Global cloud leader plays a critical role to support digital transformation of the Hangzhou Asian Games

HANGZHOU, CHINA – Media OutReach – 13 September 2023 – In a mission to accelerate the digitalization of the Asian Games, the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (HAGOC) has launched its core systems on Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group. Alibaba Cloud’s robust, reliable and secure technologies will support the first “Asian Games on the Cloud”, to facilitate more intelligent, sustainable, sophisticated and efficient Asian Games – to be held in Hangzhou, the company’s headquarters, from September 23 to October 8.

The core systems, comprising Games Management Systems (GMS), Results Distribution Systems (RDS) and Games Support Systems (GSS), will support around-the-clock operations of 56 competition venues and other critical facilities such as the information technology management center, main media center and the Hangzhou Asian Games Villages, serving more than 100,000 registered users, including the athletes, broadcasters, journalists, staff and volunteers from 45 countries and regions across the globe.

As the Games’ official information technology integrator and cloud service provider, Alibaba Cloud is responsible for running an all-on-cloud Asian Games, leveraging its proven track record in supporting large-scale worldwide sports events.

Selina Yuan, President of International Business, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group, said: “We have extensive experience supporting large-scale global sports events building upon our proven cloud technologies and trusted services. We are proud and excited to return to our headquarters this year to help deliver an innovative, efficient, sustainable and inclusive Asian Games in Hangzhou. With the even more advanced core systems support, we are committed to an effective collaboration with the Games’ stakeholders, and with further improved cloud broadcast technologies, we will bring more engaging viewing experience to the global audience and sport fans.”

“The Hangzhou Asian Games will be another milestone for Alibaba Cloud to show how robust, scalable and secure cloud computing technologies can help drive digital transformation of large-scale sports events to bring sports and entertainment to every corner of the world,” Yuan added.

State-of-the art architecture seamlessly integrates with cloud-native core systems

Alibaba Cloud provides the fundamental architecture that supports the seamless integration of the core systems as well as intelligent applications such as cloud broadcasting and event organization and communications.

For example, at the end of each competition the Results Distribution System will receive data from the timing and scoring system at the venue, which will be further integrated into the central system for distribution in different formats through different application programming interfaces (APIs), such as the results display and news feeds. All of these are built on the Alibaba Cloud to ensure efficient, accurate and stable results distributions.

Using cloud-native technology and running it on Alibaba Cloud’s container services, the company enables more agile, scalable and efficient operations of the event. In addition, there is no longer a need for physical data centers that require large dedicated space and maintenance facilities to run. Cloud resources will be released once the event is concluded, making the games more environmentally friendly.

More than 5,000 hours of excitement transmitted through live cloud broadcasting

The Hangzhou Asian Games will also be the first in the games’ history during which Rights-Holding Broadcasters (RHBs) will receive live footage through public cloud infrastructure. Alibaba Cloud expects to transmit more than 5,000 hours of live footage through as many as 68 high-definition(HD) and ultra-high-definition (UHD) feeds during the event. In addition to live broadcast, the cloud-based content platform delivers footage in HD or UHD, highlights of the Games and news flashes for RHBs to present to the audience’s mobile or other devices.

During the Games, the cloud broadcasting will transcend physical boundaries and bring the excitement to audiences across Asia and the rest of the world, through Alibaba Cloud’s infrastructure and services in Hangzhou to ApsaraVideo Live Centers in Shanghai and Beijing as well as regional cloud resources in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and Singapore.

Prior to cloud broadcasting, broadcasters had to rely on dedicated and more costly international telecommunication optical circuits and spend a considerable amount of time to set up the equipment, in order to send live footage halfway across the globe back to their home countries. Now leveraging the highly scalable, resilient and secure global infrastructure of Alibaba Cloud and its network acceleration service – Global Accelerator, live multilateral content in high quality over the public cloud with a fraction of the cost and minimum time for set-up can be delivered.

Cloud technology helps bring smart Asian Games Villages

The Hangzhou Asian Games has launched an Intelligent Operation Platform to manage the operation of the three Asian Games Villages, which is expected to host over 20,000 athletes, reporters and officials. The platform leverages Alibaba Cloud’s advanced visualization tool to analyze real-time intelligence to further streamline the management system, while providing more seamless user experience for those who live in the Villages.

