19 Nov 2023
TM-Fiberhome launch innovation lab, emphasising value creation and human capital development
CYBERJAYA, 17 November 2023 - TM, Malaysia’s leading converged telco and technology company, and FiberHome Telecommunication Technologies Co., Ltd. (FiberHome), a global networking and telecommunication equipment provider based in China, have launched their innovation lab under the latest joint strategic partnership programme.
The collaboration extends across Research & Innovation, Co-creation & Commercialisation, and Human Capital development. Today marks a significant milestone with the establishment of the TMDA-FiberHome Innovation Lab, which aims to capitalise on the capabilities of both organisations. The lab will serve as a hub for advanced research opportunities, product showcases and the latest technology demonstrations, providing a valuable reference and benchmark for industry advancements.
The launching ceremony was officiated by Dato’ Zainal Abidin Putih, Chairman of TM and Mr. Lu Guoqing, Chairman of China Information and Communication Technologies Group Corporation (CICT), FiberHome’s parent company. Commenting on the collaboration, Dato’ Zainal Abidin said, “In enhancing the effectiveness of our digitalisation efforts, I am pleased to share that this partnership will include cross-border knowledge exchange encompassing talent best practices, competency frameworks, as well as technical training and certifications for our workforce and the local industry.”
While Mr. Lu Guoqing expressed, “FiberHome is proud to align with TM in this collective journey facilitated by the TM Digital Academy platform. The inauguration of the innovation lab marks a promising beginning, and we are optimistic about the success of this collaboration. We look forward to further synergies and fruitful achievements in our ongoing partnership with TM."
The strategic partnership programme between TM and FiberHome began in 2015 through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, subsequently renewed in 2021. Its collaboration with Multimedia University (MMU) resulted in the establishment of the Industry Talents Development Programme called iCadet, providing scholarship opportunities under Yayasan Universiti Multimedia (YUM) and local development via transfer of technology with Bumiputera vendors.
Building upon this initiative and in alignment with TM’s transformation journey into a human-centred TechCo, the collaboration now seeks to further enhance TM's digital talent ecosystem. This includes best practices in talent competency, the development of professional competency framework, technical training and certifications for digital transformation, and cross-border knowledge sharing on new technologies.
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TM and Cisco announce strategic partnership to supercharge Malaysia’s digital agenda
This collaboration is part of Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration programme and aligns with MYDIGITAL to accelerate Malaysia towards becoming a regional digital leader Malaysia’s national connectivity and digital infrastructure provider, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) and worldwide leader in technology, Cisco International Limited, today announced a new strategic partnership as part of Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) programme to supercharge Malaysia’s ambitions to become a technology-driven nation and regional digital leader. Both parties signed two collaboration agreements to pave the way for key projects focused on helping the country develop its 5G innovation platform as well as accelerate technology adoption and transformation for Malaysia’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These initiatives were introduced at a signing ceremony presided over by YB Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima TPr Annuar Haji Musa, Minister of Communications and Multimedia; and attended by YBhg. Dato’ Sri Haji Mohammad Mentek, Chief Secretary, Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia; YBhg. Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din, Interim President, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission; Imri Mokhtar, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM; Dave West, President, Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan, and Greater China (APJC); and Hana Raja, Managing Director, Cisco Malaysia. Cisco’s CDA programme is a strategic partnership with governments worldwide to accelerate their national digitalisation agendas and create new value for the country, its businesses, and citizens. The programme taps on the power of private and public partnerships across a variety of sectors, including national infrastructure, education, and smart businesses and communities, to bring digital solutions to national challenges. Digitalisation initiatives that are rolled out are made into replicable solutions to cross-pollinate and contribute to Cisco’s wider CDA ecosystem which is currently present across 44 countries globally. The CDA programme in Malaysia was unveiled as a collaboration framework between Cisco and MyDigital Corporation in May 2022. It is aligned with MyDIGITAL, the government’s Digital Economy Blueprint, aimed at accelerating the growth of Malaysia’s digital economy, with a focus on driving digital transformation in the public sector, building digital infrastructure, and cultivating agile and competent digital talent. TM’s partnership with Cisco focuses on three key pillars: digital transformation in the public sector, specifically education – which will be launched at a later date; digital transformation for service providers, focusing on 5G innovation, and digital transformation for SMEs. The two (2) collaboration agreements signed today