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/.
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PETRONAS AND TM DRIVE SUCCESSFUL PRIVATE 5G NETWORK DEPLOYMENT AT PETRONAS LNG COMPLEX BINTULU
BINTULU, 9 AUGUST 2024 – Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) in collaboration with TM inaugurated a Private 5G network at the PETRONAS LNG Complex in Bintulu, Sarawak – signalling further advancements in connectivity and efficiency for the energy industry. The event was attended by Minister of Digital Gobind Singh Deo, Deputy Minister of Digital Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong, Sarawak Deputy Minister of Utilities and Telecommunications Datuk Liwan Lagang, and Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), the nation’s 5G network provider. Following the historic launch of Malaysia's first Private 5G network for enterprise at PETRONAS’ Regasification Terminal Sungai Udang (RGTSU) in 2022, the new Bintulu location is one of four of PETRONAS’ sites installed with the technology. The PETRONAS LNG Complex is one of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants in a single location with a production capacity of 29.8 million tonnes per annum, and deployment of the 5G network is expected to improve productivity and increase operational efficiency across critical production processes. In his speech, Gobind Singh Deo emphasised the role of 5G technology in the energy sector transformation, saying, “5G is amongst the key technologies that is gaining importance in the energy sector. The technology, which offers ultra-high speed coupled with low latency communication between control hubs, production sites and vessels, helps to streamline the growing complexity in operational activities. Increased use of 5G-enabled intelligent systems such as industrial IoT, drones, robotics, extended reality (XR), and artificial intelligence (AI) enhances operational efficiency and safety. “Energy companies around the world are racing to modernise their operations, and I applaud PETRONAS, TM and DNB for taking the lead in digitalising Malaysia’s energy sector.” Meanwhile, PETRONAS Senior Vice President of LNG Assets Abang Yusuf Abang Puteh said, “PETRONAS is positioning itself at the forefront of the global technological race while meeting the evolving demands of the energy landscape. The integration of 5G with the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and automation will streamline workflows, increase productivity by automating data collection, while enhancing safety across all levels.” Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, TM’s Group CEO said, “This private 5G deployment is the next phase in TM and PETRONAS’ long-standing partnership to future-proof its businesses for a sustainable future. Leveraging on advanced technologies like AI, the Enterprise 5G application is expected to yield optimum operational efficiencies for its highly secure reliable connection, real-time monitoring and analytics as well as remote maintenance. “Furthermore, this collaboration will further catalyse digital innovation and industry adoption which are key to ensure business resiliency in the future and this intent is also aligned with TM’s aspiration of becoming a Digital Powerhouse by 2030,” he added. Looking ahead, PETRONAS and TM aim to explore opportunities to transform the energy industry through potentially expanding the distribution of Private 5G networks to newer sites for greater integration and efficiency.
