APAC Insider Magazine Issue Q4 2019 Ansiderac Inside this issue: Welcome to The Jungal The award-winning platform for Australian professionals built by MCBI. Blending Contemporary and Antique Style Creates Sanouva Danang Sanouva Danang Hotel Monitoring for Success Sentinel Pty Ltd. Building A Solid Foundation For Sustained Growth And Profit 360 Global Incorporated Outsourcing Success – Global Excellence in Customer Service Sykes Asia, Inc.
2 APAC / Issue Q4 2019 Welcome to the Q4 issue of APAC Insider magazine, your source for all of the latest news and updates from across the Asia Pacific region. Featured within the pages of this Q4, we have insightful pieces from a vast range of businesses from various industries, each providing a glimpse into the innerworkings of their firm and the countless accomplishments they have accumulated throughout the years. For example, Sentinel Pty Ltd (Sentinel), an Australian specialist firm, have been a key provider of environmental monitoring services to clients across the world for almost twenty years. This boutique firm provides specialised and cutting-edge hydrographic consulting services that are unequalled. Recently, we profiled the firm to discover exactly what makes this Australian firm a respected leader within their dynamic industry. Another firm who are leading lights within their respected industry is SYKES, a Florida based firm which provides customer-engagement services to Global 2000 and Fortune 500 companies. Over two decades ago, the firm opened its doors in the Philippines and became one o the firm multinational call centres to operate in the county. Today, we profiled the company to find out more about the what makes them the best business process outsourcing (BPO) firm in the Philippines this year. This is just a small glimpse into some of the insightful pieces we have feature in this month’s issue. Here at APAC Insider, we truly hope that you thoroughly enjoy reading our Q4 edition and look forward to hearing from you and your thoughts on this issue. Jessica Daykin, Editor Phone: +44 (0)20 3970 0037 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.
APAC / Issue Q4 2019 3 , 4. News 6. Sentinel Pty Ltd.: Monitoring for Success 8. 360 Global Incorporated: Building A Solid Foundation For Sustained Growth And Profit 10. Sanouva Danang Hotel: Blending Contemporary and Antique Style Creates Sanouva Danang 12. Outsourcing Success – Global Excellence in Customer Service 14. Sykes Asia, Incorporated: Welcome to The Jungal 15. On-Demand Transport 16. Avopiling Pty Ltd: Delivering Specialist Solutions Down Under 18. Expanding Into Australia 20. MyTVChain.com Launches Its MEO (Multiple Exchange Offering) 22. Supporting The Growing EV Market 24. Creating Strong Returns 26. Going Above and Beyond 28. Gaining Deeper Insights 30. RegTech Expert Predicts Singapore Will Remain Crypto Hub in Asia Contents
4 APAC / Issue Q4 2019 NEWS , Driving Intelligence
APAC / Issue Q4 2019 5 NEWS , Sabre Corporation, the leading technology provider to the global travel industry, recently announced that China-based carrier Shandong Airlines is the latest to select several intelligent retailing solutions from the Sabre Commercial Platform. Under this agreement, Shandong Airlines will leverage Sabre AirVision Schedule Manager and Sabre AirVision Fares Manager to drive revenue optimization and accelerate how the airline competes in the Asian market. “As Shandong Airlines continues to evolve to cater to the growing needs of travelers in and around China, we recognize the value of onboarding innovative technology solutions from leading technology providers like Sabre to bolster our commercial management capabilities. The intelligent solutions the Sabre Commercial Platform has to offer will fuel our business strategy and help to set ourselves apart in the highly competitive environment in which we operate,” said a spokesperson from Shandong Airlines. Shandong Airlines has a vast network of domestic and international routes across the Asia Pacific region. With the implementation of Sabre’s innovative commercial planning solutions, Shandong Airlines will drive revenue maximization, significantly improve its efficiency by reducing the amount of manual processes, and intelligently optimize operations from a Bechtel and Team lead one of the largest tunnelling effort in Australian history for Sydney Metro. One of the biggest public transportation project in Australia’s history reached a milestone as five 1,000-ton boring machines passed the halfway point in carving underground rail tunnels for the Sydney Metro. The machines, overseen by an integrated team that includes Bechtel, are digging beneath the city’s central business district and the iconic Sydney Harbour. The final machine, a specialized mixed-shield slurry tunnel boring machine (TBM), began digging in August. Altogether, the five machines will construct 31 kilometers of new tunnels for Sydney Metro. “It’s been a huge month for the Sydney Metro team as they surpassed the halfway point in tunnelling for the City & Southwest and launched a giant borer, named Kathleen, under Sydney Harbour. Kathleen will dig at depths of up to 40 meters,” said Ged Silva, Bechtel’s regional manager for Asia Pacific. Train service on Sydney Metro started in the city’s North West (from Tallawong to Chatswood) in May, with a train running every four minutes during the peak periods. Creating History schedule planning and fare management perspective. Schedule Manager will empower schedule planners to be more confident by generating intelligent insights, enhancing management reporting capabilities and improving analytics. Moreover, the adoption of Fares Manager will allow the carrier to monitor and change their fares quickly