Malaysia is poised for a digital revolution, and at the forefront of this transformation is a powerful combination: a world-leading 5G network and a collaborative program designed to unlock its potential for businesses.
Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) and Ericsson have joined forces to launch a groundbreaking initiative that will catalyze the digitalization of enterprises across Malaysia. This program, formalized through Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with industry leaders like eMooVit Technology, Scania, SKF Malaysia, and Intel, paves the way for advanced technologies to empower businesses of all sizes.
Leveraging World-class Infrastructure with Wide Coverage
Malaysia boasts one of the most impressive 5G networks globally, with over 80% population coverage and exceptional performance. This robust infrastructure, as Datuk Ahmad Zaki Zahid, DNB’s Chief Strategy Officer, highlights, positions Malaysia uniquely to accelerate its digital journey.
“The network already covers more than 80% of the population and has one of the best experiential and consistent performances in the world,” says Zahid. “To further drive the adoption of 5G amongst enterprises, DNB and Ericsson have initiated this program.”
Creating “Lighthouses” to Propel Digitization and Adoption
This program focuses on establishing “lighthouse” projects across key industries. These projects will showcase the transformative potential of 5G integration, acting as catalysts to inspire and guide widespread digitalization efforts.
Intel, a leading technology provider, brings its expertise to the table as a partner in this initiative. Ms. AK Chong, VP of Foundry Manufacturing & Supply Chain and Intel Malaysia MD, emphasizes the crucial role of 5G in driving industry transformation.
MoU signing ceremony. (From left to right) Mr David Hägerbro, Head of Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh; Mr Nunzio Mirtillo, Former Head of Market Area South East Asia Oceania and India; Mr Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Networks, Ericsson; Mr Andrés Vicente, Head of Market Area South East Asia, Oceania & India; Datuk Ahmad Zaki Zahid, DNB Chief Strategy Officer; Mr Börje Ekholm, Ericsson Group CEO; YB Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital; Tuan Ma Sivanesan, Deputy Secretary General (Strategic Policy), Ministry Of Digital; Mr Nasution Mohamed, Chief Operating Officer, Digital Nasional Berhad; Ms AK Chong, VP of Foundry Manufacturing & Supply Chain and Intel Malaysia; Dr. Hairi Zamzuri, CEO of eMooVit Technology; Ms Heba Eltarifi, Managing Director of Scania Southeast Asia; Mr Vignesh Sakthinathan, Managing Director of SKF Malaysia
“As 5G becomes a catalyst for industry transformation,” says Chong, “Intel’s technology is at the heart of this change, catalyzing AI at the edge and breaking down barriers in the 5G core space.”
The program focuses on developing customized solutions for various industries. Here are some exciting collaborations already underway:
eMooVit Technology: This collaboration will explore the use of 5G for autonomous vehicles, a technology with the potential to revolutionize urban transportation. Dr. Hairi Zamzuri, CEO of eMooVit, highlights the significance of this partnership: “This exciting collaboration with Ericsson will be key to bringing these solutions to life through enterprise adoption, and in the long-term, revolutionize urban transportation together.”
Scania: With Scania, the focus is on optimizing assembly lines and fleet management systems using 5G’s Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) capabilities. As Ms. Heba Eltarifi, Managing Director of Scania Southeast Asia, explains: “With 5G technology, Scania Malaysia aims to explore further optimizing our assembly and our fleet management system to deliver greater efficiency and effectiveness to our customers.”
SKF Malaysia: This collaboration will leverage 5G to enable wireless digitalization on the manufacturing shop floor. This will allow for real-time data collection and analysis, leading to increased efficiency and innovation. Mr. Vignesh Sakthinathan, Managing Director of SKF Malaysia, expresses his enthusiasm: “We are thrilled to embark on this journey… As the world’s leader in Bearing, Seals, Lubrication systems and technologies, SKF Malaysia’s manufacturing arm is committed to embracing digitalization to drive innovation and deliver value to our customers.”
This initiative by DNB and Ericsson, along with their industry partners, presents a significant leap forward for Malaysia’s digital transformation. By harnessing the power of 5G, businesses across the nation can unlock new levels of efficiency, productivity, and innovation. As David Hägerbro, Head of Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, concludes: “The digitalization of industries in Malaysia will enable the country to leapfrog as a Digital Nation. But they need to begin planning and investing in their digital journey now.”
