GoMobile 2012: Where Apps Took Centre Stage

Malaysian mobile developers showcased their apps and services to thousands of visitors.

The fourth edition of GoMobile, Malaysia’s premier mobile lifestyle show that consists of a conference, awards night and expo was held from 10-13 May 2012. Kashminder Singh, co-organiser of the event said that this year the focus was on app developers and on that score, all three events did well.

GoMobile Conference
The GoMobile Conference at Royale Chulan which was sponsored by U Mobile was a resounding success. More than 200 delegates benefitted from listening to the strong line-up of leading mobile speakers from many countries. Jari Tammisto, Global Head of Mobile Monday, led the powerful contingent of international speakers who shared insights of latest mobile trends from around the world.(L to R) Dr Fadhlullah Suhaimi, PEMANDU’s Director of Communications Content & Infrastructure, Business Services NKEA, Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, MDeC CEO and Dato’ Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, Chairman of MCMC launching GoMobile AppCity

Not to be outdone, top local mobile industry speakers added more lustre to the conference. Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, CEO of MDeC and U Mobile Chief Technology Officer, Too Tian Jen and Toh Swee Hoe, Special Functions Officer at MCMC delivered keynotes, alongside speakers from leading mobile organisations in Malaysia.

GoMobile Awards Night
The Malaysian mobile industry came together at the GoMobile Awards Night where the best mobile products and services in Malaysia were recognised. Maxis and HTC took top honours at Malaysia’s premier mobile awards.
Lam Swee Kim, Group General Manager, New Media & Integrated Marketing of Media Prima, receiving inOvation Malaysia award from Dato Joseph Salang for the Tonton mobile portal.

The event was graced by the presence of Dato’ Joseph Salang, the Deputy Minister of Information, Communications and Culture. Also present were Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, CEO of MDeC, Dato’ Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, MCMC Chairman and numerous senior officers and executives from the mobile industry and government agencies.

Maxis was named Operator of the Year at the GoMobile Operators Awards. The company also took home the Best Content and Services Award as well as the Best Mobile Broadband Award. The Mobile World Star Awards saw the HTC One X winning the Device of the Year Award. Another premier Award handed out that evening was the APAC Mobile Learning Initiatives Recognitions with recipients from Malaysia, Thailand, India and USA.T Kugan, Maxis VP receiving Best Operator Award from Dato’ Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, Chairman of MCMC

The event’s finale was reserved for app awards. Three promising ICON2 apps developers were called up first before the final awards of the night saw ten emerging and established mobile app companies honoured with inOvation Malaysia awards that were presented jointly by GoMobile and Maxis. Among the winners were the Tonton mobile portal, m2u mobile banking app and mobile development companies, Ahead Mobile and Studio 212.

GoMobile Expo

The CEO of Multimedia Development Corporation, Datuk Badlisham Ghazali and Dato’ Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, Chairman of MCMC, opened the expo accompanied by T. Kugan, Vice President Maxis and senior representatives from the Ministries and Strategic Partners of GoMobile.

The GoMobile Expo, for the first time, saw half the expo setting taken up by AppCity, a zone dedicated to mobile apps. AppCity was powered by the MSC ICON2 developer programme and supported by MCMC and Maxis.

AppCity was the largest ever platform for local mobile developers to showcase their apps to Malaysians. More than a hundred locally developed mobile applications were showcased at GoMobile 2012. The developers were especially pleased to be able to introduce their apps to the Malaysian public. Tai Aik Keong, a mobile developer said on a Facebook post, “"Thanks everyone for making GoMobile 2012 a success! I have met a lot of good friends, entrepreneurs, developers and marketing experts. Masatu has received great response and feedback. Looking forward for GoMobile 2013."

The organisers were also delighted to welcome some international developers to showcase at AppCity, with representation from Philippines, Thailand, Korea, Pakistan and India.
Many other companies and organisations came together to put on an exciting event. Visitors could grab bargains at one of the many exciting booths selling mobile gear, check out local mobile apps, learn about the world of app development at the AppCity workshops or just have fun at the many experiential exhibits and activities.

GoMobile 2012 received wide recognition and support from the government and private sectors. The Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM) provided vital support as Strategic Partners, alongside Maxis.
Kashminder Singh said that the organisers would continue their efforts to grow GoMobile into an international show that focussed on mobile apps and services. “GoMobile is an event the Malaysian mobile industry can truly call its own,” said Kashminder Singh, adding, “We look forward to putting up an even more spectacular show next year. Our vision is to make GoMobile the hub of this region’s mobile apps industry.”

GoMobile 2008 – The Ultimate Mobile Lifestyle Event of the Year

Malaysia’s First Mobile Expo, Conference and Awards Unveils Maxis as Pinnacle Sponsor, Proudly Supported by MSC Malaysia & OUM

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, 13 August 2008: GoMobile 2008, Malaysia’s first and most comprehensive mobile lifestyle event encompassing the GoMobile Expo (consumer exhibition), the 2nd Asia Pacific M-Learning and Edutainment Conference 2008 and the Mobile World Star Awards and Gala Dinner; today announced its official launch and unveiled Maxis Communications Bhd (Maxis) as Pinnacle Sponsor and Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Malaysia and Open University of Malaysia (OUM) as key strategic partners.

