APAC Insider Magazine Issue 4 2018 Ansiderac Leading Teams to Genuine Success Leading Teams is an innovative Australian firm dedicated to creating high performing teams and supporting individuals to become exceptional leaders. We caught up with director Martine Harkin to find out more about the firm and explore how it has achieved the incredible success it enjoys today. Inside This Issue: Fast, Direct & Secure Southern Cross Cable Network A Reputation Built on Delivering High Standards JLEM Dedicated to Providing Top Quality Landscape Supplies REHARVEST: Wonderful Service Delivered With a Personal Touch Annerleigh Luxury B&B
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APAC / Issue 4 2018 3 , Welcome to Issue 4 of APAC Insider Magazine, bringing you the latest news and updates from across the Asia Pacific region. In recent news, on the 8th April, NetComm Wireless Limited was proud to announce it would be supplying the network access devices needed to connect homes and businesses to nbn™ Fibre-to-the-Curb (nbn™ FTTC), officially launched by NBN Co Limited (nbn). nbn™ FTTC is set to bring fibre-like speeds to a million Australian premises using world first reverse powered Distribution Point Unit (DPU) and Network Connection Device (NCD) technology developed by NetComm Wireless. In this month’s issue, we discover more about Southern Cross Cables who owns the major telecommunications cable networks between Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and across the South Pacific to the United States of America that provides in excess of an estimated 50% of all internet connectivity out of Australia and New Zealand. We invited Craige Sloots to provide us with an overview of the company and its overwhelming success. Also in this month’s edition, Annerleigh Luxury B&B is an awardwinning B&B in the Thermal Alpine town of Hanmer Springs. We were fortunate enough to get an insight into the excellence of the venue from Lynn Brownlee, who runs the B&B alongside her husband Ian. Elsewhere in this issue, DaDaABC, one of China’s leading K12 Online English Education Platforms, held the “DaDa Wonderland” 2018 Strategic Cooperation Conference in Beijing, announced its partnership with McGraw-Hill Education, a leading global education publisher, and officially launch “Wonders” with customised content for DaDaABC’s one-on-one online teaching classes. At the same time, DaDaABC established an exclusive strategic partnership with Mad Science, an international brand for children’s science education with a history of 33 years. Lastly, KBR, Inc. announced on the 10th April 2018. it will continue to grow its business in Singapore. Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), KBR will develop the Singapore office into its Asia Pacific Regional Center of Excellence for KBR Consulting, Digitalisation, LNG & Asset Management, Differentiated Infrastructure and its Government Services business, KBRwyle. For Digitalisation, KBR’s strategic alliance with IBM has created opportunities for a suite of integrated solutions for our clients that enable business transformation through digital reinvention. Here at APAC Insider, we truly hope that you enjoy reading this edition, and look forward to hearing from you. Jessica Daykin, Editor Phone: +44 (0) 203 725 6842 Email: [email protected] Website: www.apac-insider.com AI Global Media, Ltd. (AI) takes reasonable measures to ensure the quality of the information on this web site. However, AI will not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, correctness or completeness of any information that is available through this web site. If errors are brought to our attention, we will try to correct them. The information available through the website and our partner publications is for your general information and use and is not intended to address any particular finance or investment requirements. In particular, the information does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by us or any of our partner publications and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making or refraining from making any investment or financial decisions. Appropriate independent advice should be obtained before making any such decision. Any arrangement made between you and any third party named in the site is at your sole risk and responsibility.
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APAC / Issue 4 2018 5 , 6. News 8. Leading Teams to Genuine Success 12. A Reputation Built on Delivering High Standards 14. REHARVEST: Dedicated to Providing Top Quality Landscape Supplies 16. Wonderful Service Delivered With a Personal Touch 18. Fast, Direct & Secure 22. Pioneering Decentralised Smart City Database Circle+ Launches in Singapore 24. KBR Moving up the Value Chain with Support from Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) 26. Photo Enhancement App Provider Meitu Deepens Cooperation with U.S. Consulate 28. Guangzhou Envisions Future with its Stories of Innovation Shared at Boao 30. Axalta Inaugurates New Coating Manufacturing Facility in India *
6 APAC / Issue 4 2018 NEWS , NetComm Wireless Proud to Supply World Leading Technology for nbn Fibre-to-the-Curb NetComm Wireless Limited, is proud to be supplying the network access devices needed to connect homes and businesses to nbn™ Fibre-tothe-Curb (nbn™ FTTC), officially launched by NBN Co Limited (nbn).