For example, Alibaba Cloud’s solution utilizes real-time information to analyze traffic and crowd management. A warning will be provided on a dashboard if a public area gets too crowded for public safety. Extreme weather, power failure and fire warnings are also available for organizer’s intelligence-driven decisions.

With Alibaba Cloud’s natural language processing (NLP) technology, an intelligent service robot will also provide all-day online consulting services in both English and Chinese for people living in the Asian Games Villages through a web application service. The chatbot can provide real-time responses related to the services available in the Villages.
Hashtag: #AlibabaCloud #AsianGames2023

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About Alibaba Cloud

Established in 2009, Alibaba Cloud (www.alibabacloud.com) is the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group. It offers a complete suite of cloud services to customers worldwide, including elastic computing, database, storage, network virtualization services, large-scale computing, security, management and application services, big data analytics, a machine learning platform and IoT services. Alibaba maintained its position as the third leading public cloud IaaS service provider globally since 2018, according to IDC. Alibaba is the world’s third leading and Asia Pacific’s leading IaaS provider by revenue in U.S. dollars since 2018, according to Gartner.

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HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM – Media OutReach – 13 September 2023 – The Ho Chi Minh City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HDBank) signed an agreement with Fulbright University Vietnam on September 10 to provide reciprocal capital equivalent to US$20 million for building facilities to improve the quality of teaching and students’ lives, develop scientific research and promote innovation.

The agreement was signed in Hanoi at a ceremony organised within the framework of activities on the occasion of US President Joe Biden’s state visit to Vietnam.

In the joint Leaders’ Statement on elevating the United States-Vietnam relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, the leaders of the two countries “applauded the work of Fulbright University Việt Nam and its growing role as a regional hub for public policy training.”

The signing ceremony was attended by John Kerry, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, and Scott Nathan, chief executive officer of the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

Under the agreement, the committed capital from HDBank will be used to match the loan from the DFC to build Fulbright University at the Saigon High-Tech Park.

According to HDBank, the agreement has great significance as it marks an important development step between a large commercial bank in Vietnam and the first American liberal arts university in Vietnam.

It is also a very significant event on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam – US comprehensive partnership and in the spirit of the two countries’ new comprehensive strategic partnership.

The agreement once again underlines HDBank’s commitment and special attention to education and the FUV’s mission of inspiring new generations of leaders to create positive changes in Vietnam and beyond.

Dr Scott Fritzen, president of Fulbright University Vietnam, said the partnership would help realise many projects Fulbright has planned in its development strategy.

“We are very excited about the changes that this partnership will bring. The reciprocal capital will accelerate the process of building and developing advanced facilities at Fulbright University, helping us quickly realise our goal of becoming a leading academic, research and innovation hub in Vietnam.”

Pham Quoc Thanh, CEO of HDBank, said: “Through the agreement with Fulbright University Vietnam, HDBank fulfils its commitment to supporting education, science and innovation in Vietnam.

“We believe that this funding will significantly contribute to the development of Fulbright University Vietnam and thereby shape the country’s technological and academic landscape, promoting development.”

Hashtag: #HDBank

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About HDBank:

HDBank is one of Vietnam’s leading financial institutions and has a firm commitment to supporting education, innovation and national development.

Its mission is to provide financial solutions that help individuals and businesses grow and prosper.

About Fulbright University Vietnam

Founded in 2016 as a result of the Vietnam-U.S. partnership, Fulbright University Vietnam is Vietnam’s first independent, not-for-profit liberal arts university.

Globally integrated but deeply embedded in Vietnamese society, Fulbright is dedicated to providing a world-class education, utilising the latest advancements in institutional design, teaching, learning, technology, and other fields to create an institution that is both innovative and globally relevant.

It is committed to serving Vietnamese society through rigorous research and responsible civic engagement.

