Did you know that Ransomware attacks started in 1989? At least that was the first known ransomware attack known to the modern world. It happened towards the end of the year in 1989 and it targeted the healthcare industry. No, not just a single healthcare institution that was attacked.
The First Ransomware
It was an industry wide attack initiated by a Dr. Joseph Popp, a PhD holder and AIDS researcher. He distributed 20,000 floppy disks (diskettes) to AIDS researchers around the world spanning 90 countries. He claimed that the disks contain a risk analysis program for AIDS via a questionnaire. The program does exist. Alongside the program though is also a malware that remains dormant in a PC making its source difficult to pinpoint back then. After the PC is powered on 90 time, the malware locks the PC and displays a message demanding a payment of US$ 189 and another US$ 379 for a software lease. This, the first ransomware in the world, was called the AIDS Trojan.
The Evolution of Ransomware
In 2020, Ransomware 2.0 became a thing and Kaspersky saw it. Attacks become even more targeted. Attackers employ threatening tactics that could increase the impact of the attack. They even pressure targets by threatening their public reputations. In that case, attackers can even demand for higher ransom.
In 2022, the world of Ransomware evolved again, and you now have Ransomware 3.0 or Lockbit. Instead of just locking the target’s data, they now control the target’s data. They have the liberty to sell these data to the highest bidders. They can even conduct DDoS or phishing attacks that targets their target’s clients or staff members of their target. Of course, the ransom goes up again. Lockbit has been identified as the most popular ransomware used in at least 115 known attacks in Southeast Asia.
Lockbit is not just used by a single group of attackers though. Lockbit is a group that also sells their services and ransomware program to other attacking groups. The latest known version of the program is Lockbit 3.0, and it is updated regularly to foil early detection, and even more targeted than ever before.
We Are NOT Safe
As it is, while Ransomware has been a term that has been thrown around for the past couple of years, it is a more serious problem than plenty thinks, especially with Lockbit 3.0. More ransomware attacks have occurred than we know. Most of them are reported too late too, meaning they have been attacked and would have to pay the ransom. While the healthcare industry is still one of the most targeted industry for ransomware attacks, the attacks also affects the education sector, manufacturing sector, and even motorsports. It is a serious problem, not just after you have been targeted, but even before; every one of us are vulnerable.
So how do you prevent an attack, or even foil one? There are a few methods that larger corporations employ that you can work with as well. One of them is to create data backups regularly. You can either get a cloud provider to do that for you or store your backup data in a physical server location within your premises. The physical option can cost a lot of money though, you have been warned.
Kaspersky’s Solution
Source: Kaspersky
If not, why not just prevent it altogether with an early detection program for your entire digital infrastructure? That is what Kaspersky’s Extended Detection and Response (XDR) program aims to do.
Kaspersky’s XDR program is not just another anti-virus or cyber security program for the masses. It is a highly sophisticated program that should cover all your bases in terms of a system-wide cybersecurity measure. It is a sort of early detection and prevention platform that should offers multi-layered safety nets in your vast digital network.
While it is not a one-stop-shop solution for cyber security, Kaspersky’s XDR aims to cover most of your cybersecurity concerns from a single place. The platform aims to offer more visibility in the user’s cybersecurity network, simplify the processes and programs into a single space, and even foil new threats that are yet to be known to the wider industry. The question is ‘how’?
Kaspersky’s XDR is not just tailored to specific users. It is also a part of a bigger network that they call Kaspersky Security Network (KSN). While most of the data within the network cannot be specifically shared with Kaspersky’s clientele, data collected from each user is used within Kaspersky to form better understanding of upcoming and occurring threats. That also allows the program to understand threats better across industries and react accordingly based on the data it collected from previous known attacks.
It also simplifies the investigation processes by consolidating large volumes of alerts and incident reports into smaller clusters with differing priorities. On top of that, each incident report now comes with context that also ensures that the information provided is not just relevant, but also important to the investigation. It quickens the investigation process by streamlining the process and in turn also makes it more precise. Beyond that, Kaspersky’s XDR offers response options to attacks for better protection in the future. All of these should be accessible from a single interface by Kaspersky as well.
Doing More, Not Less
Again, the Kaspersky XDR platform is not a one-stop-shop or the only cybersecurity solution out there that could prevent the next big ransomware attack in your organization. As of 2023 though, Kaspersky’s platform has prevented the most ransomware attacks in the Southeast Asia region. In 2022 alone, Kaspersky has detected and prevented more than 130,000 ransomware attacks in Indonesia alone.
There are other things, in our opinion that you should also do to prevent an organization-wide ransomware attack. First, you must be aware; quite obviously. You also want to make sure that you do not respond to suspicious emails, or pick up any random drives and insert them to your work PC. We also recommend that you keep backups of your important data in a few locations, including cloud, and keep them separate and safe. But you can never be too safe, therefore having extra layers of security with Kaspersky’s XDR could also be that differentiating factor between paying a large ransom, or getting through your Monday like any other Mondays.
If you are interested in Kaspersky’s XDR program and even other services by Kaspersky, you can visit their website for more information. You can also email them directly for all your inquiries. Or, if you are more concerned with personal protection, you can still go to their website for your own end-point protection plan.
Since the smartphone revolution, Samsung has built a name for itself as one of the foremost mobile companies. The company has become one of Google’s most important ecosystem partners with the success of their flagships. They have steadily pushed the ball and upped the ante since the first Galaxy S smartphone and with their revolutionary Galaxy Note series. But, over the past few years, their flagships have not only been uninspired, but their so-called flagships have steadily become a repeat performance.
With the Galaxy S20, S21 and S22, we were willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. However, with the S23, it seems like the company is telling us to get ready for more repeat performances with each iteration as they focus on improving their “user experience”.
The “Ultra” Golden Child
That said, their renewed focus on user experience is leaving out one of the most important aspects of the smartphone user experience – especially when you’re buying a brand-new phone – the features. The vanilla S23 and the S23+ are essentially a repackaging of last year’s S22 and S22+ with a new processor and a selfie camera upgrade. The elephant’s share of updates and upgrades to the smartphone series is seen only in the S23 Ultra – or as we like to call it – the Galaxy S23 Note. While this has been happening since the S20, the S23 series is the most egregious. As reviewers, the trend makes us ask ourselves – is it worth recommending or talking about the vanilla S23 and S23+ at all?
The Ultra has become Samsung’s golden child when it comes to revolutionary features. This year, the new 200-megapixel sensor which promises better low-light performance thanks to better pixel binning technology and improved autofocus makes its debut with the S23 Ultra. While in the past, the introduction of a brand new feature like this would indicate a trickling down of older features down the series, the S23 saw none of it. Instead, we’re left with the exact same setup from S22. Not even the S20 Ultra’s 108-megapixel sensor trickled down to the S23 or the S23+. Let’s be honest here, the S23 and S23+ are just padding to raise the prices of their true flagship – the S23 Ultra.
Abandoning a Legacy of Affordable Innovation for Lux and Premium Status
While this may seem like a small matter, we have to also take into consideration that these smartphones are not even keeping their prices from last year. They continue to increase in price year on year. While the S23 series could be excused for the squeeze the recent pandemic put on resources, the truth of the matter is: prices are not going down. With a recession around the corner, we’re poised to see companies like Samsung use it as an excuse to pad their coffers further.
What irks us even further is that consumers are continually being duped out of “the next big thing” cause of cost. Samsung had a golden opportunity to incorporate imaging sensors from their own company into the S23 and S23+ and bring the same software features to their flagship series, not just a flagship device. Let’s be honest, it wouldn’t have been hard for them to justify the bump in hardware with the bump in price.
In their lust for luxury, the company has dropped the ball when it comes to meaningful, affordable innovation – a legacy which has brought them this far. Their customers don’t even get the benefit of innovation being trickled down the price ladder. Where we were able to buy a Galaxy Note for less than MYR 3,000 – we are expected to pay MYR6,199 this year with no option for something more affordable.
Passing off Google & Microsoft’s Homework as Their Own
It’s not just about legacy when it comes to innovations. Samsung is quickly becoming a partner that companies like Google and Microsoft can’t do without. As a company, they control a large portion of not only the mobile and device markets worldwide, it has seen steady growth in the Smart TVs, monitors and appliances segments. That said, it’s become an increasingly apparent trend that Samsung is passing off the work of their partners as their own. We saw inklings of this with the last few devices in the Galaxy Note series and continue to see this even with the Galaxy S23 series and other Galaxy Ecosystem devices.
Source: Android.com
Let’s look at the core of Samsung’s Galaxy ecosystem, on the other hand, is Samsung’s take on Android they’ve named “One UI”. Samsung’s mobile devices – smartphones and tablets in particular – use this exclusively. In their announcement of the Galaxy S23 series, the company talked about personalization, security and an improved user experience. While we will readily admit when it comes to security Samsung has contributed the lion’s share with Knox; we can’t ignore that when it comes to personalization and user experience, Samsung has done little to contribute.
Samsung’s colour palette feature and even customisations to notification drawers and lock screens are core updates to Google’s Android OS. These updates came with Android 13 and will continue to see improvements with Android 14. However, Samsung has in their announcement of One UI 5.0 and One UI 5.1 passed these features as their own. We will give them the nod on their admitting that Android is the backbone of One UI.
Samsung isn’t just doing this on Android. One of the key “features” they touted at the recent Unpacked for the Galaxy Book and Galaxy Smartphones is the ability to work seamlessly between the two. This feature is available as a core feature of Microsoft’s Windows platform as “Phone Link”. In fact, it’s the reason that companies like Dell have sunset their takes on the same feature. It works with any Android device and in a limited way on Apple devices. However, Samsung touts this as an “exclusive” feature of their devices.
Perhaps even more irksome are the recent reports that state that Samsung has been loading unwanted apps into their devices This is of significance when they tout that their S23 and S23+ will have improvements to the user experience as one of their main features. If the OS alone is going to take up a significant amount of storage, that leaves little for our apps and using their camera. We all know what happens when any device runs low on memory, don’t we?