APAC / Issue 4 2018 7 NEWS , On the 2nd April 2018, Relativity announced that its comprehensive SaaS product, RelativityOne, will now be available in Hong Kong, adding to its current availability in the U.S. and UK— with availability in Canada and Germany later this year. “Making RelativityOne available in Hong Kong, is a pivotal moment in an exciting year of growth for our SaaS product,” said Relativity founder and CEO Andrew Sieja. “We’ve seen the use of Relativity expand in this market rapidly over the years, and think there’s a great opportunity to provide a comprehensive and secure SaaS e-discovery platform—one that’s easy to get up and running, and that our partners and customers in this region can build their businesses on.” The arrival of RelativityOne means that customers and partners in Hong Kong can handle their local and cross-border e-discovery instances with the security and flexibility of a comprehensive cloud-based e-discovery platform. Customers will also benefit from the functionality, customer support, and global user community that RelativityOne is known for. Relativity partner FTI Technology will be the first to offer RelativityOne in their Hong Kong location, following the recent expansion of its RelativityOne offering to the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. “The introduction of RelativityOne to Hong Kong provides us with new opportunities to serve both our local customers and cross-border clients with the adaptability and security that the SaaS product provides,” said Daryl Teshima, a Senior Managing Director of FTI Technology. “We’re excited to be the first to offer RelativityOne in Hong Kong.” RelativityOne is built in Microsoft Azure’s Hong Kong data centre, which is both ISO 27001 and SSAE-16 SOC 2 certified. The new location promises dual-layer security thanks to the combination of Relativity’s stringent data security standards and the trusted cloud security protocols of Microsoft Azure. Customers can check out the Relativity Trust page for more details. RelativityOne Expands to Hong Kong Relativity continues the expansion of its fastgrowing SaaS product with availability in the Hong Kong market. On the 8th April, NetComm Wireless Limited was proud to announce it would be supplying supplying the network access devices needed to connect homes and businesses to nbn™ Fibre-tothe-Curb (nbn™ FTTC), officially launched by NBN Co Limited (nbn). nbn™ FTTC is set to bring fibre-like speeds to a million Australian premises using world first reverse powered Distribution Point Unit (DPU) and Network Connection Device (NCD) technology developed by NetComm Wireless. This innovative solution has been developed by teams of highly skilled Australian engineers working from NetComm Wireless’ Sydney and Melbourne based Centres of Excellence. The Company’s end-to-end product design, development and testing processes are conducted inhouse to ensure the highest quality standards and fastest time to deployment. Ken Sheridan, CEO and Managing Director, NetComm Wireless said: “We are honoured to be nbn’s supplier on this important world first project. It is the product of Australian innovation and ingenuity and the benefits to Australian households and businesses will be profound. Having met nbn’s exacting technical and quality standards, our solution is receiving significant interest from leading telcos in global markets and leading to export sales.” Brad Whitcomb, NBN Co’s Chief Customer Officer - Residential said: “Today’s announcement demonstrates that NBN Co is an adopter of new and innovative technologies to provide Australians with access to fast broadband. “Over the past few months, we have been working closely with service providers to test our systems and processes, the performance of the nbn™ FTTC access technology, as well as the new self-installation experience. “As with the introduction of any new technology, we will continue to gain insights as we navigate the complexity of the build as well as potential issues which can arise when people connect to the network.” NetComm Wireless is an Australian based company passionate about bringing faster broadband to more homes sooner. Working closely with nbn to understand the challenges and opportunities the Australian environment has, lead to the development of the world’s first reverse powered DPU and NCD allowing for fibre like speeds over copper. The NetComm Wireless’ DPU allows nbn to bypass costly and disruptive civil works on private property required for Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) to bring faster broadband to more homes sooner. The DPU is installed in the telecommunications pit at the outside boundary, where it connects up to four premises to fibre using existing copper lines. The DPU is used in conjunction with NetComm Wireless’ NCD to provide a real alternative to FTTP. The NCD is self-installed by the customer and combines a Gfast and VDSL modem as well as a reverse power feed to power the DPU from inside the premises and save on the cost of running a powerline to individual units. NetComm Wireless’ VDSL and Gfast DPUs are designed to deliver assured broadband performance through the extension of managed connectivity and the integration of network grade diagnostics, performance monitoring and remote management functions. Engineered to support the upgrade path to Gigabit speeds, NetComm Wireless’ Gfast DPU uses the 212 MHz profile to maximise speed, performance and capacity when required.
