Wego to promote summer travel to Türkiye for MENA travellers

Wego, the travel app and online travel marketplace, has partnered with the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) to launch a regional campaign highlighting Türkiye's diverse summer experiences to travellers across the MENA region.  

Source: Wego. Wego partners with Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency to spotlight summer experiences for MENA travellers. Aerial view of Istanbul.

 

Mamoun Hmidan, Chief Business Officer, Wego said: "Türkiye continues to be a top destination for travellers across the MENA region, offering a unique mix of history, culture, nature, and gastronomy. We are proud to collaborate with the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency to bring even more visibility to the country's summer offerings. With Wego's technology and reach, we're making it easier for travellers to discover, plan, and book their perfect Turkish escape."

As part of the campaign, Wego and TGA will spotlight how centuries-old heritage meets modern-day lifestyles in Türkiye. Travellers can explore the art and café culture of Istanbul, wander through the wonders of Göreme, and experience the creativity in Izmir and Ankara. Wego's platform will offer real-time comparisons, curated travel inspiration, and mobile-first convenience.

Sinan Seha Türkseven, Acting GM of TGA said: "According to UN Tourism's data, Türkiye is the world's 4th biggest incoming tourism market by the end of 2024. The Middle East geography is traditionally one of our biggest source markets. The historical and cultural ties we have between our countries, Türkiye's optimal climate, unique cities and landscapes, as well as similar gastronomy traditions, make us a highly preferable tourism destination for MENA territories. In this context, we are especially happy to partner with Wego, which is a dominant player in its market, to highlight the depth and diversity of Türkiye's cultural appeal to travellers from the Middle East and North Africa.

"Türkiye is a land where ancient stories and modern lifestyles intersect, offering every visitor a journey through rich culture, stunning natural beauty, and world-class cuisine. We have 22 UNESCO Heritage Sites in our country. We are also the world's No. 2 country with regards to ...UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, which makes Türkiye an ideal destination for cultural explorations. 

"This campaign reflects our commitment to sustainable tourism, cultural preservation, and authentic experiences that welcome all travellers to discover Türkiye's warm hospitality and vibrant spirit. Given that our countries are within a maximum of 4 hours' flight distance and the existence of convenient visa regulations, we hope our collaboration with Wego will add to our existing penetration in the respective markets."

Türkiye's culinary offerings take centrestage in the campaign, inviting travellers to savour iconic dishes such as kebab, mantı*, and baklava, enjoy street food in local markets, or dine with panoramic views of the Bosphorus. Coastal destinations like Bodrum and Çeşme are highlighted for their fresh seafood and relaxed seaside atmosphere.

The campaign also emphasises Türkiye's diverse summer experiences, including music and food festivals in cities like Istanbul and Bodrum, thermal spa retreats in places like Pamukkale, and resorts catering to all types of travellers.

To further enrich the campaign, TGA is promoting initiatives focused on sustainable tourism and cultural preservation. These include ecoconscious travel programmes in the Black Sea region, restoration efforts in historical towns such as Safranbolu, and expanded gastronomy routes that support local producers and protect culinary traditions.

*Manti are dumplings filled with ground meat and onions.

FastGig app launched to match flexiworkers with gigs

FastCo, the company behind FastJobs, the Asian non-executive job portal for both jobseekers and employers, has introduced the FastGig app in response to the growth of the gig economy. According to FastCo, it is one of the first job apps for gig workers in the Southeast Asian region.

FastGig is Singapore’s first workforce as-a-service (WaaS) platform and helps to match qualified flexible workers with businesses looking for solutions to headcount constraints and labour shortage, especially during seasonal peaks.

Julian Tan, Founder & CEO, FastCo, said: “The official launch of our FastGig app opens a brand-new chapter at FastCo and we are excited to embark on this journey to help address a critical gap in the current economy. Leveraging on the solid foundation of FastJobs, we have created a robust platform that will allow for greater job flexibility for both workers and businesses. We believe FastGig will thoroughly transform Singapore’s gig economy.”

Gig worker numbers in Singapore rose over 10% from 228,200 in 2020 to 248,500 in 2021, and FastCo foresees continued growth as more opportunities become available. According to the Manpower Ministry's 2020 Labour Force in Singapore report, flexibility and freedom are the top reasons driving workers towards such work arrangements. However, the lack of sufficient work and uncertainty around finding available gigs are among the top three challenges these gig workers face.

FastGig closes this gap by enabling workers to access a wide database of freelance work opportunities from verified businesses across job types, timings, and locations, FastCo said. Once registered, users can select job listings via available locations and timeslots on a day-to-day basis. Gig workers are free to plan their own schedules, choosing to work according to their availability and convenience. The entire experience from sign-up to payment on the platform is kept simple and fuss-free, even for those who are less tech-savvy.

