MYIT I Vol 4 No 4 I RAMSSOL

WOMEN IN TECH CHAPTER MAKES WAVES IN THE ICT INDUSTRY

Since its birth in September 2021, the WIT Chapter has delivered several inspiring activities to boost the participation of women in the tech landscape.

With the growing presence of women in the tech space, PIKOM introduced the Women In Technology (WIT) Chapter, a new chapter under the national tech association. Launched by Immediate Past President, Danny Lee on 2 September 2021, the chapter was established to provide women in the ICT industry with a platform for development, learning and innovation. This platform will enable both users and vendors of technology to engage with each other and deliver more impactful innovation within the industry. The Chapter will also provide support via mentoring, to assist women in the tech landscape to achieve professional goals and aspirations.

On 9 August 2022, the WIT Chapter converged to host their 3rd

activity, featuring 25 heads of the tech industry who came together for a 2-hour session to network and exchange ideas. At the session, Catherine Lian, WIT Chairperson, addressed the audience on women advocacy and rights in all career categories and work industries. Guest speaker, Cheah Kok Hoong, spoke on the topic of leadership and motivation, while PIKOM Chairman, Dr Sean Seah and CEO, Ong Kian

Yew, briefed the crowd on WCIT2022. The closing address was delivered by Dato Dan E Khoo who highlighted 3 main reasons for everyone to attend WCIT 2022 Malaysia.

WIT has an exciting line-up of programmes in the months ahead that include a special session on Women Networking at WCIT 2022 and a dialogue on consumer awareness focusing on cybersecurity and the prevention of scams.

RAMSSOL USES TECHNOLOGY TO RAMP UP HR

HR is no longer just a unit that ensures workplace safety, organises the payroll and goes with a certain gut feeling when it comes to talent management. While HR today is still tasked with all things operational, they do it with clearly de ned strategies, backed by solid data and sound analytics. Datuk Seri Cllement Tan Chee Seng, Group Managing Director and CEO of Ramssol Group Bhd, tells RACHAEL PHILIP how.

Imagine knowing what makes your sta tick. Is it recognition, money, days o ? If you did, you would be able to motivate your sta the right way so that they can reach their potential at work.

In the same vein, imagine knowing what demotivates your sta , if remote working or clocking in at the o ce is best for a particular sta or, better still, knowing which employee will most likely leave your company within a year.

This is HR analytics. A powerful tool that is shaping the way businesses operate especially post-pandemic when making the right talent decision is crucial.

“Companies are keeping minimum sta to maximise their pro t. Even large global companies such as Amazon and Tesla are laying o their sta to remain lean. At the same time, they want to

hold on to their prized talent. This means HR’s role in an organisation is crucial,” says Datuk Seri Cllement Tan Chee Seng, Group Managing Director and CEO of Ramssol Group Bhd, a tech company that provides human capital management solutions.

“Traditionally, the HR department of a company is the ‘cost centre’ that looks at hiring, paying salary and approving leave. Today’s HR – especially post pandemic – has to step up, automate their processes and strategize people management with solid data and sound analytics.

“Here is where Ramssol comes in. We aim to make HR e ective by leveraging on technology,” says Cllement. And they have just the app for you – Feet’s.

This employment engagement app is the rst of its kind created in the region. It was designed

in-house in 2019 and has a subscription rate of more than 25,000 to date. Feet’s fosters engagement among employees, promotes e ective communication and cultivates a healthy work environment using psychometric tests specially created by a university professor.

It has been successful in boosting employee morale and engagement through instant recognition, feedback and rewards.

BUILDING AN ECOSYSTEM

Feet’s is just one part of Ramssol’s wideranging HCM ecosystem. The company is also a reseller for well-known technology products such as Oracle, Zoom, Lark, DocuSign and Access. It is also the developer of Pro le.La. These products cater to their HCM clients such as banks and property developers in the region.

Ramssol’s HCM and Student Management Systems, meanwhile, are IT solutions designed for the management of both employees and students. This software can be used to automate administration processes and data processing, and streamline policies and practices throughout organisations and educational institutions. The system promotes e ective monitoring and analysis of both employee and student data.