Lenovo and Austral Techsmith, a leading provider of 5G smart pole technology, have announced a strategic partnership to empower Malaysian cities with next-generation video analytics capabilities. This collaboration integrates Lenovo’s ThinkEdge AI solution with Austral Techsmith’s 5G smart poles, marking a significant leap forward in smart city development.
Enhancing Smart Cities with Video Analytics with Lenovo’s ThinkEdge
Austral Techsmith’s 5G smart poles will now incorporate the robust ThinkEdge technology, equipping city authorities with unparalleled AI-powered video analytics. Designed for intelligent edge computing, the ThinkEdge SE50 is powered by the Intel® Core™ i7 vPro® processor, making it the ideal choice for advanced video analytics. This powerful combination delivers cutting-edge features and exceptional data processing performance.
Varinderjit Singh, Lenovo Malaysia’s General Manager, said, “We are excited to embark on this transformative journey with Austral Techsmith, as mobility is an essential part of the smart city blueprint for Malaysia. Together, we look forward to paving the way towards smarter and safer cities, by harnessing the power of AI video analytics.”
As Malaysia progresses towards a smarter and more connected future, video analytics technology plays a crucial role in addressing urban challenges. This solution analyzes vast amounts of video footage with precision, enabling efficient searches and the development of intelligent transportation systems for safer and more streamlined traffic management.
Real-Time Traffic Management: Reducing Congestion and Boosting Efficiency
Urbanization often leads to increased traffic congestion. The ThinkEdge SE50, equipped with mounting kits for lamp posts, facilitates traffic monitoring at congestion hotspots. This data allows for dynamic adjustments to traffic light control systems, ultimately reducing accidents and traffic jams.
Furthermore, the ThinkEdge SE50 boasts flexible IO ports, including four NICs on embedded compute nodes, for enhanced connectivity. This translates to superior real-time data collection, empowering informed decision-making and automation to streamline traffic flow and improve urban mobility.
Enhanced Safety Measures: Prompt Intervention and Evidence Collection
Engineered for minimal latency, the ThinkEdge SE50 brings increased processing power, storage, and networking capabilities directly to where data is generated. The system can detect dangerous situations in real-time, including unauthorized vehicles, wrong-way driving, erratic behavior, and accidents. This enables prompt intervention, accident prevention, and efficient evidence collection, fostering safer city environments.
“Austral Techsmith has been a key player in Malaysia’s ambitious 5G infrastructure expansion since 2022,” said Azfar Zubri, The Chief Executive Officer of Austral Techsmith. “Through our innovative ELAB solutions and comprehensive engineering services, we’ve significantly contributed to the nationwide telecommunications infrastructure. Our partnerships with Lenovo’s ThinkEdge devices integrated into our 5G smart pole solutions represent an instrumental collaboration in propelling the country’s 5G capabilities forward.”
Aligned with its commitment to social impact through innovation, Lenovo offers Austral Techsmith and its customers an attractive Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) option for ThinkEdge. This solution eliminates upfront costs, making cutting-edge technology more accessible and cost-effective for city councils and organizations looking to implement AI video analytics.
Lenovo works together with Austral Techsmith to innovate when it comes to smart cities and also video analytics thanks to the powerful Lenovo ThinkEdge SE50. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to AI powered solutions from Lenovo. To further explore the company’s offerings, visit the Lenovo ThinkEdge website or contact the Lenovo Malaysia Marketing Team Representative, Nicole Lim at hlim4@lenovo.com
HPE Aruba Networking is looking to set the bar higher for enterprise Wi-Fi with the launch of its new Wi-Fi 7 access points (APs). These next-generation solutions deliver up to 30% more capacity compared to competitors, ensuring seamless connectivity for demanding applications like AI and the ever-growing Internet of Things (IoT) landscape.
HPE Aruba Networking’s 730 series APs leverage the company’s proven track record as an industry leader proven by its 18-time Gartner Magic Quadrant leadership position. These new APs leverage patented ultra tri-band (UTB) hardware technology unlocking exceptional performance by optimizing both 5GHz and 6GHz bands. This helps eliminate channel interference for smoother data flow.