The one space that Samsung hasn’t done this is their Camera features. However, as we mentioned earlier, these features seem to be meant only for the S23 Ultra, their true flagship. So, where does this leave the S23 and S23+? Should they even be in the lineup?
”A” Pain in the “S”
The biggest sign of the death of their Flagship “S” is that their midrange “A” is more exciting. The Galaxy A series of smartphones continues to churn out flagship-class devices that are affordable and bring a dimension of value the “premium” Galaxy S has abandoned. It’s also doing this while being overly saturated with devices. Just last year, the company saw more success with their Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A73 than their flagship Galaxy S series.
There’s a simple reason behind it. The Galaxy A53 and A73 have comparable specifications to the Galaxy S22 and S22+. The biggest differences between the devices are their processor and display. However, even with those differences, the experience on the Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A73 is comparable to that of the Galaxy S. Even with a slightly lower-specced camera setup with a 64-Megapixel and 108-Megapixel sensor respectively, users can achieve comparable pictures and videos. More importantly, the hardware improvements generation on generation is complemented by an improved software experience. Even once exclusive features like DeX are slowly making their way to the Galaxy A series.
It is obvious that Samsung themselves has recognized the threat that its own midrange Galaxy A series poses to their Galaxy S flagships with the rumoured cancellation of the Galaxy A74 and even their Galaxy S22 FE. Both these smartphones were outpacing their S20 and S21 series flagships. It’s also an indication that users are looking for an affordable device with the features they care about.
A Dangerous Game to Play
Samsung is playing a dangerous game when it comes down to it. Gunning for the glitz, glam and bank of a premium flagship is pushing more and more of their users to their competitors. With the recent restructuring and abandonment of their in-house Exynos processors for their Galaxy S flagships, Samsung’s innovation streak seems to be coming to an end. Their most exciting lineup seems to be the Galaxy A series and the Galaxy Z series, the latter of which suffers from the same issues plaguing the flagship Galaxy S series.
Or could this be their big game plan? Are Samsung’s promise of having a full-featured, affordable piece of innovation seems to be their means of buying more time? If it is, we’re bound to see the Galaxy S series slowly fade into irrelevance while consumers bend to their foldable whims. But will we see something truly revolutionary with the Galaxy Z series when Samsung is still trying to perfect their display technology for it? They are undoubtedly looking to be market leaders with their foldables but what about those of us that don’t want a foldable? Perhaps it’s time we look to brands like OnePlus, Xiaomi and even OPPO for a device that will check all the boxes.
Samsung’s best bet is to look at trends and customer feedback when it comes to their smartphones and devices. Unlike their biggest competition, Apple, their ecosystem is more open and less likely to create “lock-ins” with their users. Their unwillingness to budge may continue their downward trend in market share. This will undoubtedly be exacerbated by a shrinking marketplace and the foreboding of an incoming global recession.
It is not that hard to see why so many regard Lenovo’s mobile computing products to be some of the highest rated laptops in the industry. Lenovo’s laptops are famous for their exceptional build quality. They are also some of the most reliable you can find in the industry at this point. At the same time, we think they are some of the most creative innovators in the mobile computing industry.
In that sense, we are usually quite excited to see new Lenovo products. We are also always looking forward to getting our hands on any Lenovo’s notebooks. We have had stelar experiences with their products and we expect just as much with this AMD powered Yoga Slim 7 Pro X (14-inch Gen7) thin-and-light laptop.
This laptop is quite special too. It comes with two types of GPU, an integrated one and a discrete one. If you look closely too, one of the stickers tells you also that the Lenovo Slim 7 Pro X is mostly made with content creators in mind. It is powered by one of the most powerful CPUs you can find in a modern notebook.
At retail price, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro X starts at MYR 5,139. For that money, you are getting AMD’s Ryzen 6600 CPU with integrated Radeon graphics. For a price, you can opt for NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 30 series GPU. The configuration we have here will set you back MYR 7,559 at full retail price.
Is the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro X worth that kind of asking price? Does it live up to the Lenovo Yoga name? Should you get one? Let us dive in.
Design
The new 7th generation 14-inch Yoga Slim 7 Pro X is not a convertible as the ‘Yoga’ name traditionally suggests. It is a regular clamshell type notebook. The Onyx Grey shell is plain simple with a Lenovo logo engraved on the top right corner. The offset logo makes the laptop look even cleaner than anything you can find in the market.
The size of the laptop allows for two up-firing speakers to be placed a either side of the keyboard of the Yoga Slim 7 Pro X. The keyboard is also accompanied by a huge trackpad. We appreciate the large trackpad, especially when tabletop space is a premium.
Unlike most laptops, this power button is placed at the right side of the laptop. It does not offer fingerprint recognition, unfortunately. The right side of the laptop also houses the webcam toggle keeping the display area of the laptop clean and simple.
The all-metal construction makes the laptop heavier than most thin-and-light laptops. The construction adds some rigidity in the laptop’s body; its chassis hardly flexes. Even the hinge feels tight and reassuring resulting in minimised display wobble.
Hardware
As we mentioned, this Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro X packs both AMD’s and NVIDIA’s GPU. You are getting the Radeon integrated graphics with the Yoga Slim 7 Pro X thanks to the Ryzen 6900 within the all-metal body. For heavier graphic workloads, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 is there to pick up the slack.
Specifications
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro X
As tested
Processor (clock)
AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS Creator Edition 3.30 GHz octa-core with Turbo Boost (up to 4.90GHz) 16MB L3 cache
Intel WiFi 6E Bluetooth 5.1 2x Thunderbolt™ 4 USB-C® 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 2x Type-A 1x 3.5mm AUX Jack
Battery
70W with up to 15 hours life (quoted) 100W Type-C power adapter Rapid Charge
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64-bit
Miscellaneous
FHD camera with IR Blaster Backlit Keyboard Dolby Atmos Stereo Speakers Far Field Microphone DisplayPort 1.4a over USB-C Windows Hello with Facial Recognition
Features
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro X does not feature a fingerprint sensor. It does pack a Full HD webcam with infrared (IR) blaster though. That means that Windows Hello is handled exclusively with facial recognition.
Full HD Webcam with Facial Recognition and Smart Appearance
You can hardly tell that it is a Full HD when you turn it on. The image lacks colour detail. It feels like you are looking at a black-and-white image. Skin tones are washed out, and some areas in your image might look overexposed.
Lenovo’s Smart Appearance is Lenovo’s camera app that is supposed to replace the basic Windows camera app. You can change your background, enhance the image, and even correct ‘Eye Contact’ with the app. In our test though, we never got some of the functions to work properly. We only saw the image enhancer working to reduce some of the exposure issues. It also does not play well with video conferencing apps, oddly enough.
The webcam works for Windows Hello though. Unfortunately, the laptop does not go to sleep or log off once you move away from the device. In that case, if you are moving away from your laptop, you need to log off manually.
Touch Sensitive Display
Touch inputs and gestures are currently some the most intuitive ways to exploit Windows 11 and its apps. For example, scrolling through websites is much better with a flick. Scrolling through word documents is also a breeze via touch input. We also find that touch input works well with creative apps like Adobe Lightroom and even Premiere Pro for both photo and video editing. If you need if for drawing, you might want to think of getting a proper stylus for it.
Dolby Atmos Harman Speakers
Most times, you want to brush off the ‘professionally tuned speakers’ gimmick. That is because that is technically what they are – gimmicks. Not this one. When they say that their Harman speakers are Dolby Atmos tuned, we believe them.
Low-end frequencies are detailed despite its lack of subwoofer. Of course, the lack of subwoofer means you are lacking some bass punch. There is no bass compensation in the tuning either. Your high-end and mid-range tones are detailed and clear. For music and even movies, the speakers are detailed and powerful enough for an elevated level of immersion.
We can even trust the speakers on the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro X when it comes to video or audio production. While you still want to use headphones when you get the chance, the Dolby Atmos speakers offers enough detail and clarity for production work.
Two USB Type-C + USB Type-A
We find that having an extra USB port on your laptop can be useful when it comes to expandability. Most wireless mice today still rely on a 2.4Ghz receiver for the best latency and performance. The 2.4Ghz will take up a USB type-A port. With the Lenovo, you still have an extra USB port for other things like your external drive.
They sacrificed an HDMI port in favour of the USB ports. While a USB Type-C hubs exist for a reason, it is an extra attachment to carry. An HDMI output will be extra useful for better calibrated, high-resolution, large factor desktop displays. Still, both USB Type-C ports are DisplayPort 1.4 compatible.
That Keyboard Though
The tactility on the Yoga Slim 7 Pro X is satisfying and reassuring. It is one of those keyboards that lets you know that you have done something intentionally without making too much noise about it. Key travel feels plenty enough, which adds to the tactility and type feel. The rigidity of the chassis also plays a part to the great keyboard feel.
Performance – AMD’s Best with NVIDIA’s Entry-Level
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro X we have here packs a Ryzen 9 6900HS. This is also a Creator Edition processor that clocks in at 3.30GHz. You also get NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3050 within the Yoga laptop. In any case, 100W does not seem enough to keep the CPU and GPU going at full chat.
Multitasking & Productivity
For regular Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and even Excel use cases, the Yoga laptop works as well as any laptop can. Thanks to the fast and ample 32GB DDR5 RAM, multiple instances of Microsoft Word, or PowerPoint can work at the same time without significant lags. Even an extensive Excel spreadsheet could be worked on with little issues.
The discrete GPU is most useful for Adobe’s Premiere Pro, Illustrator, Photoshop, and even Lightroom. We use Adobe’s Premiere Pro to edit and render a two minute and 50 second 4K video. Scrubbing through the video is smooth and quick. It renders the 4K video (H.264) in about 16 minutes, which is rather commendable. The cooling fan can be heard in these conditions but it is nowhere near annoying. The heat does get a little uncomfortable, but thankfully it is concentrated at a small area above the keyboard array.
