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Data localization requirements may hinder Pakistan’s opportunities to grow its digital economy

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New research paper reinforces the need to consider the economic impact of data localization in Pakistan, estimating a potential loss of 3.2 million jobs with the enforcement of data localization practices.

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A new research paper, Data Localization in Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities, examines the operational and economic impact of data localization in Pakistan. The paper outlines the regulatory environment in Pakistan and the differentiated consequences of data localization practices in four sectors: healthcare, IT and ITeS (software), e-commerce, and freelancers. Commissioned by the Asia Internet Coalition and developed by LIRNEasia, the paper also provides recommendations on how the government can approach and enforce data localization efforts without impacting the potential of the digital economy.

Data localization can contribute to slower economic growth, lower productivity, and reduced employment. The report estimated that if the Personal Data Protection Bill based on its May 2023 draft is enacted in 2024, it could result in a decline in labour productivity by 4.7%. Such a reduction, when applied to Pakistan’s GDP in 2021, directly impacts GDP and number of jobs, translating to a loss of US$ 16.5 billion for the following year and a potential loss of 3.2 million jobs.

While representatives of local businesses welcomed the government’s efforts to improve data protection in Pakistan, they also shared three key areas in which data localization requirements were seen unfavorably. Firstly, fully localized data can result in higher compliance costs, with a Pakistani IT company estimating a 70% increase in hosting costs. There are also human resource constraints, with businesses requiring more employees to run operations. Skill gaps in the local market can also hinder businesses’ smooth transition to localized data, not being able to capitalize on larger talent pools in other countries. In addition, centralized data storage can heighten the risk of data breaches, as businesses would have to compromise the security benefits of a decentralized architecture. Concerns around data recovery and data mirroring can also arise under such data localization requirements.

“The fourth industrial revolution is driven by the digital transformation of our economies and societies, resulting in global integration of value chains, economic growth, and job creation. Open data flows are crucial to Pakistan’s digital growth, and there are ways in which Pakistan can reconcile its digital security and privacy needs with the need for open data flows. An important next step for Pakistan is to review its data protection governance framework across sectors and services with a specific focus on economic growth, job creation, and its vision for digital transformation. Handicapping Pakistan-based firms by imposing additional costs can impede them from competing in the global market and for investment. Other countries with friendlier policies will have an advantage over Pakistani firms. Amid Pakistan’s goals to become a US$ 3 trillion economy by 2047, this can impact the country’s economic growth on the global stage,” said Rohan Samarajiva, Chair, LIRNEasia and one of the paper’s authors.

In Pakistan’s current policy and regulatory landscape, some data localization is required. However, regulating digital platforms and businesses in Pakistan, particularly the use and storage of data would need to be reevaluated to avoid more serious repercussions for businesses and the economy. A lighter touch approach to enforcement can yield a milder impact on Pakistan’s digital economy. With Pakistan’s regional peers also moving away from such measures, the merits of data localization do not seem to outweigh the potential economic risks it brings. Continuous engagement with industry stakeholders can help the government refine and adapt the regulatory framework as the digital landscape evolves.

For more information, the report can be found here.

This paper is authored by LIRNEasia with the support of the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC). 

About the Asia Internet Coalition

The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) is an industry association comprising leading Internet and technology companies. The AIC seeks to promote the understanding and resolution of Internet policy issues in the Asia Pacific region. Visit www.aicasia.org for more information.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/data-localization-requirements-may-hinder-pakistans-opportunities-to-grow-its-digital-economy-302212146.html

SOURCE Asia Internet Coalition

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Oracle to Invest More Than US$6.5 Billion in AI and Cloud Computing in Malaysia

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Oracle plans to open a cloud region in Malaysia, including 150+ infrastructure and SaaS services, to help boost the country’s digital economy and drive AI-fueled innovation  

Organizations across Malaysia can accelerate AI innovation with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure’s high performance and built-in security, powerful data, and distributed cloud capabilities

Upcoming cloud region to extend OCI’s footprint in Asia Pacific to 12 public cloud regions

AUSTIN, Texas and KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — To meet the rapidly growing demand for its artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud services in Malaysia, Oracle today announced plans to invest more than US$6.5 billion to open a public cloud region in the country. The upcoming cloud region will enable Oracle customers and partners in Malaysia to leverage AI infrastructure and services and migrate mission-critical workloads to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI).

The planned public cloud region will help organizations in Malaysia modernize their applications, migrate all types of workloads to the cloud, and innovate with data, analytics, and AI. Customers can have access to OCI Generative AI Agents with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) capabilities; accelerated computing and generative AI services to help keep sovereign AI models within country borders; and OCI Supercluster, the largest AI supercomputer in the cloud—orderable with up to 131,072 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs with NVIDIA ConnectX-7 NICs for RoCEv2 networking or NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 rack solutions using liquid cooling and NVIDIA Quantum-2 InfiniBand networking. In addition, 150+ services, including Oracle Autonomous DatabaseHeatWave MySQL Database ServiceOracle Cloud VMware Solution, OCI Kubernetes Engine, and Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications Suite will also be available, offering customers infrastructure, platform, or SaaS services.