The event, organized by LTT Global Communications Sdn Bhd in partnership with Mobile World magazine, will take place on November 20 to 23, 2008 at the Putra World Trade Center (PWTC) Kuala Lumpur.

Left to Right
- Mr. Wemel Cumavoo, CEO, LTT Global Communications Sdn Bhd
- Dr. Nikolai Dobberstein, Head of Strategy and Head of New Businesses, Maxis Communications Berhad
- Professor IR Dr. Rosli Hamir, Vice President, Learner Management and Campus Development, Open University of Malaysia
- Encik Kamil Othman, Vice President, Creative Multimedia Divisions, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDEC)
- Mr. Kashminder Singh, Managing Editor, Mobile World

“We are very excited and proud to be able to create a space for the mobile industry to come together in offering its services and products as well as forging ahead with innovative ideas and we believe it will act as a catalyst for the entire mobile ecosystem to move forward, benefitting everyone from consumers to developers and vendors alike,” said Mr. Wemel Cumavoo, CEO of LTT Global Communications Sdn Bhd.

“Events such as GoMobile is in line with MSC Malaysia’s strategic intent to spur the ICT industry particularly for the content development cluster. This is certainly an avenue for our local talents and companies to seek the opportunities and possibilities in the robust Malaysian mobile industry.” said En. Kamil Othman, Vice-President, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) - the organization responsible to drive MSC Malaysia.

“We are pleased to be the Pinnacle Sponsor of GoMobile 2008,” said Maxis Head of Strategy and Head of New Businesses, Dr. Nikolai Dobberstein at the launch event. “Maxis has consistently set the pace for mobile innovation in Malaysia. Many of our products and services have been global, regional and national ‘Firsts’. At this event, we look forward to sharing our pioneering mobile services with the Malaysian public.”

“Malaysians rank amongst the most advanced mobile consumers in the world today. Over 33 percent of Maxis’ subscribers are active mobile Internet users. They are using their phones to browse the internet on the go for information, social networking and entertainment. As such, the GoMobile expo comes at the right time for Malaysian mobile users,” he added.

Kashminder Singh, the Managing Editor of Mobile World believes that GoMobile 2008 is the perfect place for Malaysians to see what the future mobile lifestyle will be like. “The mobile revolution is transforming the world. New services and innovations are emerging daily but consumers have largely been unaware of the exciting possibilities of an increasingly mobile world. At GoMobile 2008, they will see firsthand how much more these new mobile technologies can add to their lives”.

As the Pinnacle Sponsor of the event, Maxis will demonstrate the latest in mobile data services such as mobile internet browsing and mobile services developed locally through the Maxis Developer Programme. Visitors to the expo can also experience new technologies such as mobile payment using Near Field Communications (NFC) and a range of Maxis Broadband products. Mobile learning services will also be on display by Maxis Academy, Maxis’ in-house learning centre.
GoMobile 2008 is partnered and endorsed by the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications (KTAK), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM), Open University of Malaysia (OUM), Tourism Malaysia and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

To date, Mobile Wallet and NOKIA are Gold Sponsors of GoMobile 2008 and XiMAX, MicXon and Money Tree International have come on board as Silver Sponsors.

The GoMobile 2008 Expo – with space for up to 224 booths - will see an exciting lineup of exhibitors offering products ranging from mobile phones and accessories to notebooks and UMPCs as well as mobile services and solutions. It is expected to draw in a crowd of 100,000 to the three-day expo, running from November 21 – 23, 2008.

Four unique zones – Devices and Accessories, Innovation, Learning and Entertainment will be set up. Visitors can find the hottest in mobility-themed products at the Devices and Accessories Zone; the latest mobile technology solutions at the Innovation Zone; learning and education through mobile devices at the Learning Zone and the most trendy mobiles games, music and entertainment in the Entertainment Zone.

Apart from being the most comprehensive showcase of mobile devices and solutions, visitors can also expect fantastic deals from exhibitors. Lots of fun and enjoyable programmes are also lined up to further enhance visitors’ experience to GoMobile 2008 Expo.

The 2nd Asia Pacific M-Learning and Edutainment Conference, taking place on November 20 and 21, 2008 (a day earlier from the GoMobile Expo) at PWTC, will lend its share in making GoMobile 2008 a total mobile lifestyle experience of the year.

The two-day event will feature high-powered keynote addresses from leading lights in the mobile industry in Malaysia and other countries. Sessions will cover issues of content creation and innovation, opportunities and challenges for the global mobile content industry, the fusion of edutainment in television, music and games development and many more.

The conference is aimed at driving mobile learning adoption and innovation, making it an important networking venue for experts, practitioners and newcomers from all over the world and at the same time enabling participants to develop multinational and cross-industry contacts and partnerships, as well as to enhance their knowledge, expertise, and abilities.

“Last year’s conference was a huge success with participants from 13 countries. We received very positive feedback from the participants. This year the conference and workshop plan is more exciting and we are expecting 1000 delegates from all over the world including the United States of America, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia,” said Wemel.

The Mobile World Star Awards and Gala Dinner complete the total mobile lifestyle concept of GoMobile 2008; recognizing and celebrating the outstanding achievements, contributions and innovations in the mobile industry. The celebratory dinner which promises exciting performances and entertainment will be attended by the movers and shakers of the mobile industry.

For more information, kindly log on to: www.GoMobile.my or call 03-7877 7023.