Blitzing indoor ads: Three companies combine to provide infotainment

PETALING JAYA: Bridge IT System Sdn Bhd, Persoft Systems Sdn Bhd and Mediabiz Creative Sdn Bhd this morning entered into a partnership to collaborate on implementing Bitz Ad, an indoor media solution project integrating advertising, marketing and infotainment at various ministries and government agencies.

Bridge IT Systems managing director Datuk Muhammad Radzuan Abdul Hamid said Bridge IT System has been awarded the concession to supply, install and operate indoor information screens at 500 government offices nationwide.

Under the collaboration, Persoft Systems will finance, design and construct the infrastructure facility and manage the Bitz Ad project while MediaBiz Creative has been appointed the exclusive media house for its airtime marketing.

The event also saw ECE Technologies Sdn Bhd being appointed manufacturer to supply multimedia digital plasma for the Bitz Ad project.

The investment for the whole project is about RM15 to RM17 million.

Muhammad Radzuan said Bitz Ad will serve as the main advertising avenue for the small and medium enterprise industry to showcase their products and services.

He added that the advertising channel will be carried out through 42" Plasma televisions in 671 high-traffic government offices and premises, in which airtime distribution will consists of 85-90 per cent advertisements and 10-15 per cent ministry or local state information.

"Our aim is to reach 1,000 units nationwide for the first rollout and 5,000 by year-end. Our target clientele include SME players, corporate, government and major industries," he said, adding that Bitz Ad will kick off end of this month.

Present at the signing ceremony were Mediabiz Creative managing drector Sariffudin Zainal, ECE Technologies executive director Mushtaq Hussin A. Ahmad, Persoft Systems group executive director Shaiful Annuar Ahmad Shaffie and Persoft Systems project director Hazrul Hisyam Hassan.

ECE Tech to list in London by end-May

AIM is the alternative investment market for smaller and growing companies, of which there are now 18 Malaysian companies.

ECE group managing director Norjannah Zainal said the listing entails the floating of 60 million new ordinary shares of 15 pence each worth a total of STG9 million or RM45 million.

"Half of the proceeds will be used for our expansion plans in both domestic and overseas market especially in Indonesia, while the other half is for working capital and listing expenses. "The bulk of the RM45 million will be used to set up our third and fourth plant in Medan and Bogor, respectively, in Indonesia," Norjannah told Business Times and Berita Harian in an interview recently.

ECE, which makes electrical home appliances such as cathode ray televisions and air conditioners, owns two plants in Shah Alam, Selangor and Taiping, Perak.

Norjannah said the firm chose to list in London instead of Bursa Malaysia because it wants to position its brand in Europe as part of its long-term plan to be a global player.

"We want to penetrate deeper into the European market and are in the process of signing agreements with foreign counterparts to assemble and co-produce electrical appliances with major international brands," said Norjannah.

ECE's IPO will be handled by the UK's Daniel Stewart and Co, the same investment bank which handled the IPO of renowned shoemaker Jimmy Choo.

Once listed, it will be known as ECE Zaira Ltd.

Norjannah is confident that the flotation will be oversubcribed as to date, 80 per cent of the IPO had been snapped up.

The IPO, however, is not open to the Malaysian public except via institutional investors such as the Employees Provident Fund.

Established in 1973, ECE (East Coast Electronics) was previously known as AIC Display Sdn Bhd and makes audio visual products such as cathode ray, LCD and LED televisions, DVD players and home theatre systems.

It also makes home and kitchen appliances such as air-conditioners, washing machines, mist fans, vacuum cleaners, vacuum cleaners and kitchen appliances such as gas burners, blenders and juice extractors under brand names such as ECElectronis, Plaxio and AE Tech.

The company has a niche market in the Northern Corridor Economic Region and East Coast states such as Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah with its competitively-priced products.

Employing 70 workers, ECE exports its products to India, African countries and Indonesia and allocates 10 per cent of its yearly revenue on research and develoment.

With an authorised paid-up capital of RM10 million, of which RM9.5 million is paid-up, the company churns out some 250,000 units of cathode ray televisions and 30,000 LCD televisions a year.

It aims to garner a bigger market share to 12 per cent from a few per cent last year of the local in electrical and electronics industry, which is worth some RM4 billion a year.

This is by rolling out more innovative products and aggressive marketing via its 700 distributors and dealers.

ECE now has a US$100 million (RM301 million) job order, which includes assembling electrical products for a Saudi Arabia-based electrical products supply company.

The company made a revenue of RM15 million last year and is forecast to grow to RM100 million by the year-end.

Pintu pelaburan sentiasa terbuka

KUALA LUMPUR 26 Dis. - Wilayah Ekonomi Koridor Utara (NCER) bersedia membuka pintu kepada syarikat-syarikat di Thailand dan Jepun yang berhasrat memindahkan operasinya yang terjejas ekoran bencana alam di kedua-dua negara itu.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Pihak Berkuasa Pelaksanaan Koridor Utara (NCIA), Datuk Redza Rafiq Abdul Razak berkata, pihaknya bersedia menawarkan tempat demi memastikan kelangsungan rantaian bekalan dan produk dapat diteruskan seperti biasa.

"Apa yang berlaku di negara Jepun dan Thailand telah memberi kesan kepada beberapa industri apabila rantaian bekalan alatan serta produk terjejas teruk.

"Bagi NCIA, ia merupakan tanggungjawab kami membantu mereka yang memerlukan bantuan dengan memberi mereka peluang untuk mengambil manfaat daripada kemampuan serta kebolehan sektor swasta di NCER," katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia di sini.

Tambah Redza, NCIA tidak mahu dilihat sebagai mengambil kesempatan kepada kesusahan orang lain tetapi lebih menjurus membantu sekiranya mana-mana pihak memerlukan pertolongan serta lengkap-melengkapi antara satu sama lain.

Ketika ditanya sama ada terdapat syarikat-syarikat dari kedua-dua negara itu meluahkan hasrat untuk beroperasi di NCER, Redza enggan mengulas lanjut tetapi berkata, sebarang pengumuman akan dibuat sekiranya terdapat perkembangan terkini.

Sementara itu, fokus NCIA pada tahun hadapan adalah untuk mengembangkan pelaburan sedia ada dengan memangkin lebih banyak kesan sampingan kepada industri-industri lain.

"Kami akan memanfaatkan sepenuhnya kemampuan setiap syarikat yang berada di rantau ini dan meningkatkan lagi kemampuan mereka untuk memberikan hasil yang maksimum.

"Walaupun strategi kami telah berubah sedikit pada 2012, pelabur luar yang ingin masuk ke NCER masih lagi dialu-alukan," jelasnya.

Pada tahun ini sahaja, NCER telah menerima beberapa pelaburan daripada syarikat-syarikat dari Jerman dalam sektor ruang angkasa, Perancis dalam sektor logistik serta Austria dalam sektor pemotoran.

Selain itu, terdapat dua syarikat Jepun yang berminat untuk beroperasi di NCER iaitu dalam industri sokongan sektor automotif.

NCER telah menerima pelaburan sebanyak RM6.89 bilion dengan 25 perjanjian telah dimeterai dari bulan Januari ke bulan Julai 2011.

Redza berkata, syarikat-syarikat tempatan di dalam NCER bukan sahaja menumpukan perniagaan dalam negara sahaja tetapi turut mengembangkan operasi mereka ke luar negara.

"Contoh terbaik adalah syarikat di Kamunting, Perak iaitu ECE Technologies, yang telah berjaya memperluaskan pasaran ke Indonesia, India, United Kingdom dan negara-negara Timur tengah," katanya.