Telekom Malaysia (TM) and Maybank Islamic announced on Thursday that they have partnered to create what they’re billing as Malaysia’s first Islamic banking-as-a-service (BaaS) solution powered by 5G.

Targeted at both consumers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the partnership aims to bundle Maybank Islamic’s financial services with TM’s Uni5G Postpaid Biz service.

“While the technology originates from the BaaS concept, what makes it unique is its adherence to Islamic principles, making it the pioneering example of its kind in Malaysia,” said Maybank Islamic CEO Dato’Mohamed Rafique Merican in a statement. “It combines modern technology with the ethical requirements of Islamic finance, providing innovative and faith-based financial services.”

The first offering out of the gate is ‘Go Niaga’, a mobile business banking bundle designed to help MSMEs manage finances, improve incomes and offer digital payment options. Banking services include accounts and credit facilities tailored for MSMEs, as well as payment acceptance facilities through Maybank Islamic’s QRPay Biz, and Tap2Phone, which enables cloud POS via mobile devices to facilitate digital/card payments.

The Go Niaga bundle includes any of Unifi’s three Uni5G Postpaid Biz packages, along with free 5G mobile devices, which TM says will ensures secure access to financial services, as well as bring 5G capabilities to more communities.

Shanti Jusnita Johari, chief commercial officer for Consumer Strategy & Business at Unifi said the bundle – which is being offered via its digital business solutions arm, Unifi Business – will address current market gaps among the MSME segment, and enable businesses to better leverage e-commerce and expand their customer reach.

“MSMEs are a key growth engine for the nation’s economy. At present, this segment accounts for nearly 38% of Malaysia’s GDP, yet their potential is often dimmed by limited access to digital tools and financial services,” she said in a statement. “This is even more apparent among underserved segments, micro and small businesses who face the most challenges in accessing financial services and digital innovations that are necessary to elevate their lives and livelihoods.”

Maybank Islamic’s Rafique also described the partnership as a significant step forward in financial inclusion.

“By embedding Maybank Islamic’s BaaS solutions within Unifi Business’ platforms, previously unbanked or underbanked individuals and businesses will gain access to Maybank’s essential financial services and 5G mobile connectivity through TM’s cutting-edge technologies,” he said.

We here at Bicom Systems always strive to offer your clients the latest and most innovative technologies while ensuring that they are adapted for more intuitive use.

7.1 enforces that standard as we pave the way for Omnichannel, which enables seamless customer interaction across all communication channels.

But, fret not as our teams have been hard at work developing a suite of other features across all our products aimed at improving overall employee quality of life and increasing workplace efficiency.

SEE WHAT’S NEW IN 7.1 FIRSTHAND

Here is what our 7.1 release has in store.

PBXware

Improving Security Measures With 2-Factor Authentication

Security always remains a prime concern for us here at Bicom Systems, so we wanted to further reinforce our existing security measures by providing your clients with a much needed security feature, 2-Factor Authentication.

It forms an extra layer of defense against potential security breaches through compromised accounts, helping mitigate the chances of such occurrences through the use of an external authenticator app.

This feature is available on both OSC portals and gloCOM.

Empowering Real-life Safety Through Ray Baum’s Act

While data safety is important, so too is client safety which is why PBXware has been made compliant with Ray Baum’s act, allowing end users to utilize the PBX platform to dial emergency numbers and automatically provide them with a selected dispatchable location that needs to be set up prior, ensuring optimal emergency services response times.

We have even made sure to cover users on the move by enabling them to enter a list of their location options (approved by admins) and choose the appropriate one should the need arise.

Preventing Fraud And Ensuring Effective Call Routing With E.164 Format

To support safety and efficient communication for UK clients, PBXware has introduced the “Force E.164 Caller ID” option, minimizing the risk of calls from potentially fraudulent numbers and keeping all numbers uniform to one format for more efficient routing.

It also ensures compliance with UK regulatory requirements, allowing the product to retain its footprint on the UK market.

