite show on. Like all good things in life, cannot guarantee you will get lah, but if you don’t try, then you never know! Now you know what goes on in our DMs. Catch the full 101 from Douglas Lim right HERE and then hit us up at @netflixmy and let us know if he should stay on as our CHOI okay? Psst: Don’t let him convince you that he’s getting his own special yet kay?

In conjunction with the #Saya Digital Month, the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has partnered with the ‘Malaysia Digital Hub’ operators to address their daily business operation challenges by offering these affected start-ups and entrepreneurs with an affordable daily ‘Digital Hub Pass,’ an ideal package to grow their businesses during post-COVID-

‘Malaysia Digital Hubs’ is an extension of the MSC Malaysia Cybercentre that was created for start-ups and digitally-powered businesses. It is specifically designed as hotbeds for innovation, digital co-working spaces and incubators using digital technologies in their respective fields of specialisation.

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected most start-ups, especially in continuing their business operations as they were faced with difficulties such as paying high rental costs and long-term contract durations. These start-ups are looking at flexible and cost-effective options, which MDEC believes that incubators and co-working spaces like Malaysia Digital Hubs can assist them.

Through these facilities, start-ups can access vital assistance such a mentorship, funding opportunities, accelerator programmes, corporate partnership and other business and digital development programmes.

The ‘Digital Hub Pass’ offers two packages, from as low as RM10.00 (per day) or RM40.00 (per week-5-day pass) for entrepreneurs to start their operations at the participating Malaysia Digital Hubs.

In total, there are seven certified ‘Malaysian Digital Hubs’ supporting over 400 startups. The “Malaysia Digital Hubs’ are also in partnership with other accelerators and tech-based multinational companies (MNCs) like Google,  Amazon and Microsoft to build talent pool and provide funding opportunities (through partners like Cradle, Gobi Partners, etc), community engagements, events, mentorship, training, hackathons and various accelerator programmes.

The Malaysia Digital Hub is part of MDEC’s initiative to accelerate Malaysia’s digital economy growth, while ensuring socio-economic inclusivity by focusing on three key pillars: Digitally-skilled Malaysians, Digitally-powered businesses, and Digital investments.

At the moment, among the ‘Malaysia Digital Hubs’ that are supporting the ‘Digital Hub Pass’ initiative include Common Ground, CO., Dojo KL, UnionSPACE and WORQ located in the Klang Valley area.

Tech entrepreneurs, who are not existing tenants of the participating co-working spaces can obtain the ‘Digital Hub Pass’ directly from the selected ‘Malaysia Digital Hubs’, until 31 August 2020. More information on the Digital Hub pass may be obtained at their site.

Thanks for reading TechNavers and TechNave NewsByters. As always, stay tuned to TechNave.com and if you think your brand or PR should be in our latest issue of TechNave NewsBytes 2020, let us know.


TechNave NewsBytes 2020 #22 - Honor, Huawei, Maxis, OnePlus, Special: Shopee PENJANA + 9.9 and more

Welcome back TechNavers and NewsByters, this time around for TechNave NewsBytes 2020 #22, Honor wants you to showcase your Merdeka Spirit with their Love Malaysia Photography Contest and have also partnered with JOOX to provide 3-month VIP Access for the Honor 9 series. Huawei collaborated with Malaysia’s MOHE for their Seeds For The Future 2020 program and have also passed GSMA’s Network Equipment Security Assurance Scheme.

In conjunction with their Always be Ahead branding, Maxis are collaborating with IMFutures for entrepreneurship and motivational programmes. OnePlus show off their OnePlus Nord achievements while TikTok joined with Yayasan Generasi Gemilang to fight against Cyberbullying.

This time around our Special will be a focus on how Local retailers on Shopee managed to record RM200 million in sales within the first month of the PENJANA Shop Malaysia Online; set for further boost at 9.9 Super Shopping Day.

HONOR invites Malaysians to showcase their patriotism and photography skills in a special Love Malaysia Photography Contest during the brand’s ongoing nationwide Merdeka Campaign. From 24 August – 15 September, HONOR smartphone users can submit a photo according to the theme in order to stand a chance to win an HONOR 9A, HONOR Moschino Pouch or an HONOR Bluetooth Speaker.

