SEO Editors: Effective Sales Strategies in Digital Branding

SEO Editors: Effective Sales Strategies in Digital Branding

Tuesday, July 16, 2024

             Photo from Markus Spiske on Unsplash

The digital landscape has transformed how consumers research, compare options, and make informed decisions when purchasing products or services. It’s more important than ever to know their habits and stay updated on trending topics that are relevant to your audience, and incorporating relevant cultural references and using “lingo” that feels more personal and engaging. All this so that you can, as a brand, tailor your content to resonate!

Take this situation for instance: If you’re a healthy meal plan provider targeting health enthusiasts, then using terms like high-protein or gluten-free can speak directly to your audience’s interests. It can increase your discoverability, and also increases the chances they’ll read your content.

This is where cohesive digital branding comes in.

Digital branding is the process of creating a distinct and recognizable online presence for your brand to fulfill a goal – like awareness, conversion, loyalty, and outright sales. This is achieved by leveraging various digital channels like web design, social media platforms, content creation marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO) practices. 

Sale strategies, meanwhile, are responsible for guiding customers through their buying journey. It starts from sparking curiosity about your brand to prompting them towards conversion (whether purchase or subscription), and finally developing loyalty that fuels repeat business.

We recommend leaving these to the experts in public relations agencies. But of course, it helps to know the ropes yourself. So how do we bring these together to create a strong digital brand presence?

Building a Strong Digital Brand Presence

A strong brand presence is like a magnet; it attracts readers and establishes trust through its credibility and consistent quality. But to reap those benefits, you must first do the following:

Optimize for Brand Visibility

• SEO - Relevant keywords are essential to organic discovery in search results and website traffic. This approach involves strategically placing keywords in website title tags, headings, and meta descriptions. However, be warned: overdoing it with keywords (also known as keyword stuff) can do more harm than good, as this is a practice done by spam websites and is penalized by search engines with a lower ranking.

• Leverage Social Media Platforms - Social media platforms are a potent tool for achieving your goals: expanding your reach, fostering real-time engagement with consumers, and driving website traffic. To maximize this potential, lean into creating high-quality, relevant content that resonates with your audience — this way, you’ll become a trusted resource and authority within your niche.

Enhance Customer Experience for Increased Sales

• UX - The overall experience of a reader determines whether they stay engrossed, return for more, or abandon the article. To keep them hooked, prioritize a user-friendly layout (like readable fonts) that’s easy to read and understand. This includes steering clear of jargon and instead, breaking down complex topics into digestible chunks, and crafting compelling calls to action (CTAs) that entice them to explore other content on your website. 

• Customer Service in the Digital Age - Seamless and positive interactions are the hallmarks of great customer service. When a reader experiences this, they’re more likely to recommend your content to others, propelling its reach. 

Effective Sales Strategies for Digital Branding

• Inbound Marketing for Lead Generation - Inbound marketing involves creating valuable content to attract, engage, and convert visitors into leads and customers.

• Email Marketing Campaigns - Email marketing campaigns can help brands nurture leads, build relationships, and promote products or services.

• Utilizing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Tools - CRM tools can help brands manage customer interactions, track sales, and analyze customer data.

• Influencer Partnerships and Affiliate Marketing - Influencer partnerships and affiliate marketing can help brands expand their reach, increase brand awareness, and drive sales.

• Mobile Marketing Strategies - Mobile marketing strategies can help brands reach consumers on the go and optimize the mobile user experience.

BONUS: Key Steps to Remember in Editing SEO-Related Content

1. Identify the main topic and subtopics of the original article.
2. Analyze the existing content to identify areas that can be expanded upon or improved with well-researched and engaging information for readers.
3. Ensure the new content is optimized for SEO by including relevant keywords and phrases in the headings, subheadings, and body text.
4. Maintain a focus on the overall quality and readability of the article.
5. Stay clear of self-referencing in the article, as it may detract from the overall quality and focus of the content.

Measuring Success and Optimizing Strategies

To gauge the effectiveness of your strategies, it’s important to track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as conversion rate, cost per acquisition, and customer lifetime value. This provides you with the information needed to identify areas to improve. 

Additionally, you can do A/B testing to identify the most effective strategy, like creating variations of a particular element (e.g., a call-to-action button) and presenting them to different segments of your audience, so you know which performs better. 

By equipping yourself with these powerful tools and embracing the perpetual pursuit of innovation, you’ll unlock the potential of transforming your articles from merely informing and engaging to one that drives actual results. This could be attracting new readers, cementing the brand as a trusted thought leader, and even boosting conversions. Just remember, you have the unique advantage of combining engaging content and insightful data to tweak strategies as needed — use it to its full potential.

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South East Asia demonstrates higher level of email security awareness among developing regions

South East Asia demonstrates higher level of email security awareness among developing regions

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Respondents from Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam also lead the world in "Anomaly Detection in Email Behavior" and "Data Protection in File Sharing"

Zoho, a global technology company, today announced that South East Asia scored higher on email security awareness than other developing regions in the "State of Email Security Awareness Report 2023". Drawing from over 400 respondents from Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, the region scored 43.2% on email security awareness compared to the Middle East and Africa (MEA) (40.7%) and South America (SA) (39.9%).

The report also found that South East Asian respondents were global leaders in "Anomaly Detection in Email Behavior" and "Data Protection in File Sharing." Notably, 25% of these respondents were Zoho customers, and this subset exhibited higher awareness levels across these threat types compared to the overall average in the region.

Industry-Specific Measures Needed

In terms of sectors, technology and education performed best, while manufacturing, healthcare, and government were the most vulnerable to email security threats. Key findings indicate that:

The education sector shows remarkably high awareness levels in nearly all threat types, notably in areas such as "Authentication and Access Control" and "Anomaly Detection in Email Behaviour."

The retail and finance sectors exhibit moderate awareness levels. Opportunities for improvement exist in areas such as "Attachments and Phishing" and "Anomaly Detection in Email Behavior."

The technology sector leads in "Data Protection in File Sharing" with a commendable 62% awareness level, indicating a focus on safeguarding sensitive data. However, the data shows room for improvement in areas such as "Email Identity Verification" and "Attachments and Phishing," suggesting a need for enhanced email security measures.