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The acclaimed British artist to Perform His First Ever Live Creation in Macao Celebrating His First Solo Exhibition in Macao and Unveil his World Premiere Art Creation

MACAO – Media OutReach – 13 September 2023 – Following the successful launch of the ‘Mr Doodle First Exhibition in Macao’ in early August, Melco Resorts & Entertainment welcomed the highly anticipated, world-famous contemporary artist to the City of Dreams for his first-ever live creation in Macao, unveiling his latest world premiere art creation.

Today, at City of Dreams, in celebration of “Mr Doodle First Exhibition in Macao”, Mr Doodle jetted into the flagship integrated resort of Melco to provide an exclusive demonstration of his unique creative process, showcasing his artistic talents by doodling a giant 2.5-meter by 1-meter sculpture with City of Dreams logo in front of a live audience exclusively for Melco. Mr Doodle also hosted a ceremony unveiling his latest world premiere art creation with Ms. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of Macao Government Tourism Office; Mr. Cheang Kai Meng, Vice President of Cultural Affairs Bureau; Ms. Cheong Man Fai, Head of the Department, Education and Youth Development Bureau; Mr. Clarence Chung, Board Director of Melco Resorts & Entertainment; Mr. David Sisk, Chief Operating Officer – Macau Resorts, Melco Resorts and Entertainment and Mr. Patrick Fan, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Forward Fashion Group.

The latest world premiere art installation – “Mr Doodle | Mickey Mouse” Sculpture, stands at 30cm in height and adds a playful and artistic twist to the beloved Disney character, Mickey Mouse. The art piece captures the iconic character in his most classic pose with hands tucked behind his back, toes pointed, and standing tall with pride. Limited to only 500 pieces worldwide, each highly sought-after piece has been meticulously crafted from premium resin while the main body of the sculpture features a recurring arrangement of doodles created using Mr Doodle’s relief technique.

Co-organized by Melco Resorts & Entertainment and Artelli, with the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region and the support of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, “Mr Doodle First Exhibition in Macao” will be on display at City of Dreams until October 15. The exhibition features 24 original art pieces and four large-scale art installations created exclusively for City of Dreams. It is curated by Pearl Lam Galleries, Artelli and ARTOX GROUP and holds the distinction of being the Special Exhibition of “Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2023”.

Mr. David Sisk, Chief Operating Officer – Macau Resorts, Melco Resorts and Entertainment said, ‘Melco is excited to welcome world-acclaimed artist Mr Doodle for his visit to the city showcasing his first-ever live creation performance exclusively at City of Dreams. In alignment with Melco’s commitment to diversification and fully supporting the Macao SAR government’s initiative on promoting the cultural exchange and artistic learning, we are honored to dedicate more incredibly diverse art and cultural activities for all Macao visitors and locals.”

Born in England, Mr Doodle is one of the world’s most celebrated contemporary artists, known for creating distinctive artworks characterized by intricate black and white lines and patterns that infuse everyday objects with a lively touch, his works have been exhibited in major galleries around the globe.

In addition to the new live art creation, the exhibition also features four specially created art installations that are accessible to guests around-the-clock throughout the flagship integrated resort. These installations include “Doodle Love Wall”, a large wall at City of Dreams Level 1 covered in Mr Doodle’s signature patterns, boldly outlined figures, and symbols and motifs representing love; the “Doodle Showroom”, an expansive 52-meters by 20-meters façade outside The Showroom adorned with Mr Doodle’s signature ‘doodling spaghetti’; the “Doodle Hall”, a breathtaking immersive artwork covering the floors, walls and pillars of the Main Portal of City of Dreams with Mr Doodle’s lively interlocking designs, alongside a giant LED video wall showcasing Mr Doodle’s creative journey and the attractions of his first exhibition in Macao; and the “Doodle Cube”, a multimedia art installation in the lobby of Morpheus that animates the diamond-shaped geometric structures, fluid curves, and free-flowing forms found in the hotel’s architecture. Meanwhile, Mr Doodle’s 24 original artworks at Artelli, the Pioneering Multi-dimensional Art Space, at The Showroom, are available for art tour by online reservation. Morpheus Lounge has also launched the Mr Doodle Afternoon Tea Experience, allowing guests to view the “Doodle Cube” while experiencing a unique and artistic afternoon tea for a complete immersive artistic journey exclusively at City of Dreams.

