01 Sep 2023
WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY AND UNIFI EXPAND PARTNERSHIP WITH LAUNCH OF HBO PACK & HBO GO ON UNIFI TV
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA (September 1, 2023) – Warner Bros. Discovery and Unifi today announced an expansion of their partnership in Malaysia, with the launch of four HBO channels and the HBO GO streaming service.
HBO, HBO Family, HBO Hits and Cinemax will launch on Unifi TV, offering audiences access to some of the world’s best TV series and movies. All Unifi TV Pack subscribers will be able to enjoy them as a 30-day free preview from September 1.
With HGTV and Cartoon Network also added on Unifi TV in August, WBD now offers nine of its channels as well as the regional streaming service, HBO GO, which will be available in October.
Shonali Bedi, Head of Affiliate Distribution & Digital Partnerships – Southeast Asia & Hong Kong, Warner Bros. Discovery, said: “WBD’s content portfolio with Unifi is going from strength to strength. With the addition of the HBO channels on Unifi TV and HBO GO, more fans in Malaysia will be able to enjoy HBO’s unique brand of premium entertainment than ever before. HBO GO offers subscribers a chance download and stream the greatest array of storytelling for all audiences, with movies and series across genres – drama, comedy, kids, factual, lifestyle and more – anytime, anywhere.”
Anand Vijayan, Unifi’s Executive Vice President, said, “We are pleased to work with Warner Bros. Discovery once more to expand our international channel selections for all Unifi TV customers. These movie channels will be a great addition to our line-up bringing our offerings to 77 channels. Through this partnership we are strengthening Unifi TV’s international channel and streaming app offerings which already includes global streaming partners and enhancing online content and entertainment options at affordable prices for all Malaysians. To thank our loyal customers, we will offer these channels as a 30-day free preview to all Unifi TV Pack subscribers from September 1.”
HBO is one of the most respected and innovative entertainment brands in the world, known for shows like Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, House of the Dragon and The White Lotus – as well as many of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, including Emmy® award-winning dramas Succession and Barry.
Unifi TV customers will have access to current hit titles, including the second season of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, HBO Asia Original MarkKim + Chef, and new movie premieres on HBO in September including Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Tár and Dungeon & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. From October onwards, HBO GO will also become available to Unifi TV subscribers giving them unparalleled streaming access to DC series and movies, HBO Originals, Wizarding World, Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry and much more across multiple devices.
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TM One LEAP Summit 2022 poised to advance next-gen enterprise transformation with world-class innovators
TM One’s annual flagship event LEAP Summit returns for a fifth year, anchoring on the theme ‘Enabling Your Next: Innovate and Transform’ TM One, the enterprise and government sector business solutions arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), held its high-impact annual flagship event, LEAP Summit 2022 today, aimed at propelling enterprise innovation and transformation as Malaysian businesses take advantage of the nation’s initial economic recovery. The fifth in its series, LEAP Summit 2022 themed ‘Enabling Your Next: Innovate & Transform’, brought together world-class digital experts and over 200 of Malaysia’s top decision makers to better understand how these leaders could unleash their innovation potential and take their businesses to the next level. Imri Mokhtar, Group Chief Executive Officer of TM, in his welcoming address said that increased customer expectations for digital services and platforms are reshaping how enterprises work and conduct their business. He also explained that in order to keep up with these new trends, enterprises must fast-track their transformation to virtualised cloud-based services, leverage digital networks to modernise legacy processes, accelerate workflow efficiency, and strengthen cybersecurity. This will improve business offerings and overall customer experience, leading to increased growth and profitability. Kicking off LEAP Summit 2022 was Netflix’s Co-Founding Executive, Mitch Lowe, who emphasised the need for being brave in order to become a leader of the industry and to remain relevant. Having grown with the entertainment industry from video stores and DVD kiosks, to founding one of the most successful over the top (OTT) content services, Lowe shared that the habit of transformation is built by constantly looking to solve the problems faced by the customers and the industry. Building on this need for organisations to constantly evolve, the event then featured a panel session with Paul Nicholls, Telstra Purple’s Digital Transformation Practice Leader with Telstra’s global partners Airspeeder (the F1 for Electric Flying Vehicle) and Bata Global (world's largest shoe manufacturer), which was moderated by Ching-Fong (CF) Ong, Managing Director & Senior Partner from Boston Consulting Group; who deep dove into real examples of transformation, spanning multiple technologies and geographies, which centres around customers. Bringing the conversation closer to home, industry leaders Datuk Hj Bacho Pilong, Senior Vice President, Project Delivery & Technology, PETRONAS; Fabian Bigar, Chief Executive Officer, MyDIGITAL; Effendy Shahul Hamid, Chief Executive Officer, CIMB Digital Assets; Ir. Dr. Lim Eu Shawn, Chief Global Solutions Officer, Aerodyne Group; also weighed in on transformation within the Malaysian context and its role in future-proofing businesses and the nation to progress from surviving to thriving. This discussion was moderated by Manoj Menon, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of twimbit. Commenting about this year’s