Archive for Press Coverage
SLA Mobile put best foot forward in Malaysia
Posted by: | CommentsBy Philip Stanfield
Kicking off at the very spot where Malaysia proclaimed independence in 1957, the Kuala Lumpur (KL) Marathon is a powerful and mesmerising showcase for modern life in South East Asia.
The gruelling 26 mile route winds through the capital’s diverse patchwork of historical landmarks, tourist-friendly thoroughfares and state-of-the-art corporate towers. It effortlessly captures the essence of a city reaching forward but remaining fully connected to its past.
Spurred on by hundreds of thousands of roaring supporters lining every inch of the sun-bleached streets of KL the 18,000 thousand runners in last month’s event battled exhaustion, stifling humidity and the distraction of a few well-known Asian celebrities as they raised more than 500,000 Malaysian Ringgits (RM) for a host of worthy causes. We, at SLA Mobile, were proud to be running with them.
Attracting the backing of a host of companies – including Liverpool Football Club’s new sponsor Standard Chartered – the marathon’s ‘Run for a Cause’ initiative was a great way for firms to get involved and raise funds for five major local charitable initiatives including the Children’s Environmental Heritage Foundation and the Malaysian Association for the Blind.
Led by our fearless internet guru, Richard Barnes Webb, SLA Mobile’s team of four amateur athletes not only raised an amazing RM40,000, approximately £8,000, for good causes but also managed to set the fastest time in the Corporate Challenge category.
The opportunity to run alongside Malaysia’s Miss World winner, Thanuja Tnanthan, may have provided just a little extra encouragement as the team paced through stifling temperatures, but of course the main reason we were taking part was to help make a difference and support the communities in which we work.
Similar to Belfast, it is generally recognised in KL that an organisation’s responsibilities should extend beyond business hours and Corporate Social Responsibility is a key part of the fabric of doing business here and something we take very seriously. Business isn’t just about making money; it’s also about giving something back to society wherever you are.
Social responsibility is in the very DNA of SLA Mobile and in fact was written into its mission statement when the company was founded in 2003.
As we’ve grown locally in Belfast and internationally in Dusseldorf, London and here in Kuala Lumpur, we’ve been proud to lend our support to helping worthy causes through special fund-raising events, donations and partnerships. Last year, for example, we took to the skies with a staff skydive in aid of Action MS in Northern Ireland.
Malaysia and KL have benefited enormously from Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the last decade particularly in the high-tech sector with the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) providing encouragement and incentives for firms to locate on its shores. But it is reassuring to see that the majority of companies that are flourishing here, including SLA Mobile, are still actively supporting the communities which produce our pool of employees.
Like many South East Asian countries, poverty is a controversial issue in Malaysia and even in KL – which has benefited from strong economic growth – about a quarter of the six million plus population is estimated to live in squatter settlements. For local charities working to pull thousands of people out of poverty, international businesses and their zany fund-raising activities are vital.
As for our involvement, in spite of a few aching legs and throbbing feet we’re proud of the team’s achievements and the generous support given across the entire organisation towards their endeavours. The date for the 2011 KL Marathon, 26th June, has already been ring-fenced in the diaries. Maybe by then our feet will have cooled off just enough for our second race. But before that, it’s time for a little well deserved summer break in Puerto Banus and a chance to watch the world go by with the family.
Our KL story, part 3
Posted by: | CommentsBy Philip Stanfield
Published in the Belfast Newsletter as part of the East meets West series, part three of five.
Ask any seasoned traveller, people are largely the same wherever you go. Some things need time for adjustment and understanding like local laws and odd delicacies, equally attempts at humour are best left to the brave and the bold – at least until you’re well settled in. My motto is ‘be polite, speak slow, and smile.’
Wherever you are, the people around you are usually working, living, loving and generally wanting for the same things as folks back home.
My journeys to Malaysia are an example of great people-focused service. It all kicks off with a chat, coffee and haircut by Cathy in Donaghadee-based Kelly Cowans, Northern Ireland’s L’Oreal award-winning salon, before my wife Joanne takes me the airport. Some twenty four hours later I walk into my accommodation in downtown Kaula Lumpur (KL) to be greeted by the concierge saying “Welcome back Mr Philip”. Whether Donaghadee or KL it’s the little touches count.
