“5G is a connectivity technology that delivers high speeds, high bandwidth, and low latency. 5G represents speed in the information society. Countries that have speed will move forward rapidly,” he said. “We hope that the speed of technological development in the West can increase, so we are looking at the licensing of all our 5G technology to help facilitate this process.”

For a one-off payment, a buyer would be given access to the company’s portfolio of 5G patents, licences, codes and technical blueprints. Based on the licensed technologies production techniques, companies can even modify the codes and develop news things themselves.

“Our aspiration is to serve humanity and achieve the pinnacle of science. Collaboration is consistent with our values, so we are willing to license our equipment to Western countries,” he said.

The founder, however, insisted that this offer to sell its technologies to others does not mean that Huawei would put a halt to the development of 5G itself. “Transferring 5G technology to other companies does not mean we will stop working on it. It just means the money we get from this transfer will allow us to make greater strides forward,” Ren reaffirmed.

There is no doubt that those great strides include its research on 6G technology, which would offer even more speed to this world. And Ren is confident about the next-generation technology in the works. “I think Huawei will also take the lead when it comes to 6G research, but our judgement is that the commercial use of 6G won’t begin for at least ten years,” He said.

The founder said that 5G technologies should not be politicized or treated as something dangerous. Countries should make their decisions about 5G to facilitate their development rather than fulfil political agendas.

“If we transfer all our technologies to the US, then they can modify the code themselves. Neither Huawei nor anyone else in the world will be able to access these technologies anymore. The US will have independent 5G. Security won’t be an issue as long as the US can properly manage its own companies. Then it will not be about us selling 5G in the US, but rather about US companies selling their own 5G in the US.

Huawei’s leading position in 5G owes as much to the cutting-edge technology as to its affordability and its ability to research, develop and roll out state-of-the-art products at the speed that’s hard to beat. The secret to its success, Ren revealed, lies in its continuous investment in research and development and the respect Huawei gives to its partners and customers worldwide since the first day of operations.

“At Huawei, cyber-security and privacy protection are always the company’s top priorities. Huawei resolutely incorporates requirements of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) into all of our business processes. We are now investing heavily to upgrade existing networks and build new networks,” Ren said. “For more than 30 years, Huawei has provided network services in more than 170 countries and regions, serving approximately three billion users. We have maintained a proven track record in security. In fact, we have never had any major security incidents, I think that record speaks for itself.”

A total of 20 SET-listed firms have been selected for the DJSI, marking top inclusions in the DJSI among ASEAN for the sixth consecutive year; another 11 out of 20 SET-listed firms are globally recognised in the DJSI World Markets index. This achievement reinforces that Thai listed companies’ sustainability practices have progressed and are recognised at international level.

“The remarkable success of Thai listed companies as Asean’s top inclusions in the DJSI and the continuous increase in number of the indices’ constituents indicate that Thai businesses are committed to integrating environment, social and governance (ESG) aspects into operations while delivering robust operating performance. Being components of the DJSI will enhance the attractiveness of Thai listed firms from both local and foreign investors, and earn them reliability as investment alternatives which yield attractive returns for investors in the long run. Sustainable investment are gaining popularity in Thailand with 23 funds launched in the market, combining assets under management (AUM) of Bt30 billion,” said SETe President Pakorn Peetathawatchai.

SET has prioritised enhancing sustainability development to benefit every sector, in accordance withi ts vision “To Make the Capital Market ‘Work’ for Everyone”. Listed companies have been encouraged to integrate sustainability into all processes of business operations. Most listed companies with outstanding sustainability performance have also playing an important role in driving Thai economic growth.

Seven Thai listed companies ranked the top-scoring sustainability by industry groups for 2019, up from five firms a year earlier. The seven leaders are Banpu Plc (BANPU) in Coal and Consumable Fuels, CP All Plc (CPALL) in Food & Staples Retailing, PTT Exploration and Production Plc (PTTEP) in Oil & Gas Upstream & Integrated, PTT Global Chemical Plc (PTTGC) in Chemicals, Thai Oil Plc (TOP) in Oil and Gas Refining & Marketing, True Corporation Plc (TRUE) in Telecommunication Services, and Thai Union Group Plc(TU) in Food Products.

