TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media OutReach – 26 April 2023 – Almost half of Taiwanese small businesses expect to grow in 2023. Digitalisation is likely to be the catalyst for their growth, according to CPA Australia’s Asia-Pacific Small Business Survey.
CPA Australia surveyed 4,280 small business owners or managers across 11 Asia-Pacific markets, including 313 respondents based in Taiwan. The survey results show many Taiwanese small businesses are adopting a cautious wait-and-see strategy. With only 39 per cent of small businesses expecting the local economy to grow this year, it’s prudent that many may be limiting their expansion and investment plans.
The survey results show this careful approach. Forty-eight per cent of businesses expect to grow this year, below the survey average of 66 per cent. Of businesses expecting to access finance in 2023, only 45 per cent said they will do so to fund growth.
Anticipation on revenue from overseas sales slightly improved, with 36 per cent expecting to grow this year.
Four-in-10 Taiwanese small businesses grew last year despite strong headwinds. Usage of e-commerce and digital payment technologies both registered improvements and rose to a record high in Taiwan.
“Taiwanese small businesses have experienced many challenges since 2020,” Mr Elic Lam FCPA (Aust.) Honorary Taiwan Adviser at CPA Australia said. “Chief among those was COVID-19. Most small businesses took action in response, including reducing capital expenditure, seeking government support and turning to online sales.”
Taiwanese small businesses made steady progress on digital transformation. In 2022, 52 per cent generated more than 10 per cent of their revenue from online sales and through digital payment options such as LINEpay and Apple Pay. Both results are a record high for Taiwan. Fifty-eight per cent plan to introduce new products, services or processes this year.
“Customer behaviour worldwide has changed due to the pandemic. This may turn out to be a major catalyst to drive small businesses’ digital transformation, such as selling and communicating with customers online.
“Taiwanese small businesses should further embrace digital transformation as this is a key characteristic of high growth businesses. To do so, they should consider seeking professional advice to identify and invest in the most suitable technologies, outsource IT solutions to trusted vendors, build the technology capabilities of employees or engage in strategic alliances with technology-focused companies.
“The Executive Yuan recently proposed a new plan to raise the overall competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises. Small businesses should make full use of the plan’s measures to transition their business model into one that is digitalised, innovative and low-carbon.
“From surveying nearly 40,000 small businesses across 11 Asia-Pacific markets since 2009, we have identified the key characteristics of successful small businesses. These high-growth businesses are more sophisticated at adopting technologies and e-commerce, improving customer’s satisfaction, innovating, and expanding overseas sales.
“I believe small businesses in Taiwan that possess these characteristics are likely to recover quickly and be well positioned for growth this year.”
Over three-fifths of small businesses in Taiwan spent time and resources on ESG practices last year. Many of them focused on staff health and safety, and business diversity and inclusion policies.
“It makes sense that Taiwanese small businesses are prioritising employee health and safety. Small businesses should also make use of government initiatives to establish a low-carbon mindset and identify areas to transform. For example, reviewing their supply chain sustainability and reducing energy and water use to lower long-term operating costs.
“With the reopening of borders, relaxation of travel restrictions and the reshaping of global supply chains, I’m confident that many Taiwanese small businesses will bounce back this year.” Hashtag: #CPAAustralia #SME #Business #Economics
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About CPA Australia
CPA Australia is one of the largest professional accounting bodies in the world, with more than 172,000 members in over 100 countries and regions, including more than 22,200 members in Greater China. Our core services include education, training, technical support and advocacy. CPA Australia provides thought leadership on local, national and international issues affecting the accounting profession and public interest. We engage with governments, regulators and industries to advocate policies that stimulate sustainable economic growth and have positive business and public outcomes. Find out more at cpaaustralia.com.au
Leverage IoT and mobile app to facilitate self-service operations for property management
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 26 April 2023 – NineSmart Limited is proud to announce the launch of Smart Residence, a contactless access and facilities booking solution for residential buildings under NineSmart Solutions (NSS). With the rising demand for property technology (PropTech), NineSmart is committed to becoming a prominent solution provider in the market with advanced IoT technology.
Smart Residence is a brand-new IoT solution that connects commonly used residential amenities with cloud, which allows residents to control and reserve these facilities by a mobile app through Bluetooth or network.
Kiosks with smart intercom system at building entrances
Doors in public areas including lobbies or clubhouses
Mailboxes or lockers
Elevators
Self-serve kiosks at clubhouse for booking and e-payment
In addition to enabling two-way video and audio communications between kiosks and smartphones, the Smart Residence app allows residents to generate temporary QR codes for their visitors, which eliminates onsite verification procedures by building guards.
“We see immense potential in PropTech, and we are investing significant resources in developing cutting-edge solutions,” says Ryan Ip, Co-founder of NineSmart. “Our goal is to leverage the power of IoT and cloud technology to streamline access management for business premises and property management.”