were: • 5GaaS Innovation Platform Cisco and TM will build a 5G-as-a-service Centre of Excellence to springboard 5G adoption and develop proof of concepts for enterprises and vertical industries. Supported by Cisco’s full stack of Private 5G Core technologies complete with services and support, the innovation platform will demonstrate 5G enterprise use cases realized on the reference architecture to allow businesses to visualize and implement 5G frameworks and solutions that address unique business challenges. • Accelerating Digital Transformation of SMEs Cisco and TM will drive a joint digital solution seeding programme through a proof of concept for selected SME customers. These solutions will range from the Internet of Things (IoT) to business analytics solutions for SMEs in the retail, education, and manufacturing sectors. Successful deployments will be showcased to broaden adoption within the SME ecosystem. Cisco will also launch a digital talent development initiative focused on introducing digital talent to Application Programming Interfaces (APIS) and training on how to navigate its cloud-based network, Cisco Meraki, as well as other mentoring opportunities and hackathon events. “TM is honoured to be the first company to partner with Cisco in bringing the CDA programme to Malaysia, which has the potential to benefit enterprises, consumers and over 400,000 SMEs. This collaboration builds on TM and Cisco’s 17-year partnership and will be the first of many “Innovation Sandbox” collaborations TM will drive, in our efforts to realise the Digital Malaysia aspiration and 5G objectives for the nation,” said Imri Mokhtar, TM’s Group Chief Executive Officer. "Technology plays a critical role in powering an inclusive future for all. Our CDA programme in Malaysia is focused on turning the country's digital economy blueprint into reality by leading the development of core 5G technologies and infrastructure, accelerating the digital transformation of SMEs, and nurturing a pipeline of next-generation IT talent that will continue to support its national ambitions," said Dave West, President, Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan, and Greater China. "We are thrilled to embark on a new chapter of our collaboration with TM and the Malaysian government through our CDA programme and we're excited about the opportunities ahead."
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.
Enabling greater digital inclusivity for Malaysians through Pakej Perpaduan Jalur Lebar Tetap
Following Minister of Communications and Digital, YB Fahmi Fadzil’s announcement on the Pakej Perpaduan Jalur Lebar Tetap (Fixed Internet Broadband) yesterday, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) is committed to support the Government’s aim to bring hyperconnectivity to key target communities. Focusing on segments most in need particularly B40, the elderly, OKU, army-police veterans, the delivery of Pakej Perpaduan Jalur Lebar Tetap aligns with TM’s aspiration to empower a Digital Malaysia and meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly to promote inclusive and sustainable digital industrialization and innovation (Goal 9), as well as to reduce inequalities and empower social and economic inclusion for all (Goal 10). As a responsible corporate organisation, TM has a social accountability to making a positive impact for the community. Furthermore, the initiative will strengthen the nation’s digital inclusivity and bring digital access and opportunities to all layers of society. “Pakej Perpaduan comes at a crucial point of the nation’s recovery and complements other national initiatives such as Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah and Payung Rahmah to ensure a better quality of life for these communities. This serves as another means to combat the rising cost of living and keeps us on track to building Malaysia’s digital economy, despite the challenges anticipated,” said Dato’ Imri Mokhtar, TM’s Group Chief Executive Officer. “Bringing the power of the internet to underprivileged individuals and families facilitates their right to resources and knowledge online, gives them the opportunity to leverage on digital platform to run online business and can serve as a critical stepping stone for them to improve their lives. “While the Pakej Perpaduan Jalur Lebar Tetap enables more affordable, unlimited fixed broadband and brings savings of RM480 to every eligible household, this complements the announced Pakej Perpaduan Prabayar Mudah Alih (prepaid mobile) in bringing ubiquitous connectivity for the key target individuals and household members. Both of these services will be offered through Unifi Home and Unifi Mobile respectively. This also reinforces TM’s Fixed-Mobile Convergence leadership, offering integrated fixed broadband, mobile services, data services, digital content and innovative solutions to every Malaysian, businesses and the Government”, he further added. Gearing up for the March 2023 start and availability for sign up until December 2023, TM will be working closely with the Ministry of Communication and Digital to fine tune the package details and rollout, ensuring the initiative effectively reaches its target communities. Dato’ Imri concluded, “We are committed to be working on this initiative as it goes beyond providing services but speaks to our vision of becoming a human-centered TechCo – leveraging technologies to provide equal opportunities for every Malaysian. While we have continued to invest in our commercial growth and sustainability as a PLC, as the nation’s leading fibre provider and a GLC, we are uniquely positioned to serve the nation’s interest more directly and to bring greater impact to even more diverse communities.”
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