http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/14/business/5465260&sec=business

Thursday January 14, 2010

PCA to train 38 new ICT firms this year

By DAVID TAN

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Cluster Alliance Sdn Bhd (PCA) plans to train 38 new information and communications technology (ICT) companies annually at its newly established RM1.7mil “enterprise laboratory” starting this year.

Managing director Datuk Mohd Noor Md Kamaludin told StarBiz that the 10,800 sq ft enterprise laboratory in Mayan Mall in Bayan Baru, would train start-up ICT companies in areas such as ICT business model development, software architecture and designing, technical and soft skills training as well as marketing.

The enterprise laboratory has the capacity to train up to 38 new ICT companies annually, according to Noor.

“Start-up ICT companies in Malaysia can write to us should they need training in their business.

“We will provide assistance for them to obtain financial aid from SME Corp Malaysia, Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (Mida), and Malaysia External Trade Corp.

“The financial assistance from these agencies would cover the rental, which is about RM100,000 a year for an incubator unit at the enterprise laboratory, and funds for marketing and obtain ISO certification for the products,” he said.

The value of ICT business process outsourcing (BPO) jobs outsourced by companies and multinational corporations (MNCs) worldwide to ICT firms located in Penang has been estimated to be around US$800mil a year, according to Noor.

In 2009, a KPMG report entitled “Exploring Global Frontiers” picked Penang as one of the top 31 sites with the potential to be an alternative ICT-BPO hub to established Indian cities.

“However there are only a handful of such ICT incubation laboratories in the country to train and prepare new ICT companies to enter the ICT-BPO business,” Noor said.

The enterprise laboratory, managed by PCA, is established with funding from the Penang government, Software Consortium of Penang (Scope) and bumiputra ICT clusters Techbiz and ICT Penang.

The Penang government gave RM1.6mil, while Scope and the two bumiputra clusters collectively contributed RM100,000.

“This is the first such ICT enterprise laboratory in the country that is jointly set up by the state government and the private sector.

“Scope members will provide the coaching and training for the new ICT companies,” Noor said.

Meanwhile, Scope chairman Jeffrey Lim said the value of BPO jobs outsourced to Penang from around the world was expected to further increase this year.

“We expect the value to rise by about 20% this year over 2009, as more MNCs want to reduce their operation costs,” he said.

Lim said ICT companies in Penang had developed a niche market by supplying BPO solutions for medical billings systems, web hosting, business match-making, education as well as digital audio and visual content.

He added that Scope was now involved in developing a software programme that would serve as a common e-learning language platform for ICT clusters worldwide to exchange data on innovative ICT technical applications.

“This Global Connect Project is funded by Mida. We are targeting to complete the development of the software within 12 months,” Lim said.