EPF To Upgrade Information And Communications Technology-KWSP

The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) is in the process of re-examining its information and communications technology (ICT) with a view of upgrading it in order to serve its members and employers more efficiently.

As a first step, EPF has appointed a consultant to review and recommend a strategic information and communications technology plan. The plan is to focus on enabling and transforming EPF in line with other world-class organizations of its kind. ICT will feature prominently in the plan as it will be a key enabler for EPF to achieve its aspirations. The EPF sees the importance and benefits of a robust and comprehensive ICT system that will cater for it to become more customer centric and service oriented.

The consultant's two-month study will cover EPF's IT systems, capabilities and processes in particular those relating to the core main-frame systems for members and employers.

The consultant will also identify the required technology applications to support EPF's business needs, the development of IT applications, integration of the system, management data and security of information. It is envisage that the intended solution will not only meet the business needs of the EPF today but also its future vision for tomorrow. 

EPF does not intend to take a short-term view of the world and will be embarking on such an exercise to ensure that it remains relevant in the future. Therefore, any ICT plan that is crafted will need to reflect the flexible and dynamic IT systems. More importantly, it will need to enable EPF to act fast in an ever-changing environment in which it operates.
The EPF will continue to grow and this is a fact. But as it grows, it intends to be a nimble giant and not a plodding and lethargic juggernaut. And the plan will ensure that the EPF ICT is robust and secure and that the security of members' savings will always be a paramount objective.

The initiative will also include looking into the structure, functions and manpower requirements of  EPF's IT Department.

The EPF, which turned 50 last year, began using computers to process transactions since 1967. It has a network of 13 state and 36 branch offices throughout the country to cater to the needs of its 10 million members and 333,000 employers.

Through the years, the use of ICT has increased as the volume of its transactions grew in tandem with the growth of its membership, employer base and new schemes that were introduced. Rather than leveraging on ICT to address the ever-increasing workload and new schemes, EPF will utilize ICT as a strategic enabler.

With the upgrade of its ICT, EPF hopes to provide a level of service that will not only meet, but exceed, the expectations of members in terms of convenience, speed, simplicity and accuracy without compromising the security of members' funds.

(HIZWANI HASSAN)Senior General Manager
Corporate Services
Employees Provident Fund
Date: 5 September 2002

Xinhua08 Malaysia Webpage to be key source of Information on Malaysia & ASEAN for investors in China

PRESS RELEASE

12 APRIL 2011

Maybank and Xinhua News Agency today officially launched the Xinhua08 Malaysia webpage at Invest Malaysia 2011. The webpage, currently available in Mandarin at http://maybank.xinhua08.com will provide Chinese readers the opportunity to follow up-to-date business and financial news covering Malaysia and the ASEAN region.

Maybank was represented at the launch by its President and CEO, Dato’ Sri Abdul Wahid Omar and the Chief Executive Officer of Maybank Investment Bank, Tengku Dato’ Zafrul Aziz while Xinhua News Agency was represented by Mr. Ju Mengjun, President cum Editor in Chief for Asia Pacific region and its Malaysian Bureau Chief, Mr. Yan Liang.

The launch of the website follows the signing of a strategic partnership agreement, inked by both parties in Beijing in February this year.  At the press conference, Dato’ Sri Wahid said that the Xinhua08 Malaysia webpage was one of the initiatives of the tie up between the two parties. “Apart from featuring business and financial news, the webpage also provides information and news updates from Maybank, Bursa Malaysia, Securities Commission, Bank Negara Malaysia and MIDA, which will be of particular interest to investors,” he said.

Wahid added that he is optimistic the joint venture between Malaysia’s largest banking group and the premier news agency from the People’s Republic of China will open up more businesses and investment opportunities in Malaysia and ASEAN for investors from China.

“We will continue to explore new opportunities, bringing to the market hard to access, strategic, news and people for business and investment discussions which can lead to stronger business ties between China and ASEAN as well as increase capital flows between the two regions,” said Wahid.  “In today’s globalised world, Maybank as a leading regional financial services group, is able to offer our expertise and leverage on our in-depth knowledge of Malaysia and ASEAN to support investors from China into this region.”

Meanwhile, Tengku Dato’ Zafrul Aziz added that the Maybank Xinhua partnership coupled with the banking group’s recent acquisition of Kim Eng would not only bring an added dimension to the service that Maybank Group is able to offer customers in both regions but also open up new stock broking opportunities in the China-ASEAN space.

The launch of the website is deemed timely especially after Malaysia won the Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor (QDII) status in June last year. Malaysia is one of only 11 jurisdictions approved under China’s QDII scheme which allows Chinese nationals to invest abroad through approved institutions like fund management firms.

