Year: 2023

  • Free Toll Highways for Hari Raya 6 Things You Need to Know

    The Malaysian government recently announced that highways will be toll-free from 19th to 21st April and 24th April to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri. The move is expected to help Malaysians travel to their hometowns during the festive season without incurring additional expenses. Here are six things you should know about the initiative.

    Free Toll Period The toll-free period started on 19th April at 12:01 am and will last until 21st April at 11:59 pm. There will also be a toll-free day on 24th April for those heading back. However, you will still need to pay toll fares on 22nd and 23rd April.

    Valid Payment Methods To benefit from the toll waiver, you need to pass through tolls using a valid Touch ‘n Go card, SmartTAG with a valid TnG card inserted, or RFID tag.

    Participating Highways 33 highways across Malaysia will participate in the toll-free initiative, including major highways such as the North-South Expressway, the East Coast Expressway, and the Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Bridge.

    Cost to the Government The initiative is expected to cost the government approximately RM93 million.

    Exceeding the Deadline In case of closed toll systems like the North-South Highway, you need to enter and exit the highway during the toll-free period. If you enter the highway before the deadline and exit after that time, you will be charged the full rate. Concessionaire PLUS has advised users to exit the highway at the nearest exit if they can’t make it to their desired exit by 11:59 pm.

    Purpose of the Initiative The toll-free period is designed to provide a more affordable means for Malaysians to travel during the festive season, promoting family reunions and cultural traditions.

    The toll-free initiative is an excellent way to reduce the burden of travel expenses for Malaysians during the festive season. However, it’s important to note the participating highways, valid payment methods, and toll-free periods to avoid any inconvenience.

    here are the full list of the 33 tolls that are free during hari raya 2023

  • How to Get Your Share of the $725 Million: Facebook Privacy Settlement

    If you’ve been a Facebook user at any point between May 2007 and December 2022, you could be entitled to a share of the $725 million privacy settlement. In a class action lawsuit, it was alleged that Facebook allowed Cambridge Analytica to obtain the data of 87 million users, which was then used for political campaigns without users’ consent.
    Meta, the parent company of Facebook, agreed to the settlement last year without admitting wrongdoing. Now, users who were impacted by the data breach have until August to request their piece of the settlement.
    To claim your share of the settlement, simply visit https://facebookuserprivacysettlement.com/ and submit your claim. The settlement is available to anyone who was a Facebook user during the specified time period, regardless of whether or not they were impacted by the data breach.
    It’s important to note that while submitting a claim does not require any proof of harm, the settlement amount will be divided among all eligible claimants. This means that the amount you receive will depend on the number of people who submit a claim.
    If you’re still using Facebook, there’s no judgment here. However, it’s important to be aware of your rights as a user and to take advantage of opportunities like this settlement to hold companies accountable for their actions.
    Don’t miss your chance to claim your share of the $725 million settlement. Visit https://facebookuserprivacysettlement.com/ to submit your claim before the August deadline.
  • Everything You Need to Know About Malaysia’s Toll-Free Highways During Hari Raya

    Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced toll-free highways on 19-21 April and 24 April, coinciding with the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holiday. The toll waiver is applicable to 33 highways, costing the government approximately RM93 million. Travelers must pass through tolls using a valid Touch ‘n Go card, SmartTAG, or RFID tag during the toll-free period. However, toll fares will still be charged on 22-23 April. Those who cannot make it to their desired exit by 11:59 pm should exit the highway at the nearest exit and re-enter during the toll-free period.

    The full list of 33 participating highways are:

    1. North-South Expressway (PLUS)
    2. North–South Expressway Central Link (ELITE)
    3. Seremban-Port Dickson Highway (SPDH)
    4. Malaysia-Singapore Second Link (LINKEDUA)
    5. Butterworth-Kulim Expressway (BKE)
    6. Penang Bridge (JPP)
    7. Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Bridge (JSAHMS)
    8. East Coast Expressway (LPT1) Phase 1
    9. East Coast Expressway (LPT2) Phase 2
    10. Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway
    11. Sungai Besi Expressway (BESRAYA)
    12. New Pantai Expressway (NPE)
    13. Kajang-Seremban Highway (LEKAS)
    14. Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH)
    15. Kemuning-Shah Alam Highway (LKSA)
    16. Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE)
    17. Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (SILK)
    18. Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS)
    19. Sprint Expressway
    20. Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP)
    21. Smart Tunnel (SMART)
    22. Cheras-Kajang Expressway (GRAND SAGA)
    23. New North Klang Straits Bypass (Grand SEPADU)
    24. Maju Expressway (MEX)
    25. Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE)
    26. Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE)
    27. South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE)
    28. Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR)
    29. Butterworth Outer Ring Road (LLB)
    30. West Coast Expressway (WCE)
    31. Setiawangsa-Pantai Expressway (SPE)
    32. Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Expressway (SUKE)
    33. Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Expressway (DASH) 

  • Intel to Discontinue Blockscale Bitcoin Mining Chips in Efforts to Cut Costs

    Intel, a major US-based technology company, is reportedly set to discontinue its line of Blockscale Bitcoin mining chips in a move aimed at reducing costs. According to a Reuters report, Intel will stop taking orders for the Blockscale 1000 Series ASICs by Oct. 20 and end shipping roughly in April 2024. This decision is part of Intel’s strategy to prioritize the manufacturing of certain chips to outside customers, cutting overall costs.

    The Blockscale mining chips were launched in April 2022, with each chip capable of a hash rate of up to 580 gigahash per second, and could be combined and merged into a single mining unit. The technology was integrated into the operations of mining firms like Argo Blockchain, Block, Hive Blockchain Technologies, and GRIID Infrastructure.

    This move by Intel will have implications on the Bitcoin mining industry, as the company was one of the largest players in the space. The decision to discontinue the Blockscale mining chips is a clear indication of Intel’s strategy to focus on certain areas of its business and streamline its operations.

