Microsoft Malaysia targets 20,000 viewership for award-winning documentary Ctrl+Alt+Compete

Feature-length film highlights trials and tribulations of five technology start-ups and Microsoft’s role in helping these start-ups turn their dreams into reality

KUALA LUMPUR, 14 June 2012 — Microsoft today hosted a Premier Screening of its award-winning documentary, Ctrl+Alt+Compete, and plans to reach an additional 20,000 viewers through a 6-month long campaign beginning in June. Through a strategic collaboration with Golden Screen Cinemas Sdn Bhd (GSC), the documentary will be screened for the public on three consecutive Saturdays beginning 23 June. All three screenings will be held at 10.00am at Hall 4, GSC Mid Valley.

“Through this documentary, we hope to inspire 20,000 individuals in Malaysia to raise their interest in technology entrepreneurship. This is because we believe technology entrepreneurship is fundamentally changing the world,” said Peter Tam, Director of Local Software Innovations, Malaysian Software Economy, Microsoft Malaysia.L to R - Irving Chee and Peter Tam

“We decided to engage the start-up community in an unconventional way so that we can jumpstart the conversation about Microsoft as a citizen of the broader technology community and the programs and platforms we have that can help support start-ups in their journey,” added Tam.

As Microsoft’s main collaborator in bringing this film to the public, GSC noted that the documentary is a story worth telling and sharing because Ctrl+Alt+Compete takes a revealing look at the startup and emerging business scene through the eyes of five founders and their teams telling a story of the passion, fortitude and insanity that is involved in bringing a startup to life.

“We at GSC believe there is a “story behind the story” of just how hard it is for start-ups to nurture their business ideas and go from inception to reality. These are the kind of stories that we believe are important lessons for all of us. It is the story of the power of people pouring their passion, drive and dedication into building something that changes the world — no matter how hard,” said Irving Chee, General Manager of GSC.

Accelerating the Spirit of Technopreneurship

In Malaysia, Microsoft offers the BizSpark Program that local start-ups leverage to help develop their own applications and other solutions. To date, there are approximately 400 BizSpark members and that number is continuously growing. Many of these local start-ups have enjoyed success due in part to the BizSpark Program and today some of them are realizing their big dreams of making a difference in the world.

Mobile solutions developer SeedNet Technologies Sdn Bhd is one of many companies that have benefitted from the BizSpark Program. Stephen Yue, General Manager of SeedNet Technologies said: “BizSpark enables our company to reach out to new customers with cutting edge technology and ground breaking business models that would have taken us years to evolve. It is a revolutionary force that propels us into the forefront of our industry.”

The Microsoft BizSpark Program was designed as a way for technology entrepreneurs to succeed within a diverse global, interconnected business landscape. Through this program, start-ups and entrepreneurs have access to world class tools, technologies and market resources to help bring new ideas, new companies and new software innovation to life. Additionally, start-ups receive global visibility to an audience of potential investors, clients and partners through a dedicated website known as BizSparkDB, which highlights promising companies from around the world every day and through their relationship with Microsoft and the BizSpark Network Partners.

For 2012, Microsoft Malaysia is earmarking an additional RM1 million in incremental investments into the BizSpark Program. This investment will include support for technical enablement programs, sponsoring promising start-ups to overseas pitching and development opportunities, as well as a provision of up to RM180,000 worth of Windows Azure usage for each promising start-up that is identified under a special BizSpark Plus Program.

“Entrepreneurs especially those in the technology industry need all the help they can get to commercialize their ideas, and through the BizSpark Program Microsoft Malaysia has assisted countless local start-ups,” said Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Higher Education and also patron of the Global Entrepreneurship Week Malaysia.

“Such efforts by Microsoft Malaysia to help nurture and develop the start-up community deserves accolade and the BizSpark Program should serve as an example for other industry players to emulate,” he added.

In addition to the public screening at GSC, Microsoft will also leverage 10 other supporting organizations who will host private screenings for their respective communities beginning in the month of July. These supporting partners include:
• BQE (Building Quality Entrepreneurs)
• Entrepreneurs.my
• MAD Inc.
• MOBIG (Mobile Industry Group)
• MSC Malaysia
• Plug and Play Malaysia.com
• SIFE Malaysia
• Startup Malaysia
• Technopreneurs Association of Malaysia (TeAM), and
• Youth Jam

Talks are also ongoing with other parties to make the Ctrl+Alt+Compete documentary available to an even wider audience in Malaysia through the general broadcast media and the web. For more information, please visit http://aka.ms/startups.