Western Australian IT companies are finding new opportunities in the Malaysian ICT industry across a range of areas including data management, software development and IT services.
Western Australian IT companies are finding new opportunities in the Malaysian ICT industry across a range of areas including data management, software development and IT services.
Last month, Bentley-based data storage company SpectrumData signed Malaysian company Dataminda as its exclusive distribution partner in the country.
Dataminda is a seismic data processing and geomodelling company, servicing clients in the upstream petroleum industry.
SpectrumData chief executive officer Craig Tamlin said the company had signed two joint projects involving Dataminda, with a multinational oil company in Malaysia and another with the Burmese government.
Both contracts involve the legacy conversion of oil and gas data, which is the company’s core business.
Mr Tamlin said the projects would lead to further opportunities in Malaysia.
“We estimate the market for Malaysia will be worth $10 million over the next three years,” he said.
Mr Tamlin, who replaced Guy Holmes in the CEO role last week, said the company was also looking to broaden its traditional client base.
“We want to expand beyond the oil and gas sector, to break into the commercial and government sectors and establish a sales channel,” he told WA Business News.
“There are a lot of local opportunities that have not been tapped yet.”
Meanwhile, Stirling-based career guidance software company JIIG-CAL Australia is also set to export into Malaysia.
The company is halfway through developing a customised version of its software through a joint venture with Malaysian e-learning company, ECL Solutions.
Managing director Bob Bredemeyer said the software would be developed in conjunction with ECL, which would then market the product locally.
JIIG-CAL produced a pilot edition of the software in 2003, prior to ECL signing on as the company’s local partner.
The company is also planning to export to India.
“We have a partner in Bangalore and if things go to plan we’ll sign off on an agreement at the end of the month,” Mr Bredemeyer said.
He said the company’s strategy was to approach English-speaking nations, despite the appeal of some other markets in Asia, like China.
“With China, there’s the problem of Chinese [written] characters and some loss of control. You’re reliant on translators,” he said.
The new Malaysian software will be ready for distribution next January.
Also in Malaysia, Bentley-based ISA Technologies is conducting a pilot project with a government agency in Kuala Lumpur to install a system that monitors service agreements for 40 of the agency’s branch offices.
ISA strategic business development manager Keith Anthonisz said the company was capitalising on growth in the government and financial services sectors.
Austrade ICT and group projects national manager, Peter Harrison, said Malaysia’s ICT sector was not as well developed as that of Singapore, but there was strong growth in internet usage, broadband subscriptions and e-business applications.
Mr Harrison said many South-East Asian countries, including Indonesia and the Philippines, provided opportunities for Australian companies.
According to data from Austrade, the Malaysian IT market will be worth $US4.8 billion by 2010, up from $2.9 billion in 2005.
Australian IT companies in Malaysia are involved in a number of areas, including satellite technologies, outsource services and e-learning.