  • UOB and Lazada Partner to Offer Enhanced Banking and Retail Solutions

    United Overseas Bank (UOB) has partnered with the Lazada Group, a leading Southeast Asian e-commerce platform, to provide retail products and banking solutions for their combined customer base in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. This partnership aims to increase access to financing for e-commerce sellers on the Lazada platform and offer a more rewarding experience for customers shopping on the platform.
    The strategic collaboration will tap on Lazada’s technology and UOB’s expertise in financial products, digital banking services, and established trust with customers. This will enable both customers and sellers to access better payment and financial services that meet their specific needs.
    UOB will offer new customers in Singapore Lazada cashback vouchers worth up to $200 as a welcome gift. Additionally, UOB will continue the partnership of the Citi-Lazada co-brand credit cards in Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam, and refresh them as new UOB-Lazada co-brand credit cards later this year with enhanced benefits. The partnership plans to extend the co-brand credit card offering to Singapore and Indonesia as well.
    The collaboration between UOB and Lazada is an excellent opportunity for both companies to enhance the retail and banking experience for their customers. This strategic partnership will provide customers with better access to financing, attractive rewards, and special deals during mega sale events.
  • AI-Powered Performance Ads Certification Answers

    Here are the Questions and Answers for the AI-Powered Performance Ads Certification : Google (exceedlms.com)
    Question: A local bakery chain is starting up a Performance Max campaign in hopes of attracting more customer visits to their brick-and-mortar shops.What should they establish as a goal when creating their new Performance Max campaign?
    • 1. Product and brand consideration
    • 2. Brand awareness and reach
    • 3. Website traffic 
    • 4. Local store visits and promotions
    Answer: 4. Local store visits and promotions would be the most appropriate goal for the bakery chain when creating their new Performance Max campaign. This goal aligns with their objective of attracting more customer visits to their brick-and-mortar shops, which is a specific and measurable outcome that can be tracked and optimized for with Performance Max campaigns. By using Performance Max to target local consumers and highlight promotions or offers for their physical locations, the bakery chain can increase the likelihood of driving more foot traffic and ultimately boosting sales at their physical shops.
    Question: For an online sneaker retailer trying to reach a target return metric in the upcoming year, which Smart Bidding strategy can help them meet their goals?
    • 1. Maximize conversions
    • 2. Target conversion value
    • 3. Target ROAS
    • 4. Maximize clicks
    Answer: The Smart Bidding strategy that can help an online sneaker retailer meet their target return metric is Option 3: Target ROAS (Return On Ad Spend).
    Target ROAS is a Smart Bidding strategy that uses historical conversion data and real-time bidding to automatically adjust bids to optimize for a specific ROAS target set by the advertiser. By setting a specific ROAS target, the online sneaker retailer can ensure that their ad spend is generating a desirable return on investment, helping them to meet their target return metric in the upcoming year.
    Maximize conversions (Option 1) and Maximize clicks (Option 4) focus on generating as many conversions or clicks as possible, rather than optimizing for a specific return metric. While these strategies can be effective for increasing overall traffic and conversions, they may not be as effective for achieving a specific return target.

    Target conversion value (Option 2) is similar to Target ROAS, but focuses on optimizing for a specific conversion value (e.g. revenue generated per conversion) rather than a return metric. While this strategy may be effective for maximizing revenue, it may not be as effective for achieving a specific return on ad spend.
    Question: What kinds of factors contribute to an optimization score recommendation being surfaced in an account?
    • 1. Every type of recommendation is surfaced for every individual and manager account.
    • 2. Insights gained from machine learning and simulations that identify potential performance uplift based on a marketer’s business objective
    • 3. The results of agorithms which identify the changes that would lead to the largest increase in campaign spend, irrespective of performance impact
    • 4. When advertisers need to expand their business objectives, recommendations are surfaced.

    Answer: The factors that contribute to an optimization score recommendation being surfaced in an account are:

    Insights gained from machine learning and simulations that identify potential performance uplift based on a marketer’s business objective.
    The optimization score recommendation is based on machine learning algorithms that use historical performance data and account settings to identify potential areas for improvement. This recommendation provides advertisers with a score between 0 and 100 that reflects the potential for improvement in their Google Ads account based on various factors such as keywords, bids, and ad relevance.
    Option 1 is not correct because every type of recommendation is not surfaced for every individual and manager account. Google Ads recommends optimizations that are specific to each account, based on its unique performance and settings.

    Option 3 is not correct because the optimization score recommendation is not based on the changes that would lead to the largest increase in campaign spend, irrespective of performance impact. The recommendation is focused on improving the account’s performance, not just increasing spend.
    Option 4 is not correct because optimization score recommendations are not based on the need to expand business objectives. Instead, they are based on improving the existing account’s performance.
    Question: Which is regarded to be a best practice for using Performance Planner?
    • 1. Viewing forecasts on a year-to-year basis, since sales data during peak seasonal periods is typically higher
    • 2. Setting up an annual forecast at the start of the fiscal year so budgets can be created accordingly
    • 3. Using Performance Planner more during non-seasonal periods, as these are the periods when data is most accurate.
    • 4. Coming up with month-by-month plans in the tool and regularly viewing updated forecasts

