Fortifying cybersecurity through effective risk management

As the world continues to navigate the waters of the new normal, unprecedented accelerated digital transformation continues to be the need of the hour. However, as organisations increasingly migrate to virtual operations and transactions, there is an urgent need to protect against potential breaches and cyber intrusions. Cybersecurity threats are indeed on the rise. Ransomware and cyber incidents have multiplied, adding to the already complex crisis management morass for many organisations. Executives are now looking for the best and most sustainable critical event management strategy, while also saving time and cost.

In recent months, cybersecurity has been inextricably embedded into operations frameworks of organisations, in both the government and the private sector. Reports showed that companies’ budgets for these systems have spiked by more than 50% and towards the end of 2020, these security solutions were anticipated to form as much as half of the overall funding. Despite this, several agencies are uncertain as to how to adapt these tools and solutions. In the absence of adequate precaution, planning and programmes, many organisations are left stranded and exposed when hit by an unexpected critical event.

Such eventualities can be addressed by setting up a robust critical event management programme (CEM). This was the essence of the OpenGovLive! Virtual Breakfast Insight: Strengthening Cybersecurity and Emergency Preparedness: Enhancing Readiness, Response and Recovery.

On the 21 January, OpenGov Asia, in collaboration with Everbridge, hosted the OpenGov Live! Virtual Breakfast Insight for senior digital executives from both the public and the private sectors in the Philippines. The event focussed on establishing strong cyber resilience in organisations with effective risk management tools to be fully prepared for managing crises and cyber risks.

The role of critical event management in upgrading work systems

Mohit Sagar, OpenGov Asia’s Group Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief, opened the session with a short introduction of the participants and the topic. He highlighted the importance of having a reliable incident management programme to ward off potential data security risks.

The current scenario in many organisations in both the public and private sectors is a delicate balancing act. He painted a picture of a group of ballerinas in a difficult balancing pose. Like these ballerinas, organisations have to balance technology, customers, employees, regulations and stakeholders in the precarious new normal. If any one of these components fail or shift, the whole construction can crash.

This tightrope act works well when everything is in equilibrium. However, an imbalance, misstep or unmanaged tension can have catastrophic results.

Reflecting on how the world responded to the pandemic, Mohit then questioned the readiness of the organisations in dealing with cyber risks and their continuity plans. Lacunae were painfully evident last year with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Technology did help manage the pandemic in terms of being able to work from home but was only a temporary solution.

Prior to the pandemic, the need to consider the impact of potentially critical events was more of a theoretical pursuit and organisations plodded along with traditional plans in place. However, when the crisis hit, organisations were floundering, ill-prepared for such a massive disruption. Significant changes were urgently required to just stay afloat.

Many organisations were able to turn things around and somewhat mitigate the impact of the pandemic. But the fact is, not all organisations were able to come out unscathed, and the reality is that there is still a lot to be done to upgrade work systems and processes to accommodate the new normal.

The solution, Mohit said, is not to hope for an auspicious year to get through 2021, but to learn from past mistakes. There is a need to find out what went wrong, develop a better understanding of organisational cyber risks and determine to set a robust resilience plan in place. From this, organisations can incorporate changes in their operation models, retrain employees and most importantly, invest in strategic tools like a critical event management system.

Technology is at our fingertips and it proved to be the saving grace last year. But resilience must not be equated with being able to keep the business running through remote methods.

Mohit emphasised that putting up event management systems must not be shouldered by organisation management alone. Operational resilience is tied to effective communication that is well-received on both ends – employers and employees, management and staff. To do this, ensuring seamless communication is key and becomes crucial in crises. It may come at a price, but in the end, it must be done.

According to Mohit, creating an operational resilience plan is not an easy task. It relies heavily on cybersecurity expertise and professional critical event management systems. Therefore, it is expedient for agencies to work with the right partners to ensure that they have the best strategy in managing upcoming cyber risks.

Setting up an adaptive event management programme suited for each organisation

Sonia Arista, Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Everbridge, furthered the discussion after Mohit. She briefly shared her background in information security management and introduced Everbridge.

Everbridge is a global critical events management company that strives to keep businesses running continuously through any events that affect the workforce and supply chain, such as IT disruptions, and to maintain visibility and communications between employees and leaders on events that might affect the business.

Working in information security program management means that half of the time, Sonia needs to oversee product development as well as operational areas. The other half of the time, she is responsible for maintaining the security of Everbridge’s employees’ information and environments and maintaining a standard of security.

This can be challenging for several reasons. First, full visibility in the context of what is happening is difficult to achieve. Second, determining the level of severity of the events and the parties is not straightforward. Thirdly, how to notify relevant people, what messaging is needed, it is a one-way communication or is feedback required can make response complicated.

In short, identifying the appropriate response plan to the event and putting it into action is the name of the game. She also felt that assessment post-crisis is important to determine areas of improvement and potentially developing guidelines for other members in the industry.

To address this, there must be an adaptive critical event management programme integrated within operations models. However, Sonia was quick to acknowledge that deploying a CEM programme is no walk in the park. None the less, the rationale is that the more time spent to impact-proof operations, assets and people the better the resilience during critical events.

Sonia went on to explain her take on simplifying and unifying critical event management. To streamline the whole process, Everbridge views 4 factors to be at the core:

Assessing an incident
Locating what is happening, identify stakeholders and assets impacted
Acting and responding to the event – inform, notify, rally, collaborate, mitigate, fix, and recover.
Analysing the performance on the course of the incident, and to offer possible improvements on the processes

According to Sonia, there are instances where organisations need to manage multiple crises. Events can happen in tandem and are often caused by multiple factors such as supply chain disruption, disease outbreaks, severe weather, etc. All of these elements together contribute information to the events, and by applying the four core factors mentioned above, an organisation can fully mitigate and resolved any event.

Different business models will have different focus areas and critical event management takes different forms for organisations across various sectors. For example, companies with multiple factories will want to focus on physical access control to maintain standards in their facility, weather services for health systems to predict patient influx caused by natural disasters and threat intel engines in cybersecurity. She underscored this point by showing a list of partners that collaborated with systems such as Everbridge to bring comprehensive intel and context in remediation planning.

Sonia summarised her presentation by acknowledging that there are various programmes that an organisation can utilise. It all depends on which key areas that a specific agency would want to focus on so that the proper critical incident management can be deployed.

Enhancing cybersecurity measures through critical events management

Following Sonia’s presentation, Charlotte Wood, Director of Policy and Awareness of Cybersecurity at New South Wales Government shared her experience with the participants. Her department is responsible for setting standards and providing leadership in cybersecurity and affects all 120 entities in the NSW Government that consist of approximately 400,000 employees.

According to Charlotte, there are 3 pillars of cybersecurity: 1) Confidentiality of digital information held, 2) Availability of the information accessed digitally by people whenever it’s needed and 3) Maintaining the integrity of the digital system and services – data must not be modified improperly, whether maliciously or accidentally

Charlotte explained that the initial question to be answered is: what is an agency trying to protect when integrating cybersecurity measures. As with most, if not all workplaces, protecting the confidentiality of data is paramount, as well as keeping such information intact and readily available. In and of themselves, these two components are not sufficient. There must be workplace safeguards to ensure the integrity of data and that malicious activities do not compromise it.

One way to balance these three key components is by applying a risk-based approach and the NSW Government uses this methodology. With their standard, they address the level of risk in 3 main areas: 1) Technology and Infrastructure – in protecting their digital system and services, 2) Procession and Organisation – the standards set and 3) People and Culture – the employees’ understanding of cybersecurity

However, more critical than these 3 areas is the risk and impact of the events to the people of NSW. The risk level dictates how they prepare for the attacks, and how they prioritise the different attacks. The risk-based approach has allowed the NSW government to have a standard framework that will work in different agencies with different needs.