8 APAC / Issue 4 2018 , Leading Teams to Genuine Success Leading Teams is an innovative Australian firm dedicated to creating high performing teams and supporting individuals to become exceptional leaders. We caught up with director Martine Harkin to find out more about the firm and explore how it has achieved the incredible success it enjoys today. Drawing on more than 25 years’ experience supporting a vast array of clients including elite sports teams, NGOs, schools, banks and major corporations, Leading Teams has achieved incredible success thanks to its innovative high performance model. Martine reflects on how this unique method has helped the company to support its varied clients and meet their individual needs. “Here at Leading Teams, we have three core areas of practice: supporting team alignment, driving cultural change and assisting with individual performance improvement to help create strong leaders. Our team of facilitators is based across Australia, and we all work together to support our clients and offer them solutions that are tailored to meet their individual needs. Our offering is flexible, and we work directly with teams and their leaders to create high performance teams and drive cultural change, as well as offering individual training for clients looking to bolster their leadership prowess. It is not exclusively managers we work with; our model can be applied to individuals in any given team, no matter the size or the industry. This bespoke offering has led us to work with a wide range of sporting clients, including the Australian Diamonds Netball Team and 16 of the 18 AFL clubs as well as a host of household names from the corporate world including Virgin Australia, Flight Centre, Aldi and M&C Saatchi. “One of our founders, Ray McLean, has written two books on team performance and leadership, and his first was titled Any Given Team, which encapsulates our service offering. Our model works for any team and we adapt our delivery to the needs of any client. By working closely with them, we understand exactly what they want out of their relationship with us and then collaborate with them to achieve this. Often, we begin this process by working with the leaders in the business, as they are responsible for driving the overall culture of the team. Then we work with specific functional teams within the business on targeted issues to help cultivate the culture that the client needs to achieve their goals.” The first step to creating a high performing team is to define why they exist as a team and how they want to be seen. From there, Martine highlights the four fundamental factors that Leading Teams believes are essential to any high performance team, no matter what industry they operate in. “High performance teams all share four key characteristics, and as such Leading Teams have built these into our model and constantly support leaders and their staff to achieve them. The first is a clear purpose; this is not just the overall organisation’s mission statement, but an individual focus which unites the team itself. Secondly, all high performing teams have an agreed behavioural framework, which may be shared with the whole organisation, and allows team members to interact with each other in a safe and supportive space. “The third characteristic is strong professional relationships between team members that are based on mutual trust and respect. All of these characteristics combine to create the final indicator of a high performance team - a safe environment within which there is space for genuine conversations about performance. The focus 1801AP01
APAC / Issue 4 2018 9 Leading Teams to Genuine Success g Company: Leading Teams Address: Ground floor, 179 Park St, South Melbourne, VIC 3205, Australia Phone: 0061396543744 Website: www.leadingteams.net.au
10 APAC / Issue 4 2018 , should never be on criticism or reproach, but always on improvement; on moving forward and driving even greater achievement for the team, and at Leading Teams this is something we work to cultivate in every team we support.” This unique model sets Leading Teams apart from its competitors in the market. It is also central to the firm’s own internal culture, as Martine explains. “Whilst many of our competitors in the leadership market are individuals working alone, at Leading Teams we are one team that practices what it preaches. We employ our own methods internally to ensure that we offer our clients the very best service and support possible. “Consisting of just 18 staff, we all work together as one team, despite the fact that we are based around the country and work with a range of different clients. We conduct training sessions several times a year to ensure that everyone fully understands the level of excellence they need to provide to their clients and can apply our model within their clients’ teams. “Thanks to our in-house application of our model, we are able to support each other in an environment where discussions around performance can safely take place. We have our own agreed behavioural framework – we call it our ‘trademark’ – and we all adhere to this, which has allowed us to create strong professional and personal relationships. As a team we have overcome a great many hardships thanks to our strong foundations, and as such whenever we recruit for new team members we always select candidates based on their behavioural traits, so that we know that they will fit well into our team and support their colleagues as well as their clients.” Recently there have been changes within the company’s team, as Leading Teams has expanded its workforce in light of its ongoing success. The firm is also moving to build upon its brand and expand the range of clients it works with. Martine and another director of Leading Teams recently attended a national HR summit to meet a range of industry experts and potential clients. Not only does this allow the company to gain greater exposure of its work in the industry, but it also gave Martine a vital insight into the current HR and team building market. “In the wider team building and HR space, in which Leading Teams operates, we are currently seeing a greater reliance on performance data by companies who are looking to improve productivity among their teams. At Leading Teams, we call this data ‘the mechanics’ of HR. The area that we work on is in the people, culture and behaviours of the team, or what we refer to as the ‘dynamics’. Rather than aiming solely for making a change in the data we concentrate our efforts in the team dynamics to address real behaviours by real people in the business. The outcome is still a positive shift in the data, but by focusing on the underlying behaviours we create a sustainable high performance culture at the same time.” Looking to the future, Leading Teams is committed to engaging with an ever-increasing number of teams looking to improve their performance. Whereas previously the firm’s clients were gained predominantly through referrals from other satisfied customers, going forward the company is eager to grow its brand and work with even more teams across the corporate landscape, whilst simultaneously ensuring that it retains its unique in-house culture and continues to provide the innovative approach that clients have come to rely upon. Martine concludes by exploring the strategies that the company will employ moving forward to achieve these aims. “Over the past 25 years, Leading Teams has achieved incredible success thanks to our unique high performance model and consistent approach, and as we look towards the future we intend to build upon this success by continuing to provide our clients with the same tried-and-tested model and exceptional service, whilst at the same time growing our own team to work with even more clients. We have recently welcomed several new staff members and are currently in the process of onboarding them so that they understand our work and know how to best support their clients. “The past few months have seen us establish new equity partnerships, which has led to a further four directors being incorporated. We also completed our annual vote for the leadership group that runs our business on a day-to-day basis, which is made up of some of our directors, including myself, as well as some of our other staff. We will all be continuing to drive excellence for Leading Teams and working collaboratively to ensure that we continue to deliver the same standards of excellence and performance improvement to all our clients. This will ensure that we continue to provide them with the support they need to create and maintain high performing teams.”