Eleven firms have been recognised in the 2019 DJSI World Index, namely Advanced Info Service Plc (ADVANC), Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT), CP All Plc (CPALL), Central Pattana Plc (CPN), Indorama Ventures Plc (IVL), Kasikornbank Plc (KBANK), PTT pcl (PTT), PTT Exploration and Production Plc(PTTEP), PTT Global Chemical Plc (PTTGC), The Siam Commercial Bank Plc (SCB), and The Siam Cement Plc (SCC).

Twenty companies have been selected as DJSI constituents: They are: Advanced Info Service Plc (ADVANC), Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT), Banpu Plc (BANPU), BTS Group Holdings Plc(BTS), CP All Plc (CPALL), Charoen Pokphand Foods Plc(CPF), Central Pattana Plc (CPN), Home Product Center Plc (HMPRO), IRPC Plc (IRPC), Indorama Ventures Plc (IVL), Kasikornbank Plc(KBANK), Minor International Plc (MINT), PTT Plc (PTT), PTT Exploration and Production Plc (PTTEP), PTT Global Chemical Plc (PTTGC), The Siam Commercial Bank Plc (SCB), The Siam Cement Plc (SCC), Thai Oil Plc (TOP), True Corporation Plc(TRUE) and, Thai Union Group Plc (TU).

The announcement of the list of DJSI members will be effective from September 23. The DJSI reviews and announces the list of its members every September.

In 2019, DJSI invited 2,526 large market cap companies listed on global stock exchanges and 808 firms on emerging markets to participate in DJSI corporate sustainability assessment in economic, governance, environment and social aspects to select those with outstanding performance in sustainable business operations and passing institutional investor primary criteria to be the components list of the DJSI series used by leading funds as an investment benchmark. As of April, assets under management (AUM) with sustainable and responsible investment amounted to US$86 trillion (approximately Bt2,774 trillion), continuously rising every year and surging $4 trillion from 2018, according to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment’s (UNPRI) survey.

LINE TODAY and the Thai Media Fund are also supporting the campaign, which targets college-aged students and young people, particularly those studying journalism and mass communications.

The Thai workshops — held in Bangkok toady and in Khon Kaen on Thursday — are part of LINE’s “Stop Fake News” campaign, aimed at educating the public about the safe use of online and social media platforms, in an effort to prevent the spread of “fake news” and online misinformation. “Fake news” is a term for “falsehoods or fiction masked as news circulating on the internet,” according to the 2019 AP Stylebook.

LINE Thailand CEO Phichet Rerkpreecha noted the serious problems “fake news” can have on society, because anyone can access information easily in the social media age. Nevertheless, people often do not carefully check the sources of the information they receive online. As a result, they sometimes are unable to discern whether the information or news articles are reliable. The problem exacerbating when they pass them on to others.

“LINE has long been aware of the social issues caused by ‘fake news’ and worked actively to fight the problem,” said Phichet. “It’s not a problem that can just be tackled with laws. Cooperation from all sectors of Thai society is needed to prevent fake news from originating and spreading. The present government has shown how seriously it takes this issue through the establishment of the Fake News Center under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society.”

Phichet noted that LINE TODAY is careful about the content  it carries, providing news and information from more than 160 reliable sources so users know they have information they can trust.

“As a world-class online platform, we are close to the fake news problem, so it is our responsibility to take part in tackling the ‘fake news’ crisis by raising awareness among the general public,” said Phichet. “That’s why LINE Plus Corporation in Korea initiated the “Stop Fake News’ campaign for the global community, including Thailand, with support from the AP.”

The campaign released an animated educational video that would guide viewers through the process of how to check the credibility of stories before sharing them with others. The educational video will be available in five languages: English, Thai, Bahasa Indonesia, Chinese, and Japanese.

Phichet continued: “We believe that the workshops will help young people in the field of communications and information technology to be more informed and better understand the impact of fake news. Eventually, they will be able to stop and prevent ‘fake news’. This campaign will pave the way for long-term solutions to the problem”.

The first “Stop Fake News” workshop was held in Bangkok today at Gaysorn Tower. It will be followed by a second one in Khon Kaen on September 19 at the Khonkaen International Convention & Exhibition Center. More than 400 students and lecturers in journalism and mass communication are expected to participate in the event.

Preferring cashless shopping, they use e-wallet on major popular Chinese applications such as Alipay and WeChat Pay. They also live a digital lifestyle, starting from searching for information, making a hotel reservation, using hotel services, and making a payment to sharing their travel experiences on social media. To better serve this segment, Thai hospitality industry should adapt itself by applying innovation to accept digital payment, upgrade service standard, and address language barrier. The customers will then spread the word and as a reault, the industry will attract more customers.