Entertainment & Gaming
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro X can be used for gaming thanks to its discrete GPU. You want to adjust your expectations on its gaming performance since the GPU is an entry-level NVIDIA GeForce. You also want to keep in mind that you have a 3K resolution, 120Hz display.
We ran games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), Two Point Hospital, and F1 2022 on the laptop. On the Lenovo’s 3K resolution PureSight display, F1 2022 looks great. Gameplay for F1 2022 is a little on the choppy side though even at ‘low’ settings. You get nearly 50fps in the game, but there are some noticeable lags. In CS:GO you get up to about 90fps, which does not sound like a bad thing. It jumps from anywhere between 40 to 90fps though, which makes the game feel a little choppy. Two Point Hospital on ‘high’ graphics settings runs at up to 35fps on the Yoga Slim 7 Pro X, even at its lowest 20fps the game is still playable and looks good on the display. In this case, we do not recommend competitive titles on the notebook.
The 3K display is not just useful for your colour grading purposes. The IPS panel can be easily enjoyed via Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and even YouTube. Though Netflix and Prime Video will not show movies at 4K, they still look good on what Lenovo calls their PureSight IPS display. Dolby Vision ensures that compatible movies from Netflix look as they are intended on the big screens making movies more enjoyable and immersive. While 16:10 aspect ratio is great for productivity, we find the wasted space on the top and bottom of the display while watching videos quite annoying.
Battery Life
To our surprise, the included 100W USB type-C charger is more than capable to keep the powerful CPU and GPU alive while charging the battery. In ‘rapid charge’ mode that you can turn on via Vantage, you can charge the laptop in less than two hours. Both the GPU and CPU demands up to 70W in total, which explains its ability for fast charging.
Our 65W GaN charger does not charge the laptop as fast as its original charger, but it still charges the laptop. We typically use the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro X for Word processing, a lot of web browsing, some music listening, some YouTube, and Netflix. In our typical use, we got nearly 9 hours of use out of it before scrambling for our chargers. For something that can pull 70W for gaming and production purposes at this size, it is impressive. Of course, with our GaN charger, charging becomes a lot slower in high-performance situations.
Display – Delightful Touch
The display on the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro X is one of the best in its class. The one we have here is a 14.5-inch PureSight IPS panel offering 3,072 by 1,920 pixels. As mentioned, the display outputs at 100% sRGB colour gamut and is calibrated to Δ<1 for the most accurate colour reproduction possible.
The Yoga Slim 7 Pro is a mobile powerhouse meant for content creators. The display is a direct reflection of that. With the display, we could do all our colour calibration and editing anywhere and at any time as long as the battery capacity allows. Of course, in the case of content production, keeping the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro is always preferable.
The 3K display is also highly colour accurate. It offers 100% sRGB colour gamut and ΔE<1 for the most accurate colour reproduction you can find on a laptop in its class. That allows us to do a complete colour grading for our videos and photos on this laptop directly too.
Above the display, is also a colour ambient light sensor and a time-of-flight sensor. The color ambient light sensor detects light temperature around the room and changes the colour profile of the display based on that information. That function protects your eyes and at the same time optimises your viewing experience on the notebook.
With Doby Vision calibration as well, certified shows on Netflix really come to life on the display. Images look sharp and clear even if they are not projected as 4K images on the 3K display. While there is no clever upscaling technology, the 3K display manages to ensure that all images look good and immersive.
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro X – Near Perfect
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro X retails at MYR 7,559 (as tested). However you look at it, the asking price is steep for a laptop of its class. To most, this notebook is an overkill. We also think that price should pay for an OLED display that is becoming more standard for modern laptops though. It also lacks a fingerprint sensor which could be useful especially in situations where facial recognition fails. We also think that an HDMI port could be an important feature in laptop with this calibre, especially for content creators.
We love this thing though. Everything about it suits our use case. It fits the bill for any sort of content creator. While the display can only go up to 180o, we think that it is worthy of the Yoga namesake.
At its size, it is one of the heaviest laptops you can find in the industry. It is not the thinnest laptop you can find too, but you can hardly find a laptop this size packing this much power under the hood. With that in mind, we think that the weight is a direct effect to the cooling requirements of the internals.
That power is exactly what we need for our daily use case. We can edit videos and render them remotely. You can game casually without a fuss. The excellent keyboard allows us to work with the laptop for extended periods without too much fatigue. The speakers are also excellent enough for both production work and entertainment.
Because it is not a 4K display, the Netflix app can only display at Full HD resolution. The expansive 14.5-inch display is still a great display for entertainment. It is also excellent for video and photo workflows thanks to its 3K richness and colour accuracy.
You can opt out from the discrete GPU. You can go for an AMD Ryzen 5 6600HS CPU instead of the ranger topping Ryzen 9. It that configuration the price drops to MYR 5,000, which is still a lot of money for a mid-ranger. You can also opt for the slightly more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS either with integrated Radeon graphics or NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1650 instead at MYR 5,469 (starting from). You can check them out yourself at their website.
We have reviewed Acer’s Swift 3 before. It is, in many ways quite a regular recipe for a budget thin-and-light laptop. It is really everything you can ask for in a very regular laptop you want to bring around for productivity.
To begin with, it is not that thin in the first place. Still, it is well built. It is also not the most powerful thing you can find in the market since there is no discrete GPU.
Now, the Acer Swift 3 OLED then. It is a slightly outdated product. Yet, it is still relevant since it is technically an updated version of the Acer Swift 3. It was released a few months ago, technically a 2023 product. While Acer released a few products in CES 2023, the Acer Swift 3 OLED will still be the latest Acer Swift laptop available at the time of writing.
It shares the same chassis with the 2022 Swift 3 and Swift 3X. You get mostly the same materials, which is not a bad thing. There is very little in terms of exposed plastic, save for the keyboard and the display’s bezel.
In this case, is the Acer Swift 3 OLED worth looking at? Is it for you? Is it worth its asking price? Should you wait for Acer’s latest laptops released in CES 2023?
Design
If you have come across our Acer Swift 3X and read through our Acer Swift 3 reviews before, they pretty much look the same. There are a few key differences though. Instead of 13-inch on your display, you have 14-inch on the display this time. With that, you get a larger 16:10 aspect ratio display with smaller bezels at the top, the sides, and the bottom. Thanks to that, the Acer logo now sits just above the keyboard, in-line with the DTS etching you see above the power button.
No, it is not a facial recognition capable webcam, but it is a Full HD webcam this time. Somehow, the punch hole for the camera looks smaller than before.
Everything else remains the same. The keyboard layout is familiar. The trackpad is the same exact size and build. Even the thermal vents are placed at the same top right corner of the bottom chassis. The only noticeable difference is the shell design. The Acer logo is smaller now and sits at the top of the shell. It is now a very plain grey, which we find rather boring.
Hardware
Within the familiar all-metal chassis is a very familiar 12th generation Intel Core processor as well. 13th Generation Intel processors are reserved for the next generation Swift laptops. Still, the Swift 3 OLED is an Intel EVO platform laptop.
Specifications
Acer Swift 3 OLED SF314-71-7980
As tested
Processor (clock)
Intel® Core™ i7-12700H 2.30 GHz tetradeca-core with Turbo Boost (up to 4.70GHz) 24MB cache
GPU
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
Display
14” OLED WQXGA (2880 x 1800) 16:10 aspect ratio
Memory
16GB LPDDR5 1TB PCIe® NVMe™ 3.0 M.2 SSD
Networking and Connections
Intel WiFi 6E Bluetooth 5.2 2x Thunderbolt™ 4 USB-C® 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 2x Type-A 1x HDMI 2.1 1x 3.5mm AUX Jack
Battery
57W with up to 8 hours life (quoted) 100W Type-C power adapter
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64-bit
Miscellaneous
FHD camera Backlit Keyboard Stereo Speakers Far Field Microphone DisplayPort over USB-C Thunderbolt 4 Windows Hello with Fingerprint Sensor
Features
The Acer Swift 3 OLED starts at MYR 400 premium (MYR 4,399 as tested) over the regular outgoing Acer Swift 3. Most of that extra money goes to the brilliant OLED display you get on the OLED variant of the laptop. You are also not really losing out in terms of features over the regular ol’ Swift 3.
Full HD Webcam
On top of the OLED display is a better webcam than before. Instead of the standard 720p webcam, it is a Full HD 1080p one. In theory, this should be an improvement.
The image you get from it is not the best. The edges are quite soft and dynamic range still. Colours look fine in favourable lighting conditions.
For most cases, in video calls specifically, it works. There is not much to complain about if you are just looking for a simple workaround in your remote working situation. If you want something better, or to use your webcam for streaming purposes, you are better off getting a separate webcam.
Fingerprint Sensor with Windows Hello
Like the older Swift 3, the fingerprint sensor is built into the power button. We think that the fingerprint sensor placement is the most sensible in this configuration. The distinct tactility on the power button is highly appreciated though. It at least prevents us from accidentally turning off our laptop.
USB type-C Charging, Thunderbolt 4, and HDMI 2.1
Thunderbolt 4 should not come as a surprise. It is technically an existing feature of the Acer Swift 3 and any modern laptop that comes with Intel’s latest CPUs. The capabilities of Thunderbolt 4 should also be known by now. You can strap a 4K monitor alongside any USB hubs with Thunderbolt 4.
The HDMI 2.1 port is also found on the 2022 variant of the regular Swift 3. It allows your Swift 4 to get up to 8K resolution of output. You might want to tamper your expectations in terms of performance though since there is no dedicated GPU on the Swift 3 OLED. Still, with HDMI 2.1 you can get your laptop to take advantage of 4K 120hz displays, which should be in the Swift 3 OLED’s range of capabilities even in gaming; just not AAA titles.
