MSC, Now A Reality And A Success, Says Dr Mahathir


Source ~ Bernama

July 30, CYBERJAYA, -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad says those who still doubted that the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) project would be a reality should look at the number of MSC-status companies registered todate.

He said that while the government had originally targeted to have 500 MSC-status companies by 2003, the number now stood at around 800 companies.

"If that is not success, then what is success," he said at the official opening of the Ericsson@MSC building here, he said.

Ericsson@MSC, costing RM80 million, is Ericsson's regional hub and headquarters for Ericsson Malaysia.

The building houses a flagship showcase of "live" networks showing the evolution of mobile telecommunications standard from Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) to third generation.

Dr Mahathir said it was companies like Ericsson that aided the government's aspiration in turning Cyberjaya into a hub for information age industry a success.

"We are now seeing many more companies moving into Cyberjaya," he added.

Malaysia, he said, was "glad to be associated" with Ericsson as it has the edge in telecommunications technology and the foresight on what future technology would be.

"We want to move along with the rest of the world and want to ensure that we are conversant with state-of-the-art technology," said Dr Mahathir.

Later, when opening the HSBC Electronic Data Processing (Malasyia) Sdn Bhd here also, he said sceptics of the MSC project would now have to swallow their words like those who had also condemned the national car project.

"We are familiar with people telling us that what we are doing is wrong but it has been shown that they'll have to swallow their words later on," he said.

Dr Mahathir said the government was not too worried about that kind of people.

He said the government's business-friendly policy had paid off handsomely as many companies wanted to invest in Malaysia.

"Thanks to that policy, Malaysia had attracted foreign investments long before "Foreign Direct Investment" became a favourite catchphrase," he said.

Beginning with the electronics industry in the 1970s, he said, Malaysia had now turned to Information Technology (IT) to spur its economy further.

Dr Mahathir said the decision by major companies such as HSBC to set up the facility in Cyberjaya was a good one as the intelligent city was specifically built to cater to the needs of businesses operating on a worldwide basis.

It is HSBC's sixth and largest Group Service Centre (GSC) where all kinds of transactions will be processed, namely those sent from group offices in the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

The other GSCs are in Hyderabad and Bangalore in India and Shanghai and Guangzhou in China.

Speaking at a press conference, HSBC Group chief Operating Officer, Alan Jebson, said the company would be investing some RM80 million for its Malaysian GSC over the next three years,

He said the GSC was expected to employ 550 people by year-end.

Currently operating in a temporary building, the GSC, which started operations in April, will move to a purpose-built facility of 200,000 square feet.

The new building, located just across the road from the current one, is due for completion next year.

:cool:
Last time, Businessweek mag condemned MSC saying it will never work, and few days later after the publish, 20 international companies came to invest in MSC.
So many "yeah, right" attitude even among Malaysians.

Originally posted by baqthier

:cool:
Last time, Businessweek mag condemned MSC saying it will never work, and few days later after the publish, 20 international companies came to invest in MSC.
So many "yeah, right" attitude even among Malaysians.

And it is not easy being an MSC company. There are many whom status is withdrawn due to lack of committment and not compliant to the MSC guideline.

Not any 'Tom, Dick & Harry' companies could become an MSC status company by the way........ ;)

already a success, then now can make MSC2:D

Now Malaysia focus on Biovalley.....near the MSC right????

Originally posted by ethan

Now Malaysia focus on Biovalley.....near the MSC right????

yup....at Dengkil...next to E-Village. BioValley is to spur the country into bio-technology...;)

Is E-Village still exist? I thought that it is a failure.........and closed already.

Originally posted by ethan

Is E-Village still exist? I thought that it is a failure.........and closed already.

Errr.....although not much news coming from it but I am sure it still on as the govt invested a lot of money in it (I've seen the buildings.....damn cun!) so I don't think they are closing it down. Furthermore last year they managed to get some Bollywood movie makers to film there....;)

Originally posted by szehoong

Errr.....although not much news coming from it but I am sure it still on as the govt invested a lot of money in it (I've seen the buildings.....damn cun!) so I don't think they are closing it down. Furthermore last year they managed to get some Bollywood movie makers to film there....;)

got any pictures on E-Village??? I had never seen any photos on E-Village before.

Originally posted by ethan

got any pictures on E-Village??? I had never seen any photos on E-Village before.

no pictures lar...the last time I went there is like 3 years ago.....and it was raining! ;)

MSC to cover other states next year

THE Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), tasked with being the catalyst for the development of the country's information and communications technology (ICT) industry, would be expanding to several other states beginning next year.

Datuk Dr Mohamed Arif Nun, chief executive officer of the Multimedia Development Corp (MDC), which overlooks the MSC, said the expansion would link the MSC to incubator centres in Kulim High Technology Park in Kedah and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in Penang.

“The aim is to ensure that the MSC model is studied by other states as well, so that modernisation and progress can be enjoyed by all states and all levels of society,” he said at the launch of the Baling-Sik ICT 2003 Carnival at Kuala Ketil Secondary School near Baling, Kedah on Tuesday.

His speech was read by MDC senior manager Najat Ahmad Marzuki.

Arif said MSC's achievement to date had been very encouraging, with the number of companies drawn to there totalling more than 900, including 59 international companies.

“The figure has well exceeded the original target of 500 companies by the end of this year,” he said.

Arif said prime applications from the MSC such as the Smart Schools, Telemedicine, and electronic government were also aimed at developing a modern and competitive Malaysia with knowledge of technology as part of the people's lifestyle.

He said the implementation of Smart Schools was also aimed at bringing about well rounded development for the country's youth, which would in turn produce knowledgeable workers with vision and who were well versed in information technology.

Arif said the government had recently announced plans to build 300 more Smart Schools in two years, adding to the 87 now.

He said the plan was to turn all Malaysian schools into Smart Schools by 2010. – Bernama

wow GREAT news TYW..

but Kulim 2 USM..a little bit tooo far i guess:?

why dont MSC covers all states.. then we will become an IT nation.. :D

we don't have the resources .....first of all
besides the facilities... just a settlement, nothing else, just sweet names..

Originally posted by vinzlim

we don't have the resources .....first of all
besides the facilities... just a settlement, nothing else, just sweet names..

Actually you a bit terbalik here.....we have the infrastructure and resources available but lack of settlement and life at the core places of MSC like Cyberjaya & Technology Park. So far KLCC fared best.

Actually the entire south of KL is part of MSC so I am sure places like Cheras and Subang aren't deviod of resources and life. ;) Just that the core of the MSC needs improvement. :)

There are actually quite a number of innovations since the start of MSC........you need to be in the technology circle to know about these innovations as they are mainly B2B. The SMS booking on AirAsia is one example and the new 'tiny' (or they say the world's smallest) Tablet PC are developed by an MSC company too. :)

Originally posted by Pablo

wow GREAT news TYW..

but Kulim 2 USM..a little bit tooo far i guess:?

not far lah i think:D i wonder how will the sea serve as part of the MSC?? maybe buildings on water:cool:

Originally posted by TYW

not far lah i think:D i wonder how will the sea serve as part of the MSC?? maybe buildings on water:cool:

Aiyoh.....U think MSC meaning that everything in it must be high-tech wan meh? If like that my house also must be high-tech lor as it is within MSC! ;)

So what about my longkang outside?

Nippon Telecom & Telegrapgh (NTT) building in Cyberjaya look very tropical.. not steel-glass style..

does that mean most of the state in malaysia will hav this MSC thingz in the future?? anyway~ wat they look like?? a big hi-tech city?? or just normal little suburb wit small hi-tech kinda facility??

Originally posted by archilless

Nippon Telecom & Telegrapgh (NTT) building in Cyberjaya look very tropical.. not steel-glass style..

NTT is one of the earliest to be located in Putrajaya. ;)

Originally posted by SEED

does that mean most of the state in malaysia will hav this MSC thingz in the future?? anyway~ wat they look like?? a big hi-tech city?? or just normal little suburb wit small hi-tech kinda facility??

It doesn't have to looked like anything as its is a growth area. Of course there would be impressive buildings as these MSC companies would probably invest millions of Ringgit into their campuses! ;)

Originally posted by szehoong

Aiyoh.....U think MSC meaning that everything in it must be high-tech wan meh? If like that my house also must be high-tech lor as it is within MSC! ;)

So what about my longkang outside?

oh yr longkang don't even have 1 tikus boleh kata very high-tech liao:D :D :D

Isn't Kulim in Kedah?? y the MSC can cover from another state to another state ah???

Originally posted by Pablo
Isn't Kulim in Kedah?? y the MSC can cover from another state to another state ah???

yes...Kulim is in Kedah but it is quite near to Penang.....

Originally posted by ethan

yes...Kulim is in Kedah but it is quite near to Penang.....

it is near Bukit Mertajam right;) but wat i wonder most is MSC can cover from 1 state 2 another state ah??

Originally posted by Pablo

it is near Bukit Mertajam right;) but wat i wonder most is MSC can cover from 1 state 2 another state ah??

MSC can cover 2 states at a time.....just look at the present MSC. It stretches from KLCC in KL to Subang, Puchong, Cheras, Serdang and Kajang in Selangor to the Federal Territories of Putrajaya and Cyberjaya. ;)

Originally posted by szehoong

MSC can cover 2 states at a time.....just look at the present MSC. It stretches from KLCC in KL to Subang, Puchong, Cheras, Serdang and Kajang in Selangor to the Federal Territories of Putrajaya and Cyberjaya. ;)

only 2 states?? how bout cover more than 2 states:)

Originally posted by Pablo

only 2 states?? how bout cover more than 2 states:)

wah...how to cover more than 2 states? If cover more states means that the MSC is very big lar.....in that case it should cover the whole of Malaysia! :D

Originally posted by szehoong

Aiyoh.....U think MSC meaning that everything in it must be high-tech wan meh? If like that my house also must be high-tech lor as it is within MSC! ;)

So what about my longkang outside?

oh. so wait they develop your area. yr longkang will have flushing systems:D

TYW> yeh also got Ambi pure air freshener wan~ also come wit different fragrance~:D :D speciali for ur longkang~ hehe:D :D

Originally posted by SEED

TYW> yeh also got Ambi pure air freshener wan~ also come wit different fragrance~:D :D speciali for ur longkang~ hehe:D :D

and got glass cover. and the longkang can be used as an aquarium:)

yeh~ wat fish the longkag got??:D :D little bait fish??:D :D after the cat inda neighbour go fishin no good lah~:D

Originally posted by SEED

yeh~ wat fish the longkag got??:D :D little bait fish??:D :D after the cat inda neighbour go fishin no good lah~:D

any kind of fish will be fine as long as it fits:)

OK, we're gettin' silly

yeh~ how bout the longkang in penang??? they start cleanin it yet?? the one near the factory in BL iz terrible yo~>(

Originally posted by SEED

yeh~ how bout the longkang in penang??? they start cleanin it yet?? the one near the factory in BL iz terrible yo~>(

there are plans to clean Sungai Pinang. it will start soon. i hope.....

yeh~ i mean if penang wanna hav a world class facility like MSC, i think penang should start cleanin up first~ it dont realli hav to be that kinda clean but atleast not that dirty...

Originally posted by SEED

yeh~ i mean if penang wanna hav a world class facility like MSC, i think penang should start cleanin up first~ it dont realli hav to be that kinda clean but atleast not that dirty...

agreed!!!!

and also build somethin more goodlookin like in Gurney or KL~ unlike those apartment in Long Boi... sorri but itz ugly men.. they get old and dirty veri easi...

Originally posted by SEED

and also build somethin more goodlookin like in Gurney or KL~ unlike those apartment in Long Boi... sorri but itz ugly men.. they get old and dirty veri easi...

yeah, they are dirty but they are one of the biggest clusters of scrapers in Penang. i've read in the newspapers that there are 88 highrises above 10 stories there

wow... that much!!!:eek2: why dont they build it in Gurney?? it will look like Goldcoast!!!

Originally posted by SEED

wow... that much!!!:eek2: why dont they build it in Gurney?? it will look like Goldcoast!!!

Gurney will have the more modern ones:D

yeh~ hope they gonna build a 50/60 stories building in Gurney~ anyway... what will happen to georgetown??? they gonna build more building round Komtar?? hope they build that MSC next to Komtar~

Originally posted by SEED

yeh~ hope they gonna build a 50/60 stories building in Gurney~ anyway... what will happen to georgetown??? they gonna build more building round Komtar?? hope they build that MSC next to Komtar~

hope for tall ones near KOMTAR lah. Ivory is gonna develop the former tin melting factory. it is a residential project. i'll start a thread about it. still in planning status tho

i got a friend use to live in a 6 stories pink color(i think)apartment near that tin factory~ and it is crap... when they start melting the tin it stink... but it is facing Komtar~:D hope they knock down that old tin factory.. eye sore... and build a BEAUtiful buildin there~ anyway~ got any pic from Ivory bout the project??

Originally posted by SEED

i got a friend use to live in a 6 stories pink color(i think)apartment near that tin factory~ and it is crap... when they start melting the tin it stink... but it is facing Komtar~:D hope they knock down that old tin factory.. eye sore... and build a BEAUtiful buildin there~ anyway~ got any pic from Ivory bout the project??

patience!!! i'll post in the other thread

Originally posted by TYW

there are plans to clean Sungai Pinang. it will start soon. i hope.....

last week that is an article bout this, i think i read from the Stars or Kwang Hua, forget liao..they said the project will carry out soon, right;)

aiyoh...MSC is just not about infrastructurelar! The most important element in MSC is talent-pool and innovations. Infra comes second to that! ;)

Originally posted by szehoong

aiyoh...MSC is just not about infrastructurelar! The most important element in MSC is talent-pool and innovations. Infra comes second to that! ;)

How innovations??:? build some high-tech building hehe:D

Originally posted by Pablo

How innovations??:? build some high-tech building hehe:D

Innovations in terms if ideas and products lar.....not infrastructure.......we are capable of producing top-notch infrastructure but not innovations - yet! ;)

Originally posted by szehoong

Innovations in terms if ideas and products lar.....not infrastructure.......we are capable of producing top-notch infrastructure but not innovations - yet! ;)

that means more investers lah?

Originally posted by TYW

that means more investers lah?

Errrr......I don't get you......Anyway I also hope more investers to Msia too lar! ;)

Originally posted by szehoong

Errrr......I don't get you......Anyway I also hope more investers to Msia too lar! ;)

i mean MSC will draw more investors loh

Originally posted by TYW

i mean MSC will draw more investors loh

Yup definitely.......that's what it should be doing too apart to groom homegrown products, innovation and talents! :D

why all the threads both of us talk only har??:D

Hi another interesting development brought to you by me, this is planned, probably already started construction project to build a creative education centre in cyberjaya..check it out, looks cool, by Lim Kok Wing Creative University

http://www.limkokwing.edu.my/images/mdtc0001.jpg
http://www.limkokwing.edu.my/images/newcampus_a.jpg
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http://www.mdtc.com.my/MDTC/images/P_about.jpg
http://www.mdtc.com.my/MDTC/images/P_locate.jpg

For more information, check out this sites
http://www.limkokwing.edu.my/index.asp
http://www.mdtc.com.my/MDTC/president.htm

ENJOY!!

I like the design....its cool. So now Lok Kok Wing has been upgraded to university...congrtulation!

wah, nice design!!

Originally posted by mams

I like the design....its cool. So now Lok Kok Wing has been upgraded to university...congrtulation!

Lim Kok Wing wasn't a University??:?

Was wondering any of you have the latest pics in cyberjaya? I know there are many developments lately such as the new HSBC global processing centre, and also the Standard Chartered centre. Anyone have pics?

Cheers

BASIS BAY launches the region’s first technology equipment portal
eBasis Bay to revolutionise the procurement of hardware with innovative solutions amidst economic slowdown




Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 6th August 2003 – Basis Bay Group, an established technology services and hardware solutions vendor, today announced the launch of eBasis Bay, the Internet portal for the trading of pre-owned, refurbished and new hardware equipment. Targeting businesses across the financial services, manufacturing, telecommunications and the retail industries, the portal is also positioned for the small and medium industries (SMI), where total cost of ownership is a critical factor.



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Speaking to reporters and industry analysts, at the launch, the chief executive officer, Basis Bay Group, Praba Thiagarajah, said “we anticipate that the portal is going to create a stir in the regional market. The idea is innovative and by utilising the Internet we are empowering our customers to make the choices that best suit their business needs”.

He also noted that in the current challenging business environment, investing in technology equipment including servers has become a rather complex and critical business issue. He said, “such equipment requires not only specialised maintenance, but also due to rapid development of technology, frequent upgrading in capabilities and functionality. The option of procuring refurbished or pre-owned equipment, therefore becomes a very compelling and viable alternative to business and technology managers”.

Unique warranty programme
This new portal allows customers to source, procure, trade and sell new, pre-owned and refurbished hardware ranging from mid to high-end computer mainframes, through to desktop computers and other associated equipment. Other value-added services include after-sales support such as installation, configuration, customisation, testing and maintenance which are carried out by a strong in-house team of engineers. Furthermore, many of the pre-owned hardware items actually come with a limited warranty that is unusual for such a venture and offers a significant incentive for the customer.



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“Our strong track record and experience in supplying pre-owned technology equipment, combined with our in-house professional resources, provides us with the capability to offer this unique warranty programme to our customers,” said Thiagarajah.

Other value-added facilities that are available through the portal include access to in-country logistics services and currently in negotiation are relationships with third party leasing and financial services organisations. eBasis Bay’s mandate is to deliver better support to its customers through eliminating other third party costs and long delivery time. The portal, www.ebasisbay.com, today offers over 1,000 products and category types aimed at businesses, as well as individuals, looking to change complete or individual hardware components.


Comprehensive categories of products


According to Thiagarajah, “this is one of the most comprehensive listings of products and components available on the Internet in the region. We are confident the portal will meet the immediate needs of not only our customers but, as an information and trading portal, provide technology professionals with the ideal platform to procure, explore and exchange information and equipment”.

Currently there are limited or fragmented sources where a customer can go to find information about enterprise mainframes. Supporting, via its listings, most of the major enterprise hardware vendors, the portal provides accurate information to help customers identify the best equipment to fit their needs. Also, as a result of long term partnerships that eBasis Bay has forged with these vendors, much of the equipment on offer in the portal would be competitively priced compared to the market rate. In addition the portal provides a convenient facility for those customers wanting to dispose of excess equipment reducing redundancy and minimising costs.

“New equipment is expensive to buy on a continuous basis especially for an organisation’s ICT hardware needs. Through the eBasis Bay portal, organisations have the option to compare the prices of new, pre-owned and refurbished equipment and select the most suitable option to fit their budget”, concluded Thiagarajah.

The Minister of Energy, Communications and Multimedia, Y.B. Datuk Amar Leo Moggie officiated at the launch of eBasis Bay, a Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status company. The launch was attended by about 100 guests from the industry including partners, customers, vendors and professionals.

RedTone Launches Trust Fund





Kuala Lumpur, Friday (May 21, 2004) - REDtone International Berhad (REDtone) has launched a trust fund with the proposed name of REDtone-Tan Sri Dr Othman Yeop Trust Fund*. The trust fund has been set up with the main objectives of helping the Malaysian deaf community and organisations that save young lives in acute situations.

REDtone’s Group Managing Director, Wei Chuan Beng said at the launch, “To this end, our trust fund will allocate RM1.8 million over the next five years to set up an education and training centre for the deaf and for sign language interpreters. This training centre will be organised and managed by the Malaysian Federation for the Deaf."

The trust fund will also support the Selangor School for the Deaf to help deaf children with other handicap such as autism and Downs Syndrome.

As to why REDtone set up the trust fund, Wei said, “REDtone’s success today as a company is built on a technology that was made possible because of the MSC initiative and assistance from the MDC.

“As a founding MSC-status company, we were nurtured and supported by the government and the Multimedia Development Commission (MDC). We have also received much support and kindness from many parties, customers, business and telco partners. We feel that it is time for us to give something back to this country and its people, hence the setting up of this trust fund.”

He added that the trust fund is also in recognition of the wonderful work performed by the MDC and in particular, the late Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Othman Yeop, MDC’s first Executive Chairman, in steering Malaysia towards the path of ICT excellence.

“We were the first MSC-status company to be awarded an MSC R&D grant and received investment from MSC Venture, the venture capital arm of MDC and that gave us the confidence to develop our own home grown technology,” he continued.

REDtone is a fine example of the spirit of MSC where homegrown ICT technology can be developed and exported overseas. Today, REDtone has expanded to Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and soon, in countries further away.

* Although the setting up of the trust fund has been approved, the name of the trust fund has yet to receive approval from the relevant authorities

The Grand launching of Cyberjaya, the IT city of Malaysian government initiated MSC (Multimedia Super Corridor), in Cyberjaya's APEC Garden. Looking on are the IAP members. July 8,1999 (Thursday morning)

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Overview
City Command Centre Building, Cyberjaya

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Malaysia's 'Silicon Valley' gains support
By Raslan Sharif, Special to CNETAsia
Tuesday, November 12 2002 4:45 PM





KUALA LUMPUR--The Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) is booming as a location for multinational customer and operational support services.

An increasing number of companies are looking at the MSC as a regional or global base for such services, and their presence would add to the MSC’s lustre as a host for international support services facilities like data and call centres.

Energy, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Amar Leo Moggie said that the MSC’s infrastructure and incentives given to MSC-status companies have been a major carrot.

“We have provided some of the most attractive incentives found in the region in order to ensure the country’s competitiveness as a regional and global data centre,” he said last week at the opening of Scicom Sdn Bhd’s new call centre.

He added that the MSC currently hosts 11 multinational companies that operate data or call centres. These companies include DHL, Shell and British American Tobacco.

Many of these facilities are in Cyberjaya. The presence of big names has likely been a key factor in attracting more foreign interest. According to the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC), five new companies were given MSC-status this year to set up their own data or call centres, and to provide outsourcing services in those areas.

The companies include the local IT operations of conglomerate Cargill and banking giant HSBC.

Cargill plans to operate an ERP development and support centre, a telecommunications and IT hub, as well as a voucher-processing centre, while HSBC will set up a group service centre that would serve a variety of functions including financial services processing, a call centre and a contingency centre.

Indian IT services company Satyam and performance car makers BMW are set to follow suit.

The presence of these companies and others to come is expected to drive demand for outsourced data and call centre services.

Outsourcing call centre services company Scicom announced its plans to open a facility in Cyberjaya at the same time that it launched it latest centre last week.

Scicom chief executive officer Kent Yearsley said the centre was needed in view of “projections showing further growth”.

The Cyberjaya call centre would be the company’s fifth call centre in the country. It is scheduled to be launched next year and would take the company’s total capacity in Malaysia up to 1,500 seats, Yearsley said.

Scicom’s latest US$1.5mil (RM5.7mil) centre currently handles Nokia’s Careline customer support operations for nine countries in the Asia Pacific region. The countries include Malaysia, South Korea and New Zealand.

Yearsley said the rapid capacity expansion was required to meet demand from “two or three new customers”.

The rising demand is expected to give a strong boost to outsourced service providers like Scicom.

Moggie said the outsourcing contact centre industry was forecast to grow to RM182mil this year and to RM227.2mil next year, up from RM144.4mil last year.

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Cascata Bistro at night. A popular Italian restaurant with fusion menu [Cyberview Lodge Resort & Spa]


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View of the APEC Garden at Cyberview Lodge Resort & Spa, retreat venue for the APEC heads of governments meeting in 1999.

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http://pro.corbis.com/images/watermark/67/11506750/FT0001134.jpg

Any news of the construction? Actually less in touch of Cyberjaya nowadays hehe no news mah..

Originally posted by baqthier

Any news of the construction? Actually less in touch of Cyberjaya nowadays hehe no news mah..

aiks......How come I've not seen this thread before wan??? .....oh.....I think I am in Bangkok at that time ler....hehehe :D

Anyway I went there last week.....the building is like 95% completed but the building is in BLACK!?!?!?! :rant:

Totally spoil Ken Yeang's design! :bleep:

Originally posted by mams

I like the design....its cool. So now Lok Kok Wing has been upgraded to university...congrtulation!

nope.......Limkokwing is now just a University College .....it is still not a university. That means it could now offer its own degree programs but not masters degree. ;)

Originally posted by TYW

Lim Kok Wing wasn't a University??:?

yes......it was just an ordinary college last time. Now it is called Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology. Still not yet a uni.......;)

wow!! like those buildings a lot.

any pics of cyberjaya's ariel?

Originally posted by szehoong

aiks......How come I've not seen this thread before wan??? .....oh.....I think I am in Bangkok at that time ler....hehehe :D

Anyway I went there last week.....the building is like 95% completed but the building is in BLACK!?!?!?! :rant:

Totally spoil Ken Yeang's design! :bleep:

Black is fine choice of color what. HOw black is black that can spoilt the color of the building ?

what about/goin on this topics.
" Malaysia Goes Hollywood "
source:http://www.sojourn.com.my/archive/2000/12/200012_coverpage.html

MALAYSIA has opened its very own entertainment city, a kind of Malaysian Disneyland/Universal Studios. Known as ‘E-village’, a hip name that is short for entertainment village but which also conjures up immediate visions of the Internet, the complex is located just outside of Kuala Lumpur in a new township called Dengkil.

http://www.sojourn.com.my/archive/2000/12/images/e-village_icon.gif

Dengkil itself is to be found just south of Cyberjaya, the country’s version of California’s Silicon Valley, in what is known as Malaysia’s Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) for the entertainment and multimedia sectors. And E-village is the flagship project of the MSC. It has been designed, as YB Dato’ Amar Leo Moggie, Malaysia’s Minister of Energy, Communications and Multimedia, said at the signing ceremony “to be conducive to the development of high value creative content to meet the demands of Internet users, filmgoers, television audiences, computer games enthusiasts and educationists.”

Opened on September 8th by Malaysia’s Prime Minister, YAB Dato’ Seri Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, E-village stands on a 2,000 acre site that will be developed over three phases. Phase One, which comprises the Studio Precinct, a 131 acre complex of eight 70 feet high studios and related multimedia facilities, is complete. The Virtual Studio and Sound Stage offers world class facilities that can provide any international film producer with some of the best production resources and cutting-edge technology available. In particular the Sound Stage offers sound engineers and directors acoustic qualities to die for, whilst the state-of-the-art air-conditioning system ensures silent climate control all year round. The entire Studio complex already ranks as one of Asia’s largest studios and E-village can also represent any film company interested in filming and sourcing equipment, crews and locations in Malaysia.

Phase Two, which will begin early next year, is the Disneyland phase and will comprise wet and dry theme parks, a tropical forest, lakes and hotel accommodation. Other planned attractions include a convention centre, mini Malaysia and a virtual theme park, where you can get rid of any last remaining grasp of reality you might have had.

Phase Three, which should be finished by 2007, will include residential areas, shops, health farms and handicraft centres.

As well as attracting foreign film-makers, E-village is also expected to give the Malaysian film business an economic and creative boost, just as the building of the Sepang F1 motor-racing circuit did for the nation’s auto industry. “With E-village,” said Dr Mahathir at the launch, “Malaysia makes its full-scale entry into the film production and entertainment industry. Apart from the first-class production facilities, E-village will be positioned as a competitive alternative to the more established centres of the world.”

At the moment, neither Steven Spielberg nor George Lucas has expressed any interest, but enquiries have been received from the Hong Kong and Indian film industries and, with Malaysia currently such a cheap place to live and work in, it cannot be long before Hollywood comes knocking at the door of E-village.

Already the country as a filming location has been attracting major Hollywood movies, such as Entrapment starring Sean Connery and Mrs Michael Douglas (Catherine Zeta-Jones), and Anna and the King with Jodie Foster and Chow Yun Fat. With the E-village Studio Precinct open and ready for business, it is now possible to shoot entire movies in Malaysia, including editing, post-production and all sound effects. Once studio heads in Hollywood become fully aware of Malaysia’s E-village, cost-conscious American producers should be drooling at the possible budget savings.

Which leaves us with the intriguing prospect of La-la land coming to Lah-lah land. Hollywood insiders have long called their town La-la land, a reference to the prevalent mild insanity within their community and a pun on the initials of Los Angeles. And Malaysians use the word ‘lah’ at every opportunity, as in ‘OK, lah’, ‘Nice dress, lah’, ‘See you later, lah’, etc. Is this some form of subliminal seduction on the part of Malaysians, laying the groundwork to make Hollywood feel at home in E-village? We shall see. At the moment, the Malaysian entertainment industry, and its economy, wait with bated breath for the arrival of the Hollywood megabucks. Hopefully this is one offer the American film industry cannot refuse.

Is these their progress? :?
...................................................................................
E-VILLAGE
Entertainment Village is meant
to become the future Hollywood
of the Multimedia Super Corridor.
Several film studios and a
Malaysia theme park are still
under construction.
A guard keeps watch in front of
the entrance at Gateway Plaza
where 13 aluminium palm trees
symbolize Malaysia’s thirteen
provinces.

http://www.marcsteinmetz.com/images/cyberjaya/msc22_evillage.jpg

http://www.marcsteinmetz.com/pages/cyberjaya/ecyberjaya22.html

VISION IN MINIATURE
Apart from a miniature model
of the Petronas Twin Towers
there is yet little to see at
the site of the Malaysia theme
park in movie city E-Village.
Entertainment Village is meant
to become the Multimedia Super
Corridor’s future Hollywood.
A couple of film studios are
under construction.

http://www.marcsteinmetz.com/images/cyberjaya/msc23_themenpark.jpg

http://www.marcsteinmetz.com/pages/cyberjaya/ecyberjaya23.html

HIGH TECH IN A HIGH PLACE
On the 55th story of one of the
Petronas Twin Towers resides
the ‘Siemens Future Lab’ with
training centre and an internet
cafe overviewing Malaysia’s
teeming capital Kuala Lumpur.
Through this branch at the north
end of the Multimedia Super
Corridor german high tech
company Siemens gains MSC
status and thus profits from tax
benefits.

http://www.marcsteinmetz.com/images/cyberjaya/msc24_siemens.jpg

CYBERJAYA
Malaysia’s PM Mahathir is the architect of a
bold vision now coming true: a modern capital
for the information age. Brasilia meets Silicon
Valley in his ‘Multimedia Super Corridor’.

from the great site:
http://www.marcsteinmetz.com/pages/cyberjaya/ecyberjaya_minis.html

Originally posted by nazrey

HIGH TECH IN A HIGH PLACE
On the 55th story of one of the
Petronas Twin Towers resides
the ‘Siemens Future Lab’ with
training centre and an internet
cafe overviewing Malaysia’s
teeming capital Kuala Lumpur.
Through this branch at the north
end of the Multimedia Super
Corridor german high tech
company Siemens gains MSC
status and thus profits from tax
benefits.

http://www.marcsteinmetz.com/images/cyberjaya/msc24_siemens.jpg

CYBERJAYA
Malaysia’s PM Mahathir is the architect of a
bold vision now coming true: a modern capital
for the information age. Brasilia meets Silicon
Valley in his ‘Multimedia Super Corridor’.

from the great site:
http://www.marcsteinmetz.com/pages/cyberjaya/ecyberjaya_minis.html

:eek: awesome view out the window

From The Star
http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2004/4/13/technology/7760035&sec=technology
Tech blueprint for Malaysia: Going beyond the MSC
By RASLAN SHARIF

CYBERJAYA: The Government will introduce within the next few weeks a technology development blueprint to drive the country?s economic growth and enhance social development, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Jamaluddin Jarjis said today.

The blueprint will be launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who will lay out a new strategy that will build upon the achievements of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), said Jamaluddin, who described the plan as the MSC?s ?second leap.?

?The MSC has done well, but the Prime Minister wants the technology sector to move one stage further,? he told reporters after an official visit to Multimedia Development Corporation, the company which manages the MSC.

Jamaluddin said that in the last seven years, MSC companies had poured in billions of ringgit in investment, created 22,000 jobs, and filed more than 400 patents and industrial designs.

?Now we want to do much more,? he said, adding that besides economic growth, the blueprint?s other key focus would be to reduce the digital divide, as the Prime Minister wanted to ensure that ?no one would be marginalised? from the mainstream of technological progress.

The blueprint would include plans to ensure that the people had access to basic services such as the telephone and Internet access, and allow them to participate in technology-enabled economic and social activities, he said.

Refuting suggestions that the technology sector was not at the top of the current administration?s list of priorities, Jamaluddin said the Prime Minister was very committed to the development of the technology sector and wanted to see it bring benefits to the people.

Asked if the Government would move quickly to implement the blueprint after its launch, he said ?yes, definitely.?

Jamaluddin declined to go into the specifics of the blueprint, but said it would encompass all areas related to technology, including R&D, legislation, funding, education and training.

He said the focus on R&D would be more market-oriented and involve the country finding niche areas where it would be competitive, rather than ?taking on the big boys.?

?Our R&D efforts will begin in the market, not in the lab,? he said.

Asked if the blueprint would involve pumping in more money to stimulate currently lacklustre R&D activity in the country, he said ?we will do whatever it takes to improve technology funding.?

Jamaluddin also said the blueprint would include a review of current legislation related to the technology sector, and the optimisation of resources allocated to the sector?s development.

?We want to squeeze the juice out of every ringgit spent,? he said.

Jamaluddin said there would also be coordination of efforts with other ministries, such as the Higher Education Ministry, for items that required multi-ministry involvement under the blueprint.

Property Talk: A weekly column by S.C. Cheah

PUTRAJAYA Homes Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned unit of Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd, played one of its “trump cards” when it officially launched its latest residential development, the Putrajaya Palladium 9, recently.

Why I refer to the launch on May 6 as a kind of “trump card” is because the Palladium (of which Palladium 9 is one of its sub-precincts) is just next to the prestigious diplomatic enclave in the 4,581ha Putrajaya, Malaysia's first “intelligent” garden city and the new Federal Government administrative centre. The Palladium is in Precinct 14 of Putrajaya.

