News

August 4, 2016: AIS, in another demonstration of its leadership in digital networks and services, is staging two campaigns to stimulate the creative ideas of young people and the business plans of tech startups.

While creating opportunities for new creative digital startups, the company has also helped to establish Thailand’s Content Creator market. Expecting sustainable growth in this young market, AIS is organizing the 5 - Min Video Challenge, inviting young creative minds to submit their works under the theme “Connecting Lives”. The two finalist teams will receive 500,000 baht in prize money. The winners will be Thailand’s representatives at the regional challenge, with a chance to win 1.3 million baht in prize money.

In addition, the winners have an opportunity to become digital partners and work with the world’s leading operators. Their works will be made available to more than 600 million mobile users of SingTel Group affiliates in seven countries in Asia, Africa and Australia.

The company is also expanding its AIS The Startup project, to support tech startups intensively and continually. At the heart of the project is a channel to connect businesses online at www.ais.co.th/thestarup/connect. It is open to startups from Bangkok and the provinces and from around the world. They can upload their work 24 hours a day every day, and then set a date to make their presentations via a video conference. This eliminates time and venue constraints, making it more convenient, while creating new opportunities for startups across Thailand to raise their profile.

AIS took part recently in supporting the “Startup Thailand and Digital Thailand” project, which held roadshows to educate people as well as seek the local startup to be business partners with AIS. Also participating were startup operators who have achieved success in the local markets and were eager to spark interest and share their views on business with young business owners and startups upcountry.

Mr. Pratthana Leelapanang, executive vice-president for marketing of Advanced Info Service Plc. (AIS), said: “We believe that every day young people come up with ideas to create new content and businesses without the limitations of time and place through digital networks, mobile and fixed broadband alike. Covering all areas of the country, our digital networks are a pivotal factor helping to make the mobile phone, content creation and service markets grow rapidly together.

“The evidence can be seen in the growth in Thailand’s tech startup sector, a group of new generation entrepreneurs who apply technologies, digital included, in creating services help people deal with problems in everyday life. Over the past five years, AIS has been providing support as well as helping with the marketing of these services.

“At the same time, we see the power of young people’s ideas to create valuable content that can spark social change and create a better environment. Video is one of the most popular forms of digital content in the world given its absence of language and geographical barriers. Furthermore, it can reach a massive number of viewers regardless of distance. Consequently, a new trend has emerged in which any consumer can become a content producer and share it online with the world, anytime and anywhere.

“Today, we at AIS are stepping up our support for young people to the next level by offering them opportunities to be Content Creators. We encourage these young minds to create valuable digital content for Thailand’s mobile market, and for it to be further introduced to the regional market. Accordingly, the 5 – Min Video Challenge was created in cooperation with affiliates of the SingTel Group.

“The contest was divided into two stages. Two winning teams will enter at the regional level as representatives from Thailand. They will compete with 14 teams of winners from seven countries under the same theme of ‘Connecting Lives’. The purpose is to mutually connect people from every corner of the globe via creative, quality digital content.”

Interested persons are invited to submit video works of no more than 5 minutes in length under the theme “Connecting Lives”. There is no limit on age, gender or idea direction. Applicants can apply as individuals or as a team. Upload the VDO content to www.ais.co.th/the5minvideochallenge between August 5 and September 9, 2016. Twenty-five teams of first-round winners will be announced on September 12.

A training workshop will then be organized to provide knowledge so that contestants can improve their work. The two teams of finalists will be announced on October 7, 2016. The finalists will enter the regional challenge on behalf of Thailand, which will host an event to announce the winner of the regional challenge on November 21, 2016 in Bangkok.

Discussing the company’s collaborative support of Startup Thailand & Digital Thailand, Mr. Pratthana added: “AIS is very pleased to have a chance to cooperate with the government in enhancing and expanding opportunities for Thai people across the country to realize the power of the startup sector. These entrepreneurs integrate their ideas with technology to create commercial added value.

“Working closely with startups during the past five years has shown us the potential for increasingly higher growth in two major areas. One is creating solutions help local people to deal with routine tasks in their everyday lives. The other is to expand the market and customer base for technology-driven businesses to the provinces. In this regard, AIS is taking part in roadshows to provide knowledge about startups and to promote business alliances with AIS.

“On the road with us are experienced entrepreneurs who have taken part in our AIS The StartUp project and achieved success in their markets, namely Golfdigg, Infographic Thailand, Local Alike, Fixzy, ZipEvent, Fourleaf and Favstay.

“These entrepreneurs will share their experience and views on business, which will inspire students, the younger generation and to-be-startup in three major cities — Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Phuket — in August and September 2016.”