Mastercard Supports Transformation of Saudi Arabia's Digital Payment Ecosystem with the Launch of Local Technology Infrastructure

Mastercard Supports Transformation of Saudi Arabia’s Digital Payment Ecosystem with the Launch of Local Technology Infrastructure

Mastercard Gateway is a single touchpoint that powers payment and digital acceptance solutions across new and existing markets and channels, locally and globally. By Entrepreneur Middle East Staff Oct 24, 2024 Share You’re reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Mastercard has announced the local establishment of Mastercard Gateway in Saudi Arabia. The technology infrastructure that will enable the processing of e-commerce transactions locally was launched under the patronage of The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA). Mastercard Gateway is a single touchpoint that powers payment and digital acceptance solutions across new and existing markets and channels, locally and globally. Merchants benefit from support for more than 30 different payment methods and risk management solutions, such as fraud detection and prevention, while customers enjoy advanced, secure protection from cybercrime. This innovative infrastructure asset bundled with tailor-made applications and services will enable the processing of local e-commerce transactions efficiently and securely. "As a company that is powering economies and empowering people, we understand the importance of a world-class payment infrastructure," said said Adam Jones, Division President, West Arabia at Mastercard. "We are proud of our long legacy in the Kingdom and the unveiling of our secure technology infrastructure in […]

Digital Transformation Accelerating the Growth Prospect of Small and Medium Businesses

Digital Transformation Accelerating the Growth Prospect of Small and Medium Businesses

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMBs) have been increasingly adopting technology innovations in recent years to boost customer experiences, streamline operations and spur growth. This shift has been accelerated by the necessity to remain competitive in a globalised market and the rapid pace of digital innovation. According to Gartner, about 70% of the businesses will use no-code technologies for their new applications by 2025, underscoring the significant move towards efficiency driven by technology. Additionally, a report from Spiceworks Ziff Davis revealed that 53% of Mid-size businesses and 27% of small businesses increased their IT spending in 2023, highlighting the increased investment in technology to support this transformation. In an intensely competitive market, SMBs are adopting technology to offer superior products and services more efficiently. The globalised economy demands that these businesses stay ahead, and technology provides the tools to do so. Modern customers expect quick, seamless and personalised experiences and advanced technologies enable SMBs to meet these expectations through improved customer relationship management, e-commerce platforms and digital marketing strategies. Operational efficiency is another significant benefit. Technology automates routine tasks, reduces errors and streamlines processes, allowing SMBs to focus on more strategic activities. This increased efficiency not only improves productivity but […]

L&T appoints Gopi Thangavel as CIO to lead digital transformation and tech advancement

L&T appoints Gopi Thangavel as CIO to lead digital transformation and tech advancement

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has appointed Gopi Thangavel as its Group Chief Information Officer (CIO), where he will lead the company’s digital transformation strategy. In this new role, Thangavel will focus on boosting operational efficiency, cybersecurity, and aligning digital initiatives with L&T’s broader business goals. Thangavel joins L&T with over 20 years of experience in IT and digital innovation, previously serving as Senior Vice President at Reliance Industries Limited. His track record includes implementing strategic IT solutions and overseeing complex IT infrastructure and security operations. At Reliance, he played a critical role in deploying projects aimed at enhancing digital capabilities and improving IT resilience, which L&T aims to replicate in its digital evolution. Thangavel’s expertise spans key areas such as IT management, cybersecurity, and risk management. He has been instrumental in rolling out AI-driven solutions, automation, and data analytics across industries including manufacturing, retail, logistics, and financial services. His deep understanding of digital ecosystems is expected to support L&T’s vision for a digitally connected and resilient infrastructure. As L&T embraces a digital-forward approach, Thangavel’s appointment is poised to strengthen the company’s IT strategy and foster a future-ready IT environment that aligns with evolving industry demands. His leadership is expected […]

UDC sets benchmark for smart living with 'Best Cloud Transformation' and 'Digital Leadership' awards

UDC sets benchmark for smart living with ‘Best Cloud Transformation’ and ‘Digital Leadership’ awards

