Microsoft Malaysia Celebrates The Best Of MY Windows Store Apps

Window 8 and Windows Phone 8 platforms seeing solid growth and momentum
Microsoft committed to building a thriving ecosystem for local talents to achieve their aspirations

KUALA LUMPUR, 29 April 2014 — Microsoft Malaysia (“Microsoft”) continues its drive to put the local app developer community center stage, by having an awards ceremony to celebrate local developers for their innovative ideas and hard work in developing them into apps for the Windows 8/Windows Phone 8 ecosystem. Held at Media Prima Theatrette in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, the celebratory event saw more than 50 local developers receive due recognition and reward for their respectively accomplishment and participation in the various app development initiatives organized by Microsoft, namely the Discover MY Apps 2014 hackathon – a partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in conjunction with Visit Malaysia year 2014; DevSorcerer (Season 2) – a partnership with Cradle Fund’s Ideas2Invest (i2i) and Hack In The Box (HITB); and the Top Partner Awards.

Team Look, first prize winner of Discover My Apps hackathon.

Microsoft has been creating an impact in transforming education and driving innovation in Malaysia for more than 20 years, by inspiring students and software developers to take up the challenge to gear up for success – personally and professionally. According to Dinesh Nair, Director of Developer and Platform Evangelism, Microsoft Malaysia, “As the ICT sector continues to be an important driver of economic growth, youth with ICT skills will find themselves better qualified for new employment and entrepreneurial activities. Microsoft is dedicated not only to helping young Malaysians harness their talents and accelerate their progress, but equally as important is to provide an ecosystem in which they can thrive. Partnerships are key to Microsoft to achieve this; from the technology to the support system, and the infrastructure needed, Microsoft is committed to working with the Government and industry stakeholders to invest in training these talents.”

Team PaoKaLiao showcasing TONTON app for Windows 8.

Discover MY Apps – Microsoft’s annual Windows Hackathon this year – harnessed the creative power of local software developers to create innovative apps that highlight the beauty and wonders of Malaysia. Discover MY Apps is a collaborative effort between Microsoft and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, with the support from partners such as BizClub PKNS, Cradle Fund, MacroKiosk, MDeC, Media Prima Digital, MY Teksi, Netizen Testing, TM and UX Malaysia.

Rashidi Hasbullah, Deputy Secretary General (Tourism Industry), Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MoTaC) who graced the event, was delighted with how youth and technology are coming together to make a positive change, in this case for the tourism industry. He said, “The world today would be a very different place without technology. As technology is evolving faster than ever before, travelers around the world have also become much more technology-savvy than in the past. As more people are connected to each other, with access to the vast pool of information available online, an increasing number of travelers are seeking information – holiday destinations, flight reservations, hotel reviews – via the Internet prior to making any travel decisions. The biggest challenge therefore is to bridge this gap between the tourism and technology industries.”

Team Social Mapper, the overall winner for DevSorcerer 2.

He continued, “The Discover MY Apps competition for our local app developers not only supports the Ministry’s tourism efforts by creating globally accessible information about our country and culture for travelers, it also contributes to nation-building by providing a platform for local talents to embrace entrepreneurism and innovation. As Malaysians, we all have a collective responsibility to nurture and train the next leaders of the country, but this role is not exclusively the Government’s. It is also a shared responsibility with the private sector and other key stakeholders. I am glad that Microsoft shares the country’s priorities, in this case supporting the Ministry’s efforts in promoting Malaysia as a top holiday destination in the world, and at the same time empowering youth by providing them with the opportunity to unleash their creativity, hone their skills, and become change-makers.”

Media Prima Digital, Malaysia’s largest digital media group, said that the chance to host the awards ceremony was a great opportunity to show its support for the nation’s digital industry, and also the minds behind the success of it. “We are glad to extend our venue to host the celebrations to recognize our local app developers. These talents thoroughly deserve the acknowledgement for their creative ideas but more importantly, the hard work and detail they have put into it. Initiatives like Discover MY Apps exemplifies what the synergy between technology and innovation can create: an opportunity to create a brighter future for the next generation of Malaysians. Our collaboration with Microsoft and the other partners has been a fruitful experience,” said Lam Swee Kim, Group General Manager, Media Prima Digital.

