This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on September 25, 2023 - October 1, 2023

Local technology solutions provider CiMS Tech Sdn Bhd has just launched the country’s first omnichannel software that enables seamless customer communication across multiple messaging platforms.

Designed primarily for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the solution aims to help these companies counter fragmented customer interactions and deal with issues in real-time. Small businesses that use digital omnichannel platforms have reported experiencing a 27% increase in productivity, according to a 2020 Khazanah Research Institute report, while cloud communications platform Squaretalk said business revenue went up 24.3% in a web article in June.

The automation platform is the first of its kind to combine multiple messaging channels such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Instagram and Telegram. Whether it is online or offline, CiMS integrates with various software and applications to create a smooth and efficient workflow. CiMS Tech is the ultimate solution for MSMEs who want to leverage the power of digitalisation and automation.

With the platform, MSMEs are likely to see up to a 40% increase in revenue and experience enhanced and personalised customer interactions, which ultimately lead to significant savings in operational costs and improved efficiency across workflows.

Pudgy Penguins, a non-fungible token (NFT) collection that also doubles as a Web3 intellectual property (IP) company, debuts in Malaysia to promote IP utilisation and community empowerment, with the backing of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Asia Huddle PLT.

Blending blockchain innovation with business opportunities, Pudgy Penguins aims to assist Malaysian businesses in their growth journey as well as foster a community of owners who can benefit from the NFT collectibles they hold.

The Web3 IP company places a strong emphasis on community and digital ownership. Notably, it has achieved over US$400 million (RM1.88 billion) in NFT sales and garnered 10 billion impressions on social media.

The company’s mission is to lead the charge in a consumer-facing industry, specifically in the realm of toys and collectibles, which introduces individuals to blockchain technology via the QR code in their products. Their soft toys and figurines bridge innovation and opportunity by contributing to the economic landscape of Malaysia through art. — By Grace Yap Ern Hui

In 2022, battery electric vehicles (EVs) represented nearly 10% of global auto sales, up from a little less than 6% in 2021. Much of the growth occurred in China, which has been a leader in EV sales over the past decade.

However, with national EV subsidies in China expiring in 2022 and far lower sales in the US and Europe, there is doubt about whether EV sales can continue to grow without subsidies.

The growth of electric vehicles (EVs) can and will continue, says Morningstar in its latest EV Observer report. By 2030, Morningstar forecasts EVs will account for 40% of global auto sales.

In 2022, nearly 10% of new global auto sales were EVs. The remaining 90% had an internal combustion engine (or gasoline-powered generator, in the case of some plug-in hybrids). Morningstar forecasts EV sales will reach roughly 40 million vehicles by 2030, more than five times the number sold in 2022.

While EVs will still cost more upfront for most auto categories, the firm expects falling battery costs to drive cost parity on a total cost of ownership basis over the next couple of years for the majority of autos. Consumer-function concerns are rapidly disappearing.

“As EVs have reached range parity with internal combustion engines and charge times have fallen, the buildout of chargers across highways and in cities throughout the world will drive higher EV sales even without subsidies. With growth accelerating over the second half of the decade, we see strong opportunities for investors throughout the EV supply chain,” says the firm in a statement.

The Samsung Southeast Asia and Oceania (SEAO) Gaming Insight Study discovered that 56% of gamers indulge in gaming more than a few times a week. In response, Samsung has launched the “Galaxy Gaming Academy 2023” regional event to build mobile gaming communities in Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Samsung aims to establish the Galaxy Gaming Academy as a hub for community engagement, offering upskilling and training opportunities to its members, thereby providing greater accessibility to mobile gaming for both gaming enthusiasts and hardcore gamers.

Samsung held a Galaxy Gaming Academy, with 5G powered by CelcomDigi, at Galaxy Space in REXKL from June 9 to 11, where they demonstrated the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s gaming performance with its robust processor, long-lasting battery and Dynamic AMOLED 2X display.

Twin Towers Ventures (TTV) and Asia-focused venture capital firm Gobi Partners have entered into a memorandum of understanding for the collaboration of resources, proficiency and networks to invest in the ecosystem of sustainable innovation within Southeast Asia (SEA) and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) in China.

The undertaking between TTV, the investment arm of Petronas Ventures, and Gobi includes cross-sharing of deal flow and potential co-investment in promising opportunities in the region, leveraging Gobi’s stable of portfolio companies, exchange of insights and sustainable innovation best practices, as well as exploring potential co-development and/or commercialisation of Petronas’ in-house innovations.

Petronas Ventures has also invested in the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund Greater Bay Area (AEF GBA Fund).

Single Muslim individuals are harnessing the power of technology in their search for potential spouses, with close to 77.8% leveraging matchmaking platforms. Commonly used Muslim dating and matchmaking apps include Muzz, Salams and BaitulJannah.

Global creative agency TBWA Asia through its Malaysia-based Muslim insights unit, Halal Wave, extracted data from 158,586 social media conversations and 16 interviews that were conducted from 2021 to 2023 across five countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Germany and the UK for its Match to Marriage report.

The report sheds light on the experiences of Muslims on their journey towards marriage as well as equipping businesses with essential data to better serve a diverse audience.

The report also highlights that a significant topic of interest is that Muslims live and interact in a culturally diverse setting, leading to conversations about interfaith marriages.

The survey finds that 62.3% are concerned about marriage regulations between different faiths as well as conversion to Islam as part of an interfaith marriage. Around 20.6% of respondents say the lack of guidance is the second largest challenge they face because they are unsure if the approach to forming an acquaintance is aligned with Islamic teachings.