Axiata Strengthens Mobile Data Services Offerings In Partnership with Motricity(11 January 2011 )

Kuala Lumpur, 10 January 2011. Axiata today entered into an agreement with Motricity to launch a new mobile data service by enhancing users’ mobile internet experience across all its subsidiaries. The service will be enabled by Motricity’s platform, the first single groupwide system to provide a greater internet experience via mobile phones, and at the same time enhance the internet functionality for mobile phone users. The platform will provide the ability for users to customise content, enable new service plans for 3rd party web-based content, and provide group-wide common application and store front. In partnership with Motricity Axiata will aim to extend its strength in mobile broadband leadership to become a leader in small screen or phone-based mobile internet usage. Furthermore, this marks a milestone in Axiata’s vision of becoming an industry leader in the region as being the first to launch a common platform across the Group, utilising Motricity’s offerings immediately deployed throughout the region.

This collaboration builds upon the successful deployment of Motricity’s mCore Platform and its end-to-end Mobile-as-a-Service offering at XL Axiata, in Indonesia. Motricity has now entered into an agreement to provide its mobile data solutions and services to Celcom in Malaysia, Dialog in Sri Lanka, Robi in Bangladesh and Hello in Cambodia, completing Axiata’s plan for a single mobile data service platform.

"Axiata had decided on our mobile data service strategy in early 2010 and this collaboration is the realisation of our strategy. We are pleased to partner with Motricity to leverage on their expertise and deliver a full range of highly customised mobile data services to millions of our subscribers whose primary access to the Internet is through their mobile devices, whether it is GPRS or 3G enabled. Until now, the service experience in accessing web services has been inconsistent, as it is highly phone-dependant. With this platform in place, we aim to provide a consistent high-quality experience when accessing the internet. As part of the agreement, Motricity will also extend its expertise in marketing and technical support in mobile data," said Dato' Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim, President and Group Chief Executive Officer. “The mobile Internet is one of the fastest growth opportunities for mobile operators and Axiata's focus is to champion innovation by taking mobile phone based browsing to the next level. The enhanced customer analytics capabilities also enables us to be more precise in personalisation and in turn allows us to better monetise mobile internet via targeted mobile marketing campaigns and programmes,” added Dato’ Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim.

"This is a substantial win for Motricity and one borne out of our shared commitment toward advancing the mobile Internet's reach in the Asia Pacific region," said Ryan Wuerch, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Motricity. "Axiata has proven itself to be a leader and innovator in bringing new mobile services to emerging markets and we are enthused to partner with them in their ambitious goal of bringing a rich mobile data services experience to their millions of subscribers."

About Axiata

Axiata is one of the largest Asian telecommunication companies, focused on high growth low penetration emerging markets. Axiata has controlling interests in mobile operators in Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Cambodia with significant strategic stakes in India, Singapore and Iran. India and Indonesia are amongst the fastest growing markets in the world. In addition, the Malaysian-grown holding company has stakes in non-mobile telecommunication operations in Thailand.

The Group's mobile subsidiaries and associates operate under the brand name 'Celcom' in Malaysia, 'XL' in Indonesia, 'Dialog' in Sri Lanka, 'Robi' in Bangladesh, 'HELLO' in Cambodia, 'Idea' in India, 'M1' in Singapore and 'MTCE' in Iran (Esfahan).

The Group, including its subsidiaries and associates, has over 150 million mobile subscribers in Asia. The Group revenue for 2009 was RM13.1 billion. The Group provides employment to over 25,000 people across Asia. Axiata's vision is to be a regional champion by 2015 by piecing together the best throughout the region in connectivity, technology and talent, uniting them towards a single goal: Advancing Asia.

Axiata was awarded the Frost & Sullivan 2009 and 2010 Asia Pacific ICT Award for Best Telecom Group and the Telecom Asia Best Regional Mobile Group 2010 for its operations in multiple Asian markets.

About Motricity

Motricity (NASDAQ: MOTR) is a leading mobile data solutions provider exclusively focused on the rapidly growing mobile Internet market. It serves some of the world’s largest mobile carriers, simplifying the mobile Internet and creating a personalized mobile experience for subscribers. Motricity helps companies leverage the power of mobility to make direct, personalized connections with their customers. For more information, visit www.motricity.com or follow the company on Twitter @motricity.

-ENDS

Issued
By:
Corporate Communications, Group Strategy, Axiata Group Berhad
Axiata Centre, 9 Jalan Stesen Sentral 5, Kuala Lumpur Sentral
50470 Kuala Lumpur
For further information on Axiata visit www.axiata.com
For further information on Motricity visit www.motricity.com
For media enquiries, please contact:
Axiata
Faridah Hashim
Head, Media and Communications
Tel: +603-2263 8881 Fax: +603-2278 7755
Email: faridah@axiata.com
Motricity
Jennifer Morgan
Director, Public Relations
Tel: +1 425-638-8375 Mobile: +1 206-931-4559
Email: Jennifer.morgan@motricity.com

Get Facebook Credits from U Mobile

ADDED BENEFIT: U Mobile Sdn Bhd is giving its subscribers the option to earn Facebook Credits every time they reload their prepaid mobile accounts.