Another growing sector of the company is its IT Sta Augmentation Services. With 10 dedicated recruitment professionals and over 10,000 outsourced sta across di erent industries, Ramssol recruits and supplies IT professionals for its clients as well as its internal IT projects.

TODAY, CUSTOMER CONFIDENCE IS HEALTHIER, WE HAVE MORE MONEY. WE ARE BETTER STRUCTURE WISE. ALL THIS MAKES IT EASIER TO CONNECT AND ENGAGE WITH CUSTOMERS. WE CAN DO MORE FOR OUR CLIENTS.

– Datuk Seri Cllement Tan Chee Seng, Group Managing Director and CEO of Ramssol Group Bhd

REGIONAL SPECIALIST

Besides expanding Ramssol’s range of products and services, Cllement and his team have worked hard to build business presence in neighbouring countries, namely Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.

“This has positioned us as a regional HCM solutions and technology specialist. Over the years, we have seen good reception of our products. This helped us to expand to Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam,” says Cllement.

Ramssol has close to 100 products and almost 150 clients in the region. Having a regional presence is important for the company, he says.

“RHB, for example, is present in Singapore and Thailand. They use our HR solutions and systems for their payroll, leave, claims and recruitment. They want the same platform for all their businesses across the region,” he explains.

“Look at UEM. The company runs a diverse range of businesses, from expressways to township and property development as well as engineering and construction. These require a whole host of HCM needs and solutions. Ramssol is able to take it on. We can provide an analogous and complementary solution for all their businesses.”

COLLABORATION

Today Ramssol is working on a number of exciting collaborations. It has partnered Chinabased robotic process automation and arti cial intelligence provider Laiye to provide intelligent automation technology across Southeast Asia.

This is a move in helping employers to prepare their sta for an AI-centred future and to embrace new technologies, says Cllement. Labour-intensive and repetitive tasks, for example, can be performed more e ciently and at a lower cost. Sectors that stand to bene t from this include accountancy, manufacturing, IT, transportation and sales.

Early this year, Ramssol was appointed by India-based HCM company to be the exclusive reseller of DarwinBox. DarwinBox is best suited for small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Ramssol is also present on the training front. It has launched the HRD-claimable training programme called Excel. It is working with the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Academy (MACA) to provide a course in legal framework, corporate

liability, corruption risk management and organisational anti-corruption plan.

LEVERAGING ON THE LISTING

When asked how this one year has been for the company since its listing on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia, Cllement said it has been good.

“There is a big di erence between a Sdn Bhd company and a Bhd company. We are seeing a lot of collaboration after the listing, for example the partnership with Laiye. Prior to the listing it was tough to get reseller rights for some of the products for the region. Even the Excel MACA programme, why did they choose us?

“Today, customer con dence is healthier, we have more money. We are better structure wise. All this makes it easier to connect and engage with customers. We can do more for our clients.”

Steeped in HR

HCM solutions company Ramssol Group Bhd is banking on its complete eco system, reputation and experience in order to provide the best for its clients.

“All our management sta have a solid background in Human Resources,” says Datuk Seri Cllement Tan Chee Seng, Group Managing Director and CEO of Ramssol Group Bhd.

After a degree in IT, Cllement joined HRMS Consulting Sdn Bhd as Junior Consultant in 2006 where he was involved in providing HR consulting, as well as functional design, implementation and technical support of Oracle HCM solutions and campus solutions for customers.

He then joined Symphony BPO Solutions Sdn Bhd in February 2009. Here he was responsible for the design and implementation of HCM solutions, as well as providing technical support for HR business process outsourcing. The following year he set up his own business.

“I’m an entrepreneur. I like running my own company. I like to engage and network with people, programmers, those in sales.”

Cllement established Rams Malaysia and Rams Singapore in 2010 together with former colleague Lee Miew Lan. Cllement is responsible for the overall strategic direction and business development, while Miew Lan, Chief Operating O cer, oversees the operational functions of the company.

