The COVID-19 Pandemic In The Eyes Of NEC Indonesia, Becomes A Moment Of Positive Change In Information Technology In The Business World

JAKARTA - The COVID-19 pandemic has been going on for about 2 years. This "rare" moment has resulted in many changes in the order of life in the wider community, especially in the field of information technology (IT).

This was stated by the President Director of NEC Indonesia, Joji Yamamoto at the NEC Visionary Day ASEAN 2022 which took place on March 10, 2022.

"In addition to the increased IT budget, IT stakeholders are also expected to be able to deliver remote solutions, contactless transparency activities, which can be used by the community automatically," said Joji Yamamoto.

Yamamoto further emphasized that although IT innovation has developed further, guaranteeing public health must still be prioritized. The implementation of the prokes, which still have to be carried out, must be in a new normal condition.

This innovation is also felt by one of the shopping center property business players, namely AEON Mall Indonesia. Daisuke Isobe, President Director of AEON Mall Indonesia said, in this new normal era, his business is able to offer new concepts and still maximize health protocols (prokes).

"We see a good opportunity to reinvent our business model by offering a new mall concept and service function. We will continue to maximize health protocols while still utilizing the latest technology to create a comfortable and smooth shopping experience," said Daisuke Isobe.

The spread of COVID-19, according to him, has caused major changes in business activities, including changes in lifestyle and the limited scope of activities of all stakeholders, including consumers and the public.

"The pandemic has forced malls to reduce operating hours or temporarily close. In addition, due to the increase in telecommuting and stay-at-home orders, the activities and focus of our customers in their daily lives have also changed dramatically," he explained.

The COVID-19 pandemic as a compulsion to transform was also recognized by the Deputy President Director of BCA, Armand Wahyudi Hartono. The son of the richest man in Indonesia said that every crisis will force society to change.

"Life is about transformation, and this is the time. If you don't force yourself or force everyone to change, then take this moment as an opportunity to change," he said.

Therefore, said Armand, if you are able to survive in the face of pandemics and crises, then transformation will occur. By transforming, life will be better and so will the lives of customers.

"We (BCA) grew quite fast, especially during the pandemic. Our number of customers increased more and more, the number of transactions more than tripled, and we experienced exponential growth. Our goal has always been to make things better, cheaper, faster and safer in any environment, in any situation. Our strategy has always been to ensure that there is continuous transformation," he said.

Armand said, with all transactions increasing at this time, BCA needed data analytics, blockchain, cloud, and analytics, including machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI).

"With the increase in transactions, we need to think about cybersecurity and with the increase in customers and the customer ecosystem, we need to connect with the ecosystem," concluded Armand.

Some time ago, NEC Asia Pacific (NEC APAC), became the inaugural host of the NEC Visionary Day ASEAN, to be precise on March 10, 2022.

With the theme "Forging Ahead Together: Recovery. Rebuilding. Reimagining", the one-day event will showcase how innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) can address critical challenges for society in the post-pandemic recovery phase.

Corporate leaders from various industry sectors and technology experts from the ASEAN region gathered to share their insights on the future of society and business, and the importance of digital transformation in ensuring a sustainable economy.

Keynote speakers at the event included Armand Wahyudi Hartono, Vice President Director, Bank Central Asia, Fabian Bigar, CEO, MyDIGITAL, Malaysian Prime Minister Department, Belina Lee, Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, Mandai Wildlife Group, Daisuke Isobe, President Director, AEON Mall Indonesia, Mayoran Rajendra, SVP, SMBC.

Supported by six NEC affiliates (NEC APAC-Singapore, NEC Indonesia, NEC Malaysia, NEC Philippines, NEC Thailand, and NEC Vietnam), the ASEAN Visionary Day featured booths from each country focusing on the solutions available in each of these countries.

In addition, there are also special booths for the health, retail, government, finance, and manufacturing sectors that will provide participants with relevant information from experienced sector experts from NEC.