KUALA LUMPUR: U Mobile Sdn Bhd is giving its subscribers the option to earn Facebook Credits every time they reload their prepaid mobile accounts.
Facebook Credits can be used to purchase digital goods and other enhancements for more than 600 social games and applications on Facebook.
U Mobile's offering to its users is a result of its recent collaboration with Facebook and MOL AccessPortal Sdn Bhd, which the distributor of Facebook Credits in South-East Asia.
U Mobile said it will be working closely with MOL AccessPortal to ensure a seamless and consistent user experience.
The company said this is the first time that Facebook is partnering with any telco in Asia to give away Facebook Credits.
To get your hands on free Facebook Credits, subscribers need only to "Like" U Mobile's Facebook fan page, top-up their U Mobile prepaid account to receive a code via SMS, and key in the code into the U Mobile application on Facebook to use the free Facebook Credits.
For every RM20 top-up or more, subscribers will receive two Facebook Credits and one Credit with an additional reload of RM10. There is a daily cap of 20 Credits per user per day and a monthly cap of 50 credits per month.
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u.com.my

Baidu, Microsoft in web search deal

COOPERATIVE EFFORT: Baidu CEO Robin Li (left) and Microsoft founder Bill Gates smiling during a press conference in Beijing, China. The Chinese web giant has reached an agreement with Microsoft to provide English-language results generated by the US software giant's Bing search engine. - AP

BEIJING: Chinese web giant Baidu has reached an agreement with Microsoft Corp to provide English-language results generated by the US software giant's Bing search engine.
Some English search requests from Baidu users will be automatically directed to Bing and its results will be displayed in pages in Baidu's search engine, the Chinese company said in a statement.
"The cooperation between Baidu and Bing will bring into play technological advantages of both parties and jointly provide best search experience for users who need to search in English," Baidu senior executive Zhang Dongchen said.
The move will also help Baidu to explore the overseas Internet search market, Zhang said, without elaborating.
Baidu receives around 10 million English-language search requests a day, mostly from professionals and students in major cities, Zhang said.
The Chinese search engine and Bing are expected to start offering the service later this year, the statement said.
Baidu is the dominant search engine in China, the world's biggest online market with at least 477 million Internet users, according to official data.
Google has lost part of its share of the lucrative Chinese search market to Baidu since the US web giant last year engaged in a very public spat with Beijing over cyberattacks that it claimed had originated from China.
Baidu had a 75.8% share of China's overall search market in the first quarter of 2011, dwarfing Google's dwindling 19.2%, according to figures from research firm Analysys International. - AP

Exabytes offers clients Kaspersky e-mail solution

BIG SMILES: Chan (right) receiving the authorised reseller certificate from Kaspersky Lab South East Asia channel sales director Jimmy Fong.

KUALA LUMPUR: Customers of web-hosting services provider Exabytes Network can now subscribe to Kaspersky Lab's Hosted Email Security (KHES) solution.
KHES is claimed to protect against cyberthreats that could enter a network via the e-mail system, such as spam, phishing messages, and malware (malicious software).
Exabytes founder and chief executive Chan Kee Siak said customers would enjoy the benefits of world-class protection and rapid deployment, as well as a maintenance-free and cost-effective solution.
He said it would especially benefit those customers who do not have in-house IT support personnel, while those that do can have their crews focus more on other aspects of their duties.
Exabytes also announced that it is having a promotion on KHES until July 31. Customers will enjoy various discounts until then.
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exabytes.com.my
kaspersky.com.my

Google Chrome edges its way up

In June, Google's Chrome browser exceeded 20% of the worldwide browser market for the first time, closing in on rivals Internet Explorer and Firefox.
According to recent figures from Internet tracking service StatCounter, Chrome grew by 2.8% over the year to take 20.7% of the global market while Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) fell from 59% to 44% and Firefox dropped slightly from 30% to 28% during the same period.
"It is a superb achievement by Google to go from under 3% two years ago to over 20% today," commented Aodhan Cullen, CEO of StatCounter. "While Google has been highly effective in getting Chrome downloaded, the real test is actual browser usage which our stats measure."
IE is still king in a majority of regions around the globe while Firefox reigns in second place. Chrome, however, has made some notable gains in places such as South America, where it recently overtook Firefox to become the second most popular browser on the continent.
Chrome is now firmly cemented in second place in South America, reaching 29.7% of the market in June. Firefox and IE captured 24.6% and 44.1% of the South American market during the same period.
In Britain, Chrome is nearing equality with Firefox with 21.1% and 21.7% of the market respectively. IE still has a stronghold on Internet users in the region with a 46.4% market share.
Users in the United States are even more reluctant to switch from market leader IE to Chrome. Google's web browser is used by just 16% of Internet users while IE and Firefox command 46.5% and 24.7% of the market respectively. - Relaxnews 2011

