Despite Recession, IT Still in Demand

In the midst of soaring unemployment rates and staff cutbacks, IT departments seem to be holding their own. However, a sense of uncertainty continues to permeate the industry.
“A lot of companies are scaling back on IT budgets, but it’s not quite the gloom and doom that is pervasive in the media,” said John Estes, vice president of strategic alliances at Robert Half Technology. “We’re seeing that there’s still demand for the existing maintenance of IT departments and IT projects, and companies are still willing to spend money on new applications if there’s return on investment [or] if they feel like they can gain a competitive edge.”
Even the need for highly qualified IT professionals remains steady. In fact, according to the “IT Hiring Index and Skills Report” developed by Robert Half Technology, 12 percent of CIO respondents said they plan to expand their IT departments in the first quarter of 2009, while only 4 percent expect staff cutbacks.
“People don’t realize that the vast majority of the IT budget goes to maintain existing applications. So if you start cutting people, you’re at risk not only of not being able to grow, but also not being able to serve your customers, [including] your internal customers — people in the company who need access to the network or applications,” Estes said.
Still, the present economic situation necessitates that IT professionals take a proactive approach to safeguarding their jobs. And the key is to be a jack of all trades, Estes said. Just being a Java developer may have been the norm years ago, but competition is fierce today.
“The more you can multitask or know multiple things, [the better your] job security,” Estes said. “[For instance,] today, companies want a programmer analyst to have some database background [or] a desktop support professional [to be able to] work a help desk, as well.”
Experience in security, network administration and servers — among other areas — in addition to one’s existing skill set could prove to be advantageous.
Further, IT has become a crucial component to effectively run a business.
“In the old days, business used to look at IT as a necessary evil, [but] over the years that has morphed into: IT can actually be a key competitive edge for the company, whether it be through business intelligence or reaching more customers,” Estes explained.
Even as some sectors have been hit hard during this recession, there has been a steady demand for IT services, he said.
“We still have demand across the board for infrastructure support, application development, database development and project managers,” he said.
And some of the most in-demand IT skill sets include services related to security, network administration and programmer analyst roles.
“We still see a very strong demand in customer support, whether that be help desk, desktop support [or something similar],” Estes said.

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Axiata & Ericsson Enter Into Long-Term Strategic Cooperation

Kuala Lumpur 3rd November 2010 - Axiata Group Berhad, one of Asia’s largest telecommunications companies, today announced that it has entered into a five-year strategic global framework arrangement with Ericsson, a leading provider of telecommunications equipment and related services. In the agreement, one of the most comprehensive and advanced in the industry, both Axiata and Ericsson have agreed to work together to establish a streamlined procurement platform which will realise business efficiencies and competitive advantage through cash flow improvement and timely purchasing. The agreement will also enable Axiata to leverage on its volume, across five countries in the region, for pricing arrangements which will ultimately translate into cost savings for Axiata Group.

Specifically, the Axiata-Ericsson framework agreement will provide Axiata and the Axiata group of Companies (OpCos) a common platform for the purchases by Axiata and its group of Companies (OpCos) of telecommunications and other products as well as the provision of related works and services from Ericsson. This cooperation which will improve engagement and further strengthen the relationship between the two companies, will involve the regular exchange of information on technical and technology areas relating to products, works and services purchased by Axiata and the Axiata Companies. Axiata will therefore have better visibility of Ericsson’s roadmap and be able to leverage off this knowledge base and target its spend more efficiently.

President and Group Chief Executive Officer of Axiata, Dato’ Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim said “Speed is crucial in the telecommunications industry and this agreement reduces the time required by each of the companies in purchasing products and services thereby translating into faster time to market which will ultimately benefit customers. We look forward to working closely with Ericsson, towards a mutually beneficial agreement”

Hans Vestberg, President and CEO of Ericsson said; “Leveraging our long successful partnership with Axiata group, the agreement will streamline the procurement process while achieving time and cost savings – true win-win situation for both of the companies. We’re proud of being chosen as the first vendor to be awarded this credibility by Axiata group.”

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 130 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.

For further information on Axiata visit www.axiata.com

About Ericsson

Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. Ericsson is the leader in 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies, and provides support for networks with over 2 billion subscribers and has the leading position in managed services. The company's portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, telecom services, software, broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and the media industry. The Sony Ericsson and ST-Ericsson joint ventures provide consumers with featurerich personal mobile devices.

Ericsson is advancing its vision of being the "prime driver in an all-communicating world" through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 80,000 employees generated revenue of SEK 206.5 billion (USD 27.1 billion) in 2009. Founded in 1876 with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX NASDAQ, Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.

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Boustead launches war on Gothere.sg with new site

Popular street directory site Gothere.sg may soon face tough competition.

Mainboard-listed Boustead Singapore, under its subsidiary Geologic, has launched a new interactive map portal of Singapore with uncannily similar name, WhereTo.sg.

The site draws information from government sources such as the Singapore Land Authority and the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (“ACRA”), unlike gothere.sg which draws information from users and other sources such as Hungrygowhere.com. When asked how the site would be different from competitor sites like gothere.sg and Google Maps, General Manager of Geologic, Mr Thomas Pramotedham said: “Because we get data from the SLA and it is also updated on a quarterly basis, it will be more accurate. We expect that it will also fill out missing gaps (of information) that Google (Maps) misses.” He added that the site would cut down the number of sources a user would have to go to. For example, if a user was looking how to get to a post office, he would not only be able to find out instructions on the shortest way to get there, but be able to get information on the nearest buildings and the nearest distance needed to walk there.