“Ramssol can solve all your problems from landing top talent to retention and monitoring productivity and performance – this is our selling point. Our aim is to facilitate and bring about change in the work place.”

PIKOM RECOGNISES INDUSTRY CHANGEMAKERS AT UNICORN TECH AWARDS 2021

The national tech association held its most sought-after awards night, raising a toast to technopreneurs and industry players for their outstanding achievements.

The PIKOM Unicorn Tech Awards 2021, held at the One World Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, celebrated the achievements of top changemakers in the tech industry. Held in collaboration with WITSA Global ICT Excellence Award and ASOCIO Awards, the event hosted approximately 450 industry leaders, senior representatives of the tech industry and guests. Sivanesan Marimuthu, Deputy Secretary General (Telecommunications Infrastructure and Digital Economy), of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia, graced the event as guest of honour.

After the pandemic restrictions, this Awards Night was a wellreceived gala night that featured pomp and glamour, amidst a vibrant show of colours and techno-inspired music. Guests were treated to great entertainment and a fascinating spread of fusion cuisine.

In raising a toast to industry players, Dr Sean Seah, Chairman of PIKOM said, “I truly appreciate

everyone for making time to be here tonight as we honour the industry’s nest, celebrating our perseverance and survival amidst the pandemic challenges, but at the same time putting in the extra e ort to pivot our focus towards digital tech.”

ASOCIO and WITSA were part of the night’s programme as they resonate with PIKOM, and to spur greater growth in the tech industry with a regional and global support.

The ASOCIO and WITSA awards were announced in November last year and the ceremony was to applaud the Malaysian winners of the awards.

The Awards night presented three main categories namely the PIKOM Unicorn Tech Awards, WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards and ASOCIO Awards. Tech players and industry leaders were recognised for their contributions to the tech landscape in Malaysia and regionally.

Winners of the PIKOM Unicorn Tech Awards 2021

• P Setia Berhad won the Technology Organisation Excellence Award.

• Microsoft Malaysia won the Member Excellence Award.

• Ts. Tharmaindran K. Gannasin from Bnetworks Sdn Bhd bagged the Technopreneur Excellence Award.

• Nilesh Timbadia from Pelabuhan Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) Sdn. Bhd., Kevin Khoo from Sunway Berhad, and Roslind Kaur Kirpal Singh from Axiata Group Berhad, won the CIO Excellence Award.

• Forest Interactive Sdn Bhd, Merchantrade Asia Sdn Bhd, Sophic Automation Sdn Bhd, Tranglo Sdn Bhd, and SEA Gamer Mall Sdn Bhd, clinched the Rising Digital Leader Award.

• Huawei Malaysia received a Special Recognition Award.

• Dell Global Business Center Sdn Bhd won the GBS Excellence Award.

Winners of the WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards

• Rentwise Sdn Bhd won the Sustainable Growth/ Circular Economy Award.

• Century Software (M) Sdn Bhd was awarded the Public/Private Partnership Award.

• Think Osem Sdn Bhd bagged the E-education & Learning Award.

• MDEC Tech Ecosystem & Globalisation clinched the Start-up Ecosystem Award.

Winners of the ASOCIO Awards 2021 category

• Fusionex Group walked away with the Outstanding Tech Company Award

• Hartalega NGC Sdn Bhd was named winner of the Outstanding User Organisation Award.

• The Penang State Government Digital was named winner of the Government Award.

• Business Technovise Innovation won the EdTech Award.

• Heydoc International Sdn Bhd was named winner of the HealthTech Award.

The Unicorn Tech Awards winners received trophies, while ASOCIO and WITSA Awards winners received certi cates of excellence.

PIKOM Unicorn Tech Awards Night Organising Chair, Alex Liew said, “There is synergy in collaboration with our partners. Recognising all the champions on one prominent platform is a practical approach, instead of having them done separately.”

Speaking about PIKOM’s direction, Dr Sean highlighted, “We have close relations with the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia and its governments agencies for many years on various occasions and projects related to ICT, tech, talent capacity development, data privacy, Cybersecurity and many others. We look forward to continuously working together towards the progressive and agile developments for the Digital Economy.”