Customer services are driving the mobile market too as consumers across the globe demand the latest technology and data services quickly and at the lowest prices. The pace of the sector is creating new opportunities for hi-tech Northern Ireland firms as global operators scramble to satisfy consumers from Strabane to Singapore or Seattle.
Local staff at SLA Mobile’s Centre of Excellence, based in the Malaysian capital of KL, are quick to remind us that until only recently Asian consumers had to look on enviously as their European cousins worked and grappled with the latest technology trends. Boy has that changed. IPhones and smartphones are now just as common on the streets of KL as they are in the leafy suburbs of Belfast.
Helped by recent price declines, smartphones are within reach of the growing middle-classes in Southeast Asia’s top six economies; Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines Indonesia and Vietnam. That’s a market of nearly 500 million people.
Manufacturers are rising to the challenge and shipments of smartphones this year are forecast to rise to 9.7 million units in Southeast Asia, more than three times the forecast level of growth for mobile phones in the region.
The boon in availability is good news for consumers, operators and manufacturers, but it is also providing a wealth of opportunities for mobile data and service providers in a position to reach the growing markets.
In Indonesia, for example, we recently unveiled a new mobile advertising service for mobile operators. Designed by our team in KL, it is now in use in Indonesia enabling our customer to offer its 25 million mobile customers cheaper internet access in return for receiving targeted adverts.
With almost all countries in Southeast Asia boasting 3G, services and delivery here are largely similar to that in Europe and is often back by familiar global brands such as Vodafone. Indigenous providers, although not widely know in Northern Ireland, also command a lion’s share of the market with firms like Indonesia-based Indo XL and SingTel, representing two of Southeast Asia’s largest telecoms operators.
Mirroring established consumer markets in Europe and USA, each anticipated launch, handset unveiling or new service offering is watched and gossiped on intensely by trade and consumers alike. For example, excitement is already building here for the forthcoming Communicasia expo in June and the 2010 Mobile Asia Congress (MAC) which takes place in November.
For firms like SLA Mobile, it represents an opportunity to get to understand more about our markets, establish new contacts and reconnect with old ones. Importantly it gives us a chance to review the technology and opportunities that are coming down the line.
Drawing a lot of early excitement is the Mac’s first-ever App Planet event which features app developer conferences with top mobile providers, app exhibitions and networking. But whether you’re a fan or not, there’s no denying that the Apple iPhone and its ‘apps store’ reins supreme here just as it does at home.
With stylish good looks and game-changing functionality, the iPhone is the most talked about and most wanted handset in Malaysia. Mind you there are lots of cheap knock-off imitations flooding the market too. Most of the fakes lack basic functionality, in fact some cannot even make calls, but the eerie aesthetic similarities make them notoriously difficult to tell apart from the original and fool thousands of bargain-hunters.
With consumers constantly wanting to increase their street credibility, access to the latest technology and save some cash there will probably always be a demand for cheap imitations and not just in KL. In Northern Ireland you’ve probably seen one or two suspicious vendors at the open air markets or designer goods with prices that really are too good to be true.
It just underlines what we already know; people and demands for bargains really are the same wherever you go.
SLA Mobile win the Malaysian Lego Mindstroms Battlebots and Boomz competition
Posted by: | CommentsSLA Mobile KL win the Malaysian Lego Mindstorms Battlebots and Boomz competition!
By Philip Stanfield
SLA Mobile’s team in Kuala Lumpur are extremely innovative and competitive. Led by software guru Amin Mohd and Badlishah, on the 27th April SLA Mobile won the Malaysian Lego Mindstorms Battlebots and Boomz competition held at the Technology Park Malaysia, up against competition including Accenture. The event was sponsored by Oracle, the Malaysian Development Economic Corporation (MDeC) and the International Association of Software Architects (IASA) http://malaysia.iasapacific.org/content/itarc-malaysia-2010.
