Energy & Technology

BINTULU: Sulzer, the global leader in fluid engineering, announces the launch of its Bintulu Service Centre in East Malaysia, marking a major step forward in supporting the region’s expanding oil, gas, and power sectors. Providing state-of-the-art retrofit, repair, and service solutions for rotating equipment such as pumps, turbomachinery, and electromechanical equipment, the centre addresses the evolving needs of energy operators, maximising operational uptime and driving efficiency for energy intensive infrastructure across Malaysia and the wider Borneo region. The Sulzer Bintulu Service Centre offers a comprehensive range of services including specialised repair, overhaul, and field services for all types of rotating equipment, advanced capabilities such as reverse engineering, 3D scanning, and additive manufacturing for parts and coatings. These services are tailored to ensure the longevity, efficiency, and reliability of energy intensive oil, gas and power infrastructure. This news comes as Malaysia expands its crucial role in supporting ASEAN’s growing energy demand – set to triple by 2050. Largely driven by industrial and transport sectors, oil and gas will remain essential to meeting near-term demand, with estimations that the sector will surpass RM60 billion in GDP by 2030. Sulzer’s Bintulu Service Centre is strategically placed to support the region’s oil and gas infrastructure, ensuring maximised operations to bolster Malaysia’s energy efficiency and security. Wong Chin Hean, Head of Services for Southeast Asia said, “Sulzer has established a robust installed base in East Malaysia and Brunei, with hundreds of high-energy pumps serving critical oil, gas, and power installations across Sarawak, Sabah and Brunei. This strong presence, coupled with our comprehensive, OEM-agnostic services, uniquely positions Sulzer to cater to a diverse range of rotating equipment servicing needs in the region.   “By offering specialised maintenance and repair services for pumps and turbomachinery, and electro-mechanical equipment, Sulzer’s experts help customers overcome long lead times for spare parts and the limited repair and maintenance support in East Malaysia, streamlining maintenance processes and ensuring consistent, high-quality services.” The Bintulu Service Centre is set to play a crucial role in Sulzer’s regional expansion strategy, with its Malaysian national servicing capacity increasing by 80. The centre’s capacity not only aligns with demand for services from key industry players in the vicinity, but also prepares Sulzer to support the entire lifespan of new and existing infrastructure with specialised, locally accessible expertise. “Our Bintulu Service Centre’s launch reinforces Sulzer’s commitment to our customers. We know the demands and pressures they are under to deliver energy resilience for East Malaysia and beyond, and our support connects innovation and expertise to safeguard critical equipment.” Wong said. “With advanced technology and proximity to key regional clients, we aim to meet the unique demands of operators in this vital energy corridor.”  

BEIJING: China Unicom Beijing and Huawei held an event, “5G Capital on the Way – Lighting Up Beijing with 5G-Advanced,” to announce their deployment of the world’s first large-scale integrated 5G-Advanced intelligent network. The network supports a world-leading 5G-Advanced smart commercial complex, with high- and low-band integrated networking, at the Workers’ Stadium. Furthermore, a benchmark was set for the industry’s first large-scale 10-gigabit 5G-Advanced network featuring air-ground integrated communications at the Great Wall scenic area, establishing the low-altitude economy innovation base. These developments will bring a better user experience to users in Beijing. The ultra-large-scale commercial 3CC network covers over 10 million people, lighting up Beijing with 5G-Advanced. In pursuit of large-scale 5G-Advanced network benchmarks, China Unicom Beijing and Huawei have built an ultra-large-scale commercial 5G-Advanced three component carrier (3CC) network, covering stadiums, schools, scenic areas, metro stations, commercial areas, residential areas, and other types of facilities in Beijing. The network provides full 5G coverage and 85% 5G-Advanced coverage for the area within Beijing’s 4th Ring Road and the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center, effectively supporting services like immersive videos, UHD live streaming, and cloud gaming. In addition, China Unicom Beijing has renovated old phone booths and connected them to the 5G-Advanced 3CC network, making it possible for passersby to enjoy navigation and ride-hailing services or call emergency services with just one click, benefiting countless people across the city.   