Top APAC firms recognised at innovation awards

When Hong Kong’s Citic Telecom International CPC was looking for a penetration testing tool to protect its IT assets, it found that the third-party tools in the market were too expensive and required extensive professional training. The shortage of cyber security experts further compounded the problem, making it challenging to conduct regular and comprehensive security audits.

To address the challenge, it decided to build its own penetration testing tool using its patented technology that leverages AI to automate the penetration testing process, streamline reporting and save costs of as much as HK$200,000 (US$25,712) per year.

Besides Citic Telecom, other APAC firms such as DBS Bank and CapitaLand Investment across the region were also recognised for their efforts to improve productivity, customer experience and business processes.

Each project was assessed based on its business impact and value, innovation in solving a business problem and change management, which is instrumental to the success of any digital transformation initiative.

Here are the winning entries:

Transforming cyber security with AI

• Facing rising cyber threats and a shortage of experts, Citic Telecom International CPC developed an AI-powered penetration testing tool to automate security audits and reduce costs.

M1 aims to become digital-native telco

• The digital-first telco is running all its backend systems on the cloud, enabling it to speed up decision making and enhance customer service.

Finding revenue gains from parked cars

• Singapore real estate investment firm CapitaLand Investment taps machine learning models to optimise space utilisation across 23 commercial buildings and business parks.

Taking the big-bang approach to reporting

• A company-wide SAP revamp has transformed Bosch Global Software Technologies’ financial and HR processes, delivering granular insights and streamlined operations.

DBS AI assistant slashes call times and boosts productivity

• The bank’s in-house generative AI tool is streamlining customer service, reducing manual work and speeding up response times, improving both employee and customer experience.