Six in 10 APAC companies report stable office attendance Sixty percent of APAC companies say office attendance is stable

A new CBRE survey has found that over 60% of companies in the Asia Pacific region say office attendance has reached a steady state, reflecting acceptance of flexible and hybrid working models as the future of work. About a third (32%) of firms expect office usage to increase, while 4% anticipate a decrease.

The survey highlighted that 43% of Asia Pacific companies have achieved a peak utilisation rate of 80% or higher. This trend presents opportunities for companies to recalibrate their workplaces to align with evolving work styles and attract top talent, CBRE said.

Unassigned seating (hotdesking and activity-based working) and collaborative spaces are emerging as effective ways to boost workplace efficiency, with companies are increasingly adopting flexible seating and higher desk sharing ratios to achieve this goal. Additionally, 49% of companies plan to expand their use of flexible spaces in the next three years, with interest in utilising on-demand event spaces, CBRE said. 

Cost remains a critical factor influencing both lease renewals and relocations. Among respondents, 50% cited better lease terms and rents as well as cost savings as the primary motivation for relocating to new offices. Despite these financial concerns, 58% of the companies are committed to enhancing employee experience and 45% focused on boosting employee productivity.

“Asia Pacific occupiers are seizing cost saving opportunities in tenant-favoured markets to upgrade to higher quality buildings in better locations with minimal cost escalation,” said Luke Moffat, Head of Advisory & Transaction Services, Asia Pacific for CBRE.

“Sustainability and wellness are another area of focus for occupiers. Therefore, the more proactive landlords are offering green building and wellness certifications, green lease clauses, electric vehicle charging stations, and various energy-saving features, the more they can attract occupiers to their assets.”

The survey found that 70% of companies want employees back in the office at least three days a week, with half aiming for a five-day workweek. Employees in Asia Pacific are showing slightly higher office attendance than requested as 73% of them reported working in the office at least three days a week. 

The survey also highlighted uneven office attendance throughout the week, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays seeing the highest attendance rates across the Asia Pacific, except in mainland China where attendance is the highest on Mondays. Fridays show the lowest attendance, suggesting that companies may need to implement initiatives to maintain vibrancy and engagement for those who choose to come in, potentially increasing turnout over time. 

“Companies should rethink how they measure and interpret office utilisation to accurately estimate current and future space needs,” said Ada Choi, Head of Research, Asia Pacific, for CBRE. 

“With hybrid work patterns leading to uneven attendance, it is essential to maintain a vibrant environment during off-peak times while accommodating maximum capacity without compromising the work experience.” 

Source: CBRE’s 2024 Asia Pacific Office Occupier Survey. Infographic summarising key findings, including the use of unassigned seating, ESG and tech adoption, and cost factors.

*CBRE’s 2024 Asia Pacific Office Occupier Survey was conducted from 6 June to 12 July 2024, featuring insights from around 130 corporate real estate executives in the region.

Declining employee engagement in hybrid work models: Zoom

Zoom has released Navigating the Future of Work: Global Perspectives on Hybrid Models and Technology, a survey* which has found that the majority of organisations in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC) are embracing flexible working arrangements, with 84% of organisations adopting either a hybrid (58%) or remote (26%) working model. 

Launched at Zoom's EX Summit 2024 in Asia Pacific, the study found that productivity is now the top priority for organisations. Eighty-seven percent of leaders in APAC considered increasing productivity to be the biggest consideration when determining the best working style for their company, surpassing sentiment in North America (NA, 86%) and 81% in Western Europe. 

The study further found that employees feel most productive in hybrid settings, with 83% of employees in the region agreeing they get more work done in a hybrid/remote setting than in-office/onsite. Zoom noted that having the right technology in place to keep the workforce connected, regardless of workers’ physical locations is therefore critical. 

Respondents revealed that many APAC companies are still experimenting with the various types of hybrid models to find their best fit. Notably, scheduled hybrid (27%) and flextime hybrid (19%) have emerged as the most common workplace models in the region, with another 13% of organisations adopting other kinds of hybrid workplace models organised around roles, locations, and outcomes. In fact, 97% of APAC leaders say they have made their workplaces more flexible in the past two years. 

Source: Zoom infographic (PDF). The most common workplace model in APAC is 'scheduled hybrid', where specific days are spent at remote locations and other days at the office, followed by 'flextime hybrid', where the employee divides their time between remote working and the office on a more variable schedule.

On the downside, more needs to be done to engage employees. Six in 10 leaders in the region report a decline in employee engagement attributed to hybrid models. 

“Workplace flexibility is not only becoming increasingly commonplace in the APAC region, but more diverse in itself — ranging from flextime to location, role, and even rotation-based models,” noted Ricky Kapur, Head of Asia Pacific, Zoom. 