Hashtag: #Melco

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About Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited

The Company, with its American depositary shares listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (NASDAQ: MLCO), is a developer, owner and operator of integrated resort facilities in Asia and Europe. The Company currently operates Altira Macau (www.altiramacau.com), an integrated resort located at Taipa, Macau and City of Dreams (www.cityofdreamsmacau.com), an integrated resort located in Cotai, Macau. Its business also includes the Mocha Clubs (www.mochaclubs.com), which comprise the largest non-casino based operations of electronic gaming machines in Macau. The Company also majority owns and operates Studio City (www.studiocity-macau.com), a cinematically-themed integrated resort in Cotai, Macau. In the Philippines, a Philippine subsidiary of the Company currently operates and manages City of Dreams Manila (www.cityofdreamsmanila.com), an integrated resort in the Entertainment City complex in Manila. In Europe, the Company operates City of Dreams Mediterranean in Limassol in the Republic of Cyprus (www.cityofdreamsmed.com.cy). The Company also continues to operate three satellite casinos in other cities in Cyprus (the “Cyprus Casinos”). For more information about the Company, please visit www.melco-resorts.com.

The Company is majority owned by Melco International Development Limited, a company listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, which is in turn majority owned and led by Mr. Lawrence Ho, who is the Chairman, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

About Artelli

Artelli is a Pioneering Multi-dimensional Art Space. Joining hands with artists, Artelli has a strong devotion to deliver art projects, including exclusive and debut collections. In the future, the art space would ascend into the world of Metaverse, NFTs and more. Artelli creates exceptional art experiences and atmosphere, reimagining art with brands and culture collaborations to unveil a state-of-the-art multi-dimensional and diversified space, setting them apart from traditional retail and art exhibition models.

Artelli will be expanding footprints worldwide in the next five years, from the Greater Bay Area to mainland China, Hong Kong China, Tokyo, Seoul, New York, London and Paris, becoming the new global landmark of art and culture.

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• More than 60 percent of the people surveyed are putting away substantial sums of money for health and income related emergencies
• Generation Y respondents are the biggest emergency savers, with nearly three-quarters putting money aside
• Insurance provides an important financial safety net for emergencies. Close to 80 percent of respondents have health insurance while 46 percent have income replacement protection

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 13 September 2023 – People across Asia are taking proactive steps to prepare for the increasingly uncertain and volatile global environment, especially against health and income-related emergencies. According to a recent survey, Empowering Aspirations: Financial Preparedness in Asia, by Prudential plc (Prudential), more than half (60 percent) of the 5,000 respondents surveyed across Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand stated their commitment to setting aside money specifically for health and income-related emergencies.

Empowering Aspirations explores how providing a safety net to people’s everyday lives is enabling individuals to live more fulfilling lives by gleaning insights into saving trends, insurance adoption, and aspirations for a more secure future.

Priscilla Ng, Group Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, Prudential plc, said, “We are currently living in an uncertain world where the pandemic has highlighted the importance of being prepared amid constant disruption. With this in mind, we undertook the survey to understand the impact that having a financial safety net can have on individuals, and their ability to pursue personal and professional aspirations.”

Millennials demonstrates highest inclination for emergency savings

Faced with uncertainties, individuals prioritise emergency savings as they seek to secure their future. Nearly two-thirds of participants (61 percent) attributed their increased savings to the social and economic impact of the ongoing pandemic.

Across different generations, it is Gen-Y or the millennials, that demonstrates the highest inclination for emergency savings, with 74 percent of individuals in this group prioritising saving for a rainy day. This figure surpasses the percentages observed among half of Gen-Z (49 percent), nearly two-thirds of Gen-X (62 percent), and close to half of baby boomers (49 percent).

A market-by-market comparison reveals that Malaysia leads in terms of savings, with 67 percent of respondents actively allocating funds for emergencies. In contrast, Hong Kong recorded the lowest figure amongst the five markets, where just half (52 percent) of the people in the city said they save for emergencies.