Don’t miss out on exciting deals during HONOR’s ongoing Raya Merdeka 63rd Campaign! From 17 August – 16 September, customers can enjoy up to 63% off HONOR’s most popular products on top of free gifts, games and more on brand’s official e-commerce website, Hihonor, HONOR Experience Stores (HES) and partner stores.

For more information, visit HONOR’s official e-commerce website and information portal.

Following the recent partnership announcement, HONOR Malaysia and Asia’s most dedicated music platform, JOOX is now giving music lovers a free 3-month VIP Access with any purchase from the HONOR 9 Series during HONOR’s ongoing nationwide Merdeka Campaign. This is the brand’s first collaboration with JOOX and is in line with HONOR’s commitment to providing an unforgettable experience in every scenario in the lives of users.

In the spirit of celebration, HONOR Malaysia and JOOX is giving out 3-month JOOX VIP access for any purchases of an HONOR 9X Pro, 9X, 9X Lite, and 9A during HONOR’s Merdeka sale period from 17 August – 16 September*. New HONOR 9 Series users can enjoy accessibility to ad-free, high-definition songs on demand from one of the top music streaming platforms in Malaysia. With a goal to be the go-to tech brand for the global youth, the collaboration with JOOX is an important milestone for HONOR to stay connected and improve the everyday lives and listening experience of music fans.

Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (Huawei) has once again joined hands with the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) to bring its global talent development initiative “Seeds for the Future” to Malaysian youths. The program aims to cultivate more ICT professionals among university students, preparing them for a digitized world, and ultimately bridge the digital divide.

With the new norms due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “Seeds for the Future 2020” will now be conducted entirely online: with an open ecosystem that supports online learning and engagement beyond both institutional and national borders, and with an expanded intake of 30 students instead of 10.

Through the “Seeds for the Future 2020” program, students will get an exclusive opportunity to upskill by leveraging on Huawei’s wealth of cutting-edge technological capabilities and resources, which can boost their future career prospects. They will also get to learn from Huawei’s global business operations, cross-cultural work practices, and Chinese culture.

This year, the five (5) day program will run from 21-25 September, and will consist of six (6) hours of compulsory courses, six (6) hours of live-streamed courses, and an hour of elective course. Additional resources on Chinese culture will also be available for self-learning.

The compulsory courses will cover the areas of 5G, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and Huawei Mobile Services (HMS). For their elective course, students can choose from a wide range of topics such as Internet of Things (IoT), digital trade, digital economy, or leadership and management. Upon completing the program, each student will receive an electronic certificate.

“Seeds for the Future” is Huawei’s global flagship corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, which seeks to develop more ICT talents worldwide and help bridge the digital talent gap. Since 2008, it has been successfully carried out in 125 countries and has benefitted over 4,800 students globally.

In Malaysia, Huawei has partnered with the MOHE to run the program since 2014 and has since helped 85 undergraduate students level up their ICT skills.

To learn more about the “Seeds for the Future” program, log on to their site.

Huawei's 5G wireless and core network equipment (5G RAN gNodeB, 5G Core UDG,UDM,UNC,UPCF) and LTE eNodeB has passed the GSMA’s Network Equipment Security Assurance Scheme (NESAS). GSMA NESAS boosts the industry's confidence in telecom network equipment, making it a practical choice for the industry and an important consideration for all regional markets, to jointly promote the development of more aligned mobile communications market.

NESAS is a standardized cybersecurity assessment mechanism jointly defined by GSMA and 3GPP, together with major global operators, vendors, industry partners and regulators. It provides an industry-wide security assurance framework to facilitate improvements in security levels across the mobile industry. It is a voluntary scheme through which network equipment vendors subject their product development and lifecycle processes to a comprehensive security audit against the currently active NESAS release and its security requirements. Prior to passing GSMA NESAS, Huawei also passed the 5G cyber security test by China's IMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group. These test specifications are based on the 3GPP international standards for 5G security assurance.

The summary independent audit reports of the NESAS assessment can be found at their site.

Committed to empowering local communities with digital capabilities to Always be Ahead in a changing world, Maxis is collaborating with IMFutures to bring its Digital Entrepreneurship Programme and #MaxisMotivates initiative to benefit local entrepreneurs and youth. Starting with the community at Indera Mahkota, Kuantan, these community programmes will be facilitated over the next four months, with plans to roll out these initiatives to more locations in the future.

