Currently, the portal’s auxiliary income accounted for five to eight per cent of the parent company’s revenue, Firefly Holidays’ head Lau Yin May told reporters after the portal’s official launch here on Thursday.

Lau said the portal, which previously offered packages only to Firefly destinations, had now been extended its coverage to include more than 100 Malaysia Airlines worldwide destinations.

“When we first started with Firefly destinations, we got an average of 300 bookings a day. With the expansion of offerings, we hope we can grow four to five times in terms of volume as well as our auxiliary income,”

she said.

Malaysia Airlines’ senior general manager of sales and marketing, Datuk Bernard Francis, said the airline as a group, together with Firefly and MasWings, have synergised their marketing strategies through the portal to promote their products.

Through the portal, customers are given flexibility to customise and select their preferred flight timings, hotels and complement their holidays with optional transfers and tours.

Source: Bernama

The new system allows online visitors to view the hotel’s available room types and corresponding features and rates, reserve their choice  after specifying their length of stay, and get instant confirmation of their booking via email once they’ve paid the required 10% deposit using online payment system WorldPay. The simple process is guaranteed safe and secure, and takes only a few minutes to accomplish.

Sari Pacifica Hotel, Resort & Spa – Sibu Island offers 46 spacious Zen-inspired villas that exude five-star luxury and comfort. Each is amply furnished with a king-sized bed, writing table and chairs, walk-in closet with safe, living room, lounge-style balcony, dining area, private toilet with glazed two-person shower, Wi-Fi Internet access, mini-refrigerator, 32-inch LCD TV and DVD player, iron and ironing board, and IDD phone. Room rates are inclusive of welcome drinks and daily breakfast.

Guests will also appreciate the world-class facilities and services of this Johor resort. These include a swimming pool, large family jacuzzi, fine-dining restaurant and bar, lounge area with concierge, full spa facilities including in-room service, business centre, resort shop, international kitchen, ferry service, and 24-hour room service. A variety of recreational activities is also made available, including snorkelling, scuba diving, jungle trekking, beach volleyball, fishing, marine park trips, and island hopping.

Situated in Sibu Island, the resort is close to several eco-tourist attractions including Endau Rompin – a wildlife paradise, Kukup Mangrove Island, Tanjung Piai Wetlands, and Gunung Ledang, which is popular for its mystical legends and is the setting for many Malay folklore.

The initiative is the result of a strategic collaboration between Kuala Lumpur-based Creative Advances Technology and the Asean Tourism Association (Aseanta) and Bangkok-based Asean Competitiveness Enhancement Project.

In a joint statement, they said the new platform would allow tourism players to go online and get new business for free.

“The collaboration will boost Asean tourism business opportunities by putting operators’ travel packages on multiple travel trade and consumer online sites, including Aseanta’s the new southeastasia.org portal.

The Aseanta portal uses Standard Online Tourism Architecture (SOTA).

SOTA uses networking linkages to connect travel businesses with potential customers, both trade and consumer. To date, SOTA connects over 900 travel agents and over 15,000 travel suppliers worldwide.

Meanwhile, SOTA chief executive officer and founder, Rohizam Md Yusoff, said through this electronic tourism platform, tourism players could be linked and networked within the industry more effectively.

“The online tourism industry continues to grow quickly as travel customers look for more convenient ways to research, plan, book and purchase their travel,” he said.

Source: Bernama

Malaysia Airlines

flymas.mobi also connects bookings to Facebook, TripIt and Dopplr enabling friends and colleagues to be informed about each other’s travel plans if they so wish.

The technologically advanced new service also allows passengers to check the status of a delayed bag using flymas.mobi because the application can link to SITA’s WorldTracer, a fully-automated system for tracing lost and mishandled passenger baggage used by more than 440 airlines and ground-handling companies worldwide.

“Malaysia Airlines took a strategic decision to partner with SITA Lab to develop an application which would go beyond anything that exists on the market today. We did not want to simply miniaturise our web site for use on mobile phones but to create an offering based on one web application, one link and one click with no download required. Our mobile services had to work well on web-enabled mobile phones,”

said Malaysia Airlines CEO, Tengku Dato’ Azmil Zahruddin.

“We are very satisfied with the result. flymas.mobi is comprehensive and the complexity of what has been achieved is hidden behind an interface that is friendly and very easy to use. Passengers can book and hold their flights. Pay for them. Receive a 2D boarding pass after check-in. Check flight status and timetables. If a bag is delayed that can also be followed up using flymas.mobi. We can also directly offer travellers special mobile deals based on their actual location.”