APAC / Issue 4 2018 11 Leading Teams to Genuine Success g APAC Insider readers are entitled to $10 off any purchase of Leading Teams books. Use the code ‘APAC’ on www.leadingteams.net.au/shop-books
12 APAC / Issue 4 2018 , A Reputation Built on Delivering High Standards JLEM (Jenny Lie Event Management) is a thriving and successful events management firm. We invited founder Jenny Lie to tell us more about the company and what attributes she believes are vital to her ongoing success, including featuring as APAC’s Most Valuable PR & Events Company - Asia. Established in 2004, this year will be JLEM’s 14th anniversary of the firm’s inception. Throughout the years, JLEM has taken pride in operating a dynamic service in which the staff are contactable 24 hours a day, throughout the year, and work exceptionally hard to provide a service they can be proud of. Looking to put on an excellent spectacle in terms of the entertainment as well as marketing / communication sectors, Jenny and the team at JLEM work hard to ensure that not only are the client’s guests happy, but the client is also satisfied with the process that happens through planning the event. Jenny explains how JLEM staff work hard to ensure that the client’s desired outcome is reached. “Here at JLEM, we are flexible, communicative, professional and manage our time well, as well as boasting staff which are all highly presentable and multilingual, preparing us for any occasion.” Alongside providing unrivalled customer service throughout the region, Jenny believes that her team’s experience, attitude and understanding of customer service and hospitality is crucial in differentiating the company from its competitors, which in turn marks itself out as the best possible option for clients. The way she recruits new highly qualified members, is inspired from the program ‘The Apprentice’. Jenny also talks about the close relationships which the team have built with their esteemed clients, which has enabled it to become such a success. “We are the longest serving company in our field here in Asia, and have been through all the economic challenges when companies had no longer budgets to handle their marketing, PR and advertising activities. Clients know us as the most valuable and professional boutique events company, boasting and delivering on high International standards. Also, contacts are in close relationship with different celebrities, artists, skilful talents, entertainments, hospitality concepts like ‘Ladies with Taste”. Featuring as our Most Valuable PR & Events Company - Asia, Jenny is keen to tell us about the memorable events that she and her team have organised, and what factors made them unforgettable. “Operating within this industry, there are many different aspects of an event which make a project memorable. This usually comes when it is so impressive that it exceeds our own high standards. “Being in the competitive events management industry, we work with different teams and people, meaning the mind always has to be sharp in order to manage and achieve win-win results for everyone. Some of the most interesting events that I have been involved in, would be a KPMG Annual Dinner for 2,500 guests; the Holland in Hong Kong Festival, which was open to the public; and the week-long Oracle and IBM conferences in Hong Kong and Macau. These involved working with teams from different backgrounds and levels of understanding whether organising incentives, conferences and other events.” As time moves forward, JLEM will have to adapt to the ever increasing technological needs that are constantly developing, and utilise them in the team’s work. Jenny does emphasise however that people will always be at the heart of the business, and this is a crucial belief of the team. 1804AP01
APAC / Issue 4 2018 13 A Reputation Built on Delivering High Standards g Company: JLEM Contact: Jenny Lie Address: 821, 8/F, Po Yip Building, Hing Yip Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel: 00852 3426 9043 Fax: 00852 2851 6064 Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.JennyLie.com “Aside from using technology, our people are still the core to be the best intermediaries to ensure that everything goes smoothly for the client, from inception to completion of the project. “My parents showed that success came from hard work, being smart and persistent while maintaining full integrity. I have noticed that this attitude works in a diverse range of hospitality fields, especially when faced with irregular and long hours. Attention to detail and working to a high degree of professionalism at all times without any emotional influences is another quality.” Ultimately, having just marked its 14th anniversary, JLEM is and continues to be an outstanding events company. The team has built a reputation for delivering on its promises and high standards, and clients are able to work with the company knowing that they will receive only the best work.