ACES Awards 2022 recognises TM R&D as the innovative tech company of the year
In recognition of its transformative approach to software and technology that can lead to the creation of new approaches and prospects Telekom Research & Development Sdn Bhd (TM R&D), the innovation arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), recently won the Innovative Tech Companies of the Year Award at the Asia Corporate Excellence and Sustainability Awards (ACES) 2022, organised by MORS Group. The award was conferred to TM R&D in recognition of its transformative approach to software and technology, demonstrating that its tech innovations can lead to the creation of new approaches and prospects. Dr Sharlene Thiagarajah, Chief Executive Officer, TM R&D accepted the award from Shanggari B., Chief Executive Officer of MORS Group and Luis Nieto, one of the juries for the ACES Awards 2022. “This is a proud moment for the TM R&D team. Winning this award illustrates that we are on the right track. The transformative approach in our work will help propel Malaysia to be a nation of producers, instead of consumers. Our ability to produce will lead to greater sustainability of our country,” Dr Sharlene expressed her gratitude on receiving the award. “Our achievements are shaped by the discipline, focus and determination we have instilled, and I would like to thank our team for their commitment towards excellence.” TM R&D is a world-class R&D company that helps businesses solve operational issues and co-create solutions for the global market. It focuses on intelligent platforms, IR4.0 technologies and connectivity to create smarter business ecosystems. The company strives to stay relevant with new innovative solutions that the market cannot do without and takes on projects that provide multifold benefits to organisations. Among its strengths is the local in-house talents that can make, create and innovate as well as provide thought leadership on infrastructure for the future. Acknowledging that nurturing talent is crucial to the business, TM R&D also offers emerging skills learning and development programmes such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Data Science & Analytics and Data Engineering for its employees. Because its products and solutions are developed in-house, TM R&D is able to customise its innovations based on customers’ needs, addressing their specific pain points and meeting their customers demand (B2B2C) – embracing the Group’s aspiration of becoming a human-centred TechCo. Every product and solution that is developed contains embedded security, analytics and AI hence expanding its functionalities and delivering maximum benefits to the users. TM R&D’s main aspiration is to create and deliver the next Unicorn for TM and ultimately for Malaysia. To support this, it holds fast to the three (3) pillars of its business, which are exploratory research, co-creation with industry, and commercialisation thus making life and business easier with smarter ecosystems to enrich humanity and bring progress to nations. The ACES awards is among the most prestigious accolades that recognise inspiring leaders and sustainability advocates cross-industry across Asia. The awards value services and achievements of businesses of any nature respected for their contributions to their communities and the world. For more info about ACES Awards, visit https://www.acesawards.com/.
Disney+ Hotstar and other top-notch international and local content will rock Malaysian screens via unifi TV’s comprehensive content offering!
5 new exciting channels will be available on unifi TV starting 1 May 2022, while 4 new streaming apps will be added mid-May, including Disney+ Hotstar unifi TV customers can expect more exciting international and local content next month, including Disney+ Hotstar. Disney+ Hotstar is the dedicated streaming home for global, regional and Malaysian stories. It brings together blockbuster Hollywood films and award-winning content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, FX, 20th Century Studios and many more, providing a wide array of titles from select Malaysian studios and a unique and growing portfolio of local language content from Asia Pacific. Disney+ Hotstar offers programming with a variety of original feature-length films, live-action and animated series, short-form content and documentaries. This includes titles such as Marvel Studios' latest series and films like Moon Knight, Hawkeye, Eternals and Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings. Also available are Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett; the Academy Award®-winning film Encanto, which won the Oscar for Best Animated Film; and Pixar's Turning Red which is the number one film premiere on Disney+ globally to date (based on number of hours watched in the first three days). Disney+ Hotstar also features an extensive library of highly acclaimed local language content from Asia Pacific, such as popular Korean dramas Snowdrop, Rookie Cops and Soundtrack #1, as well as Malaysian series Ejen Ali, Upin & Ipin, Kisah Cinta Kita and more. On 1 May 2022, unifi will add five (5) new channels and one (1) new streaming app onto its unifi TV platform, with another three (3) streaming apps joining unifi's content stable on 17 May 2022. The 5 new High Definition (HD) channels are beIN SPORTS 1, beIN SPORTS 3, CCTV-4, CGTN as well as unifi's very