Jim Peters, SITA’s Chief Technology Officer and Head of SITA Lab, added, “What we have done is to ‘mobilize’ functionalities instead of miniaturizing them. The focus is on streamlining the passenger journey with only eight menu items. The user interface is optimized for all major mobile operating systems and most mobile devices on the market. Minimal data entry is required. With flymas.mobi, all the content is rendered to ensure a ‘fit’ on the passenger’s mobile screen regardless of the device being used.”

All major operating systems and manufacturers are supported including Blackberry (RIM), the iPhone, Android Google phone, Symbian (Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson) and Windows Mobile (HTC, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson). flymas.mobi supports any screen above 128 pixels.

Source: ASIATravelTips

“We believe that over a period of 10 years it will give us benefits worth over RM2 billion,” said managing director and chief executive officer Tengku Datuk Azmil Zahruddin.

“This is both in terms of revenue for customers due to the enhancement that we are giving as well as better efficiency that we expect to get from the system,” he said at a media joint conference with SITA.

SITA, a specialist in air transport communication and information technology solutions, has been working with MAS on the PSS since May 2006.

The PSS programme is divided into five streams, namely reservation, ticketing, departure control, revenue integrity, and fares management.

The PSS is a key component of the national carrier’s Business Turnaround Plan and Business Transformation Plan.

Tengku Azmil said the system had saved MAS more than RM300 million last year.

The airline expects a rise in online sales this year with the PSS in place, but “this is subject to Internet penetration worldwide”, he said, declining to give any projection.

Online sales rose to 30 per cent from four per cent in the past 18 months for MAS and 45 per cent for MASwings, he added.

The PSS enabled MAS to achieve 100 per cent e-Ticketing by May 2008, in compliance with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) mandate.

Giving an update on phase two of the PSS, MAS general manager, transition management, Salleh Tabrani, said in the latest phase, the cutover to the new SITA reservations system was successfully concluded at the end of last month.

The airline is now on an integrated SITA platform, allowing customers to enjoy seamless service delivery and a suite of new services, including mobile and Enrich miles redemption online, he said.

“Upgrading to a new reservations platform is the equivalent of a heart transplant for an airline,” Salleh said.

“After months of planning, we successfully moved to a new system in 13 hours and transferred some 1.5 million passenger records,” he said.

Salleh said more than 3,000 reservations and ticketing staff worldwide were trained in preparation for the change.

The SITA reservations system’s suite of products includes reservations, inventory and distribution with code share, automated schedule and re-accommodation management for MAS.

The system, being used by 127 airlines, is the largest independent multi-hosted environment of its kind and MAS is the largest carrier on the SITA platform.

The airline’s e-commerce platform is now fully integrated with the SITA system to ensure faster and more streamlined online product delivery, Salleh said.

Source: Bernama

Both parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the PATA Travel Mart in Hangzhou, China, that offers the Sota platform of e-commerce, content and community to all PATA members worldwide.

PATA Chief Executive Officer Greg Duffell said this was a fantastic opportunity for its members to build and enhance their online presence.

“We are now creating a new PATA website that, when fully operational in Q1 2010, will bring major new benefits to our members,”

he said in a statement.

CAT is the developer of the Sota travel platform now being used by over 700 travel companies and organisations including Virtual Malaysia and IMT-GT Tourism.

SOTA provides the platform for these businesses to network and build sales leads connected to a global audience of more than one billion travel customers in a US00 billion marketplace.

CAT Chief Operating Officer Vincent Kok said there was clear evidence that the Internet was now the preferred medium for booking travel in many markets.

“We’ve proved the Sota platform increases opportunities for generating business leads and sales and it also, importantly, improves travel resilience,”

he said.

Kok said SOTA takes away the complexity of technology and allows operators to focus upon managing their businesses.

The MoU makes provision for the Bangkok-based PATA to receive a fee from certain online transactions via the SOTA portal on the association’s website.

Source: Bernama

Maxis Communications Bhd

“For the first time in Malaysia, prepaid customers will be able to enjoy BlackBerry with prepaid packages that will be launched very soon,” its chief marketing officer Matthew Willsher said in a statement Thursday.

Willsher said pre-booking for the new BlackBerry Curve 8520 will be available from today to September 30 and that it has been priced from as low as RM699.

Maxis was the first to launch the BlackBerry solution in the country in 2006.

This year alone, Maxis launched three new models namely the BlackBerry Pearl Flip, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 and the revolutionary BlackBerry Storm.

The new BlackBerry Curve 8520 will be available at all Maxis Centres and Maxis Exclusive Partners nationwide from next month.

Customers can call 1800 821 123 for details on how to purchase the BlackBerry Curve 8520 device.

Source: Bernama

Microsoft Asia Pacific’s chief marketing officer Andrew Pickup, in stating this, said the installed base om Malaysia is projected to reach 20 million in the next decade from 10 million currently.

“We are always positive about the Malaysian market. There are 26 million people and a big installed base, and 35 percent has access to personal computing,” Pickup said at a media briefing here today.

