Semiconductor firm Intel Malaysia has recognised its employees who have recorded more than 60,000 volunteer hours in the community and also awards 400 students from schools and non-governmental organisations from Kulim, Kedah and Penang with Back2School kits comprising school bags, school uniforms and stationery sets.

Speaking on 3 December 2012, Intel Malaysia managing director and vice president of the corporation’s technology manufacturing group, Robin Martin, said the volunteer hours are recorded under the “1K: I’m In” campaign, which is a community initiative also under the Intel Involved Matching Grant Program (IIMGP) launched in conjunction with Intel Malaysia’s 40th year anniversary celebrations earlier this year. Through this campaign, departments across Intel Malaysia were encouraged to volunteer a minimum of 1,000 hours to each school that it adopts.

“By setting a performance target for our Intel Involved volunteers through the ’1K: I’m In’ campaign, we reaffirm our commitment to making a positive, and sustained difference in our community,” said Martin. “Intel Malaysia is committed to enhancing the quality of life in the communities in which we live and work.”

Under IIMGP, Intel Malaysia employees are encouraged to volunteer their time and talent to qualified non-profit and non-governmental organisations, in addition to schools. Since the launch of IIMGP in 2006, Intel Foundation has disbursed about RM4 million (US$1.315 million) in funds to its beneficiaries for various projects and this amounts to over 370,000 in volunteer hours by Intel employees in Malaysia to date.

Martin said: “I am extremely proud to see my colleagues pitching in time and energy into enriching the local community through skills-based activities like teaching math and science, basic computing skills and entrepreneurship and I would like to thank my colleagues in Intel Malaysia for rising to the challenge so selflessly.”

“I personally find volunteer work to be such a fulfilling experience. I am glad to be working in an organisation that not only encourages my colleagues and I to pursue our philanthropic interests but also further rewards the charity in which we volunteer as an added incentive. This makes our lives that much richer and more meaningful,” said Siow EK, an IT engineer. Siow is one of 10 top tracking Intel Involved Volunteer and has recorded a total of 770 hours volunteering in various organisations for the year 2012.

Intel Malaysia has long established a stellar track record of corporate citizenship in its efforts among the community. In 2007, Intel Malaysia was awarded the inaugural Prime Minister’s CSR Award for the Best in Community and Social Welfare Category, and once again in 2009 for the Best in Environment Category, with Honorable Mentions in Education and Workplace Practices.

This year, Intel Malaysia is one of eleven finalists selected for the US Secretary of State’s prestigious 2012 Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE). The ACE recognises the vital role U.S. businesses play abroad as good corporate citizens and has recognised Intel Malaysia’s contributions to the local community in areas including promoting energy and water conservation, computer literacy for adults and educational advancement for disadvantaged youth.

“I offer my heartiest congratulations to Intel Malaysia and the Intel Involved Volunteers for the impressive work that they have achieved through their various CSR initiatives undertaken through the ’1K:I’m In’ campaign,” said Yang Berhormat Dr. Haji Mohd. Puad Zarkashi, Deputy Minister of Education II, who was also present at the Intel Malaysia Back2School 2012 event. “I hope that Intel Malaysia will continue to keep up the good work in the years to come and strongly urge other corporations to take their corporate citizenship responsibilities as seriously as Intel Malaysia does.”

Yang Berhormat Dr. Haji Mohd. Puad Zarkashi, Deputy Minister of Education II was the Guest of Honour at Intel Malaysia’s Back2School presentation ceremony. The ceremony was attended by 400 students from 19 schools and four non-governmental organisations from Kulim, Kedah and Penang who were presented with Back2School kits comprising school bags, school uniforms and stationery sets.

Photo – Y.B Dr. Haji Mohd. Puad Zarkashi, Deputy Minister of Education II handing out Back2School kits to underprivileged schoolchildren.

Wholly owned subsidiary of Berjaya Corporation, BLoyalty, has launched Malaysia’s first loyalty programme application with the help of finalists from this year’s Miss Universe Malaysia.

The mobile app – BRewarded on the Go – is bringing more convenience and flexibility to suit today’s lifestyles as it revolutionises how loyalty programmes connect with its subscribers, bringing brands even closer to consumers in real time, said BLoyalty director Gary Yeoh.

Yeoh said that in conjunction with the launch of BRewarded on the Go, BLoyalty also launched a ‘BRewarded Contest,’ which encourages users to download and share the brand new mobile app with their social networks. “Contest participants can win up to RM40,000 [US$13,300] in prizes, including exclusive holiday trips, Samsung Galaxy Note II smartphones, BPoints as weekly prizes and food & beverage vouchers as daily prizes when they download the app from 4 December 2012 to 29 January 2013.”

