PwC launches APAC research centre for asset and wealth management

Source: PwC. PwC is to open an Asset & Wealth Management Asia-Pacific Research Centre in Singapore.

PwC has launched its Asset & Wealth Management (AWM) Asia-Pacific Research Centre, which will be headquartered in Singapore. With the support of the Singapore Economic Development Board, the AWM Asia-Pacific Research Centre aims to build capability in AWM in Singapore and across the region.

As an extension of PwC’s Global Market Research Centre based in Luxembourg, the AWM Asia-Pacific Research Centre will help to address the asset and wealth management industry’s market research needs such as identifying new market opportunities through its dedicated market-entry reports, help asset and wealth managers assess their competitiveness, improve their visibility in the market and monitor key trends.

This will be done through the development of in-depth analytical reports to support players in developing their strategy. It will also provide guidance for new players' market-entry aspirations across the Asia-Pacific region and engage in dialogue with regulators and governments in Asia-Pacific through policy papers.

“We are at the beginning of the Asian decade as global economic power and wealth shifts from west to east. The financial services industry in Asia-Pacific is at the cusp of re-engineering and consolidating. PwC’s AWM Asia-Pacific Research Centre will provide clients and other financial institutions with tools to expand their footprint in this region through the provision of market intelligence and supporting thought leadership,” says Justin Ong, Asia-Pacific Asset and Wealth Management Leader at PwC Singapore.

Barry Benjamin, PwC Global Asset and Wealth Management Leader adds, “The impacts of globalisation, technology advances and changing demographics are leading to dramatic shifts in how people accumulate, manage and distribute their wealth. The Centre will play an integral role in advancing research as well as developing perspectives on these challenges.”

The centre aims to build the analyst and research team to 12 over the next five years.

Plantronics turns headsets into data aggregation tools

Plantronics has announced Plantronics Manager Pro v3.8 and the new Asset Analysis suite. Plantronics Manager Pro is a software subscription service that customers and partners can use to manage audio communications devices, enabling them to gain insights into their business communications processes, how to streamline them, and generate more positive outcomes such as increased first call resolution.

The Plantronics Manager Pro Asset Analysis suite allows users to:

• Track device deployment and configurations, reconfigurations, and firmware updates
• Find non-standard firmware, software, softphone, and communications client deployments
• Use user personas to define standard device settings that ensure an optimal user experience and comply with workplace security, health, and safety policies.

When analytics are built directly into business processes, it helps reduce human and financial resource expenditure. Plantronics Manager Pro with Asset Analysis enables the IT manager to quickly run an inventory report to see who has particular headsets, their operational status, and to which softphones they are connected. 

One of the greatest values is seen by customers deploying new unified communications. Customers can identify user personas throughout their organisation and match the right headset to their communication styles. With Plantronics Manager Pro, they can subsequently establish the right mix of system-defined and user-defined settings and push them out to the headsets, so that on first use, everybody’s experience is customised to their requirements. This service can help speed user adoption through reports showing if and how the headsets are being used, and can ensure valid configurations. It also lets IT know things like who may benefit from additional training or configuration changes.

Plantronics Manager Pro with Asset Analysis allows contact centre managers to equip customer service representatives (CSRs) with the right tools to provide the best customer experiences. The service allows the contact centre manager to create standard configurations for the CSR workspace that foster the best customer and CSR experience, and lock them in place.

Interested?

Plantronics Manager Pro and Asset Analysis suite are available under an annual subscription from Plantronics Approved Resellers in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore for the Asia Pacific region. The offer will be expanded globally in the coming months.

Watch the associated video

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about Plantronics personas

Etihad, TCA Abu Dhabi and Miral join hands to promote Abu Dhabi as a destination of choice

Etihad Airways has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), and also with Miral Asset Management (Miral), which oversees the development and management of a range of hospitality, sports, entertainment, retail and leisure destinations on Yas Island. The two MOUs will cement stronger ties between the three parties, and promote the global appeal of Abu Dhabi as a year-round tourist, business and cultural destination.

The exclusive partnership will see the three parties drive the growth of inbound destination and stopover tourism to Abu Dhabi by joining forces on various strategic activities including co-branded marketing and communication, market intelligence and data exchange, loyalty and affinity programmes, and business and leisure events within the Emirate and around the world.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Today we sign our joint commitment to make Abu Dhabi the best destination brand in the world. This unique and important partnership between the national airline, TCA Abu Dhabi and Miral will boost Abu Dhabi’s image exponentially. As the national airline, we continue to foster mutually beneficial relationships with the leading drivers of growth and progress in Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE.”

Etihad Airways will coordinate more closely with TCA Abu Dhabi across a range of disciplines and targeted B2B and B2C programmes, and will continue to grow the established and successful Essential Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Now and Access Abu Dhabi trade and consumer programmes.

Sultan Al Dhaheri, Acting Executive Director Tourism, TCA Abu Dhabi, said: “2016 will see many more guests coming to our warm and welcoming home, and enjoying all the exciting vacation and business opportunities it has to offer.”

Miral and Etihad Airways will enter into a close destination-driven relationship in which Hala Abu Dhabi, the airline’s destination management subsidiary, will be providing a wide range of tourism, marketing and distribution services, including product development, global distribution and digital capabilities.

Mohamed Al Zaabi, Chief Executive Officer of Miral, said: “Abu Dhabi is a world-leader in state-of-the-art leisure, business and sporting facilities, and nowhere is this more evident than on Yas Island. Together, we will increase in-market trade cooperation, international branding exercises, media and loyalty programmes, as well as education and PR strategies."

Previous collaborative work between Etihad Airways and TCA Abu Dhabi has yielded highly successful global campaigns such as the Travellers Welcome campaign and the Abu Dhabi golf and MICE programmes.