The world-leading high- and low-band integrated 5G-Advanced network supports a commercial complex at the Workers’ Stadium. China Unicom Beijing, Sinobo, GTVerse, and Huawei have created a world-leading integrated 5G-Advanced network at the Workers’ Stadium. A large number of 5G-Advanced 3CC sites have been deployed both inside and outside the stadium, enabling the 10-gigabit 5G-Advanced network to support the widest frequency range anywhere in the world. Field tests recorded a downlink peak rate of 11.2 Gbps, allowing a crowd of up to 68,000 people to simultaneously and smoothly watch 1080p videos. Meanwhile, the uplink peak rate reached 4 Gbps, sufficient to support services like UHD shallow compression. China Unicom Beijing has also developed innovative practices in terms of the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), Internet of Things (IoT), and extended reality (XR) split rendering, demonstrating 5G-Advanced’s potential to empower all industries. The 10-gigabit 5G-Advanced low-altitude economy innovation base drives low-altitude economic development in Yanqing At the Great Wall scenic area, the Beijing Yanqing District Government and China Unicom Beijing have jointly deployed 10-gigabit 5G-Advanced base stations at scale. This offers uninterrupted network coverage both on the ground and in low-altitude (below 300 meters) airspace. High- and low-band integrated spectrum use enables the network to provide deterministic, highly-reliable, and high-quality services. It also supports efforts to explore low-altitude operational scenarios in tourism, logistics, emergency rescue, and scenic area protection, boosting safety and the development of the low-altitude economy. End-to-end automation enables 5G-Advanced site provisioning within minutes and AI-driven intelligent optimization Based on its 5G intelligent operations platform, China Unicom Beijing has established an end-to-end self-provisioning process for 5G-Advanced sites in lightweight scenarios, shortening provisioning times from days to minutes. The provisioning process requires no manual intervention, significantly reducing cyber security risks. Furthermore, the company has realized end-to-end automatic optimization of 5G-Advanced base stations based on user service data, including AI-powered optimization of provisioning, services, iteration, and inspection. China Unicom Beijing is the world’s first carrier to implement network self-provisioning and self-optimization in lightweight scenarios. It has also deployed computing power at base stations to realize distributed, AI-driven management, helping build a digital and intelligent ecosystem powered by cloud-edge collaboration.   Yang Lifan, Deputy General Manager of China Unicom Beijing, said: “Large bandwidth can quickly improve user experience. Only by providing 10-gigabit network capabilities can we guarantee a gigabit experience for all users. This time, we’ve built a large-scale integrated 5G-Advanced intelligent network to bring a better experience to all China Unicom users across Beijing. We are confident that, based on Huawei’s advanced technologies and our smart operations capabilities, we will provide users in Beijing with an increasingly better network experience in the future.”   Li Jie, President of Huawei’s 5G&LTE TDD Domain, said: “As the 5G Capital project enters its fifth year, I am honored that Huawei’s new 5G-AA solutions have helped China Unicom Beijing maintain its global leadership in 5G-Advanced network construction, demonstrated by the large-scale 5G-Advanced network benchmark launched early this year, and today’s launch of the world’s first large-scale integrated 5G-Advanced intelligent network. Huawei will continue to innovate and support China Unicom Beijing in building inclusive and high-quality 5G-Advanced networks to seize more opportunities in the AI-powered mobile network era.”  