“As businesses embrace data-driven modernization, reliable, secure, and high-performance connectivity is crucial,” says Mark Ablett, Vice President of Asia Pacific and Japan at HPE Aruba Networking. “Our Wi-Fi 7 APs, managed by HPE Aruba Networking Central, empower organizations to achieve optimal network capabilities, bolster operational efficiency, and safeguard their digital environment.”
AI-ready IoT Integration
The HPE Aruba Networking 730 Series eliminates the need for separate IoT network overlays. Built-in support for a wide range of IoT protocols like Zigbee and Bluetooth, alongside dual USB interfaces, provides a secure and versatile platform for connecting an expanding array of devices at the network edge.
The surge in IoT devices presents a rich data source for AI training and analysis. HPE’s extensive ecosystem of over 350 technology partners empowers organizations to capture, secure, and leverage this data to generate real-time business insights and build robust AI data lakes. These insights can be used to fuel predictive maintenance, digital twin implementations, and personalized customer experiences.
“Today’s enterprises require optimized connectivity and smart investments in their wireless infrastructure,” says Chris DePuy, principal analyst at 650 Group. “Wi-Fi 7 delivers the processing power, flexibility, speed, reliability, and capacity organizations need to navigate the explosion of IoT devices, ubiquitous security demands, and backward compatibility with legacy equipment.”
Feature Rich, Secure and Sustainable
HPE Aruba Networking 730 Series APs bring more than just new technology to the table. It builds on the secure, reliable framework which has been a hallmark of HPE Aruba’s portfolio since its inception. The new 730 series promises enhanced performance with UTB filtering that eliminates channel interference for maximized performance and capacity. It also enables simultaneous utilization of both 5GHz and 6GHz bands.
Aside from this, the new routers come with advanced security. This allows admins tobetter manage access through policy-based access controls and Layer 7 application firewalls that build upon a robust security foundation. New features include link-level encryption (MACsec) for wired-level data protection on the AP and a personal wireless network mode for secure user device onboarding.
The new APs utilize HPE Aruba Networking Central’s IoT Operations dashboard. This simplifies device onboarding and removes the need for high-overhead vendor-specific overlays. The APs function as connectors and local processing elements for direct communication with third-party IoT services. They also come with dual dedicated Bluetooth and Zigbee radios that cater to high-density IoT environments. The built-in dual USB ports offer robust connectivity for diverse IoT devices using proprietary protocols. Integrated, non-permanent external antennas also optimize performance in challenging RF environments.
HPE Aruba’s 730 series APs come with Increased SDRAM and Flash memory compared to previous models. This allows application-specific containers to run on the APs themselves, streamlining data transmissions and enabling local processing for faster response to real-time conditions.
The 730 Series leverages the new Wi-Fi location standard for improved location-aware services with one-meter precision, ideal for real-time, immersive, and industrial use cases. It also supports the IEEE 802.11az standard and facilitates self-location networks. Additional features include a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, a barometric sensor for floor-level mapping, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.4 for bi-directional IoT location data to enhance user engagement and asset tracking.
The 730 series is built with sustainability in mind. The outlined features are further enhanced by an AI-powered dynamic power save mode. This allows organizations to be sustainability-oriented by reducing energy consumption.
Availability and Management
The HPE Aruba Networking 730 Series Access Points will be generally available globally in July 2024 and come with a limited lifetime warranty. Management is facilitated through HPE Aruba Networking Central, offered as a subscription, either as a standalone SaaS solution or included as part of an HPE GreenLake (NaaS) subscription via the HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform.
Samsung just kicked off its 2024 Southeast Asia Tech Seminar in Bangkok, Thailand, showcasing its latest and greatest TVs that are packed with cutting-edge AI features. This isn’t your average “turn the TV on” situation – we’re talking smarter pictures, sharper sound, and even some cool lifestyle features you won’t find anywhere else.
Building on their 18-year reign as the go-to TV brand, Samsung is all about bringing that “Screens Everywhere, Screens for All” vision to life. Remember those amazing TVs it showed off in Frankfurt back in February? Well, the company showed them off along with some new lifestyle products that are sure to turn heads.
So, what exactly is all this AI buzz about? Let’s dive into the highlights:
Neo QLED 8K Gets a Brainy Boost: Brace yourselves for mind-blowing visuals! The 2024 Neo QLED 8K boasts the all-new NQ8 AI Gen3 Processor. Imagine this: 512 neural networks (that’s eight times more than the previous version!) working together to deliver the most vivid and precise picture you’ve ever seen. Plus, features like 8K AI Upscaling Pro and AI Motion Enhancer Pro take things a step further, ensuring everything you watch looks smoother and sharper than ever before.