own new channel, DEGUP while the 4 new streaming apps including the aforementioned Disney+ Hotstar, are MySing, beIN SPORTS CONNECT and SPOTV NOW. With the addition of the new channels and apps, unifi TV will have a total of 74 premium channels and 15 streaming apps on its platform, enjoyable on unifi TV's media boxes or unifi PlayTV app when on-the-go. Anand Vijayan, Chief Commercial Officer, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) said: "We are thrilled to bring more great content to our subscribers via unifi TV for a wholesome viewing experience. The newly-added channels and streaming app offerings will provide a wide range of favourite international movies and series, local and vernacular programmes, news as well as sports action. Whether you are spending quality time with your family at home or you are out and about, you will be entertained. "unifi TV continuously strives to deliver more exciting content to meet the discerning demands of Malaysians from multiple segments, and we have something for everyone; be it live, on demand or over-the-top (OTT) content. Our latest collaborations with renowned content providers further cements unifi's commitment in providing world-class, high-quality entertainment to our customers and strengthens our position as a leading content aggregator in Malaysia." All new unifi Home broadband subscribers with unifi TV Ultimate Pack can watch Disney+ Hotstar at no additional charge, as long as their pack is active, while new subscriptions to unifi Home 100Mbps without Ultimate Pack will enjoy a 6-month access to the streaming app. Disney+ Hotstar will also be made available as an add-on at RM16.00 per month to unifi TV Varnam Plus, Aneka Plus and Ruby Plus Pack customers. unifi Home customers without any unifi TV Pack will have the option to subscribe to the streaming app a la carte at the price of RM54.90 for 3 months, with the convenience to pay through a single unifi bill. For karaoke lovers, MySing will definitely make this upcoming Raya celebrations much more memorable. It is the first and only karaoke OTT app fully operated locally in Malaysia, with more than 30,000 original karaoke content in a user-friendly interface. The most recent and latest hits can be enjoyed in HD-quality. MySing is available exclusively on unifi Plus Box and can be subscribed via unifi starting 1 May 2022 with a 30-day trial for a limited time only. The app is available a la carte at RM14.90 per month. MySing is hosted on TM One's intelligent Cloud – α Edge, an end-to-end comprehensive suite of cloud services with full stack hyperscaler capabilities. SPOTV NOW provides access to live sports streaming services, video-on-demand options and curated exclusive content of premier Asian and international events, including MotoGP (this comes with Bahasa Melayu commentary), The Open Championship, US Open and Wimbledon, World Table Tennis, as well as Asian events such as Korean Baseball League (KBO) and V.League Japan competition. SPOTV NOW is available complimentary to all Ultimate Pack customers from 17 May 2022 onwards. For avid football fans, unifi TV is also excited to bring in two (2) new channels – beIN SPORTS 1 and beIN SPORTS 3 – offering LIVE coverage of European football action from UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, LaLiga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and more. Viewers are set to enjoy unparalleled access to exclusive contents of Europe's premier clubs including interviews, documentaries, full-match replays and magazine shows. Ultimate Pack customers can also watch these contents on beIN SPORTS CONNECT, a multi-device player accessible on app or web, which comes as complimentary to Ultimate Pack subscribers starting 17 May 2022. Meanwhile, for viewers who are looking for a boost in adrenaline, unifi TV is launching its very own channel, DEGUP. It is the first channel on unifi TV that highlights the best action and horror content from the Asian region and more. For fans of entertainment and news from China, the new channel CCTV-4 features a variety of programmes including documentaries, music, news and drama series, while CGTN, the prime English TV channel of China Global Television Network, provides around-the-clock news, current affairs' shows and featured programmes. Disney+ Hotstar will be included in unifi TV Ultimate Pack at no extra cost from 17 May 2022 onwards. For existing Ultimate Pack customers, they can pre-register their interest to switch their current streaming app bundle starting today at https://activate.unifi.com.my/disney to enjoy Disney+ Hotstar when it comes on board on 17 May 2022. In conjunction with the launch, unifi will be offering free viewing of all its channels to all unifi Home customers from 30 April until 8 May 2022, making this Raya festivities even more special. All new unifi subscribers will also enjoy a 30-day free trial of broadband connectivity and the complete suite of unifi TV channels. To sweeten the deal, customers can further enhance their viewing experience with smart devices where they can add-on a 60" 4K UHD Android TV or an ASUS laptop to their new subscription from an additional RM79 per month. All streaming apps with unifi are best viewed on unifi Plus Box for a big-screen, lean-back experience or on-the-go via respective mobile apps. More information about these exciting new content can be found on www.unifi.com.my/tv.