Local ICT Industry To Stay Strong, Says MDeC

Source: Bernama

PUTRAJAYA, March 17 (Bernama) -- Growth of the local information and communications technology (ICT) industry will remain strong in view of enormous opportunities it presents and the countrys active participation in the ICTs global front, Multimedia Development Corporation (MdeC)'s chief executive officer Datuk Badlisham Ghazali said today.

Commenting on the impact of the recent election results on the industry, he said the outlook remained positive as global demand for ICT product and services will continue to thrive regardless of political trends.

"We should be grateful that our forefathers have left a healthy democratic system that allows its people to enjoy the freedom of exercising their rights in electing the government," Badlisham said.

"More importantly, we are able to show the world that we live in a mature society and the country remains in a stable and harmonious state despite the election results," he said in a statement.

MDeC is a government-owned corporation established to facilitate the development and promotion of MSC Malaysia, the premier Malaysian ICT initiative.

It is tasked to advise the government on ICT legislation and policies, develop MSC Malaysia as a key growth driver of the economy and set breakthrough standards for ICT and multimedia operations.

Badlisham said from May 18 to 22 this year, Kuala Lumpur will play host to the 16th World Congress of IT (WCIT) with 14 related events that will attract the world to Malaysia and further boost the countrys position as an ideal investment hub.

"This sits well with the nation's ICT development as knowledge will remain as an important ingredient for the countrys future," he said.

"It also augurs well with the MSC Malaysia's vision for a knowledge society where everybody should have equal access to IT infrastructure and the conveniences that come with it."

Among the related events scheduled at WCIT are Mobile Monday Global Summit and the United Nations Global Alliance on ICT and Development (UN-GAID) that will attract key industry visionaries, developers and influential individuals.

It will also allow Malaysian ICT companies to showcase their solutions to the world, hence increasing export potential, according to Badlisham.

"WCIT 2008 is more than just an event. This marks a milestone in Malaysias capability as an ICT hub for the region and apart from attracting the whos who in the worlds ICT industry, WCIT 2008 will also create a high impact on the countrys economy for other industries, especially tourism and retail, in view of the flood of foreign delegates that will be attending the congress and its related events," he said.

He added that with 42,000 expo visitors, 2,500 delegates and 100 speakers from 80 countries, local ICT companies should take advantage of WCIT 2008 to showcase their products to the world.

On Malaysia's potential, Badlisham said the country was still favoured upon as the outsourcing and offshoring location for the region in view of its excellent infrastructure, ready pool of talents, sound ICT policies and cost-effectiveness.

Malaysia was ranked third as the worlds most favourite location for outsourcing and offshoring activities in industry studies by a number of consultancy firms, including AT Kearney and Frost and Sullivan, and this demonstrated Malaysias capabilities in providing world-class solutions and services, according to him.

He said with over 2,000 MSC Malaysia-status companies generating RM13 billion in revenue and RM5 billion in exports last year, the ICT industry was taking its place as the backbone of the country's economy.

Badlisham said the positive trend of local companies venturing into the global market was in line with the increasing role of ICT in providing the strength in innovation that cut across all sectors.

This, he said, would also ensure the continuous growth in the software development and digital content industry.

As the guardian of MSC Malaysia, MDeC will continue to serve the people and ensure that they continue to benefit from the government's initiatives, Badlisham said.

"Malaysia is very adaptable to change and the country will only grow from strength to strength," he said.