“With about two-third having never experienced the computer as well as the low broadband access, we see this as a tremendous opportunity,” he said.

Pickup said Microsoft was also encouraged by the Malaysian government’s commitment in implementing policies to increase computer and broadband access.

Windows 7 is expected to help to accelerate the country’s broadband penetration rate to 50 percent by 2010 from 26 percent currently, he said.

Pickup said with the current majority installed base in Malaysia being Windows Vista and local consumers will find it worthwhile to upgrade to the new Windows 7.

Windows 7 will be available locally from Oct 23 following the worldwide launch on Oct 22. It is the latest version of Microsoft Windows, a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on the PC, including home and business desktops, and laptops.

According to Pickup, Windows 7 is “quite similar” in pricing to Windows Vista.

Windows 7 will come with six versions, comprising Windows Home Basic, Windows Home Premium, Windows Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Enterprise, and Windows Starter Edition.

Citing a report by research firm International Data Corp, Pickup said Windows 7 shipments are projected to grow from 40 million in 2009 to 272 million in 2013.

By end of 2010, more than seven million people worldwide in the information technology (IT) industry and organisations using IT will be working with Windows 7, he said.

The report also stated that employment related to client operating systems will grow by more than 300,000 new jobs, or more than 30 percent of total growth in global IT employment in 2010, solely because of the launch of Windows 7.

At the media briefing, Microsoft also gave details of its collaborations with partners such as Intel, Acer, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, Lenovo and Asus on the development of Windows 7.

Source: Bernama

Maveric Systems

After exploring various markets in the Asia Pacific region, Maveric selected Malaysia, as its next overseas market for expansion.

When it begins operations by next month, Maveric will focus on banking, insurance and the government sector.

“We will be looking at software testing in insurance, Islamic finance, Takaful and commercial banking. Our audience will be the middle-level executives in these institutions. Malaysia has shown lot of commitment towards improving quality and services.Institutions are also realising the need for efficiency,” P. Venkatesh, a director of Maveric, told Bernama.

The company had set a modest revenue target of US million (RM7 million) from its Malaysian operations within the first two years.

In parallel to its investments in software testing, Maveric has tied up with the Malaysia University of Science and Technology (MUST) to hone local talent as part of its long-term human resource development plan for the software industry.

“We plan to set up a training infrastructure with MUST, a cursory level training, and later tune it into a two-year course. We need to hone skills for the technology-led financial sector because this will determine the institutions customer base or cause it to lose out to competitors,” he said.

Equipped with expertise in Islamic banking from its Middle East operation, Maveric, one of India’s three top software testing company, is keen to explore similar areas in Malaysia as well.

“With our expertise in Islamic banking in the Middle East, it will help us tap into this sector in Malaysia which is growing at a staggering rate of 35 percent year-to-year.

“With success in the Saudi Arabian market within six months of operations, we hope the Malaysian expansion would also help us to meet the growth target of 30 per cent for the financial year,” added Venkatesh.

Source: Bernama

 Tyrepac which is headquartered in Singapore has expanded across Asia to countries such as Hong Kong, Guangzhou China, and South Korea, and now, Malaysia.

“The response has been phenomenal since our launch in Singapore 6 months ago, and we’ve catapulted to the Top 10 retail sites alongside online retail giants. This goes to show the vast potential within the online retail industry in Asia”, said Adrian Thio, General Manager, South East Asia, of Tyrepac Pte. Ltd.

The new site is a one-stop online store with a comprehensive range of tyres where customers can even compare prices and products making their tyre shopping experience all that much more convenient, simpler, quicker and within the comfort of an armchair.

The web portal’s intuitive and easy-to-use interface makes it very simple for users to search for tyres based on stock dimensions by car models, tyre brands or specific tyre dimensions. Tyrepac consultants are also available through phone, email and even live chat to provide expert advice for motorists who have more enquiries on the best tyres for their car. Tyrepac consultants are also trained to help customers choose the most suitable tyres according to their daily needs, budget and lifestyle. Apart for purchasing tyres, customers can read and post reviews on tyres, and find pertinent information on tyre related matters.

Tyres listed range from the makes of Goodyear, Kumho, Continental, Sime Tyres, and Pirelli, among others, are priced competitively and include fitting in any one of the 69 fitment outlets available in Malaysia, and includes fitting, balancing and tyre valves.

“There will always be a demand for tyres, as every car, new or old will have to have their tyres changed due to wear and tear. We see great potential of growth here in Malaysia as it is currently Asia’s biggest sedan market”, said Adrian Thio, General Manager, Southeast Asia, Tyrepac.

The company plans on opening 150 fitment centres within Malaysia by end of 2009 with a strong customer service to support the expansion within the next year, making it more accessible to customers nationwide.