The simplicity of the FastGig platform extends to its streamlined payment process, which consolidates payments from multiple businesses. The hassle of filling up timesheets is also removed as users clock in at their work locations by scanning a QR code using their FastGig app. Users will be paid directly on a weekly basis.

“We truly believe that harnessing the right technology will power the transformation of our workforce. The convenience of FastGig will create equal access to job opportunities, thus redefining meaningful work for everyone,” said Tan from FastCo.

According to FastCo, the automation of timesheets and payment processing cuts down on administrative manpower requirements. Instead of processing individual payments, businesses pay FastGig a lump sum on a regular basis from which wages can be deducted. If a user does not show up for work, FastGig can push out shifts urgently, helping businesses to maximise the chances of securing workers last-minute.

Source: FastCo. FastGig helps Singapore gig workers find jobs quickly.

To date, FastGig has worked with dozens of brands to bridge their staffing gap, fulfilling over 160,000 manhours, including NTUC FairPrice, Domino's Pizza Singapore, and Phoon Huat. Michelle Tan, Human Resource Manager, Phoon Huat, said "Our Warehouse and Production departments were struggling to fill vacated positions when many of our China workers left to go back home due to the pandemic in 2021. With Christmas and Chinese New Year fast approaching, we were desperately in need of staff at the end of 2021, and luckily, we found out about FastGig’s services.

"Since engaging their service, FastGig has been very efficient and never once failed to supply us with the daily required workers to address our manpower challenges. We are so thankful for their dedication and professionalism and will not hesitate to recommend their services to any company."

Julia Chong, Human Capital Management, Domino's Pizza Singapore, said “Tapping on FastGig’s pool of reliable gig workers has helped us develop a blended workforce that can better accommodate seasonal peaks. For businesses like ours where operations need to scale up significantly on demand, this service provided by FastGig is a true lifesaver.”

Singdaptive launches asynchronous vocal coaching app

Singdaptive has launched Exchangely, a vocal coaching app.

Source: Singdaptive. An Exchangely session pack allows student singers to send videos to Singdaptive's instruction team for later feedback, instead of performing on the spot and getting immediate feedback.

On Exchangely, a singer and a lead instructor at Singdaptive exchange videos in which the instructor gives feedback, insights, exercises and tasks which are targeted directly at the singer’s goals. Interactions happen at the singer’s own pace and on a learning platform that allows singers to connect with the Singdaptive team, experience quizzes, and track progress.

According to Singdaptive, online lessons traditionally limit singers to a lone singing teacher at a scheduled time. During testing with singers from around the world, the advantages of an asynchronous approach (where both parties are not online at the same time) became clear, the company said.

Singers sharing their videos in a safe and private manner experienced increased confidence; while Singdaptive instructors, thanks to team-based consultation and the time for careful analysis, were able to provide extremely effective feedback and advice. The model also allows singers to be guided by a team of coaches and industry professionals rather than a lone instructor.

Details:

A single Exchangely Session Pack costs US$150 and is equivalent to up to four weeks of face-to-face lessons with a vocal coach or singing instructor, said Singdaptive. The pack includes 3+ video exchanges, 10+ tasks and a selection of premium video lessons available from Singdaptive's on-demand learning library. Two- and three-session packs are also available.

Explore:

View the Exchangely introduction video.

Tiger Trade app to help users invest in US, HK stocks

· Tiger Brokers offers commission rates from US$0.99 excluding brokerage and exchange fees

- Tiger Brokers Singapore is offering new users a chance to win free stocks

Tiger Trade, a mobile trading application by Tiger Brokers, has launched in Singapore. The mobile trading application helps users invest in US and Hong Kong securities, futures and options.

Tiger Trade provides access to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the world's biggest stock exchange with a market cap of US$23.3 trillion (S$32.28 trillion) and NASDAQ, which has a market cap of US$13 trillion (S$18.09 trillion). The app also provides access to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the third-largest Asian stock market with a market cap of US$4.9 trillion (S$6.81 trillion), with plans to enter the Singapore Exchange in the next quarter.

Targeting the mobile-savvy younger generation of retail investors, Tiger Trade offers commission rates from US$0.99 excluding brokerage and exchange fees. This lowers the barrier of entry to help investors better diversify their portfolio, the company said.

Wu Tianhua, CEO of Tiger Brokers shared, “With Tiger Brokers’ rich broker-dealer experience and Tiger Trade’s dynamic mobile application, our investors will be able to make more informed decisions and better manage their investment portfolio anywhere, anytime.

“We take pride in our proprietary technology. Tiger Trade's efficient and robust interface creates a user-friendly and seamless experience for our users from account opening to trading right at the fingertips.”

The app features complimentary real-time stock quotes, a dedicated multilingual customer service during trading hours, and 24x7 finance news updates. The application also includes artificial intelligence-driven data screeners*, and easy-to-analyse trading charts.