This is one of the most exclusive spots in Putrajaya and one that is said to have good feng shui. The most exclusive is, of course, the core island where the main Government ministries are located, but the land there is mainly earmarked for Government and commercial buildings.

With the recent spate of property launches in Putrajaya and Cyberjaya, competition is getting quite “hot”.

Checks showed that sales had been very good in Putra Perdana Development Sdn Bhd's Precinct 16 while the Country Heights Group also aggressively marketed its Cyber Heights Villas' three- and four-storey apartments with built-up areas of 1,219 sq ft to 1,948 sq ft by offering its CHIPI Twin incentives to the first 50 buyers, whereby their loan instalment payments for the first two years are waived.

With the property market picking up again, it seems prudent and timely for Putrajaya Homes to launch the sub-precinct 9, also referred to as Palladium 9.

The 196.7ha Palladium comprising 13 sub-precincts will have 2,781 residential units, of which only 620 are open for sale to members of the public. The rest have been sold to the Government which, in turn, will rent them out to the civil servants. Construction is in progress in some of these sub-precincts.

It is these 620 units that are up for grabs by the general public. The first launch at the Putrajaya Homes' sales office at the central marketing complex in Putrajaya on May 6 involved only 133 units consisting of 27 bungalows, 42 semi-detached houses and 64 terraced houses in Palladium 9.

Another 45 units consisting of nine bungalows and 36 semi-detached houses would be launched in June in Palladium 1 (or sub-precinct 1).

The majestic bungalows with 4,100 sq ft to 4,400 sq ft built-up area and 7,000 sq ft to 12,000 sq ft land are priced between RM1.3mil to RM1.4mil. Meanwhile, the terraced houses would be priced from RM304,888.

According to Putrajaya Homes director Wan Hashimi Albakri Wan Ahmad Amin Jafri, who is also Putrajaya Holdings general manager for its property development division, registration for the units had been very encouraging. He hopes to launch all 620 units this year.

He feels that houses built by Putrajaya Homes are “very competitively” priced and are value for money.

“We have the infrastructure here. We have a hospital, schools, parks and many amenities.

“There will be a monorail station in Palladium itself. About 40% of the total development in Putrajaya comprises open spaces.

“Most of our purchasers are professionals. There are those who are already staying in Putrajaya and have recommended their friends and relatives to buy our houses.

“There is a group whose children are studying at the Limkokwing University College in Cyberjaya and their parents are buying houses in Putrajaya,” he said.

All of Palladium's properties are freehold and they range from bungalows, semi-detached houses, terraced houses and apartments. However, it is not a gated and guarded development, a trend that is catching on like wild fire in the Klang Valley.

The homes are of a neo-Nusantara theme to accentuate the tropical architectural setting of the entire precinct that spread into the diplomatic enclave.

The development is planned with an infrastructure network to conveniently link one sub-precinct to another and is further enhanced with easily accessible pedestrian and vehicular link-ways.

Each of the sub-precincts has its unique identity and the homes are with dual frontages that face the street and the rear garden, providing harmony within the living spaces as well as creating friendly interaction among neighbours.

The internal layout that opens up to the living and dining areas also creates spaciousness as well as providing privacy to the owners with an inner private garden sanctuary.

Checks showed that rental values are quite good too. For example, Putrajaya Homes' houses in Precinct 10 that were launched in 2001 and now fully sold and completed, are fetching around RM1,000 to RM1,500 for an unfurnished terraced house.

The rental for the semi-detached house is said to be around RM2,000 to RM2,800 a month.

Putrajaya Holdings senior manager (sales & marketing) Syed Farouk Azlan Abdul Aziz, who has a semi-detached house in Precinct 10, said a neighbour rented out his semi-detached house for RM2,500 a month.

The bungalows there were originally sold for RM1.2mil to RM2.3mil while the semi-detached houses were sold for between RM650,000 and RM800,000.

Another good news is that Putrajaya residents would have their very own shopping centre soon. It would have Carrefour as its anchor tenant.

“About 80% of the retail spaces have been taken up. The official opening is expected to be in September this year,” said Wan Hashimi Albakri.

Putrajaya Homes is responsible for the development of Precincts 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 18 and 19 of Putrajaya. Its joint-venture partners SP Setia, Peremba, Hong Leong and Putra Perdana Development are developing the other precincts.

“We expect Putrajaya to mature by 2012 when it shall have a population of 335,000 people,” said Putrajaya Holdings chief executive officer Datuk Mohamad Othman Zainal Azim.

“With stronger economic growth, improving market sentiments, low interest rates and easy end-financing, we believe it is timely for those wanting to live in an exclusive neighbourhood amidst peaceful, harmonious and beautiful settings to purchase the homes we have to offer in Palladium, Putrajaya,” Othman said.

HSBC Malaysian service centre group’s largest


THE HSBC Electronic Data Processing (M) Sdn Bhd, located in Cyberjaya, is the largest in size of the seven Group Service Centres (GSCs) currently operated by the HSBC group. In time, it would also be one of the largest in functionality, said HSBC Bank Malaysia Bhd deputy chairman and chief executive officer Zarir J. Cama.

The Malaysian GSC, officiated yesterday by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, has in excess of 200,000 sq ft of office space and seats up to 1,900 staff per shift
Staff facilities include coffee bars, Internet kiosks, a 500-seat cafeteria, two language labs, seven learning centres and 14 training rooms.

The centre, operating round the clock, supports the group's businesses in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, Britain and the United States.

It undertakes back office global processing functions for the group, such as account opening and closing, customer calls, payments, trade, credit cards and mortgage processing. Its first process, credit management queue (CMQ) for HSBC UK, went live on April 30. To date, a total of 24 processes have been migrated to the centre.

“When we moved over from the temporary site located just across the road on Dec 26, we had 400 staff members. Today, we have 1,150. The GSC recruits about 150 a month with the average age of the employees at 26 years,” Cama said.

Cama said HSBC chose Malaysia for its GSC for various reasons, most importantly, its “warm, friendly, hard-working, well-educated and linguistically talented” people, and a high quality technical infrastructure that was crucial to operations of its kind.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2004/5/25/business/p4hsbc.JPG

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi touring the HSBC building after launching HSBC Electronic Data Processing centre in Cyberjaya. On Abdullah's left is Zarir J. Cama. -- Bernamapic

http://www.cyberjaya-msc.com/photo/CCC.jpg http://www.cyberjaya-msc.com/photo/ERICSON.jpg http://www.cyberjaya-msc.com/photo/spaatdusk.jpg

http://www.cyberjaya-msc.com/photo/CCC.jpg http://www.cyberjaya-msc.com/photo/ERICSON.jpg http://www.cyberjaya-msc.com/photo/spaatdusk.jpg

Thanks for sharing, man~ I didn't even know what Cyberjaya looks like. I just been to PutraJaya before~ hehe :D

A little question, the KLIA express, it stops in putrajaya, right? Is it like we can buy ticket to and from KL there? If so, how much is it roughly?

Nice C'jaya pix, taipei101!

Just to answer your question Andrew, yeah, the KLIA Transit (the Express does not make stops anywhere, it runs direct from KLS to the IA and vice versa) stops at the station known as Putrajaya/Cyberjaya... From there, there should be buses that take the visitor to both cities... As for the ticket prices, i can't remember how much it costs though...

here are the fares.......


http://www.kliaekspres.com/other%20pages/Fares/tr.jpg

Well, actually there are 2 types of ERL : One is the direct non stop ride from KLIA to KL Sentral. The second one is the one that will make a stop at Bandar Tasik Selatan, Purajaya and Salak Tinggi before reaching KLIA ;)

There is a special fare to Putrajaya via KLIA Transit that aren't mentioned in the website. If you buy a return ticket (either from Putrajaya station or KL Sentral) - it is ONLY RM10!!! :eek: ...that is like RM0.50 more than a single way ticket! :D

Anyway Nazrey took it before. Furthermore I checked at the KLIA Transit counter and the guy confirmed as well! :okay:

Some pics I found:
http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/v157/baqthier/cy1.jpg
http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/v157/baqthier/cy2.jpg
http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/v157/baqthier/cy3.jpg
http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/v157/baqthier/cy4.jpg

Any pics of Ericsson? ;)

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/controle-center/E002.sized.jpg

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/controle-center/E001.sized.jpg

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/controle-center/E003.sized.jpg

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/controle-center/E056.sized.jpg

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/controle-center/E061.sized.jpg

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/controle-center/E039.sized.jpg

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/travel-hotel/c076.sized.jpg

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/travel-hotel/c078.sized.jpg

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/travel-hotel/c068.sized.jpg

Ericsson Office Building on Lot 12064 at Cyberjaya

http://www.cyberjaya-msc.com/photo/INTELLIGENTCITY.jpg

http://www.peremba.com.my/archive/images/eric.jpg

http://www.peremba.com.my/archive/images/eric1.jpg

http://www.peremba.com.my/archive/images/eric2.jpg

http://www.peremba.com.my/archive/images/eric3.jpg

http://www.peremba.com.my/archive/images/eric4.jpg

Multimedia University (MMU) Cyberjaya located behind that not so far from CyberJaya controle center.

http://www.cyberjaya-msc.com/photo/CCC.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/o_mmuview.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/cyber_stc06.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/cyber_stc11.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/center_plaza3.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/fcm_building2.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/front_gate.jpg

Nice Landscape

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/football_field.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/hostel_view_from_tower1.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/hostel_view_from_tower2.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/hostel_view_from_tower3.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/hostel_view_from_tower5.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/lecture_complex_hall3.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/lecturer_apartment3.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/mmuc_playground.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/mmuc_sideways.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/mmuc_volleyball_takraw.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/n_apartment1.jpg

IMPRESSIVE: The LUCT (Limkok-wing <a href="http://www.ntsearch.com/search.php?q=University&v=56">University</a> <a href="http://www.ntsearch.com/search.php?q=College&v=56">College</a> of Creative Technology) campus in Cyberjaya, with its distinctive wrap, has become a landmark in the region.

http://www.cyberjaya-msc.com/news/images/luct.jpg

http://epaper.thestar.com.my/Repository/getimage.dll?path=Str/2004/06/29/177/Img/Pc1770200.jpg

It is a very cool college:cool:I like the way they put the poster:)

Thanks for the pictures Nazrey! :okay:

Anyway the pictures of MMU (Multimedia University) posted by Nazrey are dated probably around 1998/1999 as the landscaping is still bare and there isn't many greens. Now there is some vegetations around the campus already ;)

....and notice how barren the landscape of the surroundings is? Now there are more buildings around Cyberjaya already :)

Putrajaya/Cyberjaya ERL station U/C

http://img36.exs.cx/img36/23/erl11.jpg

http://img6.exs.cx/img6/2927/erl21.jpg

There is a special fare to Putrajaya via KLIA Transit that aren't mentioned in the website. If you buy a return ticket(either from Putrajaya station or KL Sentral) - it is ONLY RM10!!! ...that is like RM0.50 more than a single way ticket!

Anyway Nazrey took it before. Furthermore I checked at the KLIA Transit counter and the guy confirmed as well! :okay:

Yesit's only 10 RM for return ticket(pergi-balik) to Putrajaya/cyberjaya station.But in the table's fare above for one way that 9.5 RM ???!...........So I agree for what you said "There is a special fare to Putrajaya via KLIA Transit that aren't mentioned in the website

However,I thought Cyberjaya is border with ERL rail track right?
Like in this pic.Kat atas (above) is Putrajaya,di bawah pula (below) is Cyberjaya.

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/travel-hotel/c068.sized.jpg

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/travel-hotel/c069.sized.jpg

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/travel-hotel/c070.sized.jpg

So....The right is Cyberjaya and in the left is Putrajaya.....?!

http://img36.exs.cx/img36/23/erl11.jpg

View of Sembunyi Spa at Dusk [Cyberview Lodge Resort & Spa]

http://www.cyberjaya-msc.com/photo/spaatdusk.jpg

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/travel-hotel/c057.sized.jpg

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/travel-hotel/c062.sized.jpg

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/travel-hotel/c060.sized.jpg

Overall i think MMU's design is the poorest in Cyberjaya even though its considered ok:P

Food court in Cyberjaya.

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/travel-hotel/c074.sized.jpg

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/travel-hotel/c088.sized.jpg

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/travel-hotel/c031.sized.jpg

http://gallery.interimic.com/photoalbums/travel-hotel/c032.sized.jpg

Amazing.

Infrastracture is amazing but it looks very much empty!!! I think this is a losing proposition, more of a pink elephant.

Infrastracture is amazing but it looks very much empty!!! I think this is a losing proposition, more of a pink elephant.

That is a pretty uninformed statment. I know it's pretty weill populated with the MMU students and most of the multinational ITC companies like EDS had relocated their offices to Cyberjaya from KL.

Maybe ethan who is currrently working there can shed a light on this.

The purchasing power of students can change the face of a town entirely.Just look at Bukit Beruang in MelaKa with its MMU Melaka campus and Setapak(Utar and Tar college).

Infrastracture is amazing but it looks very much empty!!! I think this is a losing proposition, more of a pink elephant.


"Rome wasn't built in a day"

Well.....like Rome.....Cyberjaya isn't built in a day either :D

Cyberjaya started its first construction in 1996 and saw its first structure completed in 1998 (CyberView Lodge). So Cyberjaya only entered its 6th year.......you can't expect a booming metropolis there in only 6 years ;)

Anyway with Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology and Multimedia University within its borders - I am sure this place would thrive in years to come. Do not underestimate Limkokwing main campus......I've seen it first handedly how it transform a sleepy neighbourhood in Petaling Jaya to a hip and happening place in just a few short years.

Apart from that large companies that have moved in for the past 2 years like HSBC, DHL, Shell, Fujitsu, BMW, Ericsson and others had created a critical mass of workers needed in this fledging city. ;)

"Rome wasn't built in a day"

Well.....like Rome.....Cyberjaya isn't built in a day either :D

Cyberjaya started its first construction in 1996 and saw its first structure completed in 1998 (CyberView Lodge). So Cyberjaya only entered its 6th year.......you can't expect a booming metropolis there in only 6 years ;)

Anyway with Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology and Multimedia University within its borders - I am sure this place would thrive in years to come. Do not underestimate Limkokwing main campus......I've seen it first handedly how it transform a sleepy neighbourhood in Petaling Jaya to a hip and happening place in just a few short years.

Apart from that large companies that have moved in for the past 2 years like HSBC, DHL, Shell, Fujitsu, BMW, Ericsson and others had created a critical mass of workers needed in this fledging city. ;)


Hehe, no offense meant, I envy the Malaysians for having this kind of infrastracture. Its just that, the government may have miscalculated the benefits that can be derived from investing $20 billion in such a grandiose cyberpark. In my opinion, the project should have been done in phases instead of pouring such a huge investment at one time. A huge concern is the shortage of labor. Why would a company invest in the MSC rather than, for instance Bangalore, where there are an abundance of technical people? Also, the promise of better digital infrastracture will not really be an attraction, per se, since other countries (singapore, india, thailand, philippines) are also investing in this area.
The companies that you have mentioned would have invested in Malaysia even without the MSC. Ericsson for example invested in a facility inside the MSC for the development of mobile application mainly for the domestic market. It can be inferred that, even without MSC, ericsson would have invested anyway since there is an existing market.

Hehe, no offense meant, I envy the Malaysians for having this kind of infrastracture. Its just that, the government may have miscalculated the benefits that can be derived from investing $20 billion in such a grandiose cyberpark. In my opinion, the project should have been done in phases instead of pouring such a huge investment at one time. A huge concern is the shortage of labor. Why would a company invest in the MSC rather than, for instance Bangalore, where there are an abundance of technical people? Also, the promise of better digital infrastracture will not really be an attraction, per se, since other countries (singapore, india, thailand, philippines) are also investing in this area.
The companies that you have mentioned would have invested in Malaysia even without the MSC. Ericsson for example invested in a facility inside the MSC for the development of mobile application mainly for the domestic market. It can be inferred that, even without MSC, ericsson would have invested anyway since there is an existing market.


Thanks for your personal feedback but I still need to clarify some misconception you've had on Cyberjaya.

Cyberjaya firstly isn't just a cyberpark brimmed with technology companies and hi-tech industry. This is a fully functional 'intelligent' city where it comprises of night spots, gardens, MICE facilities and residentials. In addition to this, Cyberjaya are poised to be an education hub complete with smart schools (one is already up and running for a couple of years already) and universities (there are 2 universities in Cyberjaya).

The RM20 billion (I presumed you're referring to the Ringgit as it is an impossible sum if it is in USD) you've mentioned is for the combined development of Putrajaya and Cyberjaya. Of the two, Cyberjaya cost much lesser as most of the land there are for sale to be developed by the buyers. I could confirmed that Cyberjaya cost less than RM5 billion to be developed (unlike the likes of many countries' cyberpark projects like HK's Cyberport). Cyberjaya is indeed done in phases and the land purchased by these companies which had been built as all located within the core of the city. There are still plenty of unused land around.

Why would a company invest in MSC? Well......the fact is that although Malaysians lack the abundance of technical people Bangalore might have, but we're not lacking of em either. Labour is cheap here and most Malaysians are bilinguals if not Trilinguals making MSC the preferred regional office/back office & call centre hub. Furthermore the literacy rate here is higher than many Asian countries and English proficiency amongst Malaysians are high as well ;)

Cyberjaya isn't just about infrastructure but also about cost and connectivity. It is located near KLIA and land in Cyberjaya is cheaper compared to KL's CBD enabling companies to set up campus-type offices which is energy efficient and cheaper to be built. In addition to that, most of these companies are granted the MSC-Status that enable tax rebates/extemptions, perks and privileges as well as other governmental incentives (not forgetting minimal red-tapes too). :)

Yes it is true that these companies would have invested in Malaysia even without the MSC but why do I even mention the obvious? Simple......these companies wouldn't have make a big entry into Malaysia like relocating its R&D facilities, Call centres and back-processing offices if not for MSC as these companies are enjoying much perks being an MSC-status company. In addition to that, by building their HQs in Cyberjaya, their overhead costs is lower and the land is cheaper with better infrastructure and stuffs like that. Ericsson used to rent a building at Kelana Jaya in Petaling Jaya and the cost of maintaining the building plus the rentals are so much more expensive than building and owning a state-of-the-art facility at Cyberjaya. HSBC in the other hand would be losing a lot of money if they leases office spaces in prime areas for cost centres such as back-office processing and its call centres. Yes it is true that they could just buy a land in the suburb and build a building similar to that in Cyberjaya but the infrastructure wouldn't be as good. So by locating in Cyberjaya is actually a win-win situation for both the govt and the company involved :)

I used to be in the Celular communications industry and I pretty know why Ericsson's reason to set up a huge R&D facility here. Their reason is simple - an abundance of bilingual technical people around and that they clinched most of the celcos deals. By relocating to Cyberjaya (and with the creation of MSC), Ericsson reaped benefits from being an MSC-status company as well as the chance of owning a state-of-the-art building ;) So Cyberjaya is actually an attraction for MNCs to relocate and having a larger presence in Malaysia......

I got the US$20 b price tag from this article(http://www.cs.arizona.edu/japan/www/atip/public/atip.reports.99/atip99.082.pdf). Anyway, thanks for the clarification, the amount mentioned could have been for the whole MSC. Indeed for cyberjaya alone, it would have cost much less.

O well, i just hope the direction of the cyberjaya project evolve to something more suited to Malaysia as a whole. (Refer this article (http://mytechnews.tripod.com/features/19991126mscreview.htm). Its turning out that the benefit of establishing that cyberpark is limited since existing businesses just transferred location to avail of tax breaks. Expansion of these businesses is a normal occurence given that the Malaysian market they are dealing with are also expanding.

In addition, it can be said that call centers and back offices in Malaysia will not be sustainable due to lack of manpower. Why do India and Philippines continue to attract these kind of services despite the seeming lack of adequate infrastructure (world class airport, lrts, hiways)? Physical connectivity it seems is not that important anymore (one of th objectives of the MSC)as long as there are adequate digital connectivity. I did my research as regards the Philippine experience on call centers and backoffices, and found out that in a small area (just 16 ha) that is privately funded (government is "bankrupt", I think..) called eastwood city(http://www.eastwood-properties.com/cyberpark/dsp_cyberone.html), more or less 20,000 call center seats have already been filled and thousands more waiting to be filled (callcenternews.com). Add to that are the backoffices of IBM, Citibank, Trend Micro and Emerson who have chosen to locate there.

Cyberjaya Photo Journal.

Ericsson Building
http://www.jyn.biz/photos/cyberjaya/ericsson.jpg


http://www.jyn.biz/photos/cyberjaya/bridge2.jpg

TM Net
http://www.jyn.biz/photos/cyberjaya/tmnet.jpg

Nice carving on the wall
http://www.jyn.biz/photos/cyberjaya/wall.jpg

http://www.jyn.biz/photos/cyberjaya/pbridge.jpg

Some other Internet Data Center
http://www.jyn.biz/photos/cyberjaya/idc.jpg

The INVENTQJAYA Building, Cyberjaya.

http://www.peremba.com.my/imageproject/picbuilding/inventq2.jpg

The InventQJaya is a four-storey research laboratory and office building situated in the heart of Cyberjaya. It houses a NANO Lab, an independent structure designed to avoid the absorption of vibrations and zero ground settlement from the main building.

yeah, it looks barren then. latest pictures please!!!

The INVENTQJAYA Building, Cyberjaya.

http://www.peremba.com.my/imageproject/picbuilding/inventq2.jpg

The InventQJaya is a four-storey research laboratory and office building situated in the heart of Cyberjaya. It houses a NANO Lab, an independent structure designed to avoid the absorption of vibrations and zero ground settlement from the main building.

Lovely building Naz! Peremba's signature design it seems. CJ's pretty happenin :cool:

O well, i just hope the direction of the cyberjaya project evolve to something more suited to Malaysia as a whole. (Refer this article (http://mytechnews.tripod.com/features/19991126mscreview.htm). Its turning out that the benefit of establishing that cyberpark is limited since existing businesses just transferred location to avail of tax breaks. Expansion of these businesses is a normal occurence given that the Malaysian market they are dealing with are also expanding.

In addition, it can be said that call centers and back offices in Malaysia will not be sustainable due to lack of manpower. Why do India and Philippines continue to attract these kind of services despite the seeming lack of adequate infrastructure (world class airport, lrts, hiways)? Physical connectivity it seems is not that important anymore (one of th objectives of the MSC)as long as there are adequate digital connectivity. I did my research as regards the Philippine experience on call centers and backoffices, and found out that in a small area (just 16 ha) that is privately funded (government is "bankrupt", I think..) called eastwood city(http://www.eastwood-properties.com/cyberpark/dsp_cyberone.html), more or less 20,000 call center seats have already been filled and thousands more waiting to be filled (callcenternews.com). Add to that are the backoffices of IBM, Citibank, Trend Micro and Emerson who have chosen to locate there.



The article you referred to are very much dated (1999 to be precise) and back then....there's only a handful of MSC-Status companies and limited structures in both Putrajaya and Cyberjaya thus the infancy of the MSC.

The MSC Status isn't just all about tax breaks and location. Tax breaks are just part and parcel of the benefits. Yes....with today's advanced digital connectivity, physical location aren't important but why is the Msian govt harping on these MSC-Status companies to moved to selected locations? Many accused the govt for favouring the landlords and developers at Cyberjaya but the positive sides are usually overlooked. Anyone and everyone knows that despite having a relatively good infrastructures throughout Malaysia, there are bound to be problems like electricity, water and telco distruption. Such distruptions are usually frown upon by investors. So if there is a 'cybercity' like Cyberjaya to be developed and with such important facilities, infrastructure and utilities being guaranteed by our govt of an excellent up-time and are prioritised.....many companies are having second thoughts to relocate to Malaysia. Did you know that every streetlights at Cyberjaya are wired so that even a single malfunctioned streetlight would be known and detected by the state-of-the-art City Command Centre? :D

Companies like Boeing and BMW have set up regional HQ and logistic centre respectively to MSC-Designated locations despite not being an MSC-Status company. DHL and HSBC did this years ago and it is proven fact that their operations there are successful with HSBC recently opened its own building there (they used to leased a building there). And what I've mentioned here are just the tip of the iceberg.....there are so much more incentives to being an MSC-Status company. And our govt aren't just increasing the MSC company 'membership' to boost its numbers to reflect its success - there is an appox 800 companies as of early last year (I am not too sure f the current figure but the numbers are growing). They prune companies which are not within specification regularly with a massive exercise held last year where about a hundred of such companies are booted.

Yes...there are many innovative companies which aren't MSC-certified but that is their choice and no one is forcing them. It is not a rule that by not being MSC-Certified, the company are doomed or something but by being an MSC-certified company gives em more benefits but the choice are ultimately left to the company owners. Many thrives despite without the certification and many certified ones failed. This is the reality of businesses. Many tech companies in Penang aren't certified due to logistic purposes. ;)

The MSC project is an evolving one. Currently we're on phase 2. Phase 2 banks more on education, the service industry and the K-Economy. Apart from that - it also corrects the mistakes and certain failures of Phase 1 like TeleHealth and R&D Clustering.

So attracting back-offices and callcentres operations are part of Phase 2 naturally and Malaysia had been on the right track. No doubt that India and the Philippines are attracting lots more backoffices and callcentres than Malaysia, but given a resonable availability of manpower, multilingual nature of Malaysians, affordable manpower, better infrastructure and higher literacy rate - Malaysia had managed to attract some serious players. Big-wigs such as Nokia, Siemens, American Express, Singtel, HSBC, DHL etc..... had its call centres and backoffices located in Malaysia.

Why is India and the Philippines are attracting so many operations worldwide there? simple! ......both countries have a high percentage of English-speaking native and their wages are significatly lower than that of Malaysians.

Although the sheer number of manpower and the cheaper wages of India and the Philippines can't be duplicated here.......there are other factors like political stabilities, infrastructure and most unique of all - multiligual ability - to be seriously considered. :)

I am not too sure where you sourced from stating that Malaysia is lacking in manpower for backoffices and callcentres but myself having been in the industry for a couple of years now, I can assure you that thru my own observation and market research by analyst, Malaysians are clamouring for callcentre jobs. You just need to surf the online version of our newspapers and job agencies websites to judge on the availability of jobs for callcentres nationwide. Oh and on a sidenote - there is this internal job offer in my ex-company (a reputable telco) last year for about 2 places - there is over 800 qualified job-seekers that applied (thousands did but the 800 are the 'filtered' ones). And this is only for a single department in a single company! :D

RM75mil bio-tech plant in Cyberjaya


THE Science, Technology and Innovations Ministry would be establishing a RM75mil plant in Cyberjaya, close to the Bio Valley in Sepang, to produce biotechnology products.

Minister Datuk Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis said the plant would be managed by Inno-Bio Sdn Bhd, a government-owned company that comes under his ministry's Malaysia Industry Group of High Technology (Might).

“We would like to establish a plant that would develop and produce biotechnology products in an area covering 8ha, where all the processes, products and management involved will be in accordance with international standard practices and regulations,” he said.

He told reporters this in Shah Alam yesterday after calling on Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo to discuss areas in which the state and Federal Governments could enhance their efforts and co-operation in developing the biotechnology and information and communications technology sectors.

Since the regulations were tight, he said the Government had already appointed a German contractor with expertise in building such a plant. He said Inno-Bio would be working together with a local contractor as well as a consultant firm from Finland. – Bernama

There is a special fare to Putrajaya via KLIA Transit that aren't mentioned in the website. If you buy a return ticket (either from Putrajaya station or KL Sentral) - it is ONLY RM10!!! :eek: ...that is like RM0.50 more than a single way ticket! :D

Anyway Nazrey took it before. Furthermore I checked at the KLIA Transit counter and the guy confirmed as well! :okay:


Last week I checked, the fare is now RM15 already.......

Anyway, HSBC had moved to a new building...This is the old one( now become EDS building)....

http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/v157/baqthier/cy4.jpg

This is the new one (actually the new building is juct accross the road from the previous one). If I got time I'll try to post Cyberjaya/Putrajaya pics....

http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/v157/baqthier/cy3.jpg

strict it again.

Malaysia
Success comes one park at a time.

The Malaysian government aspires to build the country of 22 million people in the image of Singapore's exceptional technology success. It has invested $10 billion in two high-tech parks -- Cyberjaya and Putrajaya -- as part of its Multimedia Super Corridor project to attract international business.
Motorola Inc. plans to move its 4-year-old Malaysian software development center from Kuala Lumpur to the Cyberjaya park next year, now that the infrastructure is ready.

"So far, [Malaysia] has worked wonders for us," says S. Surya, managing director of Motorola's Malaysia software center. The center develops software for Motorola's wireless networks, as well as embedded applications for cell phones; it also does process consulting work for several Malaysian banks.

Surya says his team of software engineers has turned out to be world-class. Experienced software engineers in the country earn about $30,000 annually.

By 2011, local officials expect the high-tech corridor to be supporting a working population of approximately 50,000 and a resident population of more than 120,000. But the sluggish economy has slowed the country's technology momentum, and it continues to struggle with a small workforce.

"Malaysia is still an emerging player in the outsourcing space," says Partha Iyengar, a Gartner Inc. analyst in Pune, India. But the country is still forging ahead. Construction of the high-tech parks includes a state-of-the-art fiber-optic network, new roads, and new office and living spaces. The government is also considering a set of laws promoting e-commerce.

The critical shortage of skilled IT workers, however, remains the country's biggest concern. "The pool of capable programmers is small. They import a lot of talent from India and China," says Atul Vashistha, CEO of NeoIT Inc., an offshore outsourcing advisory firm in San Ramon, Calif.

Surya says that Malaysian workers today are competent in English and well trained for data center and business process outsourcing jobs, where "you don't need a top-notch computer scientist to do the job." But for cutting-edge software product development, the talent pool gets smaller.

To combat the problem, the Malaysian government has established "smart schools" that have the staff and equipment to train a large IT workforce.

Today, U.S.-based companies such as IBM have set up IT and shared services operations in the country, and Computer Sciences Corp. is active in outsourcing for local companies there. Electronic Data Systems Corp. and messaging systems vendor Tecnomen Corp., based in Finland, have set up shop in Malaysia's Cyberjaya park. But there's room for many more.

Vashistha says he expects outsourcing prospects in Malaysia to improve by 2008. "They just have to market [the region] much better. It will grow as more people discover it as a high-tech manufacturing center. With that will come more IT workers."

http://www.computerworld.com/computerworld/records/images/story/37KC_Malaysia.gif

UNITAR Introduces Two New Programs Starting January 2004
Kelana Jaya, January 27, 2004




Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UNITAR), Malaysia's first MSC-status, ISO9001:2000-certified virtual university, is introducing two more new programmes beginning January 2004 - Diploma in Information Technology (DIT) and Diploma in Management (Dip. Mgt).

"Since Information and Communication Technology are becoming more vital these days, the DIT programme is developed in such a way to fulfil the needs of IT industry for programming-based personnel uniquely emphasizing on software quality," said Prof. Dr. Khairuddin Hashim, Dean of Faculty of Information Technology and Chief Technology Officer of UNITAR.

To be eligible for this programme, students are required to pass SPM/SPMV with credits in English, Mathematics and one other credit or a Certificate recognised by the Malaysian Government. However, applicants with a pass in SPM/SPMV and a 3-year working experience in the relevant field can also apply.

Students enrolled under this programme will have to complete 90 credit hours, which include an Industrial Training or Project Paper which has to be completed within a semester. The first few semesters cater and stress on IT skills such as visual programming, multimedia and database management.

"This will allow the students to fully utilise the skills that they have acquired and work in the industry to support the remaining years of study," explained Prof. Dr. Khairuddin Hashim.

There are 4 areas of IT emphasis in the programme, namely, Programming, Multimedia, Internet and e-Commerce. Prof. Dr. Khairuddin also added that graduates of this programme would be able to do programming using many programming languages like Java and XML.

Upon completion of this programme, students can further their studies to higher levels of IT education at undergraduate and subsequently postgraduate levels in the same university or other higher institutions of their choice. If they choose to go into the working field, then they are open to being programmers, multimedia application developers, web portal and application developers, or systems, database and network administrators.

The other programme is Diploma in Management under the Faculty of Business Administration. This programme is specially designed to equip students with practical skills and knowledge in contemporary management.

"Besides technological significance, supervisory and human skills are important as well in order to be effective in the new work environment. That is why this programme's main aim is not only to prepare graduates to hold first-line managerial positions, but also to be adept at using IT and having good professional ethics in carrying out their managerial duties and responsibilities," said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Zohdi, the Dean of Faculty of Business Administration of UNITAR.

Applicants for this programme must fulfil the minimum requirement that is a pass in SPM with at least 3 credits and passes in Bahasa Melayu and Mathematics. Other qualifications that are equivalent to SPM will also be considered.

After enrolment, students of this programme will have to sit for an English Placement Test (EPT), and the appropriate level of English courses that they will take will be determined by the results of their EPT. They will also have to complete 91 credit hours comprising of 30 courses in general studies, economics, information technology and business functional areas.

"We want to emphasise on qualities and competencies of our diploma graduates. We include practical training in our programme so that our students will be exposed to the challenges of the working world and also get hands on experience of real life problems," said Dr. Zohdi.

Upon completion of this programme, students can further their studies at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels as the faculty offers bachelor and masters programmes in the same discipline.

http://www.thingsmatter.com/download/controlroomcompSM.jpg
control room at City Command Centre, earlier this week.

WELCOME TO THE FORUM, object-oriented

thanks 4 the pics!! nazrey as well;)

thanks for the warm welcome,TYW.
I'm putting together an article on Cyberjaya and Putrajaya for art4d magazine (Bangkok), and this forum is proving to be very useful for me. It's great to see such enthusiasm (and strong opinions) about the built environment.

Anyone with very good high-res pictures of MSC architecture and infrastructure they'd like to see published, let me know.

thanks for the warm welcome,TYW.
I'm putting together an article on Cyberjaya and Putrajaya for art4d magazine (Bangkok), and this forum is proving to be very useful for me. It's great to see such enthusiasm (and strong opinions) about the built environment.

