By Presenna Nambiar
Published: 2011/05/06
Kuala Lumpur: The MyEmail project is a non-exclusive project and any interested party is free to submit a proposal, Performance Management And Delivery Unit (Pemandu) says.
Pemandu's communications content and infrastructure for business services (National Key Economic Areas) director Dr Fadhlullah Suhaimi Abdul Malek told Business Times this yesterday via e-mail.
This gives the green light to postal company Pos Malaysia Bhd to send in its own proposal.
Yesterday, its group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Syed Faisal Albar said the company is keen to participate in the MyEmail project and that it has "pretty much formulated a plan" for it.
Currently, government mails, notices and statements make up about RM20 million, or 3 per cent, of Pos Malaysia's total mail revenue.
"If there is any company that can come up with a better, cheaper and even more secure email service, the government and public agencies are completely at liberty to use their services.
"There is no fixed term contract to any company that is selected to provide this service. Any contract will be negotiated on open market commercial terms," Fadhlullah said.
Proposals submitted for MyEmail, an Entry Point Project , are assessed by a team that includes Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit and GITN Sdn Bhd to ensure that only sustainable and implementable business models are supported.
Every proposal is assessed based on best in-practice technology, sustainable business model, track record and security.
To date, financially-troubled Tricubes Bhd is the first company selected by the team.
Meanwhile, Syed Faisal said the management of the company is not privy to the business plans DRB-HICOM Bhd may have for the company.
"I believe all parties are observing the fact that the sale has not been completed yet, there is certain condition precedence that has to be met between Khazanah Nasional Bhd and DRB-HICOM and some of it is beyond the control of the both of them.
"So, we respect that, and only when it is finalised and concluded, we (DRB-HICOM and Pos Malaysia) will engage with each other," he said.
On April 22, Khazanah announced that DRB-HICOM had won the bid for its 32.2 per cent stake in Pos Malaysia.
Both parties have under two months to seal the deal.
On its 15 per cent stake in Transmile Group Bhd, Syed Faisal said Pos Malaysia will only make a decision once the group completes its regularisation plan.
Transmile managed to secure creditors' approval for its debt restructuring plan in mid-April.
Read more: MyEmail project is non-exclusive: Pemandu http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/psf05f/Article/index_html#ixzz1LYkfPx3m
Saturday, May 7, 2011
4G – Pure Hype or Hope?
Friday May 6, 2011
Friday Reflections - By B.K. Sidhu
THE buzz word in the telecoms industry is 4G.
You cannot but notice the advertisements popping up claiming that 4G is here. It is a global phenomenon but some say operators are coining their own definitions for the term “4G'' as a marketing gimmick.
We have heard of 1G, 2G and 3G over the past two decades. The next is 4G and the flavour of the so-called 4G technology a new generation of radio upgrades is that it promises to improve the throughput and capacity of wireless phone networks.
Some weeks ago, a chief of a cellular company did ask if 4G was indeed here. He represents a 3G company, which is rival to the two companies now offering Wimax in the country. These two Wimax players claim their networks are 4G enabled.
The chief's cynicism can be understood and he is not alone to raise the question.
The view of the 3G players is that, they are able to deliver what the customers need today and when combined with LTE (long term evolution - which is the natural technology path from 3G) they can conquer the future.
Although the Wimax players had to go through some rough patches in trying to establish Wimax as a 4G technology “an effort is under way by leading Wimax and LTE suppliers and operators to provide a common framework for 4G coexistence.''
Experts claim the Wimax equipment market will reach US$6.9bil by 2014 and this is hardly a sign of a technology that is running out of steam and US-based Clearwire remains the biggest Wimax provider in the world,
It was YTL Communications that used the 4G word extensively at the launch of their “Yes” service last November. Rival Packet One Networks (P1) did not wait a second to rename theirs to 4G too. YTL claims that the speed it offers is three to five times faster than 3G.
So when YTL and P1 used the 4G word in November last year there was much buzz if Wimax was indeed in the 4G band.
Things have changed.
In early December the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) adopted a broader definition of “4G.” Among other things it said “all forerunners like Wimax can call themselves 4G.''
In essence, two of the technologies Wimax and LTE now counted as 4G are made of much of the same stuff.
All these technology lingo does not mean much to the consumer. He just wants what is promised by the provider, be it reliability of speed, capacity, coverage, quality and at a price which is reasonable.
The 4G networks may not be 100% mature and like any new technology, nothing is perfect, more so since choice of devices is still lacking.