“Leaders today are faced with a new challenge of finding the best-fit hybrid model while keeping up with the evolving expectations of a multi-generational workforce and the impact of rapidly-advancing technologies like AI.” 

In order to prepare for the future of work, the study revealed that organisations need to improve their current tech stack. More than eight in 10 employees (81%) agree that the tools and technology their organisation currently uses for remote work needs improving, highest among the other regions surveyed (NA: 79%; Western Europe: 65%). 

Generative AI has already become a key tool to support employee productivity and overall experience in the hybrid era. Eighty-five percent of APAC leaders believe that generative AI has made their workforce more productive, and 69% of employees in the region strongly or slightly agree that “generative AI makes it easier to do my job. 

APAC organisations recorded the highest use of meeting transcripts/summarisation (53% in APAC, 40% in NA, and 38% in Western Europe), and chatbots (59% in APAC, 52% in NA, and 58% in Western Europ” 

However, significant barriers to generative AI adoption for employees in APAC still remain, as 70% believe that generative AI has a high learning curve. Over six in 10 (63%) are not yet comfortable with generative AI. More than half (55%) are concerned that generative AI will negatively impact their job/position. 

Moving forward, increased education on the benefits, use cases, and how they can mitigate risks must be done before teams can fully unlock the true value of AI for their workforce, Zoom said. 

“While our study shows that APAC leaders generally recognise the productivity benefits that adopting AI at work can bring to their teams, many are not utilising AI to their full potential. As organisations seek to reduce friction in the transition to hybrid ways of working, AI is a critical tool at their disposal to help employees collaborate better and feel more connected to each other. 

"Beyond direct productivity benefits, leaders should look toward exploring more AI use cases to engage, inform, and connect employees. This will be key to building and maintaining company culture amidst changing workplace dynamics,” added Kapur. 

Even as hybrid becomes the dominant work model, 77% of leaders in APAC say it is likely that their organisation will change its workplace model in the next two years. Globally, this figure sits at 75%. 

Ultimately, building a successful, future-ready workplace requires organisations to continuously adapt to employees’ feedback and evolving preferences. Having the right technology in place that can adapt and evolve with the organisation at the same time, including AI tools that are both scalable and right-fit, is also a key piece to the puzzle, Zoom observed.

*The Future of Work survey and the IT Leadership survey were global studies conducted by Reworked, a global community of employee experience, digital workplace, and talent management professionals, on behalf of Zoom. The companies surveyed more than 600 IT and C-suite leaders and nearly 1,900 knowledge workers across the globe including 604 in APAC, exploring their views on different workplace models, productivity levels across models, the impact of generative AI on work, and other topics related to the future of work. 

Markets in APAC included Australia, India, Japan, and Singapore. Data was collected online, all questions were required, and results were collected anonymously. Employer survey dates: April-May 2024; Respondents: 624. Employee survey dates: April-May 2024; Respondents: 1,870.

IWG: How the world of work transforms in 2024

Concept image representing
office work generated by
Dream by WOMBO.

IWG, the world’s largest provider of flexible workspace, including brands such as Regus and Spaces, has shared the top 10 trends that are set to shape global working in 2024. According to the company, hybrid working is set to continue: ongoing academic research by Stanford University and other leading institutes has predicted that around a third or more white-collar workers will continue to work in a hybrid way in the long term.

Chief Hybrid Officers

The widespread adoption of hybrid work has led to the emergence of a new C-suite role—the Chief Hybrid Officer (CHO). Companies such as Meta, Doist and GitLab have already hired their own, and we will see more companies appointing CHOs in 2024 to oversee and optimise the hybrid work environment. They will balance the needs of in-office and remote employees, ensuring productivity, and navigating logistical challenges effectively.

Another new role has also emerged. The Office Synchroniser is responsible for optimising office space and ensuring effective collaboration.

A renewed focus on culture

In a hybrid working world, companies must find a balance between empowering employee flexibility and ensuring regular and adequate time for collaboration. This balance needs to ensure that, despite varied work settings, there is a cohesive framework encouraging open communication and a shared commitment to the company's mission. Embracing hybrid working not only provides flexibility but also encourages a dynamic and inclusive culture, allowing diverse perspectives to thrive and contributing to enhanced innovation and employee satisfaction.

Greater expectations from employers

Innovative benefits packages will become mainstream and will be pivotal in the race for talent in 2024. Benefits such as fertility support, pet care and time off for caring responsibilities may become commonplace, as employers are forced to take a more holistic look at the needs of their hybrid workforce.