The competition was held for Java architects to encourage the development of next generation user interfaces and web applications. Each team was given Lego Mindstorm Nxt 2.0 parts including motorised wheels and touch sensors, plus a laptop. The challenge was to write clever software to outwit your opponent and push their robot out of the arena… or flip it over. SLA Mobile’s ‘Fugobot’ emerged victorious against all contenders whether they were from local specialist companies or a multinational System Integration.
An interesting reflection of real life where SLA usually finds itself competing worldwide against both the local experts and the big global SI. The reasons we win are the same – technology innovation, fantastic professional people, a passion for winning and of course yet again it highlights the quality of software development in Malaysia.
The competition was great fun but we took it seriously too and it was great to be recognised by sponsors including The International Association of Software Architects (IASA) who, with 70,000 members in over 50 countries, are the premier association focused on the architecture profession through the advancement of best practices and education while delivering programs and services to IT architects of all levels around the world.
Jeff Peel interviews the VP of Corporate Comms for Sony Ericsson
Posted by: | CommentsBy Philip Stanfield
I’m rather impressed with Sony Ericsson’s social media intensive press room. They’ve embraced the whole ecosystem of ‘customers’ who want to engage with them.
Jeff Peel (Quadriga Consulting) interviewed Merran Wrigley their Head of External Comms. Well worth a listen!
Our KL story, part 2
Posted by: | CommentsBy Philip Stanfield
Published in the Belfast Newsletter as part of a series, part two of five.
Nestled in the heard of South East Asia, 6,500 miles from Belfast and a 12 hour flight, Kuala Lumpur is a noted gateway to the surging economies in South East Asia. A short commute from Singapore and within easy reach of Hong Kong and Indonesia, the country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, is Malaysia’s fastest-growing city in terms of both population and economic growth.
This month (April) marks the third anniversary of SLA Mobile’s decision to locate in Kuala Lumpur (KL) and our presence here continues to grow month by month. We are now staffed with a team of more than 50 professionals, combining international experience from locations such as Northern Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the brightest and best local talent in KL.
With a population of more than 20 million, Malaysia is underpinned by an outstanding education system that produces an enviable pool of graduates. Combined with competitive economic positioning and strong regional trade links, Malaysia presents a compelling case for investment – particularly for the telecoms industry with the Asia Pacific region widely recognised as the fastest-growing market for the mobile internet.
Looking out onto the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Towers, our Centre of excellence in KL was established in 2007 after we gained Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status. A government initiative to encourage overseas ICT companies to set up operations, MSC status brings a range of advantages including access to a world-class physical and communications infrastructure and zero corporation tax for up to 10 years.
Served by two airports, Kuala Lumpur is an easily accessible destination for businesses willing to settle into the frenetic pace of Malaysia. Taxis are the only way to tackle commutes through KL, but be warned, there is a well reported cavalier attitude to road safety and haggling is valuable skill as cab drivers rarely use meters. That said a couple of pounds takes you anywhere in KL in a taxi. And the monorail is only 20p per journey.
Our office in KL is within a short walking distance from the main shopping centres and residential areas. Being part of the fabric of the city is important and the convenience of the movement has helped our entire overseas staff settle quickly into their surrounds. This has been greatly helped by the open and friendly nature of the locals who offer a great welcome and share the hidden treasures in the city. No matter where you are in KL you can always find a bargain restaurant with great characters and the potential to become your brand new home from home.
There is a certain ‘Malaysian way’ to getting things done and the differences in working culture can often be a source of some frustration for our managers who are ingrained in tackling tasks in a particular and structured way.
Take Jo Fisher, our Operations Director, for example. Originally from Wales, she found her way here via London and Australia after gaining considerable experience as a senior manager in the retail sector. Jo is currently heading up a major project to establish a new billing system for VHA, a joint-venture mobile carrier that operates the Vodafone and ‘3’ brands in Australia.
Heading up our HR team, Jo is quick to point out that the management culture here tends to require much more ‘hands on’ direction and says that time-keeping is generally more casual than we are used to in Belfast or London. There is a very similar work ethic though and it’s common to see colleagues working from early in the morning until late at night.
