Red Hat Recognizes Innovation in Malaysia with APAC Awards 2025
On November 12, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a significant milestone was achieved as Red Hat, a global leader in open-source solutions, unveiled the winners of the Red Hat APAC Innovation Awards 2025. These awards are designed to honor companies and organizations in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region that have demonstrated exceptional innovation and transformation through the effective use of open-source technology. This year, AFFIN Group, a prominent financial institution in Malaysia, received recognition for their innovative approach in leveraging open-source solutions to enhance their operations and deliver substantial impacts within their organization.
The Significance of Open Source in Business Transformation
As technology rapidly evolves, particularly with artificial intelligence (AI) becoming a critical component of business transformation, companies face increasing pressures to adapt. Yet, amidst these challenges, numerous organizations have managed to achieve outstanding results. According to Marjet Andriesse, Senior Vice President and General Manager for APJC at Red Hat, innovation is flourishing when paired with open-source technology. The Red Hat APAC Innovation Awards 2025 serve as an excellent platform to acknowledge these accomplishments, showcasing how companies are redefining what’s possible and shaping a future marked by creativity, resilience, and impact.
A Celebration of Innovation and Transformation
The theme for this year’s awards, "Unlock What’s Next," highlights the organizations that have successfully converted current technological trends into tangible results. Across the APAC region, 30 winners were recognized for their inventive use of Red Hat’s open-source technologies. Their efforts have not only driven innovation but also enhanced competitiveness, delivering lasting value to their respective industries, customers, and employees.
These awards underscore how open-source solutions empower enterprises to explore new possibilities, navigate complexities, and seize emerging opportunities in a rapidly changing landscape. The categories for the awards include Digital Transformation, Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure, Cloud-native Development, Automation, and the newly introduced AI and Emerging Tech.
AFFIN Group: Leading with Automation
In the Automation category, AFFIN Group emerged as a winner, showcasing their outstanding efforts in streamlining their IT operations. As one of Malaysia’s leading financial institutions, AFFIN Group offers a wide array of financial products and services to retail, corporate, and Islamic banking customers nationwide. Managing a vast and intricate IT infrastructure, the organization identified the need to enhance operational efficiency, minimize manual errors, and ensure consistent compliance through automation.
By implementing the Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform, AFFIN Group transformed its server patching, change tracking, and disaster recovery processes. Previously, these operations were time-consuming and prone to errors, but with automation, they have become seamless and efficient. This strategic move has significantly reduced patching time, minimized configuration errors, and enhanced overall system reliability, thereby bolstering the bank’s security posture and improving service delivery to customers.
The Impact of Automation on AFFIN Group
Automation has brought about substantial improvements in AFFIN Group’s operations. It has optimized IT costs, allowing resources to be redirected towards innovation and strategic growth. This transformation illustrates how automation can empower financial institutions to accelerate operations, enhance security, and deliver superior digital banking experiences on a larger scale.
Insights from Leaders
Marjet Andriesse emphasized the unstoppable pace of change in the Asia Pacific region, driven by AI and other technological advancements. She noted that despite these pressures, customers have achieved remarkable outcomes, proving that innovation thrives in conjunction with open-source technology. The Red Hat APAC Innovation Awards 2025 are a testament to these achievements, celebrating how customers are unlocking new potentials and shaping a future rooted in creativity, resilience, and impact.
Risham Akashah Bin Kamaruzaman, Group Chief Technology & Operating Officer at AFFIN Group, shared insights into the bank’s strategic vision. As a forward-thinking financial institution, maintaining high standards of security, compliance, and reliability is crucial for sustaining customer trust. Under the Digital Leadership pillar of AFFIN’s Axelerate 2028 (AX28) Strategic Plan, the organization is driving greater efficiency and innovation. Collaboration with Red Hat has enabled the automation of complex IT processes, strengthening security, enhancing compliance, and improving operational efficiency. This has resulted in higher service uptime, reduced risks, and increased agility in delivering world-class digital banking experiences. For AFFIN, automation is now central to operations, fostering a more resilient, efficient, and technology-driven future.
The Role of Open Source in Shaping the Future
Open source technology plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of businesses across industries. Its collaborative nature allows for faster innovation, cost-efficient solutions, and the ability to adapt quickly to changing market conditions. Organizations like AFFIN Group exemplify how embracing open source can lead to transformative changes, optimizing processes, and enhancing service delivery.
Conclusion
The Red Hat APAC Innovation Awards 2025 highlight the transformative power of open-source technologies in driving innovation and competitiveness. As businesses continue to navigate an ever-evolving technological landscape, embracing open-source solutions can unlock new opportunities and pave the way for a future defined by resilience and impact. AFFIN Group’s recognition in the Automation category serves as an inspiring example of how financial institutions can leverage open-source technology to enhance efficiency, security, and customer satisfaction. This achievement underscores the vital role of open-source solutions in shaping the future of business innovation and transformation.
For more detailed information on the Red Hat APAC Innovation Awards 2025, visit the official Red Hat website.
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