Anyone with very good high-res pictures of MSC architecture and infrastructure they'd like to see published, let me know.


Welcome to the Forums Object-Oriented! :okay:

I could give ya some pictures but how could I sent em to ya. Any pictures you particularly wanted? ;)

... Any pictures you particularly wanted? ;)

Well, I have been lusting after:
Limkokwing's billboard framed by KLIA transit window
MMU from up high, looking like SimCity
A single view (from near transit terminal, I think), showing Putrajaya's collection of bridges, minarets and domes.

But will happily accept substitutions from people who know these towns far better than I do.


... how could I sent em to ya.
I'm emailing you an ftp address.

Malaysia 3rd in Global Offshore Index
April 12, 2004




Malaysia is ranked third after India and China as a potential location for offshore services, according to A.T. Kearney’s 2004 Offshore Location Attractive Index.

In its recently released report, Making Offshore Decisions, the report said Malaysia was an often overlooked, but natural, choice for offshore services. Government support for the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, strong global exposure of the workforce and significant initiatives including investments in infrastructure and developing intelligent cities of Cyberjaya and Putrajaya as part of the Multimedia Super Corridor project also helped Malaysia be in third spot .

The annual index serves to help companies understand and compare the factors that make countries attractive as potential locations for offshore services . For 2004, countries were evaluated based on corporate surveys, current offshore IT and business process outsourcing activities, local and national government initiatives to promote offshoring, and the availability of skilled labour.

The 25 countries that emerged as finalists were then evaluated against 39 measures across three major categories: financial structure, people skills and availability, and business environment.

This is HSBC new building

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/ethandillon/cyberjaya/Picture002.jpg

The old one is now become EDS building

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/ethandillon/cyberjaya/Picture022.jpg

Beside EDS building, there is now construction on BMW Centre

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/ethandillon/cyberjaya/Picture001.jpg

Thank you for sharing.You're in Cyberjaya,Great!!!!
ethan,what do you do in Cyberjaya? I heard lot of Thai people work overseas here too!!

> What is this building?

http://www.xpphotoalbum.com/data/500/9797312488441.jpg?2894

http://www.xpphotoalbum.com/data/500/9797312488371.jpg?4227

http://www.xpphotoalbum.com/data/500/9797312488511.jpg?4519

Well, I'm now working at HSBC Cyberjaya. Although I live at KL. Which building are refering to???

THe building at the background in the first pic is MSC Headquarter.

Penang to Set Up MSC in Bayan Lepas
Penang, March 1, 2004



Penang Government through the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) plans to develop a Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) in the state to promote the growth of two new industries, Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon told the State Assembly Monday.

He said the MSC would be developed in the Bayan Lepas Industrial Park and in the Kompleks Teknologi (Technoplex) area.

"The proposal to this effect will be submitted to the Federal Government for its consideration in the middle of this year," he said when replying to Lim Chien Aun (BN-Bayan Lepas).

He said the two new industries being actively promoted were information communication technology and high-value ICT industry encompassing biotechnology and agrotechnology.

Koh also told the House that the PDC was developing a new zone in the Bukit Minyak Industrial Park -- Bio-Pharmaceutical Industrial Zone.

The basic infrastructure for this industry was being provided, the Chief Minister said.

He said Penang was recently recognised as a "Bio-Valley Satellite" by the National Biotechnology and Biodiversity Council whereby the special incentives offered in the Cyberjaya Bio-Valley would also be enjoyed by biopharmaceutical companies here.

Any latest Cyberjaya update Ethan? :D

Any latest Cyberjaya update Ethan? :D

Well....BWM building is nearly finish. OCBC will open its branch here and there is a project beside Fujitsu( I will find out). I'll try to post the pics soon.

TOWN VILLA Ph 1 Units Are Completed
http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates.htm

Town Villa Phase 1 units are completed. Keys are being handed over to owners. Here are some recent photos of these units.

Meanwhile,Town Villa Ph 2 show units are ready for viewing.

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/TV1%20Pix/TV101.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/TV1%20Pix/TV102.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/TV1%20Pix/TV105.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/TV1%20Pix/TV107.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/TV1%20Pix/TV108.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/TV1%20Pix/TV109.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/TV1%20Pix/TV115.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/TV1%20Pix/TV113.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/TV1%20Pix/TV117.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/TV1%20Pix/TV118.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/TV1%20Pix/TV119.JPG

this condo design reminds me of my High School :) CHS...

CHS? i thot they are in pink colour...

white/redish/pink, you're rite! *Grin*, how did u kno that? I'm refering to the CHS in PJ....but no, I was thinking more of the building structure....

HAHHA... i..er.. thot u were toking about CLHS penang..my high school..*sia sui nia..* CLHS new buildings are in white/pinkish/brown colour as well.. :doh:

HAHHA... i..er.. thot u were toking about CLHS penang..my high school..*sia sui nia..* CLHS new buildings are in white/pinkish/brown colour as well.. :doh:

CLHS? does that stand for..Convent Light ?H School?? My dad used to go to Chung Ling...they've got a very active alumni...

yeah, CLHS stands for chung ling high school. n yes, they have meeting everywhere around the world.

THE TOWN VILLA

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/Site%20Pix%2004/100-0006_IMG.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/Site%20Pix%2004/8.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/Site%20Pix%2004/5.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/Site%20Pix%2004/3.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/Site%20Pix%2004/2.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/Site%20Pix%2004/11.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/Site%20Pix%2004/100-0020_IMG.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/Site%20Pix%2004/100-0017_IMG.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/Site%20Pix%2004/100-0016_IMG.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/Site%20Pix%2004/100-0015_IMG.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/Site%20Pix%2004/100-0010_IMG.JPG

http://www.cyberia.com.my/updates/Site%20Pix%2004/100-0004_IMG.JPG

The 1st MSC Education Forum
Source: HECSU unit, MDC




The 1st MSC Education Forum was held on 12 August, 2003, at the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC). The event brought together 29 MSC and non-MSC Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) from all over Malaysia.

MSC IHLs that attended the forum were:
- Binary College
- Cosmopoint
- Curtin University of Technology
- HELP
- INTI College Malaysia, ICM
- INTI College Subang Jaya, ICSJ
- Kolej Bandar Utama, KBU
- Kolej Damansara Utama, KDU
- Kolej Legenda
- L&G Twintech
- Lim Kok Wing University College T
- MMU
- Nilai College
- Sunway College
- Taylor's College
- The One Academy
- UNITAR.

Non-MSC IHLs that attended the forum:
- Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST)
- Institut Kajian Sosio-Ekonomi & Alam Sekitar
- Kolej Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia (KUSTEM)
- KUKUM (Kolej Universiti Kejuruteraan Utara M'sia)
- KUTKM (Kolej Universiti Teknikal Kebangsaan M’sia)
- Malaysia University of Science and Technology (MUST)
- SEG International Bhd. Rep. Prime College
- Stamford College
- UNITEN
- Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
- UTAR

The first presentation was on the MSC Research & Development Grant Scheme (MGS) - Writing a Good Proposal presented by Mr. Paramjit Singh. According to Mr. Paramjit, writing a good proposal is like cooking where we have to be careful in choosing the right ingredients and serve the food while it is hot. He continued the presentation by giving a brief introduction to the MGS Grant and its objectives. He also showed some of the successful projects achieved under the grant.

The forum proceeded with Mr. Ramesh’s presentation on the financial matters. This topic was aimed to expose non-MSC IHLs on the incentives that can be obtained from the MSC-Status. The presentation also included a topic on creating a separate accounting mechanism.

The last presentation in the forum “Skills Sets Required and K-Workers Issues”, presented by the head of the Higher Education Client Services Unit (HECSU), Dr. Yew Kok Meng. He discussed the outcome of the recent MSC Impact Survey on the skills sets required and k-workers issues faced by the MSC companies. He also recommended standards that should be achieved by MSC-Status IHLs such as producing world class journals and participating in the world class competitions.

Cyberjaya-based IBM Regional Contact Centre win award
Date: 9 Sept 2004
Source: the Star - TechCentral



The Customer Relationship Management and Contact Centre Association of Malaysia (CCAM) has recognised the Cyberjaya-based IBM Regional Contact Centre (RCC) with its “Best New Contact Centre 2004” award.

CCAM was established to promote standards in the customer service industry.

Its president Prof. Han Chun Kwong said the IBM RCC was chosen because it exemplified what an ideal contact centre should be -- a single contact point which provides effective, efficient and improved service to partners and clients through the consolidation of resources and services.

"The IBM RCC is the best role model for Malaysian companies to emulate," he said in a statement issued by IBM.

The centre serves as a strategic component of IBM's own "on-demand" initiatives, said IBM RCC manager Joanne Ch’ng

“The RCC has empowered IBM Malaysia to be more responsive, variable, focused and resilient -- enabling the company to respond with flexibility and speed to any customer demand, market opportunity or external threat.

"These are the very traits of an on-demand business,” she said.

The RCC is the sixth regional centre that IBM has established in Malaysia, after the Asia Pacific South Regional Administrative Support Centre, the Asean/ South Asia Regional Technical Sales Support Centre, the Asean Regional Support Centre for Integrated Technology Services, the Asia Pacific South Accounting Centre, and the IBM Global Financing Regional Centre for Asean/ South Asia, Greater China and Korea.

The RCC supports four prime business functions: Teleweb marketing suport services, backoffice customer support services, and integrated technology support services, which cover the Asean region.

The fourth business function is the strategic outsourcing helpdesk which supports the Asia Pacific region, said IBM

Hey guys,

I heard a month ago, that MSC is expanding into Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Anyone hear about this?

BMW moving into new HQ in Cyberjaya
By Yap Lih Huey


BMW Malaysia Sdn Bhd has begun the first stage of its move to its new state-of-the-art headquarters in Cyberjaya, which will also house its regional group data centre and a training facility.

BMW Malaysia said the new headquarters would be an integral component of the BMW group’s regional strategy, hosting a number of regional functions.

It said the facility would enable the company to access the nation's most modern data infrastructure network and further enhance its presence in the country.

Together with excellent infrastructure, a stable economy and a forward-looking government, these reasons make a compelling case for Malaysia as a good place for investment and as a regional hub for operations," said BMW Malaysia managing director Wolfgang Schlimme.

“With the new facilities in place and ready to be utilised, we are able to increase our capabilities and better serve our customers,” he said in a statement.

The headquarters was designed, constructed and owned by the Quill group of companies. Apart from the construction and lease of BMW's facility in Cyberjaya, Quill's ownership portfolio included the HSBC Global Electronic Processing Centre and DHL Global IS Centres.

Quill now owns about 800,000 sq ft of gross built-up floor area in Cyberjaya. "Cyberjaya has one of the country's most stringent requirements, with unmatched technology infrastructure and high-tech facilities.

"Quill's extensive involvement with developing Cyberjaya has given us the necessary experience needed to help world-class companies like BMW Group make their home here in Malaysia," said Quill director Datuk Michael Ong.

Cyberjaya park

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Cyberia: the Best Location in Cyberjaya


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Cyberia, the only residential development adjoining the Multimedia University. A unique address that would undoubtedly be a prime property in the future.

Just as Stanford University is known as the heart of the Silicon Valley, the Multimedia University will become the heart of Cyberjaya. The MMU is set to be a regional centre for IT education and R & D.

University lecturers, visiting professors, staff and students who live in Cyberia Smarthomes can walk or bicycle easily to the campus next door. Staff of MSC Status companies will also find Cyberia convenient and attractive. Strong rental demand is already prevalent in Cyberia's properties - with annual rental yield that goes from 7% to 9%.

The MMU is already operational and currently has about 6,700 students and 500 staff. However, accommodation is only provided for 2,000 students and 200 staff. As for MSC Status companies, 200 of these are already operating in Cyberjaya as of May 2002 and more will join in by end of the year. Join in our monthly Cyberjaya Tour to learn in depth about Cyberjaya!

In addition, Cyberia Smarthomes is considered the best location in Cyberjaya because of a host of impressive public facilities within 1 km from the site, including proposed Smart Schools, the 400 acre Cyber Park, a golf course, a sports centre, a shopping mall, a Telemedicine Clinic and the transport terminal.

Cyberia Smarthomes is located in Cyberjaya's Flagship Zone, next to the Multimedia University

MysysNet-SKALI consortium wins RM 20 million Johor e-Government project
JeG will be model for other states




JOHOR BAHRU, 21st December, 2004 – The consortium of MysysNet & SKALI, today announced that it has secured the contract on Johor e-Services (JeG) which forms Johor State e-Government initiatives. The contract which was signed at the State Government office yesterday, will cover Network Infrastructure and development of application system for SPHT Online (Sistem Pentadbiran Hasil Tanah Negeri) and PUTERA (Sistem Jualan Lot Perumahan Bumiputera).

This RM 20 million contract is designed to marry business systems and information technology to best solve arising problems and improve customer service management.

“We are very happy and grateful to our partner – Mysysnet to be awarded the JeG project for the Johor State Government,” said Tengku Farith Rithauddeen, president and co-founder of SKALI, an MSC status company.

“This win is a fantastic testament to the consortium’s capabilities and an added feather in our cap as we move to expand our customer based both locally and regionally.”

The e-Services is based on the underlying principle that records are products of business activities and can truly be understood and appraised in the context of business processes. As such, it is vital that these records are maintained in good order to achieve desired objectives.

Tengku Farith said that the success of the new systems was gauged on its ability to overcome the initial deficits of the old system. “With SPHT Online, the state government will realise advancements in areas such as revenue collection, status and amount verification and increased proficiency in inter-district collection.”

MysysNet Managing Director, Md. Sees Md. Ali said that the overall improvements will contribute to escalated competency in many areas, namely in cutting down the lengthy processing of payments and the ability to update land data online.

Under the PUTERA application, information and operations will conform to standard usage hence allowing access at any district offices or related agencies. PUTERA also helps prevent overlapping of bookings while allowing for a more accurate and management focused report.

According to Md. Sees Md. Ali, JeG is the result of the challenges faced by the Johor State Government and the arising need to determine how technology and business systems can best overcome these and accomplish qualified improvements for the organization.

“In order to improve services to its customers, the Johor State Government needs to be more efficient and effective. Improved customer satisfaction will not only enhance the image of the state but also expand its income, as collection of payment represents an essential function of the state government,” he said.

The commitment of the Johor State Government was instrumental to the success of this project. “They are very much in touch with current customer service trends and have demonstrated a drive to leverage technology to move ahead,” Md. Sees said.

Md. Sees also commented that Mysysnet was grateful to have an e-Business Specialist like SKALI as a consortium partner. “This is an excellent example of smart partnerships at work.”

“While MysysNet is the main contractor, nevertheless, SKALI has a major part to play in helping us deliver. Their expertise and sense of dedication, combined with MysysNet’s capabilities complements one another. Both companies are committed to see through this project,” Md. Sees said.

“Many elements of the JeG project involves Open Source. For example, Web Applications developed are based on OSS and operate in an Open Platform environment. In addition, e-mail system, desktop operating system and some office productivity tools are on open source,” offered Tengku Farith.

“We must ensure smooth transactional experience for Johor State Government’s customers as well as their personnel and officers within the department. We are certain that the formation of SPHT Online and PUTERA will bring about marked improvements in many areas,” Md. Sees added.

MysysNet and SKALI are confident that JeG would be a successful showcase for other states which have not embarked big scale e-government project yet.

“My Malaysia, MyMSC” Launches Into MSC: Next Leap


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The Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) will be launching the “My Malaysia, MyMSC” campaign as per schedule below.

YAB Dato’ Seri Abdullah Hj Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia and YAB Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia are the guests of honour.

Both YAB Dato’ Seri will be accompanied by YB Dato’ Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and YBhg Tan Sri Abdul Halim Ali, Chairman of MDC.

The objectives of the launch signify the growth of MSC into second leap to create awareness among Malaysians on the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) role for Malaysia economic growth and bridge the digital divide.

One of the highlights of the campaign is the launch of MSC Stamps by YBhg Dato’ Ikmal Hijaz bin Hashim, Chief Executive Officer of Pos Malaysia. The first 10 First Day Covers will be signed by Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Abdullah Hj Ahmad Badawi.

The “My Malaysia, MyMSC” campaign, is held from 28th of June until 4th of July, at the Concourse Area of Suria KLCC. During this campaign, activities include MSC X Factor challenges, E-Games @ MSC, MyMSC song performance and many more.

MSC on course, says PM

CYBERJAYA, The Multimedia Super Corridor’s ability to attract the participation of more than 800 companies has removed scepticism about its viability, Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

The Prime Minister said the MSC and its flagship hubcity, Cyberjaya, were moving successfully in the envisaged direction and were not a failure as some critics believed.

He said the MSC's success could also be measured in the overwhelming interest shown by technology-based corporations, foreign and local, in operating from the "intelligent" area.

"We are very glad Ericsson has moved into Cyberjaya. Ericsson has shown courage. We want to make Cyberjaya the hub of information-based industries.

"Some people still doubt that the MSC will become a reality. We tell them: ‘We set a target to attract 500 companies by 2003. But now, we have more than 800.' If that is not success, I don't know what success is," Dr Mahathir said at the opening of Ericsson's RM80 million Malaysian headquarters and regional hub here this morning.

The Ericsson@MSC building houses a showcase of "live" networks, tracing the evolution of the mobile telecommunications standard from Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) to its third generation (3G).

He said Malaysia was happy to be associated with companies like Ericsson as they had an edge in telecommunications technology and foresight on what future technology would be.

This had helped the Government to turn Cyberjaya into a hub for Information Age industries.

"We want to move along with the rest of the world and we want to be conversant in state-of-the-art technology," he added.

Dr Mahathir thanked Ericsson for its unwavering support and confidence in Malaysia.

He described the close rapport and co-operation between the multinational corporation and the Government as the realisation of the smart partnership concept.

"Ericsson's venture here has been beneficial to Malaysia and also to Ericsson, which is why today we have a much better participation of Ericsson in Malaysia's industrialisation process and, in particular, in Malaysia's advance into the infor-mation age." He said Malaysia was not a destination for foreign direct investments when Ericsson first ventured into the country more than three decades ago.

Congratulating Ericsson for its commitment to the transfer of technology and training of Malaysian information technology engineers, Dr Mahathir said foreign participation in the field of IT was vital for the development of the industry.

"This is an industry that is progressing very rapidly. The shelf life of products now is only a few months, maybe even shorter.

"Every time a new product is produced, somebody else comes up with a better product.

"We now have blue tooth, green tooth, all kinds of teeth," he said to loud applause from those present.

Ericsson Asia Pacific president and LM Ericsson executive vicepresident Ragnar Back said choosing Malaysia as the regional hub was a logical choice since Malaysia was among the first in the region to embrace IT in a comprehensive and serious way.

Back also pledged his company's continued support to the MSC initiative and towards further co-oper-ation with the Government.

Paying tribute to Dr Mahathir for his vision and resolve in turning his vision into reality, Back said: "The information and communications technology industry has benefited greatly from your vision and leadership.

"We shall miss your guidance and support when you retire. But you have our assurance for unwavering support to your vision under the new leadership." Energy, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Amar Leo Moggie was also present.

©New Straits Times (M) Berhad

Clinic software maker looking for funds
By CHARLES F. MOREIRA


CYBERJAYA: Startup company Exsoft Enterprise is seeking RM500,000 in venture capital funding to support its sales and marketing efforts, and for further research and development into its locally-developed clinical management system.

Exsoft, not yet a year old, plans to launch its Windows-based Clinicomp medical and dental clinic operation and management system in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor in April next year, the company announced at the .NET Technopreneur Development Centre (NTDC) here recently.

In April it received RM50,000 in funding from Mavcap Bhd's Cradle Investment Programme, and in July, enrolled in the Technopreneur Development Flagship and NTDC programmes spearheaded by the Multimedia Development Corporation.

Exsoft will sell Clinicomp either directly to clinics, or through partnerships with equipment and systems vendors and suppliers who will bundle it with their solutions.

To help clinics adopt the system, it will charge them a monthly subscription rather than sell Clinicomp outright to them.

The company will provide them with telephone and field support, and visit their premises every six months to install software upgrades and patches.

“This will let clinics use Clinicomp with a minimum investment of RM4,000 in hardware, networking equipment and software,” claimed Eric Yap, Exsoft founder and senior system consultant.

Exsoft will initially focus on Kuala Lumpur and Selangor because most medical service providers are based here, it said. It will start expanding into Malacca, Johor Baru and Penang by the middle of 2006.

Developed using Microsoft Visual Basic.NET on the front end and accessing data from Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Edition at the back, Clinicomp has been undergoing pilot trials at five clinics in the Klang Valley since last October.

Its functions include patient registration, treatment history, patient queuing, dispensary, drug and stock inventory, accounts payable and receivable, appointments scheduling, patient treatment records, billing and medical certificate issuance, reporting, business analysis tools and staff management.

Its patient registration module is integrated with MyKad, the new smartcard-based Malaysian identity card, and it complies with the HL7 (Health Level 7) standards used by the Health Ministry’s Telehealth project.

Minimum system configuration comprises a desktop PC for patient registration and another on the doctor’s desk connected over a local area network (LAN), with options to add either more desktop PCs to the wired LAN or notebook PCs and touchscreen Tablet PCs over a WiFi connection.

“WiFi is cheaper to install and provides greater mobility for users than a wired LAN, and the system supports up to 128 users based on the capacity of the wireless router,” said Yap.

“Doctors are used to writing notes, drawing sketches and diagrams on paper, and they can do the same on the Tablet PC’s touchscreen. Clinicomp will capture their handwritten notes and sketches and format them into Word documents.

“Doctors can also scan in electro-cardiograms (ECGs), x-rays or any other kind of graphical information, and Clinicomp will associate them with relevant patient records," he claimed.

Cyberjaya Flagship center
Pics by Dutch, Swedisch, Canadian Delegation visits Malaysia to start Scin

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Why so cold?
Sunday January 23, 2005


By MENG YEW CHOONG

LECTURER Dr Yap Lip Vun made an interesting observation: “Normally, places with centralised air-conditioning are prone to being too cold. For example, in the lecture halls or examination hall, where such a system is used, end users cannot adjust the temperature.

“Every time I have a morning class, students will come in jackets, windbreakers, sweaters, long sleeved shirts and so on. It’s like having a class in a temperate country during autumn. Only difference is that the students can’t wait to get rid of their autumn clothing the moment they leave the lecture hall.”

Peter Ho, a lecturer at an institution in Cyberjaya, shares a similar experience.



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Dr Hassan Bathish: Our comfort is affected by temperature and humidity.



“My office has a centralised air-conditioning system. In some individual rooms, we can control the temperature as well as the blower’s speed. Elsewhere, however, users cannot adjust anything. While this should mean that the temperature is more or less consistent in the building, that’s not the case. Certain rooms are far too cold, while some others don’t even feel like they are air-conditioned.”

According to ECO Energy Sdn Bhd technical director Dr Hassan Bathish (eco-energy.com.my), although the feeling of comfort is very subjective, our feeling of comfort is affected by the “dry-bulb” temperature, relative humidity or “wet-bulb” temperature and the velocity of air in the area that is occupied.

“In general, most people feel comfortable when the indoor conditions are kept between 23°C and 26°C and relative humidity between 50% and 70%,” said the principal of the company that specialises in helping corporations use energy efficiently.

However, not all buildings aim for these figures, hence Ho’s and Yap’s problems with the temperature. According to Francis Liew, managing director of Johnson Controls Malaysia Sdn Bhd (johnsoncontrols.com), some building maintenance personnel “would just rather set the air-conditioner on full blast than tweak the controls to get a more optimised setting. That way, they can argue that the system is working, and in that way, they avoid having to deal with complaints about the place being too warm. Their reasoning is that those who are too cold can just put on a jacket or something.”

To Liew, leaving the cooling system on full blast just to avoid dealing with employee grouses is a short-term solution given that in the tropics, air-conditioning represents about 40% to 70% of a building’s energy demands.

Another reason for the prevalence of buildings that are too cold could be that engineers and designers have a vested interest in intentionally over specifying air-conditioning equipment. According to a consulting engineer who prefers to remain anonymous, some consultant’s fees are based upon the percentage of the price of the equipment that they recommend; that is, the costlier and bigger the equipment, the larger their cut in the end.

A large air-conditioner will not necessarily provide the best cooling. An oversized air-conditioner costs more in the first place, and uses more electricity. Another overlooked disadvantage is that oversized air-conditioners tend to cycle on and off more frequently, thus reducing their efficiency.

Frequent cycling also inhibits moisture removal, which is an important function of air-conditioners in a humid climate such as ours. Additionally, this cycling wears out the compressor and electrical parts more rapidly, especially if the system is grossly oversized.

Others have yet another different take. For example, Johnson’s Liew contends that (slight) oversizing of the cooling system cannot be avoided as the system would have to be ready to cater to unforeseen demands.

“Being oversized is all right, as long as there is the capacity to reduce output to suit the needs of users,” he says. The problem, it seems, is that there is either no proper control built in, or that the whole system is poorly maintained, argues Liew’s colleague, Ian Wong, who is the country manager for Johnson Controls in charge of solution and system sales.

“It is about the lack of proper control of the system. And it is also about poor maintenance, which causes the system to malfunction. A control system, when working properly, should adjust the output of a cooling system. Otherwise, temperatures would be too cold, and energy is wasted.”

Welcome to tropical Siberia
Sunday January 23, 2005

Jackets, scarves, boots – the way some people dress for the office nowadays, you’d think you were in a temperate climate, not tropical Malaysia that sits three degrees above the equator. It’s all because of that ubiquitous and now indispensable invention, the air-conditioner, discovers MENG YEW CHOONG.

source : http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2005/1/23/features/9905036&sec=features

Cyberjaya Visited by azam hashim

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TV Cyberjaya (http://www.cyberjayatv.net/)

Myren Initiative A Boost For Research
March 28, 2005 18:08 PM




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MYREN… (from left) Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis, Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik and Deputy Minister of Education Datuk Fu Ah Kiow putting their palms on a plaque to mark the launching of the Malaysian Research and Education Network (MYREN) at the MSC Innovation Centre in Cyberjaya, Monday. Pix: Shaifuldin




CYBERJAYA, March 28 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Research and Education Network (Myren) initiative launched Monday is set to take research undertaken in the country to another level altogether.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Mohd Jarjis said it would help to enhance the capacity for research and development (R&D) at R&D centres in the country.

Myren would pave the way for the creation of the National Computing Grid system that would allow public universities to cooperate in the processing, analysing and storing of data for research purposes, he told reporters after Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik launched the Myren initiative, here.

Through the national computer grid initiative, each of the research centres would have upgraded research processing, analysing and storage capacities, Dr Jamaluddin said.

"Later, each of the universities will have their own approaches and capacities. And we have to replicate. If the data is being stored in a different university in a different format, how can you can transfer the data directly from one PC (personal computer) to another," he said.

He said that through the computer-sharing National Computing Grid system, universities would have the capacity to undertake sophisticated research processes in difficult and rare areas like life sciences, biometrics and genomes.

"If, in the past, each computer (at every university) analyses and stores the data on a stand-alone (basis), now they can join hands.

"Each of the (research) processing capacities in the university can be linked together to become a multi-processing capacity with much bigger processing power.

"So, that data can be stored in a bigger (capacity) and, yet, can be linked with each other," he said.

Dr Jamaluddin also said that the government was looking at creating a ratio of 100 researchers to 10,000 people, adding that the current ratio of 15.6 researchers to 10,000 people was low for a developing country.

Ultimately, he said, research would have to translate into economic outcome.

-- BERNAMA

Govt to launch national grid computing project
Wednesday March 30, 2005





BY RASLAN SHARIF

CYBERJAYA: The Government is embarking on a National Grid Computing initiative to boost research and development by pooling computing resources in local universities and research institutions.

Mimos Bhd is leading the effort, with work already underway since the end of last year, according to Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti).

The initiative is expected to be launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi next month, he said.

“We are going to build a networked, multiprocessing, multistorage computing capability” to enhance the existing R&D infrastructure in universities, Jamaluddin told reporters at the official launch of the Malaysian Research and Education Network (MyREN) on Monday.

MyREN is a high-speed research network linking 12 local universities.

Jamaluddin did not disclose the cost or completion date of the grid computing initiative.

A grid computing platform integrates high performance computing clusters, applications and databases together via high-speed networks.

Such an infrastructure would catalyse the formation of research clusters in new and existing scientific areas, as well as consolidate Malaysia’s expertise in these areas, said Jamaluddin.

“It will be crucial for our R&D efforts in the life sciences and biotechnology sectors,” he said.

Once completed, it would be linked to MyREN, and be made available to the scientific and research community in the country, he said.

Grid computing is expected to be a key component of Malaysia’s technology agenda under the upcoming Ninth Malaysia Plan. Others include IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) and RFID (radio frequency identification) technologies.

Global links

Meanwhile, efforts are underway to connect MyREN to the Japan Gigabit Network, which is also a research network, said Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik, Minister of Energy, Water and Communications.

Multimedia University (MMU), a MyREN member, is currently working with Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on the linkup, he said.

“This would most certainly bring about better fruition of the joint initiatives we have now, as well as future collaborations,” Dr Lim said in his speech at the MyREN launch.

Malaysia is also offering space and resources to the European Commission (EC) to locate the South-East Asia network operations centre (NOC) for the Trans-Eurasia Information Network (TEIN2), he said. The EC administers TEIN2.

Work on connecting MyREN to TEIN2 is expected to be completed later this year, MyREN officials said. The MyREN NOC is located in Cyberjaya.

The linkup will provide a gateway to scientific and research collaboration with national research and education networks (REN) that are part of the GEANT – the pan-European REN – as well as RENs in other Asian countries.

Countries in the region that have set up RENs include Singapore, China, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Focused research

Dr Lim also said that current R&D activities utilising MyREN are focused on four areas: Network technologies, IPv6, “e-sciences” such as bioinformatics, and multimedia applications.

Ongoing research include a teleradiology project involving researchers at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Teknologi Mara, and the Malaysian Institute of Nuclear Technology; cancer cell visualisation at Universiti Malaya (UM) and MMU, as well as a bioinformatics project at UPM.

The universities concerned are MyREN members. Others are Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

MyREN comprises two networks – a production network and an experimental network – that cater to differing research requirements.

The production network is MPLS-based (multiprotocol label switching) and links the 12 universities at up to 8Mbps (megabits per second). It is being used for data exchange in collaborative research projects.

The experimental network provides 2Mbps point-to-point connectivity linking four locations – USM, UPM, UM and UKM – for network research and dedicated testing.

MyREN will also be opened to other participants, as local and international organisations have also expressed interest, Dr Lim said.

“As soon as we stabilise the system, we will accept membership from other local private and public universities, government research institutions, as well as private sector research entities,” he said.

Dr Lim described the launch of MyREN as ushering in “a new chapter in the history of R&D in Malaysia,” and said that it provided the tool that would enable the country to “make the much vaunted quantum leap.”

MCMC Appoints New Members Of The Information Sharing Forum (ISF)
March 30, 2005 17:36 PM




Cyberjaya, 30 March 2005 - The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) today released a list of new members of the Information Sharing Forum (ISF) on Information and Network Security.

The IFS was formed in June 2004 and comprises various Internet Service Providers (ISP) and other agencies in order to address the information and network security issues in Malaysia. Apart from encouraging cooperation between different network owners, operators and other agencies, the establishment of the said forum enables the sharing of experience and expertise for the benefit of the Malaysian network infrastructure.

For the full text, click here (http://prwire.bernama.com/viewprarticle.phtml?aid=5916).

Cyberjaya Not A Failure
March 30, 2005 17:36 PM




KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- Cyberjaya has not failed in carrying out its duty as a research and development hub and indeed has been accepted as one of the foremost intelligent cities in the world.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Dr Mohd Ruddin Abdul Ghani said Cyberjaya had successfully made Malaysia a global hub in the development of the information technology industry.

"I would like to invite the respected members of Dewan Rakyat to visit MSC in Cyberjaya and witness for themselves the described success," he said in response to a question raised by Alexander Nanta Linggi (BN-Kapit) during a Question and Answer session at the Dewan Rakyat here Wednesday.

Dr Mohd Ruddin said several R&D based international companies have invested in Cyberjaya such as BT Asian Research Centre, Motorola Innovation Centre, Intel R&D and companies given grants under the MSC Research and Development Scheme (MGS) such as Redtone, Sires Labs, Jobstreet and IC Microsystem.

"Motorola Innovation Centre for example, has made available 300 job opportunities with 99 percent of them being locals. Besides that, nine of the 63 MGS companies have been listed on the MESDAQ market with a market capitalisation of RM920 million," he said.

Dr Mohd Ruddin also said that at the 8th MSC International Advisory Panel meeting last September, companies such as Motorola, Intel, Microsoft and Dell which are carrying out R&D in Malaysia had expressed deep satisfaction with the quality of the Malaysian workers.

As at 2003, a total of 276 patents had been filed or registered, an increase by 40.1 percent from the previous year, he said.

Among the strategies taken to prepare experts in the R&D field for the world's leading technology companies meanwhile have included strategic collaborative efforts through the MSC's Strategic Thrust Areas in Research (STAR) programme, he said.

Apart from that, efforts have been also taken to encourage partnerships between local companies and universities as well as public research institutions to raise capabilities in new technologies, he added.

-- BERNAMA

Cyberjaya

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New programme to assist ISVs launched
Monday April 11, 2005




KUALA LUMPUR: Microsoft Malaysia has committed RM2.3mil worth of software products and training for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) over the next 12 months.

The move is under the Microsoft Empower For ISVs programme which is aimed at helping the 1,000-odd ISVs in the country.

“We are excited to transfer our product development knowledge and experience to local companies,” said Christopher Yong, Microsoft Malaysia’s director for business marketing organisation.

He was speaking at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Microsoft and the Malaysian Chinese Association-Information and Communications Technology (MCA-ICT) Resource Centre, which aims to assist local technopreneurs to develop and commercialise world-class products.