and efficiently, making fare filing much easier and accurate. Sabre’s cutting-edge technology will also help Shandong Airlines with the efficient management of private contracts and help to generate tangible business intelligence to significantly improve the airline’s revenue pipeline. “Sabre is a global company that prides itself on offering a localized approach to its customers. With support from our team based in Shanghai, we are well positioned to drive China’s thriving aviation industry, already providing cutting-edge solutions and services to more than 30 of the country’s top carriers,” said Dasha Kuksenko, vice president & regional general manager, North Asia, Travel Solutions. “We’ve acquired exceptional knowledge about China, its unique needs, and the significant opportunity for airlines to optimize revenue potential, and we are focused on supporting all carriers as they continue on their growth trajectory. Sabre is pleased to be a strategic technology partner to Shandong Airlines as it continues to expand its footprint across the region,” she added. Shandong Airlines selects Sabre to drive intelligent retailing in China and across Asia. By 2024, Sydney will have 31 metro railway stations and a 66-kilometer standalone metro railway system, revolutionizing the travel around Australia’s biggest city. The project includes delivering 15.5-kilometer twin tunnels from Chatswood to Sydenham under the central business district and Sydney Harbour. As Sydney Metro’s delivery management partner, Bechtel is overseeing the delivery of the tunnelling contract which was awarded to John Holland CPB Ghella Joint Venture in 2017. In addition to building twin tunnels, the team is excavating space for six new stations in the heart of the city. Each machine is 150 meters in length – longer than two Airbus A380 aircraft – and designed to cut through sandstone, an especially hard rock that makes up the harbour. The borers operate as underground factories, digging and lining the tunnels as they go. Collectively, the machines will excavate 5.9 million tons of rock – enough to fill roughly 940 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The excavated material from the new tunnels will be reused at another Bechtel project, the new Western Sydney Airport, where it will be used as a base for the new runway.
6 APAC / Issue Q4 2019 , Monitoring for Success Founded in 2000, with over twenty years’ experience in providing exceptional environmental monitoring services worldwide, Sentinel is a knowledgeable consulting firm that help clients measure, remediate, mitigate and reduce environmental and social effects of any projects. A key export market for Sentinel is the mining sector, with monitoring projects completed across more than fifteen countries throughout Australasia, Africa and the Americas. Sentinel’s monitoring projects range from single weather stations to multi-million-dollar water resource networks. Each project may be fully integrated from field to data management, or purely data management projects with Seveno DataSight, the firm’s proprietary environmental data management system, as the foundation. Consciously designing projects for clients to meet their objectives, Sentinel provide a tailored approach that is aware of environmental conditions, budgets and available resources. This approach has enabled the company to cultivate a focused and professional team, including IT professionals and environmental scientists who combine to deliver outstanding results. By designing, installing and maintaining reliable and cost-effective environmental monitoring stations, Sentinel can help in gathering key data. This includes for example, hydrometric data as used for flood monitoring or hydrological design, climate, air quality and water quality data. Specialising in hydrography, all of the company’s field staff have attained hydrographic certifications from the Australian Hydrographers Association. All instrumentation, power sources and data transfer mechanisms are chosen specifically for optimal data recovery within the project’s physical environment and budget. The proprietary environmental data management system, DataSight, is used in-house to manage all client environmental data and make it securely available online. DataSight is one of the most cost-effective and easy-to-use solutions for environmental data management and reporting. DataSight is currently in use across 25 countries by the World Bank, mining organisations, water authorities, shipping ports, environmental consultancies, as well as local and national government departments. At present the hydrographic industry is exceedingly competitive in Australia. Larger multi-national corporations are offering reduced labour rates for their services, which ultimately will dilute the efficacy of the Aug19033 Australian specialist firm Sentinel Pty Ltd (Sentinel) have been a key provider of environmental monitoring services to clients across the world for nearly twenty years. Servicing clients that include the World Bank, various government departments, consultancy firms and the mining industry, this boutique firm provides specialised and cutting-edge hydrographic consulting services that are unequalled. Discover what makes this Australian firm a respected leader within their dynamic industry. industry. However, by focusing on maintaining long-term relationships with clients and suppliers, Sentinel enjoy the hard-won benefit of acquiring much of their work by word of mouth. One of the major jobs that Sentinel is currently undertaking is the upgrade, operation and maintenance of the flood monitoring network for the Scrivener Dam catchment around Australia’s capital city, Canberra. With the network of stations transmitting data as