On 15-16 August, Maxis participated in Karnival Digital Indera Mahkota, which was officiated by YB Dato’ Saifuddin bin Abdullah, Minister of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia. At the carnival, Maxis showcased its entrepreneurship programme and flagship community programme, eKelas, as well as digital solutions for SMEs under the Government’s SME Digitalisation Grant.

Maxis’ entrepreneurship programmes are designed to equip small local enterprises with the right digital tools to optimise their business using social media, content creation and photography, coached by Maxis volunteers, M Squad. Previously, Maxis empowered local entrepreneurs at FELCRA Sungai Ara in Kota Tinggi, Johor and Kg. Chengal in Ketereh, Kelantan with digital marketing skills to expand their business. They were taught how to set up a business Facebook page, take Insta-worthy photos, write attention-grabbing captions and leverage on digital mapping tools. Meanwhile, #MaxisMotivates is a series of special motivational sessions that aim to inspire eKelas students and youth to be the best they can be through a series of talks delivered by M Squad and other industry professionals.

For more information, please visit their site.

OnePlus Malaysia achieved an amazing result with its OnePlus Nord that was launched last week. Malaysian fans have expressed their love towards OnePlus’s devices and making the OnePlus Nord the No.1 best selling 5G smartphone in 2020 on Shopee Mall and the No.1 highest one-day sale in OnePlus in 2020.

Fans who are interested to get their OnePlus Nord (8GB+128GB) may visit the OnePlus Official Store on Shopee or they can also get the devices through all OnePlus Authorized Dealers. To those who prefer to purchase the OnePlus Nord Infinite Joy Bundle which comes with OnePlus Nord (12GB+256GB) as well as the OnePlus Buds, it is available on Shopee at RM2,399.

OnePlus Nord is available in two colours, which are Blue Marble and Gray Onyx. It is available in two variants, 8GB + 128GB and 12GB + 256GB. The Nord’s camera is fit for a flagship that is equipped with 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 sensor and its battery supports Warp Charge 30T, that can refill its 4100 mAh battery from empty to 70% in just half an hour.

For more updates and details on availability, stay tuned to the official OnePlus Nord Instagram account (@oneplus.nord.my) and their site.

Following its successful #thinkb4youdo campaign, TikTok has doubled down on its commitment to promote online safety by partnering with Yayasan Generasi Gemilang (GG), a pioneer of Cyber Wellness programs in the nation. The partnership with GG reaffirms TikTok’s commitment in tackling cyberbullying while ensuring its platform remains a safe and positive environment for all Malaysians.

GG’s partnership with TikTok follow’s its inaugural collaboration in 2019 through the #BetterMeBetterInternet campaign. The campaign saw TikTok as a technology enabler, aligning its efforts to amplify GG’s commitment in empowering children and youth with positive values to thrive in essential life areas such as cyber wellness and digital literacy. This year’s partnership extends both parties commitment to online safety, specifically raising awareness on cyberbullying.

Promoting a safe and positive app environment is TikTok’s top priority, and its ongoing partnership with GG only reinforces its commitment to protect its global community against misuse including the dangers of cyberbullying. This long-term relationship will see a holistic approach with both online and offline elements. The offline approach would see on-ground outreach initiatives at schools to inculcate positive online behaviors by providing fresh, new learning materials to youth, whereas online will include a downloadable module that serves as a guide to addressing cyberbullying, the launch of the #stopbullying (#hentikanbuli) campaign and potential livestreams with GG and other industry experts to raise awareness and the importance of standing up to cyberbullying.

Through the #stopbullying (#hentikanbuli) challenge under the #thinkb4youdo  campaign, TikTok is encouraging users to participate and spread awareness on cyberbullying by doing the following:

Learn more about TikTok’s safety efforts and our community guidelines at their site.

AIMS Data Centre (AIMS) has been named Malaysia Data Centre Service Provider of the Year in Frost & Sullivan’s 2020 Best Practices Award, the fifth recognition received from the global market research company.

Home to the Malaysian Internet Exchange (MyIX), AIMS has been acknowledged for addressing industry needs in providing end-to-end integrated cloud data centre solutions and co-location services in a dynamic ecosystem. Supported by purpose-built infrastructure, an extensive network and comprehensive solutions designed for business, AIMS is well-positioned to facilitate the enterprise market’s drive toward digital transformation.