An ISV that signs up for the 12-month programme will be charged a RM1,455 token fee, and will have access to training sessions and seminars dealing with the use of Microsoft software development tools.

The ISV will also receive the latest Microsoft software, such as Windows, Office, Visual Basic, Windows Server, Exchange Server, SQL Server, as well as .NET tools and technologies.

It will also be able to use the .NET Technopreneur Development Centre (located in Cyberjaya) for testing and benchmarking the applications it is developing.

According to Microsoft, the token fee is to ensure that the ISV is serious in its commitment. “The RM1,455 is a fraction of the actual cost (of products and services provided under the programme),” said Yong.

ISVs who want to find out more about the programme can go to http://members.microsoft.com/partner/competency/isvcomp/ISVprogram.aspx.

Andrew Wong, chief executive officer of the MCA-ICT Resource Centre, said it hoped to attract at least 50 ISVs to the programme. “But we would like as many as possible,” he said.

Wong said the centre would be organising roadshows in the other states to publicise the Microsoft Empower For ISVs programme. These shows would likely start from next month, he added.

The centre is also working to assist local small- and medium-sized industries (SMIs) to incorporate ICT in their operations so that they can further improve their competitiveness and efficiency.

The SMI Association has reported that only 30% of SMIs in the country have web presence and use IT on a daily basis (see In.Tech, March 17).

Model schools in modern towns
Friday April 8, 2005




PUTRAJAYA: Schools in Putrajaya and Cyberjaya will be become model schools for others in the country.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said schools in these two modern areas had first-class facilities and ICT infrastructure.

He said the facilities in these schools would be used as a “benchmark” for all other schools, in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s call that all schools be made smart schools by 2008.

The overall aim was to raise the standards of all national schools and elevate the teaching profession, he told reporters after meeting school administrators at his ministry here yesterday.

The meeting with the school administrators was aimed at establishing a network between the schools and the ministry, and was attended by school heads, principals, ministry officials and district education officers.

Hishammudin said that the “benchmarking” would involve a total of 15 schools (eight primary and seven secondary) in Putrajaya and Cyberjaya, including two residential schools, namely Sek Alam Shah and Sek Seri Puteri.

It was also decided at the meeting that the help of community bodies in these two areas would be enlisted to support the schools’ co-curricular activities.

Hishammuddin said the ministry was also monitoring projects in schools that involved other ministries, such as the Works Ministry, to prevent problems like the computer laboratory fiasco.

SKALI wins RM3 million e-Government project via Brunei joint venture
See vast potential for ICT services in Brunei market





BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 23rd February, 2005 – E-business specialist, SKALI, today announced that it has secured an RM3 million (B$1.83 Million) e-government project from the Ministry Of Religious Affairs (MORA) of Brunei Darussalam. The project for the provision, installation and maintenance of solutions and related software, is to establish a Computerised Islamic Information System, better known as SisMI (Sistem Maklumat Islam).

The project was secured via HakbaSKALI Sdn Bhd, an intergrated e-business services provider. HakbaSKALI is a joint venture between SKALI and Brunei’s NoorHakba Sdn Bhd.

“SKALI is proud to be a part of Brunei’s progress in the field of ICT and e-government,” said Tengku Farith Rithauddeen, president and co-founder of SKALI, an MSC status company.

SKALI’s involvement in the SisMI project falls in line with its current expansion path beyond Malaysian shores. Furthermore, with Brunei’s allocation of RM1.172 billion (B$526 million) for ICT sector under the 8th National Development Plan (NDP) and its high focus on e-governance, SKALI sees great potential for the provision of ICT services in that marketplace.

“SKALI is able to blend in easily as there is good synergy between Malaysia and Brunei,” said Tengku Farith adding that Malaysian companies are able to capitalize on the similarities in culture and language.

SisMI is one of the 12 e-government projects to be implemented by MORA with a total budget of $40.69 Million allocation. Once completed, SisMI Phase 1 will be the online gateway for Islamic knowledge and services. It will enhance the delivery and management of MORA’s services to the public including activities such as Pre-marriage Courses, Marriage Related Complaints, Syariah Criminal Related Complaints, Conversions and Safeguarding Aqidah.

“We are very happy and grateful to our partner – SKALI for their involvement is securing this win,” said Hj Adnan Datu Hulubalang Hj Abdul Wahab, Chairman, HakbaSKALI Sdn. Bhd.

“We made a strategic decision to choose SKALI as partner in managing and implementing ICT projects as they have vast experience in e-government implementations,” he added.

SKALI’s expertise in this area is without question having deployed many projects in Malaysia including for the Employees Provident Fund, Johor State Government, Central Bank of Malaysia, Islam Digital Library, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Finance, as well as numerous corporate entities.

Hj. Adnan added that one of the main criterias for setting up in Brunei is that the industry currently has a high level of dependency on foreign skilled professionals. “Through HakbaSKALI, we can affect a transfer of knowledge and skills to the people towards becoming successful and skilled IT professionals.”

Tengku Farith agreed, saying that SKALI culture has always been about sharing knowledge. “This joint venture is a win-win situation. SKALI is given the opportunity to venture into Brunei while the Ministry can benefit from our expertise through a transfer of knowledge and technology,” he said.

The SisMI project will take six months to complete. Following that HakbaSKALI will continue to provide maintenance for a period of four years.

About SKALI
SKALI, an MSC status company, is an e-business specialist that helps companies create business confidence throughout the organization by effectively developing and implementing e-business systems, solutions and services.

The company has a wealth of experience and expertise in providing effective e-business methodologies and in ensuring efficient implementation of projects of all sizes. It has the capability to manage major business projects that translate into lower total cost of ownership, increase customers’ competitiveness and maximize customers’ investment.

Established since 1997, SKALI’s customers range from big enterprises to small and medium sized businesses in the financial services, telecommunications, education, government and agricultural sectors. Over the years, the company has expanded its market reach globally to include customers in Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Nestle to work on R&D with Limkokwing University College
Friday March 18, 2005






NESTLE (M) Bhd plans to collaborate with Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology in research and development.

Limkokwing said in a statement that both sides had discussed working together in industrial design, packaging design and innovation methodology.

Nestle SA vice-president of packaging Helmut Traitler and head of global package innovation Gordon Lane recently visited the Limkokwing campus in Cyberjaya and met president Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing and his senior executive team.




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Nestle head of global package innovation Gordon Lane signing a poster during the visit to Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology. With him are Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing (centre) and Helmut Traitler.




Nestle Malaysia packaging technology manager Lim Seng Huat said Nestle was intensifying its activities in packaging design globally.

“We seek to establish contacts and more long-term relationship with design networks,” he said.

Fifteen global HSBC service centres
Thursday March 17, 2005






SBC Bank (M) Bhd, aims to have 15 global service centres (GSC) by 2007 to improve the group's efficiency and operational cost worldwide.

HSBC group chief operating officer Alan Jebson said the bank targeted to achieve US$1bil cost savings within three years from 2004.

“We're on track to achieve the target and I'm confident it can be done,” he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

He said it cost about US$20mil to US$30mil to develop a GSC and that there were other costs involved, such as running costs, to consider.

“Outsourcing is a natural progression for many large banks to improve their services to customers around the world and a way of maximising and sharing resources to stay competitive,” he stressed.

Jebson said a lot of HSBC's cost savings in the early years came from GSCs created in developing countries to run backroom operations traditionally done in Britain, the United States and Europe.




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Alan Jebsen




“But increasingly more value-added jobs have been transferred to GSCs around the world and some new ones created as well to cater to local requirements,” he noted.

HSBC implemented its first GSC in Hyderabad, India in 2001. Since then the world’s second largest bank by market capitalisation has established 10 GSCs in five countries: Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, China and the Philippines.

Jebson said the GSC in Hyderabad was fully integrated and had a skilled workforce to handle various high-end outsourcing jobs.

“The other GSCs are at various stages of functions and competence,” he said.

Currently there are about 13,000 workers employed with HSBC's GSCs.

“Our largest GSC is located in Cyberjaya with over 2,000 staff,” Jebson said.

On future GSCs, Jebson said HSBC was looking to develop a GSC in Calcutta, India later this year and was in talks with the Vietnamese authorities to develop a GSC in their country.

On the impact of outsourcing, Jebson said the trend was inevitable but many advanced countries such as Britain had managed to train their own workers to perform other value-added jobs.

Citing the example of HSBC, he said the bank did not have to cut jobs due to outsourcing but had successfully retrained workers in different capacities.

“Certainly in Britain the impact of outsourcing has not been too unfavourable. Other countries such as the US may be more affected but that should be a temporary setback seeing how dynamic the economy is.”

11-04-2005: Extend MSC benefits, urges Pikom
By Surin Murugiah



The Association of Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom) says benefits limited to Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status companies operating only in the MSC area may slow down the development of the technology industry.

In a memorandum submitted at the MITI Annual Dialogue 2005 in Kuala Lumpur on April 11, Pikom said the benefits should be extended to all information and communications technology (ICT) companies regardless of their location.

It said the relocation of ICT companies to the MSC area was expensive to manage and had drawn complaints.

It also said with the nationwide rollout of the MSC, it was best the government widen the scope of eligibility to include all fields of ICT rather than allowing only companies that are involved in software development and research and development to be given MSC status.

Pikom also called for a review of existing regulations that prevented foreign-owned companies from getting registration to bid for consulting and systems integration projects for government bodies, local authorities and government-linked companies.

It said selected foreign companies should be allowed to register provided they met strict professional criteria, as this would allow the country to obtain world-class solutions and resources.

MSC impresses Hotmail co-founder
17 January 2005
By Karamjit Singh




Sabeer Bhatia, co-founder of popular free e-mail provider Hotmail, is here on an eight-day visit to check out the MSC as a possible place to locate one of his software development centres.

If he does, it could prove to be a massive shot in the arm for MSC’s visibility and credibility in the US and especially Silicon Valley.

The fact that he met with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Jamaludin Jarjis on Jan 14 shows the nation’s desire to have him on board.

Sabeer met with technology industry leaders at a networking event organised by the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) at Cyberjaya on Jan 13. He revealed that he was highly impressed by the physical infrastructure and infostructure of the MSC and Malaysia and said the country should market itself more intensively as an outsourcing destination, especially to the US.

He emphasised that Malaysia should capitalise on its physical infrastructure, as that was its edge over India. “Show your outsourcing success stories to the Americans. When one comes, soon an avalanche will follow,” he added.

Pressed on the issue of talent supply, Sabeer pointed out “you can import it. Allow talented people to immigrate here.”

As a vote of confidence in Malaysia, he said: “The fact that I am here shows that Hotmails and Googles are possible in Malaysia as I only start companies if I think they can be as big as Hotmail.”

Local entrepreneurs can consider this piece of advice from him: “The key to a successful company is having the right people. They must be passionate, intellectually honest and believe in what they’re doing.”

And go global, he urged. “Use Malaysia as your testbed but make the world your market. Look for untapped markets that will mature in the future”.

And what does the future hold? “The time span for companies to reach billion dollar size will collapse to four years from 20 years previously”, he predicts.

“Look at Google which has a market capitalisation of US$60 billion (RM228 billion). They did it in eight years but I believe this will accelerate”.

And he’s betting on mobile computing, broadband to the home and biotechnology to be the next drivers of wealth creation.

Sabeer Bhatia is the co-founder of Hotmail which he sold to Microsoft for US$400 million in 1997. He has degrees from Stanford and Caltech.

Post-Hotmail, he founded Arzoo, a venture which in his own words “failed miserably”, but bounced back to start the largest voicemail service in India called Navin and is now working simultaneously on five new ventures.

I-Systems has a boost for bancassurance
20/1/2005
BY DALJIT DHESI


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I-SYSTEMS Group Bhd is all geared to assist local insurers in facilitating and further boosting their bancassurance operations in line with the growing importance and profitability of this business in the region.

Group chief technology officer Kevin Steer said the major drivers of the business included the increasing sophistication of Asian consumers, broad-based regional financial deregulation and the squeeze on Asian banks' profit margins.

This, he added, had led financial service providers to look at alternative distribution channels to enhance their business.

“In today’s highly competitive business environment, insurers must ensure they operate efficiently and provide business partners and customers quality services, and at the same time reduce their operating costs.

“Some of the challenges facing insurers are employing manual operations at work such as hand-filling proposal form processes, submission of physical proposal forms to insurers for underwriting purposes and the subsequent data-entry for policy issuance resulting in long waiting period by customers,” he said during an interview.

The inability to provide up-to-date information in response to queries within a reasonable timeframe, and slow and inflexible information dissemination methods were also some of the challenges facing local insurers, Steer noted.

He said that with the company's software, InsureConnect, I-Systems was confident the above problem could be solved and efficiency and marketability enhanced. Apart from facilitating bancassurance sales processes, the software also helps in support services.

According to Steer, InsureConnect is a web-based intelligent insurance services automation solution designed to help insurers automate their mission critical business functions.

He added that the solution allowed them to increase opportunities in new business underwritten, enhanced the policy persistency rate and provided quick turnaround to queries from distribution channels and customers while reducing overall operating costs.

The Multimedia Super Corridor-status company, which is eyeing a Mesdaq listing by mid-year, is an information and communications technology company that deploys software solutions for the insurance, healthcare and government sectors.

Steer said some of the insurers using the InsureConnect software are AIA Malaysia, Jernih insurance, Malaysia National Insurance Bhd (MNI) and Uni.Asia Life. The company is currently talking to a few more potential customers in regard to the usage of the software.

He said the company had also successfully implemented InsureConnect for Generali China Life Insurance Co Ltd, a joint venture between Italy-based insurance giant Assicurazioni Generali and China National Petroleum Corp.

The company recently bagged the Microsoft’s Customer Experience Award 2004 at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference held in Toronto, Canada. Winners were based on their innovative use of Microsoft’s latest technology to deliver solutions that exceeded customers' expectations

ICT must touch the lives of all M'sians: Abdullah
3/2/2005


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Penang: Information communication technology (ICT) should never be elitist in nature, but must touch the lives of all Malaysians, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Saturday.

The Prime Minister said every Malaysian must be sufficiently exposed to ICT so that they could use it to improve their way of life, be it for agricultural activities, business dealings, research or schoolwork.

He said with the greater adoption of ICT by the people, the Government could use ICT to provide better and more timely services to the people.

"Indeed, we cannot expect greater speed and efficiency if we do things in the same old way. We all need to upgrade ourselves, add value to ourselves and learn how to use technology to make our lives better," he said at the launch of Penang Cybercity and the "My Malaysia, MyMSC" campaign, here.

Present were Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Halim Ali and MDC Chief Executive Officer Datuk Dr Mohamed Arif Nun.



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Abdullah said with the progress of ICT in the country, it was timely for the Government to support the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) roll-out outside the Klang Valley, with Penang Cybercity and later with the Kulim High Technology Park.

He said the launch of Penang Cybercity in Bayan Lepas marked a significant milestone in the growth of the MSC and further dissemination of ICT to the rest of the nation.

He also said that to serve the national ICT agenda, the MSC would no longer be confined to the original 15km by 50km zone which was set up during its inception.

"Building on its experiences of the last seven years, the MSC will expand its borders to the rest of the country in order to spread the growth of MSC and ICT to more parts of Malaysia."

He added that the expansion comprised a hub-and-spoke network of cybercities and cybercentres, which would be created in phases until its completion in 2010.

"With this launch, I hope to see an ICT renaissance of sorts in Penang. From this expansion of the MSC, I hope to see a new growth trajectory of value-added ICT-driven business in Penang, a development which will complement Penang's traditional electronics and semiconductor industries," he said.

Abdullah said the MSC continued to play a vital role in developing Malaysia's ICT industry and had succeeded in creating 19,000 knowledge-based jobs, generating RM1.2 billion in ICT exports and attracting RM419 million of investments in research and development (R&D) expenditure.

Malaysia had also been ranked the third most attractive location in the world for outsourcing and had managed to attract 49 outsourcing companies and created 8,000 jobs.

"There is much more that we can achieve in this field. The success of the MSC needs to be deepened and enhanced. I believe that more knowledge-based jobs, more technology companies and more ICT export earnings can be created if the MSC continues to improve itself, not just geographically but also operationally," he said.

Thus, he said, the MSC needed to be more attractive and more effective than its competitors in other countries. Only then would it be able to grow the ICT sector towards a truly global scale.

The Prime Minister said the MSC was not only about immediate job and revenue generation, but also had socio-economic objectives to achieve, especially to work hard to reduce the digital divide between the Klang Valley and other parts of the country, as well as between urban and rural areas.

He said the Government would allocate sufficient funds in the coming Ninth Malaysian Plan to ensure the successful implementation of the "MSC-The Next Leap" programme, which will focus on electronic-government (e-government) and e-communities, particularly in services delivery to the rural areas.

He said although Cyberjaya would remain an important core to the MSC project, the future performance of Cyberjaya versus other MSC cybercities would depend on the effectiveness and determination of the people at the local level.

"I look forward to seeing how this will develop. I believe that coordination and some friendly competition between MSC cybercities is healthy and will benefit the country as a whole," he said.

Penang Cybercity is managed by the Penang State Government and it encompasses the Bayan Lepas industrial parks, Bayan Mutiara and part of Bayan Baru.

- Bernama

Moving up the value chain
4/2/2005
Source of Article: The Star Online
Source of image: www.mosti.gov.my

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By RASLAN SHARIF

PENANG: The Government wants to introduce incentives in the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) to encourage more value-added activities in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Jamaluddin Jarjis last week provided more details on the ministry’s proposal for the plan, which will be unveiled later this year.

Jamaluddin told reporters recently that the gist of the ministry’s proposal would be to “revisit” the nation’s R&D focus.

It has conducted several discussions with agencies and organisations in the public and private sectors to gather feedback on potential strategies to develop the ICT sector over the plan’s five-year period.

The consultative phase for ICT has been completed, with the ministry expected to submit its proposal to the Government before the end of this month.

Recommendations in the proposal include boosting the shared services and outsourcing (SSO) sector, Jamaluddin told reporters during preparations to mark Penang’s official designation as a Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) cybercity last week.

The sector will be a key driver for the MSC’s nine-year second phase, which kicked off last year.

Although the MSC, especially Cyberjaya, has long been seen as a viable location for the SSO sector, more attention has been given to it now that management consulting firm A.T. Kearney has ranked Malaysia among the top three most attractive locations worldwide for offshoring activities.

The ministry’s proposal includes recommendations on boosting design and development activities in Malaysia, specifically those related to microchip design.

“We want to encourage more R&D to be conducted here,” Jamaluddin said.

The move leverages on the large-scale chip manufacturing activities that have established themselves here over the past three decades.

But Malaysia faces a challenge from a trend that is seeing more and more low-end assembly and testing activities moving to lower-cost locations, like China.

Besides the many multinational companies in the semiconductor business that have operations here, Jamaluddin said, chipmakers could take advantage of the presence of local chip manufacturers such as 1st Silicon, Silterra and Mimos Semiconductor.

“We’re seeing a lot of investment in chip design from the United States going to places like Taiwan,” he said. “I don’t see why we can’t make an effort to attract some of them here.”


Sweetening the pot

Jamaluddin also said the ministry’s proposal would call for more incentives to be introduced to attract foreign investment in the local ICT sector.

Agencies and organisations that gave their feedback during consultations with the ministry provided a range of recommendations for the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

Besides chip design, sources said other technology areas that were seen as important to the growth of the local ICT sector and overall socioeconomic development included information security, wireless broadband, as well as mobile content and applications.

Wireless broadband initiatives have been on the increase in recent months, with the Government seeing the technology as key to overcoming last-mile issues and the problem of the digital divide.

A slew of companies have been given licences to provide widescale wireless broadband services, many of which are expected to be introduced this year.

Several companies have also been awarded contracts to provide wireless broadband access in rural schools. Smart Digital Communications Bhd, for example, has been contracted to provide broadband Internet access to 2,000 schools in rural areas, via satellite.

The Government also wants WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) connectivity to be available in all schools.

Other areas discussed included grid computing, RFID (radio frequency identification) technology and next-generation web addressing scheme, IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6).

Nexusedge secures RM2.4m development grant
1/3/2005
Source of article: The Edge Daily
Source of image: Nexusedge Technologies
(http://www.nexusedge.com)


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By Yushaimi Yahaya in Jeddah

Nexusedge Technologies Sdn Bhd, an MSC-status company, has received a RM2.4 million MGS Grant to develop Malaysia’s own enterprise mobile computing framework that allows work with enterprise applications despite being offline.

The fund from the Multimedia Super Corridor research and development grant scheme (MGS) would enable Nexusedge Technologies to address what was termed occasionally connected computing (OCC) by Intel, the company said in a statement.

“The objective of the project is to research and enable a mode of enterprise mobile computing where client applications keep working productively with our without network connection,” said its president and chief executive Shoon C Hor.

He said enterprise mobile computing was becoming more critical to businesses that needed to ensure productivity of staff, whether they were connected or otherwise.

The company, in which MSC Venture Corporation and Commerce Technology Ventures have substantial stakes, expects to deploy the framework in September 2005, targeting finance, banking & insurance industry, the government, the telecommunications market and the logistics & transport segment.

-The Edge Daily

TH Group's MSC Status IT Companies Bag Two Key Projects
1/3/2005
Source of article: Bernama
Source of image: TH Group Berhad (http://www.thgroup.com.my)


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KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- iTech Worldwide Sdn Bhd, one of TH Group Bhd's two MSC status subsidiary companies, recently obtained a letter of award from the Indonesian subsidiary of Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd, Minamas Plantation, to supply and implement web-based management systems at its plantations and palm oil mills in Indonesia.

The project involves the installation and implementation of eFLEX Plantware and Millware management systems in 53 estates with a total planted area of 165,000 ha and 13 palm oil mills in Sumatera, Kalimantan and Sulawesi.

The other MSC status company of TH Group,THG e-Net Solutions Sdn Bhd, had secured a project with BondWeb Malaysia to supply and install comprehensive web application system.

"Winning these two awards motivate the team to be even more determined to promote the awareness of how technology can bring value to business, be it in the agricultural sector or the financial sector," said Lei Lin Thai, group managing director of TH Group, said in a statement Monday.

The group's IT clients include Tradewinds, WTK Holding Bhd, Rimbunan Hijau Group, Kulim (M) Bhd, Unilever Ghana (TOPP & BOPP) and Amanah Saham Sarawak.

Besides IT, the TH Group is involved plantations, construction and healthcare.

The group has cultivated about 11,557 hectares of oil palm plantations in Sabah. The group also owns and operates a 90 tonne crude palm oil mill.

Equally active on the construction front, the division has during the year 2004 secured projects totaling RM171.2 million. These projects include infrastructure works for army staff quarters, water works, schools, residential apartments, installation of signboards and billboards and extension of hospital and research centre.

These new projects secured bring the outstanding order book up to RM263 million as at December 2004.

The group has also made a strategic investment in healthcare with the acquisition of the Nilai Cancer Institute (NCI) under AsiaPrise Biotech Sdn Bhd, which was completed in April 2004.

NCI is currently under an expansion programme expected to complete in July 2005.

AsiaPrise has also secured a distribution and marketing agreement with Glenmark Laboratory India to distribute Glenmark's range of pharmaceutical products in South East Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

- Bernama

Teen helping adults fight ‘bad guys’
1/3/2005
Source of article: The Star Online


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KUALA LUMPUR: Soon after Sept 11, 2001 when Ankit Fadia was 14 years old, he was requested by a US international intelligence agency to decipher an encrypted message from Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network.

The young IT genius from New Delhi was paid a handsome sum when he decrypted the message.

At 16, Ankit outsmarted Kashmiri separatists who had planned, in a chat channel, to attack an Indian website.

After gathering much information about the people behind the planned attack, the teenager took on a member’s nickname and eavesdropped on their conversation.

He recorded a copy of the chat transcript and mailed it to the US spy organisation that hired him. The corporate site was then pulled down for two hours and uploaded with anti-cracking software.

WHIZ KID: Ankit has written five bestsellers on computer security although he is just 19.

“They were basically hackers who wanted to deface the site and put up a message saying Kashmir belonged to Pakistan,” said Ankit, who completed his assignment in a day and was, again, paid a substantial amount for his job.

Ankit continues to work closely with the Indian police and other international police organisations to track down crackers (unethical hackers) who wreak havoc on websites.

Today, at 19, the Stanford University computer science sophomore globe trots, advising and lecturing CEOs on how to safeguard their computer and Internet systems against unethical hackers.

“Cyber terrorism is on the rise and Malaysians should be aware of it. They should learn more about the security systems in order to protect their computer systems,” the visiting self-proclaimed “ethical hacker” said in a recent interview.

He defined a hacker as “a good person who can help in securing the system” while a cracker is “the bad guy who aims to destroy websites”.
Ankit, the son of an Indian Government engineer has authored five bestsellers on computer security, which have sold 100,000 copies across the globe.

His books have been translated into Korean, Portuguese and Polish and are used as reference textbooks in some higher learning institutes in Asia and the United States.

The whiz kid, who wrote his first book when he was just 14, was invited here to speak at the Multimedia Super Corridor monthly dialogue with CEOs and deliver a talk on ethical hacking at the Multimedia University.

“I want to work with Malaysian corporate organisations to design better computer security systems against crackers.

“Malaysians seem to place little attention on Internet security system and, therefore, are vulnerable to crackers,” Ankit added.

He said he found Malaysia to be a “fantastic place” for IT development and hopes to invest in either Cyberjaya or the KLCC after completing his studies at Stanford in two years’ time.

By M. Krishnamoorthy

MSC company wins Brunei Islamic insurance contract
7/3/2005
Source of article: The Star Online
Source of image: www.3i-infotech.com


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MULTIMEDIA Super Corridor (MSC) status company 3i Infotech Sdn Bhd began implementation of its Premia Takaful integrated Islamic insurance solution for Takaful IBB Bhd (TIBB) in Brunei last week.

TIBB is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Islamic Bank of Brunei.

The deal was concluded between the two parties last December. The first phase of the implementation, worth over RM2mil, is due for completion by September.

Under this phase, “the system will handle backend insurance business processes including underwriting, 're-takaful' (Islamic re-insurance) and financials in both general and family (Islamic life) insurance, from end-to-end,” said Abhijit Bannerjee, 3i Infotech Asia Pacific head of enterprise solutions channels and marketing/ communications.

“After that, IBB has the option to purchase our Premia Collaborator front-end solution to web-enable its system for its agents and customers,” he told In.Tech last week.

3i Infotech Malaysia (www.3i-infotech.com) was formerly known as ICICI Infotech Sdn Bhd, which was established in Malaysia in 2003.

The company's products cover various types of insurance, banking and finance, as well as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management systems.

The company has appointed Penang-based Pannasoft Technologies Sdn Bhd as the channel partner for its ERP systems.

It is looking to appoint more alliance and channel partners, especially in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia.

–CHARLES F. MOREIRA

Local plantation software goes to Indonesia
7/3/2005
Source of article: The Star Online
Source of image: www.thgroup.com.my


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TH Group Bhd said its Multimedia Super Corridor status subsidiary iTech Worldwide Sdn Bhd has received a letter of award from Minamas Plantation to supply and implement its eFLEX Plantware and Millware solutions in the latter's plantations and palm oil mills in Indonesia.

Minamas is the Indonesian subsidiary of Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd.

The project involves the installation and implementation of eFLEX Plantware and Millware in 53 estates (with a total planted area of 165,000ha) and 13 palm oil mills in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi, TH Group (www.thgroup.com.my) said in a statement.

The two web-based management systems enable companies with multiple estates and mills at various geographical locations to access online information from their base locations, and to manage these estates and mills remotely using the Internet as a communications channel.

Public-listed TH Group's other MSC-status subsidiary, THG eNet Solutions Sdn Bhd, has also secured a project with BondWeb Malaysia to supply and install a Java-based web application service and management system.

THG eNet will use the project to introduce a new South Korean-developed middleware product to the local market, under the brand name Tmax.

TH Group did not disclose the financial terms of either project.

Cahya Mata seeks to be I-Systems major holder
22/3/2005
BY DALJIT DHESI


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Tuesday, March 22 2005

CAHYA Mata Sarawak Bhd has initiated moves to become a majority shareholder of I-Systems Group Bhd to strengthen its information and technology capabilities.

The company is undertaking acquisition and new-share subscription exercises that will ultimately give Cahya Mata a 50.96 per cent stake in I-Systems.

Cahya Mata is expected to spend RM18.09 million to buy 6.35 million ordinary I-Systems shares from four companies: IT Hub Sdn Bhd, MSC Venture One Sdn Bhd, MSC Venture Corp Sdn Bhd and Jernih Kaya Sdn Bhd.

Cahya Mata told Bursa Malaysia Bhd yesterday that it signed a share sale agreement with the four companies yesterday.

In addition to the acquisition, Cahya Mata will subscribe for 1.6 million new I-Systems shares at an issue price of RM2.85 each for a total consideration of RM4.56 million in cash.

Upon completion of the exercises, Cahya Mata will hold 7.95 million I-Systems shares, representing 50.96 per cent equity interest in the enlarged share capital of I-Systems.

I-Systems was incorporated on October 24 1991 as a private limited company, Ice-Systems Network Sdn Bhd, and began operations in November of that year.

It changed its name to I-Systems Consulting Sdn Bhd on December 15 1997 and to I-Systems Group Sdn Bhd on February 26 last year.

The company was converted to a public limited company on March 16 last year. It was granted Multimedia Super Corridor status by the Government on January 22 2001.

I-Systems is a subsidiary of IT Hub Sdn Bhd, which is owned by the key management of I-Systems.

MSC Venture One Sdn Bhd, a venture capital fund company owned by MSC Venture Corp and Khazanah Nasional Bhd, is also a substantial shareholder of I-Systems.

I-Systems’ authorised capital is RM10 million comprising 7.5 million shares and 2.5 million Series A redeemable convertible preference shares (RCPS) of RM1 each, of which 6.65 million shares and 751,879 RCPS have been issued and fully paid up.

For the financial year ended March 31 2004, I-Systems’ audited consolidated profit after tax and minority interest was RM2.439 million. Its audited consolidated net tangible assets stood at RM6.669 million as at March 31 2004.

I-Systems and its subsidiary companies are mainly involved in the research and development, sales and distribution of software applications and services to the insurance and healthcare industries.

The group also provides consultancy services in business transformation and project and technology consulting.

- Business Times

MDC shares expertise in reducing digital divide
22/2/2005
Source of article: News Straits Times Online
Source of image: www.msc.com.my


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By Yushaimi Yahaya in Jeddah

Jeddah, Feb 21.
THE Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) has shared its experience with numerous bodies, including the Islamic Development Bank, in formulating policies to reduce the digital gap among people in developing nations. MDC chief executive officer Datuk Mohamed Arif Nun told the Jeddah Economic Conference that technology should be used as a "double-edged sword", as it could not only catalyse development but also reduce technology illiteracy.

Arif said the MDC had achieved its initial target of developing economic opportunities, and would give more attention to reducing the digital divide among Malaysians under the second phase of the Multimedia Super Corridor from 2005 to 2010.

He said the export value of products and services of MSC companies had risen from RM670 million in 2002 to RM1.49 billion last year.

MSC-status companies had also chalked up a hefty income of RM6.78 billion, from RM3.93 billion in 2002.

The number of companies achieving MSC status had also jumped from 973 last year to 1,163.

Arif said the success of the MSC had drawn the interest of many countries keen on developing similar programmes.

Tourism Minister Datuk Michael Leo Toyad told the forum Malaysia would work with Saudi Arabia in manpower training and tourism development.

Toyad also shared Malaysia's experience in capacity-building of its manpower for the sustainable growth of the local tourism industry.

"In Malaysia, we are well aware of the importance to ensure that our varied and interesting products not only meet the needs and desires of our potential tourists but also are well supported by quality services."

Toyad said there were 62 public and private tourism training institutions registered with the ministry to provide various forms of training for those seeking careers in tourism and those already in the industry to enhance their skills and knowledge.

He said the ministry was working with the Higher Education Ministry, public and private higher institutions of learning to develop diploma and degree courses in tourism planning, development, business management, marketing, event management, and hospitality.

He also spoke on Malaysia's "Homestay" programme in which several villages had been selected as "resorts" for tourists wanting a taste of kampung life. "The ministry is also exploring the possibility of setting up a tourism accreditation board to develop service standards that meet international requirements."

Shell to add high-value IT services
30/3/2005
Source of article: News Straits Times
Source of image: www.shell.com.my


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March 24 2005

THE Royal Dutch/Shell group plans to include several new high-value information technology (IT) services to Cyberjaya-based Shell Information Technology International Sdn Bhd (SITI) this year, following the company’s success in supporting the group’s technology requirements.

“Shell has adopted a shared service model when it comes to its IT requirements, and SITI has been identified as a suitable vehicle to deliver IT services to Shell’s global operations,” said SITI country manager Steve Clearwater.

SITI, 100 per cent owned by Shell, is a Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC)-status company. It is an IT delivery centre, employing over 1,200 people and contractors. The company manages one of three IT support locations worldwide.

Over the past few years, Shell has increased the staff strength of SITI while maintaining the number of employees in its US and Europe IT support centres.

“The move is part of our service efficiency programme where we intend to achieve more with less. The more efficient we become through standardisation and rationalisation, the fewer employees we will have,” Clearwater explained.

This does not mean that Shell is cutting its workforce in its US and Europe IT support centres.

“So it is not a case of taking a set number of jobs from one location and transferring the same number elsewhere. It’s just that for its future IT requirements, Cyberjaya is the preferred location,” Clearwater said.

The Shell group is in the midst of an ongoing effort to achieve world-class IT by 2008.

This involves rationalising its applications portfolio, standardising infrastructure, transferring work to cost-advantage countries like Malaysia and procurement leverage.

Shell will not outsource to Malaysia but has transferred, and will continue doing so, the jobs under its service efficiency programme, providing a boost for the locals to find more jobs.

