mTouche, Arbor team up for smart city project

KUALA LUMPUR: mTouche Technology Bhd, which signed a memorandum of understanding with Taiwan Stock Exchange-listed Arbor Technology Corp PLC to develop Internet of Things (IoT) and smart city solutions in Malaysia, expects to roll out its first project here within the next one to two years.
mTouche group CEO Zakhir Mohamed said it is currently in talks with the government to offer public transportation, security and hospitality solutions.
"We're taking about developing several proposals for several specific target groups, such as security, components of smart city like surveillance and peripherals for public transportation," he told reporters after the signing ceremony here yesterday, which was witnessed by Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission chairman Datuk Mohamed Sharil Mohamed Tarmizi.
"We're also looking into healthcare, such as how to infuse technology into the patients' recovery, giving bedridden patients access to entertainment or Internet from their bedside," added Zakhir.
IoT refers to devices that are connected to the Internet, integrating greater compute capabilities and using data analytics to extract meaningful information.
ACE Market-listed mTouche specialises in the development of multimedia messaging platforms and applications for mobile devices. It is also engaged in the research and development of existing and new technologies in the field of information technology, telecommunications and related industries.
"We (mTouche and Arbor) have agreed to work together for two years. Once we've secured the project, we will have a proper JV company to outline the rules and responsibilities," said Zakhir.
The alliance will pave the way towards the creation of new technologies and innovation that will offer end-to-end solutions in the realm of smart city infrastructure in Malaysia. The partnership will involve five core areas, namely smart city, smart advertising, industrial personal computers (IPC), facility engineering operations and fleet management system.
Arbor, a IPC supplier of embedded computing products and services, opened its regional office in Kuala Lumpur a year ago and this alliance marks another step for the company in terms of expanding its presence in Malaysia. Arbor already has experience for smart city solutions, including smart hospital or transportation solutions in Europe, Taipei and China.