Mitigating the impact of critical events does not end with a cyber risk approach. It is a holistic process that improves on key aspects of the workforce including retraining employees. She added that while the notion that cyber threats can be prevented is a myth, agencies can mitigate impacts by training people and by putting up a solid cybersecurity framework.

Charlotte concluded her talk by reiterating that investment in a cybersecurity programme is a continuous cycle. As data breaches become more sophisticated, systems must be improved and defences against these threats must be fortified. Organisations can do this through prevention and simulation of potential threats.

Polling questions

After the engaging discussion by the speakers, participants participated in polling questions and discussions regarding their risk management and cybersecurity protocols, as well as the challenges that they see in this area.

When asked about their key concerns around cybersecurity in their organisations, nearly half (49%) of the attendees voted for employee education in IT security.

A delegate from the Department of Energy said that educating employees is one of the major hurdles that his agency is experiencing. The reason is that most employees fail to grasp the importance of cybersecurity and because of this, the responsibility is left in the hands of IT professionals.

An executive from the Department of National Defense shared the same sentiment. She noted that with their current remote work programme, educating employees and enforcing security policies has become more difficult.

When it comes to measuring the effectiveness of cybersecurity architecture, two thirds (66%) of the participants said that they do this by looking at the ability of the organisation to respond effectively to impending cyber threats. Data protection, threats response and effective mitigation are their main measurements.

Interestingly, 20% of the participants stated they did not have any measurement and wanted to learn from the others. One participant from the government said they are interested to find ways to measure this area in their cybersecurity policies.

The third question was on how the participants rate the level of preparedness of their organisation to cyber threats. Few were unsure and some admitted that they are not well prepared. 45% of the participants felt that they are prepared but they have doubts if it can withstand infiltration.

The fourth question asked the participants on their biggest challenge for accelerating their response to IT incidents, a large portion, mostly government officials, voted it to be the lack of skilled Cybersecurity or IT professionals. They experienced budget constraints and felt policies in hiring these professionals were difficult to follow.

For well over half of the delegates (60%), the lack of skilled Cybersecurity/ IT Professionals is the biggest challenge they see in boosting their cybersecurity protocols. Others felt information overload and alert fatigue to be challenging since IT incidents involved not only cybersecurity but also operations.

The last question was on how participants’ security operations are currently driven. For the most part, delegates said they were compliance and incident driven but now realise the importance of risk-based or intelligence-driven parameters and were working towards it.

Conclusion

The session came to a close with Sonia stressing the need to establish a critical incident management programme in order to ramp up cybersecurity in the overall organisational framework.

She re-emphasised how different elements contribute to an incident and that it is important to look beyond the confines of technology. Keep educating and spreading awareness, pick up intelligence from suppliers and partners that are helpful for the organisation in responding rapidly to events in an automated consistent fashion.

Sonia thanked the participants for their wonderful insights and contributions and encouraged them to reach out to her team and her on their CEM journey.

EXCLUSIVE! The Impact of Cloud Communication on the Digitalisation Journey

The global spread of COVID-19 has been a disaster of unparalleled proportions. Not only has it halted the world economy, but it has also made even the most optimistic leaders reconsider how soon things would return to how they were before the outbreak.

Even as the pandemic disrupted businesses and services around the world, a sudden and dramatic increase in internet consumption was observed. Businesses had to shift to digital communications and tools as the key medium for maintaining productive and interesting relationships with their many stakeholders – internal and external.

While the private sector was quicker to alter procedures in the early phases of the pandemic, the public eventually successfully adapted and innovated to continue citizen service delivery. Of course, early on, most governments rapidly put into place digital communication and emergency response platforms.

By allowing users to access their data and applications from any internet-connected device, cloud computing expands the scope of digital transformation beyond simple technology adoption to encompass a comprehensive redesign of all related procedures, resources and user interactions.

The cloud and digital transformation are now inextricably linked. Organisations across the board need to adopt a cloud-first strategy if they want to ensure the longevity of their operations and realise their transformation objectives.

Most organisations and agencies have benefited from the digital change, but some industries are behind the curve. To keep up with the fierce competition in their industries, they must guarantee the reliable operation of the cloud communication platforms that serve as a direct line of contact between the organisations and their consumers and aid in the promotion of their offerings.

The OpenGov Breakfast Insight on 25 November 2022 at M Hotel Singapore provided Singapore’s public, education, financial and healthcare sectors with the advantages of the most recent cloud technology.

Simplifying Things via Cloud Communication

Mohit Sagar: Technologies to cope with new demands

Mohit Sagar, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, OpenGov Asia believes that the cloud has transformed the way organisations communicate, cooperate and carry out many other critical business and service functions.

Cloud communications are voice and data communications solutions that organisations employ to manage cloud-hosted applications, storage and switching.

“Cloud communications services are becoming an increasingly intrinsic choice for organisations looking to streamline their operations and enable their remote workforces to stay connected and productive,” observes Mohit.

Cloud communications enable organisations to interact with their employees and customers over many channels, including email, audio calls, chat and video. All of these leverage internet-based connectivity to minimise faulty connections and lag in communication.

This communication model has become the go-to option for addressing the growing need for efficient internal communications in the hybrid workplace. As numerous workers are returning to the office, and for many of those who have remote work capabilities, hybrid work arrangements are swiftly becoming the new standard.

Organisations are figuring out ways to make hybrid work as interesting and effective as they can. Leaning into what is working, changing what is not working and adapting as lessons are gained are the first steps in creating an effective hybrid strategy, work environment, and culture.

Employee access to the system from anywhere on any device is the need of a mixed work environment. Regardless of the apparatus they are using or their location, employees need to be able to connect to the system.

“User-friendly features in cloud communications make it simpler for staff to become used to the technology,” Mohit explains. “Up until now, better work-life balance, more effective time management, control over working hours and location, prevention of burnout and higher productivity have been the main benefits of hybrid work.”

Having the appropriate tools to be productive at work, feeling less a part of the organisation’s culture, poor cooperation and relationships, and disturbing work processes are some of the biggest obstacles to hybrid work.

Apart from the initial expenditure, virtual meetings result in reduced expenses because of the decline in maintenance and transportation costs. Moreover, integrations of cloud telephony enable companies to place and receive calls from any device that is connected to the Internet.

This means that cloud communications can potentially maximise resources for organisations. Procedures, implementation and adaptability can all be accelerated with a cloud communications strategy, which also offers limitless high-volume information transmission.

According to Mohit, cloud communications must have robust security components to ensure compliance with data privacy laws and the security of all stakeholders. “To assist in safeguarding data in the cloud, emerging cybersecurity tools should also be taken into account.”

These include Artificial Intelligence (AI) for IT Operations (AIOps) and Network Detection and Response (NDR). Both programmes gather data on the security and stability of cloud infrastructure. After data analysis, AI notifies administrators of any unusual behaviour that might represent a threat.

Ultimately a well-thought-out cloud communication strategy with strong security features can serve organisations and gain a competitive advantage in an increasingly digital landscape and VUCA environment.

Welcome Address

According to Lucas Lu, Head of Asia, Zoom, if communication fails to give the greatest possible experience, everyone suffers – from employees to consumers to investors. And neglecting to address this essential avenue has ever-worsening implications.

Organisations are going through some significant changes, he explains. The first is in the general business environment. Organisations are under tremendous pressure to boost efficiency, adapt fast as competition rises and keep up with the rapid pace of innovation and technological advancements.

This problem is becoming even more pressing because of economic uncertainties. Furthermore, solving these problems requires effective communication between consumers, prospects and staff.

The workforce is likewise seeing a paradigm shift. People desire the option of remote employment and are asking for the cutting-edge equipment and communication systems they need to do their jobs.