UDC executives receiving the Best Cloud Transformation Project 2024’ and ‘Best Digital Transformation Leader 2024’ awards. United Development Company (UDC), the master developer of The Pearl Island and Gewan Island, has been honoured with the ‘Best Cloud Transformation Project 2024’ and ‘Best Digital Transformation Leader 2024’ awards. The accolades were presented during the Middle East Enterprise AI & Analytics Summit and Awards held at Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl Island. It reflects UDC’s ongoing commitment to technological innovation and digital transformation excellence, cementing its real estate sector leadership. The Best Cloud Transformation Project 2024 award recognises UDC’s achievement in fully automating and migrating its customer business operations to the cloud. Central to this transformation is The Pearl Island Super App, which leverages serverless computing to provide seamless operational control, efficiency, and security within a single platform. The app consolidates all e-services, offering residents and visitors access to a wide range of amenities and services, thus elevating the living experience at The Pearl Island by making it more connected and convenient. Further highlighting the company’s success, UDC staff was awarded Best Digital Transformation Leader 2024, acknowledging the leadership that successfully executed UDC’s Customer Experience (CX) strategy. By centralising customer operations […]

What is digital transformation?

What is digital transformation?

I just did a search for papers on digital transformation and was surprised that I got a whole load of results from every single tech company out there addressing the question: “what is digital transformation?” ( a question I have blogged about a lot ). As someone who has been doing this his whole life, my simple definition is taking an analogue company with digital on top to change into a digital company with analogue on top. There’s obviously a lot more to it than that – after all, it is a complete reconstruction of the whole company’s business model, as I’ve written about often – but the basics are changing the core of the company from physical to digital. Nevertheless, I thought readers of The Finanser might find it interesting to see this collation of definitions and papers from some of the leading companies in the world. Accenture https://www.accenture.com/gb-en/insights/digital-transformation-index Digital transformation is the process by which companies embed technologies across their businesses to drive fundamental change. The benefits? Increased efficiency, greater business agility and, ultimately, the unlocking of new value for employees, customers and shareholders. Many different paths lead to digital transformation and each organisation’s journey will be […]

How Huawei Cloud's Growth is Impacting the Technology Market

How Huawei Cloud’s Growth is Impacting the Technology Market

Huawei Cloud endures rapid business growth in South Africa Huawei Cloud’s expansion in South Africa, driven by AI adoption and digital transformation, signals growth potential in the emerging cloud computing market The global cloud computing market has been experiencing significant growth, driven by increasing digitalisation across industries and the adoption of AI technologies . From this mass evolution, emerging countries in the technology game like South Africa, are experiencing cloud services becoming essential for businesses and governments seeking to modernise their operations and boost economic competitiveness . This trend has attracted major international cloud providers to establish local data centres and expand their offerings in the region, with Huawei Cloud emerging as a key player. Huawei Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Chinese technology company Huawei, has reported substantial growth in its South African operations over the past five years. Huawei market expansion and customer base Huawei Cloud has made significant strides in the South African market, serving over 1,000 customers across various sectors including government, financial services, education, telecommunications, media and e-commerce. It is also expanding its presence in the Middle East, reporting a tenfold revenue increase and serving over 900 local customers , whilst launching new data […]

Banco Azteca accelerates digital transformation with UiPath AI

Banco Azteca accelerates digital transformation with UiPath AI

The UiPath Action Center and Document Understanding have further streamlined Banco’s operations. Credit: SuPatMaN/Shutterstock. Mexico-based financial institution Banco Azteca has implemented UiPath ‘s artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies to improve efficiency and customer service. Initially, Banco developed 15 automations to lay the groundwork for its digital transformation. Recognising the UiPath Platform’s potential, the company expanded its use within its Center of Excellence, developing 190 automations that have optimised a variety of processes. Over half of banking transaction clarifications are now resolved in less than one day, significantly reducing response times, the lender said. Banco Azteca transformation operations director Kathia Barrios said: “The transformation that we have achieved using the UiPath Platform fortifies our competitive edge and underscores our commitment to innovation, setting a new standard for excellence in the financial sector. “We have completely overhauled batch processing, which took many hours to complete, created drastic improvements in processing high quantities of claims, and realised significant operational efficiencies. Our transformation is enhancing customer experiences and employee satisfaction.” How well do you really know your competitors? Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge. Company Profile – free sample […]

