Canalys Channels Forum was held over two days earlier this month in Hong Kong. As the largest independent channels event in APAC, it attracts a large contingent from all over the region to connect with partners and learn about emerging trends. AC3 Cyber Security Program Lead, Vlad Vyshnivetskyy attended the event and we caught up with him to hear about the key insights.
For Vlad, one of the most useful take aways from the event was the opportunity to meet with and learn from colleagues and counterparts from all over the region. The format of the event allows for interaction at every step of the way, with a range of keynote sessions, Q&A theatre panel sessions, 1 on 1 sessions, as well as the opportunity to interact with sponsors on the exhibition floor.
The clear message delivered by the team at Canalys was that, overall, there is a strong and steady growth in technology sector across the entire APAC region. The trend is clear across the board, with mature markets like Australia and New Zealand still demonstrating strong growth numbers, even compared to high growth markets like India and China.
A key focus for the event was around the digital transformation agenda. Many sessions were centred around this, with a focus on cloud and AI, branching into discussions on how this will impact distribution and sales in the future.
One of the most interesting and unique examples of digital transformation that was shared by Jordan De Leon, Senior Analyst at Canalys. He shared the story of the transformation of the humble warung, which is a small traditional, family owned business that usually sells street food, prevalent in Indonesia. These warungs are pivotal to the local culture, acting as a base for many social activities and as a source of income for many locals. Indonesian company, Warung Pintar, has launched the ‘smart warung’ which includes modern technology and digital systems like surveillance cameras, charging stations and refrigerators. Their goal is to develop better, smarter and more sustainable business opportunities for the lower middle class population by creating a platform supported by Internet of Things (IoT) and data analysis. Since their launch in late 2017, they have rolled out more than 1000 stalls and that number is rapidly increasing. We often hear about how the advancements in technology have helped mature businesses and economies to grow, but it’s rare to hear stories at these large scale events about tech making these kinds of fundamental improvements to grass roots communities and their ways of living. It was a truly inspiring session.
Amongst the major sponsors this year were AC3 partners Lenovo, HP and Dell EMC, with VMware and Citrix also sponsoring the event. The event was also supported by a complement emerging vendors and a network of distribution partners. Overall, it was a great event with many lessons learned and connections made. Until next year!