01 Jun 2022
TM R&D’s Customer-focused innovations recognised at the Malaysia Technology Excellence Awards
In-house smart solutions for Fixed Wireless Access connectivity and customer experience platform for frontliners awarded under “Connectivity-Telecommunications” and “AI-IT Services” categories respectively
Telekom Research & Development Sdn Bhd (TM R&D), the innovation arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), recently bagged two awards at the Malaysia Technology Excellence Awards 2022, organised by the Singapore Business Review.
The Malaysia Technology Excellence Awards spotlights exceptional companies who are technology disruptors that boosts Malaysia’s economy. TM’s Fast Internet for All (FIRA) solution was bestowed the award under the “Connectivity-Telecommunications” category, while TM’s Single Platform on Intelligent Customer Experience (SPICE.ai) won the award in the “Artificial Intelligence (AI)-IT Services” category.
Commenting on these awards, Dr. Sharlene Thiagarajah, Chief Executive Officer, TM R&D said, “I couldn’t be prouder of my team as these awards reflect their commitment to meet the fast-evolving digital needs of today’s customers and strengthen our position as a research leader in these fields. This recognition also reaffirms our efforts in building smarter digital ecosystems to facilitate the ease with which Malaysians can embrace a more digital lifestyle, while also bringing progress to the nation.”
FIRA was introduced as a way to support the government in providing Malaysians with quality access to digital connectivity nationwide. Aimed at offering better internet service to underserved communities, FIRA uses Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technologies to improve connectivity in rural areas across Malaysia. Since its first deployment in Malacca back in July 2020, the solution has demonstrated promising success in improving download and upload link speeds compared to other broadband services. The solution has since been implemented at a rural school in Selangor and at Pusat Komuniti Desa sites under the Ministry of Rural Development. It has also supported an IR4.0 use case in Terengganu.
“FIRA is formulated to address two common issues: coverage and speed. The solution is capable to deliver connectivity up to 50Mbps within 5-8km range, compared to a traditional 4G cell within 1km range. Furthermore, with its quick deployment procedures, FIRA can help mitigate customers’ connectivity concerns in a cost-effective and timely manner,” shared Dr. Sharlene.
SPICE.ai, on the other hand, aims to assist frontliners in their daily task of addressing customer service enquiries and requests.
Dr Sharlene explained, “SPICE.ai consists of multiple components that cover different parts of an existing customer experience system. By integrating these components, frontliners gain a more holistic view of each customers’ profiles. The solution then implements real-time analytics to improve customer experience, giving frontliners the right information at the right time which allows them to deliver a better experience to customers.”
This analytics system has been deployed nationwide for nearly two years and becomes the primary touchpoint for more than 5,000 TM frontliners in most customer interactions across multiple channels. The performance of SPICE.ai has proven to be reliable and seamless even when integrated with more than 20 existing, standalone systems and was still able to relay the processed information through one single platform, on top of providing analytics and advisory.
Established in 2001, TM R&D is the innovation arm of TM Group focusing on creating smarter ecosystems to make business and life easier for a better Malaysia. TM R&D’s solutions are clustered around four pillars namely Intelligent Platforms, Data Brokerage, Connectivity/Tools and IR4.0/Digital Solutions. Growing from strength to strength, TM R&D has won multiple global awards and generated more than 2,800 Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and 1,400 digital assets to date. TM R&D’s innovations are developed in-house and cut across multiple industries such as Utilities, Retail, Agriculture, Healthcare and Education, with safety and productivity as its top priority.
