Connect with us

Business

NCS unveils innovative suite of AI and digital resilience solutions critical to successful AI adoption

Published

3 weeks ago

on

NCS

Initiatives and new collaborations allow organisations to deploy AI securely and at scale, supported by an NCS AI talent base of 3,000 AI practitioners and 300 AI experts
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 July 2024 – Leading technology services firm NCS has launched a suite of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital resilience (DR) solutions for organisations looking to re-invent themselves in the AI era. These include frameworks, solutions and accelerators that governments and enterprises in Asia Pacific (APAC) can easily tap to use AI securely and at scale to drive sustainable game-changing innovation.

The launch took place at its annual Impact forum today where NCS CEO, Ng Kuo Pin, addressed over 1,000 leaders and technology practitioners from the region, and shared NCS’ AI-led plans for changing the game. He highlighted two key success factors for organisations – AI adoption and digital resilience – to fully harness the benefits of technology in a world redefined by economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and technological challenges.

Ng Kuo Pin, CEO, NCS said, “Across the world, AI is top of mind now, but organisations must not overlook the importance of digital resilience as they embrace AI’s transformational potential. To build a safer and more sustainable future, it is crucial that organisations invest to build a foundation in cybersecurity, data governance and technology that will allow AI to flourish. We believe organisations that master both AI and digital resilience will be the ones that will thrive in this increasingly complex global environment.”

Navigating the AI Journey

NCS’ new suite of solutions include the AI-Digital Resilience (AI+DR) Matrix which enables organisations to build a strategic roadmap that enhances both AI and digital resilience concurrently. Serving as an essential starting point for any organisation embarking on its AI journey, the innovative framework categorises organisations into four quadrants of AI Dust, Missed Opportunity, House of Cards, and Game Changer (see Figure 1), based on their maturity levels of AI adoption and digital resilience. This allows organisations to assess their AI and digital resilience readiness and calibrate key developmental steps as they move down the AI pathway.

Kuo Pin added, “AI will be a game changer and companies must learn the new game – the earlier, the better. Given the speed at which AI evolves and the implications of AI for businesses, working with the right technology partners to help navigate the AI landscape and plug into the right ecosystem is fundamental. Having primed our workforce for the intelligence revolution, NCS is AI-ready and well-positioned to help organisations avoid the pitfalls of AI adoption while unlocking its game-changing value. We will lead with AI inside and outside.”

AI and Digital Resilience Solutions and Accelerators

NCS also introduced Polaris DR, a solution for organisations to assess their digital resilience across five key areas – cybersecurity, data governance, infrastructure scalability, application robustness and operational responsiveness. Leveraging NCS’ expertise in large-scale implementations and operations, Polaris DR will enable them to lay the strong foundation needed for enterprise-wide growth and AI adoption by providing a customised improvement plan to address vulnerabilities in systems, technology infrastructure and IT operations.

To empower clients to deploy AI more securely and efficiently, NCS announced five innovative and repeatable Industry Business Solutions (IBS) embedded with NCS AI Accelerators. The solutions are both standardised and customisable, enabling organisations to accelerate AI deployments in three key areas – customer / citizen experience, workforce productivity, and software engineering – while ensuring consistency and scalability. The solutions not only leverage NCS’ track record in partnering governments and enterprises on their technology journeys, it also taps NCS’ deep industry knowledge and methodologies honed over time, regional AI talent pool, and extensive partnerships with global players in AI technology.

Strategic Partnerships with Global Players

NCS announced several strategic partnerships with industry leaders to further facilitate AI adoption and digital resilience. NCS is partnering Amazon Web Services (AWS) to launch its inaugural Generative AI Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Public Good with AWS’s Generative AI Innovation Centre (GAIIC)[1]. Customised for the APAC public sector, the CoE will leverage AWS’s team of strategists, applied scientists, engineers, and solutions architects through the GAIIC’s Partner Innovation Alliance programme to envision, scope, and accelerate public sector solutions using AWS. The collaboration combines NCS’ end-to-end capabilities and industry experience with AWS’s Generative AI services and global expertise.

Elsie Tan, Country Manager, Worldwide Public Sector, Singapore, AWS said, “We’re excited to collaborate with NCS to establish its inaugural CoE for Public Good that will accelerate the delivery of innovative citizen services. At AWS, we help customers move Generative AI from theory into practice by providing purpose-built services and expert guidance. Through this collaboration, we’ll empower NCS to bring Generative AI workloads to life and help public sector agencies drive impactful outcomes for the people they serve.”