Jason Lee, Marketing Director of Ksher Payment Co Ltd, shared the behaviour of Chinese tourists in the FIT segment and digital marketing guideline, by delivering a speech on the “Strategies for Conquering the China FIT Market”  at the  “Digital Marketing for Hotel Business: Critical Tactics for 2020” seminar, organised by the Thai Hotels Association. The event welcomed more than 150 hoteliers and marketers in the hospitality industry across the country.

According to the data, the ratio between male and female tourists in FIT segment is quite close, 48 per cent male and 52 per cent female. For the age range, the first rank is those  between 25 and 30 years old, accounting for 28 per cent, followed by those younger than 24 years (22 per cent) and between 31 and 35 years old (20 per cent). More than 54 per cent of Chinese tourists have a bachelor’s degree. Most tourists, 62 per cent, came from China’s 2nd-tier cities such as Chengdu, Chongqing and Hangzhou while tourists from the first-tier cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing and Shenzhen account for only 16 per cent. In terms of spending, those spending 8,000 yuan  per head per trip represent 47 per cent while travellers spending 6,000 yuan per head per trip represents 46 per cent. The key factor that triggers their decision to visit Thailand is the country’s interesting activities, accounting for  91 per cent of all visitors. In regard to   budget, only 73 per cent consider it as top concern.

Lee said: “FIT Chinese tourists have three major trends – Cashless, Paperless and Digitalise. Hoteliers should evolve, they can then adapt themselves to fully meet their needs.

Cashless: 64 per cent of Chinese tourists prefer to pay by e-wallet through popular Chinese applications, both Alipay and WeChat Pay, and more than 40 per cent never carry cash.

Paperless:  More than 92 per cent of Chinese tourists use mobile phones and spend more than three hours a day on screen to search for tourist information such as accommodation, mean of transport, tourist attractions, restaurants and shopping areas. They also read reviews on mobile application instead of reading travel books and brochures or asking hotel staff.

Digitalised: Chinese tourists live a fully digital lifestyle, starting from researching, making a reservation, accessing hotel services, making payments, to sharing their travel experiences on social media.

“Hoteliers who want to penetrate the FIT segment should therefore adjust themselves faster. They should start from the most important thing, accepting the payment from e-wallet via popular Chinese applications, both Alipay and WeChat Pay. Moreover, they can apply innovation such as Remote Collection service on Ksher Boss application, which allows hotels to send their information, along with the details of remote payment. The customers can conveniently pay on the WeChat mobile app or pre-authorisation service, which asks the customers to make a deposit by scanning the QR code. When the customers check out, the hotels can check and deduct the actual costs before refunding them the deposit,” said Lee.

“Most Chinese tourists do not ‘speak’ English well, which is a major obstacle to the hotel service. Therefore, Ksher developed an operating system offering service innovation that improves the mode of communication. It connects the mobile apps of Chinese tourists with the hotels’ operating system to ensure easy communication via digital platform, reduce miscommunication, and increase customer satisfaction. The innovations include Smart Hotel Butler service, Mobile Menu and Multi-Language UI. In addition, it can analyse tourist data to further develop strategies and plans,” added Lee.

This payment service is free for hospitality and retail businesses interested in using Ksher Payment’s financial transaction solutions to scale up their business with both Chinese and Thai tourists. No application fee is required.

BEIJING – Chinese digital technology firm JD Digits has stepped up overseas expansion by rolling out a financial services app with local partners to promote e-wallet services in Thailand.

The e-wallet app Dolfin can support electronic Know Your Customer technology and features money transfer, payment and other digital wallet functions, the company said in a statement.

Online credit, wealth management, insurance, digital marketing and other functions will be gradually offered via the app.

The product was launched by Central JD Fintech, a joint venture set up in 2017 by JD Digits and Thai retail giant Central Group, which is expected to promote a cashless society by leveraging the former’s fintech expertise and the latter’s retail presence.

JD Digits, once the financial technology arm of Chinese e-commerce titan JD.com, has accelerated its global expansion with forays into overseas markets including Indonesia and Thailand.