    Answer: Option 4 – Coming up with month-by-month plans in the tool and regularly viewing updated forecasts is regarded as a best practice for using Performance Planner.
    The Performance Planner tool provides advertisers with a way to forecast performance and create plans for their Google Ads campaigns. To use this tool effectively, it’s important to review and update the forecasts on a regular basis. By creating month-by-month plans and reviewing the forecasts, advertisers can make informed decisions about their campaign budgets and adjust their strategy as needed based on the performance predictions provided by the tool.
    Option 1 is not a best practice because while it is important to consider seasonal trends when reviewing forecasts, it is not recommended to base forecasts solely on year-to-year data during peak periods.
    Option 2 is not a best practice because it is not recommended to create an annual forecast at the start of the fiscal year and stick to it rigidly throughout the year. It is more effective to review and adjust the forecasts regularly as performance data becomes available.
    Option 3 is not a best practice because the data accuracy is not necessarily tied to non-seasonal periods. The data accuracy is dependent on a variety of factors including the advertiser’s historical performance data and changes made to their campaigns. Therefore, it is recommended to review the forecasts regularly, regardless of the season.
    Question: If a digital marketing manager was switching over to a value-based bidding strategy for their campaigns, but needed to work within a fixed budget, which Smart Bidding strategy would work best for them?
    • 1. Target ROAS
    • 2. Maximize clicks
    • 3. Maximize conversion value
    • 4. Maximize conversions
    Answer:If a digital marketing manager is switching over to a value-based bidding strategy but has a fixed budget, the Target ROAS Smart Bidding strategy would work best for them.
    The Target ROAS (Return On Ad Spend) Smart Bidding strategy is designed to help advertisers maximize conversion value while maintaining a specific target ROAS. This bidding strategy uses historical performance data and auction-time bidding to automatically adjust bids to achieve the target ROAS. This means that the advertiser can set a target ROAS and the bidding strategy will adjust bids in real-time to maximize conversion value within the set budget.
    Option 1 is the correct answer because Target ROAS bidding will help the digital marketing manager to achieve their desired return on ad spend while still working within a fixed budget.
    Option 2 (Maximize clicks) is not recommended for an advertiser who is looking to achieve a specific return on ad spend as it optimizes for clicks, not conversion value.
    Option 3 (Maximize conversion value) could work but it does not take into account the target ROAS, which is an important metric for the digital marketing manager to achieve their desired return on ad spend.
    Option 4 (Maximize conversions) is also not ideal because it focuses on maximizing the number of conversions rather than the conversion value or return on ad spend.
    Question: What’s a common type of value definition used in value-centric measurement strategies?
    • 1. Actual value
    • 2. Intrisic value
    • 3. Necessary value
    • 4. Unique value
    Answer: The common type of value definition used in value-centric measurement strategies is “Intrinsic value.”
    Intrinsic value is the inherent value that a product or service holds, regardless of any external factors. It is the value that the product or service provides to the customer in terms of its features, quality, and benefits. Intrinsic value is often used as a benchmark for measuring the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and strategies.
    Option 2 (Necessary value) and Option 4 (Unique value) are not common types of value definition used in value-centric measurement strategies.
    Option 1 (Actual value) is a term that can have multiple meanings and is not a commonly used type of value definition in this context.
    Question: A chain of regional bookstores is looking to drive more value from their Google Ads campaigns by creating a value-based bidding strategy for the first time.
    Which best practice should they follow first in order to get started?
    • 1. Build a large list of negative keywords to tailor traffic and eliminate uninterested consumers.
    • 2. Enable a volume-based Smart Bidding strategy in all campaigns.
    • 3. Create a value-based Smart Bidding strategy in their top two campaigns.
    • 4. Begin with a strong measurement and attribution strategy based on their goals.
    Answer: If a chain of regional bookstores is looking to drive more value from their Google Ads campaigns by creating a value-based bidding strategy for the first time, the first best practice they should follow is to begin with a strong measurement and attribution strategy based on their goals.
    Before implementing any bidding strategy, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the key performance indicators (KPIs) and goals of the business. By having a strong measurement and attribution strategy, the bookstore chain can accurately track and measure the effectiveness of their campaigns and understand which campaigns are driving the most value.
    Option 4 is the correct answer because building a measurement and attribution strategy helps the chain of regional bookstores to understand which campaigns are driving the most value and allows them to optimize their bidding strategy accordingly.
    Option 1 (Build a large list of negative keywords) is important, but it is not the first step in creating a value-based bidding strategy.
    Option 2 (Enable a volume-based Smart Bidding strategy in all campaigns) and Option 3 (Create a value-based Smart Bidding strategy in their top two campaigns) are not the first step either, as it is important to have a clear understanding of the business goals before implementing any bidding strategy.
    Question: Which of these are two key benefits of using the Insights page? (Choose two.)
    Select 2 Correct Responses
    • 1. Understanding competitors’ weekly spend through analysis of consumer insights.
    • 2. Discovering and applying consumer insights around things like rising search trends and new converting audiences
    • 3. Improving Search campaigns through the application of new consumer insights
    • 4. Discovering and diagnosing performance issues so campaigns can be run more successfully
    Answer: The two key benefits of using the Insights page are:
    Discovering and applying consumer insights around things like rising search trends and new converting audiences
    Improving Search campaigns through the application of new consumer insights
    Option 1 is not a key benefit of using the Insights page because it does not provide competitor spending insights. The Insights page focuses on providing consumer insights and does not analyze competitors’ weekly spend.
    Option 4 is not a key benefit of using the Insights page because it does not help in discovering or diagnosing performance issues. For performance issues, advertisers should use the Recommendations page or the Performance Planner.
    Question: How can lagging Ad Strength for Responsive Search Ads be improved?
    • 1. Through the use of the Keyword Insertion tool that can spot new keyword ideas
    • 2. By avoiding commonly used keywords in headlines and descriptions
    • 3. By using the Ad Strength tool to learn more about how to make a Responsive Search Ad
    • 4. Through the use of more unique headlines and descriptions
    Answer: To improve the lagging Ad Strength for Responsive Search Ads, the best option would be:
    By using the Ad Strength tool to learn more about how to make a Responsive Search Ad.
    The Ad Strength tool provides recommendations on how to improve ad strength and identifies what actions to take to improve it. This tool analyzes various elements of an ad, including headlines, descriptions, and extensions, and provides a score and specific recommendations on how to improve the ad.
    Option 1 is not relevant as the Keyword Insertion tool is not related to improving ad strength.
    Option 2 is not recommended as it may limit the reach of the ad to the intended audience, and it may not necessarily improve ad strength.
    Option 4 may improve ad strength, but the Ad Strength tool provides more specific and data-driven recommendations on how to improve ad strength for Responsive Search Ads.
    Question: Which is a key benefit of opting into automatically applied recommendations?
    • 1. Only the past week of data is used to inform recommendations, which means optimizations are based only on recent activity.
    • 2. Marketers choose recommendations that are applied across a whole account or manager account, helping ensure that best practices are followed.
    • 3. When recommendations are applied, campaign budgets are increased or allocations between budgets are changed as a means of helping to drive performance.
    • 4. AI strategically determines and automatically applies the recommendations that are most likely to have the biggest impact on campaigns.
    Answer: The key benefit of opting into automatically applied recommendations is:
    AI strategically determines and automatically applies the recommendations that are most likely to have the biggest impact on campaigns.
    By opting into automatically applied recommendations, advertisers allow AI to identify and apply optimizations across their Google Ads accounts. This AI-driven approach ensures that recommendations are data-driven and based on a more comprehensive view of an account’s performance over time, rather than just the past week’s data.
    Option 1 is incorrect as automatically applied recommendations are based on a longer-term view of an account’s performance, not just the past week’s data.
    Option 2 is incorrect as advertisers do not choose which recommendations are applied. Instead, AI determines the most impactful recommendations and applies them automatically.
    Option 3 is incorrect as budget changes are not the primary focus of automatically applied recommendations. Rather, the focus is on optimizing ad targeting, bidding strategies, ad creative, and other aspects of campaign performance.
    Question: If a marketer wanted their lead generation campaigns to deliver more value in the upcoming year, how could value-based bidding help them?
    • 1. It would allow them to focus on the maximization of website traffic as a means of attracting new potential customers.
    • 2. It would allow them to maximize total conversion value at a desired ROAS target or budget.
    • 3. It would let them optimize for high-value customers and a high volume of leads simultaneously.
    • 4. It would optimize for driving lead volume, since all customers create the same amount of value.
    Answer: Value-based bidding can help the marketer to maximize total conversion value at a desired return on ad spend (ROAS) target or budget. By setting a target ROAS or value, the bidding algorithm can focus on delivering conversions that are most likely to generate higher value for the business. This approach can help the marketer prioritize lead quality over lead quantity, and ultimately drive more value from their lead generation campaigns. Therefore, the correct option is 2.
    Question: What are two ways that the Combination and Assets Report can help a marketer improve their creative assets’ performance? (Choose two.)
    Select 2 Correct Responses
    • 1. Use high-performing assets as inspiration for future creative assets.
    • 2. Uncover budget limitations that may be restricting assets from showing in auctions.
    • 3. Identify new keywords to add to a campaign to improve asset reach.
    • 4. Identify opportunities to replace low-performing assets with assets that have better potential.
    The two ways that the Combination and Assets Report can help a marketer improve their creative assets’ performance are:
    • Use high-performing assets as inspiration for future creative assets.
    • Identify opportunities to replace low-performing assets with assets that have better potential
    Question: How does uncapping budgets help to fully capture AI’s benefits?
    • 1. When there’s a limitation placed on a campaign budget, a Smart Bidding strategy will revert to manual bidding.
    • 2. AI only works in newly created campaigns with budgets of $1,000 per day or more.
    • 3. Campaigns will spend more of their budget to reach more customers.
    • 4. Campaigns need enough budget flexibility to maximize AI’s potential.
    Answer: Campaigns need enough budget flexibility to maximize AI’s potential.
    Uncapping budgets allows AI to make the most efficient bidding decisions and fully utilize the data it has access to. With a capped budget, the bidding strategy may be limited in its ability to bid aggressively enough to maximize results. Therefore, uncapping budgets provides more flexibility to allow AI to make the best decisions for the campaign.
    Question: A digital marketer has chosen to upgrade their Smart Bidding strategy by incorporating value-based bidding.
    Which two Google Ads tools should they routinely use?
    Select 2 Correct Responses
    • 1. Ad strength rating
    • 2. Keyword planner
    • 3. Bid strategy report
    • 4. Performance Planner
    Answer: The two Google Ads tools that a digital marketer should routinely use when incorporating value-based bidding are Keyword Planner and Bid Strategy Report.
    Question: What are the ways that Explanations can be used to improve the performance of campaigns?
    • 1. To uncover why performance changes were made in just a few clicks
    • 2. To determine the optimal level a campaign’s budget should be at in order to maximize performance
    • 3. To review recommendations for headlines and descriptions for the purpose of making stronger ads
    • 4. To reveal top asset combinations for every campaign type in a particular account
    Answer: The correct answer is:
    To uncover why performance changes were made in just a few clicks
    Explanations can help marketers understand why the performance of their campaigns has changed by providing insights into the factors that have contributed to those changes. This information can be used to make more informed decisions when optimizing campaigns for better performance.
    Question: A digital marketing manager has upgraded their keywords to broad match.
    Which behavior should they build into their regular cadence of optimization to guide machine learning?
    • 1. Remove negative keywords that may block relevant traffic.
    • 2. Add Customer Match lists with data older than 90 days.
    • 3. Dismiss recommendations to add relevant new keywords.
    • 4. Create additional phrase and exact match keywords to improve reach.
    Answer: To guide machine learning after upgrading keywords to broad match, the digital marketing manager should build into their regular cadence of optimization the behavior of removing negative keywords that may block relevant traffic. By reviewing the search terms report and adding negative keywords that generate irrelevant clicks and cost the campaign money, the digital marketing manager can guide the machine learning to focus on relevant traffic and improve campaign performance. Therefore, option 1 is the correct answer.
    Option 2 is not a recommended practice for guiding machine learning after upgrading to broad match keywords. Customer Match lists are used to target specific users with personalized ads based on their information, but they do not guide machine learning for broad match keywords.
    Option 3 is also not recommended, as relevant new keywords can improve reach and performance. Dismissing these recommendations can limit the potential success of the campaign.
    Option 4 is not necessarily a recommended practice for guiding machine learning after upgrading to broad match keywords. While adding additional phrase and exact match keywords may improve reach, it is not directly related to guiding machine learning for broad match keywords.
     