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Funding Societies and TMIM team up to provide digital financing access and support to MSMEs
Financial assistance for underserved local MSMEs from Funding Societies utilising Yellow Pages digital advertising solutions to help with business expansion and sustainability during these challenging times. Funding Societies Malaysia, the largest peer-to-peer (P2P) financing platform in the country and Southeast Asia recently collaborated with TM Info-Media Sdn Bhd (TMIM), a subsidiary of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) to offer business financing solutions for the underserved and unserved local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The mission kicks off into high gear with the prime utilisation of Yellow Pages' digital platform, a product of TMIM and also the leading digital business directory in Malaysia. The collaboration will provide MSMEs with greater access to digital financing solutions. The solutions will facilitate business expansions as well as ensure sustainability of the MSMEs. It provides vital financing options to existing MSMEs and serves as a launch pad to aspiring entrepreneurs. The synergistic collaboration takes momentous steps towards Funding Societies' mission to improve the livelihoods of MSMEs and TM's role as the enabler of Digital Malaysia. It also opens the door for as many as 70,000 MSMEs under the Yellow Pages listings to a variety of tailor-made financing products. With the aim of bringing game-changing revolutions to their customers, Yellow Pages Malaysia is no stranger to making innovative transformations in order to stay current in the digital age. Wong Kah Meng, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Funding Societies Malaysia, commented on the partnership: "Digital financing is becoming more prevalent in Malaysia given its ability to promote financial inclusion, particularly benefiting the MSMEs that are either unserved or underserved by traditional financing avenues by providing easy access to financing solutions. As the largest P2P financing platform in the region, our partnership with TMIM will serve to accelerate our reach in providing the financing support that is much needed by our local MSME players. This is especially relevant given MSMEs are among the most impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic." Meanwhile, Sean Koh Chin Soon, Chief Executive Officer, TMIM said: "Our Malaysia Yellow Pages platform which has evolved from print to digital, interactive website and mobile app, is the perfect avenue to bridge the MSMEs out there with the resources they require. We are excited to collaborate with Funding Societies Malaysia in empowering local businesses through financial solutions. This will enable them to further expand their potentials thus supporting the sustainability of the businesses, especially during this Covid-19 pandemic. This is also in line with the Government's efforts to boost the growth of Malaysian economy and to propel local businesses. This initiative is befitting of TM Group's unique role in nation building and as the enabler of Malaysia's Digital Nation aspirations." P2P financing is a digital financing solution that has been gaining traction in recent years. Its modern approach and speedy process makes pain points of traditional financing a thing of the past. Such setbacks including collateral requirement, onerous documentation, slow turnaround time, and high minimum requirements, all posed as hurdles for smaller businesses to obtain quick financing assistance. Through this collaboration, eligible businesses on the Yellow Pages platform can apply for the financing from Funding Societies without even needing to visit a physical branch. Eligible MSMEs stand to enjoy the following financing benefits from Funding Societies: Discount on processing fee Fast disbursement with quick approval within five (5) working days Flexible tenure of up to 18 months No collateral requirement Minimal documentation requirement Besides the collaboration with Funding Societies, TM through its consumer and SME product brand, unifi has also been continuously assisting businesses to stay productive in this emerging digital economy. Via unifi Business Club (uBC) specifically for its SME customers, unifi enables access to complete business solutions which include digital marketing tools, productivity boosters and financial solutions. By allowing businesses to leverage on its strategic partnerships, unifi aims to expedite its customers' recovery and enhance sustainability. Interested MSMEs can apply for financing from Funding Societies on Yellow Pages website starting 5 October 2020. For more information on the partnership between Funding Societies and TMIM, please visit https://biz.yp.my/solutions/yellowpagesfinancing/.
Indulge Your Sensory Experience At The Upcoming Immersio Festival Organised By Yayasan Tm And Filamen At Muzium Telekom
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) through its foundation arm, Yayasan TM (YTM) continues to support the nation's creative industry development by hosting IMMERSIO Festival in collaboration with Filamen at Muzium Telekom Kuala Lumpur. The festival is one of the unique large-scale Art & Technology experiential exhibitions to be staged in the city centering on New Media Art, NFT Crypto Art and Immersive Art, featuring more than 60 local digital artists and collectives from Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor, Penang, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak. IMMERSIO was established in 2017 with the objective to bring together new media artists from around Kuala Lumpur and the region to exhibit their work marrying arts and technology. After a 2-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the event is back for its fourth (4th) instalment. This month, the festival will occupy Muzium Telekom for the first time, throughout the 27,000 sqft venue in the heart of Kuala Lumpur with 12 immersive installations and 7 workshops as well as talks. Situated within the 94-years old heritage building, Muzium Telekom traces the history of telecommunications in Malaysia from the 1870s up to the present, and IMMERSIO with the theme Mengukir pays homage to the country's achievements in digital infrastructure. Bringing together like-minded emerging and well-established artists, YTM aims to create more meaningful and accessible relationships between people, cultural heritage and the digital world through art and technology. Among the line-up is the Kuala Lumpur based artist, Jun Ong's kinetic installation "Beacon", an expression of the sensorial response to the extinction of nature. Visitors are also invited to take a walk around the room featuring "In Soul in the Fabric of Society", an installation of songket handwoven fabrics by a collective of women weavers from Sarawak known as Tanoti, as well as art installation using fiber optic materials by Cheong See Min, a weaver and textile artist based in Johor. Walking into the exhibition, the visitors will experience Network, an audio installation of telecommunication soundbites from the classic landline telephone to 5G radio waves specially