But if the two players claim theirs is 4G and it meets ITU guidelines then 4G has arrived and if they are not transparent, the truth will be uncovered sooner rather than later.
There may be a lot of hype about 4G but this next generation technology is also hope for providers to take consumers on the next journey where the lifestyle demands will be more intense than in the 3G era.
So it would help if the licences for LTE were issued sooner rather than later. The eventual date for LTE spectrum assignment is Jan 1, 2013 and if this can be pushed a year ahead, it would help the market move faster and be in sync with other developed markets.
For any technology to mature, the consumer has a role too as mass adoption helps and we can begin by warming up to Facetime and Tango.
Deputy news editor B.K. Sidhu feels that operators should give all the speed that users want with the bandwidth and not throttle and spoilt the user experience they talk about.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/6/business/8629202&sec=business
Friday Reflections - By B.K. Sidhu
THE buzz word in the telecoms industry is 4G.
You cannot but notice the advertisements popping up claiming that 4G is here. It is a global phenomenon but some say operators are coining their own definitions for the term “4G'' as a marketing gimmick.
We have heard of 1G, 2G and 3G over the past two decades. The next is 4G and the flavour of the so-called 4G technology a new generation of radio upgrades is that it promises to improve the throughput and capacity of wireless phone networks.
Some weeks ago, a chief of a cellular company did ask if 4G was indeed here. He represents a 3G company, which is rival to the two companies now offering Wimax in the country. These two Wimax players claim their networks are 4G enabled.
The chief's cynicism can be understood and he is not alone to raise the question.
The view of the 3G players is that, they are able to deliver what the customers need today and when combined with LTE (long term evolution - which is the natural technology path from 3G) they can conquer the future.
Although the Wimax players had to go through some rough patches in trying to establish Wimax as a 4G technology “an effort is under way by leading Wimax and LTE suppliers and operators to provide a common framework for 4G coexistence.''
Experts claim the Wimax equipment market will reach US$6.9bil by 2014 and this is hardly a sign of a technology that is running out of steam and US-based Clearwire remains the biggest Wimax provider in the world,
It was YTL Communications that used the 4G word extensively at the launch of their “Yes” service last November. Rival Packet One Networks (P1) did not wait a second to rename theirs to 4G too. YTL claims that the speed it offers is three to five times faster than 3G.
So when YTL and P1 used the 4G word in November last year there was much buzz if Wimax was indeed in the 4G band.
Things have changed.
In early December the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) adopted a broader definition of “4G.” Among other things it said “all forerunners like Wimax can call themselves 4G.''
In essence, two of the technologies Wimax and LTE now counted as 4G are made of much of the same stuff.
All these technology lingo does not mean much to the consumer. He just wants what is promised by the provider, be it reliability of speed, capacity, coverage, quality and at a price which is reasonable.
The 4G networks may not be 100% mature and like any new technology, nothing is perfect, more so since choice of devices is still lacking.
But if the two players claim theirs is 4G and it meets ITU guidelines then 4G has arrived and if they are not transparent, the truth will be uncovered sooner rather than later.
There may be a lot of hype about 4G but this next generation technology is also hope for providers to take consumers on the next journey where the lifestyle demands will be more intense than in the 3G era.
So it would help if the licences for LTE were issued sooner rather than later. The eventual date for LTE spectrum assignment is Jan 1, 2013 and if this can be pushed a year ahead, it would help the market move faster and be in sync with other developed markets.
For any technology to mature, the consumer has a role too as mass adoption helps and we can begin by warming up to Facetime and Tango.
Deputy news editor B.K. Sidhu feels that operators should give all the speed that users want with the bandwidth and not throttle and spoilt the user experience they talk about.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/6/business/8629202&sec=business
Corporate Figures Explain Settlement
Monday April 25, 2011
PETALING JAYA: Two corporate personalities who recently settled with the Securities Commission (SC) over alleged trading irregularities in Nexnews shares said that they had done nothing wrong and only settled in order not to prolong the issue and get on with their lives.
The two – former merchant banker Heah Sieu Lay and Genting Bhd chief operating officer Tan Kong Han – said that they knew very well what constituted insider trading and were not engaged in it.
“I can categorically say that I never engaged in insider trading,” Heah told StarBiz.
“I am a lawyer and I know what insider trading is,” Tan said, “It was a market tip.”
In an update on enforcement actions posted on its website, the SC had said it had entered into separate settlement agreements last month with Heah, Tan and another person, without admission of liability by the trio over the trading of Nexnews shares.