changes occur in the river system or when rainfall is detected, data is sent direct to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and the primary stakeholder, the National Capital Authority (NCA). By virtue of the data that the firm collects and the software that is developed, Sentinel are cognizant of the changes in technology. Continually researching the latest high-tech equipment and instrumentation which the firm have invested heavily in over the last few years. Upgrading backend systems, and leveraging themselves off the cloud through software-asa-service solutions, allows the company to see and run the business from anywhere. Operating as a family business, the firm’s culture fosters open communication both internally and externally. Employees exhibit honesty and integrity at all times in the performance of their work, and always conduct work to the best of their knowledge. Training is provided for staff, both while on the job, through external training providers where applicable, and with suppliers when provisioning new technology. By staying at the forefront of industry developments, Sentinel themselves can offer topquality work. In an age of automation, data is everywhere and data management has become the norm. Sentinel’s experienced staff have been undertaking this work for decades. However, it is exceedingly too easy to generate data of little meaning, particularly if instrumentation is deployed to the field without any scientific understanding of the practicalities, or how to correctly site and configure the equipment. Sentinel’s resounding success derives from their ability to communicate and work closely with their clients to provide an appropriately robust, cost-effective monitoring solution under all manner of environmental conditions. As water becomes scarcer, particularly due to growing populations, we need qualified scientists and technicians to authenticate our environmental data sets. In the future, Sentinel believes and hopes that the role of the humble hydrographer will be more highly regarded. Company: Sentinel Pty Ltd. Contact: Rod Sandison Website: www.sentinelpl.com.au
APAC / Issue Q4 2019 7 Monitoring for Success
8 APAC / Issue Q4 2019 , Building A Solid Foundation For Sustained Growth And Profit Established in 2007, 360 Global supplies engineering services across Asia, Australia, Africa and Canada. Today, the firm’s procedures and formats are fully integrated over the whole project for each engineering discipline, which includes full project database development that is generated from intelligent 3D models and Microsoft Access. Since 360 Global’s inception, the firm has continually grown over the years, primarily through word of mouth referrals by clients. Going into further detail, Kevin begins by informing us about the clients the firm serves and the services the team provides to those they work with. “At 360 Global, our company introduction to a new client, by way of existing client recommendation, allows us to present our services through our company capability statement and previous project summaries. These are readily available to any prospective clients. 360 Global can take a project from study phase all the way through Detail Design, Construction Management, including full fabrication detailing, to commissioning and then hand over the ‘ As Built’s’ so the client has a solid foundation for sustained growth and profit from their project.” Working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that deadlines are met and an award-winning service is provided to their clients, is the experienced, innovative and committed team which forms the backbone of 360 Global. When discussing the internal culture, Kevin is keen to highlight the significant role the team plays in the overall success of the firm. “360 Global is a fully integrated engineering company. For this to work our people, while associated with their own engineering discipline, are multi discipline orientated. As such, this takes time to acquire and achieve. Ultimately, our personnel is our company.” Looking ahead to what the future holds for the firm, the team at 360 Global hope to build upon the countless accomplishments they have achieved over the years, which includes their recent win in APAC Insider’s South East Asia Business Awards 2019 where they were recognised as the Best Project Planning & Engineering Firm 2019. Bringing the interview to a close, Kevin signs off by revealing the exciting plans which lie in the pipeline for the firm, touching on how the team will incorporate 3D modelling more into the services they provide. “It is 360 Global’s business philosophy to concentrate on our core heavy industry business and continue to adapt to any developing technology. The major technology that our company is embracing is the 3D point cloud scanning and the development of the 3D models from these scans to then be inserted in project design. This technology is continuing to develop, both hardware and software, making it versatile for both new project topography for project expansions. “Finally, 360 Global looks forward to continuing its provision of ‘best practice’ engineering and drafting for the mutual benefit of our clients and personnel development.” Contact: Kevin Bullen Company: 360 Global Incorporated Address: Level 5, LTA Building, 118 Perea Street, Legaspi Village, Makiati City, Metro Manila, Luzon, 1229, Philippines Telephone: 02 8893 1838 Web Address: www.360-global.com Jul19221 360 Global is an Engineering Design company utilizing the very best of engineering design software technology. Recently, we caught up with the firm’s General Manager, Kevin Bullen who revealed to us the secrets behind the extraordinary success 360 Global has achieved over the years.