In the healthcare sector, the vulnerabilities are evident, particularly in "Attachments and Phishing," with a low awareness of only 34%. Alarmingly, awareness regarding "Email Identity Verification" is lacking entirely, indicating a critical need for improved email security practices.

The government sector is identified as vulnerable, characterized by significant gaps in "Email Identity Verification" (29%) and "Web content and URL safety" (34%), highlighting specific areas requiring focused enhancement in email security protocols.

The manufacturing sector emerges as the most vulnerable sector, with the lowest awareness in "Web Content and URL Safety" and "Data Protection in File Sharing" at 27% and 29%, respectively. This highlights an urgent need for comprehensive cybersecurity initiatives to protect critical industry assets within the manufacturing sector.

These insights highlight the necessity for industry-specific cybersecurity measures and training to address distinct vulnerabilities.

Gap Between Larger Businesses and SMEs

There was a notable gap in email security awareness between small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and larger enterprises. South East Asian SMEs scored 40% on awareness, far behind the 51.1% of their larger regional competitors.

Awareness among South East Asian SMEs was significantly behind developed regions like North America (NA) (61.6%), Australia/New Zealand (ANZ) (57%), and Europe (EU) (54%). Developing regions like India (42%) also performed better. However, employees at South East Asian SMEs were marginally ahead of peers in the MEA (39.7%), and SA (39.2%).

In larger organizations, employee awareness in this region was also higher than MEA (38.1%) and SA (36.4%), and likewise lagged behind India (54%). Moreover, there was a significant gap of around 13% between South East Asian large enterprises and those in developed regions like NA, ANZ, and EU.

Correlation Between Experience and Awareness

Senior-level employees (11-20 years of experience) in South East Asia scored highest among all experience levels in the region at 54%. Though behind NA, ANZ, and EU by 12%, 9%, and 6% respectively, they outdid MEA and SA by 18% and 16% respectively. This suggests a moderate level of awareness among seasoned professionals in the region.

On the other hand, executive-level employees (more than 20 years of experience) exhibited a surprising dip from the year before, to 45%. They trail NA, ANZ, EU by 20%, 15%, and 11% respectively, and also lagged behind India, MEA, SA) by 4%, 10%, and 5% respectively.

New entrants into the workforce displayed a 30% awareness level, behind NA, ANZ, EU by 20%, 18%, and 15% respectively. However, consistent with freshers in India, MEA, SA, they exhibited similar awareness levels.

There is also a significant awareness gap of 24.6% between freshers and senior-level employees in the South East Asia region. The disparities in awareness across experience levels highlight the need for continuous training and upskilling initiatives tailored to professionals at different stages of their careers, regardless of their seniority.

The survey included responses from 1,814 survey participants globally and serves as an essential benchmark for businesses, IT leaders, and cybersecurity educators, aiding in the evaluation and improvement of email security awareness initiatives.

Read the full report here:

https://www.zoho.com/workplace/email-security-awareness-report-2023.html

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Bayad is now PCIDSS 4.0 certified, elevating payment security standards in the Philippines

Bayad is now PCIDSS 4.0 certified, elevating payment security standards in the Philippines

With the fast-growing fintech network in the Philippines, Bayad continues to trailblaze in the industry as an outsourced bills payment collection service provider, enabling a one-stop-shop payment solution for its consumers.

Formerly known as Bayad Center, the company has rebranded to Bayad, transforming into a digital first institution which offers a full-range of services made available for consumers and enterprise. From its own brick-and-mortar business model, Bayad has expanded its payment ecosystem by connecting a multitude of billers with leading establishments and e-money players in the country.

Today, Bayad stands as a fintech subsidiary of Meralco, the largest electric distribution utility company in the Philippines.

As Bayad enhances it backend and frontend solutions, it also intensifies its cybersecurity measures, where trust and convenience remain at the core of its consumer protection standards. 

In line with these efforts, Bayad has successfully obtained its Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard 4.0 (PCIDSS 4.0).

The said security standard certification was thoroughly assessed by SISA, a forensics-driven cybersecurity company specializing in risk assessment, security compliance & validation, monitoring & threat hunting, as well as training for various payment security certifications.

SISA’s assessment has proven Bayad’s capability to provide reliable fintech solutions, having effectively deployed multi-factor authentication, key management system, data at rest encryption, secure wipe solutions, and web application firewall that are critical features in passing for the said data security standard certification.

Bayad Deputy Chief Information Security Officer Rolly N. Bañez shared, “Bayad’s PCIDSS 4.0 certification attests our commitment in harnessing technologies that will foster security, efficiency, and scalability in digital payments. The robust cybersecurity measures we implement enables us to confidently innovate and co-create projects with various stakeholders centered on our goal of maintaining a frictionless customer experience.”

Bayad Chief Information Security Officer Rocky D. Bacani added “Bayad’s PCIDSS 4.0 certification is a critical milestone in our continuous fight against cyber threats. Consequently, cybercrime remains one of the foremost risks confronting businesses and communities. At Bayad, we recognize the role that cybersecurity plays in protecting our consumers and our business counterparts.”

Bayad President and CEO Lawrence Y. Ferrer also underscored “Ultimately, efficiency, and innovation are the bedrock of Bayad’s cybersecurity initiatives. We value the way people do payments and also help institutions to thrive and expand, with a robust system that enables reliable, seamless and real-time transactions.”

For fintech institutions that are interested to be part of Bayad’s extensive bills payment network, you may send an email to partnerships@bayad.com. Bayad enables partners to attain nationwide presence and provides end-to-end support services for efficient and secured payment collection processing.

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51% of women-led SMEs surveyed in the Philippines experience increased revenue after accepting digital payments

51% of women-led SMEs surveyed in the Philippines experience increased revenue after accepting digital payments

Monday, July 8, 2024

Visa, a global leader in digital payments, conducted a survey on small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the Philippines. Findings show that 51% of women-led SMEs and 56% of micro-businesses experienced revenue growth with digital payments adoption. Given women constitute over half of Asia's population and SMEs' vital role in the economy, maximizing women's economic potential could add $89 billion annually to the Asia Pacific economy including in the Philippines. 