Tony Er of DagangAsia Net Sdn Bhd receiving Top Partners recognition from Dinesh Nair, Director of Developer and Platform Evangelism, Microsoft Malaysia.

The event also saw recognition for the winner of DevSorcerer (Season 2) and a special category to acknowledge top partners who have developed apps on the Windows 8 platform.

Abdullah Abbas, from the team that was the overall winner of DevSorcerer 2, was ecstatic with the achievement, saying, “Personally, this is actually the second time I have participated in the DevSorcerer series. This time round it was exciting for me and the team because the format of the competition was slightly different; we were required to solve various challenges prepared by the judges. It is not only a way for us to understand more about Microsoft technology, but it also allowed us to mingle around with other participants and discuss ideas that we can potentially do together in the future. As a developer, it was a very good opportunity for me to learn how to build better apps, and to share my experience with others.”

Discover My Apps hackathon winners with VIPs and sponsors.

Adding to that, Dinesh said, “Experiences like the one Abbas had are the kind that we hope to increasingly see through the many initiatives we have been doing for the local developer community. From the WOWZAPP hackathon and Asian Development Bank’s AppsForAsia program in the past, to the recent Microsoft Imagine Cup – and now the recognition for Discover MY App, DevSorcerer 2 and Top Partner developers – it is clear that our youth have the brilliance and the tenacity to be the world’s best. What is lacking however are opportunities for these developers to showcase their talents, both locally and globally. That is exactly what we have been doing, and will continue to do – providing opportunities.”

With over 140,000 apps now available on the Windows Store, Microsoft is on a constant drumbeat to provide an avenue for the local developer community for all things app. “Developers at today’s event will have the support of Microsoft Malaysia to further their ambition through the Mobile App Acceleration Camp (MAAC), a global Microsoft program that gives participants the technical, business, and financial support to help build a great app for the Windows platform. If selected, teams stand to receive a grant of up to 70,000 Euro (RM316,600) to develop their app. Locally, developers can look forward to //publish/, an event where they can bring existing apps and game projects to code with developers from around the world. Developers will receive onsite support from Microsoft and community experts to remove blockers and add the finishing touches to their projects,” concluded Dinesh.

To view the full list of local apps made by Malaysians, for Malaysians – please visit http://aka.ms/myapps

U MOBILE’S NEW ENTERPRISE MESSAGING SERVICE POWERED BY MACROKIOSK

MACROKIOSK支援U MOBILE的全新企业短讯服务

（吉隆坡2012年12月12日讯）马来西亚最具活力与创意的电讯供应商U Mobile私人有 限公司 ，公布与 Macro Kiosk有限公司的最新合作计划。MACROKIOSK是马 来西亚首 屈一指的跨 国流动科技供应商，通过新的Biz SMS Blast服务 提供企业短讯服务。这项服务 提供迅速、 简单与经济有效的方式，以进行大量与指定商业市场的通讯活动，通过具有双向手机短讯（SMS）沟通能力的群发手机短讯（SMS blasts），协助U Mobile的企业用户建立与客户之间的长 久关系。

U Mobile的Biz SMS Blast服务建立在MACROKIOSK的全球企业短讯（Global Enterprise
Messaging）平台上 ，通过一个创建于WEB的应用程 序，在一个受到控制的综合 环境内执行。它 让用户以方便与灵活的方式，只需一个 按钮，就能向他们的 指定 接收人 发出个性 化的讯息。

(L-R) Jaffa Sany Ariffin, Chief Executive Officer of U Mobile Sdn Bhd shaking hands with Kenny Goh, Group Chief Executive Officer of MACROKIOSK. U Mobile announced its latest collaboration with MACROKIOSK for U Mobile's new Biz SMS Blast service.