Eng Thiam Choon, CEO of Tiger Brokers Singapore said, “As Singapore positions itself to be the fintech hub in Asia and beyond, Tiger Brokers could be the solution to address Singaporeans’ appetite for investment, helping them to diversify their portfolio into international markets at competitive cost rates.

“Having the platform in the form of a mobile application aligns with the mobile-savviness of our users. Coupled with a high per capita income and Singapore’s excellent telecommunications infrastructure, it is an opportune time for Tiger Brokers to enter the Singapore market.”

Tiger Brokers has over 600,000 customer accounts as of 30 September 2019 worldwide, in countries such as Hong Kong and New Zealand, with almost US$26.8 billion in trading volume over the period of July to September 2019. 2020.

Details

The Tiger Trade mobile application is available for download at the Apple App store and Google Play store. New users have a chance to win free stocks valued between S$2.50 to S$1,000 by opening a trading account from now till 31 March.

*A data screener is software that acts like Google for stocks. This helps traders pinpoint suitable equities out of the many available stocks according to user-defined criteria.

Western Union brings seamless mobile remittances to Singapore

Singapore has joined Hong Kong and Malaysia in benefiting from Western Union’s digital acceleration of major regional economic centres across the world.

Screenshot from the Western
Union mobile app for
Android.

The Western Union Company, a cross-border, cross-currency money movement provider, has launched an upgraded Western Union mobile app in Singapore that allows customers to send money directly into bank accounts worldwide, mobile wallets where available or to Western Union’s more than half a million agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories, anytime and anywhere*.

The app also enables customers to estimate fees and foreign exchange rates for online money transfers, track past and pending transactions, show payout options available in the receivers’ country, and provide round-the-clock customer service.

Singapore is a major hub for money movement and is the fourth largest remitter in Asia after Hong Kong, Japan and Malaysia– remitting more than US$6.1 billion last year, according to IFAD**. It is propelled largely by its international standing as a popular international labour market for professionals, offering both high and low skill employment opportunities, Western Union notes.
Last year, Western Union moved money into 175 countries from Singapore. The company's platform processes an average of 32 transactions every second and moves US$300 billion a year across 130 currencies.

“We are delighted to introduce online money transfers in Singapore, where a high level of digital connectivity has offered consumers boundless possibilities to integrate mobile usage across various aspects of their daily lives. In addition to enjoying seamless digital money movement via the Western Union mobile app, we have also integrated the option for customers to commence their transaction within the app and pay for the transaction in person at retail,” said Molly Shea, Senior VP & GM, Global Money Transfer, Asia Pacific, Western Union.

“The capabilities of our platform today give us an unrivalled advantage – a fully seamless digital offering or a hybrid of online and offline. This multichannel capability utilises our growing international bank and wallet payout network and further monetises our iconic retail network. It positions us favourably, to serve a global customer base with diverse preferences, like no other.”

Western Union has provided money transfer services in Singapore for more than 15 years. Agent locations across the country offer customers the opportunity to send and receive money in person, from all major cities including small towns in remote areas.

Details:

In line with Monetary Authority of Singapore regulations, prior to the first use of the online service and the app, customers are required to register on the app and undergo a verification process. This requirement is also in place for other remittance services.

A verification email will be sent to the registered email/phone number. Once confirmed, the customer can proceed to enter his personal details and valid ID details. Acceptable IDs include National Registration Identity Cards (NRIC), passports and driving licences.

Customers can then proceed to verify their ID and details through a video chat with an agent or verify in-person at a Western Union Agent location. Upon receipt of an email confirmation of their successful account verification and activation, Western Union customers can conveniently send money anytime, with a few clicks from their mobile phones.

Download the app for iOS or Android.

Call the Singapore hotline at +65 6336 2000 with questions, email SingaporeEnglish.customer@westernunion.com for support in English or SingaporeMandarin.customer@westernunion.com for support in Chinese. Queries can also be answered in person at over 70 Western Union Agent locations across the country.

*While the app has been available for some time, customers had to start the transfer within the app and then make the transfer in person at an agent in the past. The current version of the app allows them to pay for their transactions within the app using a choice of card or account, and or continue to pay in-person at retail. Western Union typically adds a transfer fee for the in-person service without the app that rises in tandem with the amount remitted; a flat fee is charged for using the app and then paying in-person, and drawing on a choice of card or account is currently free of transfer fees.

**International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), RemitSCOPE – Remittance markets and opportunities – Asia and the Pacific (PDF)

India updates passport services app

The Honourable External Affairs Minister of India Smt. Sushma Swaraj has launched an upgraded mPassportSeva mobile app.