OLED Gets Glare-Free: Samsung’s 2024 OLED TV upscales content to a stunning 4K resolution, powered by the NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor. But here’s the real kicker: they’ve also introduced OLED Glare Free technology. Certified by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), this innovative tech cuts down on-screen reflection, letting you enjoy your favourite shows and movies without any annoying distractions.
Music Frame: Your Frame, Your Speaker: This one’s pretty cool. Imagine a picture frame that doubles as a speaker. That’s the Music Frame! Pop in a photo you love, hang it on the wall and enjoy high-quality sound that blends seamlessly with your décor. Plus, you can even pair it with another Music Frame for a true stereo experience.
Security Matters: Samsung hasn’t forgotten about security. Their Knox technology, now applied to Samsung TVs, has achieved a “Common Criteria” certification recognized by 31 countries. This means your TV is even more secure in terms of software and hardware, keeping your information safe and sound.
“We’re thrilled to showcase these cutting-edge AI TV technologies at the Tech Seminar,” said Yongjae Kim, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “It’s not just about the tech – it’s about giving our customers the best possible viewing experience and making sure their information is always protected.”
So, whether you’re a die-hard movie buff or just looking for a smarter way to watch your favourite shows, Samsung’s latest AI-powered TVs are definitely worth checking out. Keep an eye out for more details on these innovative new products!
Touch ‘n Go eWallet is one of Malaysia’s largest eWallets. Just recently, TNG Digital (TNGD), the company operating the eWallet, unveiled plans to become an integrated fintech company – one of the first in Malaysia. TNGD is well on the way to achieving its goals with the introduction of services like GOPinjam, GOInvest and even GOProtect.
That said, one of its most successful features is the introduction of cross-border transactions in over 40 countries including Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Japan. This is made possible with Alipay+’s integration with Touch N’ Go eWallet. The feature has arguably changed the way Malaysians travel overseas especially when it comes to transacting online. However, with the sharp increase of Malaysians travelling ever since borders reopened, TNGD has noticed a need for the company to be a little more pragmatic with its approach to cross-border transactions, particularly QR transactions.
As such, starting April 25, 2024, cross-border QR transactions using Touch ‘n Go eWallet will be charged a nominal 1% transaction fee. According to the announcement by TNGD, the fee will be factored into the daily exchange rate in the app. The daily exchange rate will be shown in real time before each transaction. So, if you’re in the U.S. and the daily exchange rate is RM1 to USD0.209659, it will be reflected as RM1 to USD0.20756241 inclusive of the 1% fee.
CEO of TNGD, Alan Ni, addressed the issue in a statement saying, “Although it has always been an industry standard for credit and debit cards as well as other eWallets to charge the overseas transaction conversion fee, we have subsidised these costs in the past to promote the cross-border payment feature on TNG eWallet. However, with the increase in overseas travel, we understand the need to ensure our business sustains in the long run. We are committed to continue to provide a seamless cross-border payments to our users. We have partnered with international businesses to create a strong network of merchants in over 40 countries, making it easy to use TNG eWallet for payments outside Malaysia.”
This article is contributed by Joanne Weng, Sales Director at Synology
In today’s digital age, backup solutions are more critical than ever before. Businesses of all sizes must ensure that their data is secure and easily recoverable in case of data loss or cyberattacks. One of the most commonly cited backup rules is the 3-2-1 rule, which suggests having at least three copies of data stored in two different formats, with one copy stored offsite. While this serves as a solid foundation for a backup strategy, it may not always be practical or feasible for all businesses.
Should we follow the golden rule of 3-2-1 backup?
The golden rule has its limitations, especially for small businesses with limited resources. Implementing a complete backup solution can be costly, as it requires additional hardware and offsite storage solutions. According to a 2021 report from Databarracks, “implementing the 3-2-1 backup rule is becoming more expensive, with the cost of storage and cloud services rising by around 10% over the past year” (Source: TechRepublic).
