On Tuesday, December 3, Sharp Electronics Malaysia Sdn. Bhd (SEM) celebrated its upcoming 35th anniversary by holding an event revealing a preview of the future titled “SHARP Smart Connected 2020 Conference”.

AIoT solutions, 8K resolution displays and 5G network technology, representing our business vision “Changing the World with 8K+5G and AIoT” were introduced at the conference. The event was not only attended by media but also by government officials such as Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) Yang Berhormat Dr Ong Kian Ming and other representatives from the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission, as well as by SEM’s nationwide dealer network, reflecting the direction Sharp intends to expand our business in the region and resembling our strong ties with our stakeholders.

(from left) SEM Assistant General Manager of Research and Development, Saiful Rizal M Rosli; Assistant General Manager of Business Solution Sales, Clement Ng; Deputy Managing Director, Ting Yang Chung; Sharp Corporation Executive Managing Officer Yoshihiro Hashimoto; Deputy Minister of Malaysia MITI YB Dr Ong Kian Ming; SHARP Deputy Chief Executive Officer of ASEAN, Managing Director, Robert Wu; and General Manager of Consumer Electronic Sales, Tok Sang Man, at the virtual ground breaking of the lab announced during the SHARP Smart Connected 2020 Conference.

Sharp Executive Managing Officer, Head of President’s office and Head of ASEAN Business Yoshihiro Hashimoto expressed the appreciation toward the people of Malaysia for their long term support toward Sharp business in the region, and explained the company’s policy to continue to strengthen B2C business while developing into new business areas of B2B and B2G.

Following, SEM Managing Director Robert Wu explained the concept of the conference. “‘Changing the World with 8K + 5G + AIoT’ is a philosophy we share at SHARP. Rooted with experience spanning 35 years, we are driven to innovate and transform homes and businesses and help them thrive. Our approach at Smart Connected Conference is to showcase the application of technology in a complete ecosystem,” he said.

Solutions on display included the 90-inch See-Through LCD Retail Panel, 8K 120-inch Video Wall, and 8K 150inch Mini cinema, all brought in from CEATEC 2019 held in Japan.

SEM also introduced new smart solution ecosystems for offices and classrooms in Malaysia. Other highlights included the Smart Technologies Interactive Board which is actively being used in over 3million classrooms globally, the C-Cube Multifunction Printer with flexible connectivity, Sharp Interactive Whiteboards; the world’s first Certified Sharp Windows Collaboration Display that makes offices and meetings smarter; and Sharp Smart Signages with personalised applications to match different retail needs.

B2B innovations and solutions were poised to empower retailers to excite consumers. Members in front of world’s first 90 inch See Through LCD Retail Panel

70 inch Interactive Whiteboard

A personnel demonstrating the flexible and interactive functions of a Smart Signage

Experiential and connectivity were running themes at the conference particularly with the introduction of AIoT, which refers to artificial intelligence and the internet of things working together. At the conference, SHARP showcased the full capabilities of its Smart AIoT Home powered by devices with the ability to communicate with other smart appliances and help homeowners efficiently run the household. For example, SHARP’s AIoT Kitchen demonstrated the capability of a smart fridge in managing the groceries of the home, and even in proposing recipes for the homeowner to cook based on the available contents of the fridge. Another example was a smart washer prompting its owner of the appropriate time to do the laundry according to the current weather.

Making households of the future smarter through an ecosystem of smart appliances equipped with AIoT

Deputy Minister of Malaysia MITI, Yang Berhormat Dr Ong Kian Ming, gave us his words as “Digital transformation is taking the world by storm with the adoption of Industry 4.0, the dawn of cashless societies and Artificial Intelligence. Malaysia too is hard at work with concerted efforts in enhancing our digital infrastructure to accommodate higher speeds of connectivity and efficiency. The success of Malaysia’s digital transformation is dependent on the collaborative effort by both the public and private sector. We commend SHARP on its efforts as a frontrunner with 108 years of innovations, and to this day driving the conversation about out-of-the box applications utilising different technologies to solve various challenges. We hope more brands continue to push the envelope in innovating solutions for the benefit of industry and society as a whole.”