ZTE and China Mobile unveil multi-agent collaboration innovations, advancing telecom digital transformation

ZTE and China Mobile unveil multi-agent collaboration innovations, advancing telecom digital transformation

ZTE has unveiled the innovations of its RAN multi-agent collaboration solution with China Mobile during the China International Information and Communications Technology Exhibition (PTEXPO) in Beijing. The multi-agent collaboration solution introduces AI large models into the end-to-end operation and maintenance of mobile networks for the first time, yielding impressive performance and efficiency improvements across various locations in China. This represents a significant leap forward in network digitalization and intelligence. Through the extensive deployment and development of 5G, China Mobile has built the world’s largest mobile network. This expansion has led to increasingly complex network structures and diverse applications, demanding higher efficiency in network operations and maintenance. With the deep integration of 5G with AI+, the introduction of large models is revolutionizing the telecom industry. The innovations of RAN multi-agent collaboration solution, unveiled at this event, are built upon the latest AI large model tailored for the telecom industry. By harnessing multi-agent collaboration, the solution leverages the network’s native AI atomic capabilities, empowering the network operation and maintenance platform, and exploring a new paradigm for intelligent network management. The RAN multi-agent collaboration solution seamlessly integrates telecom knowledge, structured data, and network capabilities, enabling accurate understanding and intelligent decision-making in complex […]

Merck and Siemens Forge Path for Healthcare Innovation

Merck and Siemens Forge Path for Healthcare Innovation

Cedrik Neike, CEO Digital Industries and Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG, signing MoU and Kai Beckmann, CEO Electronics business and Member of the Executive Board of Merck. Merck signs a strategic agreement with Siemens to digitally transform its healthcare manufacturing, leveraging cutting-edge technologies Merck , a leading pharmaceutical company, has embarked on a digital transformation by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with technological innovator Siemens . This partnership will propel digital advancements in Merck’s critical business sectors. This collaboration will extend their existing smart manufacturing projects and define further steps for digital transformation in healthcare-related manufacturing. Having chosen Siemens as its global preferred supplier, Merck aims to leverage the powerful Siemens Xcelerator platform for enhanced automation. Merck’s digital ascent in healthcare The Merck Group has 60,000 employees, 250 companies and a presence in about 66 countries, specifically recognising the huge manufacturing power of India and China. Providing bioreactors, filters, resins, cell lines, chromatographic, excipients and pharmaceutical raw materials, the Life Science Business benefits patients and contributes to the advancement of global health. To learn more about Merck’s global vision, check out The Merck Group: Pharma’s History & Innovation in India and The Merck Group: Pharma’s History […]

Protecting revenue and keeping applications online through intelligent routing

Protecting revenue and keeping applications online through intelligent routing

More from Automation Protecting revenue and keeping applications online through intelligent routing 3 min read – IBM Build Partner GlobalDots helps some of the world’s leading brands keep their revenue-generating services running optimally at all times. Francesco Altomare of GlobalDots explains how embedding IBM technologies into the company’s Super content delivery network (CDN) offering helps address the biggest availability and performance challenges for customers. Intelligent network steering to protect revenue When the availability and performance of online applications and websites are truly critical, organizations typically use one or more CDNs to route web traffic intelligently. CDNs… September 30, 2024 Watsonx.data introduces support for a suite of modern dataops tools 2 min read – We’re excited to announce that IBM® watsonx.data™ now supports a powerful suite of tools for the modern dataops stack: data-build-tool, Apache Airflow, and VSCode. With data build tool (dbt) compatibility for both Spark and Presto engines, automated orchestration through Apache Airflow, and an integrated development environment via VSCode, watsonx.data offers a new set of rich capabilities. These features empower teams to efficiently build, manage and orchestrate data pipelines. The challenge of complex data pipelines Organizations today face the challenge of… September 30, 2024 IBM API Connect […]