Jobs that have been, and will be, transferred to Malaysia are infrastructure-related, such as applications hosting like server support and first level help-desk activities, including password resets and access management.

According to Clearwater, Cyberjaya was chosen because the location has the right combination of a lot of factors.

It has the right type of labour at the right price, a robust IT infrastructure, and is politically and geographically stable. As long as these factors remain, Shell will remain.

“As a standard practice, we will probably review the location in a few years, but there are no plans to relocate Shell’s Cyberjaya facility,” Clearwater said.

“We are quite comfortable in Cyberjaya. If we have a problem with, say, the transportation system, we refer the matter to the Multimedia Development Corp and they help us sort the matter out,” Clearwater said, adding that if SITI was not located in Cyberjaya, it would have to deal with the problem by itself

Skali takes first regional step
30/3/2005
Source of article: The Star Online
Source of image: www.skali.net


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STORIES BY STEPHEN BOEY

THE office foyer was in a mess – file folders and stacks of paper placed all over the floor.

“We are rushing for a tender,” Tengku Farith Rithauddeen said by way of apology.


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And such scenes will increasingly be the order of the day as home-grown business solutions provider SKALI, of which Farith is president and co-founder, steps up efforts to be a regional force in five years.

“That's our target,” Farith told StarBiz in his office in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

“After we achieve this target, we will begin to go global. We have a very focused and distinct strategy to do this.

“This year we want revenue contributions from overseas to hit 10% of our total earnings, next year 20%, then 30% and so on.

“We aim to be truly regional, to have operations overseas, to have employees who are not Malaysians, and to have lots of customers overseas. Our target is 40% of our gross revenue coming from overseas in five years,” he said.

To meet this target, Farith realises, SKALI will have to grow at a rate faster than what it has achieved thus far. It will have to go on the acquisition trail.

And this it will do only after it has been listed.

“We have submitted our listing proposal to the authorities. Now we just wait,” Farith disclosed, adding that SKALI was not in any hurry to gain a listing.

For now, SKALI, a Multimedia Super Corridor-status company, has budgeted RM2.5mil a year for expansion overseas, which includes market studies, branding, setting up offices abroad, and for sales and marketing activities.

This is in addition to a brand promotion grant amounting to RM600,000 which it has obtained from the Malaysia External Trade Development Corp, or Matrade as it more commonly known.

In its forays abroad, SKALI adopts a strategy of prospering thy partner.

“We work with local entrepreneurs, our principle of sharing the pie. We feel we can penetrate the market a lot deeper if we do this compared with going it alone.

“When you work with local partners, when you work with your contemporaries and counterparts out there, you can secure the market a lot faster because your partners are also as hungry as you are,” Farith explained.

And being the owner of the intellectual property it markets, SKALI has a distinct advantage over competitors that are merely technology resellers.

Farith pointed out: “The solutions that we export are our own software, so we can be very flexible with pricing with the intermediaries. We are transferring technology.

“That is very important. At the end of the day, everybody wants a piece of the pie. In this way, we ensure everyone gets his piece of the pie.”

What Farith espoused was the essence distilled from two difficult years of self-learning, of plodding the streets, so to say, in search of the first sale.

“In the beginning it was hit and run, to see whether or not we can catch something,” he recalled.

“In catching a few, we began to understand the customer better, and what their requirements are. We learned how to penetrate the market better.

“If you talk about the Middle East, you've just got to be there. In the first two years we were going out and getting to know people and so on, looking at the environment, to see if we can tap into anything.

“But you can't engage in hit and run tactics forever. What next? You want to have a presence over there and that is what we are doing. We are working with a local partner in all our respective target countries.”

Today, SKALI is concentrating its resources on Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Brunei and Indonesia.

It also has a joint venture in Dubai to look out for business opportunities in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries apart from Saudi Arabia. The other GCC countries are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Dubai is one of the emirates in the UAE.

What Farith has learned from his initial forays overseas is that developing countries – all SKALI's target markets are – want affordability (being developing countries they need to be careful with their finances) and a technology partner that is there for the long haul.

“Some of the people we spoke to had bad experiences of being left in the lurch when American companies pulled out from Iraq following the Sept 11 (terror strikes in the US).

“They also want people who have done it all. You need to show them you not only have the expertise but also the experience.

“However, we are very niche. If someone in Saudi Arabia comes to us for an accounting solution we will not do it – we do not have the expertise. But we will refer them to some other Malaysian company that has such domain expertise.

“In this way, at least another Malaysian company will get a shot at it. But if you want Web-based systems, portals, knowledge management systems, intranets, collaboration tools, applications to manage the infrastructure, or Web hosting and security, come to us,” he said.

SKALI has certainly come a long way from its humble origins as the operator of the mirror site in Asia ex-Japan of AltaVista, a Web-based global search engine.

-The Star Online

Perak may be next state to obtain Cyber Centre status
30/3/2005
Source of article: Business Times
Source of image: www.perak.gov.my


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By HO SIEW YEE

March 28 2005

PERAK may be the next state to join the likes of Penang and Kedah to house a Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) centre to better nurture the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

Currently, there are two Cyber Centres in the country, namely Cyberjaya in Klang Valley and Penang Cybercity 1 at Bayan Lepas in Penang. Kulim High Tech Park in Kedah will be one at the end of this year.

Sources told Business Times that preparations are being made to get the MSC status from the Federal Government to recognise a designated area in Perak as a Cyber Centre.

According to Multimedia Development Corp (MDC), the granting of Cyber Centre status is based on value propositions and readiness to meet MSC conditions.

MDC will then evaluate proposals from state governments and relevant stakeholders, and recommend to MSC Implementation Council for designation of the status.

The establishment of more Cyber Centres throughout the country is under the MSC National Rollout outside Cyberjaya, which is part of the MSC second phase dubbed The Next Leap. The prime objective is to turn Malaysia into one giant MSC.

Currently, the Perak State Development Corp is on course of securing the status with its Perak IT Centre project to turn the state into an IT command area.

The project area stretches from Meru Raya in Ipoh to University Teknologi Petronas in Seri Iskandar.

-Business Times-

Profitera-ing from IBM’s Linux support
31/3/2005
Source of article: The Star Online
Source of image: www.profitera.com


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BY H. AMIR KHALID

PROFITERA Corp Sdn Bhd chief executive Kesh Mahinder Singh is in the business of debt collection. That is, he helps banks and utility companies around the country – and in other countries too, if he realises his business ambitions – get the money that is owed these organisations.

But not in the old-fashioned way, he says with a wide grin. “I am aware of the irony of being in the revenue collection software business, especially since the traditional image of a debt collector is an individual coming around with a hockey stick,’’ he says.

His company develops software that helps these creditors manage their revenue collection and non-performing loan recovery. Such software is available from outside Malaysia, but those don’t take into account the requirements of Malaysian businesses, he says.

A few years ago, Profitera created a revenue-collection application called PowerCollect, version 1 of which was first deployed at Telekom Malaysia, which collects on some RM400mil worth of telecommunications bills every month.

When it came time to write a version 2 in late 2001, Profitera faced a choice: Go with a proprietary development platform from Microsoft Corp or an open source one?

What settled the matter, says Kesh Mahinder, was the fact that telecoms carriers ran platforms running various proprietary versions of Unix, which is related to Linux, while banks had IBM Corp mainframes, which IBM had already begun to promote as a hardware platform for Linux.

So the way forward was deemed to be Linux.

“We found writing in Java XML (extensible markup language) for Linux platforms to be the killer strategy for us,’’ Kesh Mahinder says. The combination gives PowerCollect access to mainframe-class capability on an x86 platform like the AMD Opteron with its 64-bit extensions.

So with the aid of a development grant from the Multimedia Super Corridor Research and Development Grant Scheme, Profitera embarked on a 2½ year project to develop version 2 of PowerCollect. The programming language was Java XML and the operating system was SUSE Linux from Novell Inc.

The application currently runs off an IBM DB2 database and uses IBM’s Websphere middleware, which connects applications to the World Wide Web.

The support from IBM has been extensive, Kesh Mahinder reports. “We get access to IBM’s knowledge base, including bug reports; access to IBM laboratories, support for porting work; and for testing of ported software, tightly coupling our software to DB2,’’ he says.

And the support from IBM extends beyond application development and testing. “We constantly harrass Simon Chin and his team,’’ he says half-jokingly.

Chin is IBM Malaysia Sdn Bhd’s alliance manager for independent software vendor and developer relations. Among other things, his job is to keep developers like Profitera abreast of technology and market developments, and generate demand for their products.

IBM is helping Profitera reach out to markets elsewhere in Asia, like India, Pakistan, Thailand, and Indonesia, Kesh Mahinder says.

-The Star Online

MDC Aims To Double The Number Of Local Incubators To 38
Author : Bernama
Source : Bernama
Date Posted : 11/1/2005



Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn Bhd (MDC) aims to double the number of local incubators to 38 within five years from now, said its vice president Dr Wilson Tay.

Todate, there are 19 incubators in the country of which 12 of them are enjoying the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status.

In an effort to up the number of incubators, Tay said that MDC had established ties with several state governments in order to encourage them to set up such centres focusing essentially on the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry.

For a start MDC will help Melaka establish the incubators.

"MDC would also focus on Perak, Pahang, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak," he told reporters after chairing the "Business Incubation Conference and Management Development Seminar", here Tuesday.

He said MDC would not only provide cheap rental space for entrepreneurs but assistance in management including introducing them to funders and those in the same industry.

"The incubators will allow small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) to develop their ideas (technology incubation), help them get IP (intellectual protection) for their ideas, and get these ideas translated into products for the market (business incubation)," he said.

With the incubation concept, Tay said it would help the government to increase the number of job opportunities, income and exports besides helping the corporate sector to develop new source of demand and outsourcing services.

The seminar, which is jointly organised by MDC and The National Incubator Network Association (NINA), expects to attract around 100 participants from the various economic development agencies, existing incubators and research institutes.

The three-day seminar (from Jan 11-Jan 13, 2004) aims to create a higher level of awareness of the impact of incubation industry on the ICT sector and the country's economy.

The issues that would be discussed include the business infrastructure pre-requisites, entrepreneurial culture, innovation source and government support to initiate an internet incubator programme under globalisation environment.

MDC is tasked with facilitating the growth and development of Malaysian technopreneurs and SMEs.

Hewlett-Packard employs more staff
Author : SHILING WOON
Source : The Star Online
Date Posted : 15/1/2005



HEWLETT-Packard (M) Sdn Bhd (HP) is planning to add another 700 personnel to bring its staff strength to 1,700 by the end of the year.

“HP has invested in an imaging and printing engineering centre in Johor Baru, a customer call centre in Kuala Lumpur, and a manufacturing facility in Penang, where HP manufactures its locally-made PCs and servers,'' said HP Malaysia managing director T.F. Chong at the official opening of the company’s new country headquarters, HP Towers, in Bukit Damansara yesterday.

“Chong said these new centres had contributed revenue of RM6bil for the financial year ended Oct 31, 2004.

“He added that the newly-opened headquarters at HP Towers would house the management, sales, marketing and customer support divisions.

“This location also hosts its customer service centre and Asia-Pacific systems network monitoring centre.

HP expects to continue extending leadership at its enterprises, small and medium business and consumers' markets. HP also plans to provide higher technology for end-to-end products and solution services.

In the small and medium-sized business area, HP Intends to extend a competitive edge on prices and performance delivery, and for the consumers' market, HP will manufacture more customized technology to attract and suit consumers' needs.

By the middle of 2005, HP plans to establish the HP MSC centre in Cyberjaya by the middle of this year.

The centre will provide improved sales, marketing and after-sales support for the public sector and enterprise customers.

Plenty Of Incentives For Indian Investors, Says MIDA
Author : Bernama
Source : Bernama
Date Posted : 18/1/2005



Malaysia offers various incentives and opportunities for foreign investors, said the deputy director (Foreign Investment Promotion Division) of Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) N. Rajendran.

He said among the perks was the 100 percent foreign equity ownership policy, irrespective of the level of exports.

Rajendran said there was also no restriction on the repatriation of profits to foreign companies investing in Malaysia.

Besides this, special project officers in MIDA also personally assist investors in obtaining all the necessary approvals until they are operational, he said.

Rajendran said this in his presentation at the Malaysia India Business Forum and Marketing Programme here Tuesday, held in conjunction with the Malaysia India Economic Conference 2005.

His presentation was themed "Investment Opportunities, Incentives and Policies in Malaysia".

Other major incentives, he said, were the Pioneer Status income tax exemption ranging from 70 percent to 100 percent of statutory income for a period of five to 10 years and the investment tax allowance (ITA) of 60 to 100 percent on qualifying capital expenditure incurred for a period of five to 10 years.

The ITA can be offset against 70 to 100 percent of the statutory income for each year of assessment.

He said Malaysia's Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), its manufacturing and technology parks for both large and small businesses, as well as its biotech and bio-medical initiatives also offered a host of opportunities for investors from India.

Rajendran said the country's huge natural resource base, world class infrastructure and investment friendly environment represented further benefits for Indian companies.

VNM To Produce First Mandarin Telemovie For STAR
Author : Bernama
Source : Bernama
Date Posted : 18/1/2005



Integrated media group Vision New Media (VNM) announces Tuesday that it will be producing the first-ever Mandarin telemovie for Asia's leading multi-platform content and service provider STAR.

In the locally made-for-television movie called Perfect Match, VNM would be handling all production aspects from concept development, script-writing, directing to editing and post-production, said VNM chief executive officer Low Huoi Seong.

While declining to reveal the production cost of Perfect Match, he told reporters at the launching ceremony here that it would be several times more than the local tele-feature budget for Malaysian television which averaged between RM100,000 and RM150,000.

Low considered the strategic alliance with STAR, a wholly-owned subsidiary of News Corporation, as a big break as currently the penetration of locally-made movies into the global Chinese programming market is zero.

General manager of STAR's wholly-owned Fortune Star, Peter E. Poon, said it decided on the project after having successfully worked with VNM in two previous productions.

Previously, STAR which broadcasts over 50 channels in seven languages, provided most of the production aspects including scripting but this time, these would be handled by VNM, he said.

It was understood that a few local artistes would be working together with TV stars from Hong Kong and Taiwan in Perfect Match, which tells the story of a couple drawn by their ultimate goal of becoming wealthy beyond their dreams.

Low said VNM was taking small steps to be recognised in the market and other plans were in store besides Perfect Match.

VNM aims to become Asia's leading content creation company, delivering Malaysian-derived content to all types of network, be it broadcast-, telco- or Internet-based, he added.

"We will be working with (those from) the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China and India in creating content," he said.

Meanwhile, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) vice-president for creative multimedia development division, Kamil Othman, who officiated the event, said the product to be made locally could be exported around the world.

MDC, he said, remained focused in addressing obstacles to creativity as without creativity, there would be no innovation.

He added the challenges through a production like this would enable Malaysians to understand the global market better.

While this (Perfect Match) is a live feature, Kamil said there are other techniques to be considered for production such as animation.

He added that many local universities and academies were producing graduates in these production fields who should be given work opportunities to prevent brain drain.

For example, he said if the current situation persists whereby content was produced to be sold to RTM, then whatever content made here was meant for a very limited market.

In Malaysia, Kamil said, more investments were spent on processing and delivery of the content rather than creating the content.

Relocating Green Packet to Malaysia a good strategy for Puan
10/1/2005
Source of article: The Star Online
Source of image: www.greenpacket.com


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GREEN Packet Bhd chief executive officer Puan Chan Cheong is an entrepreneur through and through.

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Since his graduation from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1992 with a double major in management information system and finance, Puan has tried his hand at many things, including selling US beef and dabbling in infrastructure-related businesses, property development and information technology (IT).

“I have not worked for anyone before, preferring to have my own business. My businesses have been pretty diverse but mainly focusing on China, the economy with the most potential, and the United States, the world's biggest economy,” Puan said.

As proof of his resourcefulness, Puan had secured contracts from four US companies to be their marketing consultant in South-East Asia even before his graduation.

He returned to Malaysia, founded IBI Consultancy Sdn Bhd and was paid a basic fee of US$1,000 from each of the companies every month to market the companies' products in Malaysia.

“I then started to invest in companies which had businesses in China dealing in infrastructure-related projects and IT companies involved in manufacturing personal computer (PC) peripherals,” he said.

That was how Puan met the group of Malaysian and Chinese IT professionals in the US and became one of the investors and co-founders of Green Packet. The company started operations in 2000 in the Silicon Valley during the dot.com bubble.

“When the bubble burst, the company had difficulty raising funds. In addition, the telco industry in North America was slow so we decided to scale down our operations in the US and moved our headquarters to Malaysia in 2001,” he said.

It was a move that transformed the company into the success it is today – capitalising on the cheaper research and development (R&D) as well as the growing telco sector in Asia.

“There is a very thin line between success and failure. The thing to remember is to never give up, adjust your position and take steps to overcome new challenges,” Puan said.

Green Packet obtained its Multimedia Super Corridor status in 2001 and started operations in the second half of the year. Besides Malaysia and the US, it now has offices in Shanghai, China and Taiwan and about 90 employees.

It launched its first product line, SONaccess, in the third quarter of 2002 and has not looked back since.

Not bad for a youngster whose parents were rubber tappers from Kluang, Johor.

“I guess I was the lucky one, being the youngest in a family of 10 – my family supported my studies abroad. I did not have to work but could concentrate on my studies,” Puan said.

MDC moves to help unemployed ICT grads
Author : P. ANGELINA
Source : The Star Online
Date Posted : 18/1/2005



Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) is introducing a programme – Start Your Own Business (SYOB) – to help local unemployed ICT graduates create employment opportunities for themselves.

SYOB is a comprehensive proprietary programme designed and administered by the MSC Technopreneur Centre (MSC-TeC) under the MSC Technopreneur Development Flagship (MSC-TDF) and managed by the MDC.

It helps unemployed graduates create their own employment opportunities by enhancing their skills or retraining them with the required technical knowledge, business skills and supporting resources for starting an ICT venture.

"Through the introduction of the SYOB programme, MDC hopes to help address rising concerns about the increasing number of unemployed ICT graduates by encouraging those with entrepreneurial spirit and inclination to venture into business," said Dr Wilson Tay, MSC-TDF vice-president.

"There are currently about 35,000 unemployed graduates in the country of which 12,000 are ICT graduates, according to reports by the National Economic Action Council (NEAC). As MDC is responsible for the ICT industry in the country, we are attempting to address this issue," he told reporters during a media briefing recently.

He said there are successful entrepreneurs in the country who started their own businesses because they could not find employment.

With the growing K-Economy, there are plenty of opportunities for the graduates to explore, according to Dr Tay. "If we are to build a vibrant ICT industry, we need to have more technopreneurs venturing into business," he said. "If everyone were employed, then there would be no technopreneurs."

Revisiting R&D focus in 9th Malaysia Plan
Author : Zam Karim
Source : The Star Online
Date Posted : 18/1/2005



By ZAM KARIM

KUALA LUMPUR: The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry will submit its proposal for the Ninth Malaysia Plan to the Government by the end of February.

The gist of the proposal would be on "revisiting" the nation's R&D focus, said its minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Mohd Jarjis.

The ministry is currently in the final stages of drafting its proposal, and is analysing feedback gathered from various industries, including the focus industries: The information technology and biotechnology sectors.

Jamaluddin said he and his ministry's officials had also visited countries such as Norway, Ireland and India to learn from these countries’ experiences, “so that what we offer investors will be comparable with (what these countries offer).”

This would lead to the creation of more jobs for Malaysians, and bring more income to the country, he told In.Tech this morning after officially opening HP Malaysia's new headquarters, HP Towers (formerly Wisma Semantan), here.

Jamaluddin also reiterated the Government's intention to work closely with companies such as Hewlett-Packard to help bridge the digital divide.

The Government is "re-tuning" its focus from the “One Home, One PC” concept to the “One Home, One PC and One Internet Access” idea.

“What people failed to see is that the PC and Internet access are two different things,” he said.

It is important to give people access to the Internet so that they will able to benefit from the World Wide Web's vast resources, he added.

The Government wants to reduce the cost of an entry-level computing system to half the current RM1,000 price tag.

"RM500 would be in line with the country's current poverty level," Jamaluddin said.

One solution would be to get communities to set up and manage wireless Internet-enabled servers at their community centres; households can then connect wirelessly to the server with low-cost thin clients, or stripped-down PCs that would be "fed" applications and software from the server.

The Government wants companies such as HP to work with its agencies such as Mimos Bhd and Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC), Jamaluddin said.

Sources closed to HP said that the company began talks with MDC immediately after the launch ceremony in which Jamaluddin officiated this morning.



Corporate conscience

HP Malaysia's Hq was officially opened without the usual fanfare.

To do its bit for the victims of the Asian Tsunami disaster, the company did not spend lavishly on the HP Towers launch and instead donated the event's initial budget -- plus more from an internal donation drive -- to the Malaysian Red Crescent Society and Mercy Malaysia, via The Star Earthquake/ Tsunami Relief Fund.

The internal donation drive garnered RM350,000, with HP Malaysia matching contributions ringgit-for-ringgit, topping it off with an additional RM150,000.

“How can we celebrate with the knowledge that so many out there are in dire need,” said T.F. Chong, HP Malaysia's managing director.

“It touched me deeply when HP Malaysia employees themselves suggested that we forego our planned event to aid the tsunami survivors,” he added.

At the regional and global levels, Hewlett-Packard Co has already committed up to US$3mil (RM11.4mil) through direct corporate contributions as well as employee-matching funds.

However, HP's involvement does not end there. Chong said that the company was also working with the Government to come up with alternative ways to disseminate tsunami-related warnings to the public, but decline to give more information at the moment.

Broadband TV plans Mesdaq listing
Author : Faizal Zakariah and Joan Ng
Source : The Edge Daily
Date Posted : 20/1/2005



Cuzzy Advanced Convergence Laboratories Sdn Bhd (Cuzzy) plans to list on the Mesdaq Market this year to raise funds for content development and marketing of its internet-based TV broadcast services, chief executive officer Jeffery Paul Raj says.

He said the MSC-status company plans to use proceeds from the listing for programming and content acquisition, which include buying content rights, sponsorship of content development and internet marketing expenditure.

He was speaking to reporters on Jan 20 after Cuzzy launched its XBB.TV internet broadband television broadcast services in Subang. It also signed two separate memoranda of understanding with US-based ICU.NET.INC and Music for London as its master affiliates.

Jeffrey said Cuzzy had projected a RM16 million revenue in the financial year ending Dec 31, 2005 from RM2 million last year with a 30% net profit.

On its broadband TV, he said the company had targeted 100,000 subscribers in Malaysia for it to break even. It expected to get 50,000 local subscribers this year. The company would also market the product to other English speaking countries, mainly in the US and UK.

In the long term, XBB.TV targets 3 million subscriber base by end 2008 and up to 20 million by 2012. It went live last Nov 1 with live and pre-recorded international news, sports and general interest topics from all over the world in real time feeds. It also features 1,000 radio stations worldwide.

It has 27 categories, including Tin Man TV, Best Friend TV, religion TV, Paradise TV, Edu Explore TV, Enviro TV, Cooking TV, Shopping TV, Lifestyle TV, Extreme Sports TV, Gaming TV, Dating TV, Culture TV and Fashion TV.

XBB.TV service is available at RM88 for three months with a reloadable prepaid card, available at appointed retail outlets.

VADS extends 'Reach' with new datacentre
Author : The Star
Source : The Star Online
Date Posted : 20/1/2005



VADS Bhd has acquired Reach Sdn Bhd’s datacentre facilities in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) in a move to enhance its "VADS Premier" managed network services.

It recently concluded the sales and purchase agreement with Reach, and will take over the datacentre facilities next month, VADS (www.vads.com) said in a statement.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Following the acquisition, VADS will provide co-location services to Reach and its customers.

The acquisition marks VADS Premier’s 25th node in the country.

“With this strategic acquisition, we are now able to better service our clients located within the Central Business District and our MSC-status customers in Kuala Lumpur,” said executive director Dennis Koh.

He said the company targets to grow its VADS Premier customer base by 33% this year, but did not say how many customers it currently has.

VADS, a Bursa Malaysia second board company, is a subsidiary of Telekom Malaysia Bhd.

China telco giant sets up shop in M'sia
Author : Faizal Zakariah
Source : The Edge Daily
Date Posted : 25/1/2005



China’s biggest listed telecommunications equipment maker ZTE Corporation is starting an operation in Malaysia by setting up ZTE (Malaysia) Corporation Sdn Bhd.

The company chose Malaysia due to its political stability, dynamic economy, favourable financial climate and highly skilled workforce, ZTE Malaysia managing director Justin Wang Zeqi told reporters yesterday.

He said the company, which was accorded MSC status recently, would set up its regional research and development centre in Cyberjaya and work towards introducing its Global Open Trunking Architecture (Go Ta).

ZTE Malaysia was set up in collaboration with Pernec Corporation Bhd as a first step in its plan to work with all local telecommunications companies in future, Wang said.

Earlier, he presented RM1.9 million worth of ZTE telecommunications equipment as contribution to the Malaysian government for the reconstruction of telecommunications infrastructure hit by the tsunami.

ZTE is involved in the development and manufacturing of telecommunications equipment for fixed, mobile, data and optical network, intelligent networks and next generation networks as well as mobile phones.

M’sia must move or lose outsourcing opportunity
Author : P. Angelina
Source : The Star Online
Date Posted : 26/1/2005



KUALA LUMPUR: Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis said Malaysia has to position itself correctly or it will lose the opportunity to become a key player in the global outsourcing arena.

“A study conducted on global outsourcing by AT Kearney currently places Malaysia third in global ranking ahead of other prominent Asia destinations,” he said.

“This highlights the value-add that Malaysia has to offer businesses and investors in this sector,” he added.

Jamaluddin said that thanks to new ideas and technologies, the country has today moved into new growth areas, such as information and communications technology (ICT) and biotechnology, as well as into deeper segments of innovative information processing such as shared services and outsourcing.

“There has been dramatic growth in this segment alone and it will continue to grow even more,” he said, adding that an estimated US$500bil (RM1.9 trillion) global industry would be created by 2008.

Jamaluddin said this was why it was important to ensure that the country remained an attractive location for shared services and outsourcing. “These services help to create jobs and wealth for the country,” he said.

To do this, he said, Malaysia would have to develop not only its physical infrastructure but also its knowledge infrastructure.

Shared services and outsourcing have become the popular operations model among multinational companies throughout the world because the benefits are clear – everything from lower product costs and more reliable quality assurances to risk reduction and new product design development.

“IT outsourcing has been a hot topic for quite awhile now. I believe that 95% of participants in the recent KPMG survey have engaged in business process outsourcing (BPO) and information technology outsourcing (ITO), irrespective of size or industry classification,” he said.

Jamaluddin was speaking at the launch of the KPMG 2004 Asia Pacific Outsourcing Survey report on Tuesday. The survey explores the state of BPO and ITO among more than 100 leading organisations in the Asia Pacific region.

Jamaluddin said that although it was not new, outsourcing was a trend that was emerging from infancy and entering a more mature phase of its evolution. It is not only growing with new opportunities and benefits, but also with new challenges and issues, he said.

According to the survey released by KPMG Information Risk Management, the greatest risks perceived by outsourcing participants include loss of business processes or IT systems expertise, and exposure to information privacy issues.

The survey also revealed that risk management practices have lagged and that regulators are now more closely examining outsourcing arrangements.

Jamaluddin said these issues could be addressed by two Acts – Personal Data Protection and Electronic Transactions – that have been on the drawing board for several years.

The Personal Data Protection Act will help regulate the collection, possession, processing and use of personal data. The Electronic Transactions Act will faciliate and enable the interactions of the government with the public and those between government agencies for efficient and secure electronic government services.

MSC set-up impresses Indian minister
Author : Paul Gabriel
Source : The Star Online
Date Posted : 28/1/2005



The coast is now clear for more of India’s IT professionals and firms to take up job opportunities here.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s assurance in Bangalore last month that Indian IT workers would be well treated in Malaysia has got things moving.

India’s Communications and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran met with the Multimedia Development Corporation’s top brass and Indian IT firms operating within the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) last week and has given the “all clear.”

There are about 3,000 Indian IT professionals working in Malaysia.

Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia R.L. Narayan said Maran was impressed with what he saw here and would relay this to India’s vast IT industry, which exports about US$8bil (RM30.8bil) worth of software and IT products.

He said his government considered the controversy involving the police detention of 116 Indian IT workers here in 2003 to be “fully buried.”

The incident sparked off diplomatic protests from India and Abdullah, who was then Home Minister, ordered a full probe into the police action.

“India has fully forgotten the episode. We know that Indian IT professionals are very welcome here,” Narayan said in an interview.

Abdullah, while addressing the Malaysia-India Business Forum in Bangalore, had stated that Indian IT workers were “welcomed with warmth and a spirit of friendship” to Malaysia.

He had also offered Malaysia as a ‘second home or base” to the Indian workers, saying that there was so much to be gained from working together.”

Malaysia has the hardware capabilities and India has the edge in software technology. There is mutual benefit in coming together,” he added.

The high commissioner cited another positive “spin-off” from Abdullah’s visit – a joint study group has been formed and the terms of reference outlined to facilitate the comprehensive economic partnership agreement between Malaysia and India.

PM: Create e-games that can foster unity
Author : Zarinah Daud and Sira Habibu
Source : The Star Online
Date Posted : 30/1/2005



If games of the old days could unite the people, so can modern games in the cyber era if suitable themes are developed for the children of the country, said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The Prime Minister added that in an era of information and communication technology (ICT), children love computer games.

“It is therefore important for local programmers to introduce our traditional games for computer users.

“They should also develop themes on unity that can encourage our children to sit and play together, so that they can understand each other better,” he said when launching the e-Integration programme at the Dewan Milenium here yesterday.

The pilot project involved 26 schools, with students from national and vernacular schools playing computer games on-line to develop friendship amongst them.

Abdullah said the country could not progress if the people were not united.

“It is useless to have smart and intelligent people who do not appreciate racial harmony,” he said.

“When there is understanding among the people, unity will be strong in the country,” he said, adding that the programme would be extended to other states.

Opening the Penang Cybercity and My Malaysia My MSC campaign at the Penang International Sports Arena in Relau later, the Prime Minister said it was time for the Multimedia Super Corridor to expand outside Kuala Lumpur.

Penang, he added, looked set to spearhead the MSC’s northern growth.

“ICT should not be elitist in nature. It must touch the lives of all Malaysians,” Abdullah said, adding that Penang Cybercity 1 in Bayan Lepas marked a significant milestone in the growth of the MSC.

Abdullah said sufficient funds would be allocated under the Ninth Malaysia Plan to ensure the successful implementation of the MSC- The Next Leap programme that would focus on e-government and e-communities, particularly in the service delivery to the rural areas.

Need for an excellent product in branding pursuit
Author : Yap Leng Kuan
Source : The Star Online
Date Posted : 4/2/2005



WITH the private sector in the driving seat of the economy, many top CEOs are placing greater emphasis on new ways to promote the brands of their companies globally. As a reflection of the intense interest in this endeavour, high level forums are being held to brainstorm new ideas and approaches.

Some of the things being discussed may appear theoretical. On closer scrutiny, yesterday's meeting of the National Consultative Committee on Globalisation had highlighted the importance of having, first and foremost, an excellent product.

It is rather pointless to be working towards a global presence, spending a lot of time and effort on large issues such as global benchmarking, if the basics of product excellence are not addressed.

Outlining his framework for developing a global industry brand, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) CEO Datuk Dr Mohamed Ariff Nun had placed equal emphasis on operational efficiencies and customer management.

It is a sum of all parts, at the heart of which is a skilled talent pool and infrastructure to be made available. As an industry brand is the result of public-private sector collaboration, government policies and incentives, as well as a good political and economic climate, would form the foundation stone.

It is refreshing to be reminded that some of these elements must be right before we can be truly successful in positioning and designing a global industry brand.

“Distinctive competency in industry can promote country branding and vice-versa,'' Dr Ariff said in his presentation at the meeting, which was organised under the National Economic Action Council.

Among some of the leading global industry brands, he noted, were those in industries such as automotive (Germany); film (Hollywood) and textiles (China).

In the case of Malaysian industries, his key point was that better branding could enhance performance. If these discussions were taken seriously, a lot of people would probably end up with lots of work and fine details to attend to.

As a brand manager who attended the meeting noted: “For example, if we were to promote the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) as a global brand, it is the whole value chain and package that must be right to attract multinational companies (MNCs).''

In this regard, MNCs are comparing Malaysia with Singapore and India. They are used to the infrastructure of developed countries and must feel comfortable and welcome investing here.

“Apart from developing the Malaysian information, communications and technology (ICT) industry, we must also look into factors down the line as people's first impressions matter. “For example, they would be looking at the good image of KL International Airport, courtesy of the taxi drivers, and the hospitality and customer service at hotels,'' the brand manager said.

“Branding enhances a company's earnings,'' Dr Ariff said. More so, in view of the current concerns over national competitiveness, greater focus should be placed on this aspect of intangible value creation.

A brand is not built in a single day. Increasing efforts by Malaysian companies to invest abroad is likely to result in a higher profile for some of their brands, which hopefully, will one day emerge as global brands.

MOSTI Hopes Country Will Provide More ICT Jobs By 2010
Author : Bernama
Source : Bernama
Date Posted : 21/2/2005



The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) hopes that the nation can provide 250,000 knowledged-based jobs for ICT (Information Communication Technology) graduates by 2010, its deputy minister Datuk Kong Cho Ha said Monday.

He said this was in line with the government's efforts in promoting technopreneurship.

"To achieve this, we need to engage in an environment where ICT graduates are equipped with the necessary business skills required for them to survive in the job market," he told reporters at the Multimedia Super Corridor - Institutes of Higher Learning (MSC-IHL) Business Plan Competition 2004 award giving ceremony, here Monday.