Drive Space Preservation

We are aware that a lot of clients tend to exchange a lot of messages and files over gloCOM, all of which gets stored locally.

But, over time, the amount of stored data piles up and becomes increasingly difficult to manage for both the gloCOM and the chosen platform to manage due to increasing client sync times and drive space issues.

To ease the load on client systems, we have implemented the ability to archive and delete gloCOM chat history over set time periods.

Contact Center

The feature focus of our newest release, Contact Center has seen the most changes in order to incorporate features that we believe are going to pave the way for a brighter future for telecommunications, Omnichannel.

Omnichannel

Undoubtedly the biggest star of 7.1, the Omnichannel solution in Contact Center provides clients with the ability to manage customer interaction through all available communication channels, be it email, voice, SMS or Live Chat effortlessly, unifying them all into a seamless customer experience.

To accommodate this change, we have introduced new features and have done updates on existing ones.

Updating The Agent Interface

The first thing that needed to be done was a new look for the existing agent interface to make room for all the new toys coming with the introduction of Omnichannel while still keeping it instinctive and easy to maneuver.

Now, the panel features tabs for every new communication channel: Live Chat, SMS, email and voice calls, all in one easy-to-access place, allowing for seamless transition between them.

Supervisors have also received additions on the Agent panel with the introduction of the ‘Dashboard’ and ‘Conversations’ tabs so they can have the option to operate from the agent panel rather than having to switch to Supervisor should they so choose.

Improved Queue Management With Chatbots

A feature aimed at improving routing speed and accuracy, Chatbots are here to stay and we are certain that agents across the world will be thankful for having to perform less conversation transfers.

Modernizing Queue Assignment Strategies

Chatbots are not the only new way we have improved queue efficiency as we have implemented new queue assignment methods too with the auto-assignment strategy being the focal point.

It utilizes an algorithm that takes several crucial factors into consideration like: agent capacity per channel, their availability, total workload and total unserved time, as well as checking if a request is coming from a returning customer.

With those parameters, it determines the most appropriate agent for an individual customer query and applies it to every single one, resulting in a vastly more efficient workload assignment strategy than before with equitable workload distribution and optimal customer satisfaction.

Improving Statistics With Blended Reporting

With an abundance of new features, especially one as robust as omnichannel, we needed to implement ways of tracking all these new statistics, which we have thanks to blended reporting.

With both Agent and Queue Statistics taken into account, we have introduced blended reports that offer a comprehensive view of metrics per channel that provide key insights into agent, queue and channel performance.

The generation and delivery of these reports to specific users can also be automated thanks to Scheduled Reporting.

More Robust Security Measures

A new Security page has been introduced in order to allow users to better manage security measures and to take on a more active role in threat prevention.

We empower them by enabling them to issue manual bans out to potential malicious actors detected by the system and to receive threat notifications over Alert Email to specified individuals.

Improved License Handling

License assignment and release has seen touchups with the introduction of multiple channels thanks to the addition of the Licenses page and the overall streamlining of the entire process in order to improve resource allocation across the board.

gloCOM & gloCOM GO

Both gloCOM and gloCOM GO have seen improvements in user security and overall interaction which should enhance the overall user experience.

Improving Interaction With Message Reactions

In order to reduce message congestion in group chats while still retaining a more light-hearted atmosphere in a professional setting, we have introduced Message Reactions, allowing users to express their emotions toward messages sent in by their colleagues.

It also helps reduce that tedium of having to send out a confirmation message for event planning and can now be done with a click of a button and a Thumbs Up.

Keeping Security Up-to-par With 2-Factor Authentication

As mentioned earlier in PBXware, gloCOM has also received the benefits of 2FA, placing that extra layer of protection for user accounts to further assist in security breach prevention in case of an accidental lapse in security protocol within businesses.

Compliance With Ray Baum’s Act For US Compliance

Also mentioned within PBXware, Ray Baum’s Act compliance extends to gloCOM and gloCOM GO as well with gloCOM reflecting the capabilities of this feature from PBXware while gloCOM GO users only have access to the key feature of getting their emergency call redirected to a native phone dialer.