In congratulating the winners and acknowledging their role as changemakers of the future, Dr Sean said that PIKOM looks forward to working together with industry players and the government to spearhead the digital and tech industry.

DIGITAL JOB MARKET OUTLOOK 2022: RISING DEMAND FOR DIGITAL TALENTS

PIKOM’s job market report highlights promising future for digital talents.

The 14th annual Digital Job Market 2022 report by PIKOM was released in August 2022 providing an analysis and insights into the economy, industry and digital job market, as well as data on the local and global salary landscape. The report was published in collaboration with JobStreet, the Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization (ASOCIO) and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). Dr Sean Seah, Chairman of PIKOM was on hand to unveil the report as it made its debut into the market.

According to the report, digital professionals in Malaysia can expect to earn higher salaries now since the economy has reopened fully and digital adoption has increased markedly in response to pandemic

restrictions over the previous two years. Additionally the demand for digital talents is spiking with employment agency JobStreet by SEEK recording almost the same number of job postings in the rst half of 2022 (99,583) against the whole of 2021 (106,275).

In relation to salaries for digital professionals, the report highlighted that the scale was trending upwards after having remained almost stagnant during the pandemic period. On an average, monthly salaries are expected to rise by 4.5% next year from a historically-low growth rate of 2.2% in 2020.

Dr Seah said, “This publication has been an essential platform and beacon for industry players, policy makers and digital talents to navigate opportunities and challenges in the talent salary market.”

He added that this year’s edition spanned a broader scope by incorporating the salary ranges of digital professionals in economies from every continent, which include some of the most attractive markets for digital employment.

Expanding on insights featured in the report, Woon Tai Hai, PIKOM Research Committee Chair, attributed the growing demand and rising salaries for digital talents to the pivot by society, business, industry and government towards digital technologies during the height of COVID-19.

“The shift towards digital tools and platforms led to a boom in eCommerce, the gig economy, remote working and online interaction. In turn, this has created new opportunities in ntech, software, cybersecurity, arti cial intelligence (AI) and data science,

among others,” Woon highlighted.

A key observation made was that jobs in cybersecurity were o ering relatively high returns in comparison with other digital clusters; while remuneration for positions in AI and data science was comparatively low, likely due to a lack of expertise and experience among Malaysian talents.

Woon also expressed a rising concern in the digital space, which is the continuing brain drain of local talents seeking more attractive job opportunities or prospects overseas. This is echoed in the report which highlights that Malaysia has fallen behind Thailand in terms of salaries

Highlights of the Digital Job Market 2022 Report

The report points out major challenges in global future employment which include:

• Job recovery - slow job rebound could increase risk of long-term unemployment.

• Widening divide – social and economic divide impacted by the pandemic could continue into the recovery.

• Rebuilding labour marketopportunity to reshape labour policies, skills and close gaps such as gender inequality.

• Future of pandemic –continuing uncertainty has resulted in the downgrading of 2022 and 2023 forecasts.

• Growing youth unemployment is a pressing issue among developing economies looking to grow tech industry.

• Digital employment has the potential to lead the way to faster growth since the pandemic has created new norms in life and work.

Key ndings:

• The digital economy is growing at a faster rate and is projected to exceed the 25% share of the national economy next year.

• Salaries of digital professionals in Malaysia are rebounding after stagnating or appreciating only marginally in the pandemic years.

• Software was the top paying industry cluster in 2021, with the previous year’s number one falling out of the top 5.

• Salaries in cybersecurity are more lucrative than other digital segments while those in AI and data science are comparatively low due to lack of experience among Malaysians.

• Malaysia continues to lag behind other economies in terms of salaries for digital professionals

• The disparity in salaries for di erent job position levels is considerably wider among emerging economies than developed nations.

Sources: DOSM, BNM

Malaysia Economy Growth Forecast 2022

for digital professionals apart from economies in the Middle East as well as other developed nations in Asia and the West.

