At Lumen, we have realized that to deliver on what our customers need we have to build and invest in capabilities to effectively acquire data, understand what it means, and quickly deliver actions to be competitive. We are now moving forward on a single platform for creating exceptional customer experience for the solutions that are critical to help businesses harness the power of Industry 4.0: networking, cloud, security, and communication and collaboration. The Lumen platform helps customers deliver smart cities, retail and industrial robotics, real-time virtual collaboration, and automated factories. It also powers business applications that require high-performance networking and security.

A new survey by Ernst & Young³ finds that whilst the Asia Pacific region may be lagging in the digital transformation race at the moment, it is set to hit the front within two years, driven by a strong and growing customer focus. ‘Meeting changing customer demands’ was the most popular answer when respondents were asked about the drivers for change. As a result, in two years’ time, 87% of Asia Pacific companies will be well advanced on the digital transformation journeys, ahead of their counterparts in Europe and the Americas.

Industry 4.0 is bringing about rapid changes in technology, with business leaders in APAC significantly concerned about keeping pace with advances in technology. Conversations are becoming increasingly geared towards AI, 5G and edge computing and what drives digital transformations. However, as these technologies generate more and more data, businesses need a robust, secure, and agile network to stay ahead of this surge. Fiber technology offers enhanced security and advanced connectivity for data and applications and can play a crucial role in powering innovations in the 4IR such as smart home devices, smart cities, and more.

The volume of available data across Asia Pacific has also grown exponentially in recent years. This is fueled by new consumption demands and patterns, new data tools and the growth of digital native businesses. For instance, let’s take a look at internet usage and consumption habits:

• Australia – Internet users spend an average of 5.5 hours per day using internet services, including approximately 3 hours viewing streaming services and internet broadcasts – 45 minutes streaming music and 1.5 hours using social media⁴.
  
  
• Japan – There were 116.5 million internet users in Japan in January 2020, a decrease of 2.1 million (-1.8%) from the year before. However, social media users increased by 3 million (+3.8%) to 82 million from April 2019, and mobile connections increased by 6.1 million (+3.3%) from January 2019⁵.
  
  
• Singapore – As of mid-2020, Singapore had the second highest rate of internet penetration within the Southeast Asian region⁶, with 88.4%. Out of the total population of people in Singapore approximately 4.8 million were internet users. Singaporean children get their first internet-connected device at the age of eight, below the global average of 10, making them among the youngest in the world to go online. As such, gaming sites, online shopping, content sharing and social media platforms profit significantly from the digital native market⁷.

The foundation of Lumen’s new platform is supported by four key solution pillars. Each of these are designed as complementary components that organizations of every industry can benefit from as they work to adopt the next-generation technologies.

• Adaptive Networking – Unparalleled Connectivity: scalable, high bandwidth that intelligently adjusts to real-time data and application needs.
  
  
• Edge Cloud – Superior Performance: high-performing, low-latency platform for delivering the best application experience.
  
  
• Collaboration – Enhanced Productivity: simple solutions designed to boost interactivity and engagement via applications.
  
  
• Connected Security – Uncompromising Protection: intelligent and proactive protection built-in to your data and applications platform.