AIMS was evaluated on two key benchmarks: visionary innovation and customer impact. By investing in intelligent data centre management and operations solutions, AIMS is able to enhance network efficiency and streamline processes to provide customers with a superior product and experience tailored to their needs.

The Company of the Year award places AIMS as a leader not just in the data centre industry, but demonstrates excellence in growth, innovation and leadership to non-industry peers. This award follows the previous year’s recognition as Company of the Year for the Cloud Infrastructure Service Industry.

For more information and to download the full analyst report, visit their site.

The new update to Final Cut Pro X streamlines remote workflows and makes editing for social media easier than ever.

Recently Apple updated Final Cut Pro X with powerful new features designed to enhance remote workflows and speed up editing for content creators. Improvements in creating and managing proxy media provide editors with portability and performance when working with large resolution formats, or when collaborating remotely. New social media tools automate video cropping in square, vertical, and other custom sizes for popular social media platforms, and new workflow improvements enhance the versatility and performance of Final Cut Pro — making the Mac stronger than ever for all video editors and motion graphics artists.

Now, more than ever before, users are editing remotely across a wide range of locations. Today’s update to Final Cut Pro includes major improvements to proxy workflows that make libraries more portable and streamline remote work with large, high-resolution files. For the first time within Final Cut Pro, video editors can create proxies in either ProRes Proxy or H.264 in dimensions as small as 12.5 percent of the original.

They can also consolidate proxy media, images, and audio to an external or network-connected drive. A Final Cut Pro Library can even be relinked to proxies already created for added flexibility. Editors can now link to proxy media generated by third-party applications via XML. Examples include Frame.io, a cloud-based creative collaboration platform for review and approval, plus asset management tools like Keyflow Pro and PostLab. If proxy media is not available for some clips, users can adapt workflows to display either the original file or an optimised version.

The update to Final Cut Pro makes the experience of delivering social media content easier than ever. Using machine learning, clips in a project can now be automatically analysed for dominant motion and intelligently cropped with Smart Conform to convert them into square, vertical, or any other sized video — perfect for popular platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. Transform Overscan reveals media outside the crop boundary when adjusting scale, rotation, and position, which allows storytellers to easily reposition the crop. Video editors can also add a Custom Overlay to guide them when placing text and graphics within a non-landscape frame.

Video professionals can now work even more efficiently with a series of new workflow improvements in Final Cut Pro. ProRes RAW camera settings, such as ISO, colour temperature, and exposure offset are exposed in the inspector for the first time. Editors can also apply audio crossfades on adjacent clips in one simple step, use a new context menu to close a project or clear timeline history, and sort clips and projects in List View according to the last date each file was modified.

This release also introduces significant performance improvements with new Metal-enabled plug-ins for RED RAW and Canon Cinema RAW Light. Transcoding 8K RED RAW video to ProRes 422 is up to two times faster on Mac Pro, and up to three times faster on MacBook Pro.1 And for the first time, Final Cut Pro editors can play and edit 8K Canon Cinema RAW Light.2

When working with 360-degree video, editors can quickly stabilise stereoscopic 3D video and view footage in the 360-degree Viewer with separate streams for each eye. They can also start working immediately with remote content while it is downloading in the background from web-based asset management applications, such as the Frame.io workflow extension.

Motion now offers professionals a whole new range of possibilities for creating stunning effects and graphics. Creators can import third-party 3D models or choose from a built-in library of 3D models in the USDZ format for use in titles, generators, effects, and transitions. They can even use behaviours or keyframes to manipulate the position, rotation, and scale of a model, and take advantage of existing replicators, emitters, lights, and cameras for further creativity.

Also included in the Motion update is the new Stroke Filter, a tool that automatically outlines an object or text element using its alpha channel. Editors can customise outlines by animating their offset, applying multiple stroke filters to the same object, or using the gradient tools to create multiple strokes with different colours. This enables motion graphics artists to create dazzling animations and effects while avoiding the time-consuming work of outlining elements by hand.

Compressor is also updated with support for custom LUT effects, the ability to use Camera LUTs to convert log-encoded footage to SDR or HDR outputs, and other workflow enhancements.