10 Local ICT Firms In CommunicAsia 2011

Bandar Seri Begawan - A delegation of representatives from 10 local ICT companies left the country yesterday to participate in the upcoming CommunicAsia 2011, which will be held from June 21-24, 2011 at the Marina Bay Sands Exhibition Hall in Singapore.
Also in the delegation is Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Abdullah bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, Minister of Communications.
The young and dynamic company delegates will be introducing their own Made-in-Brunei ICT products to the international market, while at the same time gaining knowledge on the latest technologies by exchanging ideas and networking with international companies.
The delegation is headed by Hj Yahkup bin Hj Menudin, Chief Executive of the Authority for Info-Communications Technology Industry (AITI).
The companies will be exhibiting their wares under the Brunei Darussalam Pavilion, which had been coordinated and subsidised by AITI as part of AITI's ICT Industry Development initiatives.
The participating companies include BruGPS Technologies Sdn Bhd, Crescent Sdn Bhd, Telekom Brunei Berhad (TelBru), Network Integrity Assurance Technologies Sdn Bhd (NIAT), 'ilm Academy, Mars-Enterprise, Padian.com, Expansys Technologies and Infindo. AITI, for its part, has been promoting local ICT products and services actively in CommunicAsia at the Brunei Pavilion since 2008.
Two of the Brunei exhibitors - Mars Enterprise and Crescent Sdn Bhd - will be launching their Made-in-Brunei products in CommunicAsia 2011.
In an interview with the Bulletin, Ms Cleo F Garcia, the General Manager of Mars Enterprise said: "We will be launching our Made-in-Brunei product named BHRIS - a human resource integrated system that provide companies the much-needed databases for employee's details from the day they start working until retirement.
The system comprises payroll, leaves, tasks of each employee, appraisals and so on."
On the opportunity to launch her company's product in CommunicAsia, she said, "I am very happy that we can launch our product in one of the largest ICT events in Asia.
This will lead to expanding the horizon of our Market not only in Brunei but also overseas as we are planning to appoint resellers in the Asia-Pacific. We've already sold the product to seven clients in Brunei."
CommunicAsia is Asia's largest knowledge-based ICT platforms.
CommunicAsia features a comprehensive myriad of key and emerging technologies such as "backhaul networks", systems integration, software and applications for end users.
The presence of the Brunei Pavilion in CommunicAsia is expected to create great international exposure in terms of promoting Brunei's ICT capabilities.
It is also seen as an opportunity to build new strategic ties with potential business partners.
-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

Local ICT Firm Unveils Laptop Tracking System

As the country continues to record an increase in the number of laptops stolen from vehicles, offices and homes, a local information and communication technology (ICT) company, Electronic Systems, has come up with a programme that will enable it to recover laptops reported to police as lost or stolen.

Under a proposed arrangement presented to police last week, the company will implement and manage a stolen laptop and computer recovery programme using a tracking system which pinpoints the exact location of the stolen gadget belonging to an individual or organisation that would have subscribed to the service.
The company will also offer training to police officers at selected stations to acquaint them with the service and the system after which they would be equipped to carry out investigative duties.
Electronic Systems business development manager Mr Tawanda Chikosi last week said this development was expected to see a significant improvement in the recovery rate of stolen laptops.
He said while similar systems were available in other countries, especially the developed world, this was the first time that such a product was being pioneered in Zimbabwe.

"The system will act as a tracking link for crimes such as armed robberies, burglaries, theft from vehicles and theft from company premises where laptops would have been stolen during the commission of the offences.
"The system will easily and swiftly expose computer theft, crime syndicates and methodologies, thus helping the police force in general to fight crime in Zimbabwe," said Mr Chikosi.
Police spokesman Superintendent Andrew Phiri last week confirmed that he received the partnership proposal, adding that he would forward it to his superiors for scrutiny.

Mr Chikosi said his company's international strategic partners were Absolute Software Corporation of Canada, which invented the computer theft recovery, tracking and loss control product under the brand name "Computrace" in 1994 and Net Trace (Pty) Ltd of South Africa.
"Laptops and computers will only be tracked after a proper police report has been made by the victim to the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
"There are two main types of information we use to assist the police. First, the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer registers with our monitoring centre each time the computer connects to the internet." he said.
This information, he said was useful in determining the location of the computer.

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"Second, we use forensic information which we can gather from the stolen computer through the use of patented forensic tools which are downloaded to the computer once it is reported as stolen," said Mr Chikosi.
"We also use GPS and Wi-Fi technology to track the computers on a Google map. We will provide the police with current and historical locations within 10 metres when using GPS technology."
Mr Chikosi said regardless of recovery status, the system enabled them to remotely delete all the data stored on the stolen computer to prevent it from falling into wrong hands.
This data included files and applications containing personal photos, internet bookmarks, browser cookies, financial information and stored passwords. Over 750 000 laptops are stolen every year worldwide and passwords are no longer adequate to protect laptops against unauthorised access.

Increasing Local Participation in ICT Sector

The information and communications technologies (ICTs) industry has witnessed a rapid growth in recent years with a number of products, services, the size of the market and foreign direct investment.

It is no gain saying that the industry is the new spring board for reshaping and redefining the Nigerian economy.

The industry is noted to be lucrative in terms of the record profits by companies operating there and also difficult because of the poor operating environment as well as the near absence of concerted regulation.

Regrettably, despite the flurry of activities in the ICT sector, Nigerian content is at abysmal level.

