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Contributed

AI and Environmental Sustainability – A Symbiotic Relationship

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Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) promises to be more transformative than any other technology in recent memory, with the power it possesses to give rise to new industries and professions while propelling the global economy toward a new era of prosperity. Demand for data processing is expected to grow exponentially with AI as data is essential to how AI systems learn and make decisions. AI’s ability to turn mountains of data into insights requires compute power, making data centre performance critical to our ability to leverage this transformative technology.

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Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

As with any generational technology, there will be challenges – especially the environmental impact of AI due to the energy and data centre resources required to run larger computing models. While organisations seek to embrace the many benefits of AI, they are also keenly aware of making progress toward their sustainability goals. Data centre energy use and emissions would probe serious issues towards high carbon footprint but when approached mindfully, AI infrastructure development and adoption in data centres can provide a path to more sustainable operations.

As experts in data and IT infrastructure, Dell Technologies believes sustainability will be integral to the success of AI technology through an organisation’s commitment to help offset the environmental impact of AI and harness the potential of AI to support climate-related solutions.

Generated with Co Pilot Digital Sustainability
Generated with Microsoft Copilot

While AI requires significant compute power, it currently represents a small fraction of IT’s global energy consumption. To manage AI’s growing carbon footprint, data centre operators must embrace sustainable data centre investments and practices. Data centre energy use remained stable over the last decade (around 1% of global electricity demand according to the International Energy Agency), even with growing technology workloads and traffic. To offset the environmental impact of AI, greater control over data centre energy consumption is increasingly becoming a top priority, and there are tools available to do this:

  • Minimise AI’s carbon footprint through modern, energy-efficient servers and storage devices, and environmentally responsible cooling methods, while powering data centres with renewable energy. At Dell, we prioritise running larger data models in our data centres that are powered by 100% renewable energy.
  • Right-size AI workloads and data centre economics. While some organisations will benefit from larger general-purpose large language models (LLMs), many organisations only require domain- or enterprise-specific implementations. Right-sizing compute requirements and infrastructure can support greater data centre efficiency. And, flexible “pay as you go” spending models can also help organisations save on data centre costs while supporting sustainable IT infrastructure.
  • Responsibly retire inefficient hardware to optimise data centre performance and energy consumption, while reducing e-waste and keeping recycled materials in use longer.  

AI solutions to environmental challenges

As sustainable data centres can help to offset AI’s carbon footprint, this technology can also be used to track and analyse massive amounts of data to ultimately address some of our planet’s biggest challenges, such as climate change, pollution and deforestation. For example, Dell is helping Siemens build smarter buildings with AI. Siemens helps customers reduce their buildings’ carbon footprints by leveraging edge and AI technologies to address building performance issues, like optimising HVAC systems, predicting energy demand and identifying energy leaks in real time.

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Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

AI can be used to optimise energy grids, design more efficient transportation systems and develop new ways to capture and store carbon dioxide. The University of Cambridge and Dell collaborated to support advanced and sustainable research through AI. By providing powerful, energy-efficient supercomputing to scientists and organisations, the University of Cambridge drives breakthroughs in innovation that rely on AI. This solution not only enables AI to process enormous volumes of data more quickly, but it does so more efficiently, with less power consumed.

Within data centre operations, AI can be used to improve monitoring and workload placement to optimise efficiency and reduce energy costs. There is no “either/or” decisions, rather efficient data centre infrastructure is integral to AI’s evolution. For this to succeed, advocates and organisations must see sustainability as a vital part of AI computing infrastructure. According to IDC, the number one sustainability priority for IT planning and procurement among IT decisionmakers is reducing data centre energy consumption [i]. At the intersection of sustainability and business priorities, AI can support environmental stewardship at the same time it drives digital transformation. 

Leading by example

Drawing the narrative closer to home – Malaysia continues to be a preferred choice for data centres in ASEAN. As the data centre market continues to expand in Asia, Malaysia’s data centre market demands continue to be on the rise as the country is expected to receive 2.25 billion USD by 2028. Meanwhile, the nation is determined to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 – driven by a vision of a low-carbon future highlighted by various national policies such as the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), Hydrogen Economy and Technology Roadmap (HETR) and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act 2023 (EECA).