SSL Certificate Confirmation

Another safety measure to help alert users that they may be joining an unsecured server is SSL Certificate Confirmation, acting as a reminder when attempting to join a server without a valid or suspicious SSL certificate which could leave user accounts compromised should they accept the join invitation.

gloCOM Meeting

gloCOM Meeting has received a few quality of life updates which should help streamline the overall meeting process.

Clipboard Sharing With Meeting Participants

The most impactful of the three changes that facilitate all of this is the Clipboard Sharing feature that allows presenters to give select users the ability to paste clipboard text on the presenter’s side to actively provide more insight on the topic at hand and allow the presenter to focus on the presentation.

Meeting Recording Reminder And Meeting Pre-expiry Notification

The other two changes are reminders that can assist with overall meeting organization. Doing exactly what their names imply, the Meeting Recording Reminder helps remind users to record meetings so that important information can be recorded and played back at a later date if need be.

The Meeting Pre-expiry notification, on the other hand, pops up near the end of a meeting’s allotted time depending on Meeting license, notifying users that they either need to wrap the meeting up, or plan for scheduling a secondary meeting to finish up with everything.

And Much More…

These are only some of the more major changes that our teams have valiantly worked on to deliver in the 7.1 release.

There are still several others that will help boost the overall usefulness of the entire Bicom Systems product suite with some of the more notable ones being:

• Bringing the option to empty out media storage on iOS instances of gloCOM GO

• The ability to add contacts to a local phone book directly from an SMS conversation on gloCOM GO

• Expanding gloCOM GO’s presence options with the ‘Ringing’ and ‘On Call’ statuses

• Simplifying Live Chat widget setup for Contact Center

• The setup of Out-of-hours messages so businesses can better designate contact center operating hours

• First Response and Chatbot Timeout options for Contact Center that help streamline the customer queue process and conserve resources

While seemingly minor, these changes all serve to improve everyone’s overall experience with our products and we hope that it reflects as such.

In the meantime, we will continue our work on delivering new, beneficial features to your clients while we eagerly await to see everyone’s experiences with the features that have arrived with the release of 7.1.

Until our next major release, we hope that we have met your expectations and that both you and your clients remain satisfied.

To find out more, we’re a click of a button away!

CONTACT US

A bit of FTTH, some nextgen wireless tech, and some cloud marketplace news: … [visit site to read more]

Sri Lankan telco Dialog Axiata says it has released a new mobile app that serves as a single remote control point for its suite of smart-home devices.

The new Smart Home App serves as a centralised platform, allowing users to manage and monitor all of Dialog Axiata’s smart devices, as well as smart devices from Chinese AI/IoT company Tuya Smart, from their phone. Dialog and Tuya have been co-developing smart devices under a partnership arrangement since 2020.

Dialog Axiata currently offers a range of smart-home devices, including security cameras, smart wall plugs, smart wall sockets, smart switches and smart extension cords, as well as Wi-Fi mesh and an Alexa-powered smart speaker.

The app enables users to view live camera feeds, activate and deactivate devices, and receive notifications from each connected device.

Dialog Axiata also says the Smart Home App has voice control capabilities that can be seamlessly integrated with popular smart home assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

“This app aims to redefine smart living, making it effortless for everyone to experience the true potential of their smart-home devices, regardless of their location,” said Dialog Axiata Group CMO Lasantha Theverapperuma in a statement.

According to figures from Statista, Sri Lanka’s smart-home market is still in the fledgling stage, with just 5.7% household penetration projected for this year. That’s forecast to grow to 9.5% household penetration by 2028.

In terms of monetisation, the smart-home market in Sri Lanka is projected to generate US$133.1 million this year, growing at an annual rate of 11.38% to US$204.8 million by 2028.

Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) has unveiled what it calls  a pioneering initiative aimed at facilitating global access to cutting-edge technology solutions: the ATRC Global Tech R&D Platform.