  

The mPassport Seva App is available for Android and iOS and will have the facilities to apply, pay and schedule appointments for passport services. With the launch of this mPassport Seva App, citizens will not require access to a computer and printer to apply for passport services.
The mPassport Seva App will now support enhanced set of passport services such as:

- New user registration

- Filing of application forms to apply for passports and police clearance certificates

- Payment for passport services 

- Appointment scheduling

- Fee calculator

Consumers will spend more than US$155 billion on apps by 2022

Source: App Annie. App Annie forecasts how app trends will evolve through to 2022. Figures are in US dollars.

Global consumer spend on apps is poised to grow to US$156.5 billion by 2022, up 92% from 2017, according to a new report released by App Annie, the mobile app market data and insights company.

The App Annie Forecast 2017-2022 sheds light on key macro and micro trends set to shape the app economy for the next few years. Global first-time download numbers are set to grow by 45% from 2017 to 2022, to hit 258.2 billion. And as smartphone penetration continues to grow in emerging markets, the installed base of smartphones and tablets is also set to grow from 3.9 billion at the end of 2017 to 6.1 billion in 2022.

Other highlights from the report include:

·         The top five markets in 2022 by spend include China in No. 1 place. Japan is ranked 3rd and South Korea, 4th.

·         The top two global markets in 2022 by downloads are China as the leader, followed by India.

·         Average spend per consumer reached US$20.94 in 2017 and is forecast to rise to US$25.65 in 2022, driven by a combination of:

- Consumers in mature markets growing quickly, and exponentially increasing their spend

- The installed base of mobile devices expanding 56% to reach 6.1 billion, bringing 2 billion more mobile devices into the global install base, primarily from emerging markets with lower purchasing power

The report introduces an updated app maturity model to highlight the three phases of app market maturity, namely experimentation, expansion and maturation.

Experimentation

Consists of early emerging markets including India, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand

Expansion

Taiwan, Singapore and most Western European countries

Maturation

Countries such as Japan, US, South Korea, Tier 1 and 2 cities of China

Consumer spend will more than double from 2017 to reach US$62.4 billion. China is and will continue to be the largest market for apps in both downloads and app store spend. Annual per user spend in Japan will exceed US$140 by 2022 – this is nearly 6x the global average and by far the highest in the world. India became the 2nd largest market in downloads in 2017 and is expected to retain the 2nd spot through 2022 with downloads more than tripling to US$37.2 billion.

Spend on non-gaming apps is forecast to grow even faster than games, reaching US$43 billion (or 27.5%) of app store spend in 2022, as music, video, dating and other categories see continued gains via apps.

The report is based on data from App Annie intelligence, public macro and market data, and the company’s proprietary forecast mode.

Reduce waste and help others through the Freegood app

- Freegood app to facilitate giving away and getting goods for free to reduce waste and help others

- Seamless transaction to give and get things for freeSave the environment and foster community spirit

Free Good, a Singapore-based startup founded to inspire good in people through giving, has developed a social app to help give away and request for goods.

Source: Play Store. Screen captures from the Freegood app.

The free Freegood app was created to provide a hassle-free platform for individuals and organisations to give and receive goods for free. Users to request for and list their own items, as well as arrange meetups with other users of the platform. Location-based functionality matches users with similar listings within a community for convenience, and an in-app currency called Tokens allow users to show their appreciation.

Said Free Good co-founder Sidharth Bhasin, "It's a known fact that the world has a waste problem that has been fuelled by commercialism.  People constantly buy things, sell things and throw things. We have countless apps out there that have made it easy for people sell things with an emphasis on 'me' and making money, however there is nothing out there that makes it easy for people to help others by giving away unwanted items - and saving the environment. So, we created Freegood and our mission is to Inspire good in people through giving and that is exactly what our mobile app aims to do."

"Doing good for the environment and helping others at the same time should be made as easy as possible," added Free Good co-founder Yuvi Bhasin. "With Freegood we address both those challenges.  Unique features in the app ensure that users get tokens of appreciation when they successfully give things away. Ultimately it's all about doing good and feeling good."

Details:

Freegood is available for iOS and Android devices.  

Maisarah Islamic Banking Services helps customers go cashless

Maisarah Islamic Banking Services has launched a mobile banking app for retail banking customers, with English and Arabic support.

Ismail Jama Ismail Bait Ishaq, COO of Maisarah Islamic Banking Services said, “In a fast-paced and evolving digital world, customers enjoy the convenience of literally having a bank branch on their phone. This new mobile banking application with many user-friendly features is certain to delight our customers. At Maisarah we are always keen to deliver state-of-the-art products and services to our clients. By investing in technology, we make it easier for our clients to do business with us in an inventive way.”

The app enables customers to view their balance and transactions, as well as request a new cheque book. They can also specify a quantity of cheque books and the point of collection. Customers can also benefit from cardless cash through Maisarah ATMs by making a request for the cash through the app and creating a four-digit cash code. Customers further can execute mobile top-ups for any mobile service provider in Oman, and pay utility bills*. 