HR managers concur that a high-performing workplace’s future requirements would include collaboration, regular communication and a mentorship culture between managers and teams. “You run the risk of losing the ‘War for Talent’ if you don’t deliver,” Lucas asserts.

With every new tool and software that is made available, communication becomes more difficult and complex. Employees, clients and potential consumers are just a few of the stakeholders who have preferences and expectations about how, when and where they conduct business.

Due to this, many businesses choose their battles carefully when it comes to facilitating communication. They follow a variety of routes, including:

Maintaining already-established systems that are deemed adequate
Making use of the fundamental, built-in communication capabilities that are provided with other software packages, even if they don’t entirely satisfy the organisation’s demands
Using different approaches based on the circumstances. You might, for instance, employ one communication tool for internal cooperation and another for clients, investors, and outside events

“All these strategies are meant to provide organisations with fundamental communication,” says Lucas. “These methods provide some flexibility, but they also change the environment for prospects, employees and consumers. People are compelled to alternate between various options based on their needs as a result.”

This causes unneeded annoyance, rework, expenditures and misunderstanding. Employees may feel alienated and impatient. Customers’ interactions with the brand are disorganised and unprofessional. And various instruments frequently make business slower.

In this uncertain business environment, organisations that can move beyond basic communication into universal communication have extraordinary potential. They can develop intuitive connections to all parties, employees, customers and investors, regardless of location, technology or business activity.

This will be accomplished by integrating the individual and organisational connection demands that will result in a) Delivering a consistent and quality experience for all participants, b) Making human connection effortless, and c) Enabling rapid innovation to maintain relevance.

These results may:

Satisfy both the primary business requirements and the consumers’ expectations
Redirect internal resources from managing communications to new services and capabilities; and
Increase the marketability and perceived agility within the organisation and in the market.

An organisation’s reputation is directly related to the quality of its communication services. In addition to the fact that employees, clients and customers can work remotely, those returning to the office do not t want to compromise on the at-home office environment to which they have grown accustomed.

Organisations must adapt to this new hybrid environment to guarantee that everyone receives high-quality service regardless of circumstance or location. Expectations are simply greater and it is unacceptable if a session fails due to dropped participants or subpar audio or video.

“With Zoom, you may use a top-notch infrastructure that is specially made to prevent failures to safeguard your company from communications disruptions. You eliminate a work-limiting unpredictability risk by doing this,” Lucas says confidently.

When communications are down nowadays, it is impossible to conduct business. Hence, organisations may provide a controlled experience by enabling their staff to work without being concerned about the underlying technology. Additionally, they can analyse the underlying cause of any problems in their surroundings and take preventative measures.

With this, employees can concentrate on their work without unneeded interruptions or ambiguity and will have faith that the communication solution their organisation has deployed will work as planned.

“Partnering with Zoom enables quick innovation to keep up with the times. You can take advantage of a constant flow of fresh features that correspond to actual user requirements,” Lucas says. “Moreover, by frequently communicating with their support group, organisations will rapidly realise what is possible.”

Fireside Chat: How to Prepare for the Transition to the “Cloud Culture”

Geetha Gopal, Head of Infrastructure Projects Delivery and Digital Transformation, Panasonic Asia Pacific believes that every day, new technologies emerge and the culture of change is driving a paradigm shift for which an organisation must be prepared.

“As the COVID-19 outbreak rocked the world and we were unsure of what to do, our investments in technology became our strength,” says Geetha.

As the trend toward digitisation of remote work transforms the traditional office culture, a cloud culture has evolved. Likewise, cloud computing has become a competitive advantage for these organisations.

Every step toward better efficiency in the manufacturing sector increases competitiveness. Because of this, the industry’s embrace of cloud communications has become a crucial turning point. Cloud communications have changed the game for manufacturing by enabling increased efficiency while lowering IT expenditures.

“Cloud computing is the future, and organisations are successfully transitioning from the traditional office culture to the cloud culture,” Geetha says firmly.

Streamlining operations using scalable technological solutions for essential tasks and process optimisation not only helps reduce costs but also frees up time for businesses to devote to value-adding endeavours.

This is crucial now more than ever as operations teams struggle to keep up with the quickening speed of product and investment strategy development being observed among clients.

The new service-focused, client-centric operating model for investment operations will be made possible by technology, data and scalability. Organisations need to realise that the greatest way to prepare for the future is to create it as they deal with this period of constant innovation.

As a result, operations leaders who are taking steps to redesign, reinvent and adapt their operations may ultimately be in a stronger position.

Geetha emphasises that collaboration, communication and connectivity are crucial for success in today’s work environment. The key to maximising these contacts is digital communication. “For efficient communication and productivity, your company primarily depends on specific systems, platforms, and applications.”

More organisations are understanding the enormous advantages of migrating their systems to the cloud as technology continues to progress. In addition to allowing organisations to remain relevant in a competitive market, innovation plays a vital role in economic growth. Innovations are required to solve key problems.

One of the tactics that may be employed to save money while maximising organisational resources and extending communication skills and reach is advance planning.

An advantage of cloud communications for aiding staff members in a hybrid workforce is the reduction in time spent travelling to the workplace. Employees can save time travelling with the hybrid model simultaneously offering the chance to be more productive.

Despite the importance of enabling technology, it is the human workforce that will not only execute the organisation’s digital transformation strategy but also ensure its long-term success.

Guaranteeing that personnel are up to the task, however, needs not only technical training but also a radical transformation in thinking and decision-making.

It is important to focus on organisational culture by changing the management programme and making concerted efforts to close the gap between the internal aspect and employees.

Organisations that are unable to develop and achieve new goals that will assist their employees and business to thrive are those that are unwilling to alter existing practices.

“The pandemic can no longer be an excuse or the reason – remote work is here to stay. If we want skilled employees then we need to concentrate on their needs – we must empower our employees,” Geetha concludes.

Closing Remarks

Lucas believes that every problem has a solution since most organisations fail to connect their strategy to their innovation objectives. “Change is a constant process, and what we say today might leave a legacy tomorrow. Any plan for digital transformation, in our opinion, must be built around digital innovation.”

The road of digital transformation must involve a competitive advantage that can only be sustained by introducing innovations and contemporary methods if it is to stay modern and please clients with cutting-edge goods and services.

For every change, there is a call for managerial backing to be successful and transformative. Zoom is happy to discuss how digital transformation budgets differ from traditional business or IT budgets to meet the demands of any organisation.

Lucas believes that cloud computing is transforming not only how many organisations access and store data, but also how many of these businesses run. It provides greater protection, flexibility, data recovery, minimal to no maintenance and ease of access.

“Although many people used to hesitate the cloud computing, they have now realised how important it has become to organisations,” Lucas has observed.

Mohit believes that changes in computers and how technologies are distributed are altering the ecosystem, especially for those who work in a hybrid environment. He encourages delegates to start establishing a strategy to utilise the cloud’s benefits for their businesses and services. “Organisations should determine the types of cloud services for which you require solutions, then meet with cloud service providers to determine the best long-term match.”

Both public and private organisations benefit from the adaptability, efficiency, scalability, security, improved collaboration and cost savings that cloud computing offers. “The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated cloud adoption, but it is anticipated that cloud computing is here to stay, especially since hybrid work assumes a central role,” Mohit concludes.

The Philippines Joins ARENA-PAC, Launches Chatbot “Revie”

The Philippines was selected as one of the pilot nations to be connected to the Arterial Research and Educational Network in the Asia Pacific (ARENA-PAC) through its national research and education network (NREN).

The Philippine Research, Education and Government Information Network (PREGINET) will be linked to a global NREN hub in Guam as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Secretary Renato Solidum, Jr of the Department of Science and Technology Institute (DOST) and Prof Jun Murai of Keio University.

Prof Murai, known as the Internet Samurai and widely regarded as the inventor of the internet in Japan, has played a key role in establishing network testbeds across the Asia Pacific to support innovation and cutting-edge technologies on the global internet.