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Key Highlights from Dell’s Sustainability Efforts per the corporate website

Technology has an important role in addressing environmental challenges. Dell aims to move the industry forward both through modernising data centre technology and modelling the “both/and” benefits of sustainable data centres. We have ambitious goals and we also see the immense benefits AI can bring to protecting our planet. While working to offset the environmental impact of AI, we will also innovate to develop solutions that leverage the power of AI to address some of our biggest environmental challenges.

[i] IDC: Which Circularity Criteria Are Driving IT Planning and Procurement?, Doc , May 2023

Business, Contributed

Why Small Businesses Don’t Backup: Exploring Limitations and Solutions for Data Protection

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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).

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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.

Synology Advertorial Pic 1

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

Synology Advertorial Pic 2

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.

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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.

Business, Contributed

Empowering Schools for The Digital Age

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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.

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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:

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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.

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Unlocking Cost-Effective Data Management Solutions with Synology

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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.

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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.

Synology Products

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.

Toyota Selects Synology

“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.

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Work With What You’ve Got To Streamline Operations

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This article is contributed by Varinderjit Singh, General Manager at Lenovo Malaysia.

Those of us in the manufacturing industry have already come to terms with a difficult truth: manufacturing output is set to shrink by 3.2% this year. Stringent regulations and decreased consumer demand are proving very trying in a recessionary environment.

And many manufacturers still find themselves short-staffed. They are tasked with doing more with less. Upping output without the talent and financial resources they relied on in the past.

I see only one way forward: doing whatever we possibly can to create a streamlined working environment. Organizations that get hung up on what they don’t have will fall behind. Smart organizations think laterally. They understand that they have the means to effect change on their environments. And that seemingly small changes quickly add up.

Creating a streamlined, productive environment is the way forward. Increasing operational efficiency has never been as crucial as it is at this moment in time. Organizations that take action to create this kind of environment now will reap the rewards and come out stronger.

The three building blocks of an efficient environment

1.    Making the most of your assets with IT and OT convergence

As a reminder, IT is Information Technology, tools that process data. OT is Operational Technology, tools for managing physical assets. IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) technology can bring IT and OT together. With IIoT tools like smart sensors, digital twins, and machine learning, physical assets come to life in the IT space. When leadership can see crucial data and insights on how machines are doing, they can ensure that they make the most of them. A great example of a product that can assist with making the most of your assets through IT convergence is the ThinkPad® X1 Carbon Gen 11, powered by Intel® Core™ i5-1335U processor (13th Gen), built for what IT needs and users want.

Lenovo byline Work with What you Have

Utility consumption monitoring is a great example of the benefits of converged IT and OT. Electricity, water, and gas make up a significant part of any manufacturer’s budget. Sensors on the factory floor can detect when a process consumes more power than necessary. This data is then acted on in real time – and the process is automatically adjusted until it’s optimal. For example, temperature and water use can automatically be controlled to create an environment that supports efficient energy use. Where equipment needs to be warmer to operate, they can automatically be switched on when the time’s exactly right – eliminating the wastage that comes with guessing the wrong timing. Sensors that detect compressed-air leaks allows leadership to act before more energy goes to waste.

The cumulative savings tend to make a profound difference to utility bills. Even better: IIoT helps manufacturers get closer to their ESG goals and safeguard the environment.

2. Staying a step ahead with predictive maintenance

The technological advances in predictive maintenance are some of the most exciting I’ve seen in my career. Instead of waiting for machines to break down, we can now proactively prevent them from reaching a state of disrepair. There’s now no reason for manufacturers to be wrong-footed by ‘cranky’ or ‘moody’ machinery.

In order to reap the benefits of predictive maintenance, manufacturers need to have the right solutions in place. High-quality sensors, reliable and fast connectivity, and servers that can process asset data and allow it to be analyzed, fast.

Naturally, I’m a big advocate of Lenovo’s ThinkEdge servers, powered by Intel® and enabled by AI. These servers have the processing power required to make quick work of asset data. They are rugged and sturdy and can withstand extreme temperatures, dust, and vibration. My clients store these servers on the floor, close to where data is generated. This reduces latency between data collection and a resulting insight – allowing leadership to act fast when an AI alerts them of a potential issue or a worrisome trend.

3. Keep quality high with virtual inspection

In manufacturing, high-quality products are what we live for, and inspection is a crucial process for any manufacturer. More and more, I’m seeing manual quality assurance become a thing of the past.

Continuous, virtual inspection means that manufacturers can track every process, part, and final product. If a quality issue arises on the floor, IIoT technology means that a real-time notification will trigger necessary corrective actions for related processes or down-the-line tasks – including dynamically adjusting product runs.