“Many decision makers struggle with the adoption of IoT technologies and require a vendor who can provide robust software development capabilities, along with suitable hardware and installation services.” Lucas Mo, Co-founder of NineSmart, emphasizes that Smart Residence fills a crucial gap in the PropTech market in Hong Kong.
To showcase the latest advancements in PropTech, NineSmart has participated in the prestigious IT event InnoEX in April, and will be exhibiting in the upcoming International Property Management & Procurement Expo (PropEx) in August. Onsite demonstrations will be displayed to present how to infuse IoT technology into business and property management.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About NineSmart
NineSmart, one of the brands under technine, is a pioneering property technology (PropTech) company devoted to transforming the way people interact with their business or living spaces through using IoT technologies. Our NineSmart Solutions streamline access management, enable self-service operational models, and provide data remote management through our self-developed IoT Hub with well-designed system architecture.
About NineSmart Solutions (NSS)
NSS is a suite of prebuilt IoT solutions that suggest ways to streamline processes and reduce human effort for businesses that serve numerous visitors in order to achieve self-service operations.
Smart Access: a cloud-based QR code access control solution
Smart Booking: a web-based facilities booking solution
Smart Event: an RSVP and participants’ data management solution
Smart Residence: a contactless access and booking solution for residential buildings
Kaipen, produced by two Kaipen Community Business Groups in Nambak District, Luang Prabang, has been certified with the prestigious ODOP (One District One Product) certification by the government of Laos.
HONG KONG SAR and SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 26 April 2023 – Arta TechFin (“ARTA”, HKSE: 0279), a hybrid fintech platform bridging traditional financial assets and digital assets (“DA”), partners with Enhanced Digital Group UK Limited (“EDG UK”), a leading provider of digital asset (DA) structured derivative solutions to distribute digital asset structured products in Hong Kong exclusively.
This partnership with EDG UK enables ARTA clients to access digital markets in traditional USD structured note formats. ARTA will be able to offer clients a variety of return scenarios, including asymmetric strategies and capital protected structures. In addition to the EDG UK partnership, having partnership networks in New York, Singapore and Zurich, ARTA offers a one-stop global solution in over-the-counter structured products and exchange-traded derivative products listed in Chicago and Hong Kong.
“We are thrilled to partner with EDG UK to develop a global digital asset financial ecosystem. EDG UK and other partners bring in global liquidity and cutting edge product choices to meet our client demands for tailor-made digital asset solutions in traditional USD formats.” said Eddie Lau, Chief Executive Officer of Arta TechFin.
Meanwhile ARTA is looking to set up ASEAN headquarter in Singapore to strengthen its distribution channel and client coverage, and obtain Capital Market Services (CMS) licenses in Singapore. ARTA considers that its physical presence and local licensed partners will further strengthen ARTA’s existing regional coverage in security tokenization and digital asset investments.
In mid-February, ARTA announced a strategic partnership with OSL, the digital asset business division of BC Technology Group (HKSE: 0863), to create an end-to-end virtual asset financial service ecosystem, including origination of asset-backed security tokens, secondary trading of physically-settled and cash-settled DA spot and derivatives, and custody of OTC and exchange-traded DA.
Hashtag: #ArtaTechFin
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Arta TechFin Corporation Limited
Arta TechFin is a hybrid financial (HyFi) platform bridging traditional finance with blockchain-based financial system via technology innovations. Our regulated one-stop solution enables corporates, financial institutions, and family offices to access traditional assets and digital assets.
ARTA, through its various subsidiaries, are licensed under Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. Other licenses include Hong Kong Stock Exchange participant, insurance brokerage license, trustee license and money lending license in Hong Kong as well as Eurex participant in Germany.
Enhanced Digital Group UK is a subsidiary of Enhanced Digital Group Inc. (‘EDG’), a US based derivatives counterparty. EDG provides derivative solutions to institutional investors and offers hedging solutions through principal derivatives trades.
EDG UK is an appointed representative of Sapia Partners LLP, which is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Young footballers Mazda Laos GB FC celebrated their trophy in Thailand on Saturday.
Young footballers from Mazda Laos GB FC have brought home a trophy from the SAT NSDF Thailand Championship 2023, after participating and winning in their football competition for children.
A customer looks at beer on shelves at a supermarket in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, April 24, 2023. Thai beer enthusiast Artid Sivahansaphan said Monday he has been handed a 150,000 baht ($4,360) fine and a suspended six-month prison sentence for violating a law on advertising alcoholic beverages by posting a photo of an IPA-style beer with his evaluation of it on Facebook. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
BANGKOK (AP) — A court in Thailand handed a craft beer enthusiast a THB 150,000 (USD 4,360) fine and a suspended six-month prison sentence for violating a law on advertising alcoholic beverages by posting a photo of a beer with his evaluation of it on Facebook.