ARENA-PAC is a backbone network that currently connects Tokyo, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore to a hub in Guam via several 100Gbps circuits. Future membership is anticipated to increase.

The next phase of ARENA-PAC’s advancement of science and technology, which will benefit not only the Asia Pacific region but also the world’s research and educational communities, will begin with this new process for high-speed additional internet connectivity in collaboration with DOST-ASTI.

These kinds of cooperation, according to DOST Secretary Renato, are crucial for the nation, particularly in the field of research and development, where cooperation with other nations in the Asia-Pacific region is crucial.

The fact that this collaboration with the Japanese counterparts is a direct result of the DOST-long-standing ASTI’s relationship with them makes it particularly significant. “Because any cooperation activities will be based on trust and a positive working relationship, it is crucial that we nurture our relationships with our collaborators,” says DOST Secretary Renato.

The precursor to the collection of science infrastructures that ASTI maintains, PREGINET has been igniting research and educational activities across the nation.

Numerous research projects have been conducted in the fields and applications of disaster risk reduction management, bioinformatics, health, and distance learning thanks to these scientific infrastructures. The ARENA-PAC offers members and partners of PREGINET the chance to maximise research opportunities and create successful partnerships within the networked world.

Meanwhile, a new version of the BIR Digital Assistant – Chatbot REVIE is now available and includes TIN Verification/Validation, RDO Finder, and an eComplaint facility, according to the country’s Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

The eComplaint, on the other hand, is a service that enables taxpayers to file complaints against businesses for failing to issue receipts or invoices, engaging in tax evasion, and other violations of the Tax Code.

The eComplaint facility can also be used to file complaints against incompetent BIR employees or officials.

Revie, the BIR’s digital assistant, was introduced in June 2021 to address general inquiries from taxpayers as well as frequently asked questions about registration, BIR Forms, the zonal value of properties, and BIR eServices.

The BIR website’s home page provides 24/7 access to this artificial intelligence. If a taxpayer using the service needs more clarification on Revie’s responses, they can also chat with a live agent.

The enhancement of Chatbot “Revie” is part of the BIR’s Digital Transformation (DX) Programme, which aims to improve taxpayers’ experiences when transacting with the BIR by providing additional channels through which they can raise questions and concerns about their tax compliance obligations.

EXCLUSIVE! Simple, Seamless and Secured Citizen Services: Unlocking the Secrets of Digital Government Success

The public sector across the world is undergoing the most extensive digital transformation ever. The urgency with which citizen services must be updated and improved during the previous two years is a direct result of global events. Moreover, the expectation for instantaneous, significant, and individualised digital experiences has also been increased by the epidemic.

As a result of the pandemic, governments have had to rethink services with more innovation and creativity to meet the increased need for faster time-to-value structures that are more agile and collaborative. On the other hand, many organisations in the public and nonprofit sectors felt pressured to improve their digital services to meet rising expectations.

Singaporean government agencies have done an excellent job of providing citizens with cutting-edge, trustworthy digital services in the fields of healthcare, education, and social support. These agencies provided residents with seamless service by utilising cutting-edge digital tools and services such as telemedicine, intelligent chatbots, mobile apps like TraceTogether and distance learning.

While there is still a way to go in transforming many offline services, there is much potential to innovate and provide residents with more user-friendly services. When looking for government services, citizens do not want to fill out numerous forms and browse multiple websites. People have come to anticipate a level of service that is both consistent and easily accessible via the internet.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that government agencies need to better use innovative digital tools and platforms to foster more strategic and all-encompassing community interaction. While this transition is underway, efforts are being made to make sure that those folks who are not technologically savvy are not left behind.

The OpenGov Breakfast Insight on 23 November 2022 at the M Hotel Singapore provided the most up-to-date information on how government agencies may develop seamless, personalised, citizen-centric digital experiences.

Digital Government Provides Simple, Secure, Citizen-Centric Services

According to Mohit Sagar, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of OpenGov Asia, the ultimate test of digital government success is the importance of simple, seamless and secure citizen-centric services.

Adopting a human-centred strategy for every step of the digitalisation process, making sure that the citizens were served with compassion rather than being overly thorough when digitalising every analogue process cannot be overstated.

“We must strive for human-centeredness in our digital government by incorporating service journey mapping and reimagining services and processes along the way to meet citizens and businesses where they are,” believes Mohit.

By adopting agile technological development, organisations are better able to respond to rapid changes and provide better solutions for the current situation.

To ensure that no citizen is excluded, governments are adopting an omnichannel approach to provide seamless, personalised delivery and/or communication of key government services across multiple agencies via digital, phone and physical channels that integrate high-tech functions.

In meeting the public’s expectations for inclusive, equitable and accessible digital services, government agencies are modernising their technology infrastructures. Access to equal and inclusive online and in-person services is a significant focus as they increase their emphasis on the customer experience.

Having rich analysis, content management and hyper-personalisation tools allow both private and public organisations to make their services accessible to everyone.

The public deserves an intuitive digital experience, so the government organisation must make its services available to everyone using tools for hyper-personalisation, content management and rich analysis.

“The Singpass app is the best example of this in Singapore which the government made to ensure a more inclusive and diverse public service,” Mohit shares. “With such solutions, platforms and apps, Singapore’s public sector enjoys high levels of citizen satisfaction, which bodes well for the future.”

A successful digital government will measure citizen satisfaction through key digital services provided by the government and pinpoint areas that need improvement. The main goal is to promote an innovative culture and use new technologies to improve the lives of the citizens.

It is becoming increasingly important that a government comprehends the user experience and impact of its digital services as more people interact with it through websites and mobile applications.

Governments are placing extra emphasis on digital transformation. Offering a seamless digital experience makes sure that the public sector can continue to serve the citizens and be useful and accessible in the future. “An organisation can easily stagnate without a concerted effort when it comes to digital transformation.”

Welcome Address

Shashank Sharma, Head – Digital Experience Business, Adobe South East Asia recognises that the pandemic increased the need to modernise and innovate more quickly than ever before. It also raised the bar for agile open team structures across all industries, including telcos, intending to have faster go-to-market than in the financial and public sectors.

“We’ve been pushed to think creatively and with ingenuity. But the biggest problems we face in the public sector or public service agencies are outdated systems,” says Shashank. “There are legacy systems and databases that are siloed between various government agencies.”

The COVID-19 crisis highlighted the importance of a broad-based strategy for digital transformation. The trade-offs between policy goals may have changed as the health and economic crisis developed.

The fact is that most local governments rely on siloed software systems with data stores that are frequently redundant for decades. The systems never interact with one another or exchange data. Although it might have appeared that this was the best way to maintain the accuracy of the data in each system, in practice it results in duplicate data, errors and workflow issues.

Citizens now have high expectations for government services because they have been enjoying an exceptional digital experience in the private sector where their needs are met immediately – anywhere, anytime on any device.

The term “citizen-centric” refers to a change in the focus of service delivery from the interests of the government to those of the citizens. Although the quality of public services may be comparable across socioeconomic classes, citizens may draw different conclusions about service because of differences in how those services are perceived and expected to perform.

To make digital transformation work for growth and well-being, policies are required. Cross-cutting concerns like gender, skills, digital governance, and data governance must also be considered.

A country can create a coordinated, whole-of-government approach to digital transformation with the aid of a government digital policy that takes into account all citizens’ needs and preferences.

Establishing a governance framework that supports coordination, articulating a strategic vision, evaluating important digital trends and policies and developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy are all necessary steps in the process of reevaluating current digital policies.

To ensure equity and inclusiveness in the projects and services that are delivered, the government is looking to change the policies that affect people’s lives. “As more and more digital services join the public sector, you can be sure that the guidelines will increase.”