These settlements followed the SC’s proposed civil proceedings under Section 89E and 90(1) of the Securities Industry Act 1983.
Describing the events leading up to his trades in Nexnews, Tan said that he received a tip from his ex-colleague that there may be a general offer for Nexnews while he was having lunch. He passed on the tip to Heah later the same day.
Heah said they sought guidance from friends and people in the industry and almost all of them advised them to settle because of convenience, especially since the settlement was without admission of liability.
Also, the settlement would give him peace of mind.
“We agreed to the statement from the SC but we told the SC we did nothing wrong. Settling would be the least intrusive (on my life). The rationale for settling was simply to make it (the case) go away,” Heah added.
Tan said that going to court would be a major disruption to his work commitments.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/25/business/8545565&sec=business
PETALING JAYA: Two corporate personalities who recently settled with the Securities Commission (SC) over alleged trading irregularities in Nexnews shares said that they had done nothing wrong and only settled in order not to prolong the issue and get on with their lives.
The two – former merchant banker Heah Sieu Lay and Genting Bhd chief operating officer Tan Kong Han – said that they knew very well what constituted insider trading and were not engaged in it.
“I can categorically say that I never engaged in insider trading,” Heah told StarBiz.
“I am a lawyer and I know what insider trading is,” Tan said, “It was a market tip.”
In an update on enforcement actions posted on its website, the SC had said it had entered into separate settlement agreements last month with Heah, Tan and another person, without admission of liability by the trio over the trading of Nexnews shares.
These settlements followed the SC’s proposed civil proceedings under Section 89E and 90(1) of the Securities Industry Act 1983.
Describing the events leading up to his trades in Nexnews, Tan said that he received a tip from his ex-colleague that there may be a general offer for Nexnews while he was having lunch. He passed on the tip to Heah later the same day.
Heah said they sought guidance from friends and people in the industry and almost all of them advised them to settle because of convenience, especially since the settlement was without admission of liability.
Also, the settlement would give him peace of mind.
“We agreed to the statement from the SC but we told the SC we did nothing wrong. Settling would be the least intrusive (on my life). The rationale for settling was simply to make it (the case) go away,” Heah added.
Tan said that going to court would be a major disruption to his work commitments.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/25/business/8545565&sec=business
Technology Can Never Replace Human Touch
Monday April 25, 2011
Monday Starters - By Soo Ewe Jin
COMMUNICATION is a two-way process. Someone wants to share information, and someone must be willing to receive that information.
Whether the information is sent via a smoke signal, like in the days of old, or through the latest technology, it is totally useless unless it is received, processed and acknowledged.
We may rejoice that we have lots of e-mail storage space, and that we can stay in touch with anyone, anywhere, anytime. But the reality is that you probably only want to stay connected with a handful of people, and the bulk of those connected to you are conveniently ignored.
If we choose to ignore e-mail from people we know, what more unsolicited e-mail?
The Internet works in a rather mysterious way. People hunt for information and if that proves interesting, it will spread like wildfire. Even a local video clip on how snatch thieves attacked a lone motorist in Section 16 has been watched by more than 350,000 people.
Security consultant Benjamin Seow is amazed how people have flocked to view this clip after he posted it online. But I reckon that if he had offered the clip to, say the police, for it to be uploaded on the official police website as a form of public education, it would not have generated such traffic.
A friend who works for a major airline was sharing with me the amazing viral campaign they did recently which was so successful that the system crashed and they had to postpone the launch by another week. It turned out pretty well in the end, with sales hitting record highs. He is now spending long hours trying to figure out the power of new media.
The Internet is full of such stories, which is why the big guys, even with their fantastic resources, generally cannot fathom how a seemingly unknown person can create a bigger impact than them.
I think at the end of the day, it is about making people feel special.
In recent weeks, I have received many thoughtful e-mail and letters from many people, near and far. You cannot template such forms of communication because everyone has gone the extra mile to pen those words to me. And so, my response is to do likewise.
People click when there is genuine communication, not because it is being forced onto them.
Back in 1996, during the great national blackout, I observed how the Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) staff worked non-stop to restore power. When they came to my neighbourhood, one person angrily told them that the food in his fridge had gone bad, he could not watch TV, and that it was too hot to stay indoors.
One of the workers replied, “Sorry for the inconvenience, but I have not even had the chance to go home and see my family for the past 48 hours.”
That effectively silenced the whiner and we all gave the TNB crew a round of applause after they finished their work.