There will also be heightened expectations from employees that businesses provide benefits packages and company polices that support the wellbeing of their workforce. Whether it’s increased parental leave, progressive childcare policies or taking action to address burnout with appropriate mental health support, businesses will need to be more attuned to the evolving needs and demands of their workforce if they want to retain their best people.

The company's role in childcare

As hybrid work continues to gain momentum, increased employer support for families will be a gamechanger for parents seeking more balance between their professional and home life.

Businesses will increasingly have a role to play, recognising the challenge of childcare and providing support more for working parents is essential to maintain a diverse and skilled workforce. In fact, research from IWG highlighted how greater flexibility is allowing workers to spend more time with family and hobbies, with three in four (75%) hybrid workers using time previously spent commuting on more meaningful activities.

The lunch hour

With an increasing number of workers seeking a healthier work/life balance, the year ahead will witness a resurgence of lunch breaks dedicated to in-person interactions.

The flexibility of hybrid work will help more workers reclaim their lunch hour to grab food with coworkers and clients and rekindle in-person collaboration and relationships, in turn fostering a more positive workplace, creativity and camaraderie amongst hybrid working team members.

Neurodiversity

Accommodating neurodivergent team members will be an important pillar of employer DE&I (diversity, equity, and inclusion) strategies in the near future. This shift is reflected in the evolving design of office spaces, which now takes into consideration the specific needs of neurodivergent workers including addressing issues such as noise and lighting, acknowledging the significant impact these factors can have on the wellbeing of these employees. As companies adapt for greater inclusivity, a proactive approach to inclusive design will ensure that workplaces are supportive and comfortable for all employees, improving productivity in the process.

Unretirement

Hybrid work has given more flexibility to older generations in particular, allowing them to stay in the workforce – or coming back from a previous exit for 'unretirement'. Bain and Company estimate that by 2030, around 150 million global jobs will shift to workers aged 55 and over. In 2024, this phenomenon will gather pace, with a growing number of experienced professionals from older generations embracing this concept and, for the first time in their careers, exploring the benefits of hybrid working, helping establish more diverse workforces and intergenerational collaboration.

Greener work

Robust hybrid working policies are playing a pivotal role in cutting carbon emissions; recent research by IWG and Arup suggests that hybrid working can reduce carbon emissions as a result of a dramatic reduction in commuting.

In an era where sustainability is paramount, we are going to see businesses looking for more innovative ways to cut their carbon emissions in 2024. Businesses are increasingly looking for buildings with green leases, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and enhance their environmental performance. In 2024, we will see these leases go beyond energy efficiency, encompassing water conservation, waste reduction, and indoor air quality.

Hybrid work: the top employee benefit

The commercial benefits of hybrid to businesses, given the meaningful savings companies can make by adopting the working model, are clear. Stanford University's Professor Nicholas Bloom has long talked about hybrid working being a win/win for both employers and employees, commenting that it’s a “no brainer to increase profit”. And data supports this thinking; 81% of CFOs surveyed by IWG see hybrid working as a cost saver and more than two-thirds (67%) say their business will continue to work in the hybrid model, splitting time between the company’s headquarters, a local office/workspace and home in five years.

But that’s not all; hybrid working is becoming the most sought-after benefit for employees too, already impacting business’s ability to access and keep the best talent. IWG’s own research shows that almost three quarters of workers (72%) would only consider a job that offers the ability to work flexibly, while 71% would be unwilling to accept a position that involved a long commute.

Increasing presence of AI

2024 will see a clear shift in adoption and usage of AI in everyday life, and companies who invest in helping their people understand how AI can be a benefit to hybrid working, will reap the rewards; preparing employees for unforeseen roles and technologies should become a priority for businesses, while helping them understand that using AI effectively can lessen time spend on administrative tasks, leaving more room for thinking and collaborating together.

Mark Dixon, Founder and CEO of IWG, said: “The migration to hybrid is one of the most important forces at play in the world today as workers increasingly embrace the opportunity to work locally, bringing significant opportunities to the economies of local communities as well as creating a better work-life-balance for employees.

“Hybrid working is radically reshaping how we work. Businesses that embrace it will attract the best talent and get the most out of their workforces all while reducing their own bottom line. This pace of change will continue in 2024, with an increasing number of employees and businesses understanding the clear financial, cultural and sustainability benefits that flexible working models can bring.” 

Explore

Read the white paper at https://assets.iwgplc.com/image/upload/v1702983436/IWG/MediaCentre/IWG_White_Paper_Future_of_Work_Trends_Forecast_2024.pdf (PDF)

Poly and Debrett's release the etiquette guide for hybrid work

Source: HP. Debrett's has spoken on
hybrid work.