Insurance as a crucial financial safety net

Amid concerns regarding financial stability, the survey also highlights the critical role of insurance in providing a much-needed financial safety net. Among the 5,000 respondents, close to 80 percent have health insurance, while 46 percent have income replacement protection, highlighting the significant role of insurance in safeguarding individuals against unforeseen circumstances that can impact their health and earning capacity.

Notably, individuals with insurance exhibited a stronger propensity for saving, with two-thirds (66 percent) of insured participants indicating that they save for emergencies. In contrast, only 39 percent of those without insurance reported saving for emergencies.

More than three-quarters (76 percent) of the respondents cited the provision of a crucial safety net as the primary motivation for acquiring insurance. Additionally, a little less than two-thirds (62 per cent) mentioned seeking protection against prevalent diseases in the market, while half of them attributed their decision to a family history of specific illnesses.

Aspirations for a Secure Future

Respondents were asked about their spending priorities if they didn’t have to allocate funds for emergencies. The results revealed a range of aspirations. Half of the respondents (49 percent) expressed a desire to save more for retirement, acknowledging the need for long-term financial security. Additionally, nearly one-third of the respondents (31 percent) expressed a desire to travel more, while more than a quarter (26 percent) considered investments in property or home improvements and emphasised the importance of investing in better education for their children (28 percent).

“We are in the business of assuring people’s futures and therefore we strive to safeguard their well-being and financial security. Prudential is committed to addressing these challenges by bridging the protection gap and empowering individuals to face the future with confidence.

“Our new purpose statement ‘For Every Life, For Every Future’ reflects our mission to be a trusted partner and protector by providing simple and accessible financial and health solutions,” said Ms. Ng.

Notes

Definitions:

• Generation Z: Often abbreviated as Gen-Z, refers to the cohort of individuals who were born between the mid-1990s and the early 2010s.
• Generation Y: Often abbreviated as Gen-Y, refers to the cohort of individuals who were born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s.
• Generation X: Often abbreviated as Gen-X, typically includes individuals born between the early-to-mid 1960s and the early 1980s.
• Baby Boomers: Generation of individuals who were born during the post-World War II baby boom, generally between the mid-1940s and mid-1960s.

Hashtag: #Prudential

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About ‘Empowering Aspirations: Financial Preparedness in Asia’

Empowering Aspirations a survey that Prudential carried out across five Asian markets – Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. The study interviewed 5,000 people online between March – April 2023 to look at the reasons why people save and take up insurance. It also explores how having a financial safety net to mitigate health and income risks can enable individuals to live more freely and fully to pursue their goals and aspirations.

The full survey findings and insights can be found here.

About Prudential plc

Prudential plc provides life and health insurance and asset management in 24 markets across Asia and Africa. Prudential’s mission is to be the most trusted partner and protector for this generation and generations to come, by providing simple and accessible financial and health solutions. The business has dual primary listings on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (2378) and the London Stock Exchange (PRU). It also has a secondary listing on the Singapore Stock Exchange (K6S) and a listing on the New York Stock Exchange (PUK) in the form of American Depositary Receipts. It is a constituent of the Hang Seng Composite Index and is also included for trading in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme and the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme.

Prudential is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential Financial, Inc. a company whose principal place of business is in the United States of America, nor with The Prudential Assurance Company Limited, a subsidiary of M&G plc, a company incorporated in the United Kingdom.

https://www.prudentialplc.com/

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This content was prepared by Media OutReach. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Siam News.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 13 September 2023 – Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, today announced Jeff Plein has been named as the chief operating officer (COO) for the Asia-Pacific region, effective Sept. 11.

Plein will report to Mindy Simon, global chief operating officer, and Anne Corona, chief executive officer of Asia Pacific. He is based in Singapore and joins the Aon Asia-Pacific Executive Committee and the Aon Business Services Global Leadership Team.

“We are delighted to welcome Jeff to Aon. He is an outstanding leader and his extensive experience in driving operational excellence will help further develop the world-class operations and technological capabilities that Aon delivers to our clients in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Corona.

Plein succeeds Bill Hooper, who was named as global COO of Commercial Risk Solutions, for which he will relocate to the United Kingdom later this year.