Technology Insight

John Mackenney, Practice Director – Digital Strategy APAC at Adobe, discussed the company’s creation of a Rapid Response Programme and COVID resources hub. These were designed to assist the government in adapting to the needs of their workforce and the people they serve when the pandemic hits in 2020.

“At Adobe, partnering across industries to improve digital customer experiences is a significant part of who we are. And we have partnered with governments to unleash creativity, accelerate document productivity, and power the digital business with our platforms,” John reveals.

They have accomplished a goal worth celebrating after a year. In all 50 states of the U.S., Adobe is now collaborating with the federal government as well as with specific agencies at the state, county and city levels – from e-signatures to powering customised communications to constituents.

According to John, citizens expect more individualised digital experiences since they demand more open, dependable, accessible and responsive service. Governments, therefore, must empower citizens and concentrate on increasing public satisfaction while lowering service costs.

Governments today have become more citizen-centric, data-driven, proactive, and responsive to help citizens and businesses, especially during difficult times.

“Making data available that can enhance experiences and economic outcomes is one of the government’s initiatives, as is ensuring that citizens receive consistent and understandable information,” John asserts.

Most countries are concentrated at the emerging level when it comes to customer experience. There is no centralised customer portal for any state, but leaders set themselves apart by customising the user experience (top services, searches, portals) and by digitising high-priority applications.

Moreover, countries are predominantly at the emerging maturity level, like customer experience. Overall, they discovered that most government websites are designed with desktops in mind rather than mobile. As most constituents will attempt to access government websites and information via their mobile device, this is at odds with an accessible strategy. Mobile site speeds typically lag desktop site speeds by 44%.

“We have the widest range of scores across all states in our digital social equity dimension,” says John.

In terms of digital equity, more than half of the states are in the early stages and by focusing on user experience (high contrast, readability, large text, text-only pages), as well as by providing a wide range of language options and services, websites can be made much easier to understand.

Three crucial capabilities are needed to deliver personalised experiences. The first is the data and insights about citizen journeys through both assisted and unassisted channels. Connecting data from various government agencies makes insights accessible to all.

The collaboration and content come in second. Creating content more quickly and widely across all channels (online and off) will maximise cooperation between departments and within agencies when reusing materials.

The third is the journeys – where governments customise the experience on the terms of the citizens and use context to make sure each journey is pertinent, unique, and accessible.

Personalisation of government services, according to John, is enabled by email and web personalisation tools. Both tools enable government agencies to better adapt to citizen needs.

Any personalisation strategy must provide genuine value to citizens and should ideally achieve the following: Make it easier for citizens to find relevant information: make useful information available to citizens who may not be aware of it; reduce information entry that is repeated or unnecessary and assist citizens with complicated transactions.

John suggests that governments should personalise the experience of their citizens for three reasons:

Time savings due to content accessibility will result in increasing service usage due to streamlined application procedures;
Time savings and compliance through the fusion of information from various government agencies;
Time savings by delivering the most pertinent content.

Personalising citizen experiences will enhance the interaction with government services, resulting in quicker and more satisfying decisions and outcomes. “Increased use of government goods and services, then citizens satisfaction follows from this,” concludes John.

Fireside Chat

According to Lucy Poole, General Manager – Digital Strategy, Architecture and Discovery Division, Digital Transformation Agency, Australia, to facilitate improved decision-making, streamlined engagement, increased efficiency, and the rollout of a slew of new digital government services to citizens and businesses, it is essential to recognise data as a critical enabler and to share this data on a whole-government basis.

“Public service organisations must deal with too much complexity and rapid change to effectively respond with what they already have on hand,” Lucy feels.

However, these very same organisations are in a prime position to connect with ecosystem allies who have access to a wealth of resources and skills. This will lead to the operations, services and technologies being expanded into partner organisations.

The Australian government is looking into different ways to build trust, which is crucial as countries recover from the global pandemic and prepare for new challenges. This citizen trust is essential for ensuring the success of a variety of public policies that rely on the public’s behavioural responses.

In this context, the importance of data sharing cannot be underestimated. The pandemic has demonstrated that accelerated data sharing is feasible. The current challenge for government leaders is to institutionalise these data-sharing advancements to support the upcoming innovation wave and the general welfare.

“Governments should start by assuming that the public will find value in data and that it should be shared,” Lucy asserts.

The Australian government has pledged to lead the world’s digital economy and society by 2030 and rank among the top three digital governments by 2025.

With its vision for 2030, the way the government helps its people transition into adulthood, start higher education or training, start a family, retire, take care of a loved one and go through other significant life events is being reexamined and improved.

Additionally, the public will have the option to share information across pertinent services and personalise services. By pre-filling and submitting their forms upon request, pre-evaluating their eligibility and initiating automatic payments, will offer a seamless experience.

Personalised government services will benefit those who need them most while also being more convenient for everyone.

The country aspires to improve its ability to collaborate with its organisations and community to enable better service outcomes. “To streamline our engagement and free up the public to concentrate on achieving the results they are passionate about; we will use technology-enabled platforms,” Lucy opines.

To achieve this, the Australian government is looking to make the appropriate investments in digital and ICT-enabled infrastructure at the appropriate time and approach. The Digital Transformation Agency of Australia will help agencies to harness the true potential of advanced technologies.

The Digital Transformation Agency provides strategic advice and assurance to the Australian Government on its digital and ICT-enabled investments to help drive the transformation of public services.

Some of the benefits and challenges of coordinating investment across government are that government employees and contractors must possess the necessary skills to spearhead the government’s efforts to transform into a digital economy. Using both established and emerging technologies, they must aid in building better services.

“To make training, hiring and career development for the Australian Public Service easier, we will identify and describe the digital skills we need. This includes initiatives to find new talent through cadetships, graduate placements, and internships,” Lucy explains.

These digital skills are being ingrained throughout the government. The investment is a part of the modernisation fund established by the Australian Government in partnership with the Australian Public Service Commission.

“We anticipate that as new skill requirements materialise, this capability will change,” says Lucy. “Cybersecurity and cloud computing management, as well as design and research skills, are emerging needs. To support Australian small and medium-sized businesses in the future, the nation needs to pinpoint areas where they can develop new capabilities.”

The delivery of digital transformation will be led by Australian businesses and their workforce. They will purchase cost-effective technology from around the world and implement it using Australian skills and ingenuity.

“We will manage risks for the government and our business partners through the way we interact with our suppliers, and we are changing our sourcing policies to make the government more business-friendly,” Lucy says. “This method of modern procurement is collaborative and iterative. It enables the government to purchase goods and services with less risk and for a better price.”

Closing Remarks

Shashank noted that all delegates agreed to prioritise digital experiences and he encouraged them to begin their seamless journey. Data connectivity, he is convinced, enables governments to drive relevant, personalised interactions and is becoming increasingly important in the realm of innovation. “It adds value to citizens.”

Governments should put the interoperability of services to make sure that the data and citizens relate to the digital journey. Essentially, interoperability is the fundamental capability of various computerised goods or systems to connect and exchange data with one another without hindrance in either implementation or access.

Shashank reiterated that equity and accessibility considerations for a digital journey are vital to success as were empowering policies and trust in the government.

“A key component of the developing global economy, which is increasingly dependent on connectivity, data use, and new technologies, is digital trust,” says Shashank. “Technology needs to be secure and used responsibly to be trusted.”

Mohit underscored the importance of a skillset in the digital journey. Relevant expertise will assist businesses and services in generating leads, increasing demand and attracting traffic. “With the appropriate strategy and execution, the right skill set will help people in all roles understand how their contributions can more effectively drive success.”

Moreover, he recognises the importance of cloud technology. The cloud allows organisations to scale and adapt at a rapid pace, accelerating innovation, driving business agility, streamlining operations and lowering costs.