The Acer Swift 3 OLED now exclusively charges via USB Type-C. There is no proprietary charging port on the hardware. That also means you have an extra USB Type-C port to work with especially when the other is used as a charging port.
Both USB Type-C ports are Thunderbolt 4 capable ports, allowing you to strap up to two 4K monitors to the Acer Swift 3. You might want to make sure that the monitor can at least charge the Acer Swift 3 at 65W at least.
Same Keys as Before
It is not a perfect keyboard. We think that it could use a little more travel. The bottom out feels a little cushioned. We think that the keyboard feels a little mushy. While it is not hugely uncomfortable to type with the keyboard for long periods, we do think that a little more tactility would make it better.
Performance – The Power of Intel’s 12th Generation Core
The Acer Swift 3 OLED is technically a minor update of a 2022 product. You will not find Intel’s latest 13th generation Core processor lodged in the laptop. Instead, you get a 12th generation Core processor. Specifically, in our test unit, you get the Intel Core i7-12700H processor.
Multitasking & Productivity
The Intel Core i7-12700H is a proven processor in its own rights. While it is not the most powerful mobile processor you can find currently, it is powerful enough for the Swift 3 OLED. The laptop does not come packing a discrete GPU though.
It comes with Intel’s Iris Xe, which should be enough for 4K video editing purposes even. It should make short work of Photoshop and Lightroom. As of writing though, we could not get Adobe’s Lightroom to work on the laptop, which is a shame. That also means we could not fully take advantage of the brilliant OLED display with 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut. They also claim DisplayHDR 500 certification with up to 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, which should really reward content creators. At 2.8K (2,880 x 1,800 pixels) as well, it is not what you call an average display.
Still, if your aim is to get other things like emails and word processing done on the laptop, it will do the job just as well. The 16GB of RAM should be plenty enough for a ridiculous amount of open tab on your Google Chrome and to game with.
Entertainment & Gaming
This is where the OLED display also comes into a class of its own. The Swift 3 OLED, in terms of internal hardware, should allow for very smooth and painless streaming experience on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Via the app, Netflix can technically scale up to 4K in streams, but it will remain at 1080p Full HD in this case. Amazon Prime only does Full HD on any PC hardware.
From time to time, you might want to play some games. This is no gaming laptop, so you do want to adjust your expectations a little in terms of gaming performance. Keep in mind also that there will be a lot of heat when you play games, on top of plenty of noise. We tried playing games like Two Point Campus, CS:GO, and Undertale on the laptop.
With Two Point Campus, you want to keep your graphics settings at the lowest (very low) for a smooth experience. On very high settings you barely get 20fps out of the game, but everything looks just that much better.
Undertale is that game that you can play on any PC, no matter the performance. You get 30fps, which is sort of the maximum the game goes to anyway. The OLED display does make the graphics pop a little more and makes the game just a little more enjoyable though, which is nice.
CS:GO on the other hand can hit up to 40fps at times. Most of the time, you are only getting up to 30fps though. It is playable, but you will not be competitive without a GPU. You want to expect some input delays on the Swift 3 OLED too. To get more performance, you can just push the resolution down a little.
Battery Life
Acer quotes about 8 hours of battery life on the Acer Swift 3 OLED on their website. Inside, you can find a 57Wh Lithium-Ion battery. The charging adapter it comes with is rated at 100W, which is more than sufficient to charge the laptop. It is possible to use a 65W GaN charger with the Acer Swift 3 OLED.
In our use case, we have several Firefox and Microsoft Edge windows open with not more than 20 tabs open at the same time. At least two Microsoft Word windows are open most of the time. Screen brightness is usually at about 50% most of the time or less, it can get overly bright at 100%.
In our typical use case, we get nearly eight hours of battery life out of the Acer Swift 3 OLED. We are impressed enough with the battery life, though we think that it could use a slightly bigger battery to accommodate a full workday and a little more just in case you have extra work at the office and you forgot your charger at home.
Display & Audio
This is really the part where the Swift 3 OLED shines. When you put the Swift 3 beside any other laptop in its class without OLED displays, you can immediately tell that this laptop is special.
Acer quotes 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut and 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio with DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification. It refreshes at 90hz and it supposed to respond at 0.2ms, which is really near instant. You get 2.8K resolution on the 14-inch OLED panel, which is a lot of pixel for a laptop this size. It is even enough pixel for content creators to work with, especially if they specialize in working with photos.
Colours really pop on the Acer Swift 3 OLED, thanks to the capabilities of OLED displays. Any images you can put on the display are super vivid and lifelike thanks to the highly accurate colour reproduction. Watching shows on Netflix, Prime Video, and even Disney+ is a joy on the Acer Swift 3 OLED. You hardly get colour fringing or ghosting on the OLED display. Thanks to the HDR capabilities, darker scenes on shows like ‘The Witcher’ still packs plenty of detail. ‘Our Universe’ looks immersive and impressive at the same time with superbly rich colours. In that sense, you can also enjoy YouTube videos with no issues.
The DTS certified speakers are a little on the less powerful end of the spectrum. You do not get a lot of low-end frequencies, which is quite expected since there is no proper subwoofer installed here. On the mid and high frequencies, there is some clarity but not a lot of details. It is not the most powerful nor detailed set of speakers in the world, but it works. It is good enough if you are just looking to watch movies or listen to music while you browse the internet or work. For production purposes, you are better off with a decent pair of earphones.
The Acer Swift 3 OLED – That OLED Though
The Acer Swift 3 OLED starts at MYR 3,999. The one we have here will set you back MYR 1,000 more at retail (MYR 5,399 retail). You can get it at a massive discount via their online stores, but it is still a lot of money for a thin-and-light laptop without discrete GPU. The original Acer Swift 3 starts at MYR 3,599, which means you are paying the MYR 400 premium for a much better display.
The original Acer Swift 3 is not a bad laptop to begin with. There is no discrete GPU, but for a laptop that is supposed to do everything, everywhere, it is decent. The OLED upgrade highlights the high-resolution display aspect even more and made the laptop that much better to work with.
The OLED display with 16:10 aspect ratio helps with productivity. It is not a gamer product, but if you have enough for an eGPU, it might work. If not, watching movies on the OLED display is rather enjoyable. Provided, the speakers are not the best; it is and easy fix with a decent pair of headphones or Bluetooth enabled speakers. Even webpages with any form of designed visuals look really sharp on the display. The experience on the Swift 3 OLED might spoil you and your experience with other laptop displays in the future.
Is it worth the MYR 400 extra over the original Swift 3? We can safely say that the display experience is worth a little more than that. At MYR 3,999 though, we cannot call it budget friendly. If you go for the top-of-the-line option with a more capable Core i7 and 16GB of RAM, you are paying a premium of MYR 1,300 (MYR 5,399) over the Core i5 variant.
In that sense, we think you might be better off waiting for Acer’s latest Swift laptops that were launched during their CES 2023 keynote. At the same time, if you cannot wait for a few more months, we think that the Core i5 with 8GB RAM variant should be the better buy. You still get the gorgeous high-resolution OLED display, but with slightly less power. It is still enough power for you to get your photos edited, browse the internet, and watch movies comfortably.
CES 2023 is upon us early in January of 2023, there is no surprises there. The show is also a place where you can find the latest and greatest from all sorts of electronics manufacturer, a sort of showcase of what end users like us can expect to see throughout the entire year. It is not uncommon to see new smartphone concepts, new laptop concepts, and even new ways to experience technology in the show. While it is happening early in the year, you can expect manufacturers to bring their big guns to the show. One of those manufacturers you can be excited about is Samsung.
Samsung is in a rather unique position in the world. It is a technology giant that is involved and participates in many industries. If you have not known yet, Samsung has rather unique role in the military equipment industry as well. What they are most known for today is their unique approach to smartphones with their folding flexible displays. But according to the latest editorial you can find in their newsroom, written by their current CEO, JH Han, that is not all they want to be known for.
It is no secret that Samsung, very much like Apple, wants to build an ecosystem for themselves. At some point, it looked like their ecosystem, known as the Galaxy ecosystem, built around the smartphone experience is going to take over and pivot the South Korean giant away from Google’s complete ecosystem. Now, they seemed to have turned things around a little and embrace Google a little bit more, save for a few things.
Samsung’s Galaxy ecosystem is not technically a failure though. It has evolved a little bit more instead. It has developed into something they call the SmartThings ecosystem.
SmartThings – The Heart of it All
SmartThings, in a lot of sense, has always been there. It is not a replacement to the Galaxy ecosystem; it is a big part of it. It has a lot more potential in the smart home space than you think though. For 2023 then, instead of focusing on the smartphone side of things, Samsung plans to bring more IoT products and expand on SmartThings, which could be more exciting than it sounds.
According to the published editorial, Samsung is working with more partners this time for SmartThings. That can only mean that Samsung is expanding its compatibility and ability to more than just Samsung products. They are integrating AI implementations into SmartThings too, which is not entirely unheard of, but just means that their SmartThings products can just be smarter and more intuitive to work with over time than before. Where this will sit between the Apple Home and Google Home IoT framework, only time can tell.
The focus is not to just make the SmartThings ecosystem smarter and more readily available for users, but to also make it more sustainable than ever before. In a way, Samsung wants to make SmartThings the center of your eco-friendly practices. That also means that Samsung will be committed to creating more energy efficient products and more environmentally conscious packaging decisions.
We mentioned earlier that Samsung is in rather unique position in the world. They are in all sorts of sectors and are rather successful in all the industries it has participated in. They make some of the world’s most popular Television, they are the world’s leader in terms of display technology, they are a leader in the world of smartphones in both popularity and innovation, they make very compelling and very clever home appliances. They are in the perfect position to introduce a whole host of products and solutions that can talk to each other and integrate them seamlessly into your lives.