Nazirah Ashari, head of 65dB Kuala Lumpur, strategy director at Halal Wave and research author of the report, believes that there is a demand for businesses that assist and encourage Muslims seeking marriage. Tailored services and products that align with their faith and cater to various life stages will undoubtedly be sought after in today’s world.

HSBC Malaysia has launched a RM500 million “HSBC New Economy Fund” dedicated to helping high-growth, new economy businesses to innovate and scale.

The fund is sector agnostic and is open to all tech businesses and emerging start-ups from the Series B stage and businesses with demonstrable growth and scale measured by consecutive quarters of significant growth.

However, sectors of focus are fintech and e-commerce, food and agritech, energy, healthtech and greentech. HSBC will offer working capital, treasury management and payments and cash management solutions to meet the needs of these businesses at different stages of their lifecycle.

The fund, which is a first for HSBC Malaysia, follows funds launched in other markets such as the US$200 million fund in Singapore launched in late 2021 and a US$250 million fund in India announced in June last year. A US$250 million dedicated fund in Australia will be launched soon.

SONOS has introduced Move 2, a premium portable stereo speaker with auto TruePlay, which aims to offer an elevated outdoor music experience.

Move 2 features a dual-tweeter stereo sound system, extended battery life and intuitive controls. The design comes in an all-new olive colour.

The concurrent connectivity between Bluetooth and WiFi allows for flexibility in streaming and grouping with other SONOS sound systems. Move 2 offers a customisable sound experience, complemented by Auto TruePlay, which calibrates its sound profile to its environment.

A notable improvement in Move 2 was demonstrated in its new intuitive user interface. It showcases a capacitive volume slider for simple control and allows for hands-free control via the SONOS S2 app.

The new stereo speaker also comes with an extended battery life of up to 24 hours with non-stop playback. A wireless changing base was also introduced with Move 2, which also works with Move 1. 

Move 2 is committed to being sustainable by reducing energy consumption by 40%. Packaged in sustainably sourced content and zero virgin plastic, Move 2 is readily curbside recyclable too.

Move 2 is now available on the TC Acoustic website or in the Sonos Concept Store at The Starhill, priced at RM2,799.  — By Grace Yap Ern Hui

Microsoft’s Paint application has been a part of the childhoods of many millennials and maybe even a few zoomers. The free and simple tool that allows for a quick doodle or even simple image editing fell out of favour over the years due to its over simplicity. 

Coming with the new Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels (version 11.2308.18.0 or higher), Paint will now have Photoshop’s much-loved layers feature, allowing users to duplicate, merge and hide layers for freer creative expression. In a Sept 18 blog post, Microsoft said that the update is being rolled in phase, so they may not be available to all Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels just yet. “We plan to monitor feedback and see how it lands before pushing it out to everyone,” said Dave Grochocki, principal program manager lead of Windows Inbox Apps.

An epic account of the decades-long battle to control what has emerged as the world’s most critical resource — microchip technology — with the US and China increasingly in conflict.

You may be surprised to learn that microchips are the new oil — the scarce resource on which the modern world depends. Today, military, economic and geopolitical power are built on a foundation of computer chips. Virtually everything — from missiles to microwaves, smartphones to the stock market — runs on chips. Until recently, America designed and built the fastest chips and maintained its lead as the No 1 superpower. Now, America’s edge is slipping, undermined by competitors in Taiwan, Korea, Europe and, above all, China. Today, as Chip War reveals, China, which spends more money each year importing chips than it spends importing oil, is pouring billions into a chip-building initiative to catch up to the US. At stake are America’s military superiority and economic prosperity.

Economic historian Chris Miller explains how semiconductors came to play a critical role in modern life and how the US became dominant in chip design and manufacturing and applied this technology to military systems. America’s victory in the Cold War and its global military dominance stem from its ability to harness computing power more effectively than any other power. But here, too, China is catching up, with its chip-building ambitions and military modernisation going hand in hand. America has let key components of the chip-building process slip out of its grasp, contributing not only to a worldwide chip shortage but also to a new Cold War with a superpower adversary that is desperate to bridge the gap.

Illuminating, timely and fascinating, Chip War shows that, to make sense of the current state of politics, economics and technology, we must first understand the vital role played by chips. — Amazon

Google Cloud recently announced that Duet AI will provide AI assistance across an even wider range of Google Cloud products and services to cloud users spanning employees, software developers, IT operators, data practitioners and cybersecurity professionals.

The new enhancements to Duet AI in Google Workspace are taking place at Duet AI in Google Meet and Duet AI in Google Chat.

To help employees better engage during meetings, Duet AI in Google Meet removes the burden of note-taking and sending out recaps. It can now capture notes, action items and video snippets in real-time and send a summary to attendees after the meeting. It can even help latecomers get up to speed by giving a snapshot of everything they have missed. For users who cannot make a meeting but have input to share, the “attend for me” feature allows Duet AI to join the meeting on their behalf.

The most important part of any meeting is being clearly seen, heard and understood. Duet AI in Google Meet will help ensure meeting attendees look and sound their best with studio look, studio lighting and studio sound. With the launch of automatically translated captions for 18 languages, including simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese, Google Meet will automatically detect when another language is spoken and display the translation in real-time.

Upholding user privacy and security has always been a bedrock principle for Google Workspace and Duet AI continues to uphold this promise. Each user can be assured that their interactions with Duet AI are private, where no other user will see their data and Google does not use their data to train its models without their permission. Building on these core commitments, Google Workspace recently announced new capabilities to help prevent cyberthreats, provide safer work with built-in zero trust controls and better support organisations’ digital sovereignty and compliance needs.

Beyond Google Workspace, Duet AI can now provide AI assistance across a wide range of Google Cloud products and services — to help developers code faster, quickly troubleshoot application and infrastructure issues, provide quick and better insights, and help prevent cyberthreats.

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