This kind of intelligent inspection leads to time and money saved. Fixing potential issues before they lead to defective products is obviously much less costly than tossing out goods that are not up to standard. But it’s more than that: a smart factory floor with integrated IT and OT means that AI is continuously learning to improve and streamline processes. This allows manufacturers to create products they can be proud of, keeping their customer experiences high while boosting their productivity. It’s a win-win.

Business, Contributed

Increase Productivity for Production and Manufacturing Processes

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This article is contributed by Varinderjit Singh, General Manager at Lenovo Malaysia

Production and manufacturing processes are becoming more complex and demanding as customers expect higher quality, lower cost, and faster delivery of products. To meet these challenges, manufacturers need to leverage the power of advanced technologies, such as high-performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence (AI), and spatial computing. In this article, we will explore how a workstation can increase productivity for production and manufacturing processes by using spatial computing solutions, data science and client AI solutions, NVIDIA Omniverse, and remote workstation solutions. Examples of noteworthy workstation options include the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 G2, Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Tower and the Lenovo ThinkStation P620 Tower operating on Windows 11 Pro. Use Windows 11 Pro for Workstations to blaze through workloads with lag-free multitasking across your most demanding applications.

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Spatial Computing Solutions

Spatial computing is a technology that can digitize the spatial relationships between machines, people, objects, and environments, and enable and optimize their operations and interactions. Spatial computing can help manufacturers with product design, quality control, safety, and efficiency. For example, spatial computing can enable digital twins, which are virtual replicas of physical assets or processes that can be used for simulation, testing, and optimization. Spatial computing can also facilitate augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications, which can enhance the visualization and collaboration of design and engineering teams, as well as provide immersive training and guidance for workers. A workstation that can handle spatial computing tasks should have a powerful GPU, a large memory, and a high-resolution display. A possible choice is the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Mobile Workstation, which has an NVIDIA® RTX 5000 Ada graphics card, an Intel® Core™ i9-13950HX processor, and up to 192GB of memory.

Data Science and Client AI Solutions

Data science and client AI solutions can help manufacturers analyze and utilize the vast amounts of data generated by production and manufacturing processes, such as sensor data, quality data, customer data, and market data. Data science and client AI solutions can help manufacturers with demand forecasting, inventory management, process optimization, anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, and customer satisfaction. For example, data science and client AI solutions can help manufacturers create and fine-tune foundation models, which are large and versatile AI models that can perform multiple tasks, such as natural language processing, computer vision, speech recognition, and more. Data science and client AI solutions can also help manufacturers interact with and explore data through conversational interfaces, visualizations, and summarizations. A workstation that can handle data science and client AI tasks should have a fast and reliable processor, a large and expandable memory, and a flexible and scalable storage system. A possible choice is the Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Tower Workstation, which has a 13th Gen Intel® Core™ processor, up to 128GB of memory, and up to 32TB of storage.

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NVIDIA Omniverse

NVIDIA Omniverse is a platform that enables the creation and operation of complex, AI-enabled virtual environments, or digital twins, for factory and warehouse design. These virtual replicas facilitate real-time collaboration among teams and are the key to unleashing operational efficiencies with predictive analysis and process automation. NVIDIA Omniverse allows manufacturers to import and export data from various sources, such as CAD tools, simulation software, and IoT devices, and create realistic and interactive simulations of production and manufacturing scenarios. NVIDIA Omniverse also supports ray tracing, physics, and sound rendering, which can enhance the quality and realism of the virtual environments. A workstation that can handle NVIDIA Omniverse tasks should have a powerful graphics card, a high-performance CPU, and a large memory. A possible choice is the Lenovo ThinkStation P620 Tower Workstation, which has up to 64 cores CPU, a 10Gb Ethernet port, and plenty of storage capabilities.

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Remote Workstation Solutions

Remote workstation solutions can help manufacturers access their physical workstations from virtually anywhere with rich graphics acceleration via leading remote visualization tools. Remote workstation solutions can help manufacturers with remote design, engineering, and collaboration, as well as reduce the cost and maintenance of physical workstations. Remote workstation solutions can also provide security and compliance features, such as encryption, authentication, and auditing. A workstation that can handle remote workstation tasks should have a low-latency frame encode, accelerated desktop capture, headless graphics support, and leading pro-ISV certifications, like the majority of the Workstations from Lenovo. The Lenovo remote TGX solution is the best way to connect to your Workstation cluster from anywhere in the world.