From the published editorial, we think that we can be excited for Samsung in 2023. You can expect Samsung to shift its focus a little in 2023. Of course, that does not mean that you will not see the usual Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Z flagship smartphones being released and pushing smartphone technology to the limits. But you can expect Samsung to shift gears when it comes to their home appliances. For CES 2023 at least, we think that Samsung will focus more on smart home appliances or even announcing new partners to their SmartThings ecosystem. We can only wait and see.
This is transcribed interview with Mohamed Adlan Ahmad Tadjuddin, CEO of EDOTCO. It is intended as a companion piece to our editorial on EDOTCO’s 10th Anniversary rebranding and refocusing on equitable connectivity and sustainability.
EDOTCO has undergone a rebranding for its 10th Anniversary. The rebranding saw them refocus on sustainability and equitable connectivity. With this underway, we sat down with Mohamed Adlan Ahmad Tajuddin, CEO of EDOTCO to look back on some of their more notable milestones and what lies in the future for the TowerCo.
Q: Congratulations on celebrating 10 years of EDOTCO’s success! Since EDOTCO has been behind the scenes all these years, perhaps we could start by covering our basics – who is EDOTCO and what has the company been involved with for the past 10 years?
Mohamed Adlan: In 2012, Axiata Group established an institution called Axiata SPV3 Sdn Bhd, which was the starting point of the existence of EDOTCO Group. EDOTCO has come a long way since then and over the past decade, established many milestones, including attaining ASEAN Unicorn status and becoming Asia’s first and leading regional integrated telecommunications infrastructure services company. Ultimately, we have made it our mission to become a Top 5 global telecommunications tower company, or TowerCo, by 2024. EDOTCO is currently 6th.
(Source: EDOTCO) Director and CEO of EDOTCO Group, Adlan Tajudin addressing the audience in his opening speech.
Since our establishment, the Group’s regional portfolio has extended beyond the borders of Malaysia to encompass a total of nine markets across South and Southeast Asia. We have established a regional portfolio of over 54,000 towers across Indonesia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Philippines, Myanmar and Laos. This includes our latest acquisitions from strategic deals and mergers with Touch Mindscape, XL Axiata Towers and PLDT.
As a leading integrated telecommunications infrastructure services company, we have delivered end-to-end innovative solutions from tower leasing, co-location, build-to-suit, energy, transmissions, operations and maintenance across Asia. Our smart integrated lighting and connectivity solution has supported smart city initiatives in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. We have pioneered hybrid energy solutions in Myanmar.
EDOTCO will continuously remain committed to pushing the connectivity agenda throughout the region and beyond.
Q: What are some of the cornerstones which have allowed EDOTCO to flourish as it has over the past 10 years?
Mohamed Adlan: Innovation will always remain a key cornerstone in our operations. However, we have also shifted our focus to sustainability as a key indicator of growth as a group.
We are steadfast in our belief towards sustainability, and we have put this into practice as we work closely with key stakeholders within the markets EDOTCO operate. For instance, we’ve collaborated with the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in conducting research to explore potential uses of bamboo structures to replace steel structures on rooftops. As a result of that collaboration, EDOTCO became the first Tower Sharing Company to introduce Bamboo Towers as a rooftop solution.
In 2017, we launched our first bamboo tower, a 6 metre truss tower which was installed on a rooftop in the Uttara region of Dhaka, Bangladesh. This advancement in sustainable tower innovation now has the capacity to house up to 8 antennas to enable co-location, Is 88% lighter compared to a steel structure, and produces 70% less carbon emissions.
As we strive in providing equitable next-generation connectivity for all, we remain aware of the impact of our operations towards the environment and have taken conscious steps to ensure our environmental impact on the planet, and ultimately improve the quality of life of the communities we serve while running EDOTCO with the highest level of integrity.
Q: What inspired the change at EDOTCO? Why change a well-established identity?
Mohamed Adlan: We have achieved many milestones this past decade including being selected as one of the three companies in Malaysia to have achieved the unicorn status by Credit Suisse in its report last year, becoming Asia’s first and leading regional integrated telecommunications infrastructure services company.
However, we understand that the work does not stop there as we want to continuously push the boundaries. This change ushers in a new era of growth for EDOTCO as we continue our mission to deliver sustainable connectivity to everyone through next-generation, leading-edge digital infrastructure.
EDOTCO must reflect and adapt to the rapid changes brought about by rapid emerging digitization (be it through our services, products and innovation) not just to cater to changing demands but indeed to shape how the digital future manifests and, ultimately align the EDOTCO closer to our business vision and strategy.
The rebranding is a significant milestone in our journey, providing an opportunity to reflect on everything that the EDOTCO brand stands for and everything that we aspire to become as we move forward into an exciting future. Not only have we revamped our logo, we have also updated our website, messages and focus to reflect our mission in helping our customers achieve equitable next-generation connectivity.
(Source: EDOTCO) [From Right] Adlan Tajudin, Group CEO of EDOTCO Group, Dato’ Dr.Nik Ramlah Nik Mahmood, Chairman of EDOTCO Group, Ma. Sivanesan, Deputy General Secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (MCMC), Tan Sri Sharil Ridza Ridzuan, Chairman of Axiata Group and Prof Dr. Tharek Abdul Rahman, Commission Member of Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (MCMC) at the launch of Laman EDOTCO @ Dataran PHB
We help nations across Asia to advance their communications infrastructure with next-generation solutions and help our customers & partners to accelerate sustainable growth while enabling a positive transformation of the communities. Our mission is a refined version of what is best about ourselves: to make next-generation connectivity universally accessible, in order to help nations and societies across Asia transform digitally, economically and socially.
Q: EDOTCO has innovated in a lot of ways when it comes to adapting to the different environments depending on the countries it’s been in. How has sustainability taken the forefront in innovation in the past decade? When did the focus sustainability start in EDOTCO?
Mohamed Adlan: Sustainability has always been a cornerstone of our DNA since our establishment in 2012 as it is inextricably intertwined with our purpose and vision as a Group.
At EDOTCO, we believe in Sustainability with our minds, hearts and hands. This means, we inculcate the culture of a sustainable world for the future and the next generation within the minds of our people. We hire passionate individuals who fit within EDOTCO’s culture and core values to ensure our staff are in tune with EDOTCO’s heart
With a strong culture, it makes work a lot easier. I provide guidance and obtain input from various levels within EDOTCO to continue to improve our sustainability approach. This is evident within the Group as close collaboration exists between key verticals especially with Group HR and the Innovation Team from Engineering.
We also practice strong transformational activities to drive this further. The activities are built based on our ESG pillars’ key focus areas of the year with the aim to create awareness, to enhance EDOTCO’s Sustainability Strategy internally. It is simultaneously done through one-way and two-way engagements using our internal and in-person platforms.
Q: It comes as no surprise that EDOTCO is involved in the rollout of 5G in multiple countries. What are some of the innovations being incorporated in these rollouts?
Mohamed Adlan: With the move from 4G to 5G, a lot is happening in the technology space impacting towercos. We have invested a lot in this area, carrying out a number of trials and pilots with many vendors. Traditionally, towercos focused on towers, energy and co-locations, but the towerco of the future needs to look beyond passive infrastructure and focus on the opportunities available in the active space too. Fibre, smart poles, antenna as a service, in-building solutions, network as a service (NaaS) are all dimensions and opportunities we are actively exploring.
Q: Is it possible to elaborate on some of the investments EDOTCO has made in the 5G space? Have R&D investments resulted in more sustainable approaches to rolling out 5G?
Mohamed Adlan: To capture the 5G market, our talented engineers have also innovated next-generation solutions that leverage and integrate the strengths of different stakeholders for maximised connectivity outcomes.
The innovations we have designed, manufactured and deployed could be exemplified via our street furniture such as the smart lamp pole that could be found in Malaysia. These new products occupy smaller land areas and consume a lower carbon footprint as they are smaller and lighter by design.
Q: Could you elaborate on how Site as a Service and Network as a Service fit into providing equitable connectivity? How will SaaS and NaaS help with rural penetration and allow for more affordable network access?
Mohamed Adlan: Neutral Host Network-as-a-service (NaaS) is a business model and ultimately an operating entity comprising third-party neutral hosts that build, own, and operate dedicated wholesale networks utilized by service providers through commercial agreements.
NaaS operate in mobile, fixed and in-building segments, leveraging on network sharing economics to extend deployments in either urban, rural or indoor settings while enabling service-based competition. Through a shared infrastructure, NaaS will allow affordable network access to users and ultimately allowing cheaper access to higher network quality and greater internet penetration, especially in underserved areas. As a whole, this ensures a more equitable society by enabling more inclusive participation in the emerging digital economy.
Q: Malaysia, in particular, has taken a Single Wholesale Network (SWN) approach to managing 5G. What is EDOTCO’s take on this? Is it sustainable? How has EDOTCO empowered the management of 5G with SWNs?
Whether Malaysia’s 5G rollout is implemented via SWN or DWN, EDOTCO’s mission remains the same, helping our customers to accelerate equitable access to digital connectivity.
As an independent integrated telecommunications infrastructure services company, we understand that we play a vital role in helping the nation accelerate its digitisation and looking to the National Digital Agenda, we want to support the following:
Higher internet penetration for underserved areas that leads to innovation and GDP growth.
Bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas
Rural microgrids and community support initiative
Q: Has EDOTCO deployed rural microgrids in Malaysia? How stable are these microgrids?
As of today, we have not deployed rural microgrids. However, as we navigate our path forward in preparing Malaysia for the advent of 5G technology, we want to ensure that our mission in providing wider connectivity coverage and better broadband quality for all Malaysian remains constant and, that its (rural microgrids) deployment is to be expected in the near future.
Q: EDOTCO has been talking about equitable connectivity. What does it mean to edotco and does the SWN approach allow for such a thing?
Mohamed Adlan: This means that everyone in the country is connected which will then empower the country’s digital economy. With our expertise, we help countries & MNOs accelerate the infrastructure rollout to achieve equitable connectivity.