Poly, part of HP’s portfolio of hybrid work solutions, has partnered with Debrett’s, the authority on modern etiquette, to create a guide for global etiquette in the hybrid workplace.

Samir Sayed, MD, ASEAN, Korea, Emerging Markets & Pakistan for Hybrid Work Solutions at HP said, “The shift to hybrid work was so abrupt, we’ve not really considered how our behaviour should change to accommodate this new way of working. Should we be amending our behaviour to make hybrid work and hybrid meetings feel more normal? Thinking about how to make hybrid meetings feel more natural will create an equal meeting experience, whether people are in the room or dialling-in from home, which can come down to employers providing staff with the right technology and training.”

“With people increasingly splitting their time between the office and home, how we conduct ourselves at work has changed drastically,” says Liz Wyse, Etiquette Advisor at Debrett’s.

“It is clear that hybrid working offers many benefits, including greater flexibility and a better work-life balance. However, that’s not an excuse to let etiquette slip, and standards should stay the same regardless of where you’re working from. What’s the dress code when working from home? How do you eliminate distractions and present a professional façade online? This guide seeks to answer these questions so that both staff and employers can get the most out of a hybrid working arrangement."

Key takeaways from the guide include:

The royal wave

Ending a video call can sometimes feel a bit awkward. To make calls feel more friendly and inclusive, you can soften the abrupt finality of pressing ‘end call’ by giving colleagues a wave goodbye.

Avoid video motion sickness

Stay in a fixed position during video calls. Carrying your device while you answer the door or wander around the office during video calls risks giving your colleagues a bad dose of motion sickness.

No meeting munchies

You should try to avoid eating – you don’t want people to focus on the contents of your lunch rather than what you’re saying. It’s preferable to eat before you join a meeting.

Beware the danger of diversions

Your home is full of diversions. It’s all too easy to wander around doing jobs or making snacks, which ultimately distracts you from your job and impacts your productivity.

Eliminate virtual background clutter

Indulge in a little set-dressing before your call. Evaluate your video background. Try to eliminate chaotic bookshelves, discarded clothing, empty take-away containers and distracting artwork. You want your colleagues to focus on you, not your background.

Say no to stoic sickness syndrome

Do not struggle into the office if you have got a cough or cold or anything contagious.

No meeting multitasking

It’s inappropriate to multitask during meetings – for example looking at your phone. It is also very bad form to carry on working while on a call; everybody will realise your mind is elsewhere and hear the incriminating clatter of your keyboard.

Mute work mates

Noise in the office can be distracting when joining calls. It’s quite acceptable to politely ask your colleagues to keep their voices down and to turn down their radio or music.

Dress for success

People will choose to wear more relaxed, comfortable clothing when working from home, but it’s important to be aware of the psychological impact of truly letting yourself go. Aim to dress as if you are in the room with other meeting attendees.

Embrace long pauses

Don’t be alarmed by long pauses during meetings and scramble to fill them with chatter; they are an invaluable way of giving people space to interject or expound.

Explore

Get the guide here. 

View the associated infographic (PDF).

Deel: 12 work trends in 2023

Source: Deel playbook. 12 work
trends for 2023.

Deel, which provides payroll and compliance solutions for international teams, has researched emerging work trends, and come up with a full dozen for 2023:

Overemployed

First off, Deel said that remote workers are gaming the system by using flexible hours and asynchronous tools to juggle more than one job at the same time.

The Chief Remote Officer (CRO)

"The title of CRO is popping up on job boards everywhere," Deel has found. The company said most job descriptions entail all the elements around remote team setups, including hosting in-person events, detailing how to work in different timezones, compensation strategies, and internal communications tools.

Workcations

Working while travelling is now a reality and becoming the norm, said Deel.

Flex holidays

More workers are getting the power to decide which holidays to take instead of a one-size-fits-all calendar, Deel said.

Gen Flex

The latest generation (Gen alpha) has never even stepped foot in an office for work, Deel states, making virtual their reality. 

Flexetariat

Today’s workforce is putting flexibility and freedom at the top of their working requirements (and life). "Now more than ever teams are trading perks for the non-negotiable of being a Flexetariat," the company said.

Talent snatching

Despite ongoing layoffs, there is a bidding war for talent happening in parallel. "Some workers are finding themselves working at one company for only a few months before getting a more appealing offer elsewhere, oftentimes out of nowhere," Deel stated.

Sukima (隙間)

Young people are embracing sukima (gap) in Japan, according to Deel, turning free time into extra cash. New apps such as Jobcase, Timee and LINE Sukimani help match them with jobs like waiting tables or making deliveries, so there’s no time wasted; just money earned.

