China's Huawei expands presence in Malaysia with new digital center

A store of Huawei in Chongqing, China, on Sep 27, 2016. [Photo/IC]

KUALA LUMPUR - China's telecommunications giant Huawei expanded its presence in Malaysia on Wednesday by launching a new digital center in downtown Kuala Lumpur, 15 years after the company entered the Southeast Asian nation market.

The Customer Solution Integration and Innovation Experience Center (CSIC), designed as a center for the development of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) hub to drive the industry's open ecosystem, was launched by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who proposed to accelerate Malaysia's digital economy transformation in his annual budget speech last week.

"We have much to learn from the advances that China has made in growing and developing its own Internet technology space. I encourage collaborations and cooperation in this sector for the mutual benefit of Malaysia and China," said Najib in his keynote speech following the launch of the center.

Najib also thanked Huawei for setting up its regional office for Southern Pacific region in Malaysia, saying it signified "our strong overall ICT readiness as the spring board to tap into the digital economy as the next engine of growth."

The 13,000-square feet center is the second ICT hub for Huawei in Malaysia, which started its first CSIC in Cyberjaya in 2015.

The new center will help customers and partners use this innovative platform to design and test technology solutions, verify new business models, and nurture innovation applications and services in both the public and private sectors, Huawei said in a press release.

Highlighting the company's commitment, Huawei also signed a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia's Ministry of Higher Education, pledging to help cultivate more talent for the development of digital economy.