14 APAC / Issue 4 2018 , REHARVEST: Dedicated to Providing Top Quality Landscape Supplies Reharvest® Timber Products Ltd was established to manufacture premium products from waste wood that are eco-friendly and safe for children, animals, and nature alike. The firm has been undisputed in leading the market in this area for 20 years. We profiled the firm and caught up with CEO and Founder, Ted Edwards as we looked to find out more about the company and the services that it offers. Throughout the APAC region, Reharvest boasts a sterling reputation for the quality of its products and nature of its work. Featuring in this edition of APAC Insider as the Leading Provider of Garden Mulch in New Zealand, REHARVEST’s name sake says it all, as the team reharvest used and unwanted timber to make a variety of products ranging from garden mulch, to playground Cushionfall, to animal and equestrian Cushionride. Importantly, all of these products are biodegradable. The company has three primary products, notably Enviromulch, Playground Cushionfall and Cushionride, all of which have seen the company catapult itself to the top of the industry, particularly in the APAC region. Enviromulch is the wood chip product created for gardening needs, and it can be laid on flat or sloping surfaces since it is self-stabilising and wind resistant. Additionally, it is excellent for inhibiting weed growth, aids in moisture retention and is nontoxic being free from seeds and disease. Another significant product which has contributed to the achievements of the company is Playground Cushionfall which, as with Enviromulch, is selfstabilising, inhibits weed growth and is non-toxic. Cushionfall has been rigorously tested and is the only 5-Star rated playground surfacing in New Zealand. Prior to product launch, the company conducted an extensive two years of product development, followed by three years of onsite playground testing, leading to the mulch meeting New Zealand and Australia playground safety standards, and performing exceptionally well on international impact absorbency tests. Cushionfall is the preferred choice of multiple councils, Ministry of Education, Kindergarten Associations, Playcentres Associations, and Pre-School Centres. Lastly, rounding of Reharvest’s extensive and high-quality products is Cushionride, the company’s wood chip product for equestrian arenas. The special load-bearing woodchip allows horses to travel over the surface, rather than through it, and as such minimises joint damage, causing less trauma to horse’s hocks, knees and lower legs, consequently meaning less ‘downtime’ when competing. Cushionride is made to a high technical specification for allweather conditions and all yeararound performance, and this is vital as it aids in drainage so it does not freeze and puddles are not an issue. Lastly, it is dust and stone free. With lots of companies transforming their business to become more environmentally friendly, Reharvest is leading the way with its eco-friendly atmosphere. The team prides itself in being part of a sustainable future, and the company’s wood chip mulch products are made from 100% recycled waste wood, reducing landfill and helping in waste minimisation efforts. 1804AP08
APAC / Issue 4 2018 15 REHARVEST: Dedicated to Providing Top Quality Landscape Supplies g Company: Reharvest Timber Products Ltd Contact: Graham Villis Address: 41a Hunua Road, Papakura, Auckland, New Zealand Email: [email protected] Wesite: www.reharvest.co.nz Phone: 09 299 3999 Facebook: @ReharvestTimber Ensuring that its staff are all working together to achieve the same mission, the firm has a stringent hiring structure, as well looking for like-minded people to join the team who want to not only do their best, but also contribute towards a better future for the environment. New recruits must value the firm’s core business and also maintain a burning desire to actively support the company in being eco-friendly. Looking ahead, there is widespread optimism amongst the team at Reharvest as it continues on an upward trajectory within the industry, and there is also confidence that the company will be able to achieve its mission. The aim of the leadership team and company is to continue to be part of a sustainable future, as well as utilising waste wood to make premium products, and therefore not overfill landfills. Ultimately, with there seemingly being no barriers to the firm’s success, the potential is huge for Reharvest and its employees will continue to rigorously test and evaluate its products to ensure it remains the leading product on the market. The company would also aim to give back to the community with continued sponsorship and donations of its chosen groups, meaning it can further reach other community groups.
16 APAC / Issue 4 2018 , Wonderful Service Delivered With a Personal Touch Annerleigh Luxury B&B is an award-winning B&B in the Thermal Alpine town of Hanmer Springs. We got an insight into the excellence of the venue from Lynn Brownlee, who runs the B&B alongside her husband Ian. Located in the North Canterbury area, and just a 90 minute drive from Christchurch Airport, Annerleigh Luxury B&B is set in half an acre of attractive gardens and specimen trees, all with lovely mountain views, and this is an ideal setting for the property. Lynn, alongside her husband Ian, runs the business with no external help, and therefore is delighted to have the ability to make the changes that they want to make, and provide a service which is truly unique and in their own style. So far, this method has been incredibly successful for the couple and shows no signs of changing. Around eight years ago, Lynn and Ian embarked on building their own home and have now been running the B&B years for seven years. Having sold its last business, the team has decided to build and run a B&B where it could meet people from all over the world on its own patch, and it has. The couple are always welcoming new guests from other regions, and are looking to see an influx of visitors from the APAC area. Alongside the excellent customer service delivered at the B&B, the venue is also situated just a 10 minute walk away from the picturesque Crawford Walkway, and guests can visit the townships and thermal hot pools, as well as a variety of restaurants. For those looking to get away and relax, this area is also just a two minute walk to the 18-hole golf course. Throughout Hanmer Springs, there are an assortment of attractions, including a stroll through the Dog Stream forest walk, or a more challenging walk for those who want to explore through the forest tracks. Additionally, there is also the possibility of a hike up Mount Isobel for those who want to do so. For the cycle enthusiast, people may prefer to hire a bike and explore further, whilst there are a variety of other attractions including fishing, skiing or generally relaxing in the fresh mountain air. Lynn tells us more about the inside of the venue, talking about the guest rooms, lounges and living rooms, as well as which aspects make a visitor’s stay even more comfortable. “Within the B&B, we have three guest rooms; the Gold Room, the Rose Room and the Blue Room. All of these rooms can facilitate an extra single bed should this be a requirement of the guest, and importantly, there is also central heating in all of these rooms. “Upstairs, there is also a guest lounge and this has a small 1804AP05
APAC / Issue 4 2018 17 Wonderful Service Delivered With a Personal Touch g Company: Annerleigh Luxury B&B Contact: Lynn Brownlee Address: 133 Rippingale Road, Hanmer Springs, 7334 NZ, New Zealand Phone: 00 64 3 315 7155 Website: www.annerleigh.co.nz kitchen with tea and coffee making facilities, as well as a large retractable screen, which is great for watching a movie or even watching sports. Creating a homely feel, we also provide a dining table and chairs.” Lynn always has an assortment fresh baking produce which welcomes guests and makes their first impression memorable. The venue stands apart from other B&B’s thanks to its unique customer service, and also because breakfast is served on fine china, in addition to silver cutlery. This décor and delightful food is something which guests always comment on and enjoy. One guest even exclaimed, “Is the Queen coming to breakfast?” In her concluding comments, Lynn encourages people to check out the website and see for themselves the excellence of the venue, as well as stating how receiving this APAC Business Excellence Award for 2018 is a dream come true for her and Ian. “Ultimately, Ian and I have now both turned 80, so to get this award at this time is so special. Although the management may become under new management in the future, the venue will remain committed to providing guests with an unrivalled service, and also provide excellent décor for guests to enjoy their meals, and most importantly, relax. We are thrilled to receive this APAC Business Excellence Award for 2018.”