    Question: What are the ways that Explanations can be used to improve the performance of campaigns?
    • 1. To uncover why performance changes were made in just a few clicks
    • 2. To determine the optimal level a campaign’s budget should be at in order to maximize performance
    • 3. To review recommendations for headlines and descriptions for the purpose of making stronger ads
    • 4. To reveal top asset combinations for every campaign type in a particular account
    Answer: The correct answer is:
    To uncover why performance changes were made in just a few clicks
    Explanations can help marketers understand why the performance of their campaigns has changed by providing insights into the factors that have contributed to those changes. This information can be used to make more informed decisions when optimizing campaigns for better performance.
    Question: A digital marketing manager has upgraded their keywords to broad match.
    Which behavior should they build into their regular cadence of optimization to guide machine learning?
    • 1. Remove negative keywords that may block relevant traffic.
    • 2. Add Customer Match lists with data older than 90 days.
    • 3. Dismiss recommendations to add relevant new keywords.
    • 4. Create additional phrase and exact match keywords to improve reach.
    Answer: To guide machine learning after upgrading keywords to broad match, the digital marketing manager should build into their regular cadence of optimization the behavior of removing negative keywords that may block relevant traffic. By reviewing the search terms report and adding negative keywords that generate irrelevant clicks and cost the campaign money, the digital marketing manager can guide the machine learning to focus on relevant traffic and improve campaign performance. Therefore, option 1 is the correct answer.
    Option 2 is not a recommended practice for guiding machine learning after upgrading to broad match keywords. Customer Match lists are used to target specific users with personalized ads based on their information, but they do not guide machine learning for broad match keywords.
    Option 3 is also not recommended, as relevant new keywords can improve reach and performance. Dismissing these recommendations can limit the potential success of the campaign.
    Option 4 is not necessarily a recommended practice for guiding machine learning after upgrading to broad match keywords. While adding additional phrase and exact match keywords may improve reach, it is not directly related to guiding machine learning for broad match keywords.
    Question: If an advertiser’s marketing objective is to generate leads, how can the advertiser optimize their Performance Max campaigns for value?
    • 1. Create value rules based on audiences that have visited a local store in the past.
    • 2. Utilize a Maximize conversions bidding strategy in order to increase conversion volume.
    • 3. Create a Maximize Clicks bidding strategy to propel website traffic volume.
    • 4. Develop a strategy of importing offline values through the use of enhanced conversions for leads.
    Answer: Develop a strategy of importing offline values through the use of enhanced conversions for leads.
    By importing offline conversions and assigning them a value, advertisers can accurately measure the value of their campaigns in terms of leads generated. This will enable them to optimize their Performance Max campaigns for value and focus on the audience segments that are generating the most valuable leads. Using a Maximize conversions bidding strategy could also help increase lead volume, but it should be used in combination with a focus on value-based optimization.
    Question: A marketer wants to use Google’s AI solutions to drive more value from their marketing. They know they need to fuel AI with their own privacy-safe data.
    Which reason describes why their data is valuable to fueling AI?
    • 1. It’s high-quality and captures customer transactions that drive business results.
    • 2. It’s similar to competitor data and can be used to understand how others are performing.
    • 3. It’s a strong indicator of industry-wide performance for machine learning.
    • 4. It’s easily replicated by multiple teams within their organization.
    Answer: The reason why a marketer’s data is valuable to fueling AI is that it’s high-quality and captures customer transactions that drive business results.
    Question: What’s a strong example of a business objective that is required when adopting an AI-powered solution?
    • 1. Cost-per-click
    • 2. Marketing spend
    • 3. Cost of goods sold
    • 4. Profit
    Answer: A strong example of a business objective when adopting an AI-powered solution is profit, as the goal of the AI-powered solution is to maximize the business’s profitability.
     