APAC / Issue Q4 2019 9 Building A Solid Foundation For Sustained Growth And Profit
10 APAC / Issue Q4 2019 , Blending Contemporary and Antique Style Creates Sanouva Danang Housed in a stately 1900’s heritage building, Sanouva Danang brings together the area’s rich heritage to life with the Sanouva Club Hotel’s stylish blend of contemporary minimalism and antique, combined with orient highlights. Today, the hotel featured of 84 guest rooms, including 72 Deluxe rooms, seven signature suites, four Sanouva Executive Suites and a Penthouse with a stunning city view. Five minutes away from Da Nang International Airport and only seven minutes to the beach. Sanouva’s location is one of the most unique in the city, a refined place to stay, a boutique hotel is catered to meet the demand of both business executive as well as the leisure travellers. Service always goes the extra mile from inclusive spa service to limousine or tour desk. For those who prefer to stay local, the hotel offers complimentary bicycles for their guests and there is also the option of the Sanouva Danang’s onsite gym. When it comes to ultimate relaxation, the Sanouva on excels with the S’spa, especially Vietnamese spa treatment. “ Eat well to feel well” is a quote Sanouva takes quite literally with S’ngon restaurant. It combines cutting edge oriental with a bit of local cuisine. Alongside this, the award-winning establishment’s mission is to bring the best valuable experiences to their distinguished guests all over the world. Enabling the hotel to consistently deliver these personalised service is the hard-working, passionate and dedicated team members who form the backbone of Sanouva Danang. The team is one of the most important parts of the company, working together to ensure that Sanouva Danang is the very best it can be. Looking ahead to what the future holds, Sanouva team continues to deliver an impeccable service and maintain an environment which not only caters to the needs and requirements of their guests, but also surpasses their expectations. Since their inception, Sanouva Danang has an estimated 25% of repeat guests who return to the hotel. As a result, the team has upgraded their buffet breakfasts, welcome menus and spa offerings to include more professional treatments. All of the improvements and hotel expansions are a result of the positive feedback Sanouva Danang consistently receives from the countless guests who have visited the award-winning establishment. Company: Sanouva Danang Hotel Address: 68 Phan Chau Trinh Street, Da Nang City, Vietnam Telephone: +84 236 3 823468 Email: [email protected] Web Address: www. sanouvadanang.com Jul19040 Sanouva Danang is a club hotel formed from Sanouva Saigon’s hospitality, designed from the inspiration and foundation of an antique library. Earlier this year, the hotel found success in APAC Insider’s South East Asia Business Awards 2019 where they were selected as the Best Boutique Hotel & Spa in Danang, Vietnam. Following this win, we profiled the company to discover more about the luxurious service the fine establishment delivers to their guests on a daily basis.
APAC / Issue Q4 2019 11 Blending Contemporary and Antique Style Creates Sanouva Danang
12 APAC / Issue Q4 2019 , May19339 Outsourcing Success – Global Excellence in Customer Service With global headquarters in Tampa, Florida, SYKES’ sophisticated solutions satisfy the needs of major companies around the world, primarily in the retail, communications, financial services, technology, and healthcare industries. The firm offer an end-to-end service platform that effectively engages consumers at every point in their customer lifecycle from marketing and acquisition, right through to customer support and technical support. SYKES currently operates in twenty-three countries across all major continents, with seventytwo locations and over forty languages available throughout the staff. In an age of faster technology and expanding communication channels, customers are more digitally connected, but more distanced from the brands they support. The company supports the client in creating trusted relationships between brands and their customer base. Over two decades ago, SYKES opened its doors in the Philippines and became the first multinational call centre to operate in the country. The company has since gone on to become a digital marketing and customer servicer global outsourcer, providing customer-engagement services to Global 2000 and Fortune 500 companies. As we profile the company, discover what makes them the best business process outsourcing (BPO) firm in the Philippines this year. Conceptualised in 1977, the firm has since held fast to the client commitments, passionately delivering excellent customer service for over forty years. Whilst industry recognitions and steady growth have been solid benchmarks of success, the true accomplishments for SYKES lie in remaining steadfast to their core principles of providing exceptional customer service and outstanding client value. Services that SYKES offers include outsourcing, extending a client’s brand, and working with clients from service to sales, all whilst delivering a holistic customer experience. By combining data, analytics, and technology to help identify high value customers, the company is able to strengthen existing customer relationships with a wealth of experience. Since becoming the pioneer contact centre in the Philippines, SYKES is now in its twentyfirst year of operation in the country and has over 15,000 employees. Its growth shows no signs of stopping. The company continues to provide services through multiple communication channels, including phone, email, online messaging, chat, social media, and digital selfservice. At the heart of SYKES’ mission is the desire to significantly improve the business of their clients. Helping consumers find and use the products and services they need, the company combine the power of machine intelligence with human ingenuity to modernise and optimise any customer interaction. The company is striving to be known throughout the world as a firm that creates meaningful connections between brands and consumers, making positive impacts in people’s lives by being a responsible and respected corporate citizen. The strength of SYKES Philippines lies in the people that it chooses to employ. Being the country’s premier and pioneering call centre, those who man the phones and spend their days talking with people are what make the company successful. Employed across seven different locations and centres within the Philippines, the firm is a true trailblazer in their choice to be the first call centre that moved out of Manila, and in to Cebu. Working alongside some of the world’s biggest companies with excellent customer engagement services, SYKES seeks to provide support to global front-runners in all fields and industries including communication, technology, financial services, healthcare, transportation and leisure. The secret behind SYKES’ success, not just in Asia but globally, is operational excellence. This company invests in the people, processes and worldwide delivery platform to provide consistently exceptional experience at every turn of the customers journey. Putting the client first, the firm fulfil brand promises comfortably through outstanding infrastructure, people, best practices, scalability and delivery models. Company: Sykes Asia, Incorporated Contact: Cecile May M. Venancio Website: www.sykes.com/philippines/