HONG KONG SAR: Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corp., Ltd. (OPPO) and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) held a signing ceremony to further deepen their collaboration based on the agreement signed in 2022, contributing to the integration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). According to the renewal agreement, OPPO will collaborate with PolyU to increase funding and technology investment, upgrading the “PolyU-OPPO Joint Innovation Research Centre”, which marks a new chapter in the comprehensive partnership in AI imaging technology. The signing ceremony took place last Friday (1 November) at the PolyU campus, witnessed by Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU and Mr Jason LIAO, President of OPPO Research Institute. The agreement was signed by Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU and Mr Zheng QIN, Head of Industry-Academia Affairs of OPPO. Under the framework of the agreement, the “PolyU-OPPO Joint Innovation Lab” will be upgraded to the “Joint Innovation Research Centre.” Additionally, OPPO will provide no less than RMB 30 million over the next five years to expand the scale of co-trained PhD and postdoctoral researchers, promoting technical development and exploration in imaging algorithms while further deepening the collaborative efforts between OPPO and PolyU in AI imaging technology. “In the three years of collaboration between OPPO and PolyU, we have witnessed significant technological breakthroughs and notable achievements in talent cultivation through the Joint Lab,” said Jason LIAO. “Adhering to our mission of ‘Technology for Mankind, Kindness for the World’, OPPO is dedicated to deepening the integration of academia-industry cooperation in the field of AI through this renewal, bringing more innovative intelligent imaging experiences to global users.” Prof. TENG remarked, “To address the opportunities and challenges of the AI era, PolyU will officially establish the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences in January 2025. This is an important move to implement the University’s innovation development strategy, aiming to meet growing technological needs and support talent nurturing. The Department of Computing, which houses the Joint Innovation Research Centre will also join the new faculty. The new structure will effectively promote in-depth exchanges and collaboration among research teams, and create more impactful outcomes. We believe that this in-depth cooperation with OPPO will enable us to fully seize opportunities and actively promote technological innovation and knowledge transfer.” In 2022, to promote in-depth cooperation in GBA, OPPO and PolyU signed an agreement to establish the “PolyU-OPPO Joint Innovation Lab.” Within just three years, the Joint Lab has achieved a series of innovative milestones, successfully developing and implementing various leading imaging algorithms: the AI super-resolution technology has been applied to multiple OPPO products, significantly enhancing the image quality of telephoto photography; the deployment of HDR imaging algorithms enables users to capture high-quality photos under different lighting conditions, greatly enhancing the photography experience. Furthermore, the Joint Lab has actively explored cutting-edge technologies, including image restoration and detail enhancement based on generative models, as well as interactive image and video editing technologies. These efforts have improved the quality and stability of image generation and provide more possibilities for image and video post-processing. Additionally, the Joint Lab has made significant strides in talent cultivation, nurturing several PhD and postdoctoral researchers who are actively contributing to OPPO’s AI imaging technology, providing a strong driving force for continuous technological innovation. The evolving collaboration between OPPO and PolyU will propel the further development of AI imaging technology, providing new momentum for technological innovation and talent development in the GBA. Looking ahead, both parties will continue to strengthen the academia-industry cooperation, fully exploring and promoting innovative applications of AI imaging technology.

SINGAPORE: As businesses across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region demand faster application development to keep pace with digitalization, AI-powered low-code solutions are enabling organizations to drive innovation and greater productivity. This is highlighted in a new IDC InfoBrief titled Mission-Critical Software, Delivered: Harnessing the Synergy of Low Code and GenAI, sponsored by OutSystems, a global leader transforming how companies innovate through software. The research shows that over 60% of applications in APAC are legacy systems, posing hurdles like rigid architectures and high maintenance costs. The skills shortage exacerbates these issues, and modernizing these systems remains a priority for enterprises. However, outdated frameworks and low developer productivity often hinder progress. To overcome these obstacles, 68% of APAC enterprises are turning to modern development tools—including low code, integrated development environments (IDEs), and DevOps. While low-code platforms can streamline software development by enabling faster application creation with minimal coding, AI-powered low-code solutions take this a step further by automating complex processes and delivering intelligent insights, which boost efficiency and spark innovation. As a result, 25% of APAC enterprises are now prioritizing the integration of generative AI (GenAI) into developer tools to drive more intelligent application development. This trend is consistent across the APAC region, with a notable uptake in Australia (25%), India (24%), Japan (26%), and Southeast Asia (23%). “We are witnessing unprecedented levels of productivity and innovation unlocked for businesses in APAC through the synergistic relationship between GenAI and low code,” said Mark Weaser, Vice President, APAC at OutSystems. “In today’s competitive landscape, OutSystems is proud to remain committed to empowering APAC enterprises to deliver mission-critical applications at scale and overcome challenges such as talent shortages and evolving market demands.”   