    Question: When setting up a Performance Max campaign, which is a best practice?
    • 1. Limiting the amount of ad extensions used within an asset group
    • 2. Putting conversion tracking into place two weeks after a campaign is launched
    • 3. Avoiding linking a Google My Business or Google Merchant Center feed
    • 4. Utilizing the maximum number of permitted text, image, and video assets
    Answer: Utilizing the maximum number of permitted text, image, and video assets is a best practice when setting up a Performance Max campaign. By using the maximum number of assets, the campaign has a higher chance of finding the right combination of assets that will appeal to the target audience, which can lead to better performance. Limiting the amount of ad extensions used, not linking a Google My Business or Google Merchant Center feed, and delaying conversion tracking implementation can all limit the effectiveness of the campaign.
    Question: How do negative keywords assist a Search campaign?
    • 1. They allow marketers to add negative keywords as a means of limiting the terms competitors can bid on at auction.
    • 2. They can help eliminate the possibility of customers writing unfavorable reviews about a particular business.
    • 3. They prevent ads from being delivered for searches that might otherwise qualify but most likely don’t match the intent of the search.
    • 4. They give marketers insight into what other searches customers are using to arrive at their business.
    Answer: Option 3 is correct. Negative keywords prevent ads from being delivered for searches that might otherwise qualify but most likely don’t match the intent of the search. By excluding irrelevant search terms, marketers can ensure their ads are being shown to the most relevant audience, which can improve the overall performance of the campaign.
    Question: An online furniture outlet is hoping to create a Performance Max campaign to help them boost sales for a new line of couches.
    How should they get started with Performance Max?
    • 1. Put a limit on the sharing of audience data so that human input doesn’t interfere with AI-powered processes.
    • 2. Design effective creatives that are tailored to the new line of couches for which they wish to increase sales.
    • 3. Make sure their Google Merchant Center and Google Ads accounts are separate so that they can avoid overlap.
    • 4. Utilize any Smart Bidding strategy as a means of making bids across channels using AI.
    Answer: Design effective creatives that are tailored to the new line of couches for which they wish to increase sales.
    When getting started with Performance Max, it’s important to ensure that effective creatives are designed and tailored to the products or services being promoted. This will help to capture the attention of potential customers and increase the likelihood of sales. While other considerations such as audience data sharing and account structure are important, they come later in the process and aren’t the best way to get started. Utilizing Smart Bidding strategies can also be helpful, but it’s not the first step to take when setting up a Performance Max campaign.
    Question: A local camping supplies shop wants to improve its Google Ads campaign performance across its accounts.
    Which two ways can it use its optimization score to improve campaigns?
    Select 2 Correct Responses
    • 1. By accepting and applying recommendations for their business, which saves time
    • 2. By reviewing and dismissing those recommendations which are relevant to their goal.
    • 3. By measuring their score at the individual account level but not the manager account level.
    • 4. By identifying opportunities for campaign improvement and the means of making those improvements
    Answer: Correct Responses:
    By accepting and applying recommendations for their business, which saves time
    By identifying opportunities for campaign improvement and the means of making those improvements
    Explanation:
    The optimization score in Google Ads is a measure of how well your campaigns are set up to achieve your business objectives. It ranges from 0% to 100%, with 100% indicating that your campaigns are fully optimized. Here are two ways a local camping supplies shop can use its optimization score to improve campaigns:
    By accepting and applying recommendations for their business, which saves time: The optimization score provides recommendations for improving campaign performance based on best practices and machine learning. By accepting and applying these recommendations, the camping supplies shop can quickly optimize their campaigns to achieve their business objectives.
    By identifying opportunities for campaign improvement and the means of making those improvements: The optimization score also highlights areas where campaigns can be improved, such as ad groups with low click-through rates or poorly performing keywords. By identifying these opportunities for improvement, the camping supplies shop can take action to optimize their campaigns and improve performance.
    Question: What are Responsive Search Ads good for?
    • 1. They limit a marketer’s ability to compete in more auctions and match to more queries.
    • 2. They are a time-saver that allow for the creation of one ad with a number of headline and description assets.
    • 3. They cater to different device sizes, allowing advertisers a wider reach in regards to potential customers.
    • 4. They manually select the best combination of headlines and assets based on their review of data.
    Answer: Responsive Search Ads are a time-saver that allow for the creation of one ad with a number of headline and description assets. This makes them a useful tool for testing multiple ad variations and allowing Google’s machine learning algorithms to determine which ad combination performs best for different search queries and audiences. Therefore, the correct option is:
    They are a time-saver that allow for the creation of one ad with a number of headline and description assets.
    Question: A digital marketing manager working with a national insurance provider hopes to support AI using first-party data.
    Before they can start using the data, what question do they need to answer?
    • 1. Are we aligned with local regulations on data collection and user privacy to ensure we are properly using first-party data?
    • 2. What are the data storage capabilities for each marketing team member’s organizational device?
    • 3. How can we start to use this data as quickly as we can, even at the expense of alignment with other teams?
    • 4. Is there a way our data collection policies can be modified to encourage customers to share as much as possible?
    Answer: The digital marketing manager working with a national insurance provider needs to answer the following question before they can start using first-party data to support AI: “Are we aligned with local regulations on data collection and user privacy to ensure we are properly using first-party data?” This is an important question to consider to ensure that the company is following all applicable regulations and protecting user privacy when collecting and using their data.
    Question: If you’re leading a marketing team and your team’s goal is to support Google’s AI, which of these steps should you prioritize?
    • 1. The development of capabilities in key areas like high-quality data and a skilled workforce as a means of complementing AI’s benefits.
    • 2. The creation of highly specified silos within the organization that allow for specialization and multiple budget owners.
    • 3. The encouragement of teams to avoid experimentation in order to eliminate risk and help ensure stable levels of performance year-after-year.
    • 4. The establishment of budget processes that define digital marketing as a cost center for the organization.
    Answer: The step that should be prioritized if a marketing team’s goal is to support Google’s AI is:
    The development of capabilities in key areas like high-quality data and a skilled workforce as a means of complementing AI’s benefits.
    AI is only as good as the data that fuels it, so having high-quality data is crucial for successful AI-powered marketing. In addition, having a skilled workforce that can understand and utilize AI technology effectively is essential. Therefore, prioritizing the development of capabilities in these key areas can help to ensure that the marketing team is better equipped to support Google’s AI.
     