APAC / Issue Q4 2019 13
14 APAC / Issue Q4 2019 , Jan19458 Welcome to The Jungal You wake up one day and realise the end of your career is near. Resting in bed and digesting this insight you wait for the day to start. But rather than feeling despair, fear or maybe a touch of grief, you feel elated and excited for the future because the new style of work is finally here. A new style of opportunity that offers individual freedoms, professional challenge and financial success without the need for office politics. The new style of work has emerged, and it is leading the charge of those great professionals who realise that they no longer need to join a traditional employee/employer model to gain seniority and professional expansion. The old world of career management, via organisations, is being challenged by specialised platforms that offer a new hybrid version of niche freelancing. This ‘ by invitation’ based membership allows people and companies to come together with purpose and mutual focus and supported by a stringent verification process. The old days of the single boss who may or may not be good, seem like a distant memory. The award-winning platform for Australian professionals built by MCBI. Facilitated by global platforms such as The Jungal ™, these new forms of career led ‘experiences’ link skilled and verified people and businesses together for a specific purpose of project. These high-end platforms have been deliberately designed to showcase those individuals who enjoy doing their best on every assignment, and are enthusiastic about taking on a variety of gigs over time to build up a career portfolio of achievements. The Jungal is one of the many new online homes of high spirited and passionate professionals to present themselves with dignity and befitting their expertise. Unlike some of the ‘race to the bottom’ platforms, The Jungal is a place for confidential assignments to be offered to a select group of members. The reason you’re delighted as you say goodbye to an old style professional? Access to the Jungal is not automatic and is offered to high performers to keep the quality of the tribe well above the average working environment. Once granted, you discovered your membership brings with it a ‘club-based working’ complete with a concierge, clients offering openness and an authentic opportunity to develop. Days will always be better in the award winning Jungal. Company: Jungal Web Address: www.jungal.com.au
APAC / Issue Q4 2019 15 , On-Demand Transport Cooee growth booms in the Sydney suburbs, drawing thousands to new on-demand transport. In less than three months, the on-demand public transportation network drew thousands of customers and the project has met its utilization goals well ahead of schedule. Via, the world’s leading provider and developer of on-demand public mobility solutions, released milestone metrics for its new Cooee Busways transport system, launched in partnership with Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) and Busways, a leading Australian transportation provider. Despite only starting operations on May 27, residents are already flocking to the new service by the thousands, with ridership exceeding targets, and vehicle utilization well ahead of the project’s goals. Called Cooee Busways, the new on-demand shared transit network provides first- and last- mile connections for residents in The Ponds, Schofields and Kellyville Ridge, linking more residents with the new Sydney Metro public transportation hubs. Residents in the western Sydney suburbs have proved their eagerness to leave their private vehicles at home and take public transport, with more than 20,000 rides taken on the Cooee service in less than three months. Ridership increased by more than 50 percent between June and July, with 55 percent of riders saying they previously used a private vehicle to make the journey. Thus far, of the 55 percent riders that previously used their private vehicle, 50 percent stated it was primarily used for commuting. From this, four percent stated they had sold their car since using Cooee Busways, with a further 43 percent considering selling their vehicle. What’s more is that the Cooee service maintains a significant utilization rate, seeing a 75 percent increase in the first 11 weeks. During the morning and evening commuting hours, more than twice as many riders use Cooee Busways than originally projected. Because of its high utilization rate, Cooee Busways has thus far saved more than 21,000 vehicle kilometers by sharing a ride compared to driving a private vehicle, saving nearly five metric tons of CO2 vehicle emissions. To date, the Cooee Busways app has been downloaded more than 8,500 times, garnering a 4.8 star review from users. This equates to a third of the residents in the service area having the app. “Via’s technology is redefining mobility across the globe, and we’re thrilled to see such a positive reaction from Cooee Busways riders since launching the new on-demand service,” Daniel Ramot, co-founder and CEO of Via, said. “This project proves that the easier it is to take public transport, the more people will reliably choose it over their private vehicle.” Cooee Busways operates Monday to Friday from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m., connecting commuters with Schofields Train Station and the new Sydney Metro stations at Tallawong and Rouse Hill. With the opening of Sydney Metro Northwest, Via’s timely deployment provides an affordable, convenient, and reliable transportation option for those commuting through these new major transit hubs. “We are ecstatic over the success of the Cooee Busways service so far. To see ridership grow this quickly in a short space of time has been nothing short of a great achievement for the teams behind the project. It wouldn’t have been possible without Transport for NSW and Via working with us to deliver this futuristic passenger transport service, now,” Busways’ Managing Director, Byron Rowe, said. “We’re getting people out of their cars, easing traffic congestion, freeing up parking spots, and making the integrated transport network work better for people. The execution from the teams involved has been outstanding — from using the right technology, to picking the area, designing the service, choosing the vehicles and kicking it all off with a proper marketing campaign.” Commuters can use the service by downloading the Cooee Busways smartphone app powered by Via, available on iOS and Android. Users can book rides between Schofields Train Station, Tallawong Metro station, or Rouse Hill Metro station, and anywhere within the service zone highlighted within the app. Cooee Busways is Via’s fourth microtransit deployment in New South Wales, Australia, joining services in Newcastle, Northern Beaches and Macquarie Park. Via also partnered with Busways to launch the world’s first ondemand shared autonomous deployment, BusBot, in Toormina, a suburb of Coffs Harbour. Via has been tapped by cities and transportation players around the world to help reengineer public transit from a regulated system of rigid routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, on-demand network. Via now has more than 80 launched and pending deployments in 20 countries. To learn more about Via, visit www.platform.ridewithvia.com.