AI and Low-Code: The Future of Intelligent App Development IDC forecasts that by 2026, 40% of net-new applications in APAC will be “intelligent apps,” which incorporate GenAI to elevate existing user experiences and unlock new use cases. Top impact areas of GenAI in software development and design include increased productivity (61%), high value dev tasks/creativity (50%), and accelerated developer velocity (40%). Additional findings reveal that AI and automation initiatives, along with application development platforms, are among the most resilient to budget cuts, even in uncertain economic climates. In fact, 30% of APAC enterprises are willing to pay a premium of 11-20% for GenAI features integrated into app development environments. “Our research shows that many businesses in the region are actively considering opportunities to layer GenAI with low-code technologies,” said Daniel-Zoe Jimenez, Vice President, Digital Innovation, Software, CX, SMB/DNB and Channels Research, IDC Asia/Pacific. “One of the main benefits of this integration is that it can help organizations accelerate their legacy modernization journeys. This approach can shorten the software development life cycle, while maintaining high application performance.”   Low-Code is Here to Stay for APAC Enterprises Low-code adoption continues to accelerate across APAC, with one-third (33%) of enterprises recognizing it as a critical tool for driving automation and future-proofing their businesses. This trend is not limited to the APAC region – IDC predicts that by 2025, more than 60% of enterprises globally will adopt low-code technologies to enable faster application delivery and improve operational efficiency.   By region, Southeast Asia and Hong Kong lead APAC respectively with 49% of enterprises prioritizing low code for automation solutions, followed by India (35%) and Australia (31%). These figures point to a continued recognition of low code’s strategic value in driving competitive advantage within a disruptive landscape, especially as businesses face demands to deliver apps and innovate more efficiently amidst economic uncertainty and a shortage of skilled developers.   “The integration of GenAI with low-code technologies is poised to meet the increasing demand for rapid application delivery and legacy modernization,” said Dhiraj Pramod Badgujar, Senior Research Manager, XOps Software Development and AI Developer Strategies Practice, IDC Asia/Pacific. “Our research reveals that organizations across the region are rapidly embracing this powerful combination to accelerate software release cycles and significantly enhance productivity.”

SINGAPORE: ViewQwest has partnered with Lightspeed Technologies, an enterprise solution provider and leading email security expert, to unveil the ViewQwest SecurEmail Gateway at GovWare 2024, held from 15 to 17 October. This new solution offers businesses a quick and seamless way to secure their email systems, bolstering protection against email-based threats and vulnerabilities. The cloud-based SecurEmail Gateway aligns with best practices from the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore’s (CSA) Internet Hygiene Portal (IHP) for email and domain security. By adopting the SecurEmail Gateway, businesses can achieve a perfect score of 100 in the IHP’s comprehensive online security assessment. The Need for Email Security While messaging apps and cloud-based tools are on the rise, email remains central to business communications, enabling seamless collaboration and information sharing. However, email protocols were developed long before cybersecurity became a priority, leaving email susceptible to threats such as spoofing and phishing. One critical vulnerability stems from the original email protocol’s lack of verification and encryption features. Just as a letter with a fake return address could deceive, email in its raw form allows bad actors to impersonate trusted contacts and exploit user trust through social engineering. Understanding CSA Best Practices Over time, several email security protocols have emerged to address these vulnerabilities. However, consistently deploying these protocols can be complex and resource-intensive, leaving many organizations without optimal email security. Protocols such as DKIM add digital signatures to verify email integrity during transit. SPF limits the servers authorized to send emails on behalf of a domain, preventing spoofing, while DANE validates server authenticity to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. Even major providers like Office 365 and Google Workspace may not have the most optimal security settings enabled. The same challenge applies to many telecommunication providers due to the balancing act between user convenience and comprehensive security measures or a lack of awareness by customers. To raise awareness and promote robust email security, the CSA has introduced a comprehensive checklist for best practices and an online assessment tool for businesses to gauge the security status of their email systems. One-Step Solution for Enhanced Email Security ViewQwest’s SecurEmail Gateway offers a streamlined, cost-effective way for businesses to strengthen email security without overhauling their current systems. Available as a SaaS solution, it integrates easily with major platforms like Google Workspace, Office 365, Microsoft Exchange, and custom email servers. Through simply configuring their existing email server to work with the SecurEmail Gateway, businesses can instantly enhance email security to meet and exceed CSA recommendations. This solution ensures adherence to CSA best practices and strengthens the organization’s email security posture. While there is no absolute guarantee against spoofing and attacks, adhering to CSA guidelines can significantly mitigate risks and strengthen an organisation’s overall email security posture. With ViewQwest SecurEmail Gateway, organizations can achieve full compliance with CSA guidelines in just one-step.