Internally, we are continuously looking at ways to ensure the smooth rollout of 5G implementation as well as maximizing its potential nationwide. We are constantly finding ways in harnessing new and innovative technology that address the challenges to its deployment and ultimately create new opportunities where we can within the space.
Q: What are EDOTCO plans to empower equitable connectivity? Do you think that EDOTCO can lead the industry in this pursuit?
Mohamed Adlan: Through our end-to-end innovative solutions in the tower services sector from tower leasing and co-location, we have helped mobile network operators (MNOs) save between 16 and 35% of CAPEX and OPEX by enabling infrastructure sharing, resulting in more efficient capital allocation and faster network rollouts. This has lowered the barrier to entry for MNOs and encouraged healthy competition at the service level, which benefits end consumers
Q: How will innovations in sustainability allow for equitable connectivity?
Mohamed Adlan: Energy will be a central component to our business and industry as this is one of our key areas of focus. Similarly, innovation is part of EDOTCO’S culture which means every one of the ESG pillars must continue to be innovated and improved so that we can function effectively and efficiently.
Our customers are demanding lower costs and discounts. As much as we can cut our costs, there is a floor to it. Innovation is thus central to our strategy for the next decade.
Q: We’ve covered some of the innovative approaches EDOTCO has used in the past to enable rural connectivity. What are some of the more notable innovations that EDOTCO has rolled out to enable rural connectivity?
Mohamed Adlan: Malaysia’s digital economy is in the precipice of a major shift in progress, now with the introduction of 5G. EDOTCO has been at the forefront of supporting its rollout in tandem with the Malaysia’s own National Digital Infrastructure Plan (JENDELA) as part of our mission in connecting the unconnected.
In our quest to bridge the digital divide and provide equitable connectivity to all, we turn to innovation as we have come up with next-generation solutions that leverage and integrate the strengths of different stakeholders for maximised connectivity outcomes. One example is EDOTCO’s proprietary Network and Planning Analytics (NaPA) tool, which uses powerful geocoding and analytics to provide insight of potential tower sites locations, and reduce the build time of those towers for MNOs. As of today, we have identified and installed over 200 sites nationwide for the JENDELA initiative, utilising the NaPA intelligent tool.
Q: What does EDOTCO’s focus on digital entail when it comes to the business? How will it affect the focus on sustainability and equitable connectivity?
Mohamed Adlan: There is no doubt that EDOTCO has made it this far without the most pivotal aspect of our organization, our staff. We have a diverse and talented team across all our markets whose wisdom and skill enabled us to operate at the efficiency we currently do.
Through our ‘Bionic Organization” strategy, we want to harness our in-house talent further, distilling our objective into three (3) thematic areas:
Becoming Fitter, Faster and Far Better, without compromising on the human soul.
Digital is not about cold efficiency but leveraging digital to make work and people experience more intuitive and connected.
Harnessing the power of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to drive innovation and collective wisdom.
As we move forward to a digital future, efficiency and digitisation is to keep up with the fast-paced nature of technology, though, we also understand that we are also living, breathing people. We want to reconcile and embrace these two aspects by infusing digital tools into human interactions to drive the highest levels of engagement and efficiency – spearheading the workforce of the future within our culture.
Ultimately, we want to create an environment and work culture that encourages that fosters collaboration and drive among our staff to propel efficiency without compromising a pivotal aspect we want to create in our ecosystem; providing a sense of purpose.
Once this is embedded in our culture, our focus on sustainability and equitable connectivity won’t be compromised as they will operate concurrently.
Q: What’s next for EDOTCO? What can we expect to see in the next 5 to 10 years?
Mohamed Adlan: EDOTCO prioritises prudent portfolio expansion for both organic and inorganic opportunities that carry the right scale, economics, and returns for its shareholders. We have successfully built our portfolio from 10,000 towers in four home markets to more than 50,000 towers in nine markets in just over eight years.
Currently, EDOTCO’s target markets are in the ASEAN region and South Asia. With our recent foray into the Indonesian market, it has expanded our presence to nine (9) different markets.
As of now, we are looking into expanding within Thailand and Vietnam as we believe these markets offer untapped growth opportunities. We are also hoping to go public via an IPO process this coming decade.
However, as we continuously push the boundaries, our principal goal will unceasingly remain the same; helping our customers to accelerate equitable access to digital connectivity.
It’s not every day that we hear a tech company is celebrating its 10th Anniversary; what’s more, one that isn’t a start-up or consumer-facing. While that may be true for EDOTCO, the company’s decade-long existence has entrenched the company with consumers and connectivity. The company has been actively involved in the rollout of cellular towers and related technologies in Malaysia, Cambodia, Bangladesh and more across the ASEAN and South Asian regions.
What exactly does a TowerCo (telecommunications tower company) do? Well, it’s pretty simple. You know that symbol on your mobile phone which shows you your signal strength? They work to ensure that there is a connection at all times. This comes in the form of building and maintaining cell towers for mobile network operators (MNOs) and even leasing or co-locating towers with other companies. EDOTCO has its beginnings in Malaysia as Axiata group’s TowerCo before it spun off into its own business.
The company now boasts a portfolio of over 54,000 towers across the ASEAN and South Asian regions. They currently operate in Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Pakistan, Philippines, Laos and most recently, Indonesia. This has made them the 6th ranking TowerCo in the world with ambitions to be in the top 5 by 2024. They have also been recognized as one of three unicorn status companies in Malaysia by Credit Suisse last year.
We spoke with CEO, Mohamed Adlan Ahmad Tajudin, about the company’s focus on equitable connectivity, innovation and sustainability. This interview comes in the wake of the company celebrating their 10th Anniversary and launching a companywide rebrand.
A Heritage of Innovation & A Culture of Sustainability
EDOTCO hasn’t been resting on its laurels for the past decade. They’ve been at the forefront of innovating in the TowerCo space. The company has also been busy inculcating a philosophy of innovation and sustainable thinking from the ground up. CEO, Mohamed Adlan informs us, “we inculcate the culture of a sustainable world for the future and the next generation within the minds of our people. We hire passionate individuals who fit within EDOTCO’s culture and core values to ensure our staff are in tune with EDOTCO’s heart.”
(Source: EDOTCO) Cell tower in the Uttara Region in Bangladesh made of Bamboo.
Their genuine passion and dedication to innovation and sustainability have been driving EDOTCO’s ingenuity when it comes to tower technology. One of the hallmarks of the company’s past decade is their collaboration with the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). They looked to create a greener, more sustainable solution to building steel towers atop buildings in Bangladesh. If you remember, there have been cases where buildings in South Asia were collapsing due to the weight being borne. In their collaboration, BUET and EDOTCO created a very sustainable solution of creating the towers with specially treated bamboo which is more resilient and lightweight. This innovation resulted in a solution that is not only greener with 70% less carbon emissions; the resulting tower is 88% lighter. EDOTCO erected its first bamboo tower in the Uttara region of Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2017.
Source: EDOTCO
“Innovation will always remain a key cornerstone in our operations. However, we have also shifted our focus to sustainability as a key indicator of growth as a group.”
While it may seem trivial, the innovative approach could very well be the first step in a new way to set up towers and empower connectivity in rural areas. With better, more natural materials, we’re looking at the possibility of minimally affecting ecosystems while society moves towards being more connected. The lower cost and carbon emissions are also a testament to the company’s commitment to creating and innovating sustainably.
Refocusing to Empower Equitable Connectivity with Innovative Solutions
The company isn’t resting on their laurels with their 10th anniversary either. Instead, they’ve turned their focus to sustainability and equitable connectivity. EDOTCO is committed to adapting to the rapid changes that come with the surge forward in digitization. To further drive the point home, the company is undergoing a revamp and rebranding to embody their continued commitment and further refocusing their efforts on sustainable innovation.
The rebranding also comes with a commitment to empower and advance the Asian region when it comes to the region’s communications and connectivity ambitions. They will continue to innovate and address the needs of both developing and developed countries with solutions that drive connectivity with 5G and beyond; making next-generation connectivity universally accessible. Together with that, EDOTCO will also be working with their partners and customers to enable and drive positive transformation in the communities they are engaged.
(Source: EDOTCO) Redesigned Logo focusing on Sustainability and Equitable Connectivity
Together with this EDOTCO is also looking to drive their goals sustainably. They will be enhancing their internal sustainability strategy moving forward through their one-way and two-way engagements internally and in person. The vision to be sustainable isn’t just a bunch of fluff or a hot topic. It’s a vision and policy being driven in all departments from HR to Engineering. It provides an added impetus to their innovation and empowers their vision for equitable connectivity.
When it comes to equitable connectivity, EDOTCO isn’t just talking about sustainability either. They’re taking tangible steps to make erecting towers and providing connectivity as a service more affordable to its customers and, in turn, to consumers. Even before they embark on their next decade, the company has already helped MNOs save between 16% to 35% in their Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operations Expenditure (OPEX) through infrastructure sharing, tower leasing and co-location. This has also resulted in faster, more sustainable network rollouts and fostered competition between MNOs which is beneficial for consumers.
Working to Spearhead Equitable Connectivity & Sustainability
As much as they are driving innovation and helping with cost reduction for MNOs and, in turn, consumers, EDOTCO can only continue to do so with the correct policies in place. These policies and frameworks allow them to address more targeted issues. In Malaysia alone, EDOTCO continues to support the JENDELA framework put in motion by the Malaysian Government. It comes as no surprise that the company has already focused on equitable connectivity when JENDELA was first announced. They have since been supporting this framework by being a forerunner in connecting the unconnected.
(Source: EDOTCO) The Human Touch behind their innovative Bamboo Tower
Their innovations have allowed initiatives like Malaysia’s JENDELA to progress at a faster pace. With solutions like EDOTCO’s Network and Planning Analytics (NaPA), the company continues to allow MNOs to reduce costs and be more targeted and strategic in rolling out infrastructure. NaPA allows MNOs to reduce build times for towers by providing geocoding and analytic insights. To date, this technology has been used in the setup of over 200 towers in the JENDELA initiative.