16 APAC / Issue Q4 2019 , Delivering Specialist Solutions Down Under A leading specialist in the geotechnical market, Avopiling operate nationally across all of Australia delivering complex ground engineering solutions for an established client base. APAC examine the foundations of the firm to discover the secrets to its surefooted success. Established in 1989 by current owner and managing director Avo Tevanian, Avopiling is a family-owned and managed business with a reputation as a recognised market leading geotechnical specialist across the entirety of Australia. The firm seeks to provide specialist ground engineering services to a wide range of sectors within the construction industry, with particular expertise and experience in major infrastructure such as roads, rail, airports, power, and water. Avopiling’s established client base is largely made up of key governmental departments, major contractors and private developers, to name but a few. Proudly Australian-owned and operated, Avopiling offer more than traditional piling operations. In the thirty years since the firm’s inception, they have also expanded to include excellent services in the Australian construction and mining industries. As well as the aforementioned areas of knowledge within the construction industry, the company is also highly active in commercial and high-rise residential building sectors. Just some of the successfullydelivered services across Australia include major civil retaining structures, deep and large diameter bored and CFA piles, complex foundations for multi-storied buildings, bridge foundations for roads and railways, diaphragm and secant walls for deep and large diameter shafts, ground improvement and nearshore marine piling. Each of these services can be provided to the wealth of clients previously mentioned, whether they be builders, developers, governments, architects, or public organisations. Despite growing to have become one of the largest specialist ground engineering contractors across the whole of Australia, Avopiling still strives to uphold and diligently maintain the original objectives of the firm’s founder and managing director. Whatever the client requirements, the company safely provide reliable, ethical, cost-effective and technically sound solutions that are unequalled across the industry. This continuation of culture is very much alive throughout the company as a whole, reinforced by Avo’s sons who have grown up alongside the business and long-serving senior staff who are dedicated and experienced. Within the organisation itself, every staff member has a strong commitment to client satisfaction and providing outcomes that go well beyond any existing expectations. Employing highly qualified and professional engineers with a wealth of national and international experience, Avopiling’s staff are what separate the firm from any potential competitors. Avopiling’s mission is to provide reliable, cost-effective technical solutions through employing the very best in latest ground engineering technology. In order to help accomplish this, the firm has long-established relationships and collaborations with several world-leading plant and equipment manufacturers from all over. The company invests heavily year on year in state-of-the-art technology and employee training, proudly offering an unmatched fleet of plants based permanently in Australia. Close links with European plant manufacturers and continued investment in the best equipment available has given Avopiling opportunities to lead the Australian market in terms of offering bespoke solutions to complex geotechnical requirements. As well as the latest ground engineering technology, the company also employ engine and system management software enabled by GPS monitoring. This state-of-the-art system allows the company to determine the real time condition of any plant whilst monitoring the progress of construction work using cloud storage evaluation. In addition to the in-house innovation on offer at Avopiling, the firm also has a strong commitment to working collaboratively with technology from overseas. Major investment has been made into a number of technologies to ensure that every service offered is utilising the very best available to the industry. Current trends across Australia at the moment would suggest that the nation’s government have implemented an agenda to try and catch up on the backlog of road and rail infrastructures. In completing these, congestion would be eased in some of the nation’s capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and other major cities. As society has expanded, these projects have grown in scale and complexity, with the limits of established construction capability being continually challenged. Avopiling have predicted these governmental changes, and are equipped to deal with them. Firstly, the firm have invested heavily in the largest piling and diaphragm wall technology that is currently available to maximise the boundaries of the construction process. Secondly, Avopiling have also sought to establish an extensive network of state-of-the-art maintenance and repair facilities across Australia to be used throughout any project duration. Capitalising on the benefits of being based in Australia, Avopiling provide national coverage through established offices and workshops on both the east and west coasts. Sep19085
APAC / Issue Q4 2019 17 Operating across the country, the company’s philosophy of being self-sufficient in terms of its plant fleet benefits from efficient in-house servicing, repair and fabrication expertise. Looking ahead to developments across the Australian corporate landscape, Avopiling are keenly aware of emerging trends. There has been a trend within the corporate landscape of foreign investment through acquisition of established local businesses. Australian family ownership of major and specialist contractors has been significantly reduced. As a family-owned and managed business, the firm are looking to maintain the culture that has served it so well, and continue to offer local-based solutions to its loyal customer base. Ultimately, thirty years of success for Avopiling have contributed to the company remaining one of Australia’s best local businesses for geotechnical and ground engineering solutions. From construction through to certification, the services on offer by this company are ensuring safe Australian infrastructure for years to come. Company: Avopiling Pty Ltd Contact: Mark Kliner Website: www.avopiling.com.au Delivering Specialist Solutions Down Under