A global survey of employees reveals 84% in Hong Kong think inefficient IT support affects morale and hinders productivity, while 90% welcome adoption of AI in resolving IT issues with minimal disruption Lenovo Premier Support Plus combines AI and human for proactive, predictive, seamless and direct IT support, designed specifically for today’s hybrid workforce
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 25 April 2023 – Nine in ten employees (90%) in Hong Kong recognise that AI has a positive role to play in helping them stay productive, while eight in ten (86%) prefer a blend of AI and human interaction, according to Lenovo.
The new global study[1] from Lenovo reveals that of the 12,000 employees surveyed, 87% respondents welcome AI to help resolve IT issues. Among which, an even mix of AI and human interaction is most preferred across markets (36%), while 22% and 23% prefer either more AI support or more human interaction respectively. Of the various areas that AI application can help in IT support, resolving IT issues with minimal disruption (37%), offering 24/7 support during weekends and holidays (29%), and analysing past issue and come up with solutions to help improve IT system (27%) and the top three areas chosen by respondents.
Similar results were generated among employees in Hong Kong in their preferred blend of AI and human support. Survey respondents see the key benefits of AI-powered IT being able to offer 24/7 support even during weekends and holidays (39%), and automatically resolve IT-related issues (38%) with minimal disruption (34%).
In Hong Kong, 92% believe they would be more productive if their IT issues at work were resolved quickly and efficiently. Another 84% say poor IT support has decreased their motivation at work. Results show an efficient and effective IT support system needs to be in place to power today’s hybrid workforce.
“As workplaces have evolved with the rise of hybrid work, IT support for employees clearly hasn’t kept pace. With the growing adoption of cloud services, digital intelligence and the metaverse, organisations’ IT environments are only going to become more complex, so effective IT support will become even more essential to employee experience and morale,” said John Stamer, Vice President and General Manager, Global Product Services at Lenovo.
“Premier Support Plus offers services that are essential for both the current needs of a hybrid workforce and support continued digital transformation, combining the best of both worlds: advanced AI for smarter, preventative services, while still providing human support where it’s needed most, for the seamless and direct IT support that employees are looking for.”
Premier Support Plus is the most comprehensive IT support service on the market and the answer to help companies stay future ready by offering the right solution to improve employee experience and satisfaction, essential to retaining talent in today’s highly competitive market.
Premier Support Plus was developed with key enterprise and end user pain points in mind to offer the most comprehensive support service and protection for IT problems:
AI-driven predictive analytics enable proactive and preventative issue detection, and the ability to identify and address many potential IT problems.
Accidental Damage Protection provides coverage beyond a traditional system warranty, protecting devices from any unintentional drops, spills and bumps.
Keep Your Drive service retains users’ hard drives and provides full customer ownership of their data, to be kept or disposed on customers’ terms, improving data security and ensuring compliance with data privacy and retention requirements.
Sealed Battery services extends battery support for up to three years, where Lenovo-certified technicians are assigned to ensure effective and efficient battery replacement when needed, minimising downtime and improving business resilience.
International Services Entitlement supports multinational corporations by enabling Accidental Damage Protection, Keep Your Drive, and Sealed Battery services wherever in the world their employees happen to be.
Given the importance of employee uptime, productivity and motivation, Premier Support Plus also offers a dedicated Services Engagement Manager to enterprises, providing proactive asset reporting and tracking.
“The mandates of CIOs to drive enterprise transformation have never been more urgent. IT departments need to deliver on employees’ experience of IT, every single day. So, in addition to being an increasingly trusted partner in intelligent transformation, we’re also incredibly focused on delivering practical innovation,” said Mr. Stamer.
It has been Lenovo’s mission to empower organisations with practical and sustainable technology to drive innovation and future-readiness. Recently, Lenovo has launched a series of PC solutions including new ThinkPad and ThinkCentre to help users embrace hybrid working environments.
Lenovo Premier Support Plus is now available. Find out more at a global virtual event on 15 March 2023. Get insights on how technology can enhance employee experience and a first-hand look into how Premier Support Plus can solve IT support issues. For more information and to sign up, click here.
[1] The global study by YouGov, commissioned by Lenovo, surveyed 12,000 employees in Australia, Brazil, China Mainland, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore, UK and USA, was conducted from 23 February to 3 March, 2023.
Hashtag: #Lenovo
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US$70 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #171 in the Fortune Global 500, employing 82,000 people around the world, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, Lenovo has built on its success as the world’s largest PC company by further expanding into key growth areas including server, storage, mobile, solutions and services. This transformation together with Lenovo’s world-changing innovation is building a more inclusive, trustworthy, and sustainable digital society for everyone, everywhere. To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com, and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.
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Smart Access: a cloud-based QR code access control solution 
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