Leonard Cheong (AdNovum)
AdNovum is executing on plans to help customers bounce back from Covid-19 through streamlining strategic priorities and ramping up engineering expertise across Asia.
Fresh from reaching a 10-year milestone in the region, the software specialist - which operates as a partner of Atlassian, Microsoft, IBM and Red Hat among others - is increasing efforts to help businesses build out revised digital transformation plans in response to the pandemic.
In a direct message to the market, the Switzerland-headquartered provider advised customers to “win the fight and emerge from the crisis”, citing digital technologies as key to recovery efforts.
“As AdNovum navigates through these unsettling times, pioneering client collaboration, smart co-creation, high-end software engineering and project execution will always be at the core of our business considerations,” said Leonard Cheong, managing director of Singapore and Vietnam at AdNovum. “With these, we focus on forward-looking people development and a high-performance operating model.”
Currently serving Singapore and Vietnam markets, AdNovum houses approximately 100 employees across Southeast Asia, with a focus on government, banking and finance sectors, alongside insurance, healthcare and logistics verticals.
“2020 began with a sharpened strategy and a new operating model aligned with defined market units,” outlined Cheong, when speaking to Channel Asia. “With the nature of our business, providing peace of mind and trust to our customers continues to be in the forefront of our business.”
This year, Cheong - appointed to the role in June 2018 - said AdNovum has refocused efforts on creating an “agile organisation”, in addition to embracing software engineering excellence, aligned with the company’s developer guidelines.
“We continue to help businesses and customers master their digital potential, with an engineering approach to software development, as well as fostering close collaboration within AdNovum offices across locations and our customers,” he added.
In the context of Covid-19, Cheong said businesses must constantly review how they have adapted to the current situation, alongside focusing on the future offerings and strategies required to trigger a return to growth.
“Given how competitive the landscape will be when we emerge from this pandemic, effective long-term strategies will be fundamental to organisations’ success,” Cheong cautioned.
“In the wake of the uncertainties in place, it has given rise to more agile, resilient and empathetic ways of doing business. At this point, no one can assume where the pandemic is headed and no silver bullet is certainly expected for recovery.”
New digital (and security) agenda
As businesses aim to adjust and recover post-Covid-19, Cheong said the creation of a digital agenda is now “undoubtably” assuming a central role within the market. In response, technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, robotic process automation (RPA), cyber security and blockchain are impacting the market “faster than before”.
“This has created opportunities for organisations and economies, amid the current gloomy economy back-drop,” he observed. “The rate at which organisations have launched analytics and AI initiatives in their operations seemingly shows that these may just be the future table stakes for survival.
“Blockchain technology is also here to stay and will be implemented worldwide with a few major blockchain initiatives and new blockchain-based business models expected.”
On the flip side however, Cheong acknowledged that the “immense disruption” created by Covid-19 has left an “indelible mark” on consumer consumption patterns, while also impacting end-user buying preferences and behaviours - “where, what and how they make their purchases”.
“Customer experience and data protection are immediate priorities amidst these times,” he advised. “Platforms and touch-points need to be transformed and elevated for customers to have a seamless experience, where businesses strike the right balance between security and usability.”
In today’s digital landscape, Cheong said cyber security concerns play a “heavy hand” in evolving customer requirements, internal processes and regulatory compliance.
“Companies of all sizes and industries find themselves susceptible to hacks as cyber criminals become now more knowledgeable with know-how and tools,” Cheong said. “Technology is changing faster than businesses can keep up with, it is almost insurmountable with the problem of vendor saturation and too many security solutions currently plaguing the cyber security market.
“This coupled with the global shortage in skilled manpower, tools and resources in IT security, have urged businesses to focus on business operations with cybersecurity in mind.”
For Cheong however, such a lack of cyber resources should “never be in the way” of protecting identities, businesses and customers.
“AdNovum has been working closely with clients across all verticals to integrate their solutions to manage and protect their digital identities, while maintaining a good user experience on the platforms,” he added. “We unite innovation, security and digital excellence to transform our clients' technology potential into powerful digital solutions, identifying and resolving their needs, requirements and pain points.”
During such a challenging time, Cheong said customers have also aligned organisations to satisfy new digital priorities, refocusing digital efforts towards changing customer expectations.
“Businesses should modernise their technology capability and recalibrate operational models as well as solutions in order to improve and align business operations with the demands of the consumers,” he outlined. “It is imperative that successful technology providers post-pandemic have to carefully consider the balance of agility, usability, security, scalability and privacy during the deployment of new models and methods of delivery.
“While the future and business environment remain volatile and we seek to adapt to what the future might hold, companies should re-skill their employees and adapt their skills and roles to the post-pandemic ways of working so as to build operating-model resiliency.”
Channel Asia Advance is a centralised editorial resource designed to help partners access forward-looking content as the ASEAN and Indian markets attempt to reposition for growth.