I subsequently wrote an e-mail to the then TNB CEO Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Tajuddin Ali, thanking him for all the hard work his staff had put in. Those were the early days of the Internet and there were no Blackberries and IPhones that connected such senior people to the masses, so I wasn't expecting a reply.
But I did get a reply. A really personal reply where he expressed his thanks that he finally got one positive e-mail from the slew of thousands of angry e-mails and phone calls, especially from VIPs demanding their power be restored first. I was just an ordinary consumer saying thanks but the information was conveyed at the right time and at the right moment, and so it made a difference.
So, to those who want to communicate, be it to millions of people at any one time, or to just that one special person, remember that there is one thing that technology can never replace. It is called the human touch.
Deputy executive editor Soo Ewe Jin wonders if it is possible for some technopreneur to harness the innate ability of a wife to walk by her husband who is quietly reading the newspaper in the living room and say, without any prompting, “Don't even think about it!”
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/25/business/8531110&sec=business
Monday Starters - By Soo Ewe Jin
COMMUNICATION is a two-way process. Someone wants to share information, and someone must be willing to receive that information.
Whether the information is sent via a smoke signal, like in the days of old, or through the latest technology, it is totally useless unless it is received, processed and acknowledged.
We may rejoice that we have lots of e-mail storage space, and that we can stay in touch with anyone, anywhere, anytime. But the reality is that you probably only want to stay connected with a handful of people, and the bulk of those connected to you are conveniently ignored.
If we choose to ignore e-mail from people we know, what more unsolicited e-mail?
The Internet works in a rather mysterious way. People hunt for information and if that proves interesting, it will spread like wildfire. Even a local video clip on how snatch thieves attacked a lone motorist in Section 16 has been watched by more than 350,000 people.
Security consultant Benjamin Seow is amazed how people have flocked to view this clip after he posted it online. But I reckon that if he had offered the clip to, say the police, for it to be uploaded on the official police website as a form of public education, it would not have generated such traffic.
A friend who works for a major airline was sharing with me the amazing viral campaign they did recently which was so successful that the system crashed and they had to postpone the launch by another week. It turned out pretty well in the end, with sales hitting record highs. He is now spending long hours trying to figure out the power of new media.
The Internet is full of such stories, which is why the big guys, even with their fantastic resources, generally cannot fathom how a seemingly unknown person can create a bigger impact than them.
I think at the end of the day, it is about making people feel special.
In recent weeks, I have received many thoughtful e-mail and letters from many people, near and far. You cannot template such forms of communication because everyone has gone the extra mile to pen those words to me. And so, my response is to do likewise.
People click when there is genuine communication, not because it is being forced onto them.
Back in 1996, during the great national blackout, I observed how the Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) staff worked non-stop to restore power. When they came to my neighbourhood, one person angrily told them that the food in his fridge had gone bad, he could not watch TV, and that it was too hot to stay indoors.
One of the workers replied, “Sorry for the inconvenience, but I have not even had the chance to go home and see my family for the past 48 hours.”
That effectively silenced the whiner and we all gave the TNB crew a round of applause after they finished their work.
I subsequently wrote an e-mail to the then TNB CEO Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Tajuddin Ali, thanking him for all the hard work his staff had put in. Those were the early days of the Internet and there were no Blackberries and IPhones that connected such senior people to the masses, so I wasn't expecting a reply.
But I did get a reply. A really personal reply where he expressed his thanks that he finally got one positive e-mail from the slew of thousands of angry e-mails and phone calls, especially from VIPs demanding their power be restored first. I was just an ordinary consumer saying thanks but the information was conveyed at the right time and at the right moment, and so it made a difference.
So, to those who want to communicate, be it to millions of people at any one time, or to just that one special person, remember that there is one thing that technology can never replace. It is called the human touch.
Deputy executive editor Soo Ewe Jin wonders if it is possible for some technopreneur to harness the innate ability of a wife to walk by her husband who is quietly reading the newspaper in the living room and say, without any prompting, “Don't even think about it!”
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/25/business/8531110&sec=business
Smartphone Subsidy May Hit Celcom Margin
Saturday April 23, 2011
By LEONG HUNG YEE
hungyee@thestar.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: Celcom Axiata Bhd expects high subsidy on smartphones will put a dent on its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margin.
“It (subsidy) will put a pressure on our ebitda margin but we will have to find ways so as not to crush our EBITDA,” chief executive officer Datuk Seri Shazalli Ramly said after launching iPhone 4 for its enterprises customers.