ISTANBUL: The Global Mobile Broadband Forum 2024 (MBBF 2024) has kicked off in Istanbul, Türkiye with the theme “5.5G Leads Mobile AI Era”. More than 1,000 guests from mobile network carriers, ecosystem players, and leaders from vertical industries have gathered to discuss a wide range of topics, from business model innovation to industry development and key technological directions in the Mobile AI era. This forum was set up to further promote the convergence of 5.5G and intelligent applications to create greater value for the mobile industry. During the forum, Huawei and Türkiye network carriers have jointly provided diverse intelligent 5.5G field experiences. Also, various players in the Mobile AI ecosystem will be displaying their intelligent connectivity applications for people, homes, things, vehicles, and industries. MBBF 2024 began with the opening remarks from Ken Hu, Huawei’s Rotating Chairman. “In the future, AI will change everything. Everyone will be able to use it, anytime and anywhere. Mobile networks and devices will play an important role to make that happen, just like what we have done to enable telephones and mobile Internet as a universal service,” said Hu. 2024 has brought both the commercial launch of 5.5G and the unprecedented expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) into our everyday life and work. Globally, more than 3 million AI-capable applications have been developed, more than the total number of non-AI apps available in the app store. That early commercial 5.5G rollout coincides with the first year of AI adoption in various devices is tremendously significant — it heralds the dawn of the Mobile AI era. Li Peng, Huawei’s Senior Vice President and President of ICT Sales & Service delivered a keynote on how to maximize new growth opportunities in the mobile AI era. “The mobile AI era is here,” said Li. “We will see new forms of interaction with devices, new intelligent services, and structural changes in traffic models. This will bring huge new opportunities for the mobile industry.”Li then detailed how carriers can make the most of these new opportunities and drive new growth by reshaping services, network infrastructure, O&M, and business models. He shared how leading carriers around the world have already verified AI service capabilities on live 5.5G networks across a wide range of scenarios for individuals, homes, travel, and business. “Moving forward, there are two things we can do to capitalize on new opportunities in the mobile AI era,” said Li. “First, we should prepare our networks to support AI. That means boosting network capabilities, especially uplink, latency, and capacity. Second, we can use AI to support our networks. With more complex networks, we can use AI to help automate O&M, optimize network efficiency, and guarantee a solid user experience.” This forum features boutique exhibitions of new intelligent connectivity for people, homes, things, industries, and vehicles. Across the indoor booths and outdoor fields, multimodal AI devices and diverse Mobile AI applications are presented, including AI phones, AI glasses, intelligent cockpits, humanoid intelligence, AI-generated content (AIGC), digital human interaction, and AI-powered real-time call translation, thanks to the joint efforts of Huawei, operators, and industry players. Another highlight is the continuous 5.5G coverage across the indoor and outdoor areas of the venues, showcasing the multidimensional capabilities of 5.5G networks and the cutting-edge products and solutions that power them. The 15th Global Mobile Broadband Forum, with a tagline of ‘5.5G Leads Mobile AI Era’, runs from October 30 to 31 in Istanbul, Türkiye. It will be hosted by Huawei with support from our industry partners GSMA and GTI. Together with operators, vertical industry leaders, and ecosystem partners, we will share the industry’s latest advancements and explore new opportunities. Industry stakeholders will discuss how to achieve 5.5G business success in the Mobile AI era, and leverage the success of 5G to attain even greater achievements with 5.5G. For more information, please visit MBBF2024 at: https://www.huawei.com/en/events/mbbf2024.