The report o ers exceptional insights into the digital job landscape including o ering benchmarks of salaries of 61 digital jobs from 21 economies around the world.

“With the focus expanded to other economies, this report is not only timely, but will also come in useful to delegates of the World Congress on Innovation and Technology (WCIT) 2022 organised by PIKOM and to be held in Penang on 13-15 September,” expressed Dr Seah.

PIKOM’s Projections

* As of 9 August 2022

Top Paying Industries for Digital Professionals (Average Monthly Salaries) 2020/2021

WCIT 2022 & TECHFEST 2022 EXHIBITION SPACE SOLD OUT

The much-awaited technology events are attracting droves of exhibitors and regional delegates to one of the grandest technology showcases of the century.

As PIKOM presents the much-awaited World Congress on Innovation and Technology 2022 (WCIT 2022), the Association announces that exhibition space has been fully sold-out. The event which is set to take place from 13-15 September 2022 in Penang, has been receiving overwhelming response. Due to the limitations in space, some exhibitors have been moved to another event space, on a di erent oor at the same event location.

PIKOM Chairman who is also the WCIT 2022 Organising Chairman Dr Sean Seah highlighted, “Due to the overwhelming response, we are no longer able to o er more space for the WCIT 2022 Exhibition. In fact, we are working to accommodate those on waiting list, and we will do our best to ful ll their request to exhibit.”

The exhibition will witness the participation of the top market players at WCIT 2022 and TechFest 2022. The exhibitors include Angkasa-X, Axiata Digital eCode (Boost), Chunghwa Telecom Co Ltd, edotco Group Sdn Bhd, Ericsson Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Exabytes Malaysia, FPT Software Malaysia Sdn Bhd, H3C Technology Solutions Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., iHeal Medical Technologies, Innoveam Sdn Bhd, Invest Selangor Berhad, Agensi Pekerjaan Jobstreet. com Sdn Bhd, Keysight Technologies Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Maxis, Microsoft

(Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, PS Global Services Sdn Bhd, RAMSSOL Group Bhd, Silverlake Axis Sdn Bhd, Talbotiq Technologies Sdn Bhd, TIME dotCom Bhd, Zoho Corporation Pte Ltd, Edgepoint Infrastructure Sdn Bhd, Forest Interactive Sdn Bhd, Dbix Systems Sdn Bhd, Digital Way Academy Sdn Bhd, CTAPPS MSC Sdh Bhd, To s Technologies Sdn Bhd, SnT Global Logistics Sdn Bhd, Origin Integrated Studios Sdn Bhd, Amiya Corporation, IP ServerOne Solutions Sdn Bhd, HDC Data Centre Sdn Bhd, Calms Technologies Sdn Bhd, Penang Infrastructure Corporation Sdn Bhd, and BillOne Technology Sdn Bhd, among others.

The exhibition space for TechFest 2022 has also been sold out as exhibitors rush to catch a space in the much-awaited tech event in the region. Exhibitors stand to enjoy special packages which are rapidly being swiped up.

According to Dr Seah, “The exhibition space at TechFest has been sold out, as it has reached its quota. And we also have to be cautious of the SOP and make sure this event is planned well without compromising any health and security concerns.”

“We also have to be cautious of the SOP and make sure this event is planned well without compromising any health and security concerns,” he added.

TechFest 2022 is set to make its debut from 14-18 September 2022 in Penang, and is promising an

experiential journey focusing on the power of technology to improve lives, businesses and deliver more ful lling lifestyles. Anticipated to draw more than 10,000 visitors over a span of 5 days, TechFest 2022 has a special feature to present –a Drone Lightshow.

Malaysia is hosting WCIT for the second time, punctuated with a futuristic consumer exhibition and is expected to attract in-person participation of 3,000 local and international visionaries, captains of industry, government leaders and academics that span across more than 80 countries. Dubbed as the Olympics of the World’s Tech Industry, WCIT 2022 is poised to be the gateway to Southeast Asia while connecting the world, making this one of the grandest tech events of the decade.