He said the Business Plan Competition which was successfully held, would serve as a platform for budding technopreneurs to present their ideas to potential venture capitalists and industrialists.

Students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Sabah and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia participated in this competition.

He added that for 2005, the competition would be expanded to include student in private IHL and colleges.

"We also wish to enlist corporate sponsors to contribute to make the competition even bigger and successful," he said.

TH GROUP'S MSC STATUS IT COMPANIES BAG TWO KEY PROJECTS VALUED AT ABOUT RM4.2 MIL.
Author : TH Group
Source : Bernama
Date Posted : 23/2/2005



iTech Worldwide Sdn Bhd, one of Main Board-listed TH Group Berhad (TH Group)'s two MSC status subsidiary companies, recently obtained a letter of award from the Indonesian subsidiary of Kumpulan Guthrie Berhad, Minamas Plantation, to supply and implement eFLEX Plantware and Millware to its plantations and palm oil mills in Indonesia.

The project involves the installation and implementation of eFLEX Plantware and Millware, in a total of their 53 estates with a total planted area of 165,000 HA and 13 palm oil mills, respectively, over a wide geographical locations in Sumatera, Kalimantan and Sulawesi of Indonesia.

Meanwhile, the other MSC status company of TH Group Bhd,THG e-Net Solutions Sdn Bhd also secured a project with BondWeb Malaysia to supply and install comprehensive web application system that provides Java based web application service and management that is J2EE 1.3 certified.

This project serves as a platform for THG e-Net to introduce a new middleware product from Korea to the market under the brand name Tmax. Tmax is a Korean enterprise application platform software company offering the most powerful line of web middleware products in the industry.

"Winning these two awards motivate the team to be even more determined to promote the awareness of how technology can bring value to business, be it in the agricultural sector or the financial sector," said Lei Lin Thai, Group Managing Director of TH Group Bhd.

"We look forward to an aggressive growth in our IT business in 2005 and continue to introduce our key products to the market which includes eFlex Plantware and Millware,Archibus, an integrated facilities management software,ebusiness solutions and TMAX all aimed at improving efficiency for business operation".

TH Group's MSC Status IT Companies Bag Two Key Projects
Author : Bernama
Source : Bernama
Date Posted : 28/2/2005



iTech Worldwide Sdn Bhd, one of TH Group Bhd's two MSC status subsidiary companies, recently obtained a letter of award from the Indonesian subsidiary of Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd, Minamas Plantation, to supply and implement web-based management systems at its plantations and palm oil mills in Indonesia.

The project involves the installation and implementation of eFLEX Plantware and Millware management systems in 53 estates with a total planted area of 165,000 ha and 13 palm oil mills in Sumatera, Kalimantan and Sulawesi.

The other MSC status company of TH Group,THG e-Net Solutions Sdn Bhd, had secured a project with BondWeb Malaysia to supply and install comprehensive web application system.

"Winning these two awards motivate the team to be even more determined to promote the awareness of how technology can bring value to business, be it in the agricultural sector or the financial sector," said Lei Lin Thai, group managing director of TH Group, said in a statement Monday.

The group's IT clients include Tradewinds, WTK Holding Bhd, Rimbunan Hijau Group, Kulim (M) Bhd, Unilever Ghana (TOPP & BOPP) and Amanah Saham Sarawak.

Besides IT, the TH Group is involved plantations, construction and healthcare.

The group has cultivated about 11,557 hectares of oil palm plantations in Sabah. The group also owns and operates a 90 tonne crude palm oil mill.

Equally active on the construction front, the division has during the year 2004 secured projects totaling RM171.2 million. These projects include infrastructure works for army staff quarters, water works, schools, residential apartments, installation of signboards and billboards and extension of hospital and research centre.

These new projects secured bring the outstanding order book up to RM263 million as at December 2004.

The group has also made a strategic investment in healthcare with the acquisition of the Nilai Cancer Institute (NCI) under AsiaPrise Biotech Sdn Bhd, which was completed in April 2004.

NCI is currently under an expansion programme expected to complete in July 2005.

AsiaPrise has also secured a distribution and marketing agreement with Glenmark Laboratory India to distribute Glenmark's range of pharmaceutical products in South East Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Helping companies improve their software quality
Author : Charles F. Moreira
Source : The Star Online
Date Posted : 1/3/2005



Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn Bhd (MDC) has launched its Quality Excellence for Software and Technology SMEs (Quests) programme, which it said would help local small and medium software developers be more competitive on a global scale.

Quests is based on the company's existing Software Improvement Programme (SPI) initiative launched in January last year, MDC (www.mdc.com.my) officials said.

It aims to help SMEs achieve at least Capability Maturity Model Integrated (CMMI) Level 2 certification by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) of Carnegie Mellon University.

The internationally-recognised and prestigious CMMI certifies all stages of a company’s software development operations, including systems engineering, product acquisition, team management, research and development, as well as its software development process.

CMMI Level 2 denotes that a company can repeat previously mastered tasks in its new projects; Level 5, the highest level, certifies that it is capable of continuous process improvement.

Getting such certification can be a costly affair however -- about RM300,000 via the SPI programme. With Quests, it will cost only RM50,000, and MDC said it can assist aspiring companies with up to RM25,000 in technical assistance.

“Most local SME software developers are unknown overseas, so CMMI accreditation gives their customers the confidence that their software and its development processes meet internationally recognised standards,” said Ng Wan Peng, vice-president of MDC's Capacity Development Division.

“Additionally, more large multinationals are demanding their software suppliers have either CMMI or CMM (Capability Maturity Model) certification.

"For example, 83% of all federal procurement contracts in the United States require suppliers be CMM-certified,” she added.

CMM only certifies the software development process, so the SEI now only conducts CMMI certification; many developers with CMM are upgrading to CMMI.

There are other, less tangible benefits too, according to Ng -- a 20% decrease in unit software costs, a 33% decrease in the cost of correcting mistakes, a 30% increase in software productivity, much fewer coding errors, improved customer satisfaction, etc.

“However, not many Malaysian companies are aware of the benefits of quality, so as a start we’re targeting SMEs," she said.

The SPI programme caters to Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status companies involved in the shared services outsourcing sector and the MSC Flagship applications -- Smart School, Telehealth, etc.

Participation in Quests is open to all IT SMEs currently with MSC status, or which are eligible and intend to apply for MSC status. They must also either have fewer than 50 full-time staff or an annual turnover of under RM5mil.

Application forms must reach the MDC’s programme secretariat by March 15; the programme is expected to begin about four weeks later.

MSC company in Brunei Islamic insurance deal
Author : Charles F. Moreira
Source : The Star Online
Date Posted : 1/3/2005



Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status company 3i Infotech Sdn Bhd began implementation of its Premia Takaful integrated Islamic insurance solution for Takaful IBB Bhd (TIBB) in Brunei last week.

TIBB is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Islamic Bank of Brunei.

The deal was concluded between the two parties last December. The first phase of the implementation, worth over RM2mil, is due for completion by September.

Under this phase, "the system will handle backend insurance business processes including underwriting, 're-takaful' (Islamic re-insurance) and financials in both general and family (Islamic life) insurance, from end-to-end,” said Abhijit Bannerjee, 3i Infotech Asia Pacific head of enterprise solutions channels and marketing/ communications.

“After that, IBB has the option to purchase our Premia Collaborator front-end solution to web-enable its system for its agents and customers,” he told In.Tech last week.

3i Infotech Malaysia (www.3i-infotech.com) was formerly known as ICICI Infotech Sdn Bhd, which was established in Malaysia in 2003.

The company's products cover various types of insurance, banking and finance, as well as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management systems.

The company has appointed Penang-based Pannasoft Technologies Sdn Bhd as the channel partner for its ERP systems.

It is looking to appoint more alliance and channel partners, especially in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia.

Online One To Penetrate China & Asean Markets
Author : Bernama
Source : Bernama
Date Posted : 2/3/2005



Information technology (IT) solution developer and distributor, Online One Corp Bhd, plans to expand by penetrating markets in China and South-east Asia.

For this, the company hopes to utilise the proceeds from its initial public offering (IPO), said Online One chief executive officer, Voon Seng Keong.

He said in line with the company's five-year development plan which started last year, its research and development (R&D) team would step up the drive to develop new products.

This, he added, would give the group added credibility and a competitive advantage in the IT industry.

"Over the next five years, the group intends to be a leading IT company focusing on extended enterprise, storage and information management solutions in Malaysia, and further expanding regionally," he told reporters after Online One's prospectus launch, here Wednesday.

Voon said the company would allocate RM7 million from the IPO proceeds for project financing, RM5 million for R&D, RM1 million for branding and promotion, RM3.9 million for working capital and RM1.4 million for listing expenses.

The company, he added, has also drawn up strategies to focus on niche segments of the IT market, delivering quality products and providing leading-edge technology.

Online One is scheduled to be listed on the Malaysian Exchange of Securities Dealing and Automated Quotation (Mesdaq) market on March 22.

The company is offering 28.25 million new ordinary shares of 10 sen each at an issue price of 40 sen per share.

Under the flotation exercise, two million shares will be offered to the public, 1.695 million shares for application by eligible employees and the remaining 24.555 million shares for placement to selected investors.

Online One is principally an investment holding company with three wholly owned subsidiaries, namely Online One Software (MSC) Sdn Bhd, EMCD Technology Sdn Bhd and Online DM Sdn Bhd.

Its range of products and services include software development, marketing and distribution of storage solutions, and providing information management solutions for business continuity and business intelligence.

Among its products is the PROeX EES Suite, which is currently used in the local market to communicate, share resources, collaborate business and coordinate with extended business organisations.

On its financial performance, Voon said the company is confident of achieving substantial growth this year as the outlook of the IT industry is expected to remain positive this year.

"The Malaysian IT industry is forecast to grow between nine and 11 percent this year and we are very optimistic of further growth," he said.

For the six-month period ended Sept 30, 2004, Online One's revenue was RM11.4 million, up from RM10.3 million in the financial period ended March 31, 2004.

MDC TO PROMOTE MALAYSIA AS THE 3RD BEST GLOBAL SHARED SERVICES AND OUTSOURCING
Author : MDC
Source : Bernama
Date Posted : 3/3/2005



The Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) will be participating in the CeBIT Europe 2005 from 10th - 16th March at Hannover,Germany.

MDC will be presenting the business case for the setting up for shared services and outsourcing in the MSC riding on the AT Kearney Report in 2004 that had positioned Malaysia as the 3rd most attractive global offshoring location.

MDC will be exhibiting and promoting the shared services and outsourcing at the Malaysian Pavilion in Hall 20, Stand Number B05.

The CeBIT Hannover is one of the world's largest ICT exhibition and forum,attracting leading global ICT companies to showcase the latest products and services, brainstorm ideas, network and form business alliances.

In addition to the exhibition, focussing on the theme "Gain Access into the Asia-Pacific and OIC Markets, MSC Malaysia: Your Strategic Business Partner",the MDC Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Dr Mohamed Arif Nun, will be giving a corporate lecture on March 10th, at 11:50am in Dresden Room at the Convention Centre in the CeBIT Fairground.

There will also be an MSC Networking Reception on March 11, from 7 - 10.00pm at the Loccumerhof Hotel, Hannover. MDC is inviting members of the media to the reception to take the opportunity to learn about Malaysia and MSC as one of the most dynamic and promising global ICT hub in the Asia-Pacific region.

Today, the Asia-Pacific and OIC markets are considered the world's fastest growing markets with the highest growth potential. Many European MNCs and SMEs aiming to expand their businesses into these markets need a strategic location for their overseas offices and operations."Which of the many Asian or Middle Eastern countries should I select?" - is the common dilemma of many European CEOs and COOs.

Among the top prerequisites for that selection are: the security of that investment, logistical and infrastructure excellence, political and socio-economic stability, competitive costs, a vibrant and dynamic business environment, as well as competent and productive workers.

European CEOs and COOs need to be aware that many new Asian countries are fast gaining ground as thriving high-profit business hubs; which are strong and equal challengers to the common, previously preferred traditional Asian business destinations.

In a 2004 study undertaken by the global research company, AT Kearney, Malaysia was been named the world's 3rd most attractive offshore location based on research on its business environment, financial structure, people skills and availability. Many MNCs and European SMEs are aware of this and have set up thriving regional and global offices in Malaysia.

These businesses enjoy Malaysia's lower costs in doing business and capitalize on Malaysia's diverse multi-religious, multi-racial community who speaks English, Arabic, and every important Asian language for commerce as their mother tongue.

In addition, Malaysia's strategic physical location in the heart of the Asia Pacific region and healthy trade relations with many countries, help these MNCs and SMEs to expand rapidly in all directions: China, Japan, Australia, India, South East Asia and the Middle East. In 2003, Malaysia was named the OIC's strategic trading hub for the Asia-Pacific region.

Pertinent to ICT businesses, Malaysia has the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC)which has been recognized as a choice ICT investment location and a strong exporter of quality ICT solutions and services. More than 1200 SMEs and MNCs such as HSBC, DHL, BMW, IBM, Ericsson, NTT and Shell have set up operations in the MSC. All these companies who achieve MSC-status enjoy the Malaysian Government's comprehensive package of customized incentives.

This corporate lecture and MSC Networking Reception will explore how MNCs and European ICT businesses can rapidly expand in the Asia Pacific and OIC regions in partnership with MSC Malaysia.

Belmah To Make Inroads Into Indonesian ICT Market
Author : Wan Nurzila Wan Abdul Rahman
Source : Bernama
Date Posted : 23/3/2005



MSC-status company, Belmah Strategies (M) Sdn Bhd is making inroads into the Indonesian information and communications technology (ICT) market, promoting its software solution, ICT aided Manufacturing (ICT-M), for manufacturing industries particularly among the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

ICT-M provides an on-line system to integrate quality, productivity and cost improvements without the need for sophisticated hardware or software, its managing director Dominic Belavendram said.

He said ICT-M was applicable to a wide range of users and provided a resource centre for on-line, on-demand availability of the latest trends in manufacturing technology.

It could be used by manufacturing industries like the electrical and electronics (E&E sector), moulding, rubber as well as metal fabrication, he said.

"A total of 70 applications are available for customizing the problem solving process, and with these enterprise solution applications, users can manage company-wide aspects of quality and productivity," he said.

Belmah had made a pact with the department of manpower domestic placement, under the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration Indonesia for the take up of ICT-M solution.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was made on the sidelines of the Malaysia-Indonesia Business Opportunities seminar held here in conjunction with the trade and investment mission to Jakarta led by Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz.

Dominic said ICT-M was developed and tested by 15 pilot companies under the Proton Vendors Association and following the encouraging feedback, Belmah was ready for the roll-out of ICT-M.

"We want to promote this product in Malaysia with the support from the relevant agencies, while with the support of Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA), we intend to promote this product internationally," he added.

According to Dominic, ICT-M provides great support for the manufacturing industries in terms of Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA) and World Trade Organisation (WTO) compliances.

OCBC sets up RM75m processing hub in Cyberjaya
6/4/2005
Source of article: News Straits Times


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By MALCOLM ROSARIO

April 01 2005

OCBC Bank Ltd, Singapore’s second-largest lender, has set up a RM75 million processing hub in Cyberjaya to handle selected back office operations.

Chief executive officer David Conner said the Cyberjaya facility and a similar facility in Singapore were established to facilitate the centralisation and cross-border hubbing of technology and processing services. Both facilities are designed to back up each other.

OCBC’s Cyberjaya facility is being managed by its wholly-owned unit, e2 Power Sdn Bhd. The company has been awarded the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status.

At yesterday’s official launching of e2 Power, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovations Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said the Government will work towards ensuring that shared services and outsourcing (SSO) companies like e2 Power are able to gain access to the right type of people.

“We will try and match the demand with the supply. If there is a need for our information technology graduates to do additional training or a finishing course, then that is what we will do,” Jamaludin said.

The ministry wants to ensure that SSO companies like e2 Power are happy with the human resource supply in Malaysia.

e2 Power itself is looking to hire 500 people to man its facility, and the Multimedia Development Corp (MDC) expects the number of large-scale SSO companies in Malaysia to grow from the current 20 to about 100 in just five years.

“As our second largest market after Singapore, Malaysia’s bottom line now accounts for 21 per cent of our group’s pre-tax profits,” Conner said.

He said OCBC’s bottom line grew by 35 per cent in 2004, making Malaysia an important market in the bank’s growth strategy.

OCBC said its investment in e2 Power reflects its commitment to expand its business and strengthen its market position here.

“By adopting a centralised model for our operations, we hope to enhance OCBC’s service quality and reliability to meet the high standards expected by our customers and improve our productivity at the same time,” Conner said.

-News Straits Times

Oracle, Infovalley team up for bioinformatics
6/4/2005
Source of article: The Star Online
Source of image: www.oracle.com


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ORACLE Corp Malaysia Sdn Bhd and local Multimedia Super Corridor company Infovalley Life Sciences Sdn Bhd are joining forces to use the former's database capabilities and the latter's domain knowledge to jointly develop IT tools for intensive data analysis in life-sciences research.

Under a partnership agreement signed March 29 in Kuala Lumpur, the two companies will set up a biotechnology steering team to develop initiatives in what they call “bioinformatics” – IT as used in the life sciences – for the local and international markets. Potential customers would include medical research institutions, university medical schools and life-science faculties, as well as pharmaceutical manufacturers.

The two companies will also set up a laboratory in Cyberjaya in the latter half of this year to carry out research in computational biology and R&D activities in bioinformatics, according to Oracle Corp Malaysia managing director V.R. Srivatsan and Infovalley chief executive Mathavan Chandran. Solutions will be based on Oracle's Database 10g.

Both companies could not provide details on how much would be spent on the laboratory, and how many it would have on staff, saying that these matters had yet to be worked out.

A lot of contemporary activity in the life sciences is compute-intensive, Mathavan said at the signing ceremony. Research projects typically result in extremely large datasets, often thousands of gigabytes in size, consisting of heteregeneous, unstructured, nonstandard information that is constantly evolving.

Many in the life-sciences community devote themselves to analysing these large datasets, or to computing-intensive work like modelling complex molecules, which Srivatsan calls “in silico” work, as opposed to “in vivo” or “in vitro” research – with live organisms or in the laboratory, respectively.

As many of these datasets are in the public domain, a research project can include crunching through many of these large datasets.

Srivatsan and Mathavan said the partnership would work not just on developing data analysis solutions but also provide consultancy services in the life sciences field. – H. AMIR KHALID

The Star Online

Ma Foi Commences HR BPO Operations at Malaysia
8/4/2005
Source of article: Ma Foi Malaysia
Source of image: www.mafoi.net.my


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Ma Foi Malaysia Sdn Bhd, fully owned subsidiary of Ma Foi Management Consultants Ltd has commenced operations at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ma Foi Malaysia Sdn Bhd will be a HR BPO providing Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) solutions that will cater to the needs of Malaysian market. Ma Foi is a MSC status company.

Ma Foi is part of Vedior NV www.vedior.com the world’s third largest Staffing Major with last reported turnover of 6.4 Billion Euros. Vedior the Dutch Major employs more than 15,000 People globally and has 2250 Offices in about 37 countries.

In India Ma Foi’s HR BPO operations is located at Chennai. Ma Foi Consulting Solutions Ltd. (MCSL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Ma Foi currently operates a 140-seater facility in Chennai. MCSL develops and provides web based HR solutions to its Indian and Overseas Clients. Ma Foi Malaysia Sdn Bhd is the second BPO unit Ma Foi has launched in two years.

The BPO and Software Development Unit, which is located at Cyberjaya, Kuala Lumpur will be developing HR Information System Solutions, Payroll Solutions and Resume Management Solutions as its offerings.

Confirming the commencement of Malaysian operations Mr. K. Pandia Rajan, Chairman of Ma Foi Malaysia, said, "This facility will not only help Multinational Corporates expanding in the region and global majors setting shop in Malaysia but also the local Malaysian firms. Ma Foi will take care of their HR Support needs of these companies thus enabling them to focus on their Core Areas


Ma Foi’s rich experience in the Field of HR and HR automation will benefit the companies expanding in the Asia Pac region. The twin BPO Centers gives Ma Foi the advantage of disaster recovery back up"

The mix of Thai, Indonesian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Japanese, Philippine speaking population provides a rich multilingual talent pool. This combined with excellent IT infrastructure will fuel Ma Foi’s growth in Malaysia.

Ma Foi Malaysia Sdn Bhd has already bagged two international clients; a UK and an Australian based MNC. Ma Foi Malaysia has launched its website www.mafoi.net.my for its Outsourcing Solutions.

Celebrating the Success of WCIT 2008 Bid


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The Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry Malaysia (Pikom) together with the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) recently held an event in Eastin Hotel, Petaling Jaya, to celebrate Malaysia’s success in its bid to host the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) in the year 2008.

Energy, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Amar Leo Moggie was present to make the announcement which marks an auspicious milestone in the history of the local information and communication technology (ICT) industry.

Besides members of the industry, foreign dignitaries were also present at the event.

WCIT is a biennial pre-eminent global ICT executive conference under the patronage of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (Witsa), a consortium of 49 IT industry associations from economies around the world, whose members represent over 90% of the world ICT market.

WCIT 2008 will be the 16th World Congress that will build on a 26-year track record of success.


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Pikom’s PC Fair chairperson Wendy Liew (second from left) together with past chairman Looi Kien Loong, MDC’s chief executive officer Datuk Dr. Mohd. Arif Nun and chairman Tan Sri Abdul Halim Ali. Standing behind is Pikom’s executive director Dr. Wong Say Ho.

Multimedia Development Corporation

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Fujitsu in Cyberjaya

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DHL

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FSBM

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TNB


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Overall Flagship Zone Development

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1. Cyberview Lodge 16. TM Cyberjaya Central 31. HSBC
2. Cyberview Garden 17. Cyberjaya Smart School 32. Prima Data Centre
3. The Promenade 18. Cyberia 33. InventQjaya Lab
4. Sekolah Seri Puteri 19. Multimedia University 34. BOMBA
5. Cyber Heights 20. MSC Central Incubator 35. Police
6. CSF Advisers 21. D' Cassia 36. MDTC Complex
7. FSBM 22. Cyberjaya Highstreet 37. Satellite farm
8. MDC HQ 23. Cyberpark 38. MCMC
9. DHL APIS 24. TM Cyberjaya Complex 39. E-Theatre
10.Fujitsu 25. Ericsson Building 40. BMW
11.Enterprise Building1 26. City Command Ctr 41. Mosque
12.Enterprise Building2 27. NTT-MSC 42. MEASAT NOC
13.Cyberjaya Terminal 28. Enterprise Building 3 43. SME Building
14.Street Mall 29. Century Square 1
15.D'Melor Apartments 30. Century Square 2

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Cyberjaya Virtual Tour (http://www.msc.com.my/xtras/cyberjaya/main.htm)

Awesome news compilation Nazrey!!! Keep up the great work in here and in other threads.

Boosting the growth of Malaysia’s Creative Multimedia Industry


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Cyberjaya, 5 April 2005 – The Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) and The Multimedia University (MMU) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) at the MSC Innovation Centre today. The MoA will help MDC and MMU to share their best practises, experiences and knowledge to expand the use of the Creative Applications and Development Centre (CADC) with the aim of boosting the growth of Malaysia’s Creative Multimedia Industry

Datuk Dr Mohamed Arif Nun, CEO of MDC said that the MoA is inline with one of the key strategies of MSC Next Leap which is to accelerate growth of MSC as a Global ICT Hub in the area of creative technologies and content development.

MDC has set up the Creative Applications and Development Centre (CADC) in 2002 located within the MSC Flagship Centre at Enterprise Building 1 in Cyberjaya as a centre of excellence for integrating creativity with technology.

MMU is a private university owned by Telekom Malaysia and is located in CYberjaya. MMU provides university-level education and training in the areas of multimedia technology, engineering, information technology, general arts and sciences, and business management.

MDC and MMU recognised that they share many common goals, in using and developing information and communications technology (ICT) to encourage and stimulate the creation and development of content and to strengthen collaboration between both organisations in other related areas.

With a view towards encouraging and stimulating content development by utilising ICT and showcasing content developed by local talents, MDC will make available to MMU on a non-exclusive basis the facilities and systems located at the CADC for purposes of undertaking research and development activities specifically in the content development, upon and subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Agreement.

According to Datuk Dr Mohamed Arif Nun, MDC is committed to the growth and development of the creative content industry. This commitment is reflected by the setting up of the Creative Multimedia Department in October 1998 headed by Kamil Othman, Vice-President of MDC.

“The department was set up to specially attract companies using multimedia and digital technologies to develop, create, add value to, and deliver content and to ensure a fully integrated and self-contained environment exists for the industry to thrive,” he continued.

The CAD-C is a world-class facility that can service multi-application requirements across industries. Its mission is to create a center of excellence in the MSC for content creation, visualization, high performance computing, and research & development for the industry.

The CAD-C comprises:
• The Virtual Reality Center (VRC)
Featuring the first curved wall Virtual Reality Center in ASEAN, the center also houses the first Visualization Area Network (VAN) in the Asia Pacific region. The VRC includes a 12-foot radius cylindrical screen and three DLP projectors.

• High Performance Computer Facility (HPC)
The SGI Onyx 3800 supercomputer boasts powerful visualization capabilities. The high performance computer and rendering facilities is capable of handling complex 3D computer animation images, and is able to cater for parallel volume rendering and texture intensive scenes. The facility houses a Linux rendering cluster.

• Creative Multimedia Lab
This state-of-the-art multimedia lab houses one of the largest rendering farm and rendering farm storage area network in Malaysia. Users can also find software for creating amazing visual effects, animations, broadcast graphic designs and games, such as Avid Symphony, Shake 3, Final Cut Pro HD, Alias Maya Unlimited, SOFTIMAGE|XSI, 3DS MAX 6. A complete suite of supporting hardware and AV equipment is available.

In its expanded role, the CAD-C also acts as a matchmaker and provides consultancy services to parties interested in the technologies offered.

A world-first wireless RFID reader developed in Malaysia


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Kuala Lumpur, 15 April 2005 - RF iDent Sdn Bhd and Free2move AB today announced the availability of the Bluetooth enabled evo-MR, a unique wireless RFID reader offering cable-free operation and long battery life. The RFID reader can establish a high performance Bluetooth wireless connection either to a handheld, such as a Windows CE PDA, Symbian OS mobile phone, or to a stationary PC.

According to the EPCglobal industry organisation for electronic coding of items, the total world market for RFID readers is expected to reach € 1 billion (RM 5 billion) by year 2008.

Kean Chan, Managing Director of RF iDent states, “RF iDent is committed in providing cost-effective RFID products to the market which are compatible with the most common RFID tag standards. Our new, Bluetooth enabled, evo-MR reader provides exceptional end-user value in applications such as library management, retail, asset management and document management. The evo-MR reader is a powerful tool with versatility that allows you to do many things not previously possible with other RFID readers. The reader harnesses RFID technologies through automatically identifying a unique asset with pinpoint accuracy and can communicate tracking information in real time to the central system of a wireless link.”

Martin Harnevie, President of Free2move Asia & Pacific says, “Free2move’s industrial grade Bluetooth modules offer robust wireless links over long ranges. They are designed to fit the needs of demanding applications in manufacturing, oil & gas, logistics, healthcare and transportation. The module used in RF iDent’s evo-MR reader can stretch to 70-80 metres line-of-sight range, and its more powerful sibling has been tested well beyond 250 metres line-of-sight range. It’s a pleasure to work with RF iDent in leveraging those capabilities in practical and effective products which provide tangible end user value. In Auto-ID, regardless of whether we are talking about wireless barcode scanners or wireless RFID readers, the robustness of the wireless link is crucial, not the least in today’s high paced fast moving consumer goods (FMGC) industry.”

About RF-iDent Sdn Bhd

RF iDent Sdn Bhd (www.rf-ident.com) is committed to the Auto ID evolution, with a major concentration in RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) product development, specifically in mobile applications. Its main purpose is to provide extended service and technological know how to resellers and customers throughout Malaysia. Backed by IT professionals and run by team of qualified staffs with combined experience of more than 18 years in the fields of RFID and Auto ID, the company is growing rapidly and with the experience and technological know-how, along with our valued partners is aiming to bring an intrinsically safe RFID solution to market.

About Free2move AB

Swedish originated Free2move (www.f2m.com.my) is a RF technology design and system consulting house. Free2move's RF technologies are available as OEM modules, in building blocks for system integration or as services. Free2move’s portfolio ranges from active and passive RFID technologies, industrial grade Bluetooth modules to wireless remote sensing networks and embedded system design. In year 2004, Free2move’s head-office for Asia & Pacific operations has been located to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

INFOVALLEY™ Life Sciences and Oracle Malaysia Jointly Spearhead Development of Biotechnology Industry

Oracle and INFOVALLEY™ chart new chapter in bioinformatics technologies development

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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 29th, 2005 — Oracle Corporation Malaysia (“Oracle Malaysia”) today signed a partnership agreement with INFOVALLEY™ Life Sciences Sdn Bhd (INFOVALLEY™), a Malaysian Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Status company, to jointly lead the development and deployment of bioinformatics technologies for bioscience education, biotechnology research and the advancement of life sciences industry.

Signed in Kuala Lumpur, this partnership between Oracle Malaysia and INFOVALLEY™ is aimed at spearheading the development of bioscience education and biotechnology industry by utilizing homegrown bioinformatics technologies. This novel and innovative approach is the first such initiative in Malaysia. This initiative is expected to set the foundation for an industry standard for data-driven research in innovative ICT based solutions to manage bioscience requirements. This is currently not available in the global biotechnology industry.

INFOVALLEY™, a member of the Oracle Partner Network, is Oracle Malaysia’s leading partner in the biotechnology sector. INFOVALLEY™ was identified and recruited through Oracle’s initiative for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs). This initiative was launched last year by Oracle Malaysia to assist and mentor local ISVs to develop and commercialize homegrown solutions based on Oracle’s suite of technology products.

Recognized by industry analysts as the de facto standard for data management in life sciences, Oracle Database 10g, together with Oracle Application Server 10g, offers the scalability, performance, reliability, and interoperability required for effective enterprise performance management. Oracle Database also provides high-volume data management capabilities that streamline the capturing, storing, searching, and retrieving of information critical to the R&D process. Customers in the bioscience and biotechnology sectors will be able to leverage on leading end-to-end solution and services from INFOVALLEY™ backed by high capacity technology product from Oracle.

“Cross-disciplinary collaborations and partnerships are crucial to jump-starting a new area like biotechnology in Malaysia. As bioinformatics is a data and information-driven sector, it is imperative there is consistent communication and collaboration in managing information to create a strong flow of viable and pragmatic bioinformatics results,” said V. R. Srivatsan, managing director of Oracle Corporation Malaysia. “Oracle, as the leader in information and data management systems, is well-positioned to spearhead the development of this sector, in cooperation with INFOVALLEY™ who have the domain expertise in this specialized area. We are confident that with INFOVALLEY™, we provide a conducive environment to nurture the biotechnology industry and its research and development efforts through the use of innovative bioinformatics solution.”

Mathavan A. Chandran, chief executive officer of INFOVALLEY™ Life Sciences Sdn. Bhd. said that he is encouraged by the progress that this relationship with Oracle has brought to his organisation and his customers. “It is amazing that four years ago we melted the multi-disciplinary bioscience and informatics solution into a new breed of technology called bioinformatics. Today, much earlier than we expected, we are forging a powerful alliance and business relationship with Oracle to support the scientific requirements at the core level,” he said.

He believes that to push Malaysia’s agenda to the global market, it will require continuous and transparent dialogue with user-groups and governments and it is INFOVALLEY™’s goal to play a strong role in facilitating it.

“We remain convinced that biotechnology will be a differentiator for the future, which will make vast contributions to human needs in the 21st century. The move from labour-intensive scientific activities for generating data in the past, to bioinformatics will focus the skill sets and valuable time of scientists towards the analysis of voluminous data to make concrete deductions for continuous scientific and business advancement. Through this strategic partnership, we believe innovative bioinformatics solution will change the education, research, commercialization and business landscape of biotechnology-based industry sectors, so that we will be in a position to lead,” Mathavan added.

Infovalley & Oracle Joint Projects

As part of the partnership, INFOVALLEY™ and Oracle Malaysia will set up a Biotechnology Steering Team to develop joint bioinformatics initiatives for both local and global markets. Through this steering team, Oracle, as a recognised leader in the areas of Biotechnology and Life Sciences with the Oracle Clinical Data Management Systems, will provide consultancy to the local biotechnology community across the development process.

One of the outcomes of this partnership is for Oracle Database 10g to be made available for use in pilot projects at INFOVALLEY™’s customers where continuous technology development takes place. It is currently deployed for a project at Institute of Medical Research, Malaysia and National Institute for Natural Products, Vaccinology and Biologicals (NINPVB) in Kuala Lumpur.

INFOVALLEY™ and Oracle Malaysia will also set up a laboratory which will house a spectrum of computational biology and bioinformatics research and development activities. This laboratory provides an avenue to spur new discoveries, which can be transferred into viable and marketable bioinformatics applications and solutions.


About INFOVALLEY™ Life Sciences Sdn. Bhd.

INFOVALLEY™ Life Sciences Sdn. Bhd. is a Malaysian MSC Status company that provides biosciences domain consulting and customized end-to-end informatics-driven solutions for data-driven research & education. INFOVALLEY™ is a privately owned company with subsidiary in Bangalore, India and representative office in USA. The company has strategic research alliances in USA, Canada, Australia and India.

Powered by committed business, scientific and technology staff, INFOVALLEY™ is a member of The Oracle Partner Network. For more information, please refer to www.infovalley.net.my

The Oracle PartnerNetwork

The Oracle PartnerNetwork is a global business network of more than 13,000 companies who deliver innovative enterprise software solutions based on Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) software. Through access to Oracle’s premier products, education, technical services, marketing and sales support, the Oracle PartnerNetwork provides partners with the resources they need to be successful in today’s Internet economy. Oracle partners are able to offer customers’ leading-edge solutions backed by Oracle’s position as the world’s largest enterprise software company. Partners who are able to demonstrate superior product knowledge, technical expertise and a commitment to doing business with Oracle qualify for the Oracle Certified Partner level. These partners receive a higher level of service, support, training and certification from Oracle.

