AI Weekly Malaysia

Forrester research warns that business transformation, software development, and tech implementation are among the tech job categories likely to be hit hardest by AI, while enterprise software will be reshaped rather than displaced. Only three market categories — infrastructure; data and AI; and identity, access, and network security — are positioned for clear growth; all others will be forced to adapt. Application development tooling, low-code platforms, content management systems, and IT services (including Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, and Workday implementation) are described as directly in the path of genAI code development.

Why: For founders and developers in Malaysia's services and outsourcing sector, Forrester's specific call-out of implementation work for Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, and Workday as facing headwinds signals that SI-style revenue models built on labor-intensive customization are under structural pressure. Builders should evaluate whether to shift capacity toward the three growth categories Forrester names — infrastructure, data/AI, and security — rather than doubling down on application development tooling or low-code platforms, which Forrester places directly in genAI's path.

UK tax authority HMRC has awarded three low-code contracts worth up to £657 million to Atos (£78.2M), Cognizant (£360M), and Coforge (£219M) for build, configuration, DevOps, and support across Pega, ServiceNow, Microsoft Dynamics, and Power Platform. The awards come under the DALAS framework, whose Lot 4a was originally estimated at £700M and whose broader second phase was valued at £2.8 billion, as HMRC struggles with one of the UK's largest and most complex legacy IT estates.

Why: If you are pitching low-code as a cost-saver to clients or your own board, this is a concrete counterexample: a government with massive scale still needed £657M in specialist services just to build, configure, and maintain low-code platforms. Factor in ongoing vendor lock-in and consultancy costs when evaluating Pega, ServiceNow, or Power Platform versus custom builds—low-code shifts spend from developers to integrators, it doesn't eliminate it.

Microsoft is rolling out a theme setting for Outlook on the Web and New Outlook for Windows that makes them visually resemble Classic Outlook, with targeted release complete by end of September 2026 and general availability by end of October. The toggle only changes appearance—missing features like robust offline support, full .pst handling, and COM add-ins remain absent, and COM add-ins will never come to New Outlook. Classic Outlook support continues until at least 2029, with the opt-out phase pushed to 2027.

Why: If your team or customers rely on Outlook COM add-ins or full offline/.pst workflows, this cosmetic toggle changes nothing—plan migrations or alternative tooling now, since those capabilities will never arrive in New Outlook.