Casual e-signatures

With apps like BeReal on the rise, Gen Zers are skipping the pleasantries for more “authentic” sign offs and out-of-office (OOO) replies, said Deel. Look out for e-mail signatures like “Lukewarm regards”, “Another day, another slay”, and “In case of emergency, dial 911; not an emergency, try Google”, Deel predicted.

Pick-up parties

As fewer people are working from offices and together less in real life (IRL), people are finding new ways to connect. There are now in-person brand events called "pick-up parties", Deel said, where purchased products are collected in person at an event where the buyer can meet other likeminded people.

Career bouncing

Deel differentiated "salary bouncing" - jumping from job to job in under a year to increase salary with each jump - and "career bouncing", where a person moves from one career to a completely different industry, such as being a teacher and then a marketer, to determine which career is preferable.

Save-from-home

In a survey with Momentive, Deel found that people are saving more than ever thanks to things like reduced travel, food expenses, and increased salaries. More than 59% have increased their salaries and 64% said their savings have grown while working from home, the company shared.

Explore

Read the playbook

Cisco: Hybrid work has improved lives

Hybrid work has improved total employee well-being, work-life balance, and performance in Singapore, according to a new global Cisco study. While organisations have benefited from higher employee productivity levels, more needs to be done to build an inclusive culture and fully embed hybrid work arrangements to boost readiness levels and enhance employee experience.

Cisco’s Employees are ready for hybrid work, are you? study found that one in two (56%) employees in Singapore believe that quality of work has improved. A similar number (60%) felt that their productivity has enhanced. Three-quarters of employees (76%) also feel their role can now be performed just as successfully remotely as in the office. 

However, the survey of 28,000 employees from 27 countries, including over 1,000 respondents from Singapore, reveals that only one in five (19%) Singapore employees think that their company is ’very prepared’ for a hybrid work future. This is lower than the global average of 23%.

“The last two years have shown us that work is no longer about where we go, but what we do. In a hybrid normal, Singapore employees and employers alike experience tangible benefits across key indications – from improved employee well-being to better productivity and work performance,” said Andy Lee, MD, Cisco, Singapore and Brunei. 

“However, hybrid work is more than just supporting a safe office re-entry. Leaders need to rethink how to cultivate an inclusive culture, place employees – their experience, engagement, and wellbeing – at the centre, and modernise their networking and security infrastructure to provide a seamless, secure and inclusive employee experience.”

Cisco’s research examined the impact of hybrid working on five categories of wellbeing – emotional, financial, mental, physical, and social wellbeing – with over three-quarters of respondents (79%) saying hybrid and remote working has improved various aspects of their wellbeing.

Time away from the office has improved work-life balance for 83% of employees in Singapore – a sentiment more significantly felt in the country compared to the global average of 79% and regional average of 81%. More flexible work schedules (61%) and significantly reduced or completely removed commuting times (50%) contributed to this improvement. Nearly two-thirds of people (70%) saved at least four hours per week when they worked from home, and over a quarter (28%) of respondents saved eight or more hours a week.

Four in five (82%) Singapore respondents also say that their financial wellbeing improved, with their average savings reaching to over US$9,000 a year. More than eight in 10 (84%) ranked savings on fuel and/or commuting among their top three areas for savings, followed by decreased spending on food and entertainment at 79%. Close to nine in 10 (87%) believe they can maintain these savings over the long term, and 65% would take these savings into account when considering changing jobs.

In addition, seven in 10 (72%) respondents believe their physical fitness has improved with remote working. A similar number (70%) say hybrid working has positively impacted their eating habits. A majority (74%) indicate that remote working has improved family relationships and half (50%) of the respondents reporting strengthened relationships with friends.

The future of work is hybrid, according to seven in 10 employees in Singapore (71%) who say they want a combination of a remote and in-office hybrid working model in the future, compared to a fully remote (25%) and fully in-office (4%) experience.

However, there is uncertainty over how different work styles might impact inclusion and engagement. Half of Singapore respondents believe micromanaging behaviours had increased with hybrid and remote working. Trust from managers that employees can be productive has been a common and critical theme in their working experience.

“Trust has become a core tenet in our hybrid work normal, alongside flexibility, and empathetic leadership. Our latest research indicates that more needs to be done to fully integrate hybrid work arrangements for employees, especially when it comes to building an inclusive culture powered by efficient technology infrastructure in this new world of hybrid working that employees clearly prefer. Leaders and companies need to commit to actions that go a long way in retaining their people – listening, building trust, and leading with empathy, flexibility, and fairness,” said Anupam Trehan, Senior Director, People & Communities, Cisco, APJC.