With the app, customers can also transfer funds from their accounts to other accounts in Maisarah, as well as to a valid account number in another local bank in Oman. They can even transfer funds to a valid ATM card number of another local bank within Oman.

“Maisarah’s mobile banking app is simple, secure and efficient, and offers our customers 24x7 convenient banking experience. We will continue to offer new banking and value-added services to our mobile channel. Our aim is to offer our customers banking and value added services,” Maisarah Islamic Banking Services' Jamsheed Hmaza, Head of Retail said.

As part of its future growth plan, Maisarah plans to distinguish itself by providing outstanding customer service, developing and launching new products, investing in technology to provide the best customer experience in timely and convenient manner.

Maisarah Islamic Banking Services has 10 branches across the country including in Azaiba, Al Hail, Salalah, Sohar, Birkat Al Mouz, Greater Muttrah, Al Khuwair, Sur, New Salalah and Araqi. 

*Water and electricity at ONEC/OIFC, bills for mobile, landline, and Internet for Omantel and Ooredoo.

Talk, shop, and use cryptocurrency with new NYNJA app

Source: NYNJA Group. Screen captures of the NYNJA app, currently in beta.

Hong Kong-based NYNJA Group, a communications and mobile technology company, has announced NYNJA, a communications app with a built-in digital marketplace and cryptocurrency wallet.

NYNJA is a cross-platform app that combines voice, text and visual messaging with  business management and e-commerce features powered by its own financial ecosystem and cryptocurrency, NYNJACoin.

"While there is no shortage of mobile messaging apps, there has never been an all-in-one communications app that seamlessly supports the messaging and transactional needs of both individual and business users with the utmost security protocols available today," said co-founder and CEO Salvatore Guerrieri.

"NYNJA is the first app of its kind to harness the full potential of its user base, empowering them with a cross-platform multimedia messaging app and a built-in global marketplace backed by secure Blockchain protocols."

The NYNJA marketplace allows users to buy and sell goods and services internationally through an open API using NYNJACoin, the ERC20 standard cryptocurrency of NYNJA's integrated financial ecosystem. With NYNJACoin, users can also access exclusive groups and pay for proprietary in-group content such as licensed assets or timed consultations. Users can also earn NYNJACoin for viewing ads and sharing branded material like sticker packs or coupons.

Each account can be organised according to the user's social, consumer and business lives, and comes with a secure Ethereum wallet enabling users to transact freely within the app for fast international payment transfers without the need to pay external payment providers or internal platform fees. The open-source platform will enable developers to extend NYNJA with value-added applications.

In addition to standard messaging features, NYNJA features scheduled messaging and translation. NYNJA is global, integrated and secure across every platform and device, and lets users make free Internet calls and transfer calls to any phone.

NYNJA's architecture features secure encryption of cloud data storage for saving messages, images and files, and features an intuitive interface featuring a patent-pending concentric wheel navigation system. The wheel enables navigation of the app using only one thumb and eliminates the need for a back button.

"More than a quarter of the world uses mobile messaging apps, but the current class of apps falls short because they are either global but too basic, for example WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, or have adoption limitations due to being region-specific as in the case of Line and WeChat," said NYNJA co-founder and President Alejandro Gramont.

"Furthermore, many messaging apps are geared primarily for personal and social use rather than business; and most business-class apps lack the capabilities required to truly qualify them as enterprise-grade. NYNJA is in a class of its own as the only all-encompassing, highly customisable communications app with a Blockchain-based marketplace and financial ecosystem."

Details:

NYNJA, in development since Q117, is currently in beta and the public token sale for NYNJACoin will launch on April 17, 2018.

At launch the NYNJA App will be available on Android, iOS, and Web with native development of Mac, Linux and Windows versions to follow.

Join the NYNJA Telegram group (English)

SmartUp launches Digital Readiness Experience

Source: SmartUp website.
Screen capture of the SmartUp
platform.

SmartUp, which has a mobile-first knowledge-sharing platform, has launched a Digital Readiness Experience for the workforce featuring microlearning modules on hot tech topics. 

Its Digital Readiness Experience is several weeks long and can be purchased by SmartUp customers for their employees, explained Deborah Tan-Pink, Global Head of Marketing, SmartUp. 

"For the Digital Readiness Experience, what companies are buying is a four- to six-week campaign that aims to transform attitudes and knowledge with the specific purpose of increasing employees’ level of comfort around tech, innovation, and disruption.

"During this campaign, a course of 10-15 microlearning modules will be put into the client’s community for their employees to consume. These courses can be on design thinking, fintech disruption, or Blockchain and cryptocurrency," she said. 