SHANGHAI: The China National Data Group Alliance, which aims to foster the high-quality development of the digital economy, was established on Oct. 20 at the 2024 Global Data Ecosystem Conference held in Shanghai. The formation of this alliance aims to break geographical restrictions by sharing resources, technologies and scenarios, to inject new vitality into the reform of China’s market-oriented allocation of data elements and to promote the construction of a unified national market, reports said. The alliance has an initial membership of 21 data industry companies, including Shanghai Data Group and Jiangsu Data Group, which have operations in 21 provincial-level regions. Nearly 300 people, consisting of the heads of data groups and industrial companies as well as representatives from universities, research institutes and digital companies, were present at the conference when the alliance was established.

KUALA LUMPUR: Intel Corporation (INTC) and AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today announced the creation of an x86 ecosystem advisory group bringing together technology leaders to shape the future of the world’s most widely used computing architecture. x86 is uniquely positioned to meet customers’ emerging needs by delivering superior performance and seamless interoperability across hardware and software platforms. The group will focus on identifying new ways to expand the x86 ecosystem by enabling compatibility across platforms, simplifying software development, and providing developers with a platform to identify architectural needs and features to create innovative and scalable solutions for the future. For over four decades, x86 has served as the bedrock of modern computing, establishing itself as the preferred architecture in data centers and PCs worldwide. In today’s evolving landscape — characterized by dynamic AI workloads, custom chiplets, and advancements in 3D packaging and system architectures — the importance of a robust and expanding x86 ecosystem is more crucial than ever. “We are on the cusp of one of the most significant shifts in the x86 architecture and ecosystem in decades – with new levels of customization, compatibility and scalability needed to meet current and future customer needs,” said Pat Gelsinger, Intel CEO. “We proudly stand together with AMD and the founding members of this advisory group, as we ignite the future of compute, and we deeply appreciate the support of so many industry leaders.” “Establishing the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group will ensure that the x86 architecture continues evolving as the compute platform of choice for both developers and customers,” said Lisa Su, AMD Chair and CEO. “We are excited to bring the industry together to provide direction on future architectural enhancements and extend the incredible success of x86 for decades to come.” The advisory group aims to unite industry leaders to shape the future of x86 and foster developer innovation through a more unified set of instructions and architectural interfaces. This initiative will enhance compatibility, predictability and consistency across x86 product offerings. To achieve this, the group will solicit technical input from the x86 hardware and software communities on essential functions and features. Collaboration will facilitate the creation of consistent and compatible implementations of key x86 architectural features and programming models, extending across all  sectors – including data centers, cloud, client, edge and embedded devices – ultimately delivering downstream benefits to customers. The intended outcomes include: Enhancing customer choice and compatibility across hardware and software, while accelerating their ability to benefit from new, cutting-edge features. Simplifying architectural guidelines to enhance software consistency and interfaces across x86 product offerings from Intel and AMD. Enabling greater and more efficient integration of new capabilities into operating systems, frameworks and applications. As vigorous competitors, Intel and AMD at the same time share a history of industry collaboration focused on platform-level advancements, the introduction of standards, and security vulnerability mitigation within the x86 ecosystem. Their joint efforts have shaped key technologies, including PCI, PCIe, Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI). Both companies also played a pivotal role in developing USB, a vital connectivity standard for all computers regardless of the processor. This advisory group takes this industry collaboration to the next level for the benefit of the entire computing ecosystem and as a catalyst for product innovation. CEO Quotes from Founding Members Broadcom Inc. President and CEO Hock Tan “We are at a crossroads in the history of computing. The x86 architectural decisions we make today will affect programming models, frameworks and systems for decades to come. Broadcom looks forward to lending its industry perspective to the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group as a pioneer in silicon development and x86 virtualization with VMware.”  Dell Technologies Chairman and CEO Michael Dell “Dell has a long history of working with the x86 platform. We look forward to collaborating with Intel, AMD and fellow x86 Advisory Group members to continue driving innovation for our customers and partners.” Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian “Google is excited to join this x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group to help shape the future of computing. Taking a pan-industry approach ensures consistent implementations, which aligns with Google’s commitment to fostering innovation and providing the best possible experience for our developers and users. By simplifying and standardizing across the x86 ecosystem, we can unlock new levels of performance, efficiency, and ease of use, ultimately accelerating the development and adoption of cutting-edge technologies.” Hewlett Packard Enterprise President and CEO Antonio Neri “HPE is honored to be a founding member of the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group, helping shape a consistent future architecture with innovative new features that meet customers’ evolving computing needs.” HP Inc. President and CEO Enrique Lores “We are honored to join Intel, AMD, and other advisory group members to advance the x86 architecture. At HP, we believe that the future of work will require technology that drives growth and fulfillment for both employees and the companies they work for. Building a more efficient, secure, and customizable x86 ecosystem will help accelerate this evolution.”  Lenovo Chairman and CEO Yuanqing Yang “Lenovo is delighted to be one of the founding members of this important new advisory group, given our role in the industry for the past decade. When we work together as an industry ecosystem, we all benefit, but more importantly, so do our customers. I’m looking forward to sharing our technical expertise as we collectively accelerate the growing x86 market across client, edge and cloud.” Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella “x86 has been foundational to modern computing for over four decades, and we want to ensure it continues to evolve and benefit everyone going forward. By bringing together partners across the industry, the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Board will play a critical role in shaping future x86 architectural features and help drive software consistency and standard interfaces.” Oracle CEO Safra Catz “The x86 architecture has had a profound impact on the computing industry, driving innovations through constant evolution. As a long-time partner with both AMD and Intel, Oracle is proud to be a founding member of the x86

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia Productivity Corporation today officially launched the Electric Vehicle and Battery Management (EVBM) Guidelines at the EV and Battery Management Conference 2024, held in conjunction with IGEM 2024.  The development of these guidelines, led by Northport (Malaysia) Bhd in collaboration with businesses and regulators across the EV ecosystem, was facilitated by MPC with support from the Malaysia Automotive Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) – provide a framework for industry self-regulation, by ensuring the safe and sustainable management of electric vehicles (EVs) and EV batteries.  In support of the guidelines, Dato’ Hairil Yahri Yaacob, Secretary General of MITI said the launch marks a significant step in Malaysia’s push toward sustainability and productivity in the growing EV sector. “MITI fully supports the EVBM Guidelines as they offer businesses a clear framework to manage EVs and their batteries safely and sustainably. Premised on the principles of life-cycle management, the guidelines cover handling, transportation, disposal, and recycling of EVs and EV batteries. As such, this launch is a key step towards strengthening Malaysia’s positioning as a regional manufacturing hub for electric mobility and attracting future green technology investments”, said Dato’ Hairil. “These guidelines empower the industry to self-regulate, making compliance more straightforward and giving businesses the freedom to focus on boosting productivity and enhancing competitiveness. By taking control of their regulatory practices, companies can maintain high safety and environmental standards while driving innovation and growth,” said Zahid Ismail, Director General of Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC). The conference, organised by the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) and the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) with support from MITI, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment, and Sustainability (NRES), MARii, and NanoMalaysia Berhad, brought together over 100 participants, including business associations and regulatory bodies, to discuss best practices in EV and battery management. Dato’ Azman Shah Mohd Yusof, CEO of Northport, highlighted the importance of these guidelines in managing the rise in EV adoption: “These guidelines ensure the EV supply chain operates safely and efficiently as adoption accelerates”. The EVBM Guidelines are expected to become a foundational tool for businesses within the electric vehicle sector, enabling them to meet safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements. By adopting these guidelines, the industry will enhance productivity and competitiveness while maintaining high standards of compliance.