“With his extensive experience in investment management, banking and the broader financial services sector, Jeff will bring strong insights that will help our firm continue to deliver innovative solutions as we help our clients to be better informed and better advised,” added Simon.

Plein will work closely with regional and global teams to support growth and deliver a differentiated client experience, with responsibility for the design and execution of all aspects of the Asia-Pacific operating model.

“The Asia-Pacific region presents significant opportunities for growth and innovation,” said Plein. “I am looking forward to building on the firm’s vision to help clients make better decisions as they face today’s rapidly changing, increasingly complex and interconnected challenges. Working together with our colleagues, we will continue to leverage technology, data and insights to deliver enhanced solutions and capabilities for our clients in the region.”

Plein joins Aon from Citibank, where he worked since 2018 as managing director, Asia Pacific head of securities services operations. He has previously held senior roles at Fullerton Fund Management, BlackRock and Pacific Investment Management Company.

For more information about Aon in the Asia Pacific region, please visit www.aon.com/apac.

Hashtag: #Aon

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Our colleagues provide our clients in over 120 countries and sovereignties with advice and solutions that give them the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business.

Follow Aon on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Stay up-to-date by visiting the Aon Newsroom and sign up for News Alerts here.

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This content was prepared by Media OutReach. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Siam News.

By Professor Lisa Wan, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, CUHK Business School

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 13 September 2023 – Since ancient times, humans have observed astronomical phenomena and dreamed of exploring the worlds beyond ours. When Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon’s surface on July 20, 1969, he said, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Space exploration has served as an inspiration to humankind. Although space exploration was only limited to professional astronauts in the past, it is no longer a dream for private citizens reaching for the stars themselves anymore.

Virgin Galactic first blasted off to suborbital space on July 12, 2021 and Blue Origin soared past the edge of space on July 20, 2021. Then, Space X launched Resilience which carried 4 civilians into space on Sep 15, 2021, making it the world’s first spacecraft to carry all civilian passengers.

With the continued advancement of space technology, space exploration has become a key mission for many nations including the U.S. and China. For example, the U.S. plans to return to the moon and establish a lunar colony over the next few years. China also built its Tiangong space station in 2022 and is planning to get to the Moon in 2030. The rapid development of space technology will further lower the costs of space tourism and the space tourism market is expected to grow rapidly. The global market for space tourism is estimated to reach US$1.7 billion by 2027, and the U.S. and China are the two biggest potential markets for space tourism.

Having civilians travelling to space will be a breakthrough in human cultural development. As space tourism hits mainstream commercialisation, who would be more interested to spend money on enjoying the breath-taking views of Earth in space? Moreover, a luxury space hotel Voyager Station is scheduled open for business in 2027. In order to generate revenue, what activities and foods should space tourism companies provide to tourists once reach orbit? Since space tourism is still expected to remain relatively expensive, what about the masses who are still unable to afford space travel? Is there a way for them experience space travel in a cheaper fashion? What lessons can companies seeking to develop space tourism learn?

In this CUHK Business School Research White Paper, we sought to explore the latest and future development of this newly emerging industry.

Must-Have Menu and Activities at Space Hotel

Though physical space travel is still inaccessible to all but the super-rich, this is becoming less of a barrier in the foreseeable future. With the continuous evolution of space technology, many believe that space tourism costs will drop and slowly but surely make its way into mainstream.

This research white paper provides several insights. First, Chinese people have a higher intention to engage in space tourism than their American counterparts because the latter perceive space travel to be riskier. A possible strategy to promote space travel in the Western market would be to provide more concrete technological information and to emphasise safety in advertisements and social media to reduce tourists’ risk perceptions. On the other hand, when targeting the Asian market, space travel advertisements could emphasise the fantasy and extraordinary experiences.

Second, when considering the space hotel facilities and services, both American and Chinese tourists in general want to have basic facilities of artificial-gravity pools and spa/massage room services. While American tourists have a higher preference on “outdoor” space tours, Chinese tourists prefer “indoor” activities like watching movies. Space tourism companies may consider to tailor-made the services according to their different preferences.