“We will have to be creative in the way we create our smartphone packages and build a smart infrastructure. We are now sharing sites with DiGi.Com Bhd,” he said, adding that it had managed to sustain its EBITDA margin for the last 19 consecutive quarters.
Datuk Seri Shazalli Ramly giving a presentation at the launch of Celcom’s iPhone4 service.
For the financial year ended Dec 31, 2010 (FY10), Celcom's ebitda rose 13% to RM3.2bil from RM2.8bil a year ago. EBITDA margins stood at 46.7% for the full year.
Analysts said the costs in the form of handset subsidies for both new subscribers and upgraders were set to increase further as smartphone usage continued to rise.
They said mobile handset subsidies had always been an industry paradox increasing smartphone penetration and Arpu (average revenue per user) on one hand, but pressuring margins on the other.
Nevertheless, analysts said these subsidies were “positive investments” since they helped Celcom to acquire and retain higher Arpu and lower churning rate as customers would be bounded on longer-term contracts of at least 12 months.
Shazalli said Celcom was unperturbed in being a late comer in offering iPhone. “I don't mind being the last. In fact, we were the first to be contacted by Apple Inc in 2005. Our network was not ready then.”
He said the group had decided to wait for all its infrastructure, including network, back-end system and customer services, to be ready to provide consumers with the best user experience.
“When we unveil Blackberry smartphones in 2005, we weren't the first to introduce it. We want to enhance out network then to allow our infrastructure to be ready before rolling out the Blackberry.
“Today, we are the No. 1 Blackberry provider in Malaysia,” Shazalli said, adding that it hoped to replicate its success in marketing Blackberry for iPhone.
Some 51 “touch points” would be available by May 18 for Celcom iPhone subscribers to walk in to service their iPhones.
The current iPhone packages by Celcom is only available to its enterprise subscribers. It will offer the product to the mass market in a month's time. Its iPhone 4 is available from as low as RM248 for the 16GB model.
Shazalli said smartphone users now constitute 20% of Celcom's total subscribers of 11.2 million and the company aimed to increase this to 30% by the year-end.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/23/business/8540408&sec=business
By LEONG HUNG YEE
hungyee@thestar.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: Celcom Axiata Bhd expects high subsidy on smartphones will put a dent on its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margin.
“It (subsidy) will put a pressure on our ebitda margin but we will have to find ways so as not to crush our EBITDA,” chief executive officer Datuk Seri Shazalli Ramly said after launching iPhone 4 for its enterprises customers.
“We will have to be creative in the way we create our smartphone packages and build a smart infrastructure. We are now sharing sites with DiGi.Com Bhd,” he said, adding that it had managed to sustain its EBITDA margin for the last 19 consecutive quarters.
Datuk Seri Shazalli Ramly giving a presentation at the launch of Celcom’s iPhone4 service.
For the financial year ended Dec 31, 2010 (FY10), Celcom's ebitda rose 13% to RM3.2bil from RM2.8bil a year ago. EBITDA margins stood at 46.7% for the full year.
Analysts said the costs in the form of handset subsidies for both new subscribers and upgraders were set to increase further as smartphone usage continued to rise.
They said mobile handset subsidies had always been an industry paradox increasing smartphone penetration and Arpu (average revenue per user) on one hand, but pressuring margins on the other.
Nevertheless, analysts said these subsidies were “positive investments” since they helped Celcom to acquire and retain higher Arpu and lower churning rate as customers would be bounded on longer-term contracts of at least 12 months.
Shazalli said Celcom was unperturbed in being a late comer in offering iPhone. “I don't mind being the last. In fact, we were the first to be contacted by Apple Inc in 2005. Our network was not ready then.”
He said the group had decided to wait for all its infrastructure, including network, back-end system and customer services, to be ready to provide consumers with the best user experience.
“When we unveil Blackberry smartphones in 2005, we weren't the first to introduce it. We want to enhance out network then to allow our infrastructure to be ready before rolling out the Blackberry.
“Today, we are the No. 1 Blackberry provider in Malaysia,” Shazalli said, adding that it hoped to replicate its success in marketing Blackberry for iPhone.
Some 51 “touch points” would be available by May 18 for Celcom iPhone subscribers to walk in to service their iPhones.
The current iPhone packages by Celcom is only available to its enterprise subscribers. It will offer the product to the mass market in a month's time. Its iPhone 4 is available from as low as RM248 for the 16GB model.
Shazalli said smartphone users now constitute 20% of Celcom's total subscribers of 11.2 million and the company aimed to increase this to 30% by the year-end.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/23/business/8540408&sec=business
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)