Local content means the development of local skills, technology transfer, use of local manpower and local manufacturing.

For the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), local content is an expression and communication of a community’s locally generated, owned and adapted knowledge and experience that is relevant to the community’s situation.

The reason is the absence of a local content policy to enable local companies’ to participate actively in the sector.

ITU said that the situation is further compounded by limited financial resources of developing countries for content production; inappropriate training opportunities for content creators; lack of access to advanced technology (production units, digital cameras, digital studios); low motivation and commitment at the decision making level to change the situation as well as market forces, which do not encourage diversity.

All these underscore the need for a policy to ensure that local players are not left at the outskirts of the thriving sector.

We believe strongly that local ICT providers require some measure of protection against their multinational counterparts whose corporate strength could extinguish the local players.

Local hardware and software developers, must also be given some kind of support to enable them grow, expand and continue to provide employment to millions of Nigerians.

The local content scheme must be such that requires players in the ICT industry, especially multinationals to obtain domestically a specified minimum percentage of their basic input.

The policy should also include local content quota, cyber security, broadband, consumer protection, Geo-information and ICT, climate change and the environment.

Beyond the issue of job creation for local players, local content also has far reaching implications for technological advancement, long term cost effectiveness.

If this is not done, Nigeria may lose IT personnel and manpower that can take the burgeoning development in the sector to the next level.

BY Nigeria CommunicationsWeek editorial

Positive Outlook For Local ICT industry

CYBERJAYA, March 15, 2008: The growth of the local ICT industry will remain strong in view of enormous opportunities it presents and the country’s active participation in the ICT’s global front, said Multimedia Development Corporation’s CEO Dato’ Badlisham Ghazali.
Commenting on the impact of the election on the industry, Badlisham said the outlook remains positive as global demand for ICT product and services will continue to thrive regardless of political trends.
“We should be grateful that our forefathers have left a healthy democratic system that allows its people to enjoy the freedom of exercising their rights in electing the Government.
“More importantly, we are able to show the world that we live in a mature society and the country remains in a stable and harmonious state despite the various shows in the election results,” he said in a statement here today.
Badlisham highlighted that on May 18 to 22, Kuala Lumpur will play host to the 16th World Congress of ICT with 14 related events that will attract the world to Malaysia and further boost Malaysia’s position as an ideal investment hub.
“This sits well with the nation's ICT development as knowledge will remain as an important ingredient for the country’s future. It also augurs well with the MSC Malaysia's vision for a knowledge society where everybody should have equal access to IT infrastructure and the conveniences that come with it.
He said among the related events include Mobile Monday Global Summit and the United Nations Global Alliance on ICT and Development (UN-GAID) that will attract key industry visionaries, developers and influential individuals. It also allows Malaysian ICT companies to showcase their solutions to the world, hence increasing export potential.
“WCIT 2008 is more than just an event, this marks a milestone in Malaysia’s capability as an ICT hub for the region and apart from attracting the who’s who in the world’s ICT industry, WCIT 2008 will also create a high impact on the country’s economy for other industries especially tourism and retail in view of the flood of foreign delegates that will be attending the congress and its related events,” said Badlisham.
Badlisham said with 42,000 expo visitors, 2,500 delegates and 100 speakers from 80 countries, local ICT companies should take advantage of WCIT 2008 to showcase their products to the world and for Malaysians in general to lend its full support for the event, which will benefit for the country’s economy and the positive development of the ICT industry.
 On Malaysia’s potential, Badlisham said Malaysia is still favoured upon as the outsourcing and offshoring location for the region in view of its excellent infrastructure, ready pool of talents, sound IT policies and cost effectiveness.
He said Malaysia ranks third as the world’s most favourite location for outsourcing and offshoring activities in industry studies by a number of consultancy firms, including AT Kearney and Frost and Sullivans, and this clearly demonstrates Malaysia’s capabilities in providing world-class solutions and services.
He added that with over 2,000 MSC Malaysia-status companies generating revenue of RM13 billion and RM5 billion in exports last year, the ICT industry is taking its place as the backbone of the country's economy.
Badlisham said the positive trend of local companies venturing into the global market is inline with the increasing role of ICT in providing the strength in innovation that cuts across all sectors.  This, he added, will also ensure the continuous growth in the software development and digital content industry.
“As the guardian of MSC Malaysia, MDeC we will continue to serve the people and ensure that they continue to benefit from the Government's initiatives,” he said.
 “Malaysia is very adaptable to change and the country will only grow from strength to strength,” he added.

Concerted Effort Needed For Local ICT Firms To Become Global Players

Source: Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 (Bernama) -- The government needed to make a concerted effort to help local information and communications technology (ICT) companies in becoming global players.