The willingness of staff to pitch-in is an important advantage for us as many of our clients operate across a wide range of time zones from Australia and New Zealand to Indonesia. We’ve also recently made inroads in Qatar helping a global mobile carrier set up a new operation by providing Programme Management and Quality Assurance services.
The ease of travel from KL is a definite bonus when working with overseas clients, but it also offers a rare opportunity to explore parts of the world I’d only ever hoped to see on television. Thailand for example is a mere £50 return flight while Singapore can be reached by bus (and boat?) for less than £20.
Although the humid, tropical climate can be overpowering, the opportunity to visit Malaysia’s tropical beaches is well worth the effort. The golden, picturesque swaths of sand make for a perfect weekend getaway and the sailing and water sports rank with the best in the world.
Our KL story
Posted by: | CommentsBy Philip Stanfield
Published in the Belfast Newsletter as part of a series, part one of five.
In 2006 SLA invested in Malaysia as part of our growth strategy. We identified Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur or KL as the ideal location in Asia for us to penetrate the exploding demand of Mobile Internet services in Asia. We are a privately owned high tech company HQ’d in Belfast but our clients are all round the world. We write the software that is powering the Mobile Internet enabling people to watch TV on the iPhones and buy music on their phone or check Facebook from the train.
Malaysia has a population of 28 million and is near Thailand. KL does have a semi-chaotic feel and is metaphorically somewhere between the traditionally Asian town of Bangkok and the Swisswatch-like order of Singapore. Malaysia has a well developed technology infrastructure. Logistically it is well placed to reach growing markets such as Hong Kong, Thailand, China and Indonesia. And it has good air connections direct to the UK and Australia and New Zealand and the Middle East. It’s really important for us to have first rate communications links to be able to visit clients and run projects.
Politically Malaysia is a pretty stable country. It does have it’s quirks such as a recent initiative to ban yoga but then Northern Ireland politics has more than it’s own share of bizarreness. . It has an Islamic constitutional elected Monarchy. The King is elected every 5 years from one of nine hereditary Sultans. Government is based on the UK Parliamentary democracy model with a voting age of 21 and elections every 5 years. Ethnically the country is distinctly divided. Indigenous Malays called Bumiputera ’sons of the soil’ make up just over half of the population. Chinese Malaysians make up about a quarter of the population and those of India descent just under ten per cent. There is a strong British influence and history due to Malaysia once being part of the empire. This is seen in civil services practices and a fantacism for football.
There is a strong European ex-pat community in KL and a vibrant social scene. You can spend 7 nights a week at social events from Rugby matches, black tie dinners to watching the Premiership football live in your local Irish bar!
The food in KL is unforgettable. It’s not just because Craig our Australian Director from Asia is an avid foodie – but every time I go all we seem to do is eat. And it’s so cheap. Breakfast for 20p from a roadside Mamak stall is Roti Chenai .. a curried pancake with a hot tea or Teh Tarik ; for lunch it’s off to have a banana leaf curry for a pound ; and in the evening the world is your oyster – my favourite is Tamarind Springs which is in the jungle near KL where you have a glorious feast of Thai/Laos and Vietnamese food. You can even go for ‘fish and chips’ an authentic delicacy prepared by a guy from Hull. On my first evening we went to the bustling Bukit Bintang market for dinner. What an experience. You sit down almost anywhere in the market and order whatever you want and it miraculously arrives within a few minutes. The secret is that each restaurant owner has a deal with all the others that they can order food from them! That’s where I first tasted chicken fish with marmite! The secret of course is to go in with a local friend and avoid looking like a tourist.You can have a great night out for a fiver with absolutely no tummy trouble. And at the weekend you can fly Air Asia for Ryanair prices off to a beach resort such as Phuket.
Whilst Malaysia is a Muslim country I’ve found that in practice it is very tolerant of other faiths. Last Christmas when I was in the KL equivalent of Victoria Square, Belfast (except it’s 10 times bigger) there was a huge Christmas tree with lots of school children singing Christmas carols. It was like being at home except that it was 30C outside! Mind you I think another aid to social harmony is that in Malaysia you get public holidays to celebrate the special times of all the major religions ..Christmas, Hari Raya Aidilfitriat the end of Ramadan, Diwali ! In January, we had the Tamil festival of Thaipusam; which is partially banned in India itself due to some of the devotee’s practises such as sticking horrendous numbers of pins and hooks through their own cheeks & flesh. February was all dragon dancing, red lanterns and Chinese New Year, and KL came to a stop as all many of the Chinese went back to their family kampung.