Final Cut Pro 10.4.9 is available as a free update for existing users, and for S$448.98 for new users on the Mac App Store. Motion 5.4.6 and Compressor 4.4.7 are also available today as free updates for existing users, and for S$68.98 (US) each for new users on the Mac App Store. Education customers can purchase the Pro Apps Bundle for Education for S$288.98. All users can download a free trial of Final Cut Pro X. For more information, please visit: apple.com/sg/final-cut-pro.

First Ambulance Services (First Ambulance) recently announced that it is the first private ambulance company in Malaysia to transform its entire fleet into Smart Ambulance, powered by YTL Communications (YES).

In line with the global megatrend of Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0), First Ambulance is taking the leadership position to digitise its ambulance operations. Additionally, it takes advantage of the YES nationwide pure-4G network to send patient EKG data and ultrasound images to the hospital while the ambulance is en route.

IR 4.0 is a pioneering space, and it takes considerable expertise to implement it nationally.  Beyond building the first pure-IP pure-4G network in Malaysia, YES has continued to leapfrog by building a robust portfolio of IoT solutions to support Malaysia's transformation into an IR 4.0 nation. By hosting the IoT solutions over its private cloud, YES can ensure the highest level of security and data sovereignty, giving customers like First Ambulance peace of mind in digitising their business.

With Smart Ambulance power by YES, First Ambulance is taking Malaysia's private ambulance industry to a global standard.

For more information about YES and its services, kindly visit their site. For more information about First Ambulance and its services, kindly visit their site.

imoo, recently unveiled its latest ‘baby’, the Watch Phone Z5 in Malaysia. While other brands are pushing their child-friendly mobile phones, imoo believes that communication and safety elements can merge as a more convenient option such as a watch phone that allows flexibility for active children to use on a daily basis.

The newly launched watch phone boasts a 5MP wide-angle camera that allows parents to video call their children and see the surroundings to ensure their children’s safety. It allows two-way calls; incoming and outgoing to ensure parents and children can have a quick chat at any time they desire while the Class Mode only allows the children to see time and make emergency calls to avoid distraction. The communication also supports voice messages, short clips and photo sharing with up to 4GB memory capacity.

The Watch Phone Z5 waterproof feature also makes it a great option for a communication tool as opposed to top-brand smartphones as children can wear the watch phones while swimming or diving in up to 20-metre depth. Other safety features include automatic answering after a 10-second call from parents, anonymous calls rejection, quick dial setting, and many more.

Parents can make their purchases at more than 100 authorised dealers throughout Malaysia or through imoo Official Stores at leading e-commerce platforms including Lazada and Shopee to ensure the authenticity of the imoo Watch Phone Z5. It is available in Pink and Green and retails at RM699.

For more information on the product and specifications, please visit their site.

This Merdeka, vivo Malaysia is determined to enliven the spirit of patriotism – bringing the very first collaboration with multilingual Malaysian Singer, Shila Amzah to pull off a high-spirited theme song for its exclusive Merdeka Film – “KITA”, celebrating the diversity in Malaysia.

Shila Amzah is finally making her comeback after years, who is now bringing a dual-language movie theme song in prior of vivo’s upcoming National Day Blockbuster titled – “KITA”, where the music video is now available on the vivo official Facebook page.

Alibaba Group recently announced the launch of LiveNOW KOL Livestreaming Training Programme to help more Malaysians find ecommerce success through livestreaming. The nation-wide training programme will be firstly held in-person across three states, including Selangor, Penang, and Sarawak, from 3 September to 4 October 2020.

Alibaba LiveNOW CSR programme uses technology for good as part of the global eWTP initiatives. The goal of the programme is to help the B40 Group find new opportunities to improve their economic wellbeing and contribute to the nation’s economic development through e-commerce and livestreaming, a core medium in the future of e-commerce.

In collaboration with MODEN Academy and with the support of state governments and organizations of Selangor, Penang, and Sarawak, the two-day in-person programme will incubate over 200 selected KOLs across Malaysia. The Selangor, Penang, and Sarawak government agencies are supporting the initiative by sponsoring the training venues and play a critical role in evaluating the submissions and progress of participants from their state.

Apart from technical skills, the hands-on training programme will also impart soft skills for success from how to engage with an audience effectively, creative ideas to capture attention of the audience, products detailing, promotion selling and persuasive selling etc.