“We warmly welcome Oracle’s US$6.5 billion investment in Malaysia, which represents yet another expansion of their 36-year footprint in Malaysia,” said YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, minister of investment, trade and industry (MITI), Malaysia. “This investment will empower Malaysian entities, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, with innovative and cutting-edge AI and cloud technologies to enhance their global competitiveness. It is also a significant step towards realising the country’s New Industrial Master Plan’s ambitious vision of creating 3,000 smart factories by 2030. Oracle’s decision to establish a public cloud region in Malaysia underscores Malaysia’s infrastructure readiness, and its growing position as a premier Southeast Asian destination for digital investments.” 

Malaysia offers unique growth opportunities for organizations looking to accelerate their expansion with the latest digital technologies,” said Garrett Ilg, executive vice president and general manager, Japan & Asia Pacific, Oracle. “Our multi-billion dollar investment affirms our commitment to Malaysia as a regional gateway for cloud infrastructure as well as a comprehensive suite of SaaS applications deployed within Malaysia.”

“Rapidly growing demand for AI services prompts calls for more data centers that store large amounts of data and computational power to train and deploy AI models,” said Franco Chiam, vice president, cloud, data center and future digital infrastructure, Asia Pacific, IDC. “According to IDC FutureScape ‘The Infrastructure and Cloud Impact 2024 Predictions’, Malaysia’s public cloud services market is expected to grow by 27.2 percent CAGR from 2022 to 2027. The upcoming Oracle cloud region in Malaysia, therefore, signals the country’s potential to become a hub for technological innovation and growth in Southeast Asia.”

OCI Provides Customers with the Latest AI Infrastructure Offerings and a Resilient and Scalable Cloud Foundation Running Within Malaysia’s Borders

Oracle is the only hyperscaler capable of delivering AI and a full suite of 150+ cloud services across public, dedicated, and hybrid cloud environments, anywhere in the world. OCI’s unique cloud architecture enables Oracle to launch more public cloud regions faster by starting with an optimal footprint and scaling as needed, and deploy dedicated cloud regions with hyperscale cloud services inside customer data centers. This approach helps meet the needs of all countries and markets without compromising cloud capabilities, while also providing the consistent performance, SLAs, and global pricing for which OCI has become known.

With the planned public cloud region in Malaysia, customers and partners can gain low-latency access to cloud services to help them derive better value from their data and securely store data and run applications to help address regulations and requirements for data residency within Malaysia. In addition, OCI’s sovereign AI capabilities provide customers with increased control over where they locate their data and computing infrastructure and how they manage it. As a result, customers can achieve AI sovereignty by gaining the assurance that their use of AI is aligned with digital sovereignty frameworks.

Customers in Malaysia Welcome the Upcoming Public Cloud Region

Several NVIDIA AI infrastructure services will be available to customers, including NVIDIA AI Enterprise, NVIDIA Omniverse, and NVIDIA DGX Cloud.

“NVIDIA underpins the world’s largest AI models for training and inferencing, and Oracle’s continued expansion in Malaysia will help organizations across the country harness the power of AI,” said Dennis Ang, senior director, enterprise business (ASEAN and ANZ region), NVIDIA. “With the new Oracle Cloud Malaysia Region, customers in Malaysia will gain local access to NVIDIA’s accelerated, secure, and scalable platform for end-to-end AI development and deployment on OCI, helping accelerate the development of generative AI applications.”

Read the full release here.

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/oracle-to-invest-more-than-us6-5-billion-in-ai-and-cloud-computing-in-malaysia-302264649.html

SOURCE Oracle

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Farasis Energy Signs Strategic Agreement for Solid-State Batteries with JMEV; First SPS Battery for JMEV’s ‘ELIGHT’ Model Rolls Off the Production Line

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GANZHOU, China, Oct. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On September 29, JMEV and Farasis Energy signed a strategic cooperation agreement for the development of solid-state batteries, with the SPS (Super Pouch Solution) battery for the ‘ELIGHT’ model rolling off the production line at the same time.

According to the agreement, both parties aim to jointly promote the research, production, and market application of solid-state batteries. This includes accelerating the research and development of key technologies for solid-state batteries, facilitating industrial transformation and upgrading, and advancing the maturity and commercialization process of solid-state battery technology.

Solid-state batteries are seen as a competitive edge in new energy vehicle technology due to their high energy density, fast charging, long cycle life, and enhanced safety. Farasis Energy has been deeply engaged in areas such as electrochemical systems and Pouch batteries stacking processes for many years, perfectly aligning with the development path of solid-state batteries. The product development strategy focuses on medium- to long-term R&D goals for solid-state batteries that are high-energy, high-rate, high-safety, and low-cost, ensuring timely conversion of research achievements.