For SMBs, prioritizing practicality in your office’s data protection plan is crucial, and identifying a suitable solution for your business is paramount. According to a survey by ITProPortal, 40% of small businesses do not have any data backup solution in place. Moreover, 34% of businesses have experienced data loss due to hardware failure or human error, and 25% have experienced data loss due to cyberattacks. Hence, the primary concern here is to implement this data protection strategy seamlessly and initiate it as swiftly as possible.
Reasons why small businesses don’t backup
Let’s delve into the reasons why SMBs often lack proper backup solutions. As previously mentioned, one of the primary limitations of backup is its cost. Budgetary constraints are consistently a major concern for most businesses. Backups might be perceived as both time-consuming and expensive due to hardware costs, recurring software license fees, and maintenance expenses.
Furthermore, constructing and managing a robust backup solution also demands significant effort, which many SMBs are unable to allocate. A dedicated IT team for setting up the necessary infrastructure is often lacking, leading to the outsourcing of such tasks.
Lastly, the recent adoption of hybrid working has resulted in office data scattered across different platforms and devices. This situation makes data centralization and management initially cumbersome. Additionally, data migration in such cases can give rise to security risks.
Backup solution with compatibility, capacity, and value cost
To overcome these challenges, small businesses need a data protection solution that facilitates scalable backup appliances, simplifies IT deployment and maintenance, as well as offers flexibility and secure integration across various platforms and devices.
Synology backup solutions are ideal for businesses, offering both on-premise and cloud-based backup solutions to cater diverse business needs. These solutions come with three key advantages: compatibility, capacity, and value cost. Unlike traditional backup appliances, there is no need to select corresponding backup software based on varying endpoint requirements and software compatibility. Synology’s hybrid-cloud provides a centralized backup appliance that spans across platforms, along with scalable storage. Utilizing enterprise-grade technologies such as global deduplication and changed block tracking (CBT), maximized storage efficiency with simplicity.
Moreover, the backup software licenses cover everything, from folder-level and bare-metal backups to VM and SaaS backups, and all of this is available at no cost—100% free. Synology’s public cloud backup service adopts a pricing method that only calculates storage space, instead of the number of devices or employees. This transparent pricing approach ensures there are no hidden costs associated with the backup package, setting it apart from other solutions available in the market.
Backup is not that hard: Deployment sizing recommendations for different usages
So, considering all the mentioned benefits, let’s focus on practicality: What is the ideal backup setup for small to medium businesses? Here are three recommended sizing for different segments of usage scenarios.
Smaller-sized businesses and startups
Starting from smaller-sized businesses, such as startups with around 30 employees. These companies require endpoint and SaaS backup capabilities to safeguard the data of their remote-working staff. Additionally, they might require storage scalability to accommodate future needs. Given that these businesses often lack dedicated IT personnel to formulate a comprehensive backup strategy, Synology’s Plus Series 4-bay or above model with cloud storage backup will be the most suitable solution.
For this context, the best approach is to employ Synology’s Active Backup for Business. This tool enables the automatic backup of office data from PCs, servers, and SaaS accounts (like Microsoft 365) to centralize all the data on the NAS. To further enhance the layers of protection for this centralized data, Hyper Backup can be adopted. This solution facilitates backing up the NAS, along with all its configurations, to options such as external hard drives, public clouds, or another Synology NAS device.
What’s more, the user-friendly intuitive UI, coupled with the setup wizard, allows the staff to easily set up the system. The powerful hybrid protection strategy comes at a cost comparable to that of protecting a set of individual PCs, making it undeniably a cost-effective backup plan.
Medium-sized businesses
Moving on, for a company size of around 200 employees, the deployment approach remains comparable to the one previously mentioned; however, a larger company size introduces additional factors, such as the need to back up virtual machines and the necessity for faster access speeds and greater storage capacity due to the increased scale. Normally, businesses of this size would have an IT team for handling backup tasks, Yet, given the larger number of devices to be backed up, challenges arise in terms of cross-platform deployment and ongoing maintenance.
This is where Synology’s comprehensive backup software setups in to provide assistance. It not only supports almost all the common platforms in SMBs IT infrastructure but also provides a central management portal. Thus, Synology emerges as the most fitting choice for SMBs.
Similar to the Startups package, here we would recommend 8-bay or above Plus Series models along with C2 Storage for the data protection plan. This package could cover all the backup-needed platforms, and the storage can be easily expanded by providing flexibility in expansion in the future.