Wrap up

A workstation can increase productivity for production and manufacturing processes by using various technologies, such as spatial computing, data science and client AI, NVIDIA Omniverse, and remote workstation solutions. These technologies can help manufacturers improve their design, engineering, simulation, production, and collaboration workflows, as well as reduce their costs, risks, and environmental impact. A workstation that can support these technologies should have a combination of hardware and software features, such as a powerful GPU, a fast CPU, large memory, flexible storage, and a reliable network. Lenovo offers a range of workstation solutions that can meet the needs of different production and manufacturing scenarios, such as the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Intel (16″) Mobile Workstation, the Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Tower Workstation, the Lenovo ThinkStation P620 Tower Workstation, and the TGX Remote Workstation.

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Navigating the Transformation Paths in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) Industry

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This article is contributed by Márton Kiss, Vice President of Product Success at Graphisoft

Today, the once-solid blueprints of the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) have morphed into fluid sketches, adapting to the evolving customer needs and technological advancements. As we march into 2024, the industry is expected to become more digital, data-driven, and sustainable. Every innovation, from the most intuitive design software to the most earth-friendly material, is bound to fill the canvas of buildings for a better future.

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Photo by Pixabay

Here, we will delve into the vibrant palette of trends and key areas that may help navigate this transformative path in the AEC industry.

1. Bridging the digitalization gap

Despite being slow to embrace digital transformation, the AEC sector has shown promising signs in recent years, with technology adoption and awareness of its benefits steadily rising. However, a noticeable gap emerges when transitioning from the design to the construction phase. While current tools enable detailed digital models, the actualization often relies heavily on on-site workers, creating a disconnect in the integrated workflow.

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Photo by Minku Kang on Unsplash

Bridging this gap and driving the push towards greater digitization and automation requires a two-pronged approach – first, fostering a demand for digital design practices, and second, reducing legal and regulatory barriers that impede the implementations. Additionally, a global trend towards collaborative building lifecycles is gaining momentum. As the integration across the building lifecycle strengthens, so does the impetus for comprehensive digitalization, highlighting the critical role of quality design in this process.

2. Unlocking the potential of BIM

While Asia Pacific trails developed nations in Building Information Modelling (BIM) adoption, progress is evident. Governments like Malaysia, aiming for 80% adoption by 2025, are actively driving its implementation due to proven productivity and competitive advantages—however, BIM’s true potential lies beyond mere data and 3D models.

It is about integrated design, where architects, engineers, builders, owners, and technology providers collaborate within a single model, eliminating the inefficiencies of traditional handoffs and discrepancies. This ‘single source of truth’ fosters early alignment of building systems and informed decision-making across disciplines. At Graphisoft, we champion OPEN BIM, a future-proof approach to AEC collaboration. OPEN BIM ensures workflow transparency, longevity, and data accessibility for built assets. Recent developments, like seamless structural engineering integration and cloud collaboration, reflect our commitment to this collaborative future.

BIM will continue to see greater interoperability and capabilities. However, the key to maximizing what it can offer eventually lies in fostering a culture of openness and information sharing.

3. Driving the shift towards sustainable design

The green buildings market is expected to cross USD1,948 billion by the end of 2036, with Asia Pacific estimated to account for 32%[1]  Sustainability pressures are pushing the industry towards innovative materials and energy-efficient design. Net-zero buildings will remain a focus, achieving energy savings through renewables, smart design, and storage. Building performance and management will also be key, tying into the digitalization trend for optimal efficiency.

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Photo by Pixabay

Cost-effectiveness, however, remains crucial. While adopting these practices might seem daunting, firms can start small. Explore concepts, experiment with materials, and utilize BIM as a bridge between elements. Integrating building systems, structures, and architecture early on makes informed decisions about materials, shapes, and even programs possible. Ultimately, the effectiveness of this shift requires a closer alignment between design decisions and long-term outcomes, driven by the overarching goals of sustainability and efficiency.

4. Making the most of AI and other emerging technologies

The impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) goes beyond automation. It is becoming the industry’s secret weapon, empowering professionals across the project lifecycle. From design optimization with photorealistic visualization to predictive analysis and BIM integration, AI transforms how we overcome challenges and make informed decisions.

