This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on July 29, 2016.

KUALA LUMPUR: Maxis Bhd is teaming up with global telecommunications firm Vodafone to provide Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to local businesses, especially small and medium enterprises.

“We are equipping businesses in Malaysia with more than just connectivity through our advanced data network [by providing] a suite of IoT solutions to digitalise and transform their operations,” said Shanti Jusnita Johari, Maxis head of enterprise marketing & products.

Shanti said Maxis will talk to a variety of customers to understand their needs and tailor a customised “fit-for-purpose” service that can easily integrate into their existing system.

Maxis also has a team to provide support to its clients, she said at a press conference yesterday.

The IoT is about connecting devices over the Internet, allowing them to talk to us and each other by sending and receiving data. This is drastically changing the way people live and work.

The technology is currently used in many sectors including automotive, security, manufacturing and logistics to improve efficiency and reduce cost.

“With 25 billion connected devices predicted by 2020, the powerful combination of sensors and connectivity is propelling IoT from a mere ‘trend’ into the next industrial revolution,” said Maxis head of new business enterprise Claire Featherstone.

Malaysia is estimated to have 2.5 million wireless connected devices.

In Asia-Pacific, the adoption of the IoT stands at 35%, which is the highest globally, underpinned by huge investment from China, Japan and South Korea in this area.

Compared to the Asia-Pacific adoption rate, Featherstone said: “Malaysia is behind the curve.”

Vodafone IoT regional sales head Justin Nelson said the IoT is changing businesses around the world. 

“Maxis is the latest operator to combine its capabilities with our IoT expertise forming a compelling combination for Malaysia companies,” he said.