    Question: In what two ways does the insights page help a markterer make their workflows for performance evaluation simpler? (Choose two.)
    Select 2 Correct Responses
    • 1. By pausing campaigns automatically if they have low ad strength or a limited budget
    • 2. By providing the reasons for inconsistent performance across campaigns
    • 3. By identifying the drivers of a particular campaign’s week-on-week and month-on-month performance
    • 4. By providing ad performance data from competitors that can be useful for marketers looking to to make adjustments to their own business
    Answer: The correct responses are:
    • By providing the reasons for inconsistent performance across campaigns
    • By identifying the drivers of a particular campaign’s week-on-week and month-on-month performance
    The Insights page can help marketers understand why their campaigns are not performing consistently and identify which factors are driving the changes in performance. This information can help marketers optimize their campaigns and improve their performance. However, it does not automatically pause campaigns or provide ad performance data from competitors.
    Question: What’s an example of a metric used to measure value?
    • 1. Cart size
    • 2. Time spent on site
    • 3. Cost-per-click
    • 4. Page depth
    Answer: One example of a metric used to measure value is cart size, which refers to the average dollar amount of purchases made by customers in a single transaction.
    Question: which of these insights are intended to help advertisers understand consumer interest and category growth trends?
    • 1. Search trends and demand forecasts
    • 2. Search terms report
    • 3. Asset audience insights
    • 4. Diagnostic insights
    Answer: The insight intended to help advertisers understand consumer interest and category growth trends is “Search trends and demand forecasts.” This insight shows the advertisers how certain search terms have trended over time and can forecast future search volumes.
     