SMEs are crucial for economic growth in the Philippines, with more than a million Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country. The Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry data show that 99.5% of businesses in the country are MSMEs with almost 50% of them in wholesale and retail trade, generating 65% of total employment. Furthermore, the Asian Development Bank estimated that MSMEs contribute around 36% of the country’s GDP[1].

The Visa study found that managing businesses has become easier for 72% of the surveyed SMEs in the Philippines. Wallets, predominantly GCash, dominate as the main provider of digital payment for SMEs, especially those that are female-led (61%) who were surveyed in the Philippines. Visa has partnered with GCash to introduce the new GCash Card – giving millions of unbanked Filipinos access to the benefits of owning a payment card. 

Among the businesses that have started accepting digital payments, those accepting cards witnessed the most significant turnover increases (83%). Digital payments provide instant transfers and enable cashless transactions for an enhanced commerce experience. Visa supports SMEs in the Philippines by offering widespread acceptance and robust protection for both merchants and customers, guarding against fraudulent activities.

Guaya Melgar, CEO and Co-Founder of Mochi, a billing and collections platform, said: “My business has grown since I introduced digital payment methods. I appreciate the convenience, speed, and the ability to easily track payment records. It provides my customers with a convenient cashless payment option too. I hope to expand my business beyond the Philippines so enabling cross-border payments will help me grow my customer base.”

"Small and medium-sized businesses are the driving force behind the thriving economy in the Philippines. Visa is proud to contribute to their growth by providing secure and convenient digital payment solutions,” said Jeff Navarro, Visa’s Country Manager for the Philippines. “Visa is committed to continuously supporting the Philippine government’s financial inclusion and digitization goals, including empowering SMEs, the cornerstone of the economy, by introducing innovative financial and payment solutions so they can build on this foundation to grow their business.” 

Visa recently launched a SME online toolkit to enable tourism merchants to maximize the benefits of contactless payments. In 2023, Visa launched the SME Accelerator Program in the Philippines to support SMEs and partners through competitive pricing, faster onboarding, and comprehensive take-to-market support. The expanded SME Accelerator initiatives will also focus on a wider set of partnerships with ecosystem participants to serve smaller sellers and fast-track solutions deployment for SMEs. 

The Visa Foundation has also pledged $100 million over five years to accelerate access for underrepresented and women-led SMEs in APEC economies, including in the Philippines. Of the nearly 67 million SMEs reached by Visa globally, approximately 29.6 million are from APEC economies, with 10.9 million being women-led SMEs. 

[1] https://data.adb.org/media/11896/download

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Deel Launches Deel Physical Spend Cards Worldwide

Deel Launches Deel Physical Spend Cards Worldwide

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Deel VISA physical card is now available for contractors in 20 countries.

Deel, a global HR company, today announced the global launch of its physical spend card, now accessible for contractors in 20 countries, with many more planned to land soon. This brings contractors one step closer to accessible global purchasing power, allowing them to gain instant access to their earnings, shop worldwide, pay securely, and hold their money in a more stable currency. 

The Deel Card acts as a spend card (both virtual & physical), empowering contractors to make purchases and payments with ease wherever they are, and avoiding the hassle of waiting for funds to clear in their bank account before they can access them. Now, with Deel Card, they can start spending their hard-earned income immediately.

Contractors usually face challenges when it comes to managing finances. Deel Card gives them the flexibility to spend their funds the way they want. Furthermore, receiving funds and spending them in USD can be difficult for those without a US-based bank. Now, the Deel Card can allow contractors to hold their balance in USD, providing greater stability and flexibility, no matter where their life (or work) takes them.

The Deel Card is a global VISA card powered by Airwallex, a leading global payments and financial platform for modern businesses. Airwallex’s infrastructure allows Deel to set up accounts in multiple locations, and issue local cards to customers in Brazil, Argentina, Australia, and several other markets. By issuing a card locally, Deel contractors can take advantage of lower costs and higher acceptance rates when making purchases compared to international cards. 

“Our focus at Deel is to offer contractors the best payments experience possible and that includes flexibility and speed. Now with Deel’s physical card, they’ll be able to access their money faster and in USD, no matter their location,” says Dan Westgarth, Chief Operations Officer at Deel.

“The ability to operate across borders can unlock substantial growth for companies of all sizes – by accelerating international expansion, optimizing supply chains, or attracting the best talent,” said Ravi Adusumilli, Executive General Manager, Americas, Airwallex. “Deel and Airwallex have a shared goal of shaping the future of work, by allowing contractors to receive and spend their earnings anytime, anywhere, and in their preferred currency.”

How does it work?

Requesting a Deel Card is as simple as a few taps on the Deel app. Once approved and delivered, contractors will be ready to use it for all their physical transactions. A virtual card option is also available for online transactions.

With the Deel Card contractors can:

• Access money faster: No more waiting for funds to hit their bank account—get instant access to their income.

• Hold their balance in USD: Enjoy the stability of holding your balance in USD; perfect for international contractors with less stable currencies.

• Spend securely: Every transaction made with the Deel Card is secure, giving peace of mind with every payment.

• Accepted around the globe: Wherever contractors go, the Deel Card makes the perfect companion for any journey.

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Zed secures BSP license, begins rolling out invitations to 40k waitlist

Zed secures BSP license, begins rolling out invitations to 40k waitlist

Thursday, June 27, 2024

Zed, a credit-led neobank, announced today it has received its Certificate of Authority to Operate as a standalone credit card issuer from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). 

"Our BSP license makes us the first Philippine neobank to offer credit cards as a standalone issuer," said Danielle Cojuangco Abraham, "This independence and our foundation as a technology company means we can rapidly and continuously improve our product, unconstrained by legacy systems.”

After operating in a BSP-sanctioned pilot for the last 6 months, the Zed Card is officially rolling out to the public on an invite-only basis, starting with its waitlist. Zed has seen overwhelming demand for its no interest, no fees Mastercard Titanium Credit Card, garnering close to 40,000 sign ups since launching its waitlist in March this year. 