18 APAC / Issue 4 2018 , Fast, Direct & Secure Southern Cross Cables owns the major telecommunications cable networks between Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and across the South Pacific to the United States of America that provides in excess of an estimated 50% of all internet connectivity out of Australia and New Zealand. We invited Craige Sloots to provide us with an overview of the company and its overwhelming success. Founded in 1998, Southern Cross Cables supply capacity to the major telecommunication companies in the region so that they can carry their customers’ telecommunication needs, including telephone calls and internet data, the services that people use at home and work every day. Featuring as APAC’s Leaders in Telecommunications within North Island, there are many aspects which help the company to stand out apart from its competitors. Craige explains the foundations of the success at Southern Cross Cables, and how the team has worked hard to capitalise on these achievements and attract the best business in the industry. “Southern Cross Cables built its current figure eight cable in 1999 to provide a strong and robust connection, during a time when capacity was scarce as the growth of internet traffic was in its infancy. Our north-south capacity (between Australasia and the United States of America) was only 20Gb – equivalent to twenty Gigatown 1Gb connections in Dunedin today. “In the intervening years, we have continued to invest in upgrades of the terminal equipment at the ends of the cables to provide greater capacity, and as technology has also developed Southern Cross Cables has commissioned new upgrades that have progressively increased the systems available north-south capacity to almost 12Tb, or 600 times the original capacity.” When discussing the firm’s overall mission, Craige goes into detail about the steps the team at Southern Cross Cables to achieve their goals, as well as how they ensure each client receives the best possible outcome. “At Southern Cross Cables, our goal is to be the best submarine cable company in the world, – in terms of customer service, network performance, shareholder value, and long-term value. Although we are a small company, we have set ourselves big goals to strive for. “The goals are the incremental difference we try to make every day. This is keeps our goals very real and tangible for us, and keep us grounded and focussed on continuous improvement. “As for the steps we take to ensure our clients receive the best possible outcome with us, we plan and execute in a managed manner. Large complex infrastructure projects between continents and islands always involves managing and controlling a vast number of construction, finance, legal, regulatory and commercial matters even before you get to operate and deliver services. Working with our shareholders and construction partners, we ensure every project has the greatest possible likelihood of successfully delivering the agreed outcomes on time and in full. “The criticality of the service we provide, and our attitude of quietly just ‘getting on with the job’, may have been the reason for being nominated this year. Over the last 18 years Southern Cross has ensured the carriage of Australia, New Zealand’s and Fiji’s Telecommunications traffic, both North and South has been seamless and almost event free. The advantages of a dual path self-restoring network such as the Southern Cross Cable Network are manifest when compared to a single strand stand-alone cable. None of our customers who have purchased restoration paths have lost service.” Operating within the ever evolving technology industry, there are many developments and advances which the firm must adapt to accordingly to continue its accomplishments. 1804AP06
APAC / Issue 4 2018 19 Fast, Direct & Secure g Company: Southern Cross Cable Network Contact: Craige Sloots Address: Level 5, Resimac House, 45 Johnston Street, Wellington 6011, PO BOX 5340, New Zealand Phone: +64 4 496 3250 Website: www.southerncrosscables.com
20 APAC / Issue 4 2018 , Craige outlines what techniques the team uses in order to stay ahead of emerging developments. “Here at Southern Cross Cables, we must be brave but not stupid. It’s like a surfer riding a wave and there’s sometimes very little between being left behind, having a great ride, or spectacularly falling off the front of the wave. We aim to tackle the big problems in a planned manner, and are lucky to have the valuable support and direction of our shareholders in that regard.” Having established itself as a leader within the market, the team at Southern Cross Cables has had to overcome a variety of challenges in order to be successful in the APAC region. Craige explains how filling the company with dedicated, ambitious and confident staff has contributed greatly to the company’s success. “To succeed in this industry, you need to believe in yourself, and get the best people and partners around you, to deliver the business outcomes you have committed to. Equally, the main reason you’re in business is to fulfil the needs of customers, and with our shareholders as large customers, we are driven to be customer-centric. We recognise efficient service delivery, and no service interruptions are key to the services our customers provide to their retail customers throughout the Asia-Pacific region, and we are committed to doing our part.” Bringing the interview to a close, Craige reveals to us the developments he foresees for the future, and how the company will adapt around these. “Here at Southern Cross Cables, we only have a small team and don’t often have vacancies. When we do have a vacancy, we are usually selecting people known to us or our shareholders that can bring their strengths and talents to add to the mix. As a small team, we need to ensure we are still challenged and don’t become inward