    Question: Which match type is the default match type to which all keywords are assigned?
    • 1. Phrase match
    • 2. Broad match
    • 3. Exact match
    • 4. Negative match
    Answer: The default match type to which all keywords are assigned is Broad match.
    Question: For developing image assets that are effective, which of these is a best practice that should be followed?
    • 1. Using images with a white background since these images usually deliver better results
    • 2. Placing the most important content at the center 50% of the image asset
    • 3. Providing square images exclusively in order to maximize how often assets are able to serve.
    • 4. Making it a habit to upload four or more relevant and unique images at the campaign or ad group level
    Answer: Making it a habit to upload four or more relevant and unique images at the campaign or ad group level is a best practice to follow for developing effective image assets. This provides more options for Google to choose from and helps increase the likelihood of the ad being served to the right audience. It’s also important to ensure the images are high-quality, visually appealing, and relevant to the product or service being advertised.
    Question: How can a Performance Max campaign help an ice cream shop drive more potential customers to their physical location?
    • 1. By increasing their incremental conversions through campaigns that include video ad formats
    • 2. By giving them more time to spend honing their unique value proposition through manually created assets
    • 3. By using AI as a means of locating potential new customers across Google Ads inventory
    • 4. By letting them choose the websites on which their ads are shown, resulting in more store visits from potential customers
    Answer: A Performance Max campaign can help an ice cream shop drive more potential customers to their physical location by using AI as a means of locating potential new customers across Google Ads inventory. With Performance Max, the campaign can use advanced machine learning technology to optimize ad delivery and show ads to users who are more likely to be interested in their business, increasing the chances of potential customers visiting their physical location.
    Question: You’re a digital marketing manager for a large children’s clothing retailer that maintains a flexible budget for all campaigns.
    What best practice should you follow to see the best results from your budgeting flexibility?
    • 1. Creating a different budget for campaign experiments and unanticipated market changes
    • 2. Changing performance targets monthly or quarterly as needed to optimize AI-driven solutions
    • 3. Capping budgets at the average daily spend as a means of curbing unneeded spending during seasonal periods
    • 4. Utilizing shared budgets and portfolio bid strategies to get the most out of AI on a flexibile budget
    Answer: To see the best results from budgeting flexibility, a digital marketing manager for a large children’s clothing retailer should utilize shared budgets and portfolio bid strategies to get the most out of AI. This approach allows the AI to dynamically allocate the budget across different campaigns and ad groups based on the most promising opportunities for the greatest return on investment. By sharing budgets and leveraging a portfolio bid strategy, the manager can ensure that their advertising dollars are being spent in the most efficient and effective way possible.
    Question: What are two ways that Performance Planner can help you plan budgets? (Choose two.)
    Select 2 Correct Responses
    • 1. Model the impact of different budgets to gain insights on how they might affect performance.
    • 2. Determine the size of the opportunity for increased sales across upcoming seasonal periods.
    • 3. Identify the best billing method for a particular account to make timely payments more likely.
    • 4. Assess the spending-per-keyword in each campaign over the past month.
    Answer: The two ways that Performance Planner can help you plan budgets are:
    • Model the impact of different budgets to gain insights on how they might affect performance.
    • Determine the size of the opportunity for increased sales across upcoming seasonal periods.
    Question: When creating an account structure designed to improve AI-powered solutions’ performance, which is a best practice?
    • 1. Focusing account structure on business goals as opposed to channel silos
    • 2. Building campaigns around specified manual optimization levers
    • 3. Segmenting account structure via device and match type with the aim of customizing creative
    • 4. Creating the most campaigns possible in order to reach business goals
    Answer: A best practice for creating an account structure designed to improve AI-powered solutions’ performance is to focus the account structure on business goals as opposed to channel silos. This means structuring campaigns and ad groups based on the products or services offered, and aligning them with the relevant business goals, rather than organizing them by channel such as search, display or video. This enables AI to optimize towards the overall business goals rather than individual channels or tactics.
    Question: What’s a benefit of using broad match keywords?
    • 1. Broad match allows marketers to reach the most possible consumers searching for their product or service, while saving time from adding a variety of keywords.
    • 2. Broad match keywords must be present alongside both exact match and phrase match keywords in any ad group to ensure high performance.
    • 3. Broad match ensures the core concept of a keyword is present in the search term while reaching similar volume to what exact match keywords would provide.
    • 4. Broad match offers marketers a great deal control over the specific search terms that ads match to, and volume may be limited.
    Answer: The benefit of using broad match keywords is that it ensures the core concept of a keyword is present in the search term while reaching similar volume to what exact match keywords would provide. Option 3 is the correct answer.
    Question: On a fixed annual budget, what’s an effective way to ensure that you have the budget flexibility you need to experiment with campaigns to test their effectiveness?
    • 1. Set aside a percentage of the budget for use in experiments and response to market changes.
    • 2. Send a supervisor a quarterly budget review as part of a request for additional testing allocations for the upcoming quarter.
    • 3. Check out industry reports that can help you predict query demand and set budget accordingly.
    • 4. Create a monthly or weekly sync with the finance team in order to foster collaboration, share news and ideas about campaigns, and encourage flexibility in the budget.
    Answer: Set aside a percentage of the budget for use in experiments and response to market changes.
    Setting aside a percentage of the budget for experimentation and adaptation to market changes is a good way to maintain flexibility and ensure that the necessary funds are available when needed. By doing this, marketers can allocate their fixed budget more effectively, take calculated risks, and test new strategies without having to worry about disrupting their core campaigns.
    Question: Which three Search features work together to drive performance in a fully AI-powerd strategy?
    • 1. Responsive Search Ads, Image Assets, Broad match keywords
    • 2. Smart Bidding, Responsive Search Ads, Broad match keywords
    • 3. Phrase match keywords, Exact match keywords, Smart Bidding
    • 4. Smart Bidding, Responsive Text Ads, Uncapped budgets
    Answer: The three Search features that work together to drive performance in a fully AI-powered strategy are Smart Bidding, Responsive Search Ads, and Broad match keywords.
    Question: How does a test-and-learn mindset help marketers achieve success with Google’s AI?
    • 1. By helping teams test more than one business objectives at the same time.
    • 2. By empowering leaders to spot low performers more quickly.
    • 3. By encouraging teams to break down silos and identify solutions quickly.
    • 4. By promoting competion across the organization.
    A test-and-learn mindset helps marketers achieve success with Google’s AI by encouraging teams to break down silos and identify solutions quickly. This approach involves testing different strategies, identifying what works, and learning from failures to optimize future campaigns. It enables marketers to experiment with different variables and measure the impact on performance, leading to insights that can be used to optimize campaigns and achieve better results. By adopting a test-and-learn mindset, marketers can continuously improve their strategies and stay ahead of the competition.
    Question: When optimizing for value, which Smart Bidding strategy would you use?
    • 1. Maximize clicks
    • 2. Maximize conversions
    • 3. Target ROAS
    • 4. Target Impression Share
    Answer: The Smart Bidding strategy to use when optimizing for value is “Target ROAS.”
    Question: What’s the benefit of running a true A/B test with campaign experiments?
    • 1. By running concurrently with an original campaign, a trial campaign controls for external factors, like seasonality, that might otherwise bias results.
    • 2. By testing multiple variables at a time, an A/B test gives advertisers information they can use to adjust their campaigns quickly based on insights.
    • 3. By revealing whether their trial campaign drove user action that wouldn’t have taken place otherwise, an A/B test gives insights into user behavior.
    • 4. By running a single campaign at a time, an A/B test allows for a true ramp-down period between each testing period so that results can be decluttered.
    Answer: The benefit of running a true A/B test with campaign experiments is that by running concurrently with an original campaign, a trial campaign controls for external factors, like seasonality, that might otherwise bias results. This ensures that any differences in performance between the original and the trial campaign are solely due to the changes being tested, providing more accurate insights into what works best.
    Question: When creating a campaign experiment, which is a best practice?
    • 1. Isolate one variable to focus on for each test and use different tests when assessing the impact of more than one change.
    • 2. Choose two or three metrics that can be used to reliably gauge campaign performance and determine the winner of a particular test.
    • 3. As a means of expediting experiments, new ads aren’t subject to the same approval process during time of the experiments.
    • 4. After the end of an experiment, assess performance over a period of time that includes ramp-up.
    Answer: The best practice when creating a campaign experiment is to isolate one variable to focus on for each test and use different tests when assessing the impact of more than one change. This helps ensure that any changes in performance can be attributed to the specific variable being tested, rather than other changes that may have been made at the same time. By isolating the variable, it also makes it easier to determine the impact of the change and make informed decisions about future campaigns.
    Question: Which marketing behavior can benefit from AI? (Choose three.)
    Select 3 Correct Responses
    • 1. Creative-level testing and rotation
    • 2. Adjusting bids during seasonal events
    • 3. Product-level testing and rotation
    • 4. Reviewing marketing best practice checklists
    • 5. Keeping bids consistent during seasonal events
    Answer: The three marketing behaviors that can benefit from AI are:
    • Creative-level testing and rotation
    • Adjusting bids during seasonal events
    • Product-level testing and rotation
    Question: In traditional marketing organizations, which of these is a typical budgeting strategy?
    • 1. Budgets that aren’t set for a particular time period or initiative
    • 2. Quarterly budgets that can increase without approval
    • 3. Budgets that adapt to stock price performance
    • 4. Fixed annual budgets that don’t fluctuate with demand
    Answer: Fixed annual budgets that don’t fluctuate with demand are a typical budgeting strategy in traditional marketing organizations.
    Question: A merchant that wants to grow its online sales is testing different campaign optimizations designed to connect them to more potential customers.
    What value do these experiments have for the merchant?
    • 1. They can provide the merchant insights on whether proposed changes help reach the marketing objective they desire.
    • 2. They let marketers measure changes’ impact and reverse those changes if needed.
    • 3. They ensure statistically significant results by randomly choosing how much Search traffic will be diverted to an experiment.
    • 4. They can test Google Ads campaigns against TV, print ads, or other traditional media.
    Answer: The value of these experiments for the merchant is that they can provide insights on whether proposed changes help reach the marketing objective they desire (Option 1). By testing different campaign optimizations, the merchant can measure the impact of changes and determine which changes work best to reach their marketing goals. This allows the merchant to make data-driven decisions about how to optimize their campaigns and maximize their return on investment (ROI). Additionally, the experiments allow the merchant to test changes on a small scale before making larger changes to their overall campaign strategy.
    Question: What’s a best practice to follow when designing an experiment to test Performance Max campaigns?
    • 1. Keep Performance Max budget limited to 10% of other campaigns’ budgets.
    • 2. Optimize Performance Max to a comparable CPA or ROAS target to other campaigns.
    • 3. Create a new CPA or ROAS goal for Performance Max campaigns to achieve.
    • 4. Run the Performance Max experiment for one to two weeks before evaluating results.
    Answer: A best practice to follow when designing an experiment to test Performance Max campaigns is to optimize Performance Max to a comparable CPA or ROAS target to other campaigns. This will help ensure that Performance Max is being evaluated based on its ability to perform on par with other campaigns and achieve the desired return on investment.
    Question: What is conversion delay?
    • 1. The amount of time between a user clicking an ad and that user completing a conversion action on a site, or, an advertiser uploading an offline conversion
    • 2. The number of days it takes a newly adopted Smart Bidding strategy to ramp up after a campaign’s first recorded online or offline conversion
    • 3. The load time of the website page used to measure online conversion actions for the advetiser’s site, such as an order confirmation page
    • 4. The period of time it takes an advertiser to properly create a conversion measurement strategy for their Google Ads account
    Answer: The amount of time between a user clicking an ad and that user completing a conversion action on a site, or, an advertiser uploading an offline conversion is called conversion delay.
    Question: Which of these tools can equip marketers to drive higher performance in a value-based bidding strategy?
    • 1. Target simulators
    • 2. Ad strength rating
    • 3. Keyword planner
    • 4. Diagnostic insights
    Answer: Target simulators can equip marketers to drive higher performance in a value-based bidding strategy.
    Question: How does a Performance Max campaign work to find potential customers for an advertiser?
    • 1. By optimizing campaigns across channels manually and insights into performance drivers
    • 2. By promoting a particular product or service in a single campaign that covers almost all Google Ads inventory
    • 3. By utilizing AI to make decisions around how much money is budgets to various channels like YouTube and Search
    • 4. By letting advertisers create and manage individual text, image, and video ads so that they can better tailor their ads to their intended audience
    Answer: Option 3 is the correct answer. A Performance Max campaign uses AI to make decisions around how much money is budgeted to various channels like YouTube and Search. It’s designed to maximize conversions by automating bidding and targeting across multiple channels and ad formats. The campaign uses machine learning to identify the most effective combination of ads and channels to reach potential customers who are likely to convert.
    Question: Which AI-powered solution delivers the biggest channel and inventory coverage of any Google Ads campaign?
    • 1. Video campaigns
    • 2. Performance Max campaigns
    • 3. Search campaigns
    • 4. App campaigns
    Answer: The AI-powered solution that delivers the biggest channel and inventory coverage of any Google Ads campaign is Performance Max campaigns.
  • Nimiq – The Blockchain Ecosystem for Easy Crypto Payments