Songpol Shanmatkit, the company’s chief executive officer, said TVD will also debut a new cable TV shopping channel to boost sales. He added that the declining economy and the exit of some digital TV broadcasters may affect the home-shopping business, which may encounter slower growth in the second half.

However, he expects the purchase of extra airtime and greater focus on cost management will improve sales in the second half, adding that there have been positive signs of growth in the past two months.

He added that TVD will also closely monitor household debts, which may dampen consumer spending.

A Cloud-based business administration software piloted for NokScoot prior to an industry roll-out, it  transforms the aviation business software catering to changes in the digital age, supporting efficient and accurate data management incorporating all dimensions of business process and connecting complete operations of every related party with highest security standard on Real-Time information display, in line with NokScoot’s goal to become one of Asia’s leading airlines.

Kridsada Satukijchai, Chief Executive Officer of Netizen Co Ltd, said: “As a consultant in Enterprise Resource Planning software (ERP), Netizen cooperates with SAP in developing SAP ERP for NokScoot Airlines presenting Netizen SAP ByDesign Arabica, fabricating system with Real Cloud ERP specifically developed to target the aviation industry. The goal is to enhance competitiveness for efficient business administration amid intense competition. This cooperation pioneers system architecture featuring Real Cloud ERP for the first time in the aviation industry in Thailand with the official pilot service for NokScoot Airlines to deliver solutions for enterprise resource management, aiming to manage cost, focus on accuracy, increase speed and enhance efficiency in the highly competitive aviation industry towards the digitalisation period”.

Highlight of Netizen SAP ByDesign Arabica is the integration of 3 business cultures, offering SAP ERP from Germany combining knowledge base in work process from Japan and user format developed with Thai Localization by Netizen to meet working style and business operation suitable for the country. Tax calculation complies with Thai tax codes and formulates accurate and complete tax payment to  the Revenue Department. Business administration is therefore agile and accommodates NokScoot to expand operating routes throughout Asia, enlarge airplane fleet, enhance airlines capabilities and engage more flight connections in the future.

Arabica or Netizen Arabica is the Real Cloud ERP in the extended version of core SAP Business ByDesign developed to add work processes to cover all work administrations, tailored to business format and process in Thailand from medium to large enterprises integrating 5 key solutions:

1. Thai Localisation: Adjust operating system to suit each industry in Thailand, supporting Thai language work. For returns on investment, the Software Package offers Best Practice Standard.

2. Easy Implementation Template: Easily transfer data of existing version to new system partnering with Ecosystem, ready to service customers in every step and understand business requirements from every department, fueling business growth in the digital age with smart and international work process standard and ongoing New Upgrade Version to add new features.

3. Business Process Scenario: Simulate over 200 Scenarios of Business Cases from SAP Business ByDesign, compared with previously 36 Scenarios, finding functionalities relevant to business requirements ranging every process from production management, finance and accounting to sales under the same platform with automatic system of main functions to serve workflows in various industries.

4. Integration Software: Support work integration with other systems including fast and convenient connect via Mobility using mobile phones and handheld devices operated by Fiori technology linking UI/UX with Netizen Arabica to enable uses from every type of equipment with advanced screen and easy functions. The Logistics & Warehouse Management system handles logistics related matters with Netizen Robusta and warehouse management to help improve production capacity, reduce cost and eliminate duplicated works and delay. Verify amounts, track goods receipt and invoice (GR/IR) on a real time basis. Validate in-depth purchasing data from central database on purchasing order.

5. Origami Platform: Establish Collaboration Platform in the organization to manage personnel and activities such as Training Academy, testing model, project management, E-document for work information and files storage and Helpdesk management.

In addition, the Netizen Arabica fully integrates function accesses and works from related departments with highest security and real-time information display. The ERP system including sales and marketing (CRM), supply chain management (SCM), finance (FI), human resource management (HRM), supplier relationship management (SRM) and production plan enables employees to work aggregately with efficiency by organising work format based on Enterprise requirements with convenience and speed. Generate accurate deep data analysis and report with Dashboards. Work on Mobility every time and place. Support business expansion with capabilities. System installation requires only a few months to complete, timely to competition in the digital age.

Yodchai Sudhidhanakul, Chief Executive Officer of NokScoot Airlines, disclosed “ Amis intense  competition for share in the aviation industry, business needs to expand operating routes for survival and serve accelerating growth of passengers. Technological shift in the age of digital disruption also impacts business and challenges  airlines operators to adjust to the digital transformation process.

