TechBurst Talks

In this podcast, we are going to take another look at 5G. In our last episode, we discussed whether Telcos will be able to monetise their 5G investments. We were pretty harsh in our criticism of the 5G ecosystem, but that doesn't mean that I don't think 5G will be a game changer. Rather, I just think we need to reset our expectations of capabilities and benefits that 5G will bring to the market.

Yes, 5G will bring faster speeds, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

In this episode, we sat down with Danial Mausoof, Nokia's Global Sales Head for Enterprise Services, to discuss what differentiates 5G from traditional networks - and and whether 5G will become the tech industry buzzword that FINALLY lives up to the HYPE. .

Show Notes:

01:30 Danial's career journey with Motorola Solutions & Nokia

09:05 What differentiates 5G from the existing networks like 4G?

12:40 Today's 5G networks deliver faster speeds, but there is still more spectrum to be allocated that will support future 5G services (e.g. mission-critical services). How do you see 5G deployments evolving?

17:00 Nokia recently released its "5G Readiness Report", where it surveyed 1,628 global technology decision makers about "5G+ enabled digitalisation." To start, what the hell is 5G+ enabled digitalisation?

19:50 In 2030, 5G+ spend in 2030 will reach $4.5 Trillion - but only $600 Billion (13%) will be for public connectivity. $2.2 Trillion (48%) will be on Edge Infrastructure / Cloud Platforms. How is this related to 5G?

22:10 $900 Billion (20%) of this spend will be on Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning - how is this related to 5G?

24:40 The final $800 Billion (18%) relates to the deployment of Private 5G networks. Why do we need Private 5G networks - and why are companies like John Deere and Bosch deploying them to support their manufacturing plants?

30:00 86% of decision makers already have some kind of a 5G strategy - what are the use cases that are driving the strategic focus on 5G?

33:00 72% of those surveyed say they plan to invest in 5G by 2025. What do these enterprises need to do to make sure they get a positive ROI on these investments - and what challenges will they need to overcome?

36:20 How will 5G impact Smart Cities?

39:00 Tough Question #1: What are the security implications for 5G?

43:20 Tough Question #2: Let's say I am a tech decision maker managing the complexities created by the global pandemic - why should I give a damn about 5G?

45:20 Tough Question #3: 500,000 South Korean consumers have switched back to 4G from 5G - does that mean that we really don't need 5G?

47:15 Tough Question #4: As an industry, we have failed to live up to the hype around the latest tech trends (e.g. 4G, IoT, or Smart Cities). Will we learn from our past mistakes - or will 5G follow a similar path?

49:15 What is something going on in the 5G ecosystem that we should be tracking? (spoiler alert: it is OpenRAN)

50:30 Tell me about a solution that 5G will enable that I - as a consumer - should be excited about.

52:00 When do we have to start worrying about 6G?

In 2021, most mobile operators in the developed markets will have launched 5G - the question is - will they be able to monitise it. And more importantly, do customers even care about 5G?

Today's guest, Chris Lewis, has over 30 years' experience as a telecoms and ICT industry analyst, but don't let that scare you. While many analysts pontificate about their vast knowledge, Chris' insights are pragmatic and entertaining - which is why I like him so much.

Chris is also one of the UK's leading advocates for the visually impaired. Is the telecoms industry doing enough to drive inclusivity? Or are we creating yet another digital divide? And why doesn't his guide dog Varley have his own Instagram account?

Show Notes:

01:00 Intro to Chris Lewis, Founder of Lewis Insight and the Great Telco Debate

05:50 Connectivity - the invisible service

07:30 Highlights from the 2020 Great Telco Debate

11:30 Telcos in a post-Covid world: are we creating a two-tier Telecoms industry?

14:00 Are the Telcos ready for 5G? And do customers actually want or care about 5G?

20:00 Telcos have a sustainability issue - should we see more network sharing?

24:30 What the future holds for the tech industry analyst industry

27:00 The key to career success - find something you are passionate about

29:00 Telcos tell us the future is mobile - in reality, the world runs on fixed. And why the hell do telcos still charge us for having a home fixed line phone when no one has one?