Currently, Farasis Energy’s first-generation semi-solid batteries have been mass-produced for passenger vehicles and have made breakthroughs in the commercial vehicle sector, forming a strategic alliance with FAW Jiefang to jointly promote the market and industrial chain development of semi-solid and solid-state batteries for commercial vehicles. Farasis Energy aims to complete the transition from semi-solid to solid-state battery commercialization within the next five years.

On the same day, the first SPS battery system of from Farasis Energy, designed to support the “ELIGHT” model, came off the production line. This follows previous supplies to Geely Radar Horizon and GAC Second-Gen Aion V models. The launch of the “ELIGHT” model’s SPS battery aims to assist JMEV in upgrading its pure electric platform and creating a pioneering sports sedan for a better travel experience.

Farasis Energy’s SPS features:

A 10-minute charge for a 400-kilometer rangeApplicability to chassis heights from 85mm to 145mmA volume utilization rate of up to 75%Full chemical system compatibility, including sodium ion batteries, lithium iron phosphate, and semi-solid batteries, etc.

 

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SOURCE Farasis Energy

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Matterport Fall 2024 Release: Insights Meets Imagination elevates the platform with generative AI and more

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Matterport introduces essential new tools for real estate agents, contractors and designers

SINGAPORE, Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Matterport, Inc., today unveiled a groundbreaking suite of new tools designed to reshape the way professionals design, build, and market properties.

Through the power of generative AI, Matterport users can now easily reimagine the potential of any space, transforming digital twins from static replicas into dynamic canvases for creativity.

“Our Fall 2024 Release empowers users to unlock the full potential of Matterport,” said RJ Pittman, Chairman and CEO of Matterport. “Imagine being able to defurnish a home with one click or generate stunning property descriptions automatically, using just the data from your digital twin. These tools save time, elevate listings, and simplify complex workflows for everyone—from real estate agents to contractors and enterprise teams. And with features like 3D model merge, field tags, and one-click bill-back processing, we’re helping customers manage spaces at scale with unprecedented speed, efficiency and precision.”

New tools for agents:

One of the most revolutionary additions in the Fall Release is Matterport’s AI-powered defurnish tool, designed to solve a common challenge for home sellers and agents: clutter. With a single click, users can now transform a cluttered living room or messy garage into a clean, open space—allowing potential buyers to visualize the home’s true potential. Whether it’s “erasing” an outdated couch or clearing out the dining room set, defurnish gives agents a powerful yet simple tool to make every property shine.

And coming soon, Matterport’s interior design tools will unlock creativity for everyone—letting users digitally furnish and redesign spaces with ease and offering a glimpse of what the future could hold.

The AI-powered property description tool is another game-changer, crafting detailed, engaging written descriptions in just seconds. Brokers and marketers can select the style and tone, ensuring each listing is perfectly tailored—whether it’s a sleek, modern downtown loft or a charming suburban home. And by leveraging the precise spatial data of every digital twin, the tool creates content that is not only beautifully written but also accurate down to the last detail, saving hours of work and producing results that even seasoned experts will admire.

New tools for property managers, contractors, and designers:

For large-scale projects, Matterport’s new Merge tool enables users to seamlessly “snap” together multiple digital twins. Imagine creating a full digital model of an entire hotel, floor by floor, or merging every floor of a high-rise office tower into one cohesive 3D tour of the building. Merge also allows multiple team members to scan different sections of a property simultaneously and integrate them later, making it possible to capture and manage even the most expansive buildings quickly and efficiently.

Field Tags further enhance the efficiency of on-site work by allowing users to add on-site observations and tags during the scanning process. No more repeat visits to capture missed details—everything can be documented in real-time, ensuring accurate, comprehensive records of the space are captured at the moment they matter most. This feature keeps teams aligned and projects moving forward without unnecessary delays.

Lastly, Matterport introduces one-click bill-back processing, a highly anticipated feature for enterprise customers. This simple yet powerful tool removes the headache of manual invoicing and cost allocation, allowing organizations to easily distribute expenses across departments and external partners. By automating billing processes, Matterport reduces administrative burdens and empowers teams to focus on what matters most.

About Matterport

Matterport, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTTR) is the World’s #1 Digital Twin Platform* leading the digital transformation of the built world. Our groundbreaking platform turns buildings into data to make every space more valuable and accessible. Millions of buildings in more than 177 countries have been transformed into immersive Matterport digital twins to improve every part of the building lifecycle from planning, construction, and operations to documentation, appraisal, and marketing. Learn more at matterport.com and browse a gallery of digital twins.

For additional information on the press release, promotions and updates, please follow Matterport on Twitter, Facebook , Linkedin  and Youtube page. Also, reach us for a complimentary demo or email cs-webinars@matterport.com for any related inquiries.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/matterport-fall-2024-release-insights-meets-imagination-elevates-the-platform-with-generative-ai-and-more-302263322.html

SOURCE Matterport Pte Ltd

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