Today I’m quite happy to receive an e-mail from Multimedia
Development Corporation (MDeC) or popularly known as MSC Malaysia, stating that
my company Red Cactus Technology (M) Sdn Bhd or RCTMSB’s pre-application for
MSC Status company has been accepted. After going through lots of challenges,
gathering information, traveling here and there to get proper contacts, joining
seminars and biz talk, this email truly cheer me up. Thanks MDeC for giving us
this opportunity. In the evening in Warta Jam 6, TV1 aired through online
broadcast in my office, I’m glad to hear that ICT development in Malaysia
has
started to bloom again up to 10% at current. Such a good news to hear. And I do
hope it will continue to grow. This is a good opportunity for any IT grads who
did not secure yet your career to put your knowledge into use as
technopreneurs. As what has been advised by Tengku Farith Rithauddeen,
President of Technopreneurs Association of Malaysia (TeAM).
Malaysia has so many youngsters with big ideas and brilliant graduates from IT sector.
Sadly, most of us still waiting to be employed in big corporations whilst the government
lead by Ministry of Entrepreneurs and Corporation Development (MeCD) with
collaboration with MDeC and other business organizations has been and continuously
developing programmes to encourage young Malaysians to get involved in
entrepreneurship. Most of the comments I received from friends and from public
surveys, 80% indicates lack of financial support is the main problems that hold
them back from becoming an entrepreneurs. 10% saying that they are not
confident and prefer to work for a company rather than building a company, 8%
indicates lack of experience and have no business background while the
remaining 2% have no idea what is entrepreneurship is all about.
Here are some comments from IAP members during MSC -IAP Technopreneur Interactive Forum was held in
Cyberjaya regarding the Growth of ICT Market and the Content Industry in Malaysia.
1. Craig Mundie - Microsoft
Government can be the driver of demand, but not the only
driver. The Government market will come to saturation quickly.
Low SMIs spending could be due to poor marketing by ICT
industry.
From the ICT expenditure figures provided, the government may be under spending
in education and overspending in infrastructure.
Need to develop local indigenous ICT industry, adapting
foreign technology and maintain a database of who-does-what in the ICT
industry.
Focus on the benefits and value-add and not solely on
technology.
Comments on “open source”:
- Confusion between open source and open standards.
R&D should be seen as two separate activities
- Research is to explore and develop new technologies
- Development is the commercialization of those proven
technologies.
2. Mike Carr – BT Exact
Depends on what stage of ICT development in a country, the
Government should play key role to support ICT industry especially in the early
stage e.g. Irish Model, Japan Model, Singapore Model.
Ireland :
Worked by government funding, regulations
Silicon valley : Defense industry push
Japan : Also government
Need to fund research. It is difficult to quantify and
measure research investment. R&D is
not a profitable activity from an investor perspective as not much of capital
value-added until successful commercialization of the technology.
3. Siyen Ma -
Bloomberg
Commented that there are not many Malaysians vs Indian and
Chinese, in the ICT industry in Japan.
Concurred that low SMIs spending on ICT could be attributed
to low marketing efforts and low awareness of the use of ICT and the
productivity benefits.
4. By Participants of
the Forum
With the involvement of IAP members instead of being
Advisors, IAP members should also be that of collaborators with local companies.
Business education is still lacking amongst Technopreneurs.
ICT plays a great part in society productivity and the
challenge is to achieve higher adoption and awareness. This in turn will
support the industry. Need to encourage and promote intellectual commerce.
We do not celebrate and showcase ICT successes locally. We
are not good at building branding of Malaysian ICT products. Local perception
is that Malaysian-made or locally developed products are inferior.
There is no
trust by large enterprises. The challenge is how to overcome this dilemma and
change mindset of the local users.
SUMMARY
Need to implement effective marketing of ICT to SMIs and
SMEs.
Need to address Digital Divide issue
Promote collaboration and sharing of knowledge amongst local
ICT players & IAP Member Companies
Promotion of ICT should focus on the benefits and values add
of ICT rather than on the technology.
Need to strengthen marketing capabilities, especially on
promoting quality of local products & services.
Understand what business you are in – platform, application,
and content or services provider. Focus on key ideas and technical and
commercial viability.
Need to recognize R&D as separate value-added activities
to grow the industry. Appropriate amount of funds needs to be allocated for
each of the activities.
Regards, @miRuLez
Sources: MSC-IAP Technopreneur Interactive Forum, Cyberjaya
And because of that I’m able to buy my fave handphone the Motorola L6. ^_^ thanks yuki for the great bargain. Hehe bought all the bluetooth accesories as well. "Patah hilang tumbuh berganti" as malay proverbs says.