SMEs or Larger-Scale Corporations
Lastly, when considering larger companies, such as SMEs with approximately 1000 employees, the pain point would be similar to what SMBs face, but enterprises would require more complicated management due to the significantly larger number of devices. Furthermore, these enterprises would need more immediate recovery to minimize downtime. To meet the critical requirements in enterprises require, we can provide the corresponding one-stop backup solution with multiple-layer protection.
The highly scalable 2U rack models paired with Cloud backup prove to be an optimal choice. and in consideration of the recovery time requirement, it would be great to have another on-prem NAS for disaster recovery solutions so that enterprises can utilize Snapshot Replication for instant recovery. Even for large-scale enterprises, Synology would still become the best choice with flexible data protection deployment, including on-prem, cloud, and an extra DR site.
In conclusion, while the 3-2-1 backup rule is an essential starting point, it may not be enough to meet all business backup needs. Synology offers flexible backup solutions that can help businesses achieve reliable and cost-effective backups that suit their unique needs and risks. By taking a holistic approach to backup and regularly testing backup systems, businesses can ensure that their data is secure and easily recoverable in case of data loss or cyberattacks.
Samsung announced its brand new Galaxy A series only weeks ago. One of the biggest upgrades when it comes to the Galaxy A55 is its system on a chip (SoC)- the Exynos 1480. However, there wasn’t much known about the SoC until now. The new Exynos 1480 is Samsung’s Foundry’s new midrange hero when it comes to processors.
The new processor is built using Samsung’s new 4nm process. This has resulted in the processor being more power efficient and also more power than the Exynos 1380 before it. The new 1480 is an octacore comes with a new configuration of four Cortex-A78 cores clocked at 2.75GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2.0GHz. This setup of four performance cores (Cortex-A78) and four efficiency cores (Cortex-A55) allows the processor to deliver better performance at lower power drains and also keep base power drains at lower level than before. This lends itself to better battery life and better overall performance.
The Exynos 1480 is Samsung’s first midrange Exynos chip to come with the Xclipse graphics system. The Xclipse 530 GPU on the SoC uses AMD’s RDNA architecture. Although, it’s not clear if it’s using RDNA2 or RDNA3 as the website only states that its using the “latest mobile RDNA architecture”. The new Xclipse 530 GOU boasts a 53% performance improvement over the previous generation. It also supports ray tracing (variable rate shading) and supersampling (super resolution). This promises better gaming and graphical performance in devices using the Exynos 1480.
On device AI is becoming increasingly more important for devices regardless of whether they are flagships, midrange or entry-level. To that end, the Exynos 1480 is coming with an improved AI Engine that runs on an enhanced NPU. This combination is responsible for a near 4x improvement of NPU performance over its predecessor. This feature also helps reinforce the security of your data on your device as it reduces the need for data to leave the device to be processed. It also results in smoother, more fluid AI functions.
The new processor also comes with a 5G modem that supports both mmWave and sub-6GHz bandwidths. It boasts a download theorectical maximum download speed of up to 5.1Gbps which is twice the speed as the previous generation. It also supports WiFi 6E (ax), Bluetooth 5.3 LE and GNSS positioning.
When it comes to image processing, the Exynos 1480 comes has a pretty capable ISP (image singal processor). It supports up to 200-megapixel in single camera mode, a single 64-megapixel at camera with 4K video record at 30fps or dual camera setup with dual 32-megapixel sensors that support 4K recording at 60fps. Display-wise, it supports a Full HD+ display with a max refresh rate of 144 Hz. It also supports high speed RAM with the LPDDR4x and LPDDR5.
So far, only the Samsung Galaxy A55 is using the smartphone. It won’t be surprising to see the processor make it to more devices as the year progresses.
In recent years, rapid technological advancement and shifting societal needs have evolved the educational landscape significantly. Technology now plays an integral part in revolutionising traditional learning methods, offering new avenues to enhance teaching and learning modes.
Schools must comprehend and effectively utilise technology to fully harness its benefits. In line with this, Malaysia’s Ministry of Education (MoE) has introduced the Digital Education Policy, which aims to seamlessly integrate digital technology into the learning environment, cultivating a generation of digital-savvy students and educators.
However, the key to effective technology-based learning and teaching lies in schools’ adept approach to integrating technology with the right strategies. It’s not just about adding new gadgets or software in classrooms; rather, it’s about thoughtful planning and implementation to ensure technology enhances educational outcomes.