Third, food is an essential part of travel. Based on the survey findings, it is suggested that steak and burgers are “must menu items” for space hotel to satisfy both American and Chinese tourists. Hotpot is the most popular menu item for Chinese tourists, I highly recommend future space hotels to include this to shape Chinese tourists’ memories.

Space Travel Opportunity for Public?

Forth, immersive technology of metaverse enables users to engage in virtual space travel in anytime and anywhere. However, would visitors explore the space virtually no longer be interested in visiting the space physically in the future? I conducted a survey in 2022 by inviting 120 participants to experience a 5-minute virtual space tour for enjoying the earth view. After experiencing the immersive VR space tour, more than 80 % of participants were excited and indicated that they would travel to space physically if they could afford it. Therefore, using immersive technology as a “pre-trip” of space can attract tourists to travel to space physically.

In addition to space hotel services and food, it would be interesting for space tourism companies to explore how to apply robots to serve tourists in the near future. Robots are usually adopted to help astronauts to investigate and complete dangerous and risky space missions. In fact, robots can also serve in a companion role for human in space.

Since the cost of sending a robot to space is much cheaper than sending a human (e.g., they can be left out in space without returning to earth), it is cost effective to adopt humanoid robots to serve tourists in space hotel. My previous research suggests that, in the hospitality and tourism context, customers in general prefer to interact with humanoid robot than non-humanoid robot, and they are more willing to use friendly-looking service robots (e.g., child-like) when they are looking for suggestions such as menu items to try, specific things to see. However, they prefer to use professional and competent-looking service robots (e.g., adult-like) when seeking instructions related to tax refunds or travel insurance. These research findings on earth provide practical insights for robot adoption in space hotel. For example, space hotel could use child-like humanoid robot to greet guests and increase their satisfaction.

Space tourism remains in its nascent phase, but traveling to outer space may be as easy as taking a flight to Europe in the future. At CUHK Business School, we look forward to exploring the latest development in space tourism, and how hospitality and tourism industry can better seize these emerging opportunities.

Learn more: https://cbk.bschool.cuhk.edu.hk/research-whitepapers/space-tourism-isnt-science-fiction-anymore/
Hashtag: #CUHKBusinessSchool

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VeecoTech Serves as Digital Partner (DP)

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 13 September 2023 – The Malaysian government, through the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN Bank), and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has launched the MSME Digital Grant MADANI under Budget 2023, to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Malaysia digitise their operations.

VeecoTech Solutions, an appointed Digital Partner (DP) by MDEC, will provide digital solutions such as website development, e-commerce platforms, digital marketing, cyber security and more to help MSMEs take advantage of this grant and digitise their businesses.

VeecoTech will be holding a webinar to provide more information about the grant. The webinar will be held on 20th September 2023 [Wednesday] (10 am – 11 am) for English speakers and on 21st September 2023 [Thursday] (10 am – 11 am) for Mandarin speakers. To register for the webinar, please visit: https://www.veecotech.com.my/sme-grant/.

The grant is open to all MSMEs in Malaysia that have been operating for at least 6 months. To apply for the RM5000 matching grant, MSMEs must submit an online application form and provide supporting documents, such as their business registration certificate and financial statements.

“We are excited to partner with the Malaysian government to help MSMEs digitise their businesses,” said Alain Lye, Managing Director at VeecoTech. “We have a proven track record of serving hundreds of organisations, local and international. We can’t wait to help MSMEs, even local hawkers, in Malaysia, to take advantage of this grant and grow their businesses.”

Grant ends when the RM100 million allocation has been fully disbursed.

Hashtag: #VeecoTech #MSMEdigitalgrant #SMEGrant2023 #Grant #Malaysia #smallbusiness

https://www.facebook.com/VeecoTech
https://www.instagram.com/veecotech.my/

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About VeecoTech Solutions

Established in 2011, VeecoTech is a leading Malaysia IT solution company, specialised in helping businesses to achieve their success through digital solutions.

Together with the subsidiary companies, namely Benova and Bold Media, VeecoTech has operations in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Being a multidisciplinary team capable of providing an integrated and robust digital ecosystem for clients, VeecoTech’s expertise lies in website design, e-commerce, software, branding and marketing solutions.