At the same time, technology will remain critical to enabling a future with increasingly diverse and distributed workforces. Six out of 10 (60%) respondents believe having connectivity issues regularly is career-limiting for remote workers. As a result, 84% say networking infrastructure is essential for a seamless working from home experience, but around 30% say their company still needs the right networking infrastructure.

Around three-quarters (73%) of respondents in Singapore believe that cybersecurity is critical for making hybrid working safe, but only two-thirds (66%) say their organisation currently has the right capabilities and protocols in place. Only 64% think that all employees across their company understand the cyber risks involved with hybrid work, and 65% think business leaders are familiar with the risks.

“Technology is a key enabler of growth in the hybrid workplace, and it needs to be underpinned by end-to-end integrated security. Organisations should prioritise a robust security posture that underpins every digitalisation effort and ensure that cybersecurity is at the core of their technology architecture. 

"Amid the expanded attack surface area today as more users and devices connect to corporate applications, organisations will need to bolster security and build greater vigilance through enabling secure access, and protecting users and endpoints in the network and the cloud,” said Juan Huat Koo, Director, Cybersecurity, Cisco ASEAN.

Business of Design Week 2021 accessible to anyone around the world

Source: HKDC. Officiating guests join Business of Design Week 2021’s opening ceremony.

Business of Design Week (BODW) 2021, an annual Asian event on design, innovation and brands organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) since 2002, has kicked off its 19th edition. The week-long summit features a lineup of cross-disciplinary speakers and TV sessions around the theme Global Design Reset. 

The hybrid event is simulcast online, on ViuTV, and at partner locations including the PMQ venue in Hong Kong, making the summit accessible to viewers all over the world. 

The Honourable Mrs Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Guest of Honour for BODW 2021, stated in a speech that the Hong Kong government is honoured to be the lead sponsor for BODW through the CreateSmart Initiative, a dedicated funding scheme for the creative sectors. 

"With a new HK$1 billion injection into the CreateSmart Initiative earlier this year, we will continue with our efforts to assist the trade in talent nurturing, capacity building and skill upgrading, with a view to enhancing the long-term competitiveness of our trade under the ‘new normal’,” she said. 

In his welcome remarks, Professor Eric Yim, Chairman of HKDC said: “After this turbulent period all over the world, a new chapter awaits us all. Business of Design Week 2021 revolves around one word: 'Reset'. It’s all about rethinking and resetting our world and the way it works, hence our theme: Global Design Reset. 

"As we reimagine our collective future, we’ll need big ideas, collaborative creativity, decisive leadership, and plenty of wisdom. We hope BODW can show us how we can thrive amid crisis, and create a meaningful and sustainable future together through design and technology.”  

Details: 

In addition to being livestreamed online, key sessions from BODW 2021: Global Design Reset will be aired on ViuTVsix every night from 1 to 4 December at 20:00 GMT+8.  

Register to attend

HPE lowers threshold to entry storage portfolio

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) recently announced enhancements to its entry storage portfolio to help customers with limited budgets harness content and accelerate applications. The new HPE MSA Storage options enable the most affordable dual-controller hybrid flash array from a major vendor¹ while the new HPE StoreEasy 1650 Expanded transforms the economics of storing large volumes of information.

The ability to quickly and efficiently harness the value of information is critical for success. “In today’s economy, agility and speed are critical to stay competitive, regardless of business size,” said Manish Goel, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Storage, HPE. “That’s why Hewlett Packard Enterprise is bringing enterprise storage scale and performance within reach of customers who have even the most constrained budgets.”

Hybrid flash performance for 45% less²

HPE has enhanced its HPE MSA Storage family to include solid state drive (SSD, also called flash) support for the HPE MSA 1040. This expanded support for SSDs results in new hybrid flash configurations starting at under US$8,500³. SSDs have the advantage of requiring less power and space while offering better performance than traditional mechanical hard drives. Both the MSA 1040 and 2040 can now take advantage of flash media. These new SSDs deliver hybrid flash acceleration at prices that are 30% lower⁴ for the same capacity point, putting higher performance and latency reduction within reach of more businesses.

The enhanced HPE MSA 1040 can:

· Boost storage efficiency with advanced storage virtualisation capabilities such as thin provisioning, enhanced snapshot services, wide-striping, and flash-based acceleration.

· Make read caching 70% faster and performance tiering 90% faster for an incremental investment in SSD capacity that costs from US$1,599⁵

· Up to 75% lower storage costs by taking advantage of MSA’s archive tiering capabilities, which automatically place data in the appropriate storage tier - data that is required the most often is stored in more expensive, faster storage, while data that is rarely required is stored in cheaper storage with longer retrieval times⁶.