KUALA LUMPUR: Delapan is poised to become a critical hub for cross-border trade and digital infrastructure in northern Malaysia, enhancing connectivity with Southeast Asia. The Malaysian government continues to support the development of the Special Border Economic Zone (SBEZ), aimed at encouraging investment and stimulating economic growth. As part of this initiative, AREA Group (AREA) has commenced the development of the first phase of the AREA Data Centre Campus (ADCC) in Kedah’s Delapan SBEZ. This development follows a sale and purchase agreement for 12.14 hectares of land, with an estimated gross development value (GDV) of USD 2.4 billion. AREA’s special purpose vehicle, Data Gateway Sdn Bhd, signed the agreement with Northern Gateway Sdn Bhd (NGX), Delapan’s master developer, for the initial purchase of land critical for establishing the data centre. The selection of the site was influenced by its access to essential resources, particularly energy and water supply. Datuk Stewart Labrooy, AREA Group Executive Chairman, highlighted these factors as crucial for the successful establishment of the data centre. Delapan also boasts strong submarine cable connectivity, currently linking to Satun and Songkhla across the Thai border, with an Internet exchange scheduled for completion by 2025. This strategic location, at the northern end of the North-South Highway and Federal Route 1—the main border route to Thailand—positions Delapan as a key player in regional logistics. As of June 2022, projects within Delapan’s SBEZ had secured three significant real estate investment agreements, totaling RM7.2 billion. These include a Truck Depot and Internal Release Project by PKT Logistics Sdn Bhd (December 2019), an Integrated Nitrile Glove Manufacturing Complex by Hartalega Bhd (March 2021), and an Internet Exchange (IX) and Data Centre Project (December 2021). The SBEZ covers nearly 11,800 acres and is a high-impact initiative developed in collaboration with the Federal Government and the Kedah State Government. NGX, as the main developer for the DELAPAN projects, manages an area of 4,400 acres, representing 38% of the total SBEZ. Datuk Ammar Shaikh Mahmood Naim, NGX Senior Director, noted that Delapan is uniquely positioned to emerge as a prime destination for core and investment-grade assets, particularly with its Free Commercial and Industrial Zone attracting businesses targeting ASEAN markets. Delapan’s Zone 1 East features a 156-acre freehold site with adequate water supply facilities, exceeding 65 million litres per day—essential for the data centre’s operations. A report by Cushman & Wakefield highlights that hyperscale data centres require significant power capacity (over 50 megawatts) and advanced cooling systems, with costs exceeding USD 10 million per megawatt in Malaysia. “Based on the 50-megawatt benchmark, the total development cost of a data centre at that capacity is around USD 500 million,” the report states. The vision for Delapan is a harmonious blend of Thailand and Malaysia’s economic strengths, facilitated by the Asia Highway Network 2 (AH2). This network, known in Malaysia as the PLUS Highway, connects Singapore, Thailand, Indochina, and extends to India and Iran. The cultural ties between these regions—evident in shared culinary, entertainment, and linguistic elements—further enrich Delapan’s unique positioning. With just a 40-minute drive from Hatyai International Airport, Delapan is at the heart of regional dynamics. Southern Thailand benefits from the maritime access provided by Delapan’s Inland Port, establishing seamless connectivity to Penang Port. Additionally, the robust terrestrial network serving the Indochina digital realm further reinforces Delapan’s reputation, earning it recognition as Malaysia’s Second Best Data Exchange Hub. As Malaysia expands its digital infrastructure and cross-border trade capabilities, initiatives like the ADCC will be pivotal in positioning the country as a leader in Southeast Asia’s economic landscape.