Finally, in this ever-evolving landscape and VUCA environment, partnerships are essential and inevitable. Through the right alliances, every organisation will be able to reap the benefits of digital transformation.

“Because digital partnership enables them to modernise legacy processes, accelerate efficient workflows, bolster security, and increase profitability,” Mohit concludes.

The Impact of the Philippines’ Smart City Initiatives on Enhancing Citizen Services with Charles David Ramos, Head of Information Technology, Makati City, Philippines

Information and communication technology (ICT) is used in a smart city to improve government efficiency, public engagement and the standard of living for its residents.

Advanced technologies and data analytics are at the heart of the concept of a “smart city,” whose primary goals are the enhancement of city services, the promotion of economic growth, and the betterment of residents’ quality of life.

The recent pandemic and other critical events have forced the citizens of the Philippines, as it has in other countries, to rely on their government for a wide range of services to be offered innovatively.

Agencies moved rapidly to digitalise services and set standards for data storage, security and workflow. Central and local governments have implemented a wide range of ICT strategies to lessen the impact of these catastrophes.

For instance, Makati City, the business capital of the Philippines, launched the Makatizen Card and the Makatizen App to offer financial help and services, such as online legal assistance, teleconsultations, and online learning, to its residents.

Challenges Turn Inspiration: Embarking on Smart City Projects

Charles David Ramos, the Head of Information Technology for Makati City in the Philippines, is firmly convinced that innovation helps governments and public sector organisations deliver services faster, better and cheaper. Moreover, it can also help with long-term problems caused by social, economic, demographic, environmental and technological change.

“We will be able to increase our revenue and service efficiency through innovation,” Charles asserts, citing the recently launched “MakaTurismo” website to underscore his point, which was made to help the local tourism sector.

The website is Metro Manila’s first travel website focused on attracting tourists into a post-pandemic environment. Apart from the lifestyle centres, eateries, and hotels, the City of Makati is home to numerous undiscovered treasures, such as special historical sites.

Since it includes details about the city’s tourist attractions, lodging options and free walking tours, the project could significantly assist businesses in attracting clients and customers.

While discussions of digital transformation typically centre on improvements to remote working capabilities, Makati City has instead begun investing in infrastructure upgrades. As a result, they are modernising their server infrastructure by switching from a physical to a software-defined network (SDN) and merging various data centres.

Charles noted that Makati City is concerned with project implementation and database consolidation. In addition, they integrate analytics into all projects and increase automation to improve their functional services.

Makati City opened the Makatizen Hub in 2021, to further assist its citizens in their transactions during the ongoing pandemic. The local government has set up satellite offices so that everything can be done online.

Charles emphasises that, as they integrate technology in a variety of ways, they are centralising a strategic approach to planning and managing the direction of the city government’s use of technology.

To accommodate its diverse population, Makati provides a wide range of publicly available services. In addition, there are services designed exclusively for residents, catering to their unique requirements based on factors such as age, health, education and overall satisfaction with life.

The city has been able to successfully manage these programmes, but officials are always looking for ways to improve efficiency. This is made possible in large part by technological advancements. As the population of Makati expands, so do the city’s needs and the hopes and dreams of its residents.

The responsibility of the administration lies in anticipating the wants and needs of the people. By bolstering them with cutting-edge tech, agencies can reimagine service delivery and foresee what people will need in the future.

As an example of a programme designed for the future but implemented today, the Makatizen Card is a useful tool. The Makatizen Card is an innovative programme that provides residents of Makati with access to a variety of new social, informational, identifying and financial services.

For more than half a million people living in Makati, this single government-issued ID card unifies access to a wide range of economic and social services.

Charles is one of the authors of IT Security – the Security 3.0 book, published by Mithra Publishing in London. It discusses the infrastructure framework’s fundamentals that underpin the city’s primary data centre and the local government information system that has recently undergone upgrades.

“The data centre’s IT capabilities can only be improved through upgrades. By upgrading ageing or inefficient IT assets, they improve reliability, performance, efficiency, cost, security, and uptime -which resulted in serving the public efficiently,” Charles explains, further elaborating on the steps taken by the municipal government to improve flood and earthquake early warning systems.

Makati was named the first-ever Resilience Hub in the Philippines and the Southeast Asian Region by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in the third quarter of this year.

According to the UNDRR, a resilience hub is a city, municipality, or local authority with the political will and expertise to take action to reduce vulnerability to disasters and climate change. With the help of the Making Cities Resilient Campaign (MCR), which Makati joined in 2010, the city has successfully integrated disaster risk reduction into all its strategic plans and programmes. The region’s cities have joined several international networks to learn from and implement its DRR best practices.

Additionally, in collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry – Board of Investments (DTI-BOI), Digital Pilipinas officially launched its Innovative Cities initiative to technologically advance one city at a time. It does this by bringing together local government agencies, academic institutions and the private sector to establish numerous centres of excellence.

In association with the Resiliency Innovation Sustainability & Entrepreneurship (RISE) Certification Programme, the City of Makati was selected as the programme’s pilot location. With a focus on making the Philippines relevant in digitalisation and Web 3.0 conversation, the Innovative Cities initiative seeks to increase the Philippines’ innovation and technology quotient to support local economies and expand their industries.

The city’s digital transformation journey in local government has been completed at minimal or no cost. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have been used to implement larger-scale projects and some solutions have been provided for free in exchange for Makati serving as a model for the adoption of these technologies by other LGUs and institutions. Even when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, Makati was still able to serve its citizens efficiently without endangering their health.

A true and effective digitalisation strategy entails a fundamental rethinking of the traditional organisational structures of industrial activities and business models to make them significantly better.

With the help of Makati Mayor Abby Binay, who is very encouraging of digital transformation, these initiatives were able to come to fruition. Charles believes that the use of technology and innovations is merely a tool to accomplish this goal, so it’s critical to pick the approaches that can most effectively help an application achieve its objectives.

“Digital transformation is, at its core, a mindset. It is a long-term, ongoing journey rather than a single undertaking or endpoint. As the business changes and appropriate technologies become available, iteration is necessary.”

The Philippines Launches 3DPH Information System

To produce a consolidated database system for 3D visualisation and analysis of surface and subsurface information, the 3D Philippines Information System was created and led by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS) and the De La Salle University (DLSU).

This initiative is monitored by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) in collaboration with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

An output of the 3D Philippines Programme, the 3D Philippines Information System is a web-based application that was created as a platform to offer researchers from national government agencies, local government units, and other sectors a centralised database system for storing, accessing and facilitating hazards and risk assessment of surface and subsurface information. The 3D Philippines fully supports the government’s drive for digital transformation to simplify operations and integrate, among other things, risk and hazard assessments.

One of the goals of 3D Philippines, according to Dr Teresito C. Bacolcol, PHIVOLCS Officer-in-Charge, is to incorporate borehole information into the GeoRiskPH Platform so that researchers can view subsurface information and subsequently assess subsurface conditions for geotechnical designs. “Our engineers would benefit greatly from the three-dimensional image we obtain with the borehole information integrated into the system.”

The System supports GeoRiskPH in managing and analysing scientific data to support programmes for research, planning, and disaster risk reduction. The goal of PHIVOLCS is to create a 3D workspace where scientists, engineers, and planners may work together. The organisation is hopeful that they will be able to develop a system that allows users to move things in a virtual reality environment and has envisioned putting this 3D facility nearby.

Publicly accessible platforms like HazardHunterPH and GeoAnalyticsPH will make 3D visualisation available to the general population. To let concerned stakeholders know that information on boreholes is available, the platforms will also indicate the general location of boreholes at different zoom levels.

More than 100 participants from the National Housing Authority (NHA), National Irrigation Authority (NIA), National Water Resources Board (NWRB), and local government entities are expected to benefit from the training session.

