offfstock - Fotolia
Top 10 ASEAN stories of 2024
Southeast Asia’s 2024 tech landscape saw major companies embracing AI, shifts in open source and the emergence of local large language models to address the needs of a diverse region
The year 2024 has proved to be pivotal for ASEAN, as key industries across the region embraced transformative technologies to navigate an increasingly digital future.
Major companies such as DBS and FWD led the charge in tapping artificial intelligence (AI), while companies such as Grab are adopting a platform strategy to drive its growth across diverse Southeast Asian markets.
Key developments in open source, cloud computing and digital resilience have also made waves across the region and globally, with companies such as Red Hat and Cisco expanding their presence and refining their offerings.
In this round-up of the top IT stories in ASEAN this year, Computer Weekly recaps some key themes that have been keeping CIOs and technology suppliers across the region busy throughout the year.
1. How DBS is industrialising AI across its business
Southeast Asia’s biggest lender is building a strong data foundation and upskilling employees on data and artificial intelligence to realise its vision of becoming an AI-fuelled bank.
2. APAC career guide on software development
In this career guide, we look at what it takes to land a career and thrive in the fast-moving world of software development.
3. Sea-Lion explained: Southeast Asia’s first large language model
The Sea-Lion large language model was built to cater to the language and cultural diversity of Southeast Asia, which is currently underserved by existing models that mostly originate from the West.
4. VMware’s APAC customers weigh in on licensing changes
VMware customers in the region are concerned about higher costs even as they see the benefits of subscription-based pricing and product bundling in the longer term.
5. How FWD is driving its digital strategy
FWD’s group chief technology and operations officer talks up how the pan-Asian insurer is driving change faster and putting technology at the heart of its services.
6. Inside Grab’s platform strategy
Grab’s group CTO talks up the super app’s platform strategy, architecture and organisational structure behind its growth across diverse Southeast Asian markets.
7. Red Hat CEO on OpenShift evolution and AI moves
Red Hat CEO Matt Hicks talks up how OpenShift AI and RHEL AI can work together to lower the cost of training and inferencing to drive AI adoption and the company’s traction with customers looking to move away from VMware.
8. Navigating the shifting sands of open source
As open source matures, the Cloud Native Computing Foundation is grappling with issues ranging from licence rug-pulling and the rise of artificial intelligence to the changing dynamics of open source contributions.
9. What Cisco’s Splunk acquisition means for APAC customers
APAC organisations can expect better visibility and insights into their networks and applications along with automation and response capabilities to improve their digital resilience.
10. Epicor rides Southeast Asia manufacturing boom
Midmarket ERP software supplier capitalising on growing investments by Chinese and local manufacturing firms in region to drive business.
