SingTel

[CityFarmer]

Interesting service from SingTel...

SingTel launches video analytics service for retailers

SINGAPORE — SingTel has launched a cloud-based video analytics service that retailers can use to count the number of people going in and out of stores as well as identify areas with the highest customer traffic.

Known as SingTel Video-Analytics-as-a-Service (VAaaS), the subscription service starts from S$200 a month for a set of four cameras and associated hardware.

SingTel said the service — which uses analytics to extract information from video images — can help retailers gain better insight into customers. This will help retailers improve their store layout and deploy manpower more efficiently.

Besides tracking customers, VAaaS also has security applications such as intrusion detection and perimeter defence.

VAaaS was developed by KAI Square (KAI), a Singapore-based start-up specialising in next-generation video analytics technology. SingTel has a stake in KAI. CHANNEL NEWSASIA
http://www.todayonline.com/business/sing...etailers-0

[CityFarmer]

Interesting service from SingTel...

SingTel launches video analytics service for retailers

SINGAPORE — SingTel has launched a cloud-based video analytics service that retailers can use to count the number of people going in and out of stores as well as identify areas with the highest customer traffic.

Known as SingTel Video-Analytics-as-a-Service (VAaaS), the subscription service starts from S$200 a month for a set of four cameras and associated hardware.

SingTel said the service — which uses analytics to extract information from video images — can help retailers gain better insight into customers. This will help retailers improve their store layout and deploy manpower more efficiently.

Besides tracking customers, VAaaS also has security applications such as intrusion detection and perimeter defence.

VAaaS was developed by KAI Square (KAI), a Singapore-based start-up specialising in next-generation video analytics technology. SingTel has a stake in KAI. CHANNEL NEWSASIA
http://www.todayonline.com/business/sing...etailers-0

SingTel strategy is to own, rather than partnering to provide services. I will not be surprised if SingTel acquires 100% of the company in near future.

(not vested)

ACQUISITION OF SHARES IN KAI SQUARE PTE LTD

Singapore Telecommunications Limited (“SingTel”) wishes to announce that its whollyowned subsidiary, SingTel Innov8 Pte Ltd (“SingTel Innov8”), has entered into an agreement to purchase 189,931 shares in the capital of Kai Square Pte Ltd (“Kai Square”) for an aggregate cash consideration of S$1.95 million. Upon the completion of the purchase, SingTel Innov8’s total shareholding in Kai Square will increase from 19.08% to 39.15%.

The purchase consideration was arrived on a willing-seller, willing-buyer basis, taking into account, inter alia, the business prospects of Kai Square. As at 31 December 2013, the unaudited net asset value per share of Kai Square was (S$ 1.96).

Kai Square is a Singapore-based company offering Video-Analytics-as-a-Service based on video and other data sourced from monitoring devices.

Issued by Singapore Telecommunications Limited on 24 April 2014.

http://infopub.sgx.com/FileOpen/582-sgx....eID=292897

[greengiraffe]

SingTel-Optus has hiked up the price of Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy smartphones for new customers in an attempt to lift profitability.

Telecommunications companies have long attracted customers by giving them expensive smartphones that are paid off over the life of a 12-month to 24-month contract. They have also ­traditionally paid for a large chunk of the smartphone’s cost to avoid slugging consumers with hefty monthly fees; a process known in the industry as handset subsidisation. But Optus and other telcos have been gradually pushing up the price for popular devices such as Apple’s iPhones to boost their ­profitability, according to Goldman Sachs research analyst Raymond Tong.

“Optus has cut handset subsidies across its postpaid mobile plans [and] raised handset pricing in the past week,” he told clients.

“While Optus has stated its desire to stabilise/increase its market share, these moves are consistent with its goal of driving profitable growth. Optus handset subsidy cuts follow similar moves by Vodafone [Hutchison ­Australia] in February-March.”

The latest move means new Optus customers on a $50-per-month plan must pay $696 throughout the life of their contract to buy a 32-gigabyte Apple iPhone – Optus now contributes about $200 less to the cost of the phone than it did in April 2010.

Optus’s move comes despite SingTel group chief executive Chua Sock Koong’s February pledge to drive up customer numbers in 2014. It lost more than 134,000 customers in the 12 months ending December 31, 2013. By comparison, Telstra’s subscriber base grew 1.4 million over the same period while Vodafone lost 1.2 million users.

Mr Tong said the Optus price hikes meant the cost of its plans were close to being on a par with Telstra.

[Telstra] may see this as an opportunity to raise handset pricing through its own subsidy cuts,” he said. “[The Optus price increase] is another sign mobile industry ­pricing and competition remains rational [and that the] focus remains on driving profitability.”

Optus faces a battle on two fronts to boost profitability by cutting costs and charging customers more for certain services while trying to win market share against a dominant Telstra and resurgent Vodafone Hutchison Australia.

Optus fought to increase its revenues and cut costs under previous chief executive Kevin Russell. In February, Moody’s downgraded the company’s credit rating from Aa3 to A1, citing rising competition and the potential for more cash borrowings.

“Telstra . . . has captured the lion’s share of the mobile market and we expect that this dynamic will exert downward pressure on Optus margins and cash flow over time,” Moody’s senior vice president Ian Lewis said.

Optus responded at the time by saying its credit rating continued to be strong among its global telco peers. The company has launched a series of plans that increase the cost of download data but decrease the penalties for going over monthly cap limits.

The Australian Financial Review

[greengiraffe]

Paul O’Sullivan opposes intervention in Telstra-dominated mobiles sector
MITCHELL BINGEMANN THE AUSTRALIAN APRIL 29, 2014 12:00AM

Paul O'Sullivan: ‘We don’t want to start changing the rules on everyone who has been investing in infrastructure over the years.’ Source: News Limited

ACTING Optus chief and Singtel Consumer Group boss Paul O’Sullivan has shot down calls for the government to rethink the regulatory regime overseeing competition in the mobile sector, saying the system should change only if there are clear signs of market failure.