18 APAC / Issue Q4 2019 , Expanding Into Australia Sage, a market leader in cloud business management solutions, has recently launched its financial management platform Sage Intacct in Australia. New research by Sage, highlights how the role of a CFO has changed from managing compliance and accounting activities to providing strategic leadership and driving digital transformation as many CFOs assume responsibility for choosing business technology. Earning its reputation as a leading accounting and financial management platform, Sage Intacct scored higher than any other ERP vendor with a satisfaction rating of 98 out of 100 on G2 Crowd. In 2019 Sage Intacct also received the highest Product Score for Core Financials for Lower Midsize Enterprises in Gartner’s Critical Capabilities Report. Sage Intacct provides finance professionals with: • A platform designed for and by CFOs and Finance Professionals: Sage Intacct is a powerful cloud financial management platform, designed for finance professionals, providing deep multi-dimensional accounting, automation for efficient financial operations and sophisticated visibility for real-time decision making • Best of Breed Integration: Sage Intacct’s technology uses open APIs, making it easy to connect with third party cloud applications, including Salesforce, providing a highly extensible and scalable platform Sage brings award winning Sage Intacct to Australia to support ‘visionary’ CFOs with a new cloud financial management platform. • Lower cost of ownership: Sage Intacct is a highly modular solution where customers pay for what they need, get more efficient and cost-effective implementations, world class security backups and disaster recovery delivering a lower total cost of ownership Following the acquisition of Intacct by Sage in 2017, Sage announced it would make Sage Intacct available to customers in new markets as part of Sage Business Cloud, with local statutory and legislative requirements available as standard. Commenting on the local availability of Sage Intacct, Kerry Agiasotis, Managing Director &Executive Vice President, Sage, Asia Pacific, said “We are strongly committed to addressing the pain points of Australian businesses with technology that helps their organisations to thrive. That’s why we have invested in bringing Sage Intacct to Australia, with which we believe we can set a new standard for Australian finance leaders on their journey to drive digital transformation.” Sage Intacct available in Australia Sage Intacct will be sold and implemented through value added resellers, with certified Australian business partners at the time of launch being Akuna Solutions, Alphasys, Aptus, Forpoint Solutions, Guintabell, Microchannel, Progressive Business Technologies and Resonant Software Solutions. Sage Intacct also offers customers increased functionality through the Sage Intacct marketplace. CFO 3.0 - digital transformation beyond financial management Sage has shared new, nationwide research which identifies the top pain points for finance functions in their quest to grow and maintain a competitive advantage. Specific to the Australian market, this study gauges the impact of digital transformation on midsized organisations, showing how the role of the CFO moves from ‘historian’ to ‘visionary’, whilst playing a larger role in leading the digitalisation of growing businesses. As CFOs cross the chasm towards a more automated future, this research highlights the performance gap between traditionalists and early adopters, including the opportunity to propel digital transformation beyond the finance function into wider business transformation. ‘CFO 3.0 - digital transformation beyond financial management’ is available for download here. “As the digitalisation of core processes drives every aspect of our work lives, the platform decisions CFOs make are increasingly having wider and deeper impact on organisations’ ability to compete. Sage is committed to providing finance leaders with trusted tools that enable them to not only deliver on their core competencies, but also be confident in driving the digital agenda throughout their organisation. Sage Intacct empowers finance teams to accelerate growth, streamline complex financial processes, and deliver the rich financial and operational insights needed to scale their business.” Aaron Harris, Chief Technology Officer, Sage.
APAC / Issue Q4 2019 19 Expanding Into Australia
20 APAC / Issue Q4 2019 , MyTVChain.com Launches Its MEO (Multiple Exchange Offering) The 1st web TV platform for sports clubs and athletes opened in October 2018 and has onboarded already more than 30 000 registered users and web TVs for sports clubs from more than 40 countries including France, Monaco, Belgium, USA, Romania, Cameroon, Greece, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, China, Cambodia, etc. The platform has sports clubs from five continents yet. The company is developing its technology based on the blockchain with the sharing of user’s storage capacity and bandwidth. The MyTV token shall be also used as a reward scheme in order to pay for those services provided by users but also in order to help users donate their token to their favourite sports clubs. MyTVchain has partnered with Momentum Media Fund Inc., a Beverly Hills, USA based production and syndication company which has strong partnership with different medias including on platforms such as Fox Sports Asia where MyTVchain announces today the launch of its multiple Exchange offering (MEO) which will take place the 25th of September 2019. MyTVchain advertising shall be broadcasted during three months reaching hundreds of million households in Asia. MyTVchain has also partnered with IKON MEDIA Pte. Ltd., a Singapore based crypto and media company which has brought strategic partnership with Asian and Australian exchanges and is supported by Marketkaps S.A.S, a French corporate finance boutique which is providing the financial strategy. Xavier Gesnouin, MyTVchain President comments: “for the first time in the crypto market, we will run an IEO on multiple exchanges powered by a strong advertising campaign with Fox Sports Asia which is unique in term of market reach. We are delighted to provide our platform and help millions of sports clubs worldwide with a free web TV. Our IEO is a strategic move into the crypto world, we thank our partners and users for the trust they have put into our platform and will perform every day to confirm they did the right choice with MyTVchain.”