The programme will also provide livestreamers with an opportunity to conduct livestreamed shows through various channels and platforms such as Taobao Malaysia and Lazada Malaysia. Shortlisted participants from the two-day programme will also have a chance to join the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, the world’s largest one-day shopping festival, where they can help brands by putting their livestreaming skills to test.

Interested participants can enrol for the programme by submitting a 3-minute video here.

PUBG MOBILE has announced its highly anticipated 1.0 version which is set to come with huge updates. The mobile gaming giant also announced the biggest global mobile esports event, the PUBG MOBILE Global Championship (PMGC).

Following nearly three years’ success as one of the most popular mobile games in the world, PUBG MOBILE will launch its 1.0 version on September 8th with new tech, new UX, new gameplay features and more to deliver the most realistic tactical tournament experience on mobile.

Meanwhile, PMGC Season Zero will begin in late November this year. The tournament will see  pro-teams from all regions including Americas, Europe, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Middle East, China compete for the highest prize pool in PUBG MOBILE esports history – USD 2 million –  with the winners crowned the inaugural PUBG MOBILE Global Champions.

Qualcomm Technologies, the world’s leading wireless technology innovator and a driving force behind the development, launch, and expansion of 5G and mobile gaming innovation is the official title sponsor of PMGC.

PUBG MOBILE will see a complete overhaul with the 8 September launch of version 1.0. The launch will also come with surprises which are set to offer players an even more authentic and immersive mobile gaming experience.

New technologies have been adopted for version 1.0 for unprecedented graphic improvements to players’ characters. Upgrades have also been made on to the main lobby, lighting, texture quality and environments, which makes each scenario more lifelike. Details such as smoke particles, air blasts, muzzle flashes and additional scope interaction make every shot even more realistic.

Improvements have also been made to motions, visuals and sound quality to provide players with a better game interface that is easier on the eyes and a much more intuitive control experience. Colour tones such as Dawn Cyan, Smoke Grey, Hope White, and Victory Yellow were chosen to bring scenarios such as a morning, rebirth, and breakthrough moments, to life.

Additionally, an innovative multi-screen switching mode has been added exclusively to PUBG MOBILE to make it easier for players to find what they want, and give them more refined, organised and upgraded controls. Games, community and purchases have been separated into three different space, giving players quicker and easier access. The simpler and cleaner interface also helps players locate their desired functions faster. In addition to this, players can now customise their own layout, allowing them a more comfortable gameplay.

Alongside the groundbreaking 1.0 version reveal, PUBG MOBILE is also announcing the PUBG MOBILE World League (PMWL) and World Championship combined into one epic event: the biggest global mobile esports tournament, PUBG MOBILE Global Championship (PMGC).

Due to the global pandemic, an onsite audience may not be possible for PMGC Season Zero, but if it is safe to do so, the PMGC will begin in late November, taking place across multiple studios.

PUBG MOBILE has completed the structure for its global year-long esports program this year, and we can expect more in the coming year. The program now supports players of all levels from amateur, to semi-pro, and pro across multiple countries and regions to realise their dreams of esports stardom.

For semi-pro players, the PUBG MOBILE Club Open (PMCO) this year featured over 150 countries in 16 regions. The tournament saw more than 150,000 combined registrations for its Spring and Fall games.

The robust esports ecosystem also saw the PUBG MOBILE Pro League (PMPL) introduced to add an additional layer of pro-competition. PMPLs were hosted in seven different regions, with participation of 152 teams and online views of over 28 million hours.

July and August saw the debut of the PUBG MOBILE World League (PMWL) Season Zero, with 40 teams from the East and West leagues showing off their gaming skills. The PMWL saw a peak viewership of over 1.1 million, with a total viewing time of over 40 million hours – breaking the record for the largest number of views in the history of PUBG MOBILE esports. According to Esports Charts, a unique analytical service that investigates trends of esports development and streaming, the PUBG MOBILE World League 2020 East was the most popular online-only event.

In conjunction with PUBG MOBILE Pro League (PMPL) Season 2, PUBG MOBILE is announcing its latest exclusive in-game event, PMPL Season 2 Billionaire Crates! The event filled with exclusive rewards is scheduled to run from August 28 to September 13.

For consumers who need to accelerate their productivity and protect their valuable content without compromising style, Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) today introduced the new WD® brand My PassportTM SSD in capacities up to 2TB*. With a sleek, compact metal design and blazing fast speeds powered by NVMe™ technology, the new palm-sized drive allows home and business users to save, access and protect the content that matters.