The platform, it says, serves as a channel for countries worldwide to tap into the UAE’s technological expertise to address their unique challenges, seeking to bridge technology gaps experienced by nations worldwide by offering tailored solutions to their pressing needs.

To initiate applications through the platform, ATRC is allocating US$200 million in funding to accelerate innovation, particularly for emerging and developing nations. By committing to absorb resource and research costs, the funding facilitates the development of sophisticated technology solutions, empowering these nations to keep pace with the latest advancements.

The ATRC Global Tech R&D Platform invites applications from governments, organisations, and eligible stakeholders all over the world, prioritising collaboration and inclusivity. Through a rigorous evaluation process, initiatives aligned with the platform’s mission will receive support in six priority sectors: aerospace and space; food and agriculture; healthcare; safety and security; sustainability, environment, and energy; and transport.

Over the span of almost four years, ATRC says it has developed a robust R&D ecosystem, with over 850 researchers from more than 70 countries and has built an entire ecosystem that systematically supports every critical stage of a technology’s development journey.

ATRC offers a spectrum of capabilities spanning quantum and AI, autonomous robotics, and cryptography, as well as advanced materials, propulsion, and space – guiding technology needs, as ATRC puts it, from ideation to innovation.

Ciena announced on Monday that Telia Lithuania is using its coherent optics gear to launch the first 800G wavelength service between major cities in the country as part of a nationwide upgrade of its fibre-optic network.

Telia Lithuania is using Ciena’s WaveLogic 5 Extreme (WL5e) solution, sas well as its network management solutions, to upgrade its countrywide network to support 400G and higher services.

Ciena says the solution enables the telco’s fibre-optic network to deliver more flexible, higher-capacity, and cost-effective, power efficient transport services.

Virginie Hollebecque, VP of EMEA at Ciena, said in a statement that the solution will make Telia Lithuania’s network more resilient, with faster wavelength restoration, quicker issue resolution and improved timing distribution for applications requiring highly reliable synchronization.

“Network resiliency is of great importance for all networks in the Baltic region, considering the region’s heavy reliance on digital technologies,” she said. “Telia Lithuania has a resilient network foundation that can instantly bounce back from any disruptions, minimizing downtime, ensuring service continuity, and safeguarding its communication infrastructure.”

Andrius Šemeškevičius, head of technology at Telia Lithuania, said the network upgrade is essential to support 5G, IoT and other bandwidth-intensive applications.

Šemeškevičius said Ciena’s solution “allows us to reliably and efficiently meet our customers’ varied transport requirements – whether for access, metro, long haul, or enterprise data centre interconnect.”

The telecoms sector has an indisputable impact on the environment. Operating a reliable network requires vast amounts of power, the manufacture of network equipment and personal devices produces significant carbon emissions, and the swift obsolescence of these devices generates a constant stream of e-waste.

With access to telecommunications increasingly viewed as a human right, the expansion of networks and proliferation of devices has raised awareness of the sector’s environmental impact, placing companies under increasing pressure to show leadership in achieving sustainability goals and adopting greener solutions.

While this trend has been gaining traction for years, there has been a pronounced shift towards sustainable solutions in recent years – and the main driving factor has not been social pressure, but cost savings. Companies are increasingly finding that it is not merely financially viable to adopt greener solutions, but attractively cheaper.

This is particularly the case with regards to energy. Enrique Dans, a Senior Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), told us: “From my perspective, the most important factor here is cost. We are witnessing a huge decrease in the cost of renewable energy.”

Dans highlights that the key technologies for solar energy – panels and batteries – have both plummeted in terms of overall cost, with solar panels now 99% cheaper than 40 years ago, and batteries 97% cheaper. The efficiency of both technologies has also increased substantially, meaning that it’s now feasible for an operator to power several antennas at an isolated location with just a few solar panels and a battery.

He adds that this is a particularly attractive option in emerging markets as it facilitates the construction of self-sufficient, off-grid sites to enable reliable rural connectivity, and notes that operators in these regions are often able to obtain public funds or even grants from international agencies for deploying sustainable infrastructure projects.