WCIT delegates and exhibitors can enjoy 20% discount on air tickets with Malaysia Airlines and Fire y, purchased from now till 10 September 2022 for the travelling period from 5-23 September 2022. Delegates can also enjoy a 10% discount on hotels booked via MHholidays and Fire y Holidays for the same booking and travelling period.

PRADOTEC: ADVANCING AUTHENTICATION TECHNOLOGY FOR THE FUTURE

In becoming a world-leader for trusted identi cation technology, PRADOTEC continuously innovates and delivers capabilities to future-proof its customers’ businesses.

PRADOTEC was founded in 2002 as a security solution provider, specializing in contactless smart card-based ticketing system in the transportation sector.

With the experience garnered throughout the years and rights in developing and manufacturing of the hardware solution to support the previous Malaysian Government’s GMPC project, today PRADOTEC has evolved but continued to harness and advance the authentication technology to best support our partners in the development of trusted identi cation systems.

“As the global business landscape accelerates online commerce and nancial transactions, incidences of fraud and identity thefts used in loan applications and business transactions have become rampant, resulting in the demand for identity protection and to prevent nancial losses. As a world-class leader in authentication technology, we support businesses and industries in the Know-Your-Customer (KYC/ eKYC) processes and customer relationship management (CRM), while ensuring compliance to regulatory requirements,” said Michelle Lee, Chief Executive O cer of PRADOTEC.

Powered by its advanced hardware features, the company o ers user-friendly equipment for instant automated data capturing, as well as secure one-on-one identi cation matching.

support businesses and industries in the Know-Your-Customer (KYC/ eKYC) processes and customer relationship management (CRM), while ensuring compliance to regulatory requirements.”

Today, aside from providing end-to-end hardware development, PRADOTEC also delivers leveltwo sales and services support to systems integrators comprising IoT cloud platform, identi cation and access management, as well as process automation. In creating and fueling breakthrough technologies, PRADOTEC undertakes research and

development, design, manufacturing operation management, sourcing and nal assembly as well as other related services to best support the business and operational needs of their customers. In addition to that, PRADOTEC assists its clients in streamlining project management and procedures as well as enhances productivity.

“We

– Michelle Lee, Chief Executive O cer of PRADOTEC.

DAYTHREE HUMANISES TECHNOLOGY WITH AI

Daythree’s proprietary web-based platforms take on the mundane and repetitive tasks to allow executives to focus more on the interaction with the end consumer. These platforms are designed ultimately to turn data into meaningful insights, freeing stakeholders to make informed decisions.

Established in 2016, Daythree is an awardwinning digital global business services organisation, delivering insights and innovationdriven customer experience (CX). The CX Lifecycle Management is their forte and delivering insights and innovation is their key di erentiator. Daythree improves business processes by automating high volume, mundane, error-prone and manual processes within the rm and for its clients.

CEO Raymond Devadass said the company believes in humanising technology and in building trust for the brands they serve by delivering a connected experience with empathy and passion. Since its establishment, Daythree has developed over 200 processes. It owns one of the biggest bot farms, or automated processes done on behalf of humans, in Malaysia.

“Through technology, innovation and the use of data, we deliver insights and a personalised experience,” said Raymond.

Daythree relies on its three proprietary web-based platforms, namely Daisy, Faith and Saige, to help the company do just this.

“We are embedding sophisticated AI technology into all our digital tools.

If you notice, all three names for our platforms have the letters AI in the middle – FAIth, DAIsy and SAIge.”

Daisy leverages on robotic process automation technology to deliver personalised and connected CX, empowering executives to handle customer transactions e ectively across all channels of communication.

The platform works round the clock, with almost zero errors and no diminishing returns. Above all, it interacts with the business processes in a human-like fashion without disrupting its IT architecture.

“Daisy sits at the heart of our business, as the eye to Daythree’s operations, sharing data using intelligent bots and AI technology. This enables us to build e ective

business intelligence and data analytics tools for our customers.

“By using such cutting-edge technology, we are now managing business processes 15 times faster than the average human,” said Raymond.