Now more than ever, consumers are looking to empower their productivity by keeping their files and increasingly large content libraries with them. Creators can move and edit high-quality content nearly twice as fast with the new My Passport SSD compared to the previous version of the drive, saving time to do more. Whether on a laptop or desktop while at home, in the office or on the go, professionals can reliably store their data on this drive.

WD’s My Passport SSD is designed from the ground up to provide reliable performance and a touch of luxury, inside and out. The bold metal design is both stylish and durable. It feels great in the hand and fits comfortably in a bag or pocket, enabling consumers to bring their content wherever life takes them and keep productivity flowing. Available in a range of modern colors, including Gray, Blue, Red and Gold, consumers can choose the drive that best fits their style.

The new My Passport SSD offers the technical features users need and want, including:

The My Passport SSD is backed by a five-year limited warranty and is available in 500GB and 1TB capacities in Gray starting today at Laz Mall, Shopee Mall and select retailers including Viewnet and Sri Computers. Additional colors and capacities will be available later this year. The new drive has a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP in MYR) of RM599/500GB, RM1,069/1TB and RM1,999/2TB, respectively.

Spotify recently announced its first-ever esports partnership with Riot Games, creating a unique and seamless audio universe for millions of League of Legends fans across the globe. Spotify is also the exclusive — and first — global audio service provider for League of Legends.

In this first-of-its-kind collaboration, Spotify and Riot Games will produce a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Worlds Anthem, develop various podcast series, create curated playlists, and launch a new League of Legends Esports Music Hub on Spotify. This partnership reflects both brands’ commitment to creating quality digital content and memorable fan experiences.

Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game League of Legends is the biggest esport in the world. Last year, tournaments were held in over 37 different cities across five continents, with a record-breaking viewership of 21.8 million Average Minute Audience watching the 2019 World Championship Final unfold. But gamers and fans aren’t just playing: They’re also streaming. The official League of Legends soundtrack racks up over 4.8 million Spotify listeners per month—a sizable number of both gamers and Spotify users.

Here’s a quick overview of what fans can look forward to:

Spotify and Riot Games are committed to continuing working together to create compelling audio experiences for music, podcast and gaming fans alike, with more to come in the near future.

For additional details about the new partnership, head to Spotify’s blog, For The Record.

Sony Malaysia recently announced the launch of a new line-up of Sony EXTRA BASS wireless speakers consisting of the SRS-XB23, SRS-XB33 & SRS-XB43. They are now available in Malaysia at all authorized resellers.

The Ringgit-to-Ringgit voucher funding by Shopee and the Government via Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) for the Short-Term Economic Recovery Plan (PENJANA) Shop Malaysia Online initiative has generated over RM200 million in sales by local retailers and traders on the e-commerce platform as of 31 August.

In a campaign mid-point review and the launch of its annual signature shopping event 9.9 Super Shopping Day, Shopee revealed that the vouchers have been enjoyed by close to 2 million Malaysians who took advantage of the savings and cashback on home and living, health and beauty, toys, groceries, automotive, mobile and gadgets.

According to Ian Ho, Regional Managing Director, Shopee, the e-commerce platform refreshes the Shop Malaysia Online initiative with a new theme weekly to keep things exciting for consumers. “By doing so, we are also effectively ensuring that we provide equal support to sellers from various sectors.”

To make it easier for Malaysians to identify homegrown sellers, Shopee has created the “Local Seller” tag, which will appear under all items sold by local businesses that qualify for Shop Malaysia Online.

“A lot of thought has gone into executing this PENJANA e-commerce initiative so people will keep coming back to support our local retailers. For instance, we introduce cashback vouchers that reward consumers when they complete a purchase from local retailers, thereby encouraging repeat purchases that drive sustained growth for our sellers and brands. That is how we keep the economy moving and this is highly beneficial to local sellers,” added Ho.