Bringing a Human Touch to Digitization
(Source: EDOTCO) Mohamed Adlan Tajuddin, CEO Of EDOTCO
Being a company entrenched in the digitalization process, it gets easy to lose sight of the human aspect of technology. However, EDOTCO isn’t just a technology company – it’s a “Bionic Organization”. The company is creating “the workforce of the future” by integrating technology and digital tools into human interactions. While others look to leverage AI to replace humans, they are using AI and other technologies to better their workforce and provide value for their partners. They look to drive human interactions with the highest levels of efficiency.
EDOTCO’s “Bionic Organization” approach looks to harness in-house talent to bring heart and feeling to an industry that can be very cold. In the words of Adlan, EDOTCO is looking to become “Fitter, Faster and Far Better, without compromising on the human soul”. This entails leveraging digital solutions to make work more intuitive and human experience more effective. In addition, it will also, inevitably require their workforce to harness their inherent diversity of experience and backgrounds to drive innovation inclusively and with a sense of equity.
It’s getting rarer to see a tech CEO whose focus is on creating warmth and heart when driving their company. However, Mohamed Adlan’s approach to a “Bionic Organization” is looking to unite the two dichotomies in digitization and embeds them throughout the organization. This aims to create an environment and work culture that is collaborative, efficient and driven by insights and a sense of purpose. This is how he plans to drive both the sustainability and equitability pillars at EDOTCO.
Looking to Expansion, Diversifying & Further Empowering Equitable Connectivity
With the first 10 years in the bag, EDOTCO is looking to the future. Not only is it focused on bringing heart to digitalization, but it’s also constantly looking for opportunities to innovate and expand. Having already built a portfolio of 50,000 towers in nine markets from the initial 10,000 in its four home markets, the company is looking into new areas such as Network as a Service (NaaS) and Site as a Service (SaaS) to expand their portfolio.
Their current focus is on expanding within Thailand and Vietnam where they believe that the potential for growth is the greatest. The company is also eyeing going public in the coming decade while they focus on pushing boundaries and accelerating equitable access to digital connectivity.
With the release of Google’s My Ad Center, we had a few questions that we needed to be answered. So, we sat down with a Google Spokesperson who graciously answered them and gave us further insight into the new customizations and how they would impact Google’s products.
Q: We all know by now that Google abides by a certain code when it comes to handling user data. For the benefit of those of us that may not be aware, what are these rules and how does Google implement it in-house?
Google Spokesperson:
We build privacy that works for everyone. Protecting our users’ privacy and security is a responsibility that comes with creating products and services that are free of cost and accessible for all. This is especially important as technology progresses and safety needs evolve. We look to a set of core principles to guide our products, our processes and our people in keeping our users’ data private, safe and secure.
Respect our users, respect their privacy. We believe that these ideas are inseparable. Together, they represent a single, core belief that has influenced everything that we’ve made since day one, and everything that we’ll make moving forward. When people use our products, they trust us with their information, and it’s our job to do right by them. This means always being thoughtful about what data we use, how we use it and how we protect it.
Never sell our users’ personal information to anyone. We use data to make Google products such as Search and Maps as useful as possible. We also use data to serve more relevant ads. While these ads help fund our services and make them free of charge for everyone, it’s important to clarify that our users’ personal information is simply not for sale.
Make it easy for people to control their privacy. When it comes to privacy, we know that one size doesn’t fit all. Every Google Account is built with on/off data controls, so our users can choose the privacy settings that are right for them. And as technology evolves, our privacy controls evolve as well, ensuring that privacy is always an individual choice that belongs to the user.
Q: With the launch of the My Ad Center, Google is giving a degree of granular control to users when it comes to seeing ads. How will these controls impact user privacy?
Google Spokesperson:
My Ad Center builds on our commitments to privacy by giving you the ability to control what information is used to personalize the ads you see. And if you’re not sure what you’re sharing, it’s easy to quickly see what information we use, and control it based on your preferences.
You can decide what types of your activity are used to make Google products work for you — independent of the ads you’re shown. In the past, if your YouTube History was on, it automatically informed how your ads were personalized. Now, if you don’t want your YouTube History to be used for ads personalization, you can turn it off in My Ad Center, without impacting relevant recommendations in your feed.
You may also see ads meant for certain audiences based on your Google activity – categories such as education, relationship status or the industry you work in. Now you’ll be able to choose and adjust how categories inform your ads, or turn them off completely. This way, you can more easily choose the ad experience that’s right for you.
In addition, users have the ability to see fewer ads in five sensitive categories, including alcohol, dating, gambling, pregnancy and parenting, and weight loss. Before, this feature affected ads shown on YouTube and Display. Now, it expands to ads shown on Search and Discover.
Q: How does Google My Ad Center impact user experience with Google’s other products like Android, Chrome and Workspaces? Considering on Android, ads pushed via Chrome and Workspace e.g. Gmail are also based on user preferences.
Google Spokesperson:
My Ad Center gives you control over the kinds of ads you see across Google’s surfaces including YouTube, Search and Discover – in fact, when you’re signed into Google, you can access My Ad Center directly from ads appearing on these three platforms, allowing you to manage your ad preferences without interrupting what you’re doing online.
(Background: My Ad Center will not affect the user experience of Android, Chrome and Workspace. My Ad Center provides control over the ads that user sees on Google’s properties such as Search display ads and YouTube, but does not alter the user experience of those properties itself)
Q: My Ad Center brings in a new dimension of personalisation when it comes to ads. How will this data be used by Google when it comes to serving ads to individuals who utilize the dashboard? Will it impact the ads being served to those that don’t use My Ad Center?
Google Spokesperson:
My Ad Center starts with an entirely new, friendly and clear experience that offers more granular and flexible controls as well as visibility into which ads and categories are used to serve ads. For the first time, users will be able to tell us what they want in addition to what they don’t want when it comes to ads – in the ads themselves. My Ads Center is the complementary Google content experience, where users tune the ads they see by choosing both what types of ads they want to see and what information is used to power them. We’ve also kept the option to turn off ads personalisation and feature it prominently across the product experience.
Q: In My Ad Center, users are able to select ads they wish to see from brands and companies they like. They are also given the ability to remove ads from those they don’t. These personalisations could possibly create a potent echo chamber that can falsely affirm dangerous ideologies. What has Google done to ensure that these personalisations don’t hinder open discourse or cause the spread of misinformation?
Google Spokesperson:
Google have long since prioritised transparency, choice and control when it comes to the ad experience for users. My Ad Center offers more granular and flexible controls as well as visibility into which ads and categories are used to serve ads.
In this regard, users will be able to choose which topics they want to see more or fewer ads about. Users can only choose to block ads for select sensitive categories such as alcohol, gambling, weight loss, dating and parenting.
All Google ads must abide by our advertising policies.
Q: In countries like the United States and Canada, it’s common to be inundated with political ads. In other parts of the world, we may see ads from organisations like the UN. How is Google addressing the potential bias that personalisations on My Ad Center can influence the outcomes of grassroots initiatives and potentially a nation’s political landscape?
Google Spokesperson:
See response above
Q: Google My Ad Center also brings up concerns with advertisers when it comes to advertising on Google’s platforms – particularly with distribution, CPM and CTRs. What measures is Google taking to make sure that these personalisations don’t negatively impact advertisers?
Google Spokesperson:
The My Ad Center features are to provide users with more transparency, choice and controls. There is no plan to change how advertisers can target their campaigns in our ad products. However, where we see the advantage for advertisers is their ads being seen and engaged with by users who are genuinely interested in their products and their brand topics.
Q: What should advertisers be aware of in the first few months after the rollout of My Ad Center? How can they factor this major change into their advertising plans?
Google Spokesperson:
The choices users make will be automatically incorporated into the signals we use to personalise ads. There is no action needed from advertisers that want to serve ads to users who are interested in their brand or topic.
Our online experience has largely been determined by our preferences and interests. However, since the introduction of online advertising, we’ve been inundated with advertising on every page. Since then, we’ve been exposed to more ads in a more personal way. Many a time we’ve been faced with ads which have taken cues from our browsing, conversations and even social media – whether we like it or not.
That’s about to change as Google’s recently announced My Ad Center. The new dashboard empowers users – like you and me – to take charge of our online experiences by customizing what and how we see in online ads. It even gives us the option to turn off ad personalization altogether. However, when it came to the announcement, a few questions emerged when it came to how this would work. So, we’re doing a deep dive with Google to explore how My Ad Center affects the big picture.
Putting User Privacy in the Forefront
When it comes down to it, Google’s simple-to-use interface is driven by a philosophy that puts privacy first with accessibility in mind. In the words of the Google Spokesperson, “ We built privacy that works for everyone”. While we were sceptical as Google is a big data and search company, what we learnt from their explanations let us realize the complexity that comes with the business of data.
That said, Google works by a set of core principles when it comes to handling user data in its processes, product development and services. First and foremost is respect for the user and privacy. Two ideas that the spokesperson calls “inseparable”. It’s lauded as a core principle that has guided the company since day one. In fact, Google takes ownership of the need to respect and protect the data they collect from users.
The second principle would surprise anyone – Never sell our users’ personal information to anyone. It’s a long-held conception that Google, like other data companies, uses user data and personal information to generate revenue. However, the company affirms that it uses the data only to inform the personalization and develop products internally. They also use the data to push personalized ads to users which is where they make the bulk of their revenue.
The third principle is the inherent need to make controls and personalization simple and accessible. They are wholly aware of the nuances that come with designing products and features including controls for that privacy. This nuance informs the development of products and options that are becoming increasingly accessible and simple to understand. In fact, My Ad Center embodies this with its approach.