The cooperation marked a significant step of NokScoot supported by Netizen and SAP to turn business operations to international standard. The application of Netizen SAP ByDesign Arabica will help us receive and manage all data at fast speed, reduce administration cost, evaluate work results with efficiency, coping with changes and align with technology driven competition at present, Yodchai added.

MCOT switched off its digital Family Channel 14 at midnight September 15, but is still operating its high-definition Channel 30.

Zendesk, a US-based customer support platform, is stepping up its marketing offensive in Thailand and other Asia Pacific markets, to deliver the best omni-channel customer experiences.

According to Sandie Overtveld, vice president/sales in Asia Pacific, ever-rising customer expectations due to vast improvement in personal and social communication technology have prompted a new paradigm shift in CRM (customer relationship management).

Previously, CRM was mainly about managing an organisation’s sales and marketing teams rather than engaging with customers. However, today’s smart businesses have to adopt a different approach by focusing on the “outside-in” factor or better customer engagement.

In other words, sales and customer support teams must be linked automatically and seamlessly to deliver better customer experiences via multiple communication channels, from messaging apps and social media to call centers and emails.

Based on the Zendesk customer experience report 2019, today’s customers on average use five communication channels socially and two channels when communicating with brands. In other words, customers want to communicate with brands the same ways they communicate with friends and families.

In addition, they often compare their experience with brands, citing the best experience they have had, regardless of differences in product or service categories.

As a result, it’s a big challenge for businesses trying to satisfy and retain their customers in today’s consumer-driven markets.

For example, customers do not want to repeat themselves while waiting for resolutions to their issues so it is necessary to have a complete history of customer-agent conversations flowing seamlessly across multiple channels used by customer support teams, so that they have a clear view of the specific customer.

Line, Facebook, Tweeter, Instagram are among the popular social platforms in Thailand with Line, for example, having more than 33 million active users. Thus, a business’s interaction with customers via messaging apps is now a crucial component of the new-generation CRM, especially in view of the growing popularity of super-apps such as Grab.

Besides Grab, other potential super-apps include Get and others which are aiming to be destination apps for hailing taxis, food delivery, payment, financial and other services.

Based on the Zendesk customer support solution, it is necessary to handle lots of customer and business agent messages automatically using both bots and humans with interaction at the right time and in a natural way.

According to research, phone calls have the lowest customer satisfaction level, but they are still necessary, while customers are most satisfied with chats and instant messaging services and in many cases prefer self-service features.

For example, Grab which operates in seven Asian markets including Thailand, uses the Zendesk platform to manage its omni-channel communications with customers, especially with regard to their questions and complaints, such as when customers query on a longer-than-necessary route, some car or driver problems, or when something is left behing in the vehicle by a customer.

Besides Grab, Sandie said the logistic industry is another key market for the customer support platform as the business is booming along with the rise of e-commerce sites, thus needing more efficient warehousing and delivery services, especially on the last-mile delivery of goods to customers.

In hospitality, Thailand’s Minor hotel group is another Zendesk customer using the omni-channel communications platform to better serve guests in a seamless way, from pre- arrival and while-staying to post-stay experiences.

Zendesk, Sandie said, also targets banks, financial services and other sectors as potential customers as the markets have been driven by higher customer expectations, especially regarding their experiences in personal and social communications.

Tom Keiser, chief operating officer of Zendesk, which has also acquired Smooch messaging platform, said the company now has a total of 145,000 customers worldwide, including several Unicorns or tech start-ups which are worth US$1 billion or more each.

With an overall worldwide revenue of $700 million so far this year, Zendesk also has about 20,000 customers in the Asia Pacific who are mainly start-ups as well as established companies rethinking their customer experience strategy as customer expectations rise.

For example, more coffee shop chains are taking orders online so that customers do not have to wait in queue or customers now expect e-commerce sites to deliver their products within hours instead of two days.

Or if customers have questions about products or services, businesses should be able to get the answers even before they are asked, which is possible using the new-generation CRM platform where sales and customer support data are all integrated and powered by artificial intelligence.

Chaiwat said the company is ready to file to the Securities and Exchange Commission with the first phase of the debenture at Bt6 billion, and the next at Bt4 billion will be a “greenshoe”.

The debenture will have a five-year life.

“We will issue the debenture to support our business expansion plan,” he said.