NCS is collaborating with Dell Technologies to leverage Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA, as an early adopter in APAC and Japan to further accelerate adoption of Generative AI solutions by enterprises in the region. With their combined expertise in Generative AI and breadth of industry experience, NCS and Dell are committed to simplifying clients’ AI adoption journeys and enhancing proof of concept efforts. This collaboration allows clients to explore customised and pre-validated solutions to turbocharge their Generative AI projects in a modular manner.

NCS also signed an MOU with Schneider Electric, the global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, as the first-in-Asia partner under Schneider’s Sustainability Partner Program to provide clients end-to-end sustainability offerings and AI-enabled solutions. The partnership additionally leverages the deep expertise of both companies to better address higher density computing demands from Generative AI workloads and meet emissions compliance requirements, through innovations in sustainable and energy-efficient cooling systems for GPUs and CPUs. Clients will also benefit from a holistic suite of green offerings including education, consulting, solutions and services, tailored to better reduce their carbon footprints and progress towards Singapore Green Plan 2030 and Net Zero.

Yoon Young Kim, Cluster President, Singapore and Brunei, Schneider Electric said, “Our partnership with NCS represents a critical step towards setting a new standard in sustainability for data centres. The urgency to decarbonise the energy-intensive data centre sector cannot be overstated, even as Singapore and the rest of the world double down on cutting down greenhouse gas emissions from our operations. By leveraging our respective expertise, we aim to enable clients to achieve new operational efficiencies, reduce their data centre carbon footprints, and realise significant energy cost savings.”

NCS is collaborating with Income Insurance to extend location-based, hourly travel insurance for travellers in Singapore through the innovative Breeze mobile app. With this new offering, Breeze users will soon be able to receive location-based recommendations for FlexiTravel Hourly Insurance that offer pay-per-hour travel insurance for short trips when travelling to nearby countries. Additionally, Income’s motor insurance policy holders can use Breeze to access an in-app module for accident reporting and to contact Income Orange Force for assistance. The partnership lays the foundation for the future use of data and AI to enhance insurance services, such as providing supplementary data for accidents using mobile device sensor analytics.

Peter Tay, Chief Digital Officer, Income Insurance said, “We are constantly looking to work with like-minded partners in closing protection gaps. Through this collaboration with NCS, we are able to leverage smart, real-time data to extend insurance protection to motorists and travellers. With valuable insights and data via Breeze, we can better co-create customer-centric insurance innovations to meet modern lifestyle needs.”

Building the AI Talent Pipeline

As NCS becomes intelligence-led, the company has been infusing AI across the organisation and building a pipeline of future AI talent. It has equipped its 13,000-strong workforce located across APAC with AI-powered services and solutions to enhance productivity and transform how NCS operates and delivers its services. NCS will also create a 3,000-strong AI-certified practitioner base to accelerate implementation and deployment of clients’ AI projects. Over 300 of them will serve as AI experts with deep AI expertise to lead cutting-edge AI innovations. NCS will work with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to achieve these ambitions through the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) initiative as well as upskill and reskill their workforce to become confident AI users through courses offered by the Information & Communications (I&C) Jobs Transformation Map Training Partners.

Kiren Kumar, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, IMDA said, “In support of Singapore’s National AI Strategy, IMDA is committed to working with companies to build a strong AI talent ecosystem in Singapore. We will continue to support NCS to upskill their workforce, developing AI practitioners and specialists to build and deploy AI-enabled system.”

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Business

S&P Global Commodity Insights Joins Libya Energy & Economic Summit 2025 as Knowledge Partner

Published

5 hours ago

on

August 5, 2024

By

S&P Global Commodity

As Libya launches a series of upstream exploration and gas development projects, S&P Global Commodity Insights will leverage market data and analytics to drive the narrative of the upcoming summit

S&P Global Commodity Insights provides a 360-degree view of global capital and commodity markets, including Libya, which is in the midst of a major upstream investment campaign

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, August 5, 2024/APO Group/ —

S&P Global Commodity Insights has joined the 2025 Libya Energy & Economic Summit (LEES) as a Knowledge Partner, delivering high-level market intelligence to attract capital, technology and expertise to Africa’s largest oil producer.