针对这次的合作，U Mobile私人有限公司首席执行员嘉化（Jaffa Sany Ariffin）表示，“U Mobile
不 断采取策略性的行动，以提供我们 的顾客更高的价值，这项服务见证 了我们不 断努力 的成果。这 项服务最适合我们的商业、零售、企业与中小型企业顾客。它 不仅容 易管理， 其单一联系与支援点也更具经济效应。”

他补充说，“我们感到非常荣幸能与MACROKIOSK合作，他们的全球企业短讯平台将让我们的顾客接触超过500家流动通讯营运商，以及全球20亿名使用预付与后付配套的手机用户。”

MACROKIOSK集团首席执行员Kenny Goh表示，“我们 很荣幸能与马来西亚土生土长的 电讯供应商U Mobile成为伙伴，为他们 的企业顾客提供联系能力。利用 MACROKIOSK的 科技与联系设施，U Mobile的顾客能向他们处于全球各 地的职员和顾客，立即与有效地 发送大 量双向短讯。U Mobile的Biz SMS Blast订户也能获得 优质、可靠、有效与 全面 的客 户安全保障。”

Kenny Goh补充说，“作为一家跨国流动科技供应商，我们帮助合作伙伴如U Mobile 和他们 的顾客，让他们受惠于这个简单却先进的技术，以满足他们的业务需求、提高企业营运，并为这项已被商业化的技术提供增值方案。我们期待与U Mobile展开丰硕的长久合作关系。”

Biz SMS Blast服务的独特功能将让U Mobile的企业用 户享有各种益处，包括组别 发送短 讯、个性化短讯、排列活动时间表、多语短讯、营运商之间的联系功能，以及手机号码搜寻等。

欲知更多有关U Mobile Biz SMS Blast的详情， 请浏览www.u.com.my/esms；欲知更多有关
MACROKIOSK的详情，请浏览www.macrokiosk.com。

Malaysian Mobile Technology Enabler Delivers Faster, More Reliable Data Access With Move to SQL Server

Data management features help MACROKIOSK improve database performance and query execution speeds, enabling employees and customers to get more done.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — April 24, 2012 — MACROKIOSK, a mobile technology enabler for enterprises, today announced its deployment of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2. The Malaysia-based company made the upgrade to improve performance of its relational database system and to position itself for continued business growth through enabling mobile technologies for enterprises.

Since opening its doors in 2000, MACROKIOSK has established relationships with global mobile operators and grown its etracker (Global Mobile Messaging Network) connectivity coverage to more than 2 billion mobile subscribers worldwide. With the move to SQL Server 2008 R2, MACROKIOSK will benefit from more effective tools for managing large amounts of data and providing customers with the most optimal services.

MACROKIOSK currently serves more than 2,000 clients in more than 37 countries and in 18 industries, including aviation, automotive, medical, hospitality, entertainment, banking and finance, telecommunications, and transportation and logistics. Through etracker, MACROKIOSK offers premium and bidirectional bulk messaging services that serve as the platform for end-user experiences, such as mobile banking transaction alerts, mobile airline flight booking and many other comprehensive mobile services.

“MACROKIOSK is a multicountry mobile technology enabler, and we constantly look for new opportunities for growth — whether through greater internal efficiency or expanded services for our customers,” said Joanna Hew, chief technology officer at MACROKIOSK. “We’ve been very pleased to see the breadth of features and tools in SQL Server 2008 R2, which have enabled our customers to get more done and positioned us to be more responsive to changes in the market.”

Employees and Customers Reap the Benefits

MACROKIOSK worked with Microsoft Premier Support to devise a migration plan and identify any known issues. Consequently, MACROKIOSK was able to complete the migration from SQL Server 2005 in just four hours. Since that time, MACROKIOSK has seen an increase in productivity and operational efficiency:

·           Improved performance and availability. The Table Partitioning feature in SQL Server 2008 R2 has enabled MACROKIOSK to split each database table across multiple physical devices, increasing query execution speeds by up to 100 percent. And with a combination of Data Mirroring and a failover configuration, MACROKIOSK improved the availability of its databases.

·           Reduced hardware requirements. SQL Server 2008 R2 performed fast backups, while producing compressed backup files that were smaller. MACROKIOSK currently manages about 3.8 terabytes of data and has up to 200 users querying this data simultaneously. The size of uncompressed in-production data remains the same, but the company has seen a 50 percent reduction in the size of compressed backup database files.