36:00 Accessibility - are telcos doing enough to help? Chris is one of the UK's leading advocates for ensuring people with disabilities get access to the digital lifestyle through his work on the boards of the Royal Institute of Blind and Vision 2020 Technology For Life initiative.

41:00 Telstra was ranked #1 globally in a recent ICT industry "Digital Inclusion Benchmark", which ranks vendors' focus on digital inclusion as part of their overall strategy.

42:00 Why doesn't Chris' guide dog Varley have his own Instagram account?

48:30 How telcos can use emerging technology to support guide dogs. In a difficult year like 2020, where charities for the visually impaired have struggled to raise money, why hasn't someone like Vodafone sponsored guide dog technology? Jon Buckthorp - over to you!

Many of you will know today's guest, Steve Melhuish, as the Co-Founder,former CEO and Vice Chairman of one of the darlings of the SE Asia's start-up ecosystem, PropertyGuru Group, but he's also a Venture Partner with Wavemaker Partners - the venture capital firm, and the Founder and CEO of Planet Rise - a company that invests and supports start-ups that tackle climate change and poverty.

In this episode, we are going to discuss sustainability. And more specifically, how do you find the right balance from delivering social impact - while still creating a profitable business.

Show Notes:

02:10 What Steve has been up to since he left his role as CEO of PropertyGuru (hint: Angel investing in startups that address climate change & poverty)

04:10 What characteristics Steve looks for in the start-ups he invests in

07:15 The evolving sustainability ecosystem - and how the economics/business case behind renewables finally stacks up

10:50 Governments seem to be launching more sustainability initiatives during Covid-19 - is there a correlation or is it just a coincidence?

13:45 How well has the sustainability ecosystem progressed - and what will it take to move it forward?

18:50 How do you balance the profits versus social impact dilemma when you evaluate your investments?

21:50 What does Steve understand about the sustainability ecosystem today that he wishes he knew when he started investing in sustainability start-ups?

25:50 What are the "red flags" Steve looks out for when evaluating early stage businesses?

27:00 What lessons did Steve learn during the dotcom era that he still applies to his work with start-ups today?

30:30 What's your craziest start-up story?

The challenges created by the global pandemic mean the role of talent acquisition and leadership strategy have never been more important. Companies must transform their approach not only to navigate the current crisis, but also to prepare for the future.

In this episode, we are joined by a global leader in this space - Elaine Yew - Senior Partner & Global Co-Head of Leadership Development for Egon Zehnder - the world's largest privately held executive search and leadership development firm.

Show Notes:

00:50 Elaine's journey from a drama student to Senior Partner at Egon Zehnder

06:52 "A Day in the Life" of Elaine

10:00 How has the executive search and leadership development industries have evolved over the years

14:30 Can AI replace humans in the executive search process?

19:00 How companies are adapting their Leadership strategies during the global pandemic

22:45 How Egon Zehnder has evolved it's business to adapt to the crisis

27:00 What will it take to see more women in leadership across Asia

33:38 Elaine's involvement in the "end to end lifecycle" of the workforce - from high school students to the C-suite

• What skills we all need to survive in today's world
• The importance of "range"

42:20 The value of coaching

47:15 The positive things that come out of negative events like the pandemic

Let's face it, Smart Cities have failed to live up to the hype - and given the additional challenges cities face due to the global pandemic, it's easy to think that it is not going to get better anytime soon. But every now and then, you run into someone who restores your confidence in the industry because not only do they possess a realistic vision for the future, but also a clear and detailed strategy on how to deliver it.

Today we are joined by Theo Scherman, Chief Strategy Officer for Hitachi Asia, and he is definitely one of those people.

Show Notes:

01:00 From South Africa to Singapore

02:20 What led a serial entrepreneur to join one of the world's largest companies?