looking. As such, I am conscious of striking that right balance with the people we bring in, and using the productive friction to generate better business outcomes. “Looking ahead, I see increasing competition in all fields of business, even our own. I’m not worried about competition as I know it ensures we all act better and keep the customer foremost on our mind. Also, I know competition and opportunities work hand-in-hand, so if half of some of the demand projections I have seen are true, we will all be very busy doing the best for our customers.” In his concluding comments, Craige predicts an exciting future ahead for Southern Cross Cables Network, highlighting the current project that the team is involved in as a key indicator of the company’s success. Looking to benefit clients across the industry in the APAC region, there are no barriers standing in the way of Southern Cross Cables’ potentially unlimited success. “Moving forward, we are also in the process of a new submarine cable build project, Southern Cross Cables NEXT, which will further augment the capacity and resiliency of international connectivity out of Australia and New Zealand to the Pacific Islands and the United States of America, which is a significant infrastructure investment in the region. The NEXT cable will also provide new branches into Tokelau and Kiritimati islands providing their first cable links to the World. “Excitingly, our company just completed a subsea survey for the NEXT project, which mapped more than 15,000 kilometres of seafloor from Sydney to Auckland, the Pacific Islands and Los Angeles. We have sought to identify any and all hazards across the seabed such as seamounts, trenches and shipwrecks, and mapped the course for the new cable to avoid these potential hazards. Having done so, we can now look to the construction and deployment phases for the cable – the third of ours connecting New Zealand to the rest of the world – which we expect to finish in 2020. This third cable will add significant internet speed and capacity to New Zealand’s network while decreasing the risk and impact of a potential outage.” Significantly, a crucial aspect of Southern Cross Cables’ success is the team’s striking ability to simply do their job and achieve the best results. The team is looking to achieve the successful implementation of the Southern Cross NEXT project, meaning New Zealand industry and communication users should continue to benefit from the efforts that the team is making currently for the next 30 years or more.
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22 APAC / Issue 4 2018 , Pioneering Decentralised Smart City Database Circle+ Launches in Singapore Circle+ was created by Singapore’s SGCN forum using a blockchain technology transformation. It has now officially launched in Singapore. The SGCN forum was established in 2001. The SGCN forum has a base of 1.1 million users, tens of thousands of merchants, an average of 100,000-page views/IP and 51,000 posts per day. Circle+ is defined as a decentralised smart city database based on blockchain technology. In simple terms, the three points (shopping, payment, reviews) are used as cut-in points, and the data is collected and stored using blockchain technology. In case where consumers are authorised to pay, institutions or individuals can use some of the data to improve the original products or services as they require. For example, when consumers use circle tokens to pay for food sold by a merchant, during the payment by tokens, we could analyse the consumer’s location, time and taste though the updated data on the chain. With this data, related companies can use data analysis to provide a better and more efficient service. Of course, this raw data always belongs to consumers, and thirdparty service companies need to have the right to use data obtained from the consumer with or without compensation. Decentralisation: Transaction costs only 0.3% Traditional centralised market organisation acquires data through the user’s behaviour and pursues higher organisational interests. Decentralised organisation enables users to have “ownership and control” over their own data and can also be based on the DAPP provided by Circle+. Services allow users to profit by authorising third parties to use their data. In this kind of decentralised platform, if you use digital currency for trading, the cost is about 0.3%. In Southeast Asian countries where traditional transactions are dominant, the cost of cash transactions, credit card systems and staff exchanges is basically about 3%. Even if local banks have lower interest rates, they still have to pay 2%. Technology Support: Ensure Safety and Efficiency The blockchain database can currently only handle 144 transactions per minute. The goal of Circle+ is to be as efficient as China’s Alipay. In order to achieve this goal, Circle+ uses a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) as a storage structure. The characteristic of this structure is that the more users are involved, the stronger the performance of the system and the higher the level of security gets. Landing Singapore: policy support, young market The population of Southeast Asia exceeds 600 million and the coverage of mobile devices is as high as 112%. However, there is still no decentralised third-party transaction and credit evaluation platform. While the rapid economic growth in Southeast Asia, the local credit system and financial institutions have not kept pace with the times, and the development of the Internet financial market is not perfect. The Circle+ team took a look at this huge gap, leveraging blockchain technology in an attempt to overtake on the curve. Southeast Asia also gave great encouragement in terms of policy. At present, Singapore is making great efforts to develop digital payment and accelerating its advancement into the smart country.