Network-attached storage (NAS) at 41% lower cost, in 80% less space⁷

For customers who need an affordable solution for bulk and secondary file storage, the HPE StoreEasy 1650 Expanded NAS appliance accommodates 28 large form factor (LFF) drives for up to 224 TB of internal capacity in the 2U form factor, making it the most dense 2U NAS appliance on the market⁸. This scalable solution enables customers to store unstructured data at 41% lower cost in 80% less space with 82% fewer components than the equivalent NetApp FAS system⁹.

This new addition provides rapid configuration tools, storage provisioning templates, and a centralised monitoring dashboard to simplify management. The system features many layers of security—including drive, file system, and data-in-flight encryption—as well as sophisticated data access policies based on automatic file classification. The StoreEasy solution also provides secure anywhere sync-and-share support for Apple iOS and Microsoft Windows devices.

Interested?¹⁰

The HPE StoreEasy 1650 Expanded and the HPE MSA 1040 are part of the HPE Just Right IT portfolio and are available through the HPE Small Business Marketplace. The new MSA SSD drives are currently available at the following prices and capacity points: 400GB for US$1,200; 800GB for US$2,278; 1.6TB for US$4,300; 3.2TB for US$7,500.

SSDs on the MSA 1040 are supported via firmware update GL220, which is posted on hpe.com and free of charge to customers on warranty or a current service contract. The MSA 1040 Advanced Virtualization Upgrade license is priced at US$384 as of February 15, 2016.

The StoreEasy 1650 Expanded starts at US$14,720 with 32TB of capacity.

¹Based on published US List pricing from Dell, EMC, IBM, HPE and Network Appliance, January 2016.

²Cost reduction is based on US list price for MSA 2040 SAN small form factor (SFF) array with 4 x 1GbE iSCSI small form factor pluggables (SFPs)  and 2 x 200 GB SSDs (US$14,768) as compared to the US Smart Buy list price for 1GbE iSCSI MSA 1040 SFF array with 2 x 200 GB SSDs and MSA 1040 Advanced Virtualization upgrade (US$8,038).

³Based on publicly available US list Smart Buy price for 1.4TB, 1GbE iSCSI MSA 1040 SFF array with one 200 GB SSD, four 300GB 10k (10,000 revolutions per minute) HDDs and MSA 1040 Advanced Virtualization upgrade, totaling US$7,817.

⁴Based on US list prices for 400GB SSD at US$2,220 (previously US$3,099), 800GB SSD at US$4,219 (previously US$5,999), 1.6TB SSD at US$7,979 (previously US$10,969).     

⁵Based on US list price for a single 200 GB SSD and a series of workload tests performed by Demartek in coordination with Read Cache and MSA Performance R/W Tiering functionality. Full reports can be found at the Demartek website under the following links – Exchange, SQL, Mixed Virtualized Workloads.

⁶Expressed as cost per gigabyte for storage moved to the Archive Tier and based on HPE internal testing using Archive Tiering capabilities to store infrequently accessed data from Enterprise SAS (10k/15k) drives to Midline SAS (7.2k) drives.

⁷Based on publicly available product information. As compared to NetApp FAS2520 with 216 TB of raw capacity.

⁸Based on HPE internal analysis of publicly available information, February 2016

⁹Based on publicly available product information. As compared to the NetApp FAS2520 with 216 TB of raw capacity.

¹⁰US list prices or publicly available US Smart Buy prices where indicated. Actual prices may vary.

HP enhances MSA Storage for SMBs

HP has announced innovations for HP MSA Storage aimed at helping startups, small and midsize businesses (SMBs) and customers with small sites become more competitive.

New enhancements for MSA 2040 Storage help customers make better and faster decisions by accelerating applications by as much as 45% at no additional cost, through firmware upgrades¹. Several new MSA 2040 bundles lower the cost of deploying hybrid flash by up to 45%². New serial attached SCSI (SAS) connectivity for MSA 1040 Storage makes it the most affordable shared storage system in the market from a major vendor³.

“In the idea economy, time is everything. The smaller the business, the more this is magnified,” said Pras Moorthy, Country Manager, HP Storage, Singapore. “HP is committed to bringing high-impact technologies like flash to smaller customers at incredibly affordable prices – and we are doing it on proven platforms like MSA to give them the power to accelerate their business growth with confidence in their IT infrastructure.”

To help new customers accelerate business initiatives and access these higher performing systems, HP is introducing several new, aggressively-priced, hybrid flash MSA 2040 bundles. These bundles bring hybrid flash to even more affordable price points—up to 45% savings⁴. 

