- Understanding of govt’s challenges allows it to embed such insights into platform
- Blends Google Cloud tools with in-house development to deliver chatbots, AI-powered decision-making
In a move signaling its ambition to move up the value chain, AwanBiru Technology Bhd launched Awantec Intelligence on 7 Aug, a locally developed AI-as-a-Service (AlaaS) AI platform designed to accelerate data-driven decision-making across the public sector.
More than just another AI tool, AwanBiru asserts that Awantec Intelligence represents a strategic culmination of its deep-rooted partnership with the Malaysian government and its relationship with Google Cloud. The platform is built entirely in-house and showcases the company’s commitment to homegrown innovation that is practical, scalable, and responsive to the unique needs of public agencies.
“We’ve been serving the government in terms of Google Cloud Platform over the last two to three years. As we went through that journey, we saw the need for something more tailored. That’s what led to the development of Awantec Intelligence,” said Azlan Zainal Abidin, CEO of AwanBiru.
Homegrown innovation, real government impact
According to Azlan, the platform was developed over six months by an in-house team of four engineers. While many AI initiatives rely heavily on outsourced talent or imported solutions, AwanBiru took a different approach, drawing from its hands-on experience supporting ministries and agencies to craft a platform that solves real operational problems.
“I think the cost was all in terms of mandates and efforts within the internal team. Other than that, it’s using some of the Google tools. So basically, it was not an outflow of money or cash, but in terms of the services that we have. So that was all internal,” Azlan said when asked about the development time and cost.
This lean, resource-efficient approach underscores AwanBiru’s agile capabilities as a listed software services company with a 22 year history.
“The tools we use like Google’s AI capabilities are common. But what makes us different is the use case layer we’ve developed,” Azlan explained. “We understand the government’s challenges deeply, and we’ve embedded those insights into the platform.”
Among the flagship tools within Awantec Intelligence are:
- AwanBot: a citizen-facing virtual assistant capable of handling FAQs and guiding users 24/7.
- AwanBot+: an internal chatbot designed to support civil servants by answering policy or SOP-related queries.
- Awanlytics: a customizable data visualization and analytics dashboard aimed at helping ministries make informed, policy-level decisions.
The platform is already being piloted in select government agencies. While Azlan declined to name most due to confidentiality, he confirmed active engagements with the Ministry of Transport and collaboration with National Applied Research and Development Centre (NAREM) on AI-powered research initiatives.
“We are already working with the Ministry of Transport on analytics. They oversee many agencies, and they want insights into what’s happening across them,” Azlan shared. “We’re also working with NAREM, where we provide high-powered supercomputing infrastructure. With that, they conduct intensive research, and we use AI to help accelerate those research processes.”
Government first, but not government only
While Awantec Intelligence is currently focused on the public sector, Azlan sees potential applications across multiple industries in the future, including healthcare, education, and urban services.
“Our immediate goal is to establish a common layer across ministries,” he shared. “Once we’ve got that in place, we’ll deep-dive into specific industry verticals, tailoring the AI capabilities for transport, health, and more.”
This common layer refers to a shared AI infrastructure that enables ministries to adopt consistent, scalable tools across departments.
This government-first approach is in line with AwanBiru’s core business and reflects a realistic path to building reference cases that could lead to broader commercial adoption.
Addressing AI safety and ethics with Goggle’s protocols
As with any AI deployment, questions around data safety, transparency, and ethics are top of mind. Awantec is relying on the rigorous frameworks of its technology partner, Google, to address these concerns.
“Everything we develop is based on global standards, both in terms of AI ethics and security,” Azlan emphasized. “Google’s protocols are some of the strictest in the industry, and we’ve adopted them wholesale.”
This assurance is key in gaining wider adoption across government departments that often operate under strict regulatory and compliance environments.
Startup spirit, enterprise backbone
While AwanBiru is publicly listed and well-established in the local tech scene, its CEO believes the company’s latest move mirrors the energy of a startup. He expressed confidence and excitement, noting that Awantec Intelligence represents a “blue ocean” opportunity the company is now actively pursuing.
“You could think of Awantec Intelligence as a startup within the company,” Azlan said. “It was born out of direct needs from government agencies. Needs that weren’t being met by existing solutions. We haven’t seen other companies using AI to address such specific agency requirements the way we do.”
The company has undergone a transformation of its own since 2019. Though its headcount has remained steady at between 100–110 employees, Azlan shared that the composition of the team has shifted significantly towards services including analytics, cybersecurity, e-invoicing, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and digital talent development.
Using AI Internally
Practising what it preaches, AwanBiru also applies AI across its internal operations.
“We use a lot of AI in our go-to-market approach,” Azlan shared. “We leverage sentiment analysis to gauge public perception and analyse customer surveys, including asking, ‘Do people like Awantec?’ That gives us a sense of how we’re doing. We use that sentiment as a foundation.”
He added that AI tools are also used to process and summarise government tenders, helping the team respond more efficiently and strategically.
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