Tech news in less than 5 minutes – December 2022
Bite-sized news on metaverse, talent gap in the cybersecurity industry and retail trends in the region.
WHAT’S BUZZING
Apac firms closing the cybersecurity talent gap by diversifying their hiring strategies
Companies in the Asia Pacific (Apac) region are diversifying their recruitment practices when sourcing cybersecurity candidates.
Hiring managers are turning to existing employees from non-traditional IT departments, such as customer service (43%) and human resources (38%), for entry- and junior-level staff.
Specific to Singapore, local businesses are identifying or recruiting talent through apprenticeship and internship programmes at organisations (48%) and staffing recruitment organisations (45%), apart from relying on standard job postings.
The (ISC)² 2022 Apac Cybersecurity Hiring Managers research also reveals that Apac hiring managers ranked previous professional experience (64%) as one of the essential attributes of a candidate, followed by technical skills (56%) and certifications (51%).
However, 62% of the respondents would hire a self-taught candidate in IT and cybersecurity despite having no work experience.
Additionally, 97% of the hiring managers surveyed say that their organisations provide professional development for their entry- and junior-level staff. In-house training courses (60%) are considered the most effective method of talent development for those staff, followed by external training courses (57%), certifications (47%), conferences (35%), and mentoring (35%).
“Our research findings point to the widening cybersecurity workforce gap, which has been driven by geopolitical tensions, macroeconomic instability, and growing physical security challenges. With Apac registering the second highest year-on-year rise in shortage globally, organisations need to be creative with their cybersecurity hiring. However, unlike conventional thinking, adopting an innovative approach doesn’t mean that organisations have to take on more hiring risks,” says Clar Rosso, CEO of (ISC)².
Consumers here see in-store shopping as irreplaceable
According to a study by Sensormatic Solutions, nearly two-thirds of consumers in Singapore believe that online shopping can never replace in-store experiences.
Forty per cent of the respondents also prefer to shop in a physical store. Instead, they would purchase fresh food and groceries (31%), packaged food (24%), and luxury items offline rather than online.
Additionally, 46% of consumers in Singapore indicate that products are always in stock and the ability to check if a product is in-stock at a physical store are essential for a great experience. They also expect short queues and waiting time at payment counters.
While respondents agree that technology can improve the in-store experience, most are only familiar with contactless payment (77%). They are less aware of other retail technologies like augmented reality (18%) and autonomous delivery (17%).
“Singapore consumers are readily switching back to shopping in physical stores as the economy opens up and in-store shopping becomes accessible. There’s a real opportunity for physical store retailers to leverage technology to engage with shoppers in more creative and immersive ways. They can also leverage data and analytics to deliver further enhanced and personalised shopper experiences to engage with their in-store customers,” says Daren Ng, vice president and general manager for Asia Pacific at Sensormatic Solutions.
DIGITAL LIFE
We no longer live in a world where we have to do everything independently. Here are some AI tools that can help in your daily lives:
Get your own personal assistant with Otter.ai. It can record and transcribe conversations and meetings in real-time and summarise and highlight key points in an email report for all participants.
LightCut is an all-in-one AI video editor app for beginners and professional users. It offers rich video templates and effects that help you quickly make stylish videos and vlogs.
Brain.fm is a music service that uses neuroscience to help improve concentration and mood through custom-created playlists. The playlists are personalised and designed based on your mood and desired goal for listening – be it to focus, sleep or relax.
IN PICTURE
Merlion in the metaverse. Photo: STB and MHR
Explore Singapore in the metaverse through Merlion on Vacation, a virtual adventure launched by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and home-grown hospitality group Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR).
Players will search for clues to locate the Merlion as he is teleported to Decentraland for a vacation to mark his 50th birthday.
Apart from discovering M Social Decentraland — a virtual hotel with glass exteriors and neon pink accents — players can engage in mini-games featuring Singapore landmarks such as Orchard Road, Sungei Buloh, Gardens by the Bay and Maxwell Food Centre.
Those who complete the games will enter a raffle for the grand prize of a one-night stay at M Social Singapore, hotel and F&B vouchers and other merchandise.
Players can access M Social Decentraland for free at https://www.msocial.com/merlion-in-metaverse.
An open call to “cover” for Merlion while he is on vacation is ongoing from now till Dec 12. You can stand in for the beloved icon through filters available on VisitSingapore’s and MHR’s Instagram accounts by using the hashtag #MerlionOnVacation.
See Also:
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