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24 APAC / Issue 4 2018 , KBR Moving up the Value Chain with Support from Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) KBR, Inc. announced it will continue to grow its business in Singapore. On the 10th April 2018, KBR, Inc. announced it will continue to grow its business in Singapore. Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), KBR will develop the Singapore office into its Asia Pacific Regional Center of Excellence for KBR Consulting, Digitalisation, LNG & Asset Management, Differentiated Infrastructure and its Government Services business, KBRwyle. For Digitalisation, KBR’s strategic alliance with IBM has created opportunities for a suite of integrated solutions for our clients that enable business transformation through digital reinvention. For nearly 50 years, KBR’s Singapore team has executed Hydrocarbons projects across the globe including offshore oil and gas (shallow-water, deep-water, subsea), LNG (liquefaction and regasification)/ GTL, oil refining, petrochemicals, chemicals, fertilisers, differentiated EPC, maintenance services (Brown & Root Industrial Services), floating solutions (FPU, FPSO, FLNG & FSRU) and program management. In the Asia Pacific region, KBR has successfully delivered projects covering all phases including feasibility studies, basic design, FEED and detailed engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) execution. KBR has successfully tapped into its strong global references and expertise to actively apply them on projects in the region. As KBR looks to grow into new areas and enhance its customer base, Singapore continues to be a key location for its global project delivery and an important base to develop its people to cover growth markets in the region. KBR looks forward to establishing Singapore as the Center of Excellence for its new business areas in the near term, which is also time critical to bring value to its global business. “We are seeing changes in clients’ needs and expectations in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region and we plan to move up the value chain at our Singapore office with the support from EDB,” said Jay Ibrahim, KBR President, Asia Pacific and EMEA. “We must continue to innovate and evolve our business model across the full spectrum of our business, Technology & Consulting, Engineering and Construction and our Government Services (KBRwyle), to stay relevant and grow our businesses in the region. “KBR will continue to strengthen our Singapore team to attain the right and differentiated skills to position ourselves for the future,” Ibrahim continued. “We are excited to see KBR developing new capabilities in digital, downstream consulting and infrastructure in Singapore to support growth in the Asia Pacific markets,” said Ms Fong Pin Fen, Director, Cities, Infrastructure & Industrial Solutions. “KBR Singapore’s diversification beyond their traditional strengths in offshore markets, and their expanded presence in Singapore, will help to broaden the depth and diversity of local skillsets in the engineering services industry.”
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26 APAC / Issue 4 2018 , Photo Enhancement App Provider Meitu Deepens Cooperation with U.S. Consulate A global leading mobile Internet company hosted a meeting at its headquarter in Xiamen with Colin Machado, Cultural Affairs Officer, the U.S. Consulate General, to discuss future cooperation and exchange ideas about the development of social media platforms in China. Meitu Inc. (Meitu), a global leading mobile Internet company with a portfolio of photo enhancement apps, smart hardware, and shortform video community platform Meipai, has hosted a meeting at its headquarter in Xiamen with Colin Machado, Cultural Affairs Officer, the U.S. Consulate General, to discuss future cooperation and exchange ideas about the development of social media platforms in China. During the visit, Hanze Chen, Meitu’s VP of marketing, introduced Meitu’s development, its line-up of products and the firm’s overseas expansion plans to Mr. Machado. Cai Hua, VP of Meipai, Meitu’s short-video arm, also presented the “short-form video community platform” and trends of live streaming to the visiting group. “We are looking to cooperate more with the consulate on cultural projects and support their public service events,” said Chen. “With Meitu and Meipai’s well-established platforms and communities in China, the U.S. Consulate will be able to further reach the target audience for public good.” “We often host guests from the U.S., including scholars, artists, musicians and dancers,” said Mr. Machado. “We can use short videos or even live-streaming platforms to broadcast our events to the audience nation-wide.” Meitu cooperated with the U.S. Consulate in Chinese Zodiac Year of the Goat to produce a short video through Meipai to celebrate Chinese New Year, with the video was being posted on the Consulate’s Weibo page. “The video went viral among the consulate staff, and was posted on our social media platforms. Fans liked it,” said Mr. Machado. “That video gave us a character, and it was the most successful thing we’ve done in terms of public outreach.” As Meitu expands overseas with a growing user base, its slate of products will become more appealing to overseas users as a communication tool. In 2017, Meitu saw a 29.5% year-on-year growth in overseas users and has reached strategic partnerships with Google and Facebook for years. Meitu rolled out three AR effects within the Facebook app last year, and has worked with Google in advertisement placement in Hong Kong and Taiwan. In addition, this March Meitu launched a co-SNS campaign with AliExpress on Facebook, incentivising users to download BeautyPlus, a photo enhancement app that helps Meitu make a foray into overseas markets where its number of MAUs (Monthly Active Users) already top 50 million. People who download the app can use its AR filters to win coupons by playing games and completing tasks. “Our overseas expansion has grown exponentially thanks to our partnerships with Google and Facebook,” said Xinhong Wu, founder and CEO of Meitu. “Through more cooperation with the American Consulate in China, we aim to serve a broader audience and promote their content with our social media resources for the public good.” According to Meitu’s 2016 Annual Report, it indicates the company has amassed over 500 million overseas users. The total number of users in 11 countries and regions each has exceeded 10 million in Brazil, the United States, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam, etc.
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