    Are you tired of complicated crypto transactions? Look no further than Nimiq – the blockchain ecosystem designed with mass adoption in mind. With Nimiq, buying and selling crypto is as easy as opening a website. No software download, installation, or personal data required. And with 100% non-custodial storage, your keys and your coins are safe and secure.

    But Nimiq offers much more than just easy crypto payments. They’ve invented the fiat-crypto atomic swap, allowing for seamless exchanges between cryptocurrencies like NIM and fiat currencies like EUR. And they’re moving to a Proof-of-Stake consensus algorithm with their Albatross system, improving performance and scalability while reducing environmental impact.

    Nimiq also offers easy staking with a minimum stake of just 1000 NIM. Anyone can become a validator and enjoy rewards of around 6% per year. And their ecosystem apps are designed for people without crypto or tech knowledge, avoiding crypto lingo and providing a decentralized experience with the convenience of modern apps.

    So why not join the Nimiq ecosystem and experience easy, safe, and convenient crypto payments? 

  • Malaysian Government Declares Additional Public Holiday and Toll Exemptions for Hari Raya Aidilfitri

    The Malaysian government has announced an additional public holiday in conjunction with the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at a press conference in Putrajaya.

    According to Anwar, the additional holiday will be declared on April 24 (Monday) if the first day of Hari Raya falls on April 21 (Friday). However, if the first day of Hari Raya falls on April 22 (Saturday), the additional holiday will be declared on April 21 (Friday).

    Anwar emphasized that the additional holiday would make it easier for people to plan ahead of the celebration and make the journey back to their home towns.

    In addition to the public holiday, the government has also announced toll exemptions for all highway users from April 19 to 21, and April 24. The toll exemptions will be applicable on 13 highways and for all classes of vehicles. Anwar stated that this move will reduce the cost of paying toll for those who are returning to their home towns to celebrate Aidilfitri, and make it easier for them to plan their journey.

    Moreover, the government has also announced a special rate of RM50 for members of the public to settle traffic summonses issued before 2023. This special rate will be applicable from April 21 to May 21, and aims to reduce the burden of traffic summonses on the public.

    Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi will be announcing further details regarding the toll exemptions.

    This move by the government has been welcomed by many Malaysians, who are looking forward to celebrating the Hari Raya Aidilfitri with their loved ones.

  • Malaysia’s Data Center Market Booms as Cloud Service Providers Invest Billions

    The technology industry has recognized the rapid growth of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) data center landscape, fueled by cloud computing, big data, and e-commerce demands. In recent years, tier 2 markets have become popular locations for data center development, with cloud service providers prioritizing dedicated cloud regions over major hubs like Singapore and Tokyo. Malaysia is emerging as one of the most dynamic data center markets in the APAC region, with the impressive growth of its data center industry occurring in two primary regions – Greater Kuala Lumpur and Johor.

    Over the past decade, Malaysia’s data center market has seen significant growth, fueled by increased interest in cloud services, government-backed initiatives, and the Singapore data center moratorium. The initial data centers in Malaysia were established within Kuala Lumpur’s Central Business District and were relatively small. However, as global data center operators and cloud service providers begin to establish a presence in these markets, their standings are anticipated to shift in the upcoming years.

    The Knight Frank SEA-5 Data Centre Opportunity Index (SEA-5 Index) analyzes key markets within the SEA-5 and provides insights into each country’s data center rankings compared to its peers. Malaysia’s impressive growth in the data center industry is reflected in its strong rankings in the SEA-5 Index, which is set to increase as global data center operators and cloud service providers invest billions in the country’s cloud infrastructure market.

    One such example is AWS’s recent announcement to invest US$6 billion in the Malaysian cloud infrastructure market by 2037. This highlights the cloud service provider’s commitment to hosting Malaysian data within the country, as opposed to other key data center hubs in the region, such as Tokyo and Singapore. The locations offer a less constrained power grid and increased geographical diversification compared to Cyberjaya, providing enhanced redundancy for data center clients looking to distribute computing loads across multiple locations.

    Overall, Malaysia’s data center market is booming, with cloud service providers investing billions in the country’s cloud infrastructure market. The country’s strong rankings in the SEA-5 Index demonstrate its potential for continued growth and expansion in the region.

  • Curve Launches New Crypto Rewards Transfer Feature to Enhance Digital Asset Flexibility

    Curve, a leading fintech company that allows users to combine their existing debit, credit, and rewards cards into one all-in-one payment card, has announced the launch of a new feature that enables its customers to transfer their crypto rewards from merchant transactions to their own digital wallets. This move recognizes the growing importance of providing customers and the crypto-curious with even more flexibility over digital assets.

    The new feature allows Curve users to “supercharge” their money by earning rewards with the Curve app or card and then converting those rewards into one of 10 different cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. This latest offering enhances the flexibility of digital assets and enables users to take greater control over their financial transactions.

    With the continued growth of the cryptocurrency market, many consumers are looking for more ways to invest and manage their digital assets. Curve’s new feature addresses this demand by allowing users to easily and securely transfer their crypto rewards to their own digital wallets, providing them with greater control and flexibility over their digital assets.

    To use this new feature, Curve customers simply need to earn rewards with the Curve app or card and then select the option to convert those rewards into cryptocurrency. The rewards can then be transferred to the user’s digital wallet of choice, giving them the freedom to manage and invest in their digital assets as they see fit.

    Curve’s new crypto rewards transfer feature is a significant step forward in providing customers with more flexibility and control over their digital assets. By combining the convenience of an all-in-one payment card with the flexibility of cryptocurrencies, Curve is leading the way in the fintech industry and empowering consumers to take greater control over their financial future.