The future is not just about scratching the surface with AI. We see a convergence of technologies, where Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) enhances collaborative BIM workflows, and digital twins evolve beyond virtual models, becoming real-time data oracles. This will redefine our standards for efficiency, accuracy and profitability, allowing designers to focus on their true value – creativity. Graphisoft remains at the forefront of this revolution, investing in emerging technologies that assist and empower, not replace.

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5. Emphasis on continuous learning

The future sprints, not strolls, and therefore upskilling is an essential ticket to the ride. But it is not a solo journey. Organizations must be bold co-pilots, investing in the latest tools, processes, and training. Fear of the unknown is natural, but the changing roles of AEC professionals are inevitable. Technology like AI excels in crunching data and optimizing processes but still lacks the human touch that breathes life into novel designs. And that is the true power of real architects – crafting beauty that is not just aesthetically pleasing but also functional and meaningful. Technology is the hammer, but people are the architects of change. Those who embrace continuous learning will be the ones shaping the future of AEC, brick by innovative brick, pixel by inspiring pixel.

The future of the built environment demands active participation. Architects, engineers and contractors must embrace digital tools and progress alongside advancements. BIM will be their blueprint, green principles their guiding star, and emerging technologies their canvas extension. The opportunity to create great architectures is boundless when we successfully integrate people, workflows and real-time information.

[1]   Green Buildings Market Size & Share, Research Nester (Nov 2023)

Business, Contributed

The Role of Technology in Transforming Jobs and Supercharging Careers

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In an era marked by swift technological progress which is often seen as disruptors to jobs, it’s time to shift our perspective. As the job landscape undergoes transformation, many individuals find themselves standing at a crossroads in the evolving workforce. Instead of fearing obsolescence, people are embracing the new era of technology-enabled learning and reskilling. In Malaysia, 96% of employers are either currently using or planning to use GenAI technology in 2024. This means that employees will now need to further build their skills to keep up with evolving job descriptions. Fortunately, a wide array of online courses, skilling content, AI-guided career counselling, and virtual reality simulations are readily available to assist employees in advancing or pivoting their career paths.

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Welcome to the era where technology is spearheading a reskilling and upskilling revolution that transforms careers. To access this, you don’t have to go to a university and attend classes in person – today, there are a variety of options, from online courses to complimentary upskilling apps available to anyone seeking it. 

Unlocking the potential of upskilling and reskilling in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and is home to the third-largest labour force which is predominantly young. In Malaysia, the labour force makes up 16.97 million persons, indicating that there is an enormous potential for skilled labour. Yet, job participation, skill development and productivity levels are still lagging behind. Over the past decade, labour force participation in some Southeast Asian countries has gradually increased, while others have seen their rates fall significantly. What’s more, high rates of informal employment and a lack of support for older workers has slowed the region’s shift to a knowledge-based economy. 

Research by PwC indicates that upskilling and reskilling, with a focus on digital-first capabilities, can potentially boost Southeast Asia’s GDP by 4% by 2030, creating nearly 680,000 new jobs.  Importantly, it helps to create an agile and resilient workforce in the face of economic uncertainty and geopolitical strife.

Technology as a learning tool

In light of these circumstances, we urgently need to rethink our approach to upskilling. Lifelong learning programs, utilising technology to deliver online content, offer greater benefits to adults and older professionals seeking fresh challenges beyond the limited courses offered by traditional education institutions. In markets like Malaysia, digital skills are the top focus for employees, with most still prioritising basic digital skills (83.1%).

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Photo by Vojtech Okenka on Pexel

Technology empowers learners, giving them control and personalisation. This allows them to set their own pace since lectures and materials are pre-recorded, or they can participate in virtual lessons via online platforms such as Jobstreet’s Career Hub powered by seekMax, eliminating the need for in-person attendance. Through online platform learning such as this, the learner will be able to focus on gaining the skills they want to prioritise to be more suited for their next job.

In comparison to full-time universities that emphasise rigorous academics, upskilling and lifelong learning institutions provide easily digestible, bite-sized content for rapid knowledge acquisition. Furthermore, these modern educational models are designed to accommodate busy schedules and shorter attention spans, placing a strong emphasis on accessibility and convenience.

What’s particularly significant is that these accessible platforms empower learners to develop both hard and soft skills. For instance, individuals in today’s workforce can equip themselves with essential skills such as salary negotiation and leadership. 

Enhancing the upskilling experience  

Once considered staid, lifelong learning platforms are continuously innovating to improve the social aspects of their programs. To do this, many programs promote learning through collaboration and communication. Talent embarking on a lifelong learning journey can engage in group learning activities to interact with course material, forums, quizzes, masterclasses, or online discussions. 