In making the call today, Scan Associates Bhd's chief executive officer Datuk Aminuddin Baki Esa said the government had already done a lot to assisting the ICT industry locally.

However, there was still a lack of concerted effort by the government to promote successful local ICT companies in venturing into overseas markets, he said. Aminuddin said government agencies needed to make more efforts in promoting the local ICT industry.

Most government agencies preferred to promote sectors like agriculture and furniture, he said during a breakout session on "Asian Opportunity: From Start-up to Global" held in conjunction with the 16th World Congress on Information Tecnology (WCIT) 2008) here today.

Xybase MSC Sdn Bhd's founder and president Suhaimee Abu Hassan said government linked-companies like Khazanah Nasional should invest in successful entrepreneur-led companies in order to help them in venturing into overseas markets.

He said besides acquiring local companies, Khazanah Nasional should also take over successful companies in the ICT industry and assist them to go global.

"If we want to build world-class ICT companies, Khazanah should not only be funding and acquiring local companies, they should also go to entrepreneurs and fund them to go outside," he added.

Globe Business supports 5th International ICT Awards

INQUIRER.net
First Posted 13:07:00 03/29/2011

Filed Under: business, Telecommunications Services, Awards and Prizes, business process outsourcing (BPO)

MANILA, Philippines – Globe Business, the enterprise and corporate client servicing unit of Globe Telecom, takes part in the 5th International ICT Awards as it continues to contribute in advancing the country’s BPO sector.
Globe Business has been an ardent supporter of the ICT Awards since 2008 and remains a strong partner of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and the Business Processing Association of the Philippines in this annual event.
The International ICT Awards honors individuals and organizations for their outstanding performance in promoting the country as one of the top BPO destinations around the globe. It aims to continuously improve ICT in the Philippines by encouraging innovation and excellence among BPOs. The awarding takes place on March 31, 2011 at Dusit Thani Manila.
For four years now, Globe Business has been presenting the “BPO Employer of the Year” award, an honor given to organizations in the local customer service industry who contribute to the Philippines’ global recognition and competitiveness in the field. Winners of this award are recognized for their significant investments in human resources, exemplary practices and commitment to corporate social responsibility, among others.
“We have remained strong in the BPO industry and they have our support as we collaborate to further enhance the position of the Philippines in the international markets,” said Jesus C. Romero, Enterprise Segments Head of Globe Business. “We are pleased to be part of the 5th International ICT Awards – Philippines 2011 as we recognize and honor the achievements of BPOs that continue to provide its employees with the best possible working environment where they can develop both professionally and personally.”
“At Globe Business, we understand that an enterprise’s most important asset is its people. The customer service sector is an industry that heavily relies on the skill and capabilities of its human resources, hence, we are honored to be given this opportunity to recognize the commitment of BPOs to their employees,” added Romero.
As it further sustains strong partnerships with BPOs, Globe offers end-to-end solutions that can serve as effective tools for companies to further attract and retain their assets. Globe Business’ Employee Prepaid Plus service, for instance, enables customers to deploy communications allowance as part of their company benefits that employees can value and enjoy. Globe Business is also focused on providing the sector with reliable and diverse domestic and international backbone networks. It assures BPOs and enterprises that it delivers telecom solutions that are certified with international standards.
“For us, it’s all about supporting the industry and our role as telecom service providers is to invest in our infrastructure to provide the best customer experience. But we don’t stop there. We also bring world-class services that are certified by international standards. Certifications are part of our support system that ensures customers what they get are at par with global standards. The effect has been tremendous and it has allowed us to continue to invest in the industry,” Romero said.

CanCham, BPAP seek nominations for international ICT Awards

MANILA, Philippines - The Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (www.cancham.com.ph) and the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (www.bpap.org) are seeking nominations for the 5th International ICT Awards — Philippines 2011 (ICT Awards 2011) to be held at the Grand Ballroom of Dusit Thani Manila on March 31, 2011.
The much-awaited annual event aims to promote excellence in the BPO sector by recognizing companies and individuals who have made significant contributions and shown an exemplary performance in the field of business process outsourcing (BPO).
Nominations are now open for the following categories: BPO Company of the Year, BPO Employer of the Year, Shared Services Excellence Company of the Year, Non-Voice Excellence of the Year, Best New BPO Locator of the Year, Fastest Growing BPO of the Year, Most Innovative BPO of the Year and ICT Individual Contributor of the Year. Nomination forms and judging criteria for these awards are available for download at www.ict-awards.org. Nominations will be accepted until Feb. 28 and the short list of finalist will be announced by March 23, 2011.
“We are proud to organize the ICT Awards with BPAP. The BPO Industry in the Philippines has been growing at an amazing rate over the past five years and that can be attributed mostly to the Filipinos’ passion for excellence and the quality of service they deliver. Let’s celebrate that!” said Sean Georget, executive director of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Scope International ICT Competition

KUALA LUMPUR: Two high-technology concepts, that would benefit the visually handicapped if put into production, won top prizes at the Standard Chartered Bank ICT Competition last month.