Installation is now the most expensive element of a deployment – formerly, it was materials such as solar panels. This means solar energy is now viable on a widespread industrial scale, which in turn makes it feasible to extend technologies that typically require more reliable energy supplies to areas without grid power. Dans notes that 5G consumes a lot of energy in areas where there is a constant stream of connections, but in an isolated area the base station can remain idle a lot of the time, meaning that it consumes less energy.

Simay Akar, IEEE senior member and the CEO & Founder at AK Energy Consulting, notes that there are still significant challenges in the way of achieving sustainability goals, particularly in emerging markets. She highlights companies needing to integrate renewable energy systems into their infrastructure, noting that investment in these systems will facilitate on-site power generation, reducing dependence on grid power.

The benefits that this can be deliver will be amplified by coordinated collaboration: “It is not an individual effort – they need to follow the policies to collaborate for Power Purchase Agreements…long-term to have more efficient, stable and cost-efficient electricity for their supply and needs. It’s also integrated to their grid – not every company has distributed systems, they’re mostly connected to grids. If they have a distributed generation, they need to make sure they are focusing on their green grid infrastructure. That requires a lot of investment in the green modernization, and they need to focus on smart grid integration in their systems.”

Akar states that it’s not enough for operators to merely invest in renewable energy resources – they must also optimise their network efficiency by upgrading their infrastructure with digital tools including artificial intelligence management systems, cloud technologies, and software defined networks. She notes that by combining these technologies with cooling systems, the physical hardware’s power consumption can be dramatically reduced, but adds that intelligent use of energy storage systems is also essential.

“It’s important to integrate energy storage solutions if using renewable energy resources, because it’s not [just] about the sustainable power we generate – this is also the business, they cannot have power outages.” Outages are not merely a matter of network availability – they are also a threat to data security, so it’s crucial for operators to understand the importance of energy stability and integrate these systems into their turnkey solutions – although Akar underlines the importance of selecting solutions that are suitable for both requirements and location.

“It’s harder and more challenging in emerging markets than developed markets, because you need to know your investment in this area for sustainability will be profitable”, says Akar. “When you have government support incentives, this clean energy transition is always more straightforward, but for emerging markets there are also considerations of what we could do, and what are the opportunities.”

Akar observes that green financing is a promising area, noting that there is sustainable funding available in the form of green bonds, public private partnerships, and private equity. While there are few incentives around this, so it cannot make up for support for a green transition from the sector, she says that these resources are made possible via international collaboration and are typically targeted at emerging markets, so could be instrumental in enabling a transition to cleaner energy in the sector.

As more companies become able to generate power via mini-grids and off-grid solutions, they frequently have surplus to their requirements. With intelligent use of storage systems, Akar explains that they can sell this back to the grid, or alternatively simply store the energy and use it as required to address infrastructure gaps. Even if there are no supportive mechanisms in their local area, through this kind of collaboration it becomes possible for companies to have access to cost efficient energy resources.

“Even if it looks more challenging for emerging markets, there are more opportunities for the future … because implementing these steps can [help] reach sustainability goals and energy sustainability while reducing their operational costs”, explains Akar. “When we talk about all these initiatives, it sounds like we’re investing a lot, but [whether] long term or short term, it’s not really. And overall, by reaching these sustainability goals, they’re also reducing their operational costs – this is important to see the opportunities, improve their energy supply, and make it more stable for their main business.”

The pressure is on – but the opportunities for real change are now viable. Dans observes that initial efforts around sustainability in telecoms amounted to little more than ‘greenwashing’, but underlines that the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai, UAE delivered commitments that businesses are no longer able to skirt around. “Everyone was expecting a very low-profile conference, but in the end, the final documents are pretty stringent. They don’t say stop fossil fuels – of course, that was predictable. But the commitments for increasing renewable energy are huge, they’re really important. And they demand a lot of investment.”