Novell launches regional testing center in Malaysia Partners to become YES CERTIFIED on SUSE LINUX through EIX Solutions
Oracle and INFOVALLEY™ chart new chapter in bioinformatics technologies development


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KUALA LUMPUR, 22nd March, 2005 - Novell, Inc., (Nasdaq: NOVL), an active member of the open source community, today opened its Novell Authorized Testing Center (NATC) in Malaysia to cater to its partners in the South East Asia (SEA) markets.

The NATC was officially launched by Yang Berhormat Dato’ Dr. Raja Malik, Deputy Director General, MAMPU this morning at the Patimas Technology Centre in Technology Park Malaysia.

The NATC will be run by its value-added distributor, EIX Solutions Sdn Bhd, which has qualified as a YES CERTIFIED testing provider for the Novell SUSE LINUX platform.

As a Novell Authorized Testing Center (NATC), EIX Solutions will work with Novell partners to validate that their systems and applications to meet specific performance requirements in order to gain the YES certification with SUSE LINUX, as well as other Novell Technologies.

“The one thing hindering the adoption of Open Source is the lack of applications available today. With the increased focus on Open Source within Malaysian market, the establishment of NATC is timely as the Center will enable both local and regional Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and Independent Hardware Vendors (IHVs) to ride on Novell’s SUSE Linux standards to enter new markets that provide accelerated growth potential,” said Mr. KK Leong, Country Manager, Novell Corporation Malaysia.

Novell has more than 510 technology partners worldwide, many supporting SUSE LINUX. Product vendors that earn the Novell YES CERTIFIED designation for their Linux solutions will be able to quickly and confidently show CIOs and IT Managers that their solution has been independently proven to meet Novell’s product compatibility standards.

“We are delighted to be appointed by Novell as SUSE LINUX testing centre which services the ASEAN market, where many of Novell’s development partners are located, making it easier for Novell partners in the region to have their solutions YES CERTIFIED. By adding YES testing services to its suite of offerings, we are able to serve Novell’s growing number of ISVs and IHVs developing solutions on the SUSE LINUX platform,” said Mr. Jeff Lim, Vice President, EIX Solutions.

“Novell places a very high value on our development partners, so it is crucial to us that they have a positive experience when getting their solution tested for the YES CERTIFIED program,” said Leong.

“EIX Solutions has a strong proven track record for serving our customers with the same level of high-quality service we would expect. We asked EIX Solutions to add YES CERTIFIED testing services to their offerings so that our Linux ISVs and IHVs will benefit from having the testing conducted by one of the leading product testing vendors in the world,” he added.

The new certification services offering by EIX Solutions will help drive new business for Novell's solutions provider, hardware and software partners, and will provide new options for partners to engage with Novell. In addition, end-users can be assured that both the product vendor and Novell are committed to supporting all products which display the YES CERTIFIED mark.

To date, six ISVs & IHVs confirmed to have their products and solutions YES CERTIFIED for SUSE LINUX by EIX Solutions. They are Profitera Corporation Sdn Bhd, MCSB Systems (M) Bhd, The Media Shoppe Berhad, THG E-NET Solutions Sdn Bhd, PerSys Technologies Berhad and OPENFiX Sdn Bhd.

For more information on having your product YES CERTIFIED for SUSE LINUX by EIX Solutions, please contact Andrew Lee, Senior Manager, 012-2089618 or Goay Heow Khoon, GM Product, 012-238 9746, general line: 03-8994 1818/2828.



About Novell
Novell, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL) is a leading provider of information solutions that deliver secure identity management (Novell Nsure), Web application development (Novell extend) and cross-platform networking services (Novell Nterprise), all supported by strategic consulting and professional services (Novell NgageSM). Active in the open source community with its Ximian and SUSE LINUX brands, Novell provides a full range of Linux products and services for the enterprise, from the desktop to the server. Novell’s vision of one Net, a world without information boundaries helps customers realize the value of their information securely and economically. For more information, call Novell’s Customer Response Center at (888) 321-4CRC (4272) or visit http://www.novell.com.
Press should visit http://www.novell.com/pressroom.

Dato’ Kong Cho Ha, Deputy Minister of MOSTI, launched QuESTS Program to Help Boost Local ICT SMEs’ Global Competitiveness
Source of article: MDC


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Kuala Lumpur, 14 April 2005 – The Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) officially launched its Quality Excellence for Software & Technology SMEs (QuESTS) Programme in Kuala Lumpur today. The launch was officiated by Dato’ Kong Cho Ha, Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI).

QuESTS is a pilot programme targeted at a cluster of ICT SMEs to undergo professional guidance in developing and enhancing their internal engineering capabilities through the implementation of best practises in line with the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) - Capability of Maturity Model Integrated (CMMI) accreditation for software development.

“Through this programme, MOSTI hopes that MDC will be able to increase the number of local companies attaining the Capability of Maturity Model Integrated (CMMI) accreditation,” said Dato’ Kong.

He added that the accreditation is an important factor as CMMI is now being accepted as the de facto standard in the global ICT industry.

The objectives of QuESTS are:-

Assist ICT SMEs to adopt proper processes in their organisations in order to deliver quality product & services.
Provide practical & easy to implement guidelines to allow fast & cost-effective implementation of Software Process Improvement (SPI) initiatives in ICT SMEs.
Raise internal engineering capabilities to improve quality & productivity in the organisations.
Provide an internationally form of recognition to ICT SMEs through SEI CMMI Level 2 assessment.
“With over 1200 MSC-status companies and more than 40% in the software and content development sector, the SMEs need to build up their capabilities level to be able to compete globally,” said Datuk Dr Arif Nun, Chief Executive Officer of MDC.

He added that he hoped the 18 participating companies will find the program beneficial and becomes icons and successful testimonials for the future QuESTS participants.

The 18 pioneering companies are:

1. AccelTeam Sdn Bhd
2. Afoofa Solutions Sdn Bhd
3. ArgiSoft (M) Sdn Bhd
4. Biztrak R&D Sdn Bhd
5. ByteCraft Sdn Bhd
6. e-Genting
7. GPRO Technologies
8. HealthLogic Sdn Bhd
9. MAPIT MSC Bhd
10. Online One Software (MSC) Sdn Bhd
11. Paradigm Systems Sdn Bhd
12. Realtime World Sdn Bhd
13. RV Digital Technology Sdn Bhd
14. Solution Assessment and Development Centre, MDC
15. Smart-ED DotCom Asia
16. SoftSolvers Technologies Sdn Bhd
17. Telekom Applied Business
18. Tradenex.com Sdn Bhd

The total project cost for each participating company in the QuESTS programme is RM50,000 inclusive of training, consultancy, assessment of CMMI Level 2 which QuESTS is providing technical assistance of maximum cap value of RM25,000.

Dato’ Kong said that this is a golden opportunity not to be missed as the QuESTS Programme allows participating SMEs to complete the project at a faction of what it would normally cost.

Not only do the participating SMEs able to enhance their internal expertise and put in place accepted best practices, they will also build up a network of SMEs who share similar interest and at the same time gain the internationally recognised SEI CMMI accreditation.

QuESTS is part of MDC’s Software Process improvement (SPI) programme which MDC’s Capacity Development Division (CDD) had undertaken to raise the global competitiveness of local ICT companies.

Besides QuESTS, the SPI Programme provides assistance to Flagship Organisations and Share Services and Outsourcing (SSO) Clusters to achieve SEI CMMI Level 3 through 5, which had attracted more than 20 participating companies since January 2004.

YB Dato’ Sri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis Witnesses Signing Ceremony of ICDL Programme to boost ICT training and skills upgrading
Source of article: MDC


http://www.msc.com.my/today/html/img/2005-icdl.jpg


Kuala Lumpur, 18 April 2005 - – The Multimedia Development Corporation’s (MDC) subsidiary Multimedia Super Corridor Management Services (MSCMS) signed a Local Business Partnership and Accreditation Agent Agreement with the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) with the aim of boosting the ICT training and skills upgrading of the Malaysian workforce.

Yang Berhormat Dato’ Sri Dr Jamaludin bin Dato’ Mohd Jarjis, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) was the guest of honour and witnessed the signing ceremony. His Excellency Bruce Cleghorn, The British High Commissioner to Malaysia, Tan Sri Anuwar Ali, Chairman of Meteor Technology Sdn Bhd, Tan Sri Abdul Halim Ali, Chairman of MDC and Encik Shaifubahrim Saleh, Executive Director of MSCMS were also at the event.

“Today’s signing ceremony between ICDL and MSCMS to jointly collaborate in introducing the ICDL concept that will help in enhancing the skills set of our Malaysian workforce,” said Dato’ Sri Jamaludin Jarjis.

Dato’ Sri Jamaludin Jarjis added that this effort is consistent with MOSTI’s and the Government’s programmes to help reduce the unemployment of graduates that currently stand at 18,000.

The ICDL goal is to improve an organisation’s overall efficiency as its implementation will have direct positive impact on its profits through reduction in wastage of time and lowering of cost. This will in turn enhance and raise the quality of the general competency in Information Technology whereby it will improve the confidence and productivity of end users and enabling employers to get better return on IT investment.

“Employees that have been well trained and certified under the ICDL programme will be considered as part of our human capital assets as they will form the vanguard of the knowledge workforce that our country needs to be competitive in an ever increasingly knowledge driven global economy,” said Tan Sri Abdul Halim Ali.

The ICDL Concept is a further development and extension of the European Computer Driving License and the Finnish Computer Driving License, as developed by the CEPIS ECDL Task Force and ECDL-Foundation since February 1st 1996.

The ECDL is available in 136 countries globally and has been translated into 36 languages. It is internationally recognised as the global standard in end-user computer skills and has been adopted by governments, international organisations and the international business community.

THE WAY FORWARD - 9th MSC IAP MEEETING 2005
Source of article: MDC
http://iap-portal.msc.com.my/


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The 9th MSC International Advisory Panel Meeting (IAP) will be held for the first time outside the central MSC zone in its latest MSC Cybercity in Bayan Lepas, Penang. The 9th MSC - IAP Meeting is scheduled from 8th till 10th September 2005 at the Penang Equatorial Hotel. The theme of this year’s IAP will be “ICT Driving The Innovation Economy”

The thrust of the discussions for the meeting are expected to be focused on the skilled and high value job creation and the shared services and outsourcing opportunities in the MSC and Malaysia.

The 9th MSC IAP meeting which will be held in Bayan Lepas will also provide an opportunity for the IAP members to share their thoughts on the rollout of the MSC. The Bayan Lepas MSC Cybercity was officially launched by the Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi on the 29th January 2005 in a grand conferment ceremony at the Penang International Sports Arena (PISA).

This momentous occasion not only extended the MSC beyond its current 15 x 50 km border, but more importantly it marked the rollout of the performance culture in the various aspects of services and facilities that are expected to be delivered by all the MSC Cybercities.

The 9th MSC - IAP meeting which will be co- organized by the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) and the Penang State Government with the support from the Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation (MOSTI) is expected to further boost the government’s plan towards utilizing ICT as a platform and an enabler to other sectors of the economy as well as contribute towards the country’s exports and revenue.

The MSC - IAP will bring together the “meeting of the minds” of some of the world’s most renowned ICT players, CEOs and international think-tanks in the global ICT industry. Their role is to advise and counsel the Malaysian Government to set and prepare the agenda for the way forward in the development and growth of the MSC and ICT industry in Malaysia.

World’s First Over-The-Air Management Of R UIM Cards Announced By Smarttrust And I’m Technologies For Leading CDMA Operator
18th April 2005
http://www.msc.com.my/xtras/press/050422_smarttrust.asp


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Announcement extends CDMA carriers’ control of R-UIM cards and opens the door to dynamic service and device management

18th April 2005. Kuala Lumpur: SmartTrust and I’M Technologies have successfully implemented the world’s first complete R-UIM interpreter for UTK (UIM Toolkit). Based on the SmartTrust WIB™ and tested for a large Asian CDMA operator, the development brings for the first time, dynamic OTA (over the air) management of R UIM cards (Removable-User Identity Module). This opens up the CDMA market to a number of revenue generating services including roaming management and interactive menu-driven services.

Following the success of the SmartTrust WIB™ in the GSM market, the R UIM-WIB has been tested on smart card vendor I’M Technologies’ 32k RUIM cards and over the operator’s CDMA network. The operator will begin rolling-out the cards to its subscribers in 2005, allowing it to offer services to its subscribers that can be remotely managed.

“Like the SIM, the R UIM is the unique component in the mobile value chain that both identifies a subscriber and controls access to a carrier's services. Following this world first, the role of the R UIM can be extended very cost effectively by CDMA operators looking to deliver value added services that contribute to ARPU (average revenue per user),” explains Paul Cuss, CEO at SmartTrust. “Nearly 300 million SIM cards are already SmartTrust WIB™-enabled. We anticipate enormous growth of the technology in the R UIM / CDMA environment as carriers realize the value of remote service and device management.”

According to the CDMA Development Group Worldwide (CDG), the number of CDMA subscribers has grown to more than 240 million subscribers in December 2004. This is almost triple the total in the year 2000. The Asia Pacific region is the largest contributor with some 102 million CDMA subscribers - 42.5 percent of the worldwide total worldwide subscribers.

Typical functionality in the R UIM cards includes the ability to remotely update the PRL (preferred roaming lists) stored on the R UIM, deliver interactive menu-driven services and support PKI (public key infrastructure) based security services.

“I’M Technologies is pleased to be SmartTrust’s first smart card technology partner in the development of this ground breaking product,” commented the CEO of I’M Technologies, Mr. Zee Vee Teo. “This scalable R UIM WIB solution allows CDMA mobile operators to offer a wide range of value added services.”

The R UIM WIB specifications have already been released to the card vendor community with the launch of a certification process (run in parallel to the existing SmartTrust Certified™ programme) scheduled for launch in Q3 2005.

MDC, MSC-Status companies headed for CeBIT Asia
Friday May 13, 2005




CYBERJAYA: The Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) has annouced its participation in CeBIT Asia 2005, which will be held in Shanghai from May 11 to 14.

MDC will be joined by 10 MSC (Multimedia Super Corridor) -Status companies, who will take part under the MSC Pavilion at the information and communications technology (ICT) trade show.

The companies are Palette Multimedia Bhd, NGC Systems Sdn Bhd, Jaalaa Malaysia Sdn Bhd, iNavigate Sdn Bhd, Wireless Access (M) Sdn Bhd, AsiaEP Berhad, NexusEdge Technologies Sdn Bhd, ThreeSixty Technologies Sdn Bhd, MFQ Asia Sdn Bhd, and Northland Technologies MSC Sdn Bhd.

“We want to create a business channel for Malaysian companies to work with Chinese companies, not just for the China market, but also to tap regional and global opportunities,” said Dr Abu Talib Bachik, MDC senior vice president of marketing and branding.

He added that CeBIT Asia would be an ideal platform for MDC to market and promote the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) in the region, as well as for the MSC-Status companies to introduce their products, technologies and services.

CeBIT Asia 2005 is expected to attract 350 exhibitors and 50,000 visitors.

Penang Hosts 9th MSC IAP Meeting In September
June 07, 2005 12:23 PM


PENANG, June 7 (Bernama) -- The ninth meeting of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) International Advisory Panel (IAP) will be held in Penang this September, said Science, Technology and Innovations Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis.

He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was scheduled to open the four-day meeting beginning Sept 7.

The objective of holding the meeting and organising several programmes in conjunction with it in Penang was to introduce the cyber township in Bayan Lepas to potential investors, he said in a joint press conference with Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, here last night.

Dr Jamaludin said the MSC IAP meeting itself would focus on three main areas, namely the creation of skilled and high value jobs, the sharing of services and outsourcing opportunities, and the expansion of the MSC to cover the whole nation.

The meeting would provide an opportunity for IAP members, think-tank groups and chief executive officers of international organisations to share views and advise the government on the development and growth of the MSC as well as the Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) industry, he said.

Among the programmes to be held in conjunction with the MSC IAP meeting are an MSC ICT exposition at Dewan Milenium (Sept 7-10), the MSC Global Technopreneur Forum at Vistana Hotel (Sept 9), the presentation of the Asia Pacific MSC-ICT Awards (APICTA) at Equatorial Hotel (Sept 9) and an e-Community programme.

Dr Jamaludin said the MSC ICT exposition would be divided into three main components namely an MSC exhibition, a computer exhibition, and an employment and educational opportunities exhibition.

Through the exposition, the public, especially rural youths, would have the opportunity to obtain information and employment suitable with their skills and knowledge, he said.

They would also be exposed to internet-based transactions which could help small and medium-scale industries (SMIs) to explore new business opportunities and expand their market reach, he said.

"All these are in line with the wish of the prime minister to bring the knowledge about ICT and the MSC to rural areas and we really hope that the programmes would benefit residents in the northern region," he said.

-- BERNAMA

MCMC To Lead Malaysian Group Pavilion At CommunicAsia 2005
June 07, 2005 13:08 PM


KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will spearhead a Malaysian group pavilion for the first time at CommunicAsia 2005.

The four-day communications and information technology (IT) exhibition for Asia will be held in Singapore from June 14 to 17.

EnterpriseIT, an event that showcases innovative enterprise solutions for streamlining business processes and cost structures, will run in conjunction with CommunicAisa.

The Malaysian companies taking part in CommunicAsia are Telekom Malaysia Bhd, Digi Telecommunications, Time DotCom Bhd, Maxis and Measat Satellite Systems Sdn Bhd. They are joined by others such as Britesoft Solutions Sdn Bhd, Embedded Wireless Labs Sdn Bhd, Exide Technologies, Jaring Communications, Prism and LeBLANC.

"We are pleased to work with MCMC to build a stronger Malaysian presence at CommunicAsia. Although this is not the first time Malaysian companies are exhibiting at CommunicAsia, this is the first official Malaysian country group to participate at the event," said Singapore Exhibition Services project director for communication events, Victor Wong.

"CommunicAsia will certainly complement MCMC's objectives to implement and promote the government's national policy objectives for the communications and multimedia sector, and overseeing new regulatory framework for the converging industries of telecommunications, broadcasting and online activities," Wong said in a statement Tuesday.

He added that the exhibition houses a critical mass of industry players from over 50 countries and international visitors, hence making it conducive to networking, forging partnerships and expanding into regional markets.

CommunicAsia 2005 will reflect the latest information and communications technologies, including broadband communications, satellite, digital lifestyle, mobile communications, smartcard and Wimax.

EnterpriseIT 2005 will display web services, storage systems, business intelligence, content management, security management, outsourcing services, RFID (radio frequency identification) technology and other innovative solutions.

In addition, over 800 attendees from 40 countries are expected at the CommunicAsia 2005 Summit from June 14 to 16 where industry experts will share their knowledge and insights on the latest trends in the communications and IT industry.

-- BERNAMA

M'sia Aims To Join The Tops In Outsourcing Industry
June 07, 2005 21:40 PM
By Farazira Amira Yusof



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CYBERJAYA, June 7 (Bernama) -- Malaysia, already a clear favourite for locating off-shore shared service operations in Asia Pacific, is eyeing the number one spot for information technology (IT) support, research and analytical processes as well as supply chain management.

A Deloitte Consulting research findings showed that Kuala Lumpur ranked number one in the customer support/call centre and back-office processes.

Expressing satisfaction with the growing recognition for Malaysia, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said that Malaysia was now trying to develop other relevant areas which were currently being led by other countries.

He was speaking to reporters after the unveiling of a whitepaper on "Malaysia's Edge In The Fast Evolving Outsourcing Space" prepared by Deloitte and the Multimedia Development Corporation, here Tuesday.

To be number one, Jamaludin said the country would need to identify its competitive edge in order to attract more multinational companies to its shores.

Deloitte, a US$6 billion consulting and advisory services firm, initiated a study to understand the relative competitiveness of various offshoring locations within the Asia Pacific region involving 12 locations.

The locations were Beijing, Suzhou, Shanghai, Dalian, Kuala Lumpur (Klang Valley), Bangkok, Manila, Singapore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi.

According to the study, the top spot for IT support was the Indian city of Bangalore while Singapore led the analytic and supply chain management.

Deloitte in its findings also revealed that the Malaysia's economic growth which has been growing at a steady rate has provided a business friendly and business driven political environment.

In addition, the country continued to improve its infrastructure and increased efforts to grow its talent pool.

For offshoring of IT support/application maintenance processes, Deloitte said that Kuala Lumpur was well positioned to challenge traditional centres in India due to its robust infrastructure.

The Malaysian capital scores over competing cities such as Hyderabad, Manila and Mumbai, primarily because of its sound and affordable infrastructure and its fiscal, tax and regulatory environment, it said.

Kuala Lumpur is also a strong contender to Singapore for offshoring or outsourcing of supply chain management, while Chinese cities Shanghai and Beijing enjoy cost advantages.

Similarly, Kuala Lumpur is appearing as a strong competitor with regards to research and analytical processes.

Jamaludin said that the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) project had put the country in the forefront of off-shore shared service operations.

"Now, we are into the next leap of the MSC which we will be focusing on the infrastructure for knowledge so that we can churn out highly-skilled human capital," he said.

He said the government hoped to create between 10,000 and 100,000 such workers in the future, of which 30 to 40 percent would be involved in outsourcing services.

Apart from that, Jamaludin said the government had asked Deloitte to conduct a study on how Malaysia could enhance its capabilities in the outsourcing industry so that it could be on par with cities like Bangalore, Shanghai and Singapore.

The study, he said, was expected to be presented at the ninth meeting of the MSC international advisory panel (MSC-IAP) in Penang in September.

The outsourcing industry is expected to grow at rate of 8.0 percent or more between 2003 and 2006, driven by offshoring of traditional processes such as call centre operations, higher value-added processes such as analytical and research processes as well as procurement and supply chain management.

Currently, countries like India, China and the Philippines account for as estimated 50 percent market share in the global industry.

-- BERNAMA

MDC TO PROMOTE MALAYSIA AS THE 3RD BEST GLOBAL SHARED SERVICES AND OUTSOURCING
Author : MDC
Source : Bernama
Date Posted : 3/3/2005



The Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) will be participating in the CeBIT Europe 2005 from 10th - 16th March at Hannover,Germany.

MDC will be presenting the business case for the setting up for shared services and outsourcing in the MSC riding on the AT Kearney Report in 2004 that had positioned Malaysia as the 3rd most attractive global offshoring location.

MDC will be exhibiting and promoting the shared services and outsourcing at the Malaysian Pavilion in Hall 20, Stand Number B05.

The CeBIT Hannover is one of the world's largest ICT exhibition and forum,attracting leading global ICT companies to showcase the latest products and services, brainstorm ideas, network and form business alliances.

In addition to the exhibition, focussing on the theme "Gain Access into the Asia-Pacific and OIC Markets, MSC Malaysia: Your Strategic Business Partner",the MDC Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Dr Mohamed Arif Nun, will be giving a corporate lecture on March 10th, at 11:50am in Dresden Room at the Convention Centre in the CeBIT Fairground.

There will also be an MSC Networking Reception on March 11, from 7 - 10.00pm at the Loccumerhof Hotel, Hannover. MDC is inviting members of the media to the reception to take the opportunity to learn about Malaysia and MSC as one of the most dynamic and promising global ICT hub in the Asia-Pacific region.

Today, the Asia-Pacific and OIC markets are considered the world's fastest growing markets with the highest growth potential. Many European MNCs and SMEs aiming to expand their businesses into these markets need a strategic location for their overseas offices and operations."Which of the many Asian or Middle Eastern countries should I select?" - is the common dilemma of many European CEOs and COOs.

Among the top prerequisites for that selection are: the security of that investment, logistical and infrastructure excellence, political and socio-economic stability, competitive costs, a vibrant and dynamic business environment, as well as competent and productive workers.

European CEOs and COOs need to be aware that many new Asian countries are fast gaining ground as thriving high-profit business hubs; which are strong and equal challengers to the common, previously preferred traditional Asian business destinations.

In a 2004 study undertaken by the global research company, AT Kearney, Malaysia was been named the world's 3rd most attractive offshore location based on research on its business environment, financial structure, people skills and availability. Many MNCs and European SMEs are aware of this and have set up thriving regional and global offices in Malaysia.

These businesses enjoy Malaysia's lower costs in doing business and capitalize on Malaysia's diverse multi-religious, multi-racial community who speaks English, Arabic, and every important Asian language for commerce as their mother tongue.

In addition, Malaysia's strategic physical location in the heart of the Asia Pacific region and healthy trade relations with many countries, help these MNCs and SMEs to expand rapidly in all directions: China, Japan, Australia, India, South East Asia and the Middle East. In 2003, Malaysia was named the OIC's strategic trading hub for the Asia-Pacific region.

Pertinent to ICT businesses, Malaysia has the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC)which has been recognized as a choice ICT investment location and a strong exporter of quality ICT solutions and services. More than 1200 SMEs and MNCs such as HSBC, DHL, BMW, IBM, Ericsson, NTT and Shell have set up operations in the MSC. All these companies who achieve MSC-status enjoy the Malaysian Government's comprehensive package of customized incentives.

This corporate lecture and MSC Networking Reception will explore how MNCs and European ICT businesses can rapidly expand in the Asia Pacific and OIC regions in partnership with MSC Malaysia.

Malaysia rated best location
Author : Farrah Naz Karim
Source : Business Times
Date Posted : 8/6/2005



MALAYSIA is the best location for outsourcing and offshoring activities in the region — ahead of China, India and Singapore.

This is the finding of a study by consulting firm Deloitte, which also saw Kuala Lumpur emerging a clear favourite for locating offshore shared service operations, including customer support operations and back-office management.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said investors’ confidence in Malaysia was boosted not only by the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), but also by the Government’s active role in supporting operational needs of companies wishing to locate their offshore shared service in the country.

Jamaludin said this proves that the MSC has borne tremendous success, as targeted by the Government.

He added that to remain ahead in the sector, the country needs to constantly enhance its knowledge-based industries to complement the excellent physical infrastructure that has boosted investors’ confidence in turning to Malaysia for their investments.

A number of factors were taken into account in the benchmarking exercise, including accessibility and infrastructure facilities.

In addition to a steady economy, the Government’s efforts to grow its talent pool were also viewed positively

Jamaludin said that to further enhance and add value to the physical structure that Malaysia can offer investors, the Government is striving to strengthen its human capital as well as reviewing its tax incentives and intellectual property laws.

Speaking to reporters at the launch of Deloitte’s white paper on “Malaysia’s Edge in the Fast Evolving Outsource Space” in Putrajaya yesterday, Jamaludin said he was proud of the fact that it has taken only eight years since the MSC’s inception for Malaysia to win the confidence of investors in the outsourcing sector.

The country now aims to enhance its stake in three sub-sectors of the industry: information technology support, research processes and outsourcing of supply chain management.

Motorola, MDC to work together to contribute to MSC’s growth
Author : Marina Emmanuel
Source : Business Times
Date Posted : 9/6/2005



MOTOROLA Inc, a member of the Multimedia Super Corridor-International Advisory Panel (MSC-IAP), is looking to contribute to the growth and development of the MSC further by working with the Multimedia Development Corp (MDC).

Motorola Malaysia vice-president and country manager Datuk Robin Seo said the technology giant, which has investments in Penang and Cyberjaya, would like to be invited to participate in projects sponsored by the MDC to facilitate and improve the MSC’s infrastructure.

“In addition, we would also like the opportunity to be involved with the part of MDC that funds technology ventures,” he told the Business Times in Penang.

Motorola’s software group Motorola Multimedia Sdn Bhd (MMMSB) could partner with local Malaysian information technology companies, by working on key technologies and domains in the communications area for both the domestic market and the global market.

“High process maturity,” he said, “is a key success factor for MSC-status companies to be globally successful software entities as proven by the Indian experience.”

The MDC, he added, can play a critical role in spreading the importance and the need to use the CMM (Capability Maturity Model) framework for software development (as done by similar governments like Singapore, China and South Korea).

“Motorola’s software group is willing and able to actively partner with MDC in realising the vision of having a core cluster of high process maturity organisations.

“MDC should consider providing the appropriate resources to local companies to achieve high process maturity,” he added, saying that Motorola has proposed to MDC that a centre for CMM awareness for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) be set up within the Motorola Innovation Centre in conjunction with MDC’s efforts in helping SMEs.

Meanwhile, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis on Monday night said the 9th MSC-IAP meeting to be held in Penang from September 8-10 was aimed at showcasing Malaysia’s “Silicon Island” — which hosts MSC’s latest cybercity in Bayan Lepas — to potential investors.

At a joint press conference with Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon at a hotel in George Town, Jamaludin said:

“The IAP meeting will focus on the creation of skilled and high-value jobs, the sharing of services and outsourcing opportunities, along with future plans of the MSC’s roll-out for the rest of the country.

“In conjunction with the 9th MSC-IAP meeting, the Malaysia ICT (information and communications technology) Month will be launched on September 7 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at Kepala Batas,” he added.

Some of the key events planned for the ICT Month include:
The MSC-ICT Fair at Dewan Millennium in Kepala Batas.
The 2005 MSC Global Technoprenuers Forum.
The MSC-Asia Pacific ICT Awards (MSC-APICTA).
The E-Community Programme Exhibition.
The Global Public Policy Conference 2005 in Kuala Lumpur from September 14-15.

“The MSC-ICT Fair,” Jamaludin said, “is aimed at exposing Internet-based transactions which could help small- and medium-scale industries in exploring new business opportunities and expanding their market reach.”

THG e-Net Solutions awarded Master Distributorship for Korean Technology
Source :THG e-Net Solutions Sdn Bhd (www.thgenet.com)
Posted : 9/6/2005



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Kuala Lumpur – e-Business solutions provider THG e-Net Solutions Sdn Bhd (THG e-Net), a subsidiary of TH Group Berhad (THG), is the first company in South East Asia to be appointed master distributor by TmaxSoft Co. Ltd (TmaxSoft) to market its line of products in Malaysia.

TmaxSoft is a Korean-based Enterprise Application Platform software company offering a line of web middleware products in the industry. The product lines include Web Application Server (JEUS), Web Gateway (WebT), Transaction Processing Monitor (Tmax), Mainframe Gateway (Host Link) and Web Server (WebtoB).

The appointment was formalized in a signing ceremony in which THG e-Net was represented by Director Angie Ang while TmaxSoft was represented by Executive Director for Overseas and Marketing Division Park Mansung. The signing ceremony was witnessed by TH Group’s Group Managing Director Lei Lin Thai.

Ang said “We are proud to be appointed as the master distributor for TmaxSoft, which is an established and reputable enterprise application vendor in the Asia Pacific region that is fast growing into a global player in the enterprise middleware industry.”

“In the last few years, TmaxSoft has established itself as a dominant vendor of enterprise application server in Korea,” said Park. “It has also embarked on a global expansion programme by venturing into the US, China and Japan.

“TmaxSoft’s leading edge application software has won many accolades and key customers in the region and we hope with our strategic alliance with THG e-Net, Malaysia will be the launch pad for TmaxSoft’s dominance in the South East Asian market”, he added.

“With Tmax products (Tmax), THG e-Net will be able to assist local businesses to reach greater heights of competitiveness with an IT infrastructure that is scalable, integrated, open and with reasonable pricing.” said Ang.

Tmax enable companies to create end-to-end connections between the legacy systems, data repositories and enterprise applications. It is able to deliver the solution for secure and high volume transactions from the mainframes and other data stores to the web. All of this is accomplished with the lowest cost in developing and connecting with existing applications. Tmax are essential to an ERP, CRM or any system as its strengths lie in its ability to handle huge transaction volumes without failure or security breaches.

Park added: “We pride ourselves as the leader in this industry as Tmax provides the highest level of performance and reliability for its range of products. We have about 200 Tmax engineers who are constantly working on R&D to improve and upgrade the products. This underscores our commitment and priority in providing the best middleware products to customers globally.”

Tmax won The World’s First J2EE 1.4 certification. J2EE 1.4 is the latest industry-standard platform architecture available for developing and deploying Web services-enabled multi-tier enterprise applications. Tmax has also won other award recognition such as World Technology Awards 2002, Local Software Hero by IDC and recently Gartner Inc has positioned Tmax TP-Monitor and JEUS Application Server in the 2005 Enterprise Application Servers Magic Quadrant.

THG e-Net has also secured a project with BondWeb Malaysia (BondWeb) worth RM1.5 million with TmaxSoft’s products. Phase 1 of the project includes supply and installation of a comprehensive web application system that provides Java based web application management and services that is J2EE 1.3 certified. With the installation of BondWeb, Malaysia is the first country in South East Asia with online trading portal. The project is already in its implementation phase.

Limkokwing teams up with Caedz to promote eco-urban community development programmes
Source :Lim Kok Wing (www.limkokwing.edu.my)
Posted : 14/6/2005


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An eco-urban conglomerate based in the US has joined forces with Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology in Cyberjaya to set up an R&D centre focused on promoting and developing interest in eco-urban community development programmes.

The Centre for Eco-Urban Settlement Research will help develop and design eco-urban development programmes in the region.

Datuk Parid Wardi Sudin, head of Limkokwing’s Faculty of Architecture & the Built Environment, and Dr Ed Sjahrial, CEO of Caedz, recently signed a memorandum of understanding cementing the tie. The collaboration would see the setting up of a one-stop centre providing such services as databank, library, networking, resource sharing, professional development, research lab facility and video conferencing.

Collaborations will also include student internship programmes and visiting lecturer exchange programmes and the centre will organise conferences, seminars and workshops that will help promote the cause.

Dr Sjahrial describes the signing as “the beginning of a relationship that will involve a lot more”.

Saying countries need to do a lot more to achieve sustainable development and help heal the planet, Dr Sjahrial explains, “Today marks the beginning of the process of setting up an R&D centre that looks into such areas as ecology and design. We want to use technology to enable people to design with care for the environment. We would look into changing society’s behaviour – shifting attitudes - and creating policies that support the change.