curated by artist duo iwaz and Martian Backline. Conceived partly in response to the Covid-19 crisis, which has been a time of isolation for many, the installation reminds us to be grateful for advancement of technologies that we often take for granted. YTM aims to transform this heritage museum into a vibrant and versatile public arts space that enable artists, collectors and art lovers to immerse themselves to experience these new art mediums in new exciting ways and at the same time provide a platform for inspiring talents including TM Group's own Multimedia University (MMU) students to showcase their creativity and innovation at Muzium Telekom. Holding on to the higher principle of ensuring that no one gets left behind in this digital age, YTM is also exhibiting the extraordinary artworks from WE&I and Nakseni gifted artists in the Virtual Reality (VR) Gallery. The festival will be also featuring the artwork by Rashwin Kalithas, a five-year old special needs young artist that will be receiving a recognition by The Malaysia Book of Records for the "Youngest Autistic Child to Hold Solo Digital Arts Exhibition" at this Media & Partner Night held at Muzium Telekom. Commenting on IMMERSIO and the collaboration with Filamen, Director of Yayasan TM, Izlyn Ramli said, "As a purpose driven social impact based foundation, YTM is committed to the development of arts, creative ventures and culture. It is a necessary part of our nation's heritage preservation and celebration but also a key foundation to build our future. Creativity and innovation are not just confined to a certain sector, they are applicable across all fields of life as well as being key life skills as an individual. This must be nurtured and supported by all stakeholders for the betterment of society. Through IMMERSIO, YTM is also activating our digital talent incubator at Muzium Telekom that is part of our third pillar of Tourism, Culture and Heritage, alongside Education and Community and Nation-Building, connecting the dots between youth, talent and creativity to skills development, digital opportunities and collaborative partners." "This year, YTM has launched The Muzium Telekom Transformation Plan to reactivate and placemake our heritage building as an engaging public space, with the aim of education, entertainment and monetisation opportunities for the communities we serve. One of our placemaking initiatives is "TEMU Weekends", a community-driven creative event that happens every Saturday and Sunday to engage and draw people to Muzium Telekom where they can socialise and hang out together with friends, family and the city. YTM will continue its ongoing mission with future-forward immersive museum exhibits and many more exciting and engaging community programmes" she added. As the main organiser, Co-founder of Filamen, Abdul Shakir said, " IMMERSIO will become a major platform for local and international artists in art and technology. We hope this will nurture more young talents into the digital medium and new media arts. This platform is also meant to connect and engage different communities to make arts and technology more engaging and accessible. We look forward to build IMMERSIO up further to become one of the leading arts and technology festivals within the region and internationally. Thank you Yayasan TM for this opportunity to utilise and interact with this wonderful space at Muzium Telekom this year!" The organiser would also like to thank all its partners, especially EPSON Malaysia, Martian Backline, Wonderland, HelioMedia, Experiential Design Team, InTransit, CahayaXR, Lokalocal, WE&I, Nakseni and event partners iNYALA, Kuala Lumpur Art Book Fair, Kuala Lumpur Illustration Fair and Klang River Festival for their invaluable efforts and commitment to make this the best experience for the visitors. Also present today to officiate IMMERSIO's Media & Partner Night at Muzium Telekom was Datuk TPr Sulaiman Mohamed, Executive Director (Planning), Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur. With a one-month curated programme ranging from talks, exhibits, audio-visual shows, and advanced digital art workshops, it is a chance for the public to be a part of the buzzing local digital arts scene, make new connections, and take home some very useful knowledge. Come and explore IMMERSIO the exciting digital arts and innovations exhibition from 5th – 27th November 2022 (1030am-1030pm) at Muzium Telekom! Details are also available on the related digital and social media accounts of YTM and Filamen. Yayasan TM Facebook – www.facebook.com/yayasantm Yayasan TM Instagram – www.instagram.com/yayasantm Yayasan TM Linkedin – www.linkedin.com/company/yayasantm Filamen Facebook - www.facebook.com/wearefilamen Filamen Instagram - www.instagram.com/wearefilamen
TM Bags Dual Platinum Wins at the Putra Brand Awards 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, 23 January 2024 – TM is proud to receive the prestigious Platinum Award in the Communication Networks category at the recent Putra Brand Awards 2023. This accolade is further elevated by the simultaneous achievement of its educational arm, Multimedia University (MMU), which also secured the Platinum Award in the Education & Learning category. The Platinum Award in the Communication Networks category underscores TM’s position as a trusted provider of superior connectivity and innovative solutions in the telecommunications sector. This recognition from one of the region's most respected award platforms reflects TM’s commitment to quality, customer satisfaction, and technological advancements. MMU’s success in winning the Platinum Award in the Education and Learning category signifies TM’s diverse capabilities and its strong foothold in the educational sector. As a leading institution, MMU is at the forefront of integrating advanced technology and research in education, shaping future generations with its pioneering initiatives. Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, TM Group Chief Executive Officer said, “These awards are a clear reflection of our commitment to realising our brand promise ‘Your Next is Now’ and they mark a significant milestone on our strategic path in becoming a digital powerhouse by 2030. They validate our efforts to deliver excellence in every aspect of our work. It not only celebrates our excellence in telecommunications but also highlights our impactful contribution to education. We are thankful to our customers, partners, and especially the voters, whose continuous support has been pivotal in achieving this honour.” The Putra Brand Awards, distinguished for highlighting brand strength based on consumer preference, involve a stringent selection process that emphasises consumer trust and brand excellence. Winning in two distinct categories demonstrates TM’s versatile expertise and leadership in multiple domains. TM sincerely appreciates all its customers and stakeholders for their loyalty and trust, which have been instrumental in achieving these awards. These accolades reinforce TM’s dedication to maintaining the highest standards in both its telecommunications services and educational endeavours.
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