Introduction
My name is Nipath Yomkit, currently a CTO & Co-Founder of 5G Catalyst Technologies Co., Ltd. I completed my Bachelor degree at Chiangmai University and finished my Master degree from Thammasat University, majoring in Digital Policy and Management (CIO).
From Field Engineering to Software Development
As a young boy, my interests were always circling around games and computers. I also had visions wondering why people were not using ‘touching screens’ until the era of smartphones came in. I was mesmerized by how fast technology is actually moving which made me dig deeper into this path.
Since then, I’ve been walking the path of ‘field engineer’ for quite a while until I had the opportunity to work abroad and get to attend the “Mobile World Congress; Four Years From Now event” which made me jump into the “Software development” area. It was such a memorable event where they had developers pitch their ideas about the future of tech in four years time. I actually do really recommend everyone to attend these kinds of events.
Visions from Facebook to CTO of 5G Catalyst Technologies
I actually had the chance to join Facebook’s team by attending these events. At that time, Facebook and Twitter weren’t as well known in Thailand. A lot of my friends overseas were giving me prompts on the possibility of these technologies growing into Thailand, which motivated me to present these innovations to several operators in Thailand.
My ideas slowly became projects which was also a key turning point that led me into SaaS (Software as a Service). These ideas kept growing into innovations where a lot of parties became involved as well since the vision of “Smart and IoT” became more clearer. As a CTO, 5GCT is heavily focused on elevating “Smart Cities”.
What Should We Know about Smart Cities in Thailand?
Despite the word “smart” being introduced recently, the concept of “Smart” has been around for several years now. It is a concept of using technology to solve the ongoing problems we have in society. It can be “Smart CCTV”, “Smart Lighting”, “Smart Traffic”, “Smart Health” and many more. Back then it was an innovation that gave answers to specific issues where we separate them as different technologies. In fact, these technologies are all working together towards being a “Smart city”.
Smart Cities cover all the segments and stages of life. From problems in the households to natural events. There are so many “Smart” technologies out there but it depends on how we developers utilize the concepts from their backends.
How is 5GCT Helping in Developing Smart Cities in Thailand?
5GCT is a startup that has only been started for about 2 years as 5G technology is spreading into Thailand. According to the government’s policy to support Smart City, it brings the benefits of 5G along with Thailand’s networks and applies software to create various solutions to help develop Smart City.
5GCT has the idea of bringing innovation and technology. Let’s help solve the problems of the city and increase the quality of life for the people. In Bangkok, there is still technology to experience and use. But in the provinces, there is not much technology that spreads. There are still restrictions on access and sustainable development.
“I believe good technology will contribute to increasing the quality of life for the people.”
What are the Challenges of Being a CTO in this Industry?
The hardest thing you should keep in mind when becoming a Developer is the way you adapt the technology to people and make them accept the innovations, persuading them to believe that it is actually better. Maybe technology doesn’t have to be the most expensive, or the best, but it has to be able to solve the problems in the community to survive as an “innovation”, and won’t be abandoned by the users.
“Sometimes it does not have to be the most expensive or the fanciest technology. Simple innovations can also become the best answer, depending on how much you are willing to learn how to use it and how much you think outside the box.”
Any Advice for the Students who are pursuing to be a Developer?
Today’s work requires thinking outside the box, we cannot be thinking from one perspective. It is best to always keep learning, bringing attention to the surroundings and think outside the box.
“Background knowledge is important, but not as important as acquiring new additional knowledge.”
As a developer, fundamental knowledge is important. It is always good to know the basics to be able to quickly gain experience. However, in a field like this, especially when you are the one creating the change, it is crucial to keep updating your knowledge to find the best answers to the problems and that will also encourage people to accept your innovations as well.
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5GCT Mission
5GCT’s core competence is a Software development to create a Smart City Platform that connects each organization’s data and bring a new set of information to improve the quality of life, reduce the limitations from the law between departments and as a guideline for the future development of the cities.
5GCT culture and core values
5GCT is a flexible organization that can work anywhere, with a hybrid model that provides the best working environment to the team. 5GCT encourages everyone to have the confidence to speak, present, express opinions, dare to think and act. These are the key character of our organization.