With the rise of online communities, it’s easier than ever for a working professional to gain relevant and practical insights from like-minded peers or industry experts who can help them navigate their careers by providing tailored advice. 

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Photo by Artem Podrez on Pexels

This is exactly the sort of positive learning environment we’re creating with Jobstreet’s Career Hub powered by seekMAX, SEEK’s free innovative in-app learning and community platform that’s designed for on-the-go learners – with access to a wealth of content as well as industry experts. Since launch, nearly 1 in 3 monthly active users of the Jobstreet platform have already started using seekMAX as a tool to learn new skills and share insights amongst the community. 

As the world’s workforce continues to evolve – lifelong learning platforms are crucial to personal growth and professional success. Lean into the opportunities they offer to stay relevant and competitive. The public and private sectors must also encourage this mindset in order to build a future-proof workforce. 

Contributed

Travel Transformed: How Technology is Reshaping the Digital Nomad

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This article is contributed by Lim Paik Wan, Country Manager of Wise Malaysia

As the world rekindles its wanderlust post-pandemic, a silent revolution has begun beneath the surface—a digital renaissance reshaping every aspect of our travels. 

Recent data reveals that 7 out of 10 Malaysians use digital tools to meticulously plan their travels. They rely on websites and apps to arrange nearly every aspect of their journeys, from booking flights and accommodations to planning activities. This isn’t just a fleeting trend, from the moment plans are conceived to the final steps of the journey, technology is shaping every aspect of travel, including birthing a new era of digital nomads who work remotely and simultaneously travel whenever, wherever they want. 

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This paradigm shift reflects a desire to maximise time off, achieve greater work-life balance, and redefine the conventional boundaries of traditional employment.

Rise of the Digital Nomad Lifestyle

The term ‘digital nomad’ is not a new concept, but the pandemic has certainly flipped the way that employees work. As organisations become more accepting of where, when and how people work – we’re seeing an influx of digital nomads heading to getaways with only a laptop, a backpack, a smartphone, and a sense of adventure. There’s a noticeable surge in demand for places that cater to remote work, beyond traditional tourist hotspots. Typically, these places offer travellers the opportunity to go exploring after work hours or set up their workspace at desirable locations, like the beach. 

Several countries are proactively responding to this shift by introducing digital nomad visas, including Portugal, which has issued 2,600 such visas, and Greece, with 1,693 granted. Closer to home, Bali recently announced a collaboration with Airbnb, allowing visitors to work remotely for six months, without paying income tax. Not to be left behind – even Malaysia has introduced its version of the visa called De Rantau which allows foreign and local talents to work and live in the country for three to 12 months. Employers are also offering flexible, work-from-anywhere options. Wise, for example, has a Mobile Wiser programme that lets employees work remotely from almost anywhere in the world for up to 90 days. 

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Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko

However, the possibility of all this freedom presents challenges for businesses and employers, including payments, legal, tax and cultural issues. Any first step requires businesses to restructure themselves around roles, employee locations, travel durations and employee education. A well-designed global mobility plan is essential for employers to navigate complexities and avoid unintended payments and tax issues – and business leaders must stay updated on global tax and compliance laws. 

The Power of Technology 

Despite these considerations, it appears that remote work is here to stay, with one study of 3,000 remote workers revealing that 90% of them would like to continue working remotely. In the face of technological advancements, this is entirely possible today – tools like Google Drive, Figma, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams give workers remote access to data and files to complete their tasks and collaborate across different functions.

Traditionally, managing money across borders has been challenging because there isn’t a truly international bank account in place. But now, with strong digital payment solutions like Wise, remote workers can receive and send money all over the world, without any hassle. Furthermore, freelancing platforms like Fiverr and Upwork provide tools and features that allow them to manage their work, including invoicing. 

Card Wise

When it comes to handling currency differences, Wise stands out by offering low, transparent fees and using the fair, mid-market exchange rate. Digital nomads can access account details in 10 different currencies via their Wise account, enabling them to receive funds in these currencies from any location and send funds to over 160 countries – an ideal solution for individuals constantly on the move. Additionally, they can hold over 40 currencies & transact in the local currency with the Wise multi-currency account and prepaid card, allowing users to move, spend and manage money in different currencies within one platform.