Apart from that, the site also offers business owners an edge over competitors, as the site is able to track down the locations of retail outlets of a competitor business.

Users can track the nearest amenities such as buildings, businesses, banking facilities, MRT stations, petrol stations, public amenities, schools and weather in their vicinity by a quick search.

Geologic will soon embark on a joint marketing with 7-Eleven campaign to build awareness of its site. The site runs on ESRI’s ArcGIS technology and Boustead’s expertise in Geo-Spatial Technology.

However, Gothere.sg has been having a good year, according to director Toh Kian Khai. “Our site traffic has gone up by 10 times since January this year. We don’t think the new site will have a big difference on our business, but no one knows what the effect will really be as of yet.” He added that Gothere.sg was not thinking of starting any new plans for its website as of now.

Consumers have mixed reviews. Says product designer Cheryl Lin, 25: I just checked out the website and I don't really like it. Gothere.sg has a much simpler and user friendly interface that makes it work. Whereto.sg has a more complicated or rather messy interface that makes me not feel like using it after the first try.

Project engineer Michael Tan, 31 says: It’s (Whereto.sg) more detailed than other street directory websites. However, it’s rather hard to navigate.”

Articles from Singapore Business Review

Bank Islam Unveils Malaysia's First Mobile Banking Without Internet Access

Works on all mobile phones and with all major telco providers KUALA LUMPUR, Wednesday, [20 October 2010] - Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (Bank Islam) scores another first today, offering consumers Malaysia’s first truly mobile banking service. With Transact at Palm or TAP Mobile Banking-i, account owners can perform banking transactions anywhere and anytime, without internet access. It’s unique ability to work without internet access, its compatibility with all mobile phones, via all major telecommunication providers and the dual authentication security that differentiates TAP Mobile Banking-i from its competitors. Y.Bhg. Dato’ Sri Zukri Samat, Managing Director of Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad who launched the TAP Mobile Banking-i today, said: “This product is an innovation by Bank Islam’s team to specially meet the lifestyle needs of today. It is truly banking on the move!” He said to activate TAP Mobile Banking-i customers need only two items. The first is a special chip co-developed by the Bank, which needs to be affixed to the SIM card of the phone. Secondly, customers are required to have either a Current or a Savings Account with Bank Islam. Once affixed, customers can proceed to perform banking transactions, which under the initial phase will cover bill payments, prepaid airtime reload, interbank GIRO, intrabank (fund transfers), balance inquiries and sms alerts. He said: “We are proud to be the first bank in Malaysia to offer our customers a mobile banking service, without an internet requirement. It provides our customers the convenience of managing accounts while actively on the move.  Customers can save time and effort and ultimately ringgit and sen.” “This innovation also reflects the bank’s strategy of staying at the forefront of business and technical innovation to benefit our customers. In a year, we target to acquire a minimum of 100,000 users to subscribe to our TAP Mobile Banking-i.,” he added. According to Dato’ Sri Zukri, the launch of TAP Mobile Banking-i heralds the Bank's  strategy to move towards branchless banking; where customers will use the mobile phone as a banking channel and payment device. “This is a very cost-effective distribution channel to improve accessibility to financial services to the unbanked and underserved segment of the population,” he added. TAP Mobile Banking-i is made possible by the use of a chip which contains a menu of customised banking applications to enable the customer to perform transactions without having to download any applications or be linked to the internet.  It is a plug and play banking approach. In terms of security, TAP Mobile Banking-i is secured by a 2-level authentication (PIN and password). Bank Islam’s charge is minimal and affordable for on demand transactions and information. They range from RM0.20 for an SMS Alert to RM2.00 for Interbank GIRO. The list of charges for other transactions is as per Appendix 1. Bank Islam sees great potential in mobile banking services, as they leverage on current technology; and these services are expected to evolve and transform in tandem with increases in functionality and application capabilities of mobile phone technology. Articles from Bank Islam

Tabung Haji Capitalise on Information Technology

MECCA, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) capitalises on information technology (IT) to ensure smooth operations of haj services for Malaysian pilgrims.

Its IT operations director, Roslan Saad with the data centre and the main server housed at the headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, the IT system facilitated counter, medical and administrative services.

"For the first time, we are using the WiMAX wireless 4G broadband as well as the 3G I-Go STC (Saudi Telecommunications Company) connectivity as a back-up," he told the TH media team covering the haj pilgrimage here Friday.

Roslan, who is also TH IT Department strategic planning and governance general manager, said the system contained data on pilgrims' flights, finance and accommodation.

He said the TH Pilgrim Health Information System was linked to its two hospitals in Mecca - Syisya and Aziziah -- and clinics.

However, TH is not providing internet facilities to pilgrims to lessen the load on the system, he added.

Roslan said the IT system was being managed by 14 technical staff, of them ten in Mecca and two each in Medina and Jeddah.

-- BERNAMA
From Zainal Abd Jalil