HP also announced new more flexible connectivity choices for MSA customers looking to deploy shared storage to support application high availability without the cost of dedicated storage networking infrastructure. The new HP MSA 1040 SAS array with support for high performance 6Gb/12Gb SAS direct host connections makes it possible to directly connect up to four application servers to create a fully redundant shared pool of capacity that can scale up to 384 TB. Eliminating dedicated SAN switching infrastructure greatly simplifies deployment for smaller sites and costs 34% less than other connectivity options.³

HP is also helping customers reduce power and cooling costs through certification of the MSA 2040 Storage family as part of the ENERGY STAR programme to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint. The EPA has reported that use of energy-efficient servers and storage within data centres can reduce energy consumption by 20-55%⁵.

Pricing and Availability

· Firmware upgrades to HP MSA 1040/2040 are available via support pages on www.hp.com and are free of charge to existing customers on warranty or support contracts. The latest version, GL210R004, is available to customers in Singapore.

· HP MSA 1040 SAS array bundles are available to customers in Singapore, starting from S$7,680, with GST.

· New MSA 2040 ENERGY STAR certified SKUs are available in Singapore, starting from S$9,600, with GST.

¹Based on comparison of GL200 code release to GL210 prerelease code on MSA 2040 FC with SSDs. Based on internal testing comparing GL200 code release to GL210 release, HP MSA 2040 systems with SSDs can benefit from up to 45% greater random read performance and up to a 20% greater random write performance using an 8k block size and resulting in an average latency of 30 milliseconds or less.
²Based on HP internal analysis, June 2015.
³Based on HP internal competitive analysis of publicly available competitive information, June 2015.
⁴Based on HP internal comparison between US list prices and new single SKU bundles. Subject to change without notice. Other MSA bundles may be priced differently. Specific pricing information available through HP direct sales and authorised resellers.
⁵https://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/prod_development/downloads/EPA_Report_Exec_Summary_Final.pdf

Microsoft announces availability of Surface Pro 3

Microsoft has announced that the Surface Pro 3 can be purchased at retailers or online in nine markets in Asia Pacific. The Surface Pro 3 enables businesses to deploy a laptop replacement that delivers the power, manageability and security they need to conduct business with confidence, said the company, and equally ideal for consumers who want to streamline their lifestyles as well as people in business environments who need high levels of corporate access, data security and central manageability.

Source: Microsoft*.

In a recently-commissioned survey of 2,900 working professionals in eight markets across Asia Pacific, 50% of respondents in the region said that they are no longer desk-bound at work. In addition, 79% of working professionals in Asia Pacific own three or more types of devices, and 41% of respondents carry both their tablet and laptop with them at all times.

Source: Microsoft*.

More than four in ten (43%) of respondents felt that they would get the best experience for both work and play from a hybrid or laptop than a standalone tablet. In fact, three in ten (30%) of respondents chose a hybrid as their preferred device for their next purchase, which was tied in first place with tablet devices (30%) followed closely by laptops (27%).

“Our research is clear: people want just one device that does everything,” said Alvaro Celis, Vice President, Microsoft Asia Pacific “The next era of personal computing is not just about tablets and smartphones, it’s also about powerful devices that harmonise our digital work and digital life. Our vision is that Surface Pro 3 is the tablet that can replace your laptop — packing all the performance and utility of a fully powered laptop into a thin, light and beautifully designed tablet. You’ll love being able to carry one device for your next class, workday or weekend getaway knowing you have all the power you need and the convenience you want.”

The Surface Pro 3 is now available across nine markets in Asia, including Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan, and in 28 markets globally. To support its commercial customers, Microsoft has appointed close to 50 partners in Asia Pacific to support the Surface Pro 3. In Singapore, Microsoft Singapore has appointed four business resellers, AsiaPac Distribution, Dimension Data, SoftwareOne, and UIC Asian Computer Services.

*Results of a survey of 2,900 working professionals in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Korea and Malaysia. View the full infographic here. 

HP launches free HP Helion OpenStack Community Edition

HP is introducing cloud products and services as part of its new HP Helion portfolio, including:

· HP Helion OpenStack Community edition—A commercial product line of OpenStack that is delivered, tested and supported by HP. Available today, the community edition is a free version ideal for proofs of concept, pilots and basic production workloads. 

· HP’s OpenStack Technology Indemnification Program—Protects qualified customers using HP Helion OpenStack code from third-party patent, copyright and trade-secret infringement claims directed to OpenStack code alone or in combination with Linux code.

HP Helion OpenStack–based cloud services will be made available globally via HP’s partner network. HP also plans to provide OpenStack-based public cloud services in 20 data centres worldwide over the next 18 months. 

Additional information is available at hp.com/helion. The HP Helion OpenStack Community edition is available for download at www.hp.com/helion/openstack.