A leading financial information and market analytics firm, S&P Global Commodity Insights provides information, credit ratings, benchmark prices and analysis for global energy and commodities markets. As investors seek to make informed decisions around the future of Africa’s energy sector and transition, S&P Global Commodity Insights offers data-driven, technology-focused solutions for navigating complex and rapidly shifting industry dynamics. The company will help shape the LEES 2025 agenda – as well as leverage its network to attract delegates and speakers – under its partnership with Energy Capital & Power, organizers of the upcoming summit.

The Libya Energy & Economic Summit takes place in Tripoli from January 18-19, 2025. The event follows a highly impactful 2024 edition held in official partnership with the Office of the Prime Minister, the National Oil Corporation and the Ministry of Oil and Gas. For more information about sponsorship, partnerships or registration, visit www.LibyaSummit.com and secure your spot at the country’s premier energy platform.

Libya is undergoing a dynamic energy sector transformation, as it looks to boost oil production to 2 million barrels per day by 2027 while aligning with long-term decarbonization goals. International energy majors like TotalEnergies, Eni, Repsol, Equinor and bp have recommitted to exploration drilling activities, while a new oil and gas licensing round and 45 greenfield and brownfield projects are in the pipeline, led by Libya’s National Oil Corporation. Meanwhile, large-scale gas development projects are underway – including an $8-billion gas production deal with Eni – to enhance national energy security as well as regional gas trade to Europe.

“Through its proprietary data, research and analysis, S&P Global Commodity Insights provides a 360-degree view of global capital and commodity markets, including Libya, which is in the midst of a major upstream investment campaign. This partnership will ensure that participants at the upcoming summit will come away with next-level insights into the trajectory of Libya’s energy sector and the role they can play in achieving target outcomes,” says James Chester, ECP CEO.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

Continue Reading

Business

CLG to Explore Merger & Acquisition (M&A) and Investment Opportunities at Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) Pre-Conference Workshop

Published

6 hours ago

on

August 5, 2024

By

CLG

The Angola Oil & Gas pre-conference technical program provides insight into emerging technologies, industry trends and strategies for unlocking high returns in hydrocarbon development

LUANDA, Angola, August 5, 2024/APO Group/ —

Pan-African legal, tax and business advisory conglomerate CLG – formerly Centurion Law Group – will lead a workshop ahead of the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) conference this October (2-3). The workshop – part of the pre-conference technical program on October 1 – will delve into the state of play of Angola’s Merger & Acquisition (M&A) landscape, including key concepts in oil and gas contracts and creating mutually beneficial deals in Angola.    

The CLG session will be led by CEO and Managing Partner Zion Adeoye and is tailored for government officials and regulators; foreign investors seeking opportunities in Angola; private sector operators; legal and financial advisors, and more. Titled Investing, Mergers and Acquisitions: Getting the Deal Done, the session will explore balancing stakeholder objectives, creating awareness of the Angolan regulatory industry and supporting deal-making in 2024 and beyond.  

AOG is the largest oil and gas event in Angola. Taking place with the full support of the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas; national oil company Sonangol; the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency; the African Energy Chamber; and the Petroleum Derivatives Regulatory Institute, the event is a platform to sign deals and advance Angola’s oil and gas industry. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.  

As one of the largest oil and gas producers in Africa, Angola has garnered a reputation for being a business-friendly market. Over the years, the country has instituted a complete overhaul of its oil and gas regulatory landscape under efforts to attract foreign companies to invest. In 2019, the government introduced a six-year licensing round offering regular block opportunities for companies. Shortly after this, the government introduced a rick-reducing alternative, with the reformed Petroleum Activities Law allowing the country to award risk service contracts when the public bid process is unlikely to succeed.  

Beyond licensing rounds, the country has 11 blocks on permanent offer, providing companies with the chance to invest out of the confines of traditional bid rounds. Companies can engage the national concessionaire – the National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency – to participate in these blocks.  

Meanwhile, to remain competitive for foreign investment, Angola has implemented a series of measures to enhance the investment landscape. These include incentives on deepwater projects, offering attract fiscal terms for onshore exploration and incentivizing local Angolan companies through a renewed Local Content Law. Additional reforms include a Tax Benefit Code enacted in 2022 and amended fiscals associated with incremental production. With these, the government is prioritizing an enabling environment for companies to do business, therefore laying the foundation for a wave of M&A deals across the Angolan oil and gas industry.  