04:20 Hitachi Asia's go-to-market strategy

05:30 Hitachi's Smart City/Precinct initiatives – OneBangkok (Thailand) & Bhartiya City (India)

08:00 Commercialising Smart City data – it's not just about saving money, it's about generating new revenue streams

10:00 Hitachi's differentiator – most vendors are focusing on becoming a "Platform of Platforms", Hitachi is creating a "Platform Business Model." This model is normally reserved for consumer brands (e.g. Alibaba, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google), can Hitachi be the first enterprise to create one?

16:00 Moving the target from Smart Cities to Digital Smart Cities

23:00 Does a Digital Smart City concept work for both "greenfield" and "brownfield" cities?

26:00 How Hitachi helps cities that are facing budget shortfalls due to Covid-19 by

27:20 What should cities do to deliver against the Smart City promise?

29:30 What do you understand about being in large corporate today that you wish you understood when you started out?

Singapore has been investing heavily in DeepTech - and in this episode we sit down with one of the key players in the space, SGInnovate's new CEO, Dr. Jui Lim. We'll discuss the current state of the market, what it will take to move DeepTech from early stage to commercialisation & the amazing journey he followed from medical school in NYC to where he is today.

Show Notes:

00:30 Why Jui refers to himself as a "rolling stone"

03:20 Transitioning from medical school to venture capital...

05:20 ...and from venture capital to a start-up...

08:30 ...and from a start-up to setting up accelerators

11:00 Jui's role as the newly appointed CEO of SGInnovate

12:50 Why Singapore must focus on DeepTech commercialisation

15:15 State of Singapore's start-up ecosystem

21:45 What Jui understands today that he wish he knew when he started out in venture capital

25:50 What personal skills or characteristics have allowed Jui to be successful in so many industries

28:50 Fun Q #1: Of the thousands of start-up solutions you have looked at, can you give us an example of one that really "wowed" you?

32:00 Fun Q #2: If I give you one week off from your current job - and you HAVE to go back to one of your previous roles, would you rather be the CEO of a start-up, setup another accelerator, or bartend?

TechBurst Asia spoke to Frank Meehan, Co-Founder of the sustainability platform start-up Equilibrium.world and Co-Founder & General Partner of SparkLabs Global Ventures about what will happen to corporate sustainability initiatives in the post-pandemic, new normal world.

In our G&T-infused discussion, we also discuss:

• Frank's roles on the Boards of companies like Spotify and Siri
• Similarities in the hype cycles of 3G, 4G & 5G
• Why has Asia handled the coronavirus pandemic better than the West, and
• What the future of work will look like (spoiler alert: loads less travel - and that's not a bad thing)

Show Notes:

02:22 Intro to Equilibrium, Frank's latest start-up that creates a Sustainability data operations platform to help companies meet their emissions and sustainability targets.

11:45 Who owns the sustainability agenda in corporates?

14:10 Which industries are driving sustainability today?

15:00 Will companies willingly drive sustainability initiatives - or do they only respond to government regulation?

16:30 Frank's background: From Sydney to Sweden to Singapore to London to San Fran to...

22:50 You've held too many Board decisions to mention them all, but which ones were the most interesting? Spotify, Siri

25:25 How did you first get involved with SparkLabs Group?

27:40 You've been around through 3G, 4G and 5G - do see any similarities in the hype cycles of each?

32:00 What will the operators need to do to make money out of 5G?

35:40 Why has Asia handled the coronavirus pandemic better than the West?

40:00 Will contact tracing apps like Singapore's Trace Together and Australia's COVIDSafe be successful?

41:50 What will going to the office be like in the post-pandemic, new normal world? And what will it be like when we start travelling again?

43:15 Tell me something positive that has come about as a result of the global pandemic?

Let's face it, we're facing a "new normal" in the post-pandemic world. This will create risks and challenges for companies that cannot adapt, but massive opportunities for those that can.