In addition to the high level of education, strong work ethic and good technology infrastructure and political stability the clincher for us in choosing Malaysia as Asia HQ was the Malaysian MDEC – their equivalent of Invest NI – and it’s MSC FDI programme. Malaysia has attracted many large global companies to set up there including Dell, Cisco and IBM (http://www.mscmalaysia.my/topic/Company+Directory#). MDEC provided us with real practical support in setting up in KL the offer of 10 years 0% Corporation Tax helped too!
We have grown our KL office to around 40 staff and are based on floor 33a of the Menara Standard Chartered building – really floor 34 but that’s bad luck in Chinese culture. It is a prestigious and awe inspiring place to go to work in. And has fantastic views of the Petronas Towers. Our team works really hard but everyone takes time out for a big lunch. We have installed a recreation room with TV and XBox and free soft drinks to build the camaraderie. Our KL office has not just locals but also people from Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, UK and South Africa. Currently the biggest bicycle race in Asia, the Tour de Langkawi, is happening in Malaysia right now. And the South African team is leading at the moment cheered on by the ex-Pats in the office – including avid cyclist and South African Barney.
Malaysia has strong links with UK and Ireland. My first experience of this was as an Electronic Engineering student at Queen’s University. In my class the top students were the Malaysians sitting in the front row of class – with most getting first class honours degrees. The tremendous work ethic of the Malaysian people is something we can all learn from. And that’s what always impresses me when I walk into our KL office – The people are top class and really friendly too. Recently our KL team delivered a major software project for one of the biggest companies in the world. We have all come to almost expect bugs or ‘unannounced features’ in software today. However the customer told us that our KL delivery was ‘zero defect’ – This incredible achievement was down to the close teamwork of the KL team and our Belfast project management team.
Downtown KL has a fantastic Monorail built by Bombardier and sky scrapers galore. It is easy to be seduced into thinking it’s just like Europe. But you do need to remember this is an Asian country with Asian ways of doing business. Old fashioned respect and courtesy are the norm and relationships are extremely important. It can be more challenging doing things day to day than in Belfast and you need patience to deal both with bureaucracy and also a tendency for people to always say yes to every request – but whether they actually do anything is another matter! Who you know matters as much as what you know. And you need to go at the pace of the local buying cycle.I can assure you from experience the negotiating skills of the Chinese businessman are impressive even compared with those of a Ballymena farmer. They do enjoy getting their value for money!
We saw the impact of the global recession in Asia before the UK with budgets being slashed and projects put on hold. But we are also seeing a resurgent market in South East Asia with a lot of growth potential. And we have have recently won major projects in Australia, Qatar and Indonesia. Just as Europe is not one country it’s important to recognise that across Asia the cultures, economic models and business practices will vary country by country. Get all the advice you can from the consulate, INI, UK T&I, trade associations etc.
KL is a great place to work, live and do business. And a good base to reach out across Asia too. We’re delighted that we chose Malaysia. Like Belfast it seems to rain every day but the temperature is always in the 30’s.
Nic Stirk of SLA Mobile Profiled in Business Mag
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SLA Mobile CEO Nic Stirk Profiled in Business Magazine
Nic Stirk, SLA Mobile’s CEO, has been profile in a Northern Ireland business magazine, Ulster Business…
“After racking up a growth rate of more than 4,000% in the last five years, SLA Mobile’s innovative enterprise has been successful in beating larger competitors to win a raft of lucrative contracts with global mobile giants including Vodafone, Fox Mobile Distribution and Volubill.
“In addition to establishing ‘right fit’ partnerships which enable the firm to explore new sectors, Nic Stirk says strong relationships built on an in-depth understanding of its customers’ culture and DNA lies at the core of the SLA Mobile’s success.”