Vach Pillutla, Chief Executive Officer, Al-Ikhsan Sports Sdn Bhd views PENJANA as relevant and timely seeing as Covid-19 has impacted almost the entire retail sector including sporting goods. “The pandemic has challenged businesses to look for opportunities to grow beyond traditional models. In fact, we made a business decision to pivot from offline to purely online until MCO was lifted. This included moving our entire marketing investment, operations and social media activations to our e-commerce platform. Our efforts saw daily transactions grow by 20 times during the period. Even today, our e-commerce business continues to show healthy growth because e-commerce has unlocked a new consumer segment for us. So, setting up the Al-Ikhsan Official Store on Shopee Mall is a natural progression as we expand our e-commerce efforts. That, and our participation in Shop Malaysia Online, will give us a fantastic impetus. I believe this relationship between the no.1 multi brand sports retailer and no.1 e-commerce platform in Malaysia is a meeting of equals and a key pillar in our strategy to obtain a 10% e-commerce contribution to our overall business by end of 2021.”

Shop Malaysia Online follows another successful collaboration - the PENJANA Micro, SMEs (MSMEs) E-commerce Campaign which is the Government’s other PENJANA e-commerce initiative implemented by MDEC and Shopee that provides over RM1,500 in perks each for Malaysian MSMEs new to Shopee. It has since benefited over 38,000 sellers to date, with participating MSMEs recording an average uplift of 162% in their daily sales after joining the campaign.

Having participated in both the PENJANA e-commerce initiatives, local seller Gadget Velocity who joined Shopee only in June 2020 was able to achieve sales close to half a million Ringgit in August 2020 alone. Gan Poe Yee, Online Manager, Gadget Velocity attributed their sales increase to in-store vouchers, Coins Cashback and Free Shipping Programme that attracted customers to their store. “We were fortunate that we were eligible for the PENJANA e-commerce benefits which helped boost our orders. But we know that we cannot just rely on one-off assistance - we have to also do our part by upholding a high level of customer service through fast response and after sales service. All efforts combined is what helped us achieve a five-fold sales uplift as compared to when we first started on Shopee.”

Speaking on a panel session organised by Shopee in conjunction with the 9.9 Super Shopping Day, Prasad Babu, Head of Enablers & Demand Generation, E-commerce Division, MDEC said the PENJANA e-commerce initiatives have enabled local sellers to relook at their e-commerce approach and certainly on their way to becoming digitally-powered businesses. “MSMEs are stepping up to initiate their deals and promotions. They are now more receptive to exploring other digital solutions like Google and Facebook advertising to redirect traffic to their e-commerce stores. Therefore, the PENJANA e-commerce initiatives’ impact and results aren’t just about the sales figures or the number of new online sellers the initiatives have created so far, but how it has accelerated a greater digital economy growth which has proven to be a big win for us as a nation. To achieve greater heights, MDEC will continue its efforts to accelerate the digital leap for all Malaysian businesses and support them in their ability to compete with leading global brands present within and beyond our national borders.”

As the Shop Malaysia Online initiative enters its final leg, Shopee is ramping up its efforts to rally consumers to do their part and support Malaysian businesses for economic recovery. This includes a PENJANA platform takeover on 16 September in celebration of Malaysia Day. The e-commerce platform has also gone one step further to boost local sellers in the Shop Malaysia Online initiative via 9.9 million PENJANA vouchers that also bring greater savings for Shopee users.

Ho explained that this is in line with one of Shopee’s three key commitments for 9.9 Super Shopping Day. Aside from supercharging economic growth and recovery, Shopee will also strengthen its ecosystem to make buying and selling online even more easy and convenient while delivering a super shopping experience by bringing users the largest collection of entertainment and deals. From today till 9 September, Shopee will be adding more value to consumers by bringing down the minimum spend for free shipping to RM9, offering 50% off vouchers and RM9 deals daily during Shocking Sale. Malaysians also stand to win prizes worth up to RM99,000 through Shopee Games, including 9 units of Samsung Galaxy Note20 when they play Shopee Farm.

For a memorable countdown to 9.9, don’t miss the Shopee 9.9 Super Show featuring games, performances and acts by a star-studded lineup including Ernie Zakri, Dato' Aaron Aziz, Ayda Jebat, Alif Satar, Wany Hasrita and many more. Watch, play and win prizes on 8 September, from 9pm on Shopee Live, YouTube, Astro Prima and Hello. The Shopee 9.9 Super Show is brought to you by Drypers, Dettol, P&G, Friso, PediaSure, Nescafé and L'Oréal.

To Shop Malaysia Online, visit this site and to check out the 9.9 Super Shopping Day incentives, visit here.

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