There has been mounting pressure from Vodafone Australia for the government to intervene in the mobiles market, which has been dominated by Telstra for the past three years.

Under Vodafone’s former chief Bill Morrow, the company lobbied the government for regulatory intervention, arguing that Telstra’s dominance and its ability to funnel the near-monopoly profits from its fixed-line business back into its mobile operations needed to be checked.

For years the telco’s rivals have been concerned that Telstra’s dominance of the fixed-line sector leaves the rest of the $35 billion-a-year industry at a disadvantage when competing for mobile customers, particularly in rural and regional Australia.

But in rare agreement with Optus’s main rival, Mr O’Sullivan said the regulatory regime in the mobiles sector should not be changed if it meant disadvantaging players who had invested billions of dollars in infrastructure.

“We don’t want to start changing the rules on everyone who has been investing in infrastructure over the years,” Mr O’Sullivan told The Australian.

“Government investment in infrastructure for anything other than customer access should only be when there is a clear sign of market failure.”

Mr O’Sullivan’s comments will be a blow for Vodafone, which has not only lobbied for regulatory changes to the mobile sector but also wants to see NBN Co expand its $1.1bn fixed wireless program into a rural and regional mobile network.

Vodafone has argued that the towers used for NBN Co’s fixed-wireless towers should also be used by mobile operators who want to extend the reach of their networks in the bush.

As part of its push for a rethink on regulation, Vodafone has also argued that mobile infrastructure in rural and regional Australia should be shared between the main mobile operators to reduce the cost of serving consumers.

However, any move by the regulator to intervene in the mobile market is likely to trigger lengthy, expensive court battles.

Telstra chief executive David Thodey recently warned that the company would be prepared to take the government to court if it were forced to share its mobile infrastructure with rival players.

Mr O’Sullivan declined to say if Optus would also be prepared to take the government to court in the event of regulatory changes that would also force it to share infrastructure.

He did warn of the dangers of inviting regulatory intervention in markets where competition was strong.

“You’ve got to be careful because once you invite the government in, then you may find the guest stays longer than just for dinner,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

[CityFarmer]

He did warn of the dangers of inviting regulatory intervention in markets where competition was strong.

“You’ve got to be careful because once you invite the government in, then you may find the guest stays longer than just for dinner,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

I like his quote.

[mkmk]

http://infopub.sgx.com/Apps?A=COW_CorpAn...1-44PmSzwo

Singapore Telecommunications Limited will be announcing its results for the fourth quarter and financial year ended 31 March 2014 on 15 May 2014, before the start of trading on the Singapore Exchange and the Australian Stock Exchange.

(not vested)

[greengiraffe]

Optus to swing the jobs axe again
MITCHELL BINGEMANN THE AUSTRALIAN APRIL 30, 2014 12:00AM

THE nation’s No 2 telco, Optus, is preparing to cull hundreds of jobs as part of a plan to reduce its cost base as it continues to transform into a leaner, more profitable operation.

About 200 people are expected to be let go in the move, but that number could grow depending on the outcome of a ­review Optus is currently conducting into its operations.

The telco has been readjusting its employee base since 2012 and has cut more than 1500 jobs in that period.

The first wave of job cuts was triggered in 2012 when then chief Kevin Russell took a knife to the company’s operations to make them more profitable.

More than 900 jobs were lost in that cull, which cost Optus a one-off charge of $37 million for redundancy payments.

Another wave of redundancies took place in March last year when the telco excised close to 300 jobs from marketing, IT, networks and sales ­departments in a bid to breathe life into its stagnant fixed-line broadband business.

The telco’s total workforce has dropped to an average of 8686 for the nine months to ­December last year. That figure peaked at more than 9700 workers at the end of 2011.

The latest job cuts are ­expected to be Australia-wide. However, a spokesman for the company declined to specify which business lines or regions would be affected until consultation with staff was completed.

“Optus continually reviews its operations to ensure it has the right organisational structure in place to achieve its business goals, and we’ve been continuing to do so within the context of the business strategy we launched 18 months ago,” an Optus spokesman said.

“Shortly we will be talking to our employees about some changes we’re making.

“Our priority is always to communicate the detail of any change directly with our employees and support those who might be affected.”

The job losses come despite growing profits at the company. Optus posted a 25 per cent increase in profit to $227m for the three months to December 31.

The cuts follow other redundancies in the fiercely competitive telecommunications sector. On Monday M2 Telecommunications, which owns internet service providers Dodo and ­iPrimus, announced plans to cut 10 per cent of its domestic workforce.

About 150 roles across ­administration, customer service, technology, provisioning and sales have been targeted for redundancy at M2, which is looking to remove $6m in unnecessary costs following years of acquisitions.

The flagged job cuts will all come from its Australian workforce, which numbers about 1000 employees.

With contact centres in The Philippines and operations in New Zealand, M2 has about 3000 employees.

[yeh]

anybody think singtel result good?

-vested-

[Dividend Warrior]

Singtel is heavily fined for the Bukit Panjang fire.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sing...96628.html

[CityFarmer]

Singtel is heavily fined for the Bukit Panjang fire.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sing...96628.html

The response from SingTel. A fine of 6 mil is pretty heavy...

SingTel accepts IDA decision on Bukit Panjang Fire

Singapore, 6 May 2014 - SingTel accepts the findings of the investigation by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) into the fire at the Bukit Panjang Exchange on 9 October 2013, and the financial penalty imposed.
...
http://infopub.sgx.com/FileOpen/MS-20140...eID=295601