Faith, on the hand, improves employee engagement, streamlining communication, knowledge base, scheduling, payroll and performance feedback no matter where they are working from – o ce or remotely. Designed to enable data-driven people management, the platform allows for the collection and analysis of data.

All data can be converted into heat-maps that capture vital information on their organisation, and dashboards that show relevant metrics. It also provides analytical insights incorporating predictive and descriptive analytics. Saige is a business insights platform, embedded with AI Digital Assistant tool, that enables the use of data to tell a story. It gathers data from various processes and captures it onto one analytics platform to show how di erent parts of the business a ect one another. The platform includes key features such as data visualisation, visual analytics, interactive dashboarding and KPI scorecards to allow clients to make informed decisions quickly.

“With this platform, we are able to reduce business risks and operational costs, and most importantly, understand our clients and their end-consumers better,” said Raymond.

The company is con dent that its platforms as well as the security measures they have in place to keep clients’ data safe can enhance productivity at the work place.

BRANDT REBRANDS TO DELIVER GREATER BUSINESS VALUE

Brandt International is now known as Brandt Business Services Sdn Bhd, and has added two new directors to its Board.

Based in Kuala Lumpur, Brandt International is a leading Malaysian-based Business Consulting and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) organisation that provides outsourced customer service, telemarketing, sales, support, and next-generation contact centre solutions powered by Insights, arti cial intelligence and cloud solutions. Brandt has regional on-shore and o -shore delivery capabilities to serve clients from its Malaysian delivery sites.

In realising its regional and global aspirations, Brandt is fuelled by its core values of ‘Integrity’, ‘Strive for Excellence’, ‘Spirit of Adventure’ and ‘Respect for Diversity’.

Founded in 2004 by Dato’ Munirah Looi, who is also Chief Executive O cer, the company has consistently achieved a CAGR revenue growth of 25% and just celebrated its 18th year in business. Since its inception as a CX Consulting rm, Brandt has evolved to deliver superior customer experience and business value to its clients from telecommunications, e-Commerce, oil and gas, high-growth internet companies and MNCs.

“We are well poised to realise our regional and global aspirations. As part of this milestone, while retaining our identity of Brandt and providing better market recognition of our services, we will be transitioning and rebranding ourselves via a new entity known as Brandt Business Services Sdn Bhd,” announced Dato’ Munirah.

She added, “We are indeed excited about the future growth of the Global Business Services sector.

IDC estimates that the worldwide market for o shore-based Business Process Services (BPS) will achieve USD17.5B by 2024, with a 5-year CAGR of 6.6%. In Malaysia, the GBS industry market size achieved USD4.95B at the end of 2020, and IDC anticipates for a healthy 5-year CAGR growth of 6.2% to achieve USD6.7B by 2020.”

“As part of our growth phase plans, we are doubling down on our business process outsourcing services, speci cally in higher value Customer Experience and Robotic Process Automation for high-growth Internet sectors such as e-Commerce, Fintech & Healthtech. The injection of strategic capital enables us to focus on new markets and geo expansion, while positioning ourselves as a high-value AI-enabled Digital Global Business Services company, through signi cant upgrading of our IT infrastructures and nextGen technology to support market demands”, she shared.

Recently, Brandt Group

announced new members of leadership, namely, Andrew Chong as Deputy CEO, Cheah Kok Hoong, as Chairman and Muzahid Shah Abdul Rahman as Corporate Advisor and Director.

Andrew Chong has over 20 years’ experience in transformational CX Management and CS Operations across Asia. Meanwhile, Cheah is an ICT/GBS industry stalwart with over 30 years’ experience in business development, business strategy and regional expansion in major corporations across industries. Muzahid has led digital transformation initiatives delivering signi cant business bene ts and spearheaded the expansion of tech businesses throughout ASEAN.

“The Board of Directors are con dent that Mr. Cheah and En. Muzahid will add depth, robustness, and perspective to our team in the development and execution of Brandt’s strategic plans and continuing excellence,” said Dato’ Munirah.

BRIDGING THE TALENT GAPS IN MALAYSIAN INDUSTRIES

HELP University and the national tech association inked a deal to strengthen the country’s talent pool.