Those who have signed up for the waitlist will receive invitations to apply for a Zed card over the coming months. “We’re overwhelmed by the excitement for Zed and the number of signups we’ve received. Given the significant demand, it will take some time for us to open up spots for all 40,000 individuals on the waitlist. Rest assured, we’re already sending out invitations and will get to everyone that’s signed up. Our priority is onboarding new users at a pace where we can ensure a stellar experience for every Zed customer, so hang tight!” said Danielle Cojuangco Abraham, Zed co-founder and CEO.

   Steve Abraham and Danielle Cojuangco Abraham, Founders of Zed 

Founded by Silicon Valley engineers, Danielle Cojuangco Abraham and Steve Abraham, Zed is reimagining the credit card from the ground up, leveraging technology to empower the next generation of Filipino professionals with the most powerful credit card. It is the only credit card in the Philippines with:

No fees. Zed has no annual fee, foreign transaction fees or any other fees, so customers simply pay for their purchases, nothing more. 

No revolving interest. Customers get up to 31 days of credit with 0 interest with no fear of revolving their balance and incurring interest charges.

Beyond its unique business model that does not rely on interest revenue, Zed introduces a revolutionary approach to credit limits:

Smart credit limits: Zed determines credit limits by analyzing a user's current and potential income among other other data. This approach empowers young professionals with limited credit history to build credit responsibly and avoid limitations based solely on traditional credit scores.

“We’ve seen really strong engagement among our early cardholders, with transaction volume growing 100% month over month and 48% of cardholders transacting daily,” said Zed cofounder, Steve Abraham. "We’re obsessed with delivering an exceptional customer experience, and our early usage reaffirms our view that the next generation is hungry for a completely different credit card experience that cuts out expensive fees, supports responsible spending and provides seamless control over your account.”

Zed has raised US $6 Million in Seed funding from Paypal Founder and early Facebook investor, Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures, and founders and operators from Nubank, Mercury, Cred, and Square. 

Be one of the first to get a Zed Card. Learn more and join the waitlist at zed.co.

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OPPO's Multiple Research Achievements Shortlisted for Global Top AI Conference CVPR 2024, Continuously Consolidating AI Phone Technology

OPPO's Multiple Research Achievements Shortlisted for Global Top AI Conference CVPR 2024, Continuously Consolidating AI Phone Technology

Saturday, June 22, 2024

The prestigious CVPR (Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition), a leading global event in computer vision, officially commenced in Seattle. This year, OPPO made a significant impact with several of its latest research papers being selected for presentation, encompassing a range of AI-related topics. Moreover, OPPO's flagship AI phone, the Find X7 Ultra, and the newly launched OPPO Reno12 were demoed at the conference, showcasing numerous innovative AI phone features. Through these contributions, OPPO continues to influence the global advancement and democratization of AI phone.

"OPPO is deeply engaged in the CVPR each year, and this year, our achievements are particularly noteworthy," stated Billy Zhang, President of Overseas MKT, Sales and Service at OPPO. "AI has always been a pivotal area of investment for us, and the rising trend of AI phone enables us to innovate the user experience once again. CVPR provides an excellent platform for OPPO to discuss and exchange ideas with global partners about our latest advancements in computer vision and other AI-related fields. Our involvement in CVPR also underscores OPPO's strong commitment and determination in the realm of AI phone."

With Major Papers Selected for Conference, OPPO AI Research is Flourishing

This year, OPPO Research Institute and various R&D teams achieved significant recognition with 11 papers selected for presentation at CVPR. These papers span key research areas including image restoration, digital human generation, video segmentation, dynamic motion capture, dynamic scene image synthesis, multi-view 3D object detection, and 3D rendering, highlighting some of the most innovative directions in AI phone.

In the field of digital human generation, OPPO has introduced a groundbreaking approach with UltrAvatar—a method for creating drivable 3D virtual humans. Utilizing a diffuse color extraction model and an authenticity-guided texture diffusion model, UltrAvatar can generate drivable 3D virtual humans from a single image or a line of text. These virtual humans are indistinguishable from real human features, achieving a level of detail that captures every inch of skin color and texture on a person’s face, significantly enhancing the realism of virtual interactions.

Another notable contribution, the UniVS, presents the industry’s first universal large model for video segmentation. This model is uniquely capable of meeting diverse real-world video segmentation needs, allowing for the segmentation of all objects within a specified category and responding to textual descriptions for targeted segmentation.

These selected papers not only represent cutting-edge advancements in AI but also position OPPO as a leader propelling the mobile industry into the AI-driven era.

Additionally, the CVPR 2024 NTIRE RAIM (Restore Any Image Model) challenge, co-organized by OPPO Research Institute's Y-Lab and the Visual Computing Laboratory at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, was a resounding success. This challenge encouraged researchers to address real-world industrial challenges, develop methods for accurate high-quality image restoration, and promote the application of these technologies in industry. The NTIRE RAIM challenge attracted participation from over 200 teams globally. And finally, Team MiAlgo's research emerged as the winner, clinching first place in the competition.

Going forward, OPPO will robustly support the AI developer ecosystem, fostering close academia-industry collaboration to bridge the two.

Find X7 Ultra Debuts at CVPR, Sparking Interest in AI Phone Innovation

OPPO's flagship AI phone, the Find X7 Ultra, made a remarkable debut, quickly becoming a highlight of the event. Additionally, Liang Jie, the senior imaging algorithm engineer at OPPO Research Institute's Y-Lab, was invited to present a report on OPPO's imaging technology at the conference. The powerful AI imaging capabilities of the Find X7 Ultra and OPPO's innovative generative AI applications captivated both the academic and industrial AI communities. 

This year signifies OPPO's official foray into the AI phone era, with the Find X7 Ultra emerging as the most advanced AI phone from OPPO to date. It boasts the OPPO HyperTone Image Engine, the most sophisticated computational photography system currently on the market. This engine enables OPPO Find X7 Ultra to produce exceptional photos with minimal computational footprint, turning every shot into a masterpiece.

The OPPO AI Eraser feature, launched alongside the Find X7 Ultra, showcased to CVPR attendees OPPO's ability to seamlessly integrate AI technology into consumer devices for user-friendly experiences. The OPPO AI Eraser allows users to easily remove unwanted elements from an image and generate replacement content with a single click. Since its introduction, this feature has revolutionized photo editing, averaging 15 uses per day per user, making it one of the most popular features.