·           Easier administration. The combination of an improved user interface, enhanced management tools and simpler maintenance procedures help database administrators increase productivity and efficiency. For example, IntelliSense is an auto-suggest/auto-complete feature that assists administrators when entering commands. And Data Collector identifies tables that are sluggish and offers configuration recommendations to improve their performance.

The enhanced database management features in SQL Server 2008 R2 have also improved the user experience for MACROKIOSK customers, many of whom must download data from the company’s servers to create a report. Features such as Table Partitioning have led to a noticeable reduction in how long it takes for customers to generate these reports.

TRIGOH ACQUIRES MACROKIOSK

The Goh brothers via Trigoh Sdn Bhd buys 70% stake in IVIACROKIOSK from Goldis for RM 15 million

Kuala Lumpur, 28 December 2011

The founders of Macro Kiosk Berhad (“MACROKlOSK"), Asia’s leading multi-country mobile technology enabler, initiated a management buyout (“IVlBO”) of NIACROKIOSK from Goldie Berhad (“Goldis”) recently. The MBO by Malaysian brothers, Kenny Goh, Henry Goh and Goh Chee Seng who are the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Corporate Affairs of IVIACROKIOSK respectively; will be carried out via their corporate vehicle, Trigoh Sdn. Bhd. The MBO encompasses the purchase of the 70% stake in IVIACROKIOSK currently held by Goldis for RM 15 million cash. Goldis reported that the proposed disposal was a timely opportunity for it to realise and unlock the value of its original investment in MACROKIOSK as it will result in an estimated gain of about RM9.5 million derived from the buyout proceeds at Goldis’ Group level.

Kenny Goh, Chief Executive Officer of NIACROKIOSK said, “We, along with the loyal MACROKIOSK team, are proud to have built the business from day one as a Malaysian brand. Through the team’s commitment and the valued support of our business associates, we have grown our business organically in the Asian region and reached this important milestone. Our business is all about enabling the mobile strategy of corporations. We anticipated the potential of mobile technology 11 years ago when it was not regarded as a business tool. We are gratefui to those who had faith in our vision and entrepreneurial spirit. We are now ready to surge ahead and embrace fresh horizons.

This acquisition gives us more control and aliows us to be more nimble and flexible in pursuing new opportunities, whilst ensuring that all our customers still continue to have the best experience in both services and support.”
"We believe we have a successful formula as already, we are present in 13 countries - Australia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, And Beyond Thailand and Vietnam. Our next market will be the UAE, anchored in Dubai and our immediate plan is to further strengthen our foothold in the Middle East where we aim to cover the entire region within three to four years. We serve 18 key industries and are actively looking to enter new industries and markets. Our current scale coupled with the scalability of our products gives us great leverage and economies in the countries we go into; a definite advantage against competitors. We help customers benefit from this simple yet advanced technology to meet their business needs and enhance their operations; providing value-added, customised solutions for what is largely seen as a commoditised technology,” Kenny shared.

MACROKIOSK has a solid financial track record and is maintaining this momentum amidst expansion. The company registered Rl\fl7,000 in revenue during its first financial year ended 31 January 2001, and posted RM73,000 in revenue the following year. The MACROKIOSK siblings anticipate that the company will continue to record healthy double­digit growth annually. MACROKIOSK posted revenue of RM86 million for the year ended 31 January 2011.

“Increasingly, people are shifting more of their analogue lives to their mobile phones, which are becoming more powerful and ubiquitous. Borderless commerce and convergence is now the way of life. We need to keep up with customers’ needs and demands. Our past successes have given us the confidence to aim for global markets such as the Middle East, Europe and the US. We are looking to cover at least 10 more countries in the next 5 years. We want to move our company higher up the value chain. Our product development and innovation division, which explores new technology, plans to develop at least 8 new products annually in the mobile technology space. These are designed with our customers’ future needs in mind, so that they will see value in using more IVIACROKIOSK services as they grow. We started out with messaging services, but are now delivering comprehensive mobile services and solutions to businesses in over 18 industries as well as telco solutions to major telcos in the region. The availability of the end­to-end solutions and applications we can offer in different industries and geographies is not limited by the technology but how fast we can expand into these markets and sectors. We anticipate the entire MBO Process to be completed by February 2012 and look forward to sharing more of our future plans then," Kenny added.