In order to fuel a strong talent pool within Malaysia, PIKOM and HELP University inked a collaboration early this year to address talent gaps. This collaboration was established to bridge the talent gaps in various industries across the country by providing the necessary industry hands-on internship and practical training programmes for graduates of HELP University.

With this agreement in place, the country is set to welcome more fresh graduates from HELP University who are equipped and ready to contribute constructively and productively to various Malaysian industries.

MOSTI FUELS INNOVATION THROUGH MYSTARTUP PRE-ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME

MOSTI embarks on a strategy to further unify various players and enrich the start-up network in encouraging high-impact collaborations at the ecosystem level.

In supporting and enhancing Malaysian start-ups, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) through Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd (Cradle) launched MYStartup Pre-Accelerator programme. This 6-month programme o ers world-class mentors and potential funding opportunities to selected tech start-ups in Malaysia.

Beginning in June 2022 up to December 2022, the rst cohort of start-ups from the MYStartup Accelerator programme stand to bene t from an expansive list of mentors and experts in elds such as business scaling and market access. Participating start-ups will also gain access to other bene ts and resources worth up to RM2 million, besides the opportunity to partner with any of the 80 corporate bodies within the programme’s exclusive database.

Norman Matthieu Vanhaecke, Acting Group Chief Executive O cer of Cradle said, “We are excited to see Malaysian technology start-ups reap the bene ts of this programme and experience the explosive growth that await them. Malaysia is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with in the digital and technology industry in Southeast Asia, and this augurs well with MOSTI’s aspiration for the nation to be recognised as a leading start-up hub.”

“Throughout the six-month long programme, we can look forward to many exciting o erings awaiting participating startups. The top 33 startups who met the set criteria were selected from more than 500 applications received for

the programme. These successful candidates will receive world-class assistance and guidance through workshops by seasoned experts providing startups with an opportunity to scale their business exponentially on a regional scale while opening up funding opportunities,” he added.

The MYStartup Accelerator is part of the larger MYStartup strategy introduced by MOSTI, aimed at creating globally successful Malaysian start-ups. Under this programme, participants have access to 18 angel investors, who are founders of successful startups. These experts will guide the participants throughout their market expansion and scaling up journey.

Notable mentors participating in the programme include Peter Wee, business expert and a Malaysian Business Angel Network council member; Eddy Wong, co-founder and Chief Executive O cer/ Managing Director of VSure Life; and, Alan Lim from NEXEA.

Aside from the golden

opportunities

o ered to participants, they also stand to receive other attractive perks which include potential funding opportunities of up to RM600,000 from Cradle’s CIP Sprint grant programme; or follow-on funding of up to RM1million from potential partners. Other post-programme bene ts include opportunities to participate in local and overseas immersion programmes and access to various tools and resources.

MYStartup Programme is listed as one of the 16 interventions under the Malaysian Start-up Ecosystem Roadmap (SUPER) 2021 – 2030. Initiated by MOSTI and powered by Cradle, the MYStartup programme will see participating start-ups bene ting from various development programmes and funding opportunities. Start-ups and ecosystem players are encouraged to log on to www.mystartup.gov.my to learn more about this programme.

HARI RAYA BASH

PIKOM opens its doors to friends, business associates and guests to celebrate Eid together after a 2-year hiatus.

Hari Raya Aidil tri was welcomed with joy and excitement by PIKOM, albeit with caution. After a 2-year hiatus due to the pandemic, PIKOM, its members, industry associates and partners gathered for a hearty celebration at its o ce in Empire Damansara. Present at the event were PIKOM Chairman, Dr Sean Seah; Deputy Chairman Ong Chin Seong, Immediate Past Chairman; Danny Lee; Chief Executive O cer, Ong Kian Yew; Honorary Chairmen & Advisors Ganesh Kumar Bangah, Cheah Kok Hoong and Chin Chee Seong, PIKOM council and the tech association members. Guests were treated to a tantalizing array of festive dishes and had the opportunity to interact and network in-person with other industry the association’s.