OPPO also showcased several exploratory features through real device demos at CVPR, highlighting the future direction of OPPO's AI technologies. Among these was the Style Transfer Demo, which utilizes the ShaderNN lightweight deep learning architecture. ShaderNN represents the first inference engine supporting the full graphics stack (OpenGL & Vulkan) for real-time mobile graphics and imaging applications, showcasing OPPO's strengths in on-device generative graphics AI processing.

Solidifying Foundations, Continuously Promoting the Democratization of AI Phone

At the beginning of the year, OPPO strategically established OPPO AI Center, directing company resources towards enhancing AI capabilities. This initiative has not only integrated and strengthened OPPO's research across various AI fields but also aimed to deliver the ultimate AI phone experience. It has bolstered OPPO's technical foundation in the AI phone sector and showcased impressive research outcomes at this year's CVPR.

This year's CVPR also marks OPPO's continued presence at top international AI conferences, following the participation at events such as MWC, Google Cloud Next '24, and Microsoft Build. OPPO is actively collaborating with global partners to advance the development of AI phones.

In early June, OPPO officially announced its strategy to make AI phones accessible to everyone, targeting the equipping of approximately 50 million OPPO smartphones with generative AI features by year's end, spanning all OPPO’s smartphone product lines. This move underscores OPPO's long-term commitment and strategic determination to enhance AI integration in smartphones.

Looking forward, the innovative research outcomes from OPPO, combined with advanced technologies from partners like Google, Microsoft and MediaTek, will further propel OPPO’s mission to spearhead a global movement in the democratization of AI phone.

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New Appdome SDK Protection and Threat Streaming Service to End Third-Party Mobile Supply Chain Risk

New Appdome SDK Protection and Threat Streaming Service to End Third-Party Mobile Supply Chain Risk

Sunday, June 9, 2024

New service targets SDKs that are central to the mobile app economy, including payment gateways, biometric identification, advertising, and more

Appdome, the mobile app economy’s one-stop shop for mobile app defense, today released a new mobile SDK protection and mobile threat streaming service, called Appdome SDKProtect™. Appdome SDKProtect is designed to end third-party, mobile supply chain risk and democratize mobile threat intelligence and telemetry data among mobile SDK developers. The new service enables mobile SDK developers to quickly and easily create protected and threat-aware versions of their mobile SDKs, reducing fraud and ensuring compliance.

Mobile SDKs play a critical role in the mobile app economy, enabling Android & iOS developers to integrate essential functions into their applications, such as payment and banking services, digital identity verification, analytics, advertising, and more. The widespread use of mobile SDKs also makes them a prime target for malicious actors seeking to exploit SDKs to create supply chain risks inside mobile apps or compromise mobile app security to perform identity fraud, account takeovers, SDK spoofing, data breaches or other attacks.

“Mobile brands have become SDK providers themselves, and there’s more need than ever to leverage real-time attack and threat data inside mobile services,” said Tom Tovar, co-creator and CEO of Appdome. “We want to protect mobile SDKs and empower mobile SDK vendors to use our industry leading in-app intelligence framework to enrich critical mobile services to improve fraud detection, identity verification, and transaction integrity, and ensure regulatory compliance in mobile applications, globally.”

The new Appdome SDKProtect service provides mobile SDK vendors and developers with multiple options for mobile SDK protection. Appdome SDKProtect strengthens the security posture of third-party software development kits (SDKs) used in mobile app development against static and dynamic attacks, reverse engineering, IP loss and exploits. The service also makes Appdome platform’s rich mobile attack and intelligence data intelligence framework available to SDK providers to enhance the value of their SDK-based mobile services.

“Mobile SDKs are critical components of the mobile app supply chain, and if left unprotected, can result in significant and reverberating impacts across the mobile app ecosystem,” said Katie Norton, Research Manager, DevSecOps and Software Supply Chain Security. “ SDKProtect from Appdome provides an automated method for SDK makers to secure and protect their SDKs, as well as provide them with threat intelligence to detect and respond quickly to real-world attacks."

Appdome SDKProtect™ offers several levels of mobile SDK protection:

Threat-Shielding: Used to protect mobile SDK against reverse engineering and tampering by obfuscating and encrypting SDK data, strings, resources and preferences.

Mobile Risk Evaluation: Comprehensive coverage of SDK attacks, such as facial recognition bypass, root and Jailbreak detection, emulator detection, hooking frameworks, debuggers, Android debug bridge and more.

Threat Intelligence: Takes the power of Threat-Shielding and Mobile Risk Evalation and combines it with two visibility and control options.Threat-Streaming, which takes Threat Intelligence to the next level by providing real-time telemetry data that can be streamed to the SDK maker’s back-end to create specific outcomes when attacks happen.

Threat-Monitoring, which combines the protections with real-time attack monitoring and enterprise-grade intelligence via Appdome ThreatScope™ Mobile XDR.

The mobile Threat Intelligence packages leverage the power of Appdome Threat-Events™ in-app attack intelligence framework. The framework that empowers mobile developers with real-time event data and control for mobile SDKs.

“Keeping the mobile app economy safe requires this step,” said Chris Roeckl, Chief Product Officer of Appdome. “Protecting mobile SDKs from reverse engineering is table stakes. Leveraging comprehensive, real-time attack and threat data in mobile services and making mobile SDKs threat-aware is the quantum leap forward the industry has needed for a long time.”

Using the Appdome SDKProtect service is easy. Mobile SDK developers present the Appdome platform with a version of the mobile SDK (in Android .aar or .jar and iOS framework files), choose the level of protection to apply to the SDK and initiate the build command. Once selected, the Appdome platform builds the chosen protections into the mobile SDK. In just minutes, the protected mobile SDK is available for download and distribution by the mobile SDK developer to its customers.

Appdome SDKProtect is fully compatible with all mobile platforms, frameworks, and development languages. It seamlessly integrates with existing app development workflows and tools, requiring no changes to the SDK source code or development environment.