Meanwhile, the people, communities, and local governments should not be complacent about the potential hazards and repercussions of tsunamis in their territories, according to officials and experts from the DOST-PHIVOLCS.

Diverse tsunami-prone localities have been receiving services from DOST-PHIVOLCS. To ensure that all LGUs are prepared to develop an appropriate and coordinated response action plan for the residents, it also entails monitoring, cascading pertinent information and warnings down to the local and barangay areas in various platforms and possible ways, and risk assessment.

The public, LGU officials, and responders can browse technology-based and mobile applications like Hazard Hunter, REDAS, and GeoRiskPH, which will eventually help them not only on the monitoring side but also to have a better understanding of various possible tsunami risks and hazards in particular areas.

The DOST-PHIVOLCS websites and social media profiles are among the channels that the agency has stressed as being useful in assisting every LGU in making better decisions. Since the Philippines is an archipelago and earthquakes frequently occur, it is crucial to have the proper knowledge regarding tsunamis and to be prepared for them.

The local government units in the nation are urged by DOST-PHIVOLCS to build and improve their tsunami warning systems and evacuation strategies to safeguard every Filipino, particularly those who live in coastal areas.

EXCLUSIVE! Powering the Future of Citizen Services with Advanced Digitisation

Malaysia intends to launch more catalytic projects to help the country achieve its goal of becoming a regional leader in the digital economy by 2030.

As part of the country’s efforts to establish itself as a global leader in the digital economy, MyDIGITAL was created to assist in the implementation of the government’s goals in this region. Hence, the government’s current priority is improving the accessibility of public services by establishing specialised digital infrastructure.

It aims to increase the scope and quality of public services and boost the effectiveness of e-government portals by monitoring and analysing developments. State and local governments must provide better services to citizens while stretching taxpayer ringgit as far as possible.

Data services must use traditional data to accomplish this by enhancing its robustness, availability and validity as well as by providing metadata-like elements that are not often present. Public sector technology leaders should focus on producing data outputs, such as organisational, transferable, and procedural data.

By implementing new technologies, organisations can make better use of their existing IT resources, freeing up staff to focus on modernisation projects like cloud-native development and hybrid cloud. Tools like data modelling, analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) software are examples of enablers.

Moreover, the public sector must use technology to modernise services for the future by developing data-sharing policies and agreements, developing a plan for handling data-sharing circumstances including data minimisation, data security and privacy; and establishing safe access-controlled systems.

The OpenGov Breakfast Insight on 17 November 2022 at Pulse Grande Hotel, Putrajaya with Malaysia’s top public sector leaders offered the most recent information on the public sector digital transformation advancement journey towards the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030.

Enhancing Malaysian Public Services with Digital Technology

According to Mohit Sagar, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, OpenGov Asia, e-Government portals become more effective by tracking and analysing progress. This can be accomplished by enabling dedicated digital technology to improve public service delivery.

The government’s goal of making Malaysia a high-income country that is focused on digitalisation and is a regional leader in the digital economy is reflected in the MyDIGITAL initiative. And the steps taken to realise the MyDIGITAL aspirations are outlined in the Malaysian Digital Economy Blueprint.

The direction of the digital economy’s contribution to the Malaysian economy will be determined by this blueprint, which also lays the groundwork for the national drive toward digitalisation and the closing of the digital divide.

During Phase 1 (2021–2022), the Malaysian government intends to accelerate digital adoption to strengthen the digital foundation required for the swift and smooth rollout of Phases 2 and 3.

To make the country a regional leader in digital content and cybersecurity, Phase 3 (2026-2030) would focus on these areas after Phase 2 (2023-2025) has successfully driven digital transformation and inclusion across the digital economy.

“The public sector must use technology to update services for the future,” Mohit asserts. “They can do this by planning how to handle data-sharing situations; making rules and contracts for data-sharing; including privacy, data security, and data minimisation; and setting up security systems with controlled access.”

As an example, Mohit cited the Malaysian Government Central Data Exchange (MyGDX). It is a platform for data sharing that consists of several standards, tools, components, repositories and registries that would allow the transfer of data from various source agencies to target agencies in a predetermined data format.

MyGDX offers data brokerage services for information that is frequently requested by client-serving organisations. Cross-agency data-sharing management is made simpler and more effective by MyGDX. Government organisations that have registered with MyGDX as users currently include statutory bodies, local governments, and federal, state and agency organisations.

The nation’s Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is the Personal Data Protection Department (PDPD). The primary goal of this division is to ensure that individuals’ private information gained through business dealings is not misappropriated or otherwise abused by user data.

Automation is a valuable tool that can help any organisation meet the needs and expectations of its clients while remaining cost-effective. It could also help in terms of real-time information for decision-making. “Automation can accelerate the digital transformation process by increasing productivity and ensuring service effectiveness,” Mohit explains.

Mohit is pleased to note that the Malaysian government aims to establish a strong cyber security culture. They want to gain knowledge on how to deal with new and developing technologies so that the country can minimise risk and safeguard its organisations using uniform policies, procedures and equipment.

All these measures will establish Malaysia as a digitally advanced one that offers its citizens the best possible experience with robust security.

Welcome Address

Kelvin Loh, Senior Manager, Solution Architecture, ASEAN, Red Hat explored how data helps improve people’s lives and speeds up the innovation process.

“Data is essential to business because it spurs innovation and increases competitiveness. However, pandemic-driven lockdowns and social isolation highlighted its significance and accelerated digital transformation to unprecedented levels.”

A well-implemented, robust data strategy is about more than just optimising costs and revenue. The effectiveness of the processes and the well-being of people will have a ripple effect on the community in which an organisation resides as well as the community from which employees hail.

According to Kelvin, modern technology is essential for providing effective medical care. Smart technology has recently attracted the attention of medical innovation and research on a global scale. It plays a crucial role in modern healthcare by making it easier to identify conditions and patterns of health and, most importantly, by enabling treatments that could save lives.

This level of technology includes voice and massive data communication, wearables that can monitor a person’s health, predictive detection of abnormalities and infections and AI-driven devices.

The state of humanity has significantly improved thanks to medical advances. Innovation for lifesaving entails developing, deploying, and updating ML models and software quickly.

The incalculable billions of dollars in savings to patients, their families, insurers, employers, governments and hospitals from avoided medical expenses associated with keeping people healthy or curing them of a life-long, chronic condition are a benefit of these medical advancements, both past and present, that is frequently overlooked.

Red Hat incorporates sustainability into all its business practices to lessen the company’s negative impact on the environment.

Enhancing energy efficiency programmes, expanding renewable energy contracts to support the full operations of the top-consuming facilities, and implementing sustainable design standards throughout our offices were among the 2021 initiatives. All three of these actions were taken to cut consumption.

Moreover, with data pointing to the business efficiencies, cost-benefits and competitive advantages it possesses, a large portion of the business community will cease to exist without it.

Cloud service providers run services on their servers, which are always connected to the internet. Since their business depends on customers trusting them, they use cloud security methods to keep customer information private and safe.

End-User Insight

Digital transformation in government, which makes use of cutting-edge technologies, aims to give citizens more accessible, reasonably priced, and customer-focused services on both a national and local level, believes David Graham, Chief Innovation Officer, City of Carlsbad.

Technology has an impact on almost every aspect of a person’s daily life, including access to food and healthcare, transportation efficiency and safety, socialisation and productivity.

Excitingly, the influence and reach of the internet have aided in the development of global communities and made it simpler to share knowledge and resources.

By combining cutting-edge digital technologies with human understanding, public sector organisations may be able to transform and streamline their operations, improving the value of taxpayer dollars and public services.

“Technology has an important role in society. Our way of life is changing and will continue to change in every way. It is changing how we communicate, do business, learn, and teach, as well as how our brains work,” says David.