event, Shazurawati Abd Karim, Executive Vice President of TM One said, “TM One’s LEAP Summit is part of our continuous commitment to enable organisations to prepare for their next advantage, today and tomorrow. With one of the common challenges faced by organisations being how to start or even expand their innovation and transformation journey, we connect them to world-class leaders to open up new ideas and possibilities that enterprises can put into motion.”TM One 5G Sphere Programme – enabling enterprises’ ‘Next’, now LEAP Summit 2022 also witnessed the inauguration of TM One’s 5G Sphere Programme, an alliance of Malaysia’s leading technology and smart solution partners to create an ecosystem to support the next phase of enterprise innovation and transformation, leveraging 5G. Harnessing 5G capabilities to power connected technologies to improve performance and customer experience, real-time detection, instant analysis and action for efficiency, as well as increased safety while reducing down-time through smart solutions, TM One’s 5G Sphere offers the opportunity for enterprises to springboard their transformation through actual case studies and proof of concepts that address their unique business challenges.TM One 5G Solutions for enterprises and the government sector TM One’s latest-in-class showcase during LEAP Summit 2022 also spotlighted 5G-enabled applications for Smart Healthcare, Smart Industry and Smart Cities, along with several digital solutions and services, demonstrating the latest end-to-end technologies available to enterprises and the public sector to spur on their digital growth. Shazurawati explained, “The next phase of smart innovative transformation will be 5G-driven opportunities, with capabilities such as video monitoring, logistics, fleet management, and private 5G networks powering manufacturing, transport, factories, and campuses already on the horizon.” “Moving forward, optimal 5G business solutions will arise from smart collaborations and coalitions among industry leaders, accelerating the next phase of technology adoption by both industry and the country as a whole, and enabling our aspirations for a Digital Malaysia,” she concluded.
TM AND SINGTEL’S NXERA BREAK GROUND FOR SUSTAINABLE, HYPER-CONNECTED DATA CENTRE CAMPUS IN JOHOR
ISKANDAR PUTERI, 25 JULY 2024 – TM and Nxera, the regional data centre arm of Singtel’s Digital InfraCo unit, held a groundbreaking ceremony for their data centre campus in Iskandar Puteri, Johor. The groundbreaking comes one month after the announcement for a joint venture to develop data centres in Malaysia and uplift Johor’s digital hub status. This 64MW state-of-the-art, sustainable, hyper-connected, AI-ready data centre campus reinforces Malaysia’s high quality digital infrastructure. It also supports the government's efforts to drive the digital economy and transform the country into a hub for industrial growth, AI development and innovation. Malaysia's Digital Minister YB Gobind Singh Deo; YB Lee Ting Han, Chairman, Johor State Investment, Trade, Consumer Affairs and Human Resources Committee; and Singapore's Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Culture, Community and Youth Low Yen Ling graced the groundbreaking event as the Guests-of-Honour. Minister YB Gobind said, "This investment by TM and Nxera reinforces Malaysia's position as the digital hub in Southeast Asia, further advancing the nation's economic growth. Based on advance estimates, Malaysia's economy expanded 5.8% in the second quarter of 2024, and such investments are in line with projections that Malaysia's digital economy will contribute 25.5% to the nation's GDP by the end of the year. The relationship between TM and Nxera expands to Malaysia and Singapore, with both nations being a good case study of a productive working partnership between two ASEAN member states." YAB Dato Onn Hafiz Ghazi, Menteri Besar, Johor said, “TM-Nxera’s upcoming data centre campus, located right here in Iskandar Puteri, holds particular significance as one of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone’s first investment projects. We welcome the comprehensive scope of their investment with respect to high quality infrastructure, sustainability as well as employment and skilling opportunities which supports our emphasis on talent development, green technology and renewable energy. This data centre campus will serve as a catalyst for economic growth and enable businesses to harness the power of cloud computing and AI. We hope this will set the stage to shape a vibrant business ecosystem where more high-tech and high-value content companies will be attracted to locate their operations within the special economic zone and give a further boost to Johor’s digital economy.” Senior Minister of State Low said, “Data centres are important enablers of our digital economy, powering our economy’s data-driven needs. As technology advances, robust, next-generation digital infrastructure like the TM-Nxera Data Centre will be essential to support AI advancements and foster value creation. Today’s groundbreaking marks a milestone in the deepening economic relations between Singapore and Malaysia, and I look forward to the outcomes we can achieve through close collaboration.” Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, TM’s Group CEO, said, “Today marks a pivotal milestone in our journey to becoming a digital powerhouse as we break ground on this cutting-edge AI-ready data centre. This facility exemplifies our commitment to fostering industry growth, driving innovation, and enhancing socio-economic development. With support from the Federal Government, and Johor state agencies and authorities, we are confident that this AI-ready data centre will equip businesses with unparalleled computing power, AI capabilities, and other cutting-edge technologies. We are excited to lead the way into a future where AI and data analytics drive transformative solutions, revolutionising industries and enriching both our nation and the world.” Bill Chang, CEO of Nxera and Singtel’s Digital InfraCo unit, said, “As one of the largest investments in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, this state-of-the-art data