APAC / Issue Q4 2019 21 MyTVChain.com Launches Its MEO (Multiple Exchange Offering)
22 APAC / Issue Q4 2019 , Supporting The Growing EV Market UL establishes new electric vehicle battery laboratory to advance battery, charging systems safety. UL, a leading global safety science organisation, recently announced that it is establishing a large-scale electric vehicle (EV) battery laboratory to support the growing EV market. To be fully operational by April 2020 and located in Changzhou, China, the facility will be one of the most advanced in the world and provide comprehensive EV battery testing and advisory services for EV automotive and battery manufacturers as well as top suppliers. With continued growth in the EV sector, demand for electric vehicle battery and charging testing will increase substantially as manufacturers seek a knowledgeable and trusted thirdparty lab to improve battery and charging performance and safety. Addressing these demands, the laboratory will help manufacturers and suppliers better manage battery safety risks and quality, and improve battery performance and functional safety while providing UL's deep industry know-how in energy, safety and cybersecurity. Tests will focus on battery safety, charging systems, grid integration and provide EV and power battery manufacturers with reliability verification, functional safety of battery management system, as well as V2G charging, power grid integration, repurposing batteries, energy storage system and functional safety services—all within a single lab. Combined, this will empower UL customers with shorter development cycles, a faster time-to-market with ability to be more competitive in the global marketplace and the opportunity to continue to grow and thrive. The announcement about UL's EV battery laboratory was made during a ground-breaking ceremony held at the facility's future site. Hosted by UL's Keith Williams, president and CEO, Weifang Zhou, president, Connected Technologies, UL, and Boris Feng, vice president and greater China managing director, UL, the ground-breaking ceremony was attended by top public and private sector leaders, including automotive and EV battery manufacturer executives. "We are honoured to be a part of the EV innovation ecosystem," said Mary Joyce, vice president and general manager, Automotive division, UL. "The development of our EV battery laboratory demonstrates our long-term commitment to empower the safe development of clean, zero-emission transportation. For more than 125 years, we continue to apply science and objective authority to solve critical challenges by helping develop and market safer products and innovations. Our new EV battery laboratory allows us to harness this approach and equips us to better partner with companies to fast-track their project fulfilment— allowing them ultimately to quickly grow and thrive." With more than a century of expertise in standards development and product safety testing and certification, UL's EV battery laboratory will further expand UL's testing capabilities and strategic scope within the EV industry, and also demonstrates UL's commitment and vision to the EV market to provide professional and holistic service solutions for EV manufacturers. "UL's expertise in the field of batteries has been fully leveraged, combining our experience in the international market with local practices. At present, we have established cooperative relationships with many top automobile manufacturers, helping customers control the risks regarding the safety and performance of EV batteries throughout the whole industrial chain. This enables us to build brand reputation in the competitive EV industry and lead industrial innovation and development," said Zhou.
APAC / Issue Q4 2019 23 Supporting The Growing EV Market
24 APAC / Issue Q4 2019 , Creating Strong Returns First China Corporate Bond UCITS Fund launched in China by Ping An and Queensland Investment Corporation. Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. is pleased to announce that Ping An Asset Management Co., Ltd. (PAAMC) has jointly launched the QICPing An China Corporate Bond Fund with Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC). This is the first Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) fund approved by the Central Bank of Ireland to focus on Chinese corporate bonds. Jackie Trad, Queensland Deputy Premier and Treasurer and Damien Frawley, Chief Executive Officer of QIC, joined Alex Ren, Ping An Group President and Jack Wan, Chairman of PAAMC, at the launch ceremony. The product is issued offshore and denominated in renminbi (RMB). Its performance benchmark is the FTSE Chinese (Onshore CNY) Broad Bond Index--Interbank, China, Corporate. Its investment objective is to provide investors with returns in excess of the performance benchmark. For offshore institutions that need to hold Chinese onshore bonds and offshore Chinese institutions that hope to increase yields on offshore funds, the fund provides opportunities to invest in China's bond market with convenience, efficiency and controllable risks. Committed to creating strong returns for investors, the fund follows a global fixed-income and currency management strategy, aims to increase incomes through offshore opportunistic investments, and conducts effective risk hedging through cross-market investments. Mr. Ren, President of Ping An Group said, "The issuance of the fund provides a bridge for investment cooperation between Chinese and foreign capital markets. Ping An will strengthen international cooperation and mutual recognition, and continue to create value and return for our clients." Mr. Wan, Chairman of PAAMC said, "We feel greatly honoured to partner with QIC on the first UCITS fund focused on Chinese corporate bonds to be launched in China. It will provide global investors with access to China's bond market, increase the influence of Chinese bonds, and promote the internationalisation of RMB. We are happy to see such interactions. We hope to work more closely with QIC to launch more products and services that meet customer demands." Mr. Frawley, Chief Executive Officer of QIC, added, "The fund is a milestone as Australia's first UCITS fund investing in Chinese corporate bonds. China's fast-growing bond market is very attractive to foreign investors. By partnering with Ping An, we hope to get closer to the Chinese market and help investors learn more about China."
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