SMEs to save up to RM600 for each brand new Windows 8.1 device from 1 April – 30 June 2014 under this exclusive trade-in program
KUALA LUMPUR, 8 April, 2014 – Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) mulling over whether to make the technology investments needed to modernize the business have just had that decision made easier for them: Microsoft Malaysia and Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), Malaysia’s leading telecommunication service provider, along with partner Intel Malaysia today announced the launch of ‘Good Bye XP, Good Buy Windows 8’ trade-in program, aimed at making business easier for SMEs with the latest in technology.
From 1 April until 30 June 2014, any SME business owner who is a Telekom Malaysia customer can bring along their latest TM bill, be it UniFi, Streamyx or any other TM service, to visit any of TM’s ongoing TM SME BizFiesta and TM SME BizFest roadshows nationwide, to trade in their old notebook or desktop and purchase a brand new Windows 8.1 device powered by Intel Processors from the appointed resellers at a special promotional price. The participating brands are Acer, Dell, HP and Lenovo. SMEs that take up the offer stand to save up to RM600 per device under this program.
-Acer Sales and Services Sdn Bhd - Meor Munawir Meor Yussuf, Business Development Director.
-Dell - KT Ong, General Sales Manager.
-Intel Malaysia - Norhizam Kadir, National Sales Manager.
-Microsoft Malaysia - Azizah Ali, Director, Small and Medium Solutions and Partners.
-Telekom Malaysia - Azizi A. Hadi, Executive Vice President, SME.
-Hewlett-Packard (M) Sdn Bhd - Lee Kum Weng, Market Development Manager (Lead), Commercial Desktop & Display, Printing and Personal Systems Group.
-Lenovo Technology Sdn Bhd - Sean Chua, Sales Manager, REL Business.
Azizi A. Hadi, Executive Vice President, SME, TM said, “TM shares the same vision with Microsoft and Intel in our continuous efforts to provide the best tools and solutions that SMEs can rely on to increase their business productivity and efficiency level. SMEs’ ICT needs and requirements differ throughout the whole spectrum of business sizes. This is exactly where TM excels – providing a depth of diverse, customized, and affordable services. More importantly, business is made easier with TM’s ICT solutions for SMEs. When we think of new products and services to help SMEs differentiate themselves locally and internationally, we don’t only think about putting our customers at the forefront of technology. We also want to ensure that no one is left behind on outdated, unsupported devices and services. With the end of support of the legacy Windows XP and Office 2003 now upon us, there is no better time for SMEs to modernize their business.”
“With the launch of the Good Bye XP, Good Buy Windows 8 trade-in program today, we invite SMEs to visit any of our TM SME BizFest and TM SME BizFiesta roadshows this month until end of June, to enjoy a wide range of Windows 8.1 latest devices on offer, at very attractive prices. With Microsoft and Intel, we are truly making business easier for SMEs!”, Azizi added.
The trade-in program will bring the best of devices, powered by Intel Processors, to SMEs, running on the latest Windows 8.1 operating system, and equipped with the cloud-powered Office 365 Pro Plus productivity suite. With the range of devices available, business owners have options available to them to meet their different needs and requirements.
According to Azizah Ali, Director, Small and Medium Solutions and Partners, Microsoft Malaysia, “For more than 20 years in Malaysia, Microsoft has worked closely with our partners to help Malaysian businesses transform through technology, so they can focus squarely on what matters most: building the business. Our partnership with TM has yielded many great initiatives, such as the ‘Office in a Box’ and ‘UniFi with Office 365’ programs, and today, we are delighted to continue in the same vein with our longstanding partners, TM and Intel. At the end of the day, SMEs can be confident of the technology expertise and resources that we and our partners possess to take care of their IT needs, so that they can concentrate on the success and growth of their business.”
“As we set forward to achieving targets set by the Malaysian Government in the SME Masterplan 2012-2020, it is imperative that Malaysian SMEs take decisive steps towards improving the productivity and agility of their business with the right IT technology in place,” said Prakash Mallya, Country Manager Sales and Marketing of Intel Malaysia and Singapore. “Like our partners TM and Microsoft, Intel believes that ICT is one of the key enablers for Malaysian SMEs to achieve success and we are more than well placed to equip Malaysian SMEs with the latest enterprise IT solutions in order to raise the contribution of Malaysian SMEs to the economy by 2020.”
“In recent time, there have been many exciting developments in computing technology including the introduction of our 4th Generation Intel Core Processor Family. With processors running the range from Xeon to vPro, and Core to Atom, Intel offers a comprehensive range of enterprise solutions featuring the best combination of performance, capabilities and cost effectiveness,” added Prakash.
Timely Opportunity For SMEs To Get To Modern: Door Closes On Support For Windows XP
With the retirement of Windows XP and Office 2003 on 8 April 2014, the need for businesses and consumers to upgrade to newer versions of Windows and Microsoft Office has never been greater.
Microsoft announced a year ago that they will end support, including automatic security patches, for its 12-year-old Windows XP operating system. As a result, customers will no longer receive new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates. This means that any new vulnerabilities discovered in Windows XP after its “end of life” will not be addressed by new security updates from Microsoft, leaving users vulnerable to malware attacks and countless security risks.
These companies are also at risk of compromising their ability to be more productive and collaborative, as the lack of technical support results in costly productivity loss for businesses in the event of computer downtime or software compatibility issues.
Industry associations in Malaysia are in unison over the urgent need to upgrade to newer version of the Windows OS and Office productivity suite. Seow Thong Seng, ICT Chairman of Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA), said, “Windows XP has been a dependable piece of computer software popular with many SMEs in Malaysia because it was stable, fast, powerful and relatively simple to use. Now with the end of support for Windows XP, it is critical that SME owners come to understand the significance of this event. The end of support will mark the start of what could be an IT nightmare for businesses as they are exposed to IT security risks and compliance issues if they continue to use Windows XP after 8 April 2014. The message to our members is clear - step up and migrate to Windows 8.1 and Office 365 to avoid being exposed to the security and privacy risks, and to take advantage of what newer and more modern technology has to offer."
Teh Kee Sin, National President of SMI Association of Malaysia echoed MPMA's sentiments, saying, “There will be questions of financial and time investment to execute the whole process, but the benefits of being secure and protected far outweigh the unacceptable risks of being left vulnerable to security and privacy threats. Businesses need to think about the significant advantages that a more modern operating system entails. Realistically, the investment can be quickly recouped as they see improvements to their IT ecosystem – improved security features, better business efficiency and higher user productivity. It’s high time to get the migration process started now.”
“The modern workforce requires the tools to allow them to stay productive anytime, anywhere, while businesses have an ever increasing need to protect data and ensure security, compliance and manageability. Windows 8.1 and Office 365 are designed with these needs in mind. These are the real needs that a 12-year-old OS can no longer address. Good Bye XP, Good Buy Windows 8 is a timely initiative to help business owners make the much needed migration to stay at the forefront of technology, and at the same time avoid the security pitfalls of outdated and unsupported software,” Azizah concluded.
For more info on TM SME BizFest, please visit: www.tm.com.my/smebizfest2014
or contact 1800-888-763. To find out more about or to buy Windows 8.1 or Office 365, please visit: www.windows.com, and www.office.com.
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