An Easy-to-Use Experience to Take Charge of Your Ads Experience
My Ad Center is the epitome of the simplicity and accessibility that comes with the third principle. Google’s approach when it comes to taking charge of ads and personalization on My Ad Center is very “what you see is what you get”. The interface is simple and, most importantly, easy to navigate and understand. It’s one of the simplest interfaces with all available options front and centre. You don’t have to dig into menus to get to your settings. In fact, Google has put the option to turn off personalization as the first option you see on the top right. Within the interface, Google has used simple, easy-to-understand prompts and choices to allow everyone the ease of customizing their experience
However, design is only the first step. Google isn’t just allowing users to control how they experience ads. We’re also empowered to choose whether data collected from platforms like YouTube, maps and web activity influence our experience on ads. With a simple click of a button, we can enable or disable these data sources. This would mean that young parents who have Coco melon and other kid-centric content on their YouTube accounts can emancipate their ads experience from their YouTube recommendations.
In addition, users are also given options to prioritize, deprioritize and remove brands and topics according to their preferences. Google has also outlined some sensitive topics including dating, gambling and weight loss that users can remove altogether. These customizations not only allow users to complement and control their experiences across Google’s platforms. It also allows us to avoid triggers online and also stay true to our stances when it comes to supporting brand advertising on Google.
While it may seem like we will eventually create an echo chamber of our own ideas and ideologies. The approach to giving granular controls remains true to Google’s priorities in providing a transparent and user-centric ad experience for users. However, even with the control, these controls and the ads served on the platforms are governed by Google’s advertising policies.
Of course, when it comes to advertising – the biggest question that comes to mind is how it will affect YouTube creator revenue and advertising investments. The long and short of it is that nothing is going to change. The freedom to customize and personalize the ads experience will not have a foreseeable impact on advertising or creator revenue. Google hasn’t officially stated anything in this regard, but their spokesperson has reassured us that revenue-wise, creators can rest at ease. However, it is worth noting that it is still early with My Ad Center only being around for a month.
On the flip side, for advertisers, with the increased personalization, advertisers can expect to see more users engaging with their ads. While this may seem counterintuitive, the increased personalization and control will also mean that targeting for ads will be more effective. With more and more users opting to see and engage with ads from certain brands even with the drop off from those who opt to blacklist brands and topics.
More Control, More You
All in all, the personalization and customizations that My Ad Center provides allow users to control their ads experience in a more granular way. They will allow more effective control of privacy but they also have the potential to become a double-edged sword. Users who chose to turn off personalizations completely will experience more general, non-specific ads while those who fine-tune their options will have better, more relevant ones.
That said, this granular control will not affect all of Google’s products. Experiences on Chrome, Android, Android TV and Google TV will remain the same. We will continue to see ads in spaces like Gmail and YouTube but they will be ads that you want from brands and topics that you have chosen to see. Essentially, you are creating an experience that is uniquely yours which is hoped to be a safer space overall.
We’ve heard the same song for years on end: “The market is changing, and digital skills are needed to address the gaps and jobs that will emerge in the near future.” However, the song hasn’t changed nor has the landscape – until very recently thanks to the global pandemic. The pandemic has accelerated not only medical technology but also transformed our work-life relationship and the landscape of corporate life entirely. We’ve seen the acceleration of remote and hybrid work in its wake and the increasing demand for remote and continuous learning. In fact, Coursera CEO, Jeff Maggioncalda says that the “future is characterized by uncertainty and dynamism” and this is exactly what we’re seeing in a world where automation is replacing a lot of the jobs that we’ve been accustomed to over the past decades. The big question now is: Where does that leave us now?
An Emerging Need to Rethink Education and Enable Universally Accessible Education
In the simplest terms, we’re at a crossroads; one that will see the emergence of new norms, new methods and approaches, and a new need for universally accessible education that addresses the needs of emerging jobs in a new market. However, that doesn’t mean that we forget the knowledge and know-how from the past, it just means that we’ve got to adapt and look at it from a different perspective.
It’s been historically proven that quality education has driven cultural and civilizational prosperity. However, in recent years, we’ve been seeing an increase in the number of companies looking for “soft skills” rather than a “paper qualifications”. In this light, it has become more apparent that our current approach to academia, training and education is quickly failing to provide the skills and industrial know-how to address the needs of various industries. It necessitates a rethinking and a realignment of strategies in addressing the rapidly growing needs of a world that is continually and swiftly changing.
Realizing this, the founders behind Coursera, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, developed a platform that has grown rapidly into the go-to place for industry-relevant courses. What initially started as a platform for upskilling and training in computer sciences has become a universally accessible platform to learn and develop new skills. In the years since its founding in 2015, Coursera has collaborated with industry leaders like Google and Meta as well as reputable academic institutions like the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to develop accessible, industry-relevant courses and qualifications which are rapidly changing lives for the better.
MOOC-ing the Future with Stackable Courses
Massively Open Online Courses (MOOC) have become the cornerstone of Coursera’s vision of accessible education. What started as small, bite-sized, short courses have become weeks’ long certifiable courses. However, Coursera has taken it a step further by creating an environment where these MOOCs are stackable. Simply put – take a number of these courses over the span of two to three years and earn yourself a diploma or degree from a reputable institution. With this approach, the concerns of upskilling a workforce or population become an issue that is continually addressed by the evolving courses available.
Adoption of this form of learning and learning online has been driven by a generation that has realised and been sensitized to a growing gap between philosophically driven academia and skills-driven industry. This is supported by their own statistics which show a larger portion of learners from younger populations across the world. The average age of learners on the platform is about 30 years of age.
The advent of online learning has not only led to a more accessible advent of online learning has not only led to a more accessible form of tertiary learning, but it’s also disproportionately empowered women to pursue degrees in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) related fields. In Malaysia alone, women account for 46% of Coursera’s 58,000 learners. This and the added flexibility of planning your education around your life empowers even the most burdened individuals like single mothers to upskill themselves to better their financial outlook.
Coursera isn’t just making it more accessible; it’s helping institutes of higher learning rethink qualifications for their courses. This falls in line with many companies adopting skills-based qualifications instead of more theoretical qualifications. MOOCs on Coursera are used to not only give learners a taste or trial of the course they’re getting into, but they are also increasingly used to ascertain the aptitude of learners for courses. Scoring well in certain MOOCs can open new pathways of learning to those who have otherwise been turned down by academia. With this approach, learners are not only qualifying for their degree or course, but they also earn the required credits and prerequisites to their degree or master’s.
Dealing with Stigma & Accreditation
When online degrees and masters were first introduced by institutions in response to platforms like Coursera, there was a stigma that arose together with it. Are online degrees and masters up to scratch? Are these degrees bought? While they may be less prevalent now, there are some who haven’t embraced the change just yet.
Source: Coursera
However, an increasing number of well-known universities are beginning to embrace hybrid learning. In fact, some of these universities offer their courses on Coursera itself. They’ve created learning experiences that empower online learners with the same access and facilities as on-campus students. Library access, access to resources like journals and even access to teaching staff are now part and parcel of the learning experience even for online learners. Study groups and student participation via tools like zoom or online forums are being factored into the final grade of online learners.
That said, these degrees and master’s programs are still subject to stringent standards of boards like the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) or the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) in the U.S.. With regular universities, courses are put through the accreditation process every two to three years, while this used to work before, with the ever-changing digital industry landscape and the skills-based hiring practices becoming prevalent it leaves the institutions handicapped and ill-equipped to address the needs of industries they train for.
With MOOCs and hybrid learning becoming more mainstream, Coursera has been working with relevant partners and agencies to rethink and better adapt the accreditation processes to allow both conventional and online learners to benefit. As the process is optimized, academia will be better equipped to respond to the changing job landscape. Online learning and MOOCs are accelerating the rate at which the workforce is being equipped with skills needed for new, digital skills-based jobs. With conventional learning institutions joining the fray, the skills gap will be all but moot.
Adapted for & Developed with Industry
However, it’s worth pointing out that it’s a continual process of developing and adapting learning modules to address new, novel concepts and approaches. This is something that is being continually done when it comes to MOOCs. Institutions that provide these MOOCs and platforms like Coursera regularly improve and innovate based on learner feedback and development of courses with leading players like Meta, Google, CISCO and more.
These mechanisms of improvement not only allow Coursera and its partners to work towards better learning outcomes, but it also allows them to develop tools and coursework that better illustrate the application of theoretical concepts in industrial practice. Feedback from industry players bridges a currently widening gap between academia and industry which has led to our currently worsening skills gap.
Source: Coursera
“Strong industry-academia-government collaboration that focuses on the rapid deployment of high-quality digital and human skills training will be key to ensuring that the Malaysian workforce remains resilient and competitive amid rapid technological transformation“
Coursera is already the interjection of academia and industry; it, therefore, really comes as no surprise that companies are also adopting Coursera as a partner for their internal training and upskilling programs. Naturally, some of these courses include the adoption of courses from other partners. In fact, partners like Panasonic Appliances Marketing Asia Pacific have already curated online learning programs which have seen successful adoption among their staff. Panasonic’s program alone boasts more than 1,200 enrollments with over 10 learning hours each.
Embracing the Future of Learning by Embracing the Future of Work
It should already be apparent that learning and work are intricately linked. With the advent of technology, both have taken similar paths in their evolution. This has only been accelerated by the recent pandemic. As the world is continuing to work both remotely and in hybrid, so too must learning and education. In fact, globalization isn’t just something happening in the commercial market, it’s happening even when it comes to work. Jobs are no longer bound by physical boundaries and location. You can be in Malaysia and work for a company based in the United Kingdom or vice versa. Jobs will go to the most qualified and no longer to the one who is nearest to the office.
Coursera learners are living proof of this. Many of them are hired by partners for remote jobs outside their country of residence. Coursera itself is a company that works nearly exclusively remotely. This is just a glimpse of an inevitable future that we are seeing unfold. It goes without saying that learning should and will inevitably take the same course. In fact, it is already with MOOCs and micro-credentials looking to outperform degrees when it comes to employability in the near future.