What Does Digital Strategy for Schools Mean?
A digital strategy for schools encompasses a holistic plan that outlines how technology will be leveraged to elevate and transform various aspects of the educational process. It involves strategically integrating digital tools, resources, and technologies into the education ecosystem to refine teaching methods, enrich student learning experiences, streamline administrative processes, and foster a future-ready learning environment.
Central to this approach is identifying specific goals and objectives of the institution, understanding the needs of educators and students, and aligning technology initiatives to address them effectively.
Preparing Schools for a Comprehensive Digital Strategy
As we embrace a new era in education, preparing schools for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow has become a paramount priority. Key components of a digital strategy for schools include:
Infrastructure and Technology Integration
A robust IT infrastructure stands as the cornerstone of any successful digital strategy within educational institutions. It requires essential hardware such as computers, tablets, and interactive displays, alongside establishing a secure, high-speed network, to effectively support digital initiatives in schools. Investing in technology can be costly; however, teaming up with technology vendors like Lenovo, who provide device seeding for cutting-edge products like the Lenovo K14 G2 Intel-powered by the Intel® Core™ i7 U Series processor (13th Gen), can help.
Technology integration must also go beyond device presence, strategically including digital tools across classrooms and administrative functions. From interactive whiteboards to educational software, schools should purposefully integrate technology to improve teaching methods and student learning.
Digital Literacy Development for Educators
For digital strategies to be successful, educators must be empowered with the necessary skills and knowledge to utilize technology in classrooms effectively. Digital literacy development initiatives are essential in providing teachers with the confidence and expertise to integrate digital tools into their teaching methodologies.
As a trusted partner in the transformation journey, Lenovo has established the Lenovo EdVision Community program in Malaysia to hone technological literacy and digital skills among students while providing resources and support for teachers to prepare them for a more digital educational landscape. Our program offers IT-enablement product training and webinars for teachers, along with easy-to-use total education solutions encompassing hardware, software, and services to ensure a seamless education experience. Malaysian teachers can register on the Edvision Community website to be part of the community for free.
When teachers are well-prepared, they can craft engaging, and dynamic learning experiences tailored to meet the needs of 21st-century learners.
Collaboration and Communication
Digital strategies should prioritize seamless communication and collaboration among students, teachers, parents, and school staff. Technology tools like virtual classrooms and parent-teacher communication platforms facilitate real-time communication and promote engagement.
Furthermore, strategies should extend collaboration beyond schools by leveraging technology to connect with experts and resources globally.
By adopting these digital strategies, schools can equip students with the essential skills and competencies needed to excel in a technology-driven society.
Generative AI or GenAI has gone from being buzzwords to a mainstay in most people’s work and life. However, not everyone knows how to leverage Gen AI fully. As a matter of fact, it wouldn’t be too farfetched to say that only a handful of people using Gen AI know how to fully utilize it. It’s with this backdrop and the increasing dissenting voice against leveraging Gen AI technologies that Coursera saw fit to launch Gen AI Academy to better inform and educate people to leverage the possibilities that open up with Gen AI.
Coursera’s Gen AI Academy offers courses that cover the basics and more advanced knowledge sets. This has been differentiated into GenAI Academy for Everyone and GenAI Academy for Executives. The former allows you to get the basics, the core principles of Generative AI, its applications and the impact it can have. It will teach you how to leverage Gen AI better for productivity and innovation. On the other hand, Gen AI Academy for Executives builds on the basics and allows team leaders and managers to understand the subject matter better, allowing them to navigate and lead teams around complex matters such as ethics and strategic applications of Gen AI in achieving their team goals.
You know that saying, “Those who can’t do, teach”? That doesn’t apply to Coursera. The company has been developing features and tools for both learners and teachers that leverage this emerging tech. These new experiences, not only make learning more accessible, it also simplifies and optimises workflows.
Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera, demonstrating the Course Builder tool during a presentation at the GenAI Academy launch in Malaysia
Coursera’s Course Builder leverages Generative AI to help develop customized courses. The tool helps author and customise courses based on prompts from the user. These prompts can be used to develop everything from course structure, course descriptions, readings, assignments and even glossaries. It will even help authors leverage the modules that are already available from Coursera’s participating world-class industry and academic partners.