Macrokiosk進軍大中華市場

MACROKIOSK Deepens Market Presence in China, HK, Macau & Taiwan

Kuala Lumpur, March 6, 2008: Mobile messaging technology enabler Macro Kiosk Berhad has deepened and widened its reach and presence in the lucrative China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan markets through a deal with IGM, an established leading mobile value-added services group.

In the RM3.55 million deal sealed after months of negotiations, MACROKIOSK acquired two IGM companies with extended links in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan and took over a commercial agreement with a Macau mobile operator.

The share sale agreement with IGM Asia Holdings Ltd saw MACROKIOSK buying the entire issued share capital of IGM Mobile China Ltd and of IGM Mobile Guangzhou Ltd.

MACROKIOSK also took over a commercial agreement between IGM Asia Pacific Ltd and Macau mobile operator, Companhia de Telecomunicacoes de Macau S.A.R.L. (CTM).

“This strategic acquisition immediately strengthens our links to mobile operators in the four markets and deepens our market presence,” said Kenny Goh, Chief Executive Officer of Macro Kiosk Berhad at a media briefing.

“We are talking about the immense potential of these markets with China having 547 million mobile users, 11 million in Hong Kong and another 24 million in Taiwan,” he said.

IGM group provides premium mobile community-based communications, entertainment and multimedia services to mobile network operators (MNOs) and mobile phone users in the form of technology platforms and value-added applications and content. They have headquarters in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China.

The acquisitions were funded entirely by internally-generated funds.

Goh said the IGM Mobile China Ltd acquisition would extend MACROKIOSK’s reach to Taiwan, which has ceased granting short codes. Thus, MACROKIOSK would have unparalleled connectivity and working rights with all the mobile operators in Taiwan.

He also said this synergistic development would strengthen MACROKIOSK’s links in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan with the following key mobile operators.

Country/Area
Mobile Operator
China
China Mobile, China Unicom

Hong Kong
CSL, New World Mobility, PCCW, Smartone, People, Hutchison Telecom
Macau
Companhia de Telecomunicacoes de Macau S.A.R.L. (CTM)

Taiwan
Asia Pacific Broadband Wireless, Far East Tone, Taiwan Mobile, Chung Hwa Telecom, VIBO


“With IGM Mobile Guangzhou Ltd, MACROKIOSK now has connectivity and presence in five provinces, namely, Beijing, Hebei, Sichuan, Hunan and Guangdong.”

He noted that businesses in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan were showing increasing interest in leveraging on SMS technology as part of their business communications as well as to monetise their mobile services. MACROKIOSK was responding to this growing market demand.

Goh also mentioned in time to come, MACROKIOSK intends to launch services across China’s 22 provinces, thus allowing content providers unlimited access to China’s mobile users.

“Furthermore, to demonstrate our commitment to the North Asia market, we’ve invested over RM10 million in North Asia operations, encompassing China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Truly, MACROKIOSK is here for the long haul,” added Goh.

IGM Asia Holdings Ltd Chairman Philip Wong said the IGM Group was indeed happy with the excellent partnership forged with MACROKIOSK. “We have chosen MACROKIOSK because we find the leaders and management to be very much aligned and in line with the vision that we at IGM hold dearly.”

In a video message to the Malaysian media, Wong said: “Like us, the MACROKIOSK leadership, has a dream of connecting and powering the mobile community of Asia and beyond.

“My co-founders and I are confident that under MACROKIOSK, the two IGM companies will achieve greater heights. Having done our research, we know that MACROKIOSK already works with the largest and hottest brand names in the market,” he said.

Macro Kiosk Berhad, the SMS gateway to Asia, provides mobile messaging solutions across all leading industries. It also has offices in Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Through its locally-developed etracker, MacroKiosk has links with 364 telcos in over 115 countries worldwide.