MyRepublic spins off digital platform business ahead of planned IPO

INTERNET service provider MyRepublic Group has launched MyRepublic Digital, a platform-as-a-service spin-off company that the group believes will serve as its latest growth channel.

In a joint press statement on Tuesday (Sep 6), MyRepublic and its spin-off company also announced the debut of the latter’s flagship product – a cloud-native digital platform named Encore, which is said to come built with industry practices and BSS/OSS (business support system/operations support system) features.

The pre-configured platform is “ready out of the box” and will offer “unmatched” deployment times and cost efficiencies for operators looking to enter new markets, they added.

“Our proven Encore digital platform and expertise are core to our capabilities and we are ready to showcase these to potential clients,” said Jason Ong, who joins MyRepublic Digital as the company’s chief executive.

Ong was previously Apac (Asia Pacific) region head of Tech Mahindra, where he spearheaded the growth of the Indian information technology company’s platforms and services business. He brings over 20 years of experience building, selling, and marketing telecom platforms and services.

Notably, Ong was involved in the startup of US information management company Convergys in Asia. He also led a joint venture with Chinese telecom software provider Asiainfo China. 

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Malcolm Rodrigues, chief executive and founder of MyRepublic, said the launch of its spin-off company represents “the culmination of over a decade’s worth of effort” in digitising the infrastructure-based models of network operators.

Over the last few years Rodrigues has spoken about taking MyRepublic public with intentions to list in Singapore, Hong Kong or Australia.

In 2019 plans to launch an initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong by end-2020 were delayed, with the group citing a hold-up in investor funds.

MyRepublic more recently reiterated its intentions for an IPO in the “near future” with the 2021 appointments of senior executives, including its chief investor relations officer Jeannie Ong.

Responding to queries from The Business Times, Jeannie Ong described MyRepublic Digital as 1 out of 2 growth engines that are set to fuel its parent’s expansion “from a local and regional upstart to global success”.

The spin-off company serves as the platform engine, while the service engine comprises MyRepublic’s consumer and enterprise connectivity businesses including its broadband and mobile units, she said.

“Together, both the service and platform businesses feed into each other seamlessly to create a cycle of efficiency and synergy and build towards (MyRepublic’s) goal of IPO.”