To learn more about Appdome SDKProtect, please visit

https://www.appdome.com/sdkprotect/

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Instructure and Internet2 Create Data Governance Advisory Council to Address Rising Data Management and Archiving Needs of Higher Education Institutions

Instructure and Internet2 Create Data Governance Advisory Council to Address Rising Data Management and Archiving Needs of Higher Education Institutions

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Instructure, the leading learning ecosystem, working with Internet2, a member-driven research and education community working to solve technology challenges, today announced the creation of a Data Advisory Council to address the rising data management and archiving needs of higher educational institutions throughout the world. Comprising members from Instructure and Internet2, as well as representatives from various education institutions, the council seeks to recommend consistent data hygiene/governance standards. In addition, the council will work to find solutions to common data-related challenges such as managing huge amounts of data, student data privacy concerns, and security. The council will share findings from its research and provide recommendations for institutions looking to create consistent data governance policies and practices. 

The proliferation of student data has become a common concern for institutions. Many higher education institutions have no formal data governance policy, leaving administrators to determine when and how to archive data no longer in use. This creates performance lag and security issues for institutions, faculty, staff and students using their systems. 

The Data Governance Advisory Council will support the edtech industry through research, experiments and thought leadership. The group will test concepts, approaches, and solutions for data retention related to education. In addition, its members will help shape and evaluate emerging solutions, provide feedback on product strategy and help guide future plans for data governance solutions. 

“This is an important area of focus for Instructure, as institutions need clear guidance on how to address the ever-expanding student data in their care,” said Melissa Loble, Chief Academic Officer at Instructure. “By implementing a data-retention strategy aligned with best practices, they can better protect students and improve performance and operational efficiency.” 

"In our data-driven world, research and higher education institutions must both protect sensitive information and enable the use of data to advance teaching, enhance learning and the student experience, and accelerate research," said Sean O'Brien, Associate Vice President for NET+ Cloud Services at Internet2. "A committee focused on these critical issues surrounding data governance is essential for building community-scale solutions with Internet2 industry members like Instructure."

Penn State University was an early advocate for data governance and standards. After using a Learning Management System (LMS) for several years and thousands of courses, administrators became concerned about the growing data they were responsible for. 

The Data Governance Council will create a playbook incorporating research-based advice and best practices for navigating data governance issues. In the meantime, Instructure has created a site with resources for administrators who want to learn more about data governance.

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Healthtech Startup Mylo Speech Buddy Selected for 2024 Echelon's TOP100 Growth Program

Healthtech Startup Mylo Speech Buddy Selected for 2024 Echelon's TOP100 Growth Program

Sunday, June 2, 2024

Mylo Speech Buddy, an app designed to support individuals with speech delays and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), has earned a spot at the Echelon’s TOP100 Startups, hosted at the Singapore Expo on May 15-16, 2024. 

Echelon X, e27's technology event, brought together over 7,000 startups, SMEs, exhibitors, investors, corporates, government institutions, and other ecosystem stakeholders from more than 30 Asian countries, all aimed at fostering tech ecosystem resilience through collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation. 

This year, TOP100 Program has honed its selection process to spotlight startups poised for exponential growth. Selected startups benefit from regional exposure, funding opportunities, mentorship, and access to exclusive networking events. They will also embark in a six-month program, featuring one on one coaching and exclusive masterclasses. 

Embracing themes like agile practices, collaborative ecosystems, and sustainability, Echelon X featured 150 speakers and 46 sessions, providing insights for startups discussing today's dynamic landscape. The TOP100 Program startups had access to these sessions, further enriching their experience and knowledge. 

Meanwhile, Mylo Speech Buddy was joined by nine other Philippine startups that have participated in exclusive events and masterclass since March, gaining access to over 800 investors on the e27 PRO Connect platform. They showcased their innovations at exhibition booths and tried to earn a spot to present on the Pitch Stage.

"Being part of Echelon’s TOP100 Growth Program is an ‘ausome’ opportunity for Mylo Speech Buddy and for my fellow autism parents. This opportunity provides us with unparalleled access to investors and mentors who can help us scale our impact. We are excited to leverage this platform to further our mission of supporting children with ASD and speech delays,” Vincent Rocha, CEO and Founder of Mylo Speech Buddy. 

Launched on April 2 in conjunction with World Autism Awareness Day, Mylo Speech Buddy is committed to supporting more individuals on the autism spectrum, particularly in their journey from zero words to their first spoken word.

"The mentorship and exposure we have gained through the TOP100 Growth Program have been inspiring since our launch last month. We are eager to continue our journey and collaborate with other innovative startups and industry leaders to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and their families," he added. 

As the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem continues to grow, programs like TOP100 are crucial in supporting the next generation of startups to ensure startups have the resources and guidance needed to thrive. 

Echelon also revealed plans to create Echelon Philippines this upcoming September, noting the country's significant market potential and funding opportunities.

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Igloo highlights importance of democratizing access to device protection with Smart partnership

Igloo highlights importance of democratizing access to device protection with Smart partnership

Key partnership furthers the insurtech’s goals in expanding access to innovative protection products in the Philippines

• The partnership of Igloo and the Philippines’ largest mobile network furthers the insurtech’s mission to provide insurance for all–and this includes comprehensive and affordable device protection

• There are 59.4 million smartphone users in the Philippines in 2024, a number that is expected to grow to 91 million by 2028

• From consumer finance to e-commerce, Igloo continues to facilitate protection products tailored to the needs of Filipinos and Southeast Asians

As part of its ongoing efforts to provide accessible and affordable insurance for all, regional insurtech Igloo, together with the Philippines’ largest mobile network Smart, has announced phone protection plans for its growing 55 million subscriber base.

This partnership not only furthers Smart’s commitment to enhancing customer experience but also highlights Igloo’s mission to provide as many avenues to device protection as possible for Filipinos, especially with the country being one of the social media capitals in the world.

"In the Philippines, 84.4% of the population own smartphones, and individuals spend nearly four hours daily on social media, well above the global average of two and a half hours. As a highly connected and social nation, the importance of these devices for communication, productivity, and entertainment is undeniable," remarked Roberto Vea, Commercial Lead at Igloo Philippines. "Recognizing the essential role of these devices and the need to safeguard them, Igloo has partnered with Smart to introduce phone protection plans, providing our customers with peace of mind."