The Digital Readiness Experience includes interactive quizzes and polls to test knowledge retention, practical applications, and lateral thinking. The assessments also help corporate leaders identify blindspots and shifts in mindsets.

Global Head of Talent & Learning at SmartUp Laurence Smith says, “What SmartUp delivers is a broad understanding of digitisation and its implications on work, society and organisations. Employees are taught not only the importance of staying relevant in a digital world, but also how to constantly upgrade their skills.” 

Smith said existing systems, processes and incentives for employees will need to evolve as companies transform digitally. “One of the most important roles of leaders today is to prepare their organisation for disruption by developing a ‘digital mindset’," he said.

“Digital transformation is at the very heart of doing business, and companies need to create the seeds of participation to get the learning process started.”

SmartUp is a microlearning app that allows companies to rework their legacy learning materials into bite-sized cards with videos, images, quizzes and polls. Companies sign up to build private communities where they can populate with their own content or with content from SmartUp.

SmartUp's library is organised by Snapshots, courses of 10-15 microlearning modules each on various topics. The Digital Readiness Experience consists of four to six Snapshots, including the Digital Readiness Snapshot. Customers can purchase a Snapshot on its own for US$3/user.

Details:

Corporates with existing SmartUp communities can purchase the Digital Readiness Experience from US$10/user for a four-week campaign. 

New customers can set up their own SmartUp communities from US$2.50 per month per user. Once the platform is set up, companies can purchase the Digital Readiness Experience and also create their own learning content.

AsiaKredit launches consumer lending platform in the Philippines

· AsiaKredit aims to advance financial inclusion in the Philippines by improving both the availability of credit to those with limited or no banking history, as well as their approval rate

Source: pera247 website. Screenshot of the pera247 app.

· Pera247 is a fully digital lending solution that aims to provide unsecured small-ticket, short-term consumer loans for up to 90 days through a mobile wallet

· Credit assessment tools analyse mobile behavioural data and other alternative sources of data to make fast and reliable credit decisions

AsiaKredit, a digital consumer lender focused on Southeast Asia, today announced the launch of pera247 in the Philippines. The digital lending solution aims to provide unsecured small-ticket, short-term consumer loans for up to 90 days to the country’s underbanked population with no existing credit or collateral history, via a mobile app.

As part of the credit assessment process, pera247 considers both traditional and alternative sources of data, such as behavioural mobile data from an applicant’s smartphone. AsiaKredit says pera247 is capable of highly predictive digital credit assessments that increase loan approval rates while reducing its risk. 

At the end of the credit decision journey, the pera247 app also acts as a mobile wallet for the successful applicant, where funds will be disbursed to and linked to thousands of physical payment centres, within hours of the application.

AsiaKredit’s Co-Founder and CEO Mike Singh commented: “We are excited to take consumer lending fully digital in the Philippines as we see a dynamic shift in consumer digital behavior to access financial services through mobile and online channels. Through pera247, AsiaKredit has a huge opportunity to impact the lives of hundreds of millions unbanked clients in Southeast Asia, leveraging the high mobile penetration in the region to foster financial inclusion. 

AsiaKredit plans to expand its product offering to other countries across Southeast Asia, with Indonesia in its sights for 2018.

Traveloka to add awards with audience participation to Asia's Got Talent

Traveloka, Southeast Asia’s app for all hotel and flight needs and the presenting sponsor of the second season of AXN’s Asia’s Got Talent, Asia’s talent competition show, has launched the Traveloka Awards.

This is Traveloka’s initiative to give an award to the winner who has the most inspiring story across region. The most inspiring story will be selected based on the uniqueness of the participant’s talent and their connection story with family and friends.

Asia’s Got Talent returns to AXN in October this year, entertaining viewers with 10 episodes comprising five judges’ auditions, three semifinals, the finale and the results show where the winner will be revealed and awarded a cash prize of US$100,000 from Traveloka. During the first five episodes, two acts will be highlighted and their stories published online. At the end of episode five, the audience can vote for the most inspiring act, and that act will receive a major prize from Traveloka.

“Traveloka is excited to partner with Asia’s Got Talent where we see mutual partnership value... As the leading app for all hotel and flight needs in Southeast Asia, we are excited to empower the region’s talent as well as their journey to success with the support of their families and friends,” said Christian Suwarna, Traveloka Senior VP, Business Development.

“AXN’s strength is in creating powerful original productions that resonate with audiences, and then seamlessly integrating partner brands for maximum impact. We look forward to working with Traveloka to realise the dreams of our aspiring performers as they embark on the Asia’s Got Talent journey to stardom,” said Jacqueline Tok, VP, Media and Sponsorship Sales, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia.

“Through Asia’s Got Talent 2017 we want to continually encourage people in the region to believe and chase their dreams while consistently providing the best travel experiences through all our products, especially to the people in Southeast Asia,” Suwarna concluded.