In this episode, we spoke with Graham Brown, host of the Asia Tech Podcast and Chief Storyteller of Pikkal & Co, about how successful companies will transform themselves to succeed in the "new normal" world, in particular around the way they leverage marketing and comms. They will move from a pipeline to platform model - from controlling to curating comms - and from efficiency to effective communications. It's about turning your employees from assets into advocates.

Show Notes:

00:50 How Graham went from travelling the world and living out of suitcases to starting one of Asia's leading podcasts

04:10 An agile mindset is what will allow people - and companies - to adapt to the current crisis and be successful in the "new normal" world.

09:10 As Mike Tyson famously said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." How to survive and thrive in the current environment.

10:30 Covid-19 is driving the innovation of communication. Future comms will transform from a pipeline model to a platform model - from controlling to curating comms - from efficiency to effective communication.

15:50 Who is adapting the comms strategy well?

• Zappos' human-centric customer engagement

• Xiaomi's "unofficial" advertising strategy that leverages fans
• McKinsey & Company's "Future of Asia" and "Leap" podcasts

20:05 What advice would you give to a marketing director today to prepare for the post-coronavirus "new normal"? It's not about contacts, it's about connections.

22:45 Is this the end for tech events?

23:45 The Future of Work - companies will shift their focus from B2C to B2E as they realise that leveraging their employees can be great brand advocates.

39:44 What are some of the interesting ways that emerging technologies will help us overcome the crisis? Topics include urban farming, how Japan has used Robots and Zoom - as well as Minecraft - to conduct graduation ceremonies.

46:20 What is the strangest coronavirus story that you have heard? Including how 5G causes Covid-19 and pro wrestling is considered an "essential service" during the lockdown in Florida?

50:00 The rise of Zoom "happy hours" and Graham's after hours podcast, The Grind.

52:30 Graham has done over 750 podcasts - what's the funniest thing that has happened on a podcast? Eating a fried scorpion on a live podcast is not recommended.

55:40 Leaders that communicate with honesty and transparency build a following

1:01:00 What is something you know today about podcasting that you wish you knew when you started out?

1:05:00 Tell me a positive benefit that will come about as a result of coronavirus

Today's Guest:

Josh Sattler, GM of Innovation, Growth & Development Services, City of Darwin, Australia

Show Notes:

01:25 How did a surfer from the Gold Coast end out running the Smart City operations for Darwin?

02:30 Darwin, while only 130k people, has delivered Australia's largest Smart City project. What are the types of solutions delivered as part of this initiative?

05:55 Overcoming the data privacy challenges - how to build trust with your citizens

11:10 How has Darwin been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic?

12:50 How can drones, robots & autonomous vehicles be used to help fight the coronavirus? And which ones have you looked at using in Darwin?

16:00 How AI - and facial recognition in particular - is being used to enforce violations against isolation and stay at home orders.

20:00 How AI is being use for contact tracing

• Citizen opt-in: Singapore's Trace Together
• Government enforced tracking through mobile networks
• Enterprise focused: Vault Intelligence
• China's QR code system - the medical passport concept

27:40 What impact will coronavirus have on the near-term future of Smart Cities

• Funding: Budget shortfalls
• Impact on technology vendors
• Regulatory impact - setting acceptable use policies around drones, AV and AI

35:30 The press if filled with doom and gloom - tell us something positive that will come out of the coronavirus crisis

So what is the 3-2-1 podcast? It includes 3 interviews with IoT industry leaders recorded over the 2 days of Bosch Connected World 2020 in Berlin - all in 1 podcast.

01:40 Tanja Rueckert, CEO & President of Bosch Building Technologies

We discuss Tanja's keynote, "Vision or Reality? Intuitive, Intelligent and Integrated Buildings."

19:25 Dirk Slama, Vice President Co-Innovation and IoT Alliances, Bosch.IO

We discuss the themes of BCW 2020 - Addressing Global Warming / Sustainability and the intersection of AI & IoT, creating AIoT.

25:10 Thomas Jakob, Regional President Asia Pacific, Bosch.IO

We discuss the recent rebranding of Bosch Software Innovations to Bosch.IO. What is it and what has changed?