SPH restructuring?
I don't think so.
To me, it's more like a Umbrage.
I am very keen in SPH because it's a monopoly and with the right resources and talent inject into SPH business, there is no doubt that this tech giant can fly. No doubt.
Before I continue, let's do a proper definition of the 2 distinct business SPH owned.
One of course is the legitimate media business.
Post restructuring, it will keep it's title and called what else? SPH.
The other business that SPH currently owned, post restructuring will have nothing to do with SPH and it will not have any image of SPH post restructuring.
Since, it's going to be operated by current CEO, lets call this business
"Umbrage Pte Ltd" - pardon me for lack of creativity.
Valuebuddies worth their salt will recall a favorite portal operated by Michael Leong?
Yes, fond memories hur... ShareInvestor.COM
Michael started the portal in HP Singapore. The long aisle that connect HP Alexandra and it's canteen was the birth place for ShareInvestor.COM.
ShareInvestor.com and STI was part of SPH. Given some focus, I'm not surprise that SPH could become a tech company that provide a nice testbed for FinTech startup in Singapore. I wonder how SPH senior management understand or see the potential of ShareInvestor.com and STI could help to bring up the financial literacy of fellow Singaporeans... especially those undergrad and newly grad.
Singapore, being a leading global financial center, how could we gear up our young generation to be financial savvy? Education, especially public education would be the key.
Right? (please, MOE, not another curriculum, the best way is to practice one's financial literacy and rough it out. No short cut, please, not another exam or assignment, please)
Ok, Michael Leong SI.com would be a huge success at it's old day. Moving forward, there is another even more exciting portal and information sources SRX.com.
I tell you a secret.
We all have property and sometime we have a few properties.
When we sign up an exclusive with a property agent to rent out or sell our property, the property agent will go to SRX.com and register the exclusive deal.
You see, there are many property companies in Singapore.
There must be one central registry where the property agent can claim to be the first (or last) one who gotten the exclusive selling rights.
So, SRX is the answer. It's the center point for all the property companies.
Similiarly, when a property agent closed a deal, who shall he report the deal?
His manager? His company IT system? URA or HDB?
Neither. SRX - bro.
Again, same reason as above, all the property companies trusted SRX.
SRX will be the first place all the property agents submit their closed deal.
SRX is the authority of who close what deal first.
And of course, a property agents do that diligently because that determined his entitlement to commissions too.
What it means is before URA/HDB gotten the price of the transaction, SRX already had the preview (2 weeks OTP).
Given how critical and sensitive of market movement, especially during Covid-19 and increasing volatile financial situation, a 2 weeks lead time on the latest property transaction is a information to die for.
Having says that, SRX is not just a property portal or trusted authority for the agents, SRX is actually a big data integrated with spatial, AI/ML information directly from sources that include user input, Real Estate professionals, retail business, and Government Agencies that include but are not limited to, the URA, Singapore Department of Statistics, Singapore Post Limited.
When everyone is talking about big data, data analytics, digitalisation, automation, do you know what SRX had already done that with the ingestion of data from multiple sources including Singapore Government.
I can tell you that SISV is a no nonsense organisation.
Their agreement/settlement with SRX regarding the legitimate use case of automated valuation model is a testimonial.
SRX automation stands up to extreme critical scrutiny of the professional surveyors 26 of them. All no non-sense type. And SRX managed to convinced them that
“better understanding to promote the use of technology” as a tool for pricing residential property. SISV acknowledged that automated valuation models, which are widely used by property buyers and sellers as well as real estate professionals to obtain an instant indication of property value, “have transformed Singapore’s property industry”. It also encouraged property professionals and financial institutions to embrace technology “as important tools in performing valuation and transacting property”.
to be continue...
Gratitude.