Together with this, Coursera is also introducing Coursera Coach in beta. This tool will be available to Coursera for Business, Coursera for Government and Coursera Plus users. It leverages Gen AI to assist in learning. It will be able to provide personalized feedback, answer questions and provide lecture summaries and resources to help users learn. It can even communicate in the local language. Coursera has also made learning more accessible by translating more than 4,400 courses in Simplified Chinese.
Coursera’s GenAI Academy isn’t just launching now. It launched earlier in the year but is now being made available to Malaysia with some localisations and translations to make the courses more accessible. The courses offered in Gen AI Academy are developed in collaboration with industry leaders like AWS, Microsoft, IBM and Google as well as leading education institutions. This lineup with Coursera’s lofty goals to help Malaysia address the emerging need for Generative AI adeptness in the workforce. Upskilling and training to leverage emerging technologies will be crucial for the growth of Malaysia’s Digital Economy.
This article is contributed by Ms. Joanne Weng, Sales Director at Synology
In today’s business landscape, managing extensive amounts of data has become crucial for enterprises across various industries. Whether optimizing manufacturing operations, analyzing consumer behaviour in retail, safeguarding financial data, or dealing with rapid data growth in the media sector, the challenges of data management persist. To address these challenges effectively, businesses must seek cost-efficient solutions that offer scalability, ease of use, and robust security measures.
Synology, a leading provider of data management solutions, presents a comprehensive approach to addressing the demands of data storage and protection. Leveraging insights gained from serving over 150,000 clients worldwide, Synology offers tailored solutions that precisely meet the needs of businesses in Malaysia. Here are three crucial aspects for evaluating costs when implementing massive storage solutions:
1. Scalability: Anticipate Data Growth Patterns
Businesses must assess their current storage needs and anticipate future growth to select appropriate hardware without overspending. Synology identifies two main types of companies—those with substantial existing data or clear estimates of future storage needs for the next 3-5 years, and those with limited current data and uncertain growth rates, requiring gradual capacity expansion based on actual needs.
2. Ease of use: Prioritize Ease of Management and Software Integration
After selecting hardware to accommodate future data growth, businesses must also assess software compatibility and user-friendliness for both current and prospective IT operations and maintenance.
Numerous businesses opt for large-scale storage devices as their file servers or centralized data repositories for endpoint protection. These solutions necessitate diverse management features, login mechanisms, and platforms for user access or backup services. Nonetheless, not all solutions seamlessly integrate hardware and software, and some may incur additional licensing or subscription expenses, which can accumulate over time.
Synology tackles this challenge by crafting user-friendly data management and protection software applications, specifically designed to streamline the learning process for IT professionals. Furthermore, these applications come bundled with Synology’s hardware purchase, offering both budget flexibility and alternative deployment options for businesses.
3. Robust security measures: Ensure Comprehensive Data protection
Lastly, when storing large and critical data volumes, businesses must ensure the security mechanisms to prevent breaches or loss due to accidents or malicious attacks. Synology emphasizes two key aspects: hardware availability and data protection measurements.
Businesses should consider whether the solution offers high availability mechanisms, multi-path redundancy, and support for Out-of-Band Management for remote access. Additionally, comprehensive backup solutions and advanced security features like Synology offers, Write Once Read Many (WORM) and immutable backup technology, are imperative to meet evolving cybersecurity requirements.
Toyota Motor Vietnam Selects Synology As Its Data Management Partner
The partnership between Toyota Motor Vietnam (TMV) and Synology serves as a testament to the highlighted benefits of implementing Synology’s solutions. By upgrading its data storage system to a petabyte scale, TMV enhances operational efficiency, data recovery capabilities, and system stability while significantly reducing data protection costs.
“Synology’s storage solution has increased our business resilience” Mr Bui Ta Hoan, Head of Information Technology at TMV, attests to the effectiveness of Synology’s storage solution in enhancing operational efficiency and data protection. Through Synology’s technology, TMV ensures continuous production line operation, secures sensitive data and achieves substantial cost savings.
In an era driven by data, businesses in global as well as Malaysia require robust and cost-effective solutions to manage their expanding data volumes efficiently. Synology offers a comprehensive suite of solutions tailored to address the unique challenges faced by enterprises across various sectors, empowering them to thrive in the digital age.