One is a modified cane which uses GPS (global positioning system) technology and a Bluetooth wireless headset to help a blind person to better find his way around.

The other is a device that uses ultraviolet light and photodiode detection technology to help the sightless, especially those running a trade, to detect counterfeit money.

Technopreneurs Mun Yee Phang and Jason Lee from the two-man Columbus team, designed the cane and won RM 15,000 cash, a plaque, and a certificate of excellence. They were tops in the professional category of the contest.

Quah Kah Hin, Chen Say Hong and Hooi Ling Goh of Unversity Kebangsaan Malaysia, forming the UV-ICU team, came up with the counterfeit-money detector and took first place in the students category. They went home with RM12,000 cash, plaque and certificate of excellence.

Five teams each from the professional and student categories were shortlisted for the final round of judging.

Scope International (M) Sdn Bhd, a wolly owned subsidiary of Britain’s Standard Chartered Bank, organized the competition.

The contest is aimed at spurring ICT (information and communications technology) development amongst university students and ICT professionals; helping to increase the country’s pool of knowledge workers, and encouraging more students to enroll in ICT-related courses.

“It reinforces our belief that there is an abundance of Malaysian talent that can implement innovative ICT solutions and services that are second to none,” said Arif Siddiqui, chief information officer or Scope International.

The inaugural competition attracted 350 participants who submitted 145 entries – 109 for the professional category and 36 for the student segment.

Shortlisted entries included those from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Curtin University of Technology, University Teknologi Petronas Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology, and Tunku Abdul Rahman College.

Source: Star InTech, January 3, 2007

13 Reasons to Use Educational Technology in Lessons

Sometimes you need to convince colleagues to think about using educational technology in their lessons, or to identify where in their scheme of work they could incorporate it.

This list is a starting point: you may find one or two points that would "resonate" with your co-worker, and grab his or her attention.

1. Where information and communications technology (ICT) is taught well, it has been shown to enhance pupils’ levels of understanding and attainment in other subjects. That’s because “real” ICT is more about thinking skills than about mastering particular software applications.
   
2. ICT can provide both the resources and the pedagogical framework for enabling pupils to become effective independent learners. For example, computer programs are available that adjust themselves to the pupils’ level and then set appropriate tasks and give feedback on performance. Used wisely, these can help pupils to move on.
   
   Also, newer technologies such as Web 2.0 applications enables pupils and others to collaborate in ways that reflect a broadly constructivist approach to education.
   
3. ICT places all learners on an equal footing. Given the right hardware, software and curriculum activities, even severely physically disadvantaged pupils can achieve the same degree of success as anyone else.
   
4. ICT has been shown to have benefits in terms of motivating pupils. That comes about partly through factors like being able to produce nice-looking work with no teacher’s red marks all over it, and partly because the computer is seen as being impartial and non-judgemental in its feedback to the pupil.
   
5. ICT enables pupils to gather data that would otherwise be difficult or even impossible to obtain. For example, data from inaccessible places (eg outer space), inaccessible times (eg overnight), from both overseas and nationally on demand (without having to physically go anywhere) or data at very precise time intervals.
   
6. ICT enables pupils to gather data that would otherwise be time-consuming or costly or both. For example, pupils can use the internet to get up-to-the-minute information on prices. They can use a DVD or the internet to watch movies of old dictators speaking, or the moon landings, or to listen to a piece of music by Mozart.
   
7. ICT enables pupils to experiment with changing aspects of a model, which may be difficult or even impossible for them to do otherwise. For example, pupils of Business Studies and Economics can see what might happen to the economy if interest rates were raised or lowered. Pupils can use webcams to capture the development of an egg or a plant.
   
8. ICT enables pupils to draft or redraft their work until they are satisfied with it.
   
9. Another reason to use ICT in lessons is because it can help to implement personalised learning.
   
10. Pupils usually enjoy using computers and other types of technology, so lessons which make use of it start off with an advantage (which is all too often squandered).
    
11. Educational technology puts the pupil in control (if it is well-designed), enabling her to personalise the interface, select and create resources, and even choose what to learn.
    
12. Just about every aspect of modern life involves educational technology; therefore, to not make use of it in the curriculum is anachronistic.
    
13. Because educational technology pervades all aspects of modern society, schools have a duty of care to ensure that pupils understand issues such as keeping safe online, protecting their identity, recognising good and misleading information sources on the internet, the effects of educational technology on communications and the economy, to name but a few issues.