JOHOR BARU: Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) is going all out to get small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and individual online businesses to use information and communication technology (ICT) solutions in their operations.
TM Consumer and SME executive vice-president Imri Mokhtar said there were thousands of SMEs and online businesses that did not fully utilise ICT solutions.
He said the company would engage with them on ICT-related services offered by TM which they could use to further build and develop their businesses.
Imri said at a press conference recently that a number of SME and SoHo (small office home office) businesses have the perception that investing in technology would eat into their operating cost.
He said the local SMEs and SoHos need to start changing their mindset or else their businesses would not be able to compete with their competitors.
“With the advancement of technology, you can literally expand your customer base just at the click of the button or in this case a mouse,’’ said Imri.
He added that the Asean Economic Community offered lots of opportunities for SMEs but they need to embrace technology to attract younger consumers.
Imri said by using ICT solutions, they could offer online ordering and payment services to their customers by using the gateway online pay system including credit card and debit card companies. “By having reliable online ordering and payment systems, they have better chances to attract more customers who will be more confident dealing with them,’’ he added.
Separately, he said TM would continue to provide value-added services to more than 500,000 SMEs clients who have been with company for many years.
Meanwhile, TM Johor vice-president Azhar Omar said the company would further expand the high-speed broadband (HSBB) in Johor this year to three new locations – Batu Pahat, Taman Perling and Tiram. “Demand for UniFi services in Johor is good especially in Iskandar Malaysia and Johor recorded the highest numbers of our UniFi subscribers in the country last year,’’ he said.
Azhar said currently 10 areas in Iskandar Malaysia – Johor Baru, Nusajaya, Gelang Patah, Tampoi, Permas Jaya, Senai, Pelangi, Pandan, Pasir Gudang and Kulaijaya were connected with HSBB facilities.