Traveloka has a presence in six Southeast Asia countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, making Traveloka the largest online travel company in the region. Traveloka provides a range of travel needs in one platform, offering travel booking services to various domestic and international destinations. To date, the Traveloka mobile app has been downloaded over 20 million times.

posted from Bloggeroid

Alizz Islamic Bank upgrades mobile app

Source: Alizz Islamic Bank. The app.

Alizz Islamic Bank has launched a newly-redesigned mobile banking app and Internet banking platform in line with its expanding role as a leader of customer experience in Oman.

The bilingual app is available for both Android and iOS devices and features advanced security capabilities as well as a self-registration system. Users can use a QR code to log in to web banking, funds transfers, utility bill payments and other transactions. The app is 3D Touch-enabled* and is the first mobile banking app in Oman to offer in app notifications for new transactions, and payment reminders.

Sadiq Al Lawati, Head of Digital and Card Business, Alizz Islamic Bank said, "At Alizz Islamic Bank our key focus is to provide the very best digital banking experience for our customers, whenever and wherever our customers need. Throughout the bank's history we have been at the forefront of digital banking in Oman and we are delighted to further reinforce this with the multitude of useful features offered to our customers via the Alizz mobile banking app and Internet banking platforms, which are available in both Arabic and English."

Source: Alizz Islamic Bank. Al Jadidi.

Moosa Al Jadidi, COO, Alizz Islamic Bank said the new mobile banking application and Internet banking platform reflect the exceptional customer experience and high standards that the bank strives to deliver every day. 

"These platforms enhance our strong relationship with our customers and take our excellence in customer service to a whole new level. With an increasingly young population in Oman who prefer more technologically advanced banking solutions, our wide range of cutting edge digital banking solutions enable our customers to benefit from more convenient and secure self-service channels, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," he said.

*3D Touch is pressure-sensitive touch technology found in iOS devices.

Activpass offers wellness activities at preferential rates

Source: Activpass. Activpass is a mobile-based marketplace for booking lifestyle activities.

Live spontaneously - this is the motto of the developers behind the Activpass integrated platform for businesses and independent professionals in the fitness, wellness and beauty services industries. The smart mobile passport offers over 1,000 services including yoga, personal training, circuit training, golf, body rehabilitation, pre- and post-natal massages, chiropractic, beauty and aesthetics treatments for users to try and buy, without the need to subscribe to a long-term package.

Users book fitness, wellness or beauty services of their choice, and then pay on-the-go. Activities are diverse, including Boogie Bounce Xtreme (BBX) Trampoline classes, electric muscle stimulation (EMS) training, and Korean Vita C Hydrolightening therapy.

Activpass members get preferential rates on classes and services offered, and through the LastMinute feature, can enjoy up to 90% off on last-minute bookings of up to three days in advance at spas, salons, gyms and studios. The app is able to personalise recommendations.

Bookings earn Activpass Points that can be used to offset the prices of future Activpass classes and services, or spent on third parties through the purchase of gift cards. The peer-to-peer digital sharing feature allows users to share packages purchased via the app with family and friends. Gifts can even be crowdfunded with others via the app.

Activpass currently has some 300 merchants on its platform. By the end of 2017, Activpass expects more than 1,000 merchants on board.

Interested?

The Activpass app is available for iOS and Android and can be downloaded at the App store and Play store respectively.

There are no membership fees. With geofencing and location technology built into Activpass, registration for the activities is automated - just turn up.

posted from Bloggeroid

Emaar guests can tailor their experience with new apps

Source: Emaar. Emaar introduces tailored apps integrated with the back end to enhance customer experience. 

• Address Hotels + Resorts, Vida Hotels and Resorts, Palace Downtown and Manzil Downtown Apps tailored on their guest profiles & preferences are now live; Rove Hotels App to go live shortly

• Integrated with backend systems to offer management teams crucial real time data for enhancing guest experience

The Emaar Hospitality Group has launched five native apps in line with its mobile-first approach and its ambition to be an industry leader in using technology to enhance the guest experience. The apps focus on individual hotels under the group as opposed to conventional industry practices, and assure end-to-end digital connectivity with the hotel for guests over their mobile phones. 

The introduction of the new apps is in line with the new Emaar digital strategy of driving enhanced customer experiences, and are part of a series of other digital initiatives being implemented by Emaar Hospitality Group. They draw on the tremendous potential offered by the increased Internet and smartphone penetration in the region. They are also aligned with the aspirations of the region’s 200 million youth population, who form the new generation of travellers and entrepreneurs.

Emaar Hospitality Group selected Go Find It Technologies as its partner in developing the apps. In the first phase of the digital transformation across the Group, apps have been developed for Address Hotels + Resorts, Vida Hotels and Resorts, Rove Hotels, Palace Downtown and Manzil Downtown, taking into consideration the unique guest profiles and preferences of the hotel brands and individual hotels.