The company has served over 500 clients from diverse industries, including public sectors, manufacturing, property, financial, healthcare, F&B and others.

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Developed in collaboration with Hewlett Packard Enterprise, SPTel’s Edge Cloud solution delivers new capabilities in Infrastructure-as-a-Service

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 13 September 2023 – SPTel, a joint venture company of ST Engineering and SP Group, today launched its Edge Cloud solution with new Infrastructure-as-a-service capabilities that will enable businesses to access Virtual Machine-as-a-service, Container-as-a-service, Storage-as-a-service and Back-up-as-a-service, putting scalability and the rapid provisioning of resources within the control of businesses. Incorporating the Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform, SPTel’s solution enables businesses to easily scale, manage and monitor their edge cloud resources.

SPTel’s Edge Cloud is hosted within pervasive secure critical infrastructure locations across Singapore, offering ultra-low latency business application performance, proximity to the data source and robust cybersecurity protection. This allows businesses to maintain security, control, and data sovereignty over critical data. Leveraging SPTel’s ultra-low latency network and direct cloud connectivity solutions, businesses will benefit from optimum performance for their applications on both edge and leading public clouds.

Titus Yong, CEO of SPTel, said, “With unparalleled levels of security, scalability, and control over cloud and network resources, business users of SPTel’s Edge Cloud solution can now enjoy a highly secure, ultra-low latency and scalable Infrastructure as-a-service that meets their evolving needs while adhering to stringent data security and network diversity requirements with rate card pricing and a simple pay-as-you-go model. SPTel is the only cloud provider to deliver a one-stop solution that covers network, compute, storage and security requirements all via an as-a-Service model, and we are excited to see how our solution helps businesses enhance operational efficiency, drive innovation, and unlock new growth opportunities.”

Joseph Yang, Managing Director, HPE Singapore, said, “Our partner ecosystem is fundamental to our go-to-market and gives our customers choice and flexibility. Together with SPTel, we are redefining cloud management for hybrid clouds in Singapore, offering an unparalleled cloud management as-a-service solution by combining the HPE capabilities with SPTel’s secure edge cloud. Our partnership will pave the way for a digital landscape that fosters innovation, drives growth, and delivers unmatched cloud management capabilities for businesses across Singapore.”

HPE GreenLake is HPE’s portfolio of cloud and as-a-service solutions, delivering the cloud experience wherever the apps and data live. HPE GreenLake services can run on-premises, at the edge, or in colocation facilities, and connect to public cloud. HPE GreenLake has 27,000 unique customers, powers more than 3.4 million connected devices and manages more than 20 exabytes of data with customers worldwide. These organisations benefit from one control plane from which to automate, orchestrate, and run their hybrid cloud strategy. The scalable, pay-as-you go HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform delivers robust security, compliance, and control, and supports a broad partner ecosystem – including channel partners, distributors, independent software vendors, public cloud providers, service providers, and system integrators.

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About SPTel

SPTel is a joint venture company of ST Engineering and SP Group. SPTel uses unique fibre pathways that combine leased SP Group infrastructure and owned fibre pipes, laid alongside the power network cables. As a leading provider of next-generation telecommunications and digital solutions SPTel places a strong focus on innovation and reliability. This enables SPTel to deliver secure and scalable connectivity, edge cloud, IoT-a-a-S and managed security solutions to businesses, government agencies, and service providers. SPTel is committed to driving digital transformation by providing cutting-edge technologies and exceptional customer experiences.

For more information, please visit www.sptel.com.

About Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) is the global edge-to-cloud company that helps organisations accelerate outcomes by unlocking value from all of their data, everywhere. Built on decades of reimagining the future and innovating to advance the way people live and work, HPE delivers unique, open and intelligent technology solutions as a service. With offerings spanning Cloud Services, Compute, High Performance Computing & AI, Intelligent Edge, Software, and Storage, HPE provides a consistent experience across all clouds and edges, helping customers develop new business models, engage in new ways, and increase operational performance.

For more information, visit www.hpe.com.

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This content was prepared by Media OutReach. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Siam News.