Summary Bullets:
• Leading enterprise telcos, TM and Maxis, continued to build their capabilities with vertical solutions and enterprise 5G.
• While Celcom and Digi added various new capabilities in their enterprise ICT portfolio, the merger could slow down their growth momentum.
Malaysian telcos ended 2022 with several new initiatives in Q4 2022 after a slow development in the previous quarter (for more, please see Malaysia Enterprise Telecom Update Q3 2022 – Slower Development but Steady Performance, October 31, 2022). Telcos continued to expand their vertical capabilities through collaborations with industry players. Besides this, 5G commercial availability and the Celcom-Digi merger will also accelerate the enterprise ICT development in the country, but it could also change the market landscape.
Vertical Solutions
After showcasing several smart city and manufacturing deployments earlier this year (for more, please see TM ONE Smart City Leap Summit 2022 – Enabling Data-Driven Cities, May 22, 2022), TM ONE continued its momentum in vertical solutions through a recent collaboration with a healthcare provider, Ramsay Sime Darby Healthcare. The initiative will leverage TM ONE Smart Patient Suite at ParkCity Medical Center with an aim to enhance user experience by enabling a customized in-patient environment.
Celcom is somewhat new in the enterprise ICT solution market compared to TM ONE and Maxis, but it is already partnering with a key logistics player, DHL, to develop connected supply chain solutions. As part of the partnership, Celcom will provide ICT capabilities such as connectivity including 5G, managed WiFi, SD-WAN, cybersecurity and robotics. Whereas DHL, which has implemented various emerging digital solutions in its other footprints (for more, please see IoT in Logistics: Technologies and Usage Cases), will offer expertise in supply chain and related technologies such as automation and robotic process automation (RPA).
Enterprise 5G
Maxis is ahead of other local providers in developing enterprise 5G capabilities. It collaborated with several leading enterprises to develop 5G-enabled solutions, partnered with HPE on MEC and launched a 5G alliance that consists of various leading global players. Recently, the carrier continued its leadership in the enterprise 5G development with the launch of its 5G-ready mobile private network solutions to address enterprises’ critical applications. Maxis also offers three deployment options: public, hybrid and dedicated; to suit the different needs of the market.
As 5G is commercially available in the country (for more, please see 5G is Finally Available in Malaysia, So What’s Next for Telcos?, December 7, 2022), TM ONE expanded its enterprise 5G initiatives with the launch of ‘TM ONE 5G Sphere Programme’, an alliance to drive solution co-creation leveraging the latest cellular technology. The provider also added a range of new offerings including private 5G network solutions and industrial applications for healthcare, manufacturing, government, utilities, oil and gas, and agriculture. These initiatives are crucial for TM ONE to close the gap with Maxis and gain a competitive advantage as the latter is yet to sign an agreement with the country’s single 5G wholesale provider for the access network.
Conclusion
Maxis and TM ONE have been leading the telecom enterprise ICT service market through various initiatives. They should expand their collaborations with enterprises leveraging 5G technologies to strengthen their vertical capabilities and capture early market advantages. Meanwhile, for CelcomDigi, while the merger could slow down its growth momentum in the enterprise ICT segment the merged company should consider accelerating the integration of product capabilities of both companies to remain competitive in the market.
IT Connection 