Smart subscribers gain exclusive access to Phone Protect where they can purchase a phone protection plan with their preferred coverage and duration. It offers subscribers protection against accidental and liquid damage and includes professional repair and service at authorized centers for the Basic tier and additional protection against losses due to theft and robbery for the Plus tier.

Plans start as low P125 for one year coverage and is one of the most affordable and comprehensive gadget care products available in the market.

The insurance plan seamlessly integrates into the checkout process, allowing customers to review the plan details, associated premium, and terms and conditions before finalizing payment. This transparency ensures customers have a clear understanding of the additional cost and the benefits it adds to their transaction, enhancing their overall experience.

"We’re excited to expand access to device protection products with Smart, as it aligns with our goal to democratize and enhance the experience of protecting your devices. We've worked to make every aspect—from customer experience to pricing, coverage, purchase, and claims—easy and convenient. Partnering with Smart allows us to reach the widest possible audience." Vea explained.

The value of partnerships in providing insurance for all

Igloo and its partners' gadget protection and cracked screen protection products have become some of the most popular segments in the country, with over 15.8 million policies sold through various distribution platforms since January 2023.

From consumer finance to e-commerce, Igloo has been working to provide insurance to various sectors in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia. One of its most recent partnerships with Skyro and Salmon provided protection access to the underbanked segment, many of whom rely on digital lending companies for installment purchases.

Additionally, in collaboration with Growsari, an MSME enabler, Igloo piloted the Personal + Business Protection plan. This initiative aims to cover over 200,000 sari-sari stores across the country with financial assistance in case of unwanted incidents arising from natural calamities, such as floods from torrential rains.

“At Igloo, we believe that to provide insurance tailored to the needs of its market, partnerships are crucial in enabling broader audience reach while offering diverse coverage options. With our partners, we can continuously improve and innovate our offerings to serve as many people as possible,” Vea said.

Igloo’s collaboration with Smart and other partners is part of its mission to expand its reach across Southeast Asia and provide innovative insurance solutions to nearly 700 million people in the region.

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Appdome Unveils World’s First Agentless Mobile EDR & MTD

Appdome Unveils World’s First Agentless Mobile EDR & MTD

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Appdome MobileEDR™ removes complexity and friction with new unified Enterprise Mobile Endpoint Detection and Response and Mobile Threat Defense Solution

Appdome, the mobile app economy’s one-stop shop for mobile app defense, today announced Appdome MobileEDRTM, a new enterprise mobile app protection service that consolidates Mobile Threat Defense (MTD) and Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) capabilities into a single agentless product offering. MobileEDR leverages the 300+ defenses of the Appdome platform and provides real-time mobile threat and attack detection, deep mobile device inspection and anywhere enforcement to keep enterprise networks and resources safe from malware, supply chain and other attacks.

Legacy MTD and mobile EDR solutions have failed to adequately protect against the growing proliferation of mobile threats. To work, these early offerings required user-dependent software agents, such as separate mobile apps or profiles, to be installed on the user’s mobile device(s). These added agents, apps and profiles raised privacy concerns among employees, slowed adoption and could be disabled by the mobile end user, leaving gaps in device inspection and mobile threat detection. Likewise, these early offerings often impose a manual implementation burden and complex SDKs on resource constrained mobile development teams, leading most teams to shelve or abandon MTD and mobile EDR deployment. Appdome is eliminating this friction and delivering the world’s first agentless, no code, no server solution for enterprise mobile apps to ensure maximum enterprise adoption and protection.

“Mobile EDR and threat detection solutions have failed to gain wide adoption for several reasons – privacy concerns and compliance, implementation complexity of SDKs, and lack of mobile end-user trust with MTD apps and agents on their BYOD devices,” said Richard Stiennon Chief Research Analyst with IT-Harvest. “The Appdome approach gives organizations the full power of Mobile EDR and MTD, including protection, response, and visibility without the friction of SDK, server, and agent-based approaches.”

The Appdome MobileEDR is an in-app mobile EDR and MTD solution coded into enterprise mobile applications by Appdome’s patented no-code, unified mobile app defense platform. By delivering the needed device inspection, threat detection and telemetry capabilities in the mobile app itself, Appdome provides continuous and comprehensive monitoring of Android and iOS devices, including mobile smartphones, embedded apps, VR apps, and wearable apps. All mobile threat inspections are performed throughout the lifecycle of use for each mobile app, without any server, server call outs or other external attestation. This ensures full runtime protection, improves stability and responsiveness, and eliminates signal spoofing common with server attestation services. 

“We’ve built the first mobile EDR/MTD solution that addresses the reality of how organizations need to detect and respond to mobile threats in the enterprise,” said Tom Tovar, co-creator and CEO of Appdome. “SolarWinds taught all of us that malware on a mobile device can compromise an enterprise network and to protect the enterprise network, you need broad adoption and persistence in your mobile EDR/MTD solution. It does no good if it’s not used or it can be turned off.”

Key features of Appdome MobileEDR solution include:

In-App Enterprise Delivery: Appdome MobileEDR is the only solution that can be deployed in both internally developed and 3rd party mobile applications without any code, coding, SDKs or servers. All mobile EDR/MTD capability is added in the enterprise application and hardened against reverse engineering and attacks by design.

In-Use Mobile Threat Inspection: Once embedded in an enterprise mobile app, Appdome’s Threat-EKG feature functions as a persistent mobile EDR/MTD solution during the lifecycle of use for each mobile application. That means, it operates when the enterprise mobile application is in use (and does not operate when it’s not in use). This eliminates any privacy concerns and allows the mobile EDR/MTD to detects mobile threats relevant to the enterprise business in real time.

Broadest Mobile Threat Detection: Appdome packs 300+ mobile app security, anti-malware, anti-spyware, anti-vishing, anti-fraud, social engineering, geo-compliance, and anti-bot defenses into MobileEDR to offer enterprises the most comprehensive mobile device inspection, EDR and MTD on the market. 