As digital nomads lead increasingly borderless lives, the need for faster, cheaper and more transparent solutions that transcend geographical boundaries becomes paramount, especially when it comes to payments. Businesses need to prepare for this shift by actively harnessing the available technology that enables it and putting in place cultures and processes to adeptly meet the ever-growing demands of a digital-nomad workforce. Ultimately, business leaders need to recognise that the digital nomad trend is here to stay and to obtain the best talent, one needs to open their horizons to new ways of working.

Business, Contributed

How Technology Changes Company Thinking And Company Performance

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This article is contributed by Varinderjit Singh, General Manager, Lenovo Malaysia

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While I think most of us would expect large organizations to include forward-thinking technology in their overall business strategies, we’re starting to see this with SMBs as well, including relatively small companies, to different degrees around the world.

Not only do customers expect customized on-demand services, so do employees.

Businesses therefore seek to leverage technology to drive faster results and adapt to new market trends. At the heart of this strategic thinking is understanding the new roles emerging technology has around taking on the tasks of time-consuming day-to-day activities so that high-value and skilled executives and employees can focus on driving growth engines.

In a way, we are back to where computing first started, which was to automate processes and make them simpler and faster. What is different today of course is that technologies are so much more advanced, and are continually improving and increasingly embedded into strategy development – very different from the older business model where technology was a cost assigned to operations.

This is therefore about taking teams to the next level in our increasingly AI and digitally-driven world, requiring businesses to find a balance between implementing emerging technology and providing personalized experiences for their customers.

In assessing which technologies perhaps play the biggest parts, I suggest the following.

Hi-speed network infrastructure

Connectivity is clearly essential to any distributed workforce. Without it, device technology is expensive and inefficient, collaboration breaks down, productivity drops, and customers and employees go somewhere else. Wireless technologies like Wi-Fi 6E and 5G will be instrumental in delivering high bandwidth, ultra-low latency connectivity, and power to devices all over the world and will expand the landscape of solutions for businesses that want to grow.

Design and engineering teams must also offer new possibilities for thinner and more flexible designs for mobile employees working in hybrid workspaces. Companies like Lenovo are designing unique laptops with a built-in secondary e-Ink screen in the top cover or foldable displays that extend versatility and mobility. An example is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold operating on Windows 11 Pro. Use Windows 11 Pro for Workstations to blaze through workloads with lag-free multitasking across your most demanding applications.

The key here is technology equipped with always-on, always-connected capability.

Personal AI transformation

In the near future, PCs that currently provide AI-enabled enhanced video, audio, and security capabilities will transform into full AI PC devices. They will not only have the power to provide a personalized digital assistant experience but also learn over time, adapt and predict tasks, and offer solutions for improving workload management using intuitive natural language interaction.

Personal AI technology is expected to be instrumental in helping workers maintain high levels of productivity while also promoting healthy and sustainable work habits. By assisting with task prioritization and workload management, Personal AI can offer more predictive and insightful answers to questions or tasks.

While Cloud LLMs and Personal AI may differ in functionalities, they can offer diverse and complementary benefits to different users. Used together, they can provide a more comprehensive and personalized smart assistant experience that will accelerate speed and efficiency at every stage of workflow, ultimately helping businesses gain a significant competitive edge.

AI-enabled services and products

The last six months have seen the world wake up to the opportunities of AI-enabled services. For example, some workplaces have incorporated AI chatbots to provide employees with resources around the clock, adding convenience for those seeking answers to common questions about employee benefits, scheduling, insurance, vacation availability, and sick time. By allowing some HR processes to be accomplished without human intervention, chatbots offer a better allocation of HR staff members’ time toward addressing more complex employee inquiries. The use of such AI chatbots however has raised concern in some areas. Since most are public cloud-based resources, the issues of data integrity, security, and privacy are crucial considerations. AI services can help assess and guide the appropriate solutions and areas of investment in regard to Cloud, Private, or Personal AI models.

And we are already seeing that companies that smartly adapt to incorporating AI-enabled services and products have a competitive advantage. AI and machine learning can enable targeted data analysis, so employees can focus on creative and social tasks that AI simply cannot.

To take organizations to the next level, businesses must strategically implement technology such as infrastructure, cloud, and AI tools that will help them scale. Businesses need the ability to integrate new technologies and workloads efficiently and seamlessly, often within resource, budget, and capital restrictions.

That in turn requires new strategic thinking around the impact and opportunities that emerging technology enables.