centre campus is an integral part of our mission to empower digital economies and communities in the region while ensuring energy and water resources are deployed responsibly and efficiently. It expands our regional data centre platform’s strategic presence in this fast-growing Asia region. With Malaysia embracing AI to drive competitiveness and innovation, our campus will spur economic growth by helping companies leverage AIs and cloud computing to drive efficiencies and accelerate their business transformation. Our investment isn’t just about the campus, it is about bringing benefits to the local economy through digitalisation, developing local talent, creating employment opportunities and enhancing international connectivity. We would like to express our gratitude to the Johor State Executive Council, Invest Johor, Iskandar Regional Development Authority, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation and Malaysian Investment Development Authority for their support.” Scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2026, this cloud-enabled Tier 3 data centre campus will use liquid cooling to handle higher power density AI workloads. The facility will be designed, built and certified to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, incorporating energy and water-efficient solutions to optimise the use of resources. This underscores the joint venture's commitment to long-term sustainability goals. To support the new data centre campus, the joint venture plans to expand submarine cable connectivity, enabling a thriving and vibrant digital ecosystem. Located just 16 km from Singapore, the data centre campus will allow customers to seamlessly expand their infrastructure from the city state and the rest of the region. Further, the data centre can be scaled up to 200MW in response to market demand. In addition, apart from creation of new employment opportunities that is important for nation building, the joint venture will invest in building talent for the data centre industry by fostering collaborations between universities in Singapore and Malaysia. It aims to design comprehensive courses with specialised curriculum to provide students with well-rounded knowledge and the requisite skills to propel Malaysia’s growth aspirations. For communities and the region, this means superior country-to-country connectivity and a smarter, more resilient digital economy. As announced in Bursa, this joint venture is conditional upon receiving approval from TM shareholders in the upcoming EGM.
TM & Astro collaborate to deliver high quality digital experience
TM provides Astro with full suite of wholesale infrastructure and connectivity solutions to enable Astro to serve its customers with reliable broadband and content services. Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) and Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad’s wholly-owned subsidiary, MEASAT Broadcast Network Systems Sdn Bhd (Astro) today inked deals to collaborate in delivering a high quality digital experience to all Malaysians. The collaboration also signifies both companies' commitment to support the “Jalinan Digital Negara” (JENDELA) initiative in providing wider broadband coverage and a better experience nationwide. The agreements were signed by Imri Mokhtar, Group Chief Executive Officer of TM and Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, Executive Vice President, TM WHOLESALE while Astro was represented by Henry Tan, Group Chief Executive Officer and Shafiq Abdul Jabbar, Group Chief Financial Officer. Through this strategic collaboration, TM, via TM WHOLESALE, its global and wholesale business arm, will provide Astro with a full suite of infrastructure and connectivity solutions that comprises the whole range of wholesale services inclusive of high speed broadband (HSBB), bandwidth, backhaul and Internet access. This extensive and robust fibre network infrastructure will enable TM together with Astro to provide high-quality and reliable connectivity to their end-users. With TM’s HSBB service, Astro also will be able to provide broadband services to its customers without having the need to build a new infrastructure while extending its coverage to wider areas across the country via a fibre network. As for Internet services, TM’s internet access solution will enable Astro to offer high performance internet connectivity and a comprehensive solution to its customers. To complete the services, TM will also provide Astro with its Content Delivery Network (TM CDN), a newly developed content platform service that delivers seamless, faster and secure digital content. This will enable Astro to strengthen its video streaming efficiency to its current service offerings. Commenting on the collaboration, Imri said: “TM as the leading infrastructure partner for High Speed Broadband wholesale services, leveraged its superior network nationwide to support the industry’s broadband growth. We are also the primary mobile backhaul infrastructure provider for the industry with extensive coverage and capacity. As the digital infrastructure accelerator in Malaysia, we have always been a strong advocate of infrastructure sharing. Thus we are honoured to be given this opportunity to leverage each other’s expertise to provide Malaysians with high quality broadband and content services that we have. This strategic collaboration also demonstrates our commitment to ensure Malaysians are provided with a seamless and “always-on” connectivity experience. We are happy to work with Astro and this is yet another testament to our pivotal role as the enabler of Digital Malaysia aspirations.” Meanwhile, Henry Tan said: “This strategic partnership with TM lays the foundation for Astro to be an internet service provider. Astro’s goal is to provide Malaysians with the best digital experience and broadband value proposition. Leveraging on the strength of TM’s wide HSBB network will enable Astro to realise new revenue streams, scaling our broadband service with content bundles, or standalone broadband and other product lines. This deal gives us more flexibility to offer great value and convenience to our customers.”
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