The development of technology has also altered how people learn. To provide the best learning experience, people must adapt and create new strategies to meet the changing needs of the environment in the digital age.

In the context of the digital maturity model, David views connected communities as the transformative connections that can arise between data, systems and people, ultimately resulting in better citizen services and collective empirical, data-driven decision-making.

For instance, the idea of ridesharing connects people using data, helping both drivers and passengers choose the best partners for each trip based on geographic information, budgetary considerations, and service levels.

Organisations today are impacted by the technology tsunami, pressure for continuous improvement, a gap between operational needs and public tech experience, resource limitations and uncertainty.

There are four characteristics of the innovation culture:

Reimagine
engage
Empower and
Embed

The list of opportunities is long and includes things like community involvement, infrastructure, economic development, mobility, land use and housing, organisational excellence and public safety.

The pandemic has brought attention to the widespread issue of inequality in access to online services. In the current landscape, everyone should have access to connectivity, but many do not. This digital divide, David well knows, is a serious and pressing issue.

To ensure a fair distribution of digital opportunities across nations, locations, gender, socioeconomic status and age – in jobs, education, and quality of life – closing the gap is essential. The key to doing this is connectivity.

Data analytics, in David’s opinion, is significant because it aids in the performance optimisation of businesses. By finding more cost-effective ways to conduct business and storing a lot of data, companies can help reduce costs by incorporating it into their business model.

David advises organisations to properly define their problem, particularly in terms of technology, before strategising and developing solutions. “It is also necessary to have a vision and leadership to develop strategies and actions.”

Closing Remarks

Tammy Tan, Country Manager, Malaysia, Red Hat, agrees that the pandemic not only disrupted lives but also prompted organisations to redefine who they are and where they are going.

“Digital disruption is accelerating across businesses and governments, and all segments, hence we need to take advantage of these shifts to rebound faster,” Tammy says. “Although the road to complete recovery is lengthy, it is paved with opportunities.”

Organisations that had already begun their digital transformation journeys were able to recover with increased productivity and efficiency. These companies have changed the game by successfully utilising innovation and technology to move staff, clients, and businesses to the “Next Normal.”

According to reports, the digital revolution over the last two years has increased access to and use of financial services all over the world. the transformation of how people borrow, save and make payments.

“In Asia, for example, we saw an increase in digital payments, with many of our financial customers launching new apps and services to meet their ever-growing customer needs,” Tammy shares.

More than half of all ICT investment will be linked to digital transformation by 2024 according to IDC Digital Transformation Predictions. As CIOs and IT leaders define the new normal for themselves, open-source technology is likely to be at the forefront.

Future businesses will increasingly demand a cutting-edge digital infrastructure that is highly resilient, adaptable, agile, and scalable indefinitely to provide digitally enabled goods, services, and experiences.

“As a Red Hatter, I am reminded of our core value: WE use open-source software to help customers succeed,” says Tammy. “Because it brings together people with different experiences to work together to solve a common problem and spark new ideas, open source has paved the way as the innovation driver for the software industry.”

Red Hat provides its platforms to customers in the most straightforward manner possible across on-premises environments, cloud services, and the edge.

Organisations that consider themselves to be in the “leading” or “accelerating” stages of their digital transformation strongly prefer hybrid cloud when it comes to cloud strategy. Red Hat can robustly address typical customer challenges in the following areas through its offerings:

Application Development
Platform Simplification
Enterprise Automation
Data Science
Edge

The company is passionate about more than just the software. They are keenly aware that their expertise and knowledge will lead to better times ahead. “At Red Hat, we think that being open unlocks the potential of the world, and we want to help you build your future right now.”

Cheow Siew May, Country Sales Manager, Malaysia, Intel Corporation recognises that hybrid operating models are becoming more common in industries. Today, machines, Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensors are collecting more and more data, which organisations must decipher and use to build smart business operations.

For many organisations, the edge represents the next step in the evolution of the open hybrid cloud. Against this backdrop, Red Hat and Intel are setting up labs and innovation centres that will be supported by both companies. “We are working together to set up hands-on lab environments around the world to speed up innovation at the edge with customers and partners.”

The goal is to help organisations build data-driven solutions and applications that can support containerised hybrid cloud workloads and give the industrial ecosystem more sustainable operations and more flexibility. “Intel is committed to the cloud journey and we encourage all organisations to approach us to help them on theirs.”

Mohit knows that partnerships can help businesses take advantage of the current digital wave by enabling them to jointly develop game-changing innovations and business models.

Digital transformation is a journey and partnerships that are mutually beneficial help both parties enhance their interactions with customers and stakeholders, as well as their ability to compete, resulting in a substantial increase in profitable revenue.

In the end, digital transformation exists to serve citizens and customers. As the overall CX is improved through technology, it increases confidence in a nation’s government and reflects positively on an organisation’s recovery, reputation and revenue.

New Zealand’s Public Safety Network to Get Significant Digital Boost

The Police Minister announced that the government will roll out a new phase of the country’s public safety network, which he described as the most significant advancement in New Zealand’s public safety communications in a decade. It is a new phase of digital communications for emergency service workers and will be launched next year.

The Public Safety Network will deliver emergency services with a single secure digital radio network and greatly improved mobile broadband access. According to a press statement, the technologies will help meet the ever-increasing data and information needs of frontline staff as they serve the community. The goal is to create a new secure digital communications network that supports the operational capabilities of the country’s emergency services.

New Zealand’s Emergency Services is made up of around 35,000 staff and volunteers who attend over five million calls for help every year. They require the tools and infrastructure to be able to respond at any time, and in any part of New Zealand. This will only be possible with accurate and timely information. The new network will serve front-line emergency responders for decades to come, the statement claimed.

The digital boost to the Public Safety Network required a significant collaborative effort among the four emergency services, and it will be used by Police, Fire and Emergency NZ, Hato Hone St John, and Wellington Free Ambulance. It will enable them to communicate with each other more effectively during emergency incidents. It could be expanded for other government users in the future. The Public Safety Network is made up of:

Digital Land Mobile Radio: a digital radio network built with sufficient resilience to enable emergency services to communicate even in the event of a significant natural disaster. Land Mobile Radio supports push-to-talk communications which are used extensively by emergency services, and provides location services, is encrypted and secure.

Priority Cellular and Roaming Services: these services improve existing cellular network coverage resilience through a multi-network solution and allows sharing of information through apps. Emergency communications will take priority over other mobile users on cellular networks when the networks are congested or degraded.

Personal Alerting: personal alerting service will be provided over a stabilised paging network, which is critical for emergency responses in remote communities supported by volunteers.

These technologies will allow emergency services to reliably communicate with each other and prioritise cellular services and roaming, which will increase connectedness to mobile broadband for responders, especially at times when mobile networks are congested or degraded. The infrastructure investment will also enhance the efficiency of emergency services during earthquake disasters and climate-related emergencies.

Delivering the Public Safety Network is a significant infrastructure project, investing $1.4 billion over ten years to build and operate the network, roll out new devices to emergency services staff, stations and vehicles, and decommission the existing network. Emergency services will start transitioning to Cellular Services from mid–2023 and Land Mobile Radio as a regional rollout in 2024.

The country has a number of tech-enabled solutions to boost both economic growth and serve citizens. Recently, the Fisheries Amendment Bill, which passed its final reading recently, aims to strengthen and modernise the management of the country’s fisheries. According to the Oceans and Fisheries Minister, David Parker, the Bill will help keep the ocean and coastal ecosystems healthy and resilient while supporting the role of fisheries.

The Minister of Transport, Michael Woods, announced the new National Ticketing Solution (NTS) which provides a single payment system and a range of easy-to-use payment methods for public transport, including buses, trains, and ferries. The NTS will be rolled out in a stage process across the different public transport authorities, starting with Environment Canterbury in 2024.

November 27, 2022

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