To support deal signing, the CLG-led workshop at the AOG pre-conference technical program will explore the nuances of oil and gas contracts, from conceptualizing to drafting to reviewing, negotiating, novating and terminating agreements. The session will delve into the fundamental principles of deals, stakeholder objectives, phases of contracts, contracts in the Angolan context and critical issues regarding M&A deals.  

Attendees will gain insight into optimal contract structuring, generate a better-understanding of different objectives while expanding their knowledge on best practices and international standards. Participants will be granted insight into real-life examples of success stories and failures across the continent.  

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain strategic insights from industry expert Adeoye and explore the Angola’s M&A industry. To register for the workshop and the AOG conference, visit  https://apo-opa.co/46CQnhQ or contact us at sales@energycapitalpower.com. Access the pre-conference technical program here. https://apo-opa.co/4c7qWG8

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

Continue Reading

Business

IHG Hotels & Resorts and Action Against Hunger launch new partnership to tackle food insecurity

Published

11 hours ago

on

August 5, 2024

By

IHG Hotels

IHG will help support and fund Action Against Hunger’s nutrition programmes, with a specific focus on screening initiatives designed to spot early signs of malnutrition in children

IHG’s generous support will help advance our work to create a world where every life is well nourished

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, August 2, 2024/APO Group/ —

IHG Hotels & Resorts (www.IHG.com), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, is proud to announce a new multi-year partnership with global NGO Action Against Hunger (http://apo-opa.co/4dmuW7j) in support of its invaluable work to combat food insecurity and hunger for millions of people around the world. 

It’s estimated that one in three people globally are uncertain where their next meal is coming from, due to poverty, conflict, inefficient food systems and climate change. Through thousands of hotels in communities across more than 100 countries, IHG has long supported efforts to improve food security, alongside supporting disaster relief efforts and providing skills training, as part of a pledge to improve the lives of 30 million people in its Journey to Tomorrow responsible business plan.   

For decades, Action Against Hunger has been preventing, detecting and treating hunger, with its world-renowned screen, treat and sustain programme providing help across East Africa, Central Africa, West Africa, Asia, the Americas, Middle East and Europe. IHG will help support and fund Action Against Hunger’s nutrition programmes, with a specific focus on screening initiatives designed to spot early signs of malnutrition in children and provide potentially lifesaving treatment through local community outreach programmes. IHG will also seek to grow awareness of this critical issue with millions of guests around the world and give them the opportunity to donate IHG One Rewards points to the cause (https://apo-opa.co/3yd9z9b), starting today. For example, every 10,000 points donated is enough to screen approximately 124 children for malnutrition, an essential first step toward the care they need and on average, 7,500 points can support a malnourished child with nutritious food for six weeks and help bring them back to health.

Elie Maalouf, CEO, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said “Food sits at the heart of our hotels and hospitality, nourishing people and communities, and yet sadly we know it remains in desperately short supply for millions of people, despite enough being produced to feed everyone on the planet.  

This is a problem the world can solve if societies, organisations and businesses work together. IHG Hotels & Resorts is proud to partner with Action Against Hunger on their life saving work, in addition to the many other long-standing partnerships we have with incredible charities in local markets. Collectively we want to help create lasting change in a world where people are nourished, always welcome, and always respected.”

Ashwini Kakkar, Chair, Action Against Hunger International Network, said, “While hunger is a widespread challenge, for the first time in human history, we have the ability to end chronic hunger for everyone, for good. Realising that vision will take bold action and we are grateful for IHG’s will, wisdom and leadership in advancing this vital cause. Hunger makes it harder for hundreds of millions of people around the world to learn, work, dream and realise their full potential. IHG’s generous support will help advance our work to create a world where every life is well nourished.”    

As part of IHG’s purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good, this work will complement existing partnerships IHG and its hotels have in many local markets that together aim to strengthen the food system in a community – from providing training and tools to reduce food waste, to diverting surplus food to those in need. Existing partnerships focused on food security for IHG include local foodbanks, No Kid Hungry in the US, OzHarvest in Australia and Too Good To Go in Europe.   

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of IHG Hotels & Resorts.

Continue Reading

Trending