Olivier Harnisch, CEO, Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “This is truly historic as we pioneer a new digital trend for the hospitality sector. Now our guests have all the connectivity and convenience they need for a memorable experience at our hotels right at their fingertips.

“The five apps are industry-defining, as they take into consideration the unique customer requirements of our three hotel brands. They will enable our guests to access a host of services on their mobile phones, while also providing us with real time data that will help us deliver value-added services to meet and exceed their expectations.”

The five apps are integrated with the hotels’ reservation systems, offer guests access to city guides, are social media-friendly and push relevant information such as an invitation to join the U By Emaar loyalty programme, special offers, relevant event information and much more.

The content offered within the apps includes professionally-produced city guides highlighting what is happening in and around the city on a daily basis. This regularly-updated information will account for around 30% of the content within each app.

Additionally, individual hotels will create their own content to engage with guests in a meaningful way while making it easier for marketers to highlight relevant events as well as special offers across stays, dining, spa and more. 

Interested?

Address Hotels + Resorts, Vida Hotels and Resorts, Palace Downtown, and Manzil Downtown Apps on iOS and Android are available for download on the App Store and Google Play; the Rove Hotels App will be available soon.

Malaysia to enjoy eatigo dining discounts

Source: eatigo. From left: Michael Cluzel, Co-founder & CEO of eatigo International and Pumin Yuvacharuskul (Louis), Co-founder & CEO Thailand of eatigo International at the launch of eatigo Malaysia.

The Southeast Asian restaurant reservation platform eatigo is now officially available to users in Malaysia. The platform enables users to make reservations at more than 1,000 restaurants on the eatigo app. Users also get to enjoy 50% off at selected timeslots.

Whether it is dinner at TEMPTations, Renaissance Hotel, or something more casual at TGI Fridays, eatigo has discounts at any time, any day. There is no need to pay up front or use a credit card - users ony need to make a reservation on eatigo to enjoy reduced prices on their meals.

Michael Cluzel, eatigo co-founder and CEO said, “After great success in both Thailand and Singapore, where we’ve seated over 4 million diners since our inception, we’re excited to continue extending eatigo’s reach in Southeast Asia."

The dining reservation platform is currently available in Bangkok, Pattaya, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, and more Southeast Asian destinations are planned.

Supported by investor, TripAdvisor, the platform currently boasts over 1 million installs across the region since its inception.

“Eatigo is always looking to add more quality dining places to the list, and we believe having a good mix of affordable and upscale options, in addition to the wide variety of cuisines on offer, will keep users coming back to the app for more,” said Cluzel.

posted from Bloggeroid

Google Play apps may not be what they seem

Source: ESET. Rogue apps.

Researchers at ESET, a global player in proactive cybersecurity, have discovered 13 new Instagram credential stealers on the Google Play store. While they appear to have originated in Turkey, some apps used English localisation to target Instagram users worldwide. Altogether, the malicious apps have been installed by up to 1.5 million users.

According to ESET, the new credential-stealing apps appeared on the official Google Play store as tools for either managing or boosting the number of Instagram followers. To lure users into downloading, the apps promised to rapidly increase the number of followers, likes and comments on one's Instagram account. Detected under the name Android/Spy.Inazigram, the malicious applications were phishing for Instagram credentials and sending them to a remote server. The compromised accounts can be used to spread spam, ads, and raise follower counts of other users.

For example, one of the apps named Instagram Followers requires the user to log in via an Instagram lookalike screen. The credentials entered into the form are then sent to the attackers' server in plain text. After having entered the credentials, the user will find it impossible to log in, as explained in an "incorrect password" error screen.

The error screen also features a note suggesting the user visits Instagram's official website and verifies their account in order to sign in to the third-party app. As the victims are notified about unauthorised attempt to log in on their behalf and prompted to verify their account as soon as they open Instagram, the note aims to lower their suspicion in advance.

According to ESET, victims can tell if their accounts have been compromised if they see an unfamiliar icon under their installed applications. They will also have seen a notice from Instagram about someone attempting to log into their accounts. Finally, their Instagram accounts might appear to have increased following and follower numbers, and experience replies to comments that they have never posted.

ESET suggests that victims uninstall the unfamiliar apps or use a reliable mobile security solution to remove the threats. They should also change your Instagram password immediately, as well as wherever the same password is used. ESET recommends using a different password on each of their accounts. 

ESET also advises users to use a mobile security solution, and stick to popular apps marked as Top Developer or found in the Editor's Choice category. While developers may appear popular going by the number of installs, ratings and the content of reviews, ratings and reviews are not always reliable.

Upon ESET's notification, all 13 apps have been removed from the store.