Anywhere Enforcement: The Appdome MobileEDR's Anywhere Enforcement™ model allows enterprises to use mobile threat detection and defense data across the entire enterprise infrastructure, including the mobile app, mobile app server, IAM service layer, UEM/MAM/MDM, or firewall/WAF. This ensures that enterprises can get the full benefit of deep device inspection on managed and unmanaged mobile devices.

Adaptive Mobile Trust: Appdome MobileEDR is the only mobile threat detection and defense system that empowers the enterprise to set the level of trust to use in evaluating on-device mobile threats. Enterprises can use either Zero-Trust, to ensure the device is free of any specific threat before allowing connection, login or activity in the mobile app. Or, Enterprises can use Dynamic Trust which evaluates the device state dynamically throughout the lifecycle of mobile app use.

Appdome ThreatSource™: Appdome MobileEDR comes ready to use with application userID or sessionID to give enterprises even deeper investigation and telemetry on threats and attacks impacting their users and network.

Appdome ThreatScope™ Mobile XDR: Telemetry data is visualized in ThreatScope, which provides instant visibility and rapid, agile response to any threat or attack against Android & iOS apps.

“Enterprises need more flexible and agile ways to stay ahead of mobile threats, malware, NSOs, and protect their employees and networks effectively,” said Chris Roeckl, Chief Product Officer at Appdome. “MobileEDR is the only mobile EDR and MTD that goes beyond the basic device inspection to include geo-compliance, social engineering defenses and more. We can’t wait to get this product into the hands of enterprises everywhere.”

Appdome will be demonstrating the new Appdome MobileEDR solution at the RSA Conference 2024 in San Francisco May 6-9, 2024 in booth #2339. For more information about Appdome MobileEDR, please visit our web site at https://www.appdome.com/enterprise-mobile-app-security/mobile-endpoint-detection-and-response/.

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Schneider Electric partners with NVIDIA to maximize AI in optimizing performance, scalability and energy efficiency of data centers

Schneider Electric partners with NVIDIA to maximize AI in optimizing performance, scalability and energy efficiency of data centers

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management and digital automation, partners with artificial intelligence (AI) computing company NVIDIA to optimize data center energy efficiency using AI. 

The partnership will introduce the world’s first publicly available AI data center reference designs. These designs will integrate Schneider Electric’s expertise in digital infrastructures with NVIDIA’s AI technologies, setting new standards for AI deployment and operations within data center ecosystems to drive efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Pankaj Sharma, Executive Vice President of the Secure Power Division & Data Center Business at Schneider Electric, highlighted the significance of this partnership: "By combining our expertise in data center solutions with NVIDIA's leadership in AI technologies, we’re not just overcoming infrastructure limitations; we’re unlocking the full potential of AI.”

“This collaboration is a leap forward towards a more efficient, sustainable, and transformative future, powered by AI," Sharma added as he stressed that the data center industry continues to evolve, which calls for a stronger focus on integrating AI technologies to their operations and addressing Scope 3 emissions to achieve net-zero emissions. 

Scope 3 emissions account for about 50% of data centers’ GHG footprint. According to GHG Protocol and ISO 14064, Scope 3 emissions are indirect emissions attributed to the activities of companies which include business travel, waste management, and value chain operations. This type of emission is often not reported and is more challenging to measure compared to Scope 1 and 2 emissions. 

These indirect emissions are major but often overlooked drivers of environmental impact of data centers. As a response, Schneider Electric is advocating for a holistic approach to GHG management, which includes accurate carbon accounting, target-setting, and a systematic review of data and emission sources.

Schneider Electric offers data centers with accounting and reporting solutions to address their Scope 3 emissions. This includes a tool to simulate energy use to estimate GHG emissions, considering power consumption, cooling systems, and operational efficiency of the data center. 

“This approach aligns with our commitment in leading the charge to equip critical and energy-intensive industries such as data centers with advanced solutions to help them achieve better operational efficiency all while minimizing their carbon emissions beyond traditional means,” said Abraham Lim, Secure Power and Industrial Automation BVP of Schneider Electric Philippines. 

Schneider Electric remains committed to pursue the digital transformation of industries to keep pace with technological advancements and ensure environmental sustainability globally. 

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PLDT, Smart block more than 13 million SMShing messages to combat ‘hijack profile’ incidents

PLDT, Smart block more than 13 million SMShing messages to combat ‘hijack profile’ incidents

Sunday, April 21, 2024

PLDT’s wireless unit, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), has blocked more than 13 million SMShing messages in the first quarter of the year. It has also blacklisted almost 200,000 mobile numbers involved in phishing activities as the Philippine National Police (PNP) raised the alarm on ‘hijack profile’ cases.

“Data is the new oil. Cyber criminals steal personal information to defraud you or use your identity to victimize people close to you. Guard your data. Don’t share it with people you don’t know,” reminded Joseph Ian Gendrano, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at PLDT and Smart.

‘Hijack profile’ happens when a hacker gains unauthorized access to someone’s social media account. In some cases, the victims are locked out of their own account. The offender then messages the victims’ contacts to ask for money, usually under the guise of a sickness or an unfortunate life event.

To further keep customers safe from fraudulent activities, Smart is reminding the public to be wary of clicking dubious links on SMS or emails from unknown persons

During the #CyberSmart event at Jose Rizal University in Mandaluyong, Elijah Mendoza, Digital Communications Senior Manager at Smart, emphasized mindfulness when traversing cyber space and reading text messages.

“Phishing is the most common technique employed by bad actors to trick you into revealing your data. Don’t go on autopilot mode and click or tap links,” said Mendoza.

To avoid getting baited by phishing messages, remember the following:

1. Don’t open suspicious emails or links. Remember what our parents used to say about not talking to strangers? It’s the same with unfamiliar senders or callers.

2. Don’t log in to unfamiliar websites. Look at the address bar. Make sure you are opening the legitimate website.

3. Brush up on grammar and branding knowledge. Phishing messages are often composed of ill-formed sentences with bad grammar. Malicious websites often use low-resolution photos to mimic the page they’re copying.

The efforts of PLDT and Smart to share CyberSmart tips are rooted in their customer-centric culture where they aim to elevate the quality of customer experience by protecting them from threats and cyber-attacks.

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