“We educate people to recycle things and conserve energy but is it enough?

“We are committed to major changes by focusing on large-scale projects. By doing this, changes take place faster,” he says, adding that the concept of eco synesis engages different components to make it a reality.

Datuk Parid Wardi Sudin, head of Limkokwing’s Faculty of Architecture & the Built Environment, who witnesses the signing today, says the centre will act as a bridge linking industry players.

“No university has all the resources to solve all environmental problems. The issues are too diverse. What we are setting up is a network of people and database to provide local expertise to support R&D efforts by Caedz.

“The centre, and the research to be undertaken, is part of the university’s capacity building programme and will see keen involvement of students. Through collaboration with industry as well as other research institutes and institutions of higher learning, the university, the industry and the community at large will benefit,” he says.

Limkokwing has been working closely with industry in the name of promoting creativity and innovation. The university college’s industry within university concept means students are exposed to an industry-based environment where they get to learn to create and manage products and services in business units on campus.

This is realised through the university college’s professional arm, Malaysia Design Innovation Centre which will establish collaborations that allow students to connect with innovative thinkers and designers. It has formed partnerships with international design centres in Europe to promote brand building and innovation, and to build a Malaysian presence there.

The event also included a conference – Building a Sustainable Future, featuring Dr Sjahrial and two other experts in the field - Abdul Razak Abdul Hamid and Dr Noor Hisham Ramly, who covered the subject of turning refuse to energy.

Java Technopreneur Development Centre in Cyberjaya
Source :The Star (www.thestar.com.my)
Posted : 21/6/2005



The value of a good IT infrastructure lies not in how much it costs but in what it can do to influence the culture of its users, according to computer hardware giant Sun Microsystems Inc. John Gage, the company’s chief researcher, said that merely investing in hardware and software products will not be sufficient to transform a society into an innovative and entrepreneurial one.

That is why there are high hopes for the country’s newly-built Java Technopreneur Development Centre in Cyberjaya. “It is a place that will encourage technopreneurial activities and build a culture for a knowledge-based economy,” Gage said.

He was speaking at the launch of the centre last week. It was jointly developed by the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) and Multimedia University (MMU). The RM1mil development centre is part of an ecological system aimed at nurturing entrepreneurial talents, Gage said.

The centre provides infrastructure support, Java training, and business development guidance to promising technopreneurs utilising Java-based technology. It will focus on key technology areas such as embedded systems, intelligent systems, wireless and mobility and advanced software.

“Java is a great tool for technopreneurs to develop secure, robust and useful applications, which will help improve people’s lives all over the world,” Gage said.

The 2,700sq ft centre is located at MDC’s Central Incubator-Accelerator Centre inside MMU’s Cyberjaya campus.

Full story at >>> http://star-techcentral.com

Malaysia's 2nd Home Programme Draws 5,000 Foreigners
Source :Bernama (www.bernama.com)
Posted : 17/6/2005



The 'Malaysia:My Second Home Programme' launched by the government in 2002 to make Malaysia an attractive and prefered tourist destination, has approved participation from some 5,000 foreign tourists up to April this year.

Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said the tourists were largely from China, United Kingdom, Taiwan and Singapore.

To further enhance its attractiveness, greater efforts would be made to ensure better and more effective coordination among the frontliners of the programme with the view of facilitating further the approval process as well as in meeting the expectations of participants, he added.

Nor Mohamed said under the programme, tourists including their spouses and dependents who fulfilled certain criteria, were allowed to stay in Malaysia on social visit passes together with multiple entry visas.

To make it more accomodating, the social visit pass which was initially given for a period of five years to the participants, is renewable, he said when launching the Country Heights Holdings Bhd's Foster Family programme, here Thursday.

Nor Mohamed also noted that in addition to increasing the number of tourist arrivals, the programme had also strengthened linkages with growth and employment opportunities in the tourism-related services in particular in the retail, hospitality and travel sub-sectors of the economy.

"Efforts are also being undertaken to strengthen its linkages with other tourism programmes such as health, sports and eco-tourism as well as Homestay programme.

Saying that the trend in tourist arrivals continued to remain strong, the number had increased by over 11 percent month-on-month to reach more than 1.4 million in April, the highest recorded in a month.

He added the tourism industry had emerged as important contributor to Malaysia's foreign exchange earnings, employment as well as income generation.

Nor said last year tourist arrivals totalled 15.7 million, generating tourist receipts of almost RM30 billion.

Infinite Comp to set up arm in Malaysia
Source :Sify - Taramani,Chennai,India
Posted : 22/6/2005



http://www.mdc.com.my/today/html/img/2003-mdclogo.jpg



Aiming half a billion dollar turnover by 2009, Infinite Computer Solutions, a global IT solutions and services provider, today announced the setting up of a wholly owned subsidiary in Malaysia.

With a planned investment of about $ 2 to $ 5 million within the next two years, the Malaysian centre would have a headcount of 280 personnel by the year-end and the company was waiting for the Multimedia Super Corridor status from the Malaysian Government, Company CEO for Asia Pacific and Europe Upinder Zutshi told newspersons here today.

Achieving revenue of $ 85 million last year, the company hoped to achieve a 40 per cent growth this year to touch around $ 120 million revenue during the current fiscal.

Besides the three development centres in the US and one in India, the company planned to open development centres in Romania, China and Malaysia, he said.

Zutshi said the company, with proven expertise in telecom, finance, manufacturing, healthcare and retail verticals, had been growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 69 per cent during the last six years and aim to have a total human resource of over 12,000 with revenue of $ 500 million by 2009 end. From manpower strength of 2,500 last year, the company expected to double the strength this year, with one fifth of them located in India.

He said the company aimed to achieve its goal through both organic and inorganic growth and was looking ahead for certain mergers and acquisitions during the next few years.

Full story>>> http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=13878783

Related news >>> Infinite to up headcount to 5,000 (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com)

Indian Software Firm, Infinite, Sets Up Subsidiary In Malaysia (http://www.bernama.com.my)

Govt to launch 'Malaysia 886' ICT plan by year-end
Updated : 30-06-2005
Media : The Edge
Story By : Toh Mei Ling



The government wants to speed up the local information and communications technology (ICT) industry over the next five years with its proposed ¡§Malaysia 886¡¨ plan.

Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said on June 30 the government wanted a holistic approach to develop the ICT industry for it to be a main contributor to the economy.

¡§The plan is called Malaysia 886 because we have identified eight services and eight infrastructures that the country needs and six growth areas that we should look into,¡¨ he told reporters at the launch of Telekom Malaysia Bhd¡¦s seventh satellite in Cyberjaya.

Dr Lim said the eight services included broadband, 3G services and beyond, mobile TV, digital multimedia broadcasting, digital home, radio frequency identification (RFID) base, voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and universal service provision.

¡§Of the eight infrastructures, three are hard infrastructures and five are soft infrastructures. The hard infrastructures are multi-service convergence network, 3G telegram network and satellites,¡¨ he said.

¡§The soft infrastructures are next generation Internet Protocol (IPv6), information and network security, personal computer and Internet adoption, computer development and product design and manufacturing,¡¨ he added.

The six areas of growth under the plan will be based on content development, ICT education talks, set-talk boxes (which convert analog voice signals into digital signals), digital radio receivers, VoIP phones and overseas investment consultancy to promote these growth areas.

¡§This is the preliminary draft of what we are looking to roll out for the ICT industry. We will fine-tune this and before the end of the year, we will announce the finalised plan,¡¨ Dr Lim said.

He said the government wanted to grow the local communications and multimedia (C&M) industry to RM76 billion by 2020, which is four times its size in 2004.

For 2004, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission¡¦s (MCMC) annual industry performance report showed that the C&M industry contributed 9.7% of the country¡¦s GDP, representing a total of RM24.5 billion.

¡§We are way behind what we could be. Players in the industry need to look beyond their headquarters and into the country to identify potential rollouts, services and infrastructure that the people need,¡¨ he said.

MSC panel to discuss Penang’s economic shift
Source :The New Straits Times (www.nst.com.my)
Posted : 8/7/2005





http://www.mdc.com.my/today/html/img/2005-mscpanel.jpg





Penang’s migration as a manufacturing-based industry to one which is knowledge-based will be among the topics discussed during the three-day 9th Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) International Advisory Panel meeting beginning September 8.Multimedia Development Corp Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Dr Mohamed Arif Nun said IAP members would also be looking at ways in which existing companies on Malaysia’s ‘Silicon Island’ are able to beef up on their design, automation and products by leveraging on information and communications technology (ICT) to improve their processes.

“The MDC and State Government have been working hard in meeting the hefty guidelines imposed as part of the MSC rollout and this is why a service-oriented mindset is needed to position Penang as a location with first-world infrastructure and First-World thinking,” he told the Business Times in Penang.

Mohamed Arif said with more than three decades of experience in the manufacturing sector, Penang is well-poised to woo foreign direct investments to its shores by tapping into the outsourcing business which is estimated to spin an industry worth US$1 trillion (US$1 = RM3.80)

“High-value outsourcing and shared services would require accountants and medical professionals and Penang can also migrate into serving this demand,” he said.

For over three decades, Penang has served as an offshore base for some of the world’s top technology giants like Intel, Motorola, Agilent Technologies, AMD, Dell and Seagate.

Penang was conferred ‘Cybercity’ status in January by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Mohamed Arif said the next MSC roll-out for this year would be to the Kulim Hi-Tech Park in Kedah.

The 9th MSC-IAP meeting themed ‘ICT Driving the Innovation Society’ will be held at Hotel Equatorial in Bayan Lepas.

The meeting is being co-organised by MDC and the Penang State Government with the support from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Telekom, DHL sign service pact
Source :The New Straits Times (www.nst.com.my)
Posted : 11/7/2005
By Azlan Abu Bakar





http://www.mdc.com.my/today/html/img/20050711_02.jpg





Telekom Malaysia Bhd has signed a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) service agreement with DHL IT Services Center (ITSC) Cyberjaya, a unit of Belgium-based Deutsche Post AG.

In a statement released in Kuala Lumpur, the company said it will provide the backbone infrastructure for a hyperband service with a capacity of 10 gigabit per second (Gbps) through a dedicated eight-node MAN ring for DHL.

It said that with the infrastructure, DHL’s data centre in Malaysia will be in concert with its other global centres in the US and Europe, enabling the company to offer a large-scale bandwidth capacity to its customers.

Telekom retail chief operating officer Adnan Rofiee said the MAN ring will provide a service availability of 99.99 per cent — the highest service level guarantee ever provided by Telekom to a corporate customer.

He said the service offers various advantages, including high bandwidth, immediate circuit activation and bandwidth upgrading, high resiliency network, flexibility in supporting a variety of interfaces, cost-effectiveness and scalability.

DHL ITSC head Lee Chuan Yew said the service will allow the company to connect to the many offices, warehouses, couriers, pick-up trucks and people in more than 220 countries around the world.

“Most importantly, it will allow DHL to send huge volumes of data to our global data centres all over the world that in turn will improve the speed and effectiveness of shipments to our customers,” he said.

Telekom will deliver the dedicated hyperband service using the Next-Generation Synchronised Digital Hierarchy technology, which supports Gigabit Ethernet and Fiber Channel connectivity.

Satyam To Make Malaysia Key Delivery Centre

July 22, 2005 15:37 PM





KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 (Bernama) -- Global information technology consulting services provider, Satyam Computer Services Ltd, plans to make Malaysia its key delivery centre following its latest acquisition of Knowledge Dynamics Pte Ltd.

Its director and senior vice president for Asia-Pacific, Virender Aggarwal, said its global solutions centre in Cyberjaya would be the key delivery centre for Satyam's business intelligence (BI) initiatives worldwide.

He said through this, the company would be able to improve services to its customers in the local and foreign markets.

"We want Malaysia to be an important and extremely global delivery centre to cater to all our customers," he told reporters at a press conference here Thursday.

Aggarwal said Satyam's BI team in Malaysia, which currently has 10 Malaysians executing various projects, recently recruited 20 entry level trainee programmers locally.

He said the trainee programmers are currently undergoing training at Satyam's learning centre in Hyderabad, India, on BI and data warehousing concepts as well as the tools and technologies.

"They would be integrated into the global BI team upon their return to Malaysia," he added.

Aggarwal said the company planned to recruit another 20 trainee programmers and train them in BI later this year.

On the new acquisition, Aggarwal said Satyam entered into an agreement to acquire a 100 percent stake in Knowledge Dynamics, a high-end BI solutions consultancy, for up to RM20.7 million.

He said Knowledge Dynamics, which is based in Singapore, also has offices in Malaysia and India and a total of 75 employees.

He added that following the acquisition, Satyam would merge with Knowledge Dynamics to enhance its global positioning in high-end BI and data warehousing consultancy services.

-- BERNAMA

ICT Project Management Experts Coming to Malaysia
Source :Advanced Technology Studies Centre
Posted : 22/7/2005





Leading experts in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) project management from the United States, Canada, India, China and Singapore will be converging in Kuala Lumpur next month for the first-ever regional conference on project management to be held in Malaysia.

"We have invited some of the best practitioners in the growing field of project management to address the most critical issues facing the profession today," said conference organiser How Eng Keong, of the Advanced Technology Studies Centre Sdn Bhd (ATSC).

"All the speakers have hands-on experience in successfully completing and delivering complex ICT projects in Asia. Their insights about on-the-ground realities and cultural differences in the region will be invaluable to participants," added How.

Entitled "Mastering IT Project Management – Best Practices in Asia Pacific", the two-day conference, to be held on Aug 2-3 at Le Meridien Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, is expected to draw over 200 participants from China, Taiwan, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Australia and Malaysia.

Among the 11 speakers are Guy Pitz, a senior adviser of US-based The Mitre Corporation, Robert Laing, a consultant for Lockheed Martin STASYS Ltd, Lakshman Pillai, CEO of LPCUBE Systems India Pvt. Ltd and Jack Yang, a consultant for the Shanghai Pudong Airport.

Pitz was the former project director for the Total Airport Management System (TAMS) for the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

He also previously headed a 40-site satellite earth station system for the United Nations and the development of all communications and security software for the Strategic Air Command Digital Network of the US Air Force.

Pitz, who currently advises on the systems for the new Bangkok Airport International, will show that "failure is not an option" in the delivery of high profile international IT projects in Asia.

Laing is a consultant to Lockheed Martin STASYS, one of world's largest defense contractors in the world. An engineer with 15 years of experience in the design of large-scale defense systems, Laing has previously implemented systems for the US Air Force, NATO, Canadian Office of Maritime Technology, and other projects in Saudi Arabia.

In Malaysia, he is involved in a project to provide the Ministry of Defence with a land-based littoral surveillance and communications system.

Pillai is a knowledge management (KM) expert, having spent seven years with Oracle Asia Pacific and five years as chief programmer with Bangalore-based Wipro Infotech Ltd, before founding his management consultancy LPCUBE. He will be sharing his experiences on how organisations can nurture and multiply their knowledge assets to empower projects.

Yang is a system analyst with vast experience in airport projects in China including the Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou airports. He will present a case study on the complex procuring process for mega IT projects in China, the world's fastest growing market. He will also share insider tips and trick of the trades to deal with the China market.

"We hope the presentations, case-studies and panel discussions will help address the many challenges faced by project managers today. Besides gaining insights from the experts, the conference will also be an excellent opportunity to network and exchange valuable ideas with other practitioners in the region," said How.

ATSC is co-organising the event with the PM Professional Resources Sarawak Recruitment Centre, in collaboration with the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC), the Malaysian National Computer Confederation (MNCC) and Project Management Institute - Malaysia Chapter (PMIMY).

The conference will be launched by MDC CEO Datuk Dr Mohamed Arif Nun with the keynote address delivered by Tan Sr Dato Ir. Jamilus Hussein, president of KLIA Consultancy Services Sdn Bhd.

Iain Fraser, of the vice chair of board of directors of the Project Management Institute, will be delivering a special address on "The State of Project Management in Organisations."

A related pre-conference seminar on current hot topic - Project Management Office - will be conducted by Paul Giammalvo on Aug 1 at the KDU Management Development Centre, in KL Sentral.

Fees for the conference start at RM1,198 for government staff to RM1,398 for private organisations, with discounts for three or more delegates from the same company, and for MNCC and PMIMY members. The pre-conference seminar is priced at RM612 for government staff and RM680 for private sector delegates.

More details on registration are available at the website: www.atsc.org.my/mitpm or contact ATSC at tel: 603-7665-1988, fax: 603-7665-1638 or email: MITPM@atsc.org.my.

US firm keen on Cyberjaya shift
Updated : 09-08-2005
Media : Business Times
Story By : ZURINNA RAJA ADAM





A MULTINATIONAL company (MNC) from the US is said to be interested to shift its activities to Cyberjaya by next year, which will open up some 1,500 job opportunities in the country.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Mohd Jarjis said the group had recently approached him and is currently negotiating for suitable incentives.

He declined to reveal the name of the company or the investment involved as it is still at a preliminary stage.

The MNC is believed to be the world¡¦s biggest personal computer maker, Dell Inc, which has set up two factories in Penang with a collective staff size of about 3,600 people. The factories make desktop computers, notebooks, and other information technology products.

¡§All I can say is there is a US-based company interested to bring its activities to Malaysia. It is all still at a preliminary stage,¡¨ Jamaludin said after the rating ceremony for Kompakar Inc Bhd¡¦s subsidiaries yesterday.

The subsidiaries, Kompakar eBiz Sdn Bhd and Kompakar eHealth Tech Sdn Bhd, have been rated Capability Maturity Model Integration level five.

The rating is the most widely recognised global standard and is seen as the quality benchmark in the software development industry.

Kompakar deputy executive chairman Looi Kien Leong said the recognition gives Kompakar the advantage and competitive edge to penetrate the international market further.

The information and communications technology solutions (ICT) provider company plans to enter big and matured ICT markets like the US soon. It also hopes to secure new clients in West Asia, Sri Lanka and Brunei.

Kompakar currently exports its services to China, India, Australia and several Association of South-East Asian Nations¡¦ markets. Exports made up about 12 per cent of its revenue last year.

Looi hopes to grow foreign revenue contribution to 50 per cent within three years. This year, it targets export contribution to grow to 20 per cent of the total revenue.

Revenue for the year ended December 31 2004 was RM150 million.

Kompakar¡¦s solutions have reached a diversified range of clientele in various sectors such as healthcare, infrastructure, telecommunications and oil and gas.

Town villas

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Govt Pushing For Cyberjaya Growth As IT & Technology Centre
Source : Bernama
Date Posted : 16/8/2005





The government through the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, is pushing for the growth of Cyberjaya as a regional centre for Information Technology (IT) and technology industries by emphasising on skilled human capital resources and infrastructure.

Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said that the business community in Cyberjaya was concerned that they still found it difficult to recruit quality workers to expand their businesses.

"If we do not address the issue of ensuring the availability of skilled human capital, we may end up losing a great degree of investment in our country as these foreign investors will eventually go to India where they could find the right amount of talented workers," he said after the launch of Oracle E-Governance Centre of Excellence, here Tuesday.

Jamaludin said that Job Fairs are one convenient way for employers looking for talented workers among the large pool of people seeking for employment.

He said that the government is determined to resolve the issue of human resource capital and if there is a need to incur some investment to build up trained labour for the corporate citizen of Cyberjaya, there will be some commitment in financial terms.

"The poor level of English and communication skills among Malaysian graduates have also been an impediment to the development and growth of the technology industries in Cyberjaya," he said.

"We are looking into the possibility of having a short course for these graduates lasting for four to six weeks to improve their level of English and communication skills," Jamaludin said.

He said that the ministry had held meetings with the business community in Cyberjaya on a regular basis and during one of the meetings the issue on the need to upgrade the level of transportation and linkages with places of common interest such as clinics, government centres and shopping complexes in Putrajaya, was brought up.

"We will talk to Rapid KL to expand their transport facilities in Cyberjaya," he added.

He said that concerns were also raised as to the high cost of property in Cyberjaya. On the growth of the IT industry in Malaysia, Jamaludin said that the government aimed for an improvement in the public delivery system and increase in the accessibility of IT facilities and mobile telecommunication usage to all sectors of the community.

In this regard, he said that mobile phones, IT as well as telecommunication devices should be made more affordable for the lower income bracket.

"If it is possible mobile phones or devices should cost as low as RM500 to enable solutions to reach the lower income group," he said.

He also outlined the government's ambitious plans for greater technology in broadband services.

"The WiMAX has a lot of potential in this country. We will go for the test trial of WiMAX during the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) International Advisory Panel Meeting from Sept 7 to 9 in Penang," he said.

WiMAX is a standards-based wireless technology that provides high-throughput broadband connections over long distances.

As for Oracle E-Governance centre, he said that its opening was in line with the government's e-governance initiative for speedier transaction and processing facilities.

Oracle's managing director VR Srivatsan said Oracle plans to invest RM10 million in the Centre of Excellence over a period of three years.

U.S. Electronic Firms In Malaysia See Jump In Exports
Author : Azman ujang
Source : Bernama
Date Posted : 12/8/2005





American electronic firms in Malaysia saw an 18.4 percent jump in export sales last year with the country continuing to be a key destination considered by potential U.S. investors.

Vince Leusner, President of the American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce, said the 18 American electronic companies on Malaysia who are members of the Malaysian American Electronics Industry (MAEI) contributed a 19 percent share of Malaysia's total export earnings and 29 per cent of total electrical and electronic (E&E) exports.

He told Bernama MAEI's total semiconductor sales last year were valued at RM29 billion or 32.5 percent of Malaysia's total semiconductor sales of RM89.3 billion.

"MAEI companies, some of whom have been in Malaysia for more than 30 years, see enormous potential for design and development (D&D) investments, as evidenced by their having spent RM676 million in D&D in Malaysia in 2004.

" The forecast for D&D investments in 2005 is approximately RM1 billion. which represented a three-fold growth since 2001," he said.

Leusner praised agencies such as the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) and the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) for doing a "great job" of attracting foreign investment including from the U.S. by helping to streamline the processes which foreign investors need to go through when entering Malaysia.

But he said: " For many of the shared services and other types of investments entering Malaysia, AMCHAM believes it is critical that Malaysia have a one-stop centre which is capable of handling these investments, if it is to remain competitive in the region with the neigbouring ASEAN countries, and with China".

Leusner said AMCHAM had an extremely close working relationship with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) and other ministries.

"While some firms have indicated a desire to see faster processing of investment applications, AMCHAM believes that the Malaysias government is making concerted efforts to ensure improvements in this area, all of which will benefit American and other foreign investors in the coming years," he said.

Malaysia-Germany to partner for world-class innovation
LimkokWing University College of Creative Technology




http://www.limkokwing.edu.my/news/img/pic_baselitz.jpg

The VIPs at the launch of the exhibition. . .(from left to right)
Goethe-Institut director Dr Volker Wolf; German ambassador to Malaysia,
HE Mr Herbert D.Jess with wife; and Tan Sri Lim.




Malaysia's relationship with Germany is set to move on to a whole new level when the Malaysia Design Innovation Centre (MDI) links directly with German industry to accelerate innovation and marketing efforts by both countries.

“Germany is among the world's most innovative countries and it would be great for the two countries to work together,” said MDI President Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing. MDI is the professional arm of the Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology.

“Germany leads the world in precision engineering and design sophistication. It has

the most famous brands in the world. We want to remain as leaders in creativity and innovation in the region. Hence, working with German investors, innovators and designers will add strength to our own”.

Tan Sri Lim's remarks came following the launch of an exhibition by German artist George Baselitz at Limkokwing University recently. The exhibition -

George Baselitz: Reality is the Picture, It's Definitely Not In The Picture - was launched by German ambassador to Malaysia, HE Mr Herbert D.Jess.

Organised jointly by Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology, Goethe-Institute, and the Institute of Foreign Relations (IFA), the exhibition features 82 framed works by the artist between the period 1965-1992.

It also marks the start of more collaborative efforts between the German embassy and MDI. MDI, Tan Sri Lim explained, acts as a link bridge that connects government, industry and academia.

“There will be frequent interaction between German industry and ours through the Innovation Centre,” he said. “It is a platform that enables Malaysia to work and learn from established German innovators and designers. At the same time, it enables German businesses to be more effective in promoting their concepts and products.

“We have a close rapport with the German embassy here and share a common vision. The embassy has expressed intention to work closely with us and both sides should benefit from collaborations between us.”

Meanwhile, the Ambassador said he would like to “see more fruitful cooperation” between the two countries in the near future such as in the area of student exchange programmes. Germany, he said, is strong in such fields as design, the arts and architecture and “Limkokwing is a centre of excellence in these areas”.

“We hope to organise a German industrial products exhibition with Limkokwing,” said Jess. “We look forward to approaching German companies to implement these ideas.”

Tan Sri Lim and the Ambassador also discussed the possibility of setting up the Malaysian-German Innovation Council in Cyberjaya, which would play a vital role of bringing together innovation between the two countries.

Meawhile, the George Baselitz exhibition saw an impressive turnout of visitors. The artist is best known for his unique style of turning the motifs in his pictures upside down. He has been doing so since 1969 and it represented a turning point for him as an artist.

By upsetting traditional perception, Baselitz renders his work with new authenticity. His changed sight of things forces the viewer of his works to concentrate instead on richness in terms of form and colour. Reality, Baselitz often says, “is the picture, it is definitely not in the picture!”

The exhibition is in line with Limkokwing's concept of industry within university that has revolutionised the training of students in preparing them for the global environment. Through MDI, collaborations with industry are established that allow students to connect with innovative thinkers and designers. These ties also boost industry as the students represent a future resource pool.

Goethe-Institute director Dr Volker Wolf, who was present at the launch of the exhibition, was particularly impressed with the business units that have been set up on campus as part of the industry-within-university concept. Through these incubators, students learn to create and manage products and services.

“It's a good idea to expose students through these units and I am also impressed with the packaging design works I've seen,” he says, in reference to the many works by Limkokwing students on display at the Student Exploration Gallery on campus.

Penang eyes areas for MSC projects
Updated : 01-09-2005
Media : Business Times
Story By : MARINA EMMANUEL




PENANG is targeting two locations in Seberang Prai Bertam and Batu Kawan on the mainland to be Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC)-ready by 2008.

investPenang Bhd (IP), the management office of the Penang Cybercity (PCC) project, is now working closely with service providers and other stakeholders to ensure the project provide a conducive and attractive environment for industries, businesses and the community, chief executive officer Wan Zailena Noordin said.

Besides being committed to comply with the performance criteria stipulated by the Multimedia Development Corp for cybercities, we will also ensure a smooth delivery system that is transparent to the investors, she told Business Times in Penang.

The PCC 1 encompassing part of the Bayan Lepas Industrial Park, Bayan Baru and Bayan Mutiara on the southwestern end of Penang island which was launched early this year, is being implemented in phases, and IP plans for it to be fully ready by 2006, said Wan Zailena.

She said service providers such as Tenaga Nasional Bhd, Telekom Malaysia Bhd and Perbadan Perbekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP) have supported the state by committing to comply with the standards and criteria of a MSC cybercity.

Unlike Cyberjaya, which is a greenfield, existing infrastructure and services in the brownfield PCC-1 are scheduled to be upgraded in phases, Wan Zailena said.

As part of this improvement process, the Penang Island Municipal Council has upgraded portions of the roads, drains and landscaping works at the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone at an estimated cost of RM15 million.

PBAPP has also renewed the water mains and installed a SCADA (Supervistory Control and Data Acquisition) monitoring system, while TM has upgraded its cables and capacities through a RM7.6 million project.

Under its upgrading programme Tenaga is also improving its cable infrastructure and other facilities.

Penang is currently home to 44 MSC-status companies, one institution of higher learning (Universiti Sains Malaysia's School of Computer Science) and one MSC-incubator (Usains Holding).

Our initial target has been exceeded and we are on track to meet a revised target of 60 MSC- status companies by the end of 2005, said Wan Zailena.

Stating that the interest in the PCC project has continued unabated since its January launch, Wan Zailena said the MSC International Advisory Panel meeting in Penang next week boded well for the state.

Putrajaya and Cyberjaya first trial sites for WiMAX
Updated : 08-09-2005
Media : The Star
Story By : DAVID TAN




PUTRAJAYA and Cyberjaya will be the first trial sites for WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) broadband technology in the country.

However, no date had been set for the project implementation, Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) group chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Wahid Omar told reporters at the Malaysian ICT Fair 2005.

It is also too early to set an amount for the implementation of the trial project, he said, adding that Alcatel, Intel and TM unit TM Net Sdn Bhd were collaborating to ensure the successful implementation of WiMAX in Malaysia.

Wahid added that currently 75 trial implementations of WiMAX were being carried out worldwide.

On the Malaysian project, he said as providers of WiMAX solutions, each company brought its distinct strengths and benefits to the collaboration: Alcatel's leadership in wireless, fixed and enterprise network solutions, Intel's extensive broadband wireless expertise, silicon and technical services, and TM Net¡¦s leadership in Internet connectivity.

Their combined strengths are key to the successful adoption of WiMAX in Malaysia and will help drive education and future WiMAX deployments to enable wireless infrastructure in Malaysia, he said.

WiMAX, which is regarded as an improvement over the WiFi (wireless fidelity) technology, is capable of providing cost-effective wireless access to users at a range of several kilometres.

The technology is especially suited to providing service in areas that are underserved from a telecommunications standpoint where fixed line solutions such as DSL (digital subscriber line) may not be available.

It can also complement an existing fixed network and serve as backhaul, Wahid said, adding that the WiMAX broadband technology was showcased at the ICT Fair.

¡§In working together on Malaysia's first WiMAX showcase at the fair, Alcatel, Intel and TM Net aim to show how the technology can play a major role in catalysing digital inclusion, provide long-term value in terms of cost-efficiency to homes and businesses, and contribute significantly to information and communications technology literacy advancement in the country, he said.

Satyam to boost ops in Cyberjaya
Updated : 10-09-2005
Media : Business Times




SATYAM Computer Services Ltd, India¡¦s leading end-to-end information technology solutions provider, is looking to expand its Malaysian operations in Cyberjaya.

The company's founder and chairman B. Ramalinga Raju yesterday said besides increasing its capital investment in Penang, plans were afoot to boost Satyam's workforce which currently stands at 125.

We are very optimistic about continuing and enhancing our operations here, he said said at the 9th Multimedia Super Corridor¡¦s International Advisory Panel (MSC-IAP) MSC-IAP meeting in Penang.

Satyam launched its Global Solutions Centre (GSC) in Cyberjaya two years ago to serve as a major technological development and software support centre for its global operations.

Ramalinga Raju said his representation on the International Advisory Panel reflected the importance placed by the Malaysian Government in forging ties with Indian information technology firms.

MDC to start trial run of WiMAX soon
Updated : 10-09-2005
Media : The Star




THE WiMAX broadband technology will be implemented on a trial run in Cyberjaya and Putrajaya at the end of this month.

Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn Bhd (MDC) chief executive officer Datuk Dr Mohamed Arif Nun told StarBiz yesterday that the trial run, which would cost less than RM3mil, would be completed at the end of the year.

We will then evaluate the results to determine connectivity time and the quality of transmission before deciding on the date of official implementation, he said. ¡§In early 2006, we will then plan for the trial implementation of WiMAX broadband technology in Penang.

WiMAX, which is regarded as an improvement over the WiFI technology, is capable of providing cost-effective wireless access to users at a range of several kilometres.

Arif said MDC had just received the nod from the Government to help promote MSC-status firms involved in animation development for games used in 3-G phones.

¡§We will be getting a budget to help promote these companies, he said, adding the animation content would be sold locally and overseas.

M'sia To Expand MSC Roll-out In Effort To Be Global ICT Hub
Updated : 09-09-2005
Media : Bernama




Malaysia aims to be a global information and communications technology (ICT) hub with the roll-out of another three new cybercities in Melaka, Perak and Pahang.

"We want to be a global ICT hub. The Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) has been very successful based on the updates on the MSC presented by Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) chief executive officer Datuk Dr Mohamed Arif Nun Thursday," Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told a media conference at the end of the Ninth MSC-International Advisory Panel (IAP) meeting here Friday.

The MDC chief during a presentation on "Progress Updates and Next Steps" stated that the MSC has achieved much success in terms of an increase in the number of MSC-status companies, and the number of high-tech premises in the country.

The number of workers employed in MSC-status companies has increased to more 12,000 people.

The MSC is the government's most exciting initiative for the global ICT industry.

Conceptualised in 1996, the MSC has since grown into a thriving dynamic ICT hub, hosting more than 1,320 multinationals, foreign-owned and home-grown Malaysian companies focused on multimedia and communication products, solutions and services, as well as research and development.

As at July this year, the number of local companies granted MSC status (including higher education institutions and incubators) were 955 together with 69 world-class companies.

With this unique corridor, Malaysia continues to attract leading ICT companies of the world to locate their industries in the MSC and undertake research, develop new products and technologies, and export from this base.

The MSC is also an ideal growth environment for Malaysian ICT small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to transform themselves into world-class companies.

Furthermore, the MSC welcomes countries to use its highly advanced infrastructure and facilities as a global testbed for ICT applications and a hub for their regional operations in Asia.

Abdullah was responding to a question by a reporter who claimed some quarters had said the MSC was not successful in terms of its branding.

In his reply, the prime minister said: "I am surprised you are getting this kind of feedback."

"The MSC is the project that we are promoting all over the world. I am satisfied and I don't think the IAP members would waste their time attending this meeting if it is not successful," he said.

The IAP is a group of leading chief executive officers and international experts who provide counsel to the Malaysian Government in shaping the MSC.

The MSC-IAP meeting, which will end tomorrow, is being held for the first time in Bayan Lepas, Penang, with the theme of "ICT Driving The Innovation Society".

Abdullah said the roll-out in Penang and Kulim early this year was also a testimony to the success of the MSC.