He said that BCARD is the country’s number one multi-partner loyalty programme in terms of participating partners and is the only loyalty card that rewards its cardholders twice, at the point of purchase and at the point of redemption.

“The BRewarded On-The-Go mobile app is available on the iOS and Android platforms allowing members to be constantly updated on the latest promotions, share these promotions with their friends, locate the nearest merchants, check their account balance and recent transactions and redeem their rewards on the go,” said Yeoh.

“The latest merchant rewards and offerings are updated in real-time through the ‘BRewarded On-The-Go’ mobile app allowing users to receive instantaneous alerts from their favourite brands. The app also features the redemption highlights from the various partner brands across multiple sectors.” he said.

“The compelling proposition with the BRewarded On-The-Go mobile app for users is to provide convenience and freedom for their lifestyle needs,” said Yeoh. “It is truly exciting for our BCARD members, a large majority of which have embraced the digital lifestyle wholeheartedly, and navigate their daily experiences through the usage of their smartphones.”

“For our 60 merchant partners, who are already using the BCARD advantage to reach, reward and understand new and existing customers better, the BRewarded on the Go Mobile App means that they can now cultivate an even more personal and engaging relationship with their fans in real time,” he said.

The BCARD BRewarded on the Go Campaign was launched with the presence of the Miss Universe Malaysia finalists 2013. The launch presented a live walkthrough in the handling of the mobile app, as well as information on how to participate in the “BRewarded on the Go” contest.

According to Nielsen’s latest social media study, 46 percent of Malaysian social media users choose a mobile phone for their social media interactions, which makes Malaysia one of the top five users in the Asia Pacific region, said the market research firm.

Speaking on 20 November 2012, Nielsen Malaysia managing director Richard Hall said Malaysian social media users of mobile (46 percent) was slightly lower than the global average of 47 percent but ahead of Japan (44 percent), Australia (43 percent), Taiwan (34 percent) and New Zealand (27 percent) in the Asia Pacific region.

Hall said Nielsen’s State of Social Media Report, which is based on a survey of global digital consumers, also revealed that 15 percent of social media users engage with social media via tablets. This has helped position Malaysia as fifth among the top five tablet users listed among the 14 countries surveyed in the Asia Pacific region, after China (40 percent), Hong Kong (26 percent), Singapore (25 percent) and Thailand (20 percent).

“Social media has become an essential means of networking and is truly embedded in many Malaysians’ everyday lives,” he said. “At the same time, Internet capable mobile devices, both smartphone and tablet computer ownership is also gaining significant momentum in Malaysia. The combination of consumer needs and on-the-go accessibility lead to a rather interesting segmentation of cross-platform behaviour and has increased opportunities for simultaneous media consumption. ”

In Malaysia, half of (50 percent) those users surveyed claimed that they watch TV and access social media networks simultaneously, higher than the global and Asia-Pacific average of 46 and 47 percent respectively, added Hall.

He said the survey showed that social media is still an important tool to connect people at large. “Seventy-four (74) percent of social media users keep in touch with family members at least once a week while three out of five connect with existing or find old friends on a weekly basis or more often. Although globally and regionally, source of entertainment is the next important reason users participate in social media, learning and finding brand experience has taken the second position after connecting people in Malaysia.”

The Nielsen State of Social Media Report was conducted on 10-27 February 2012 and polled more than 28,000 online consumers in 56 countries throughout Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and North America. The sample has quotas based on age and sex for each country based on their Internet users, and is weighted to be representative of Internet consumers and has a maximum margin of error of ±0.6 percent.

This Nielsen survey is based on the behaviour of respondents with online access only. Internet penetration rates vary by country. Nielsen uses a minimum reporting standard of 60 percent Internet penetration or 10M online population for survey inclusion. The Nielsen Global Survey was established in 2005.

Do not under-estimate the power of social media

“Sixty-three (63) percent of social media users turn to social networking websites to learn more about brands, products and services or hear about others’ positive or negative experiences at least once per week,” said Hall.

“Entertainment was at the sixth position (61 percent) followed by the activity of seeking online monetary incentives or deals such as promotions and coupons (54 percent),” he said. “On the other hand, 42 percent of users indicate that they will express their concerns or complaints about products or brand on a weekly basis or more frequently.”

“Consumers’ online conversations and responses via social media are changing the nature and impact of brand interactions; it offers valuable insights about customers and their preferences with real-time feedback. Marketers should not under-estimate the power of social media,” said Hall.

“Consumers have become increasingly confident and savvy in sourcing other consumers’ comments or purchase experience as reference for purchase decision making,” he said. “On the other hand, many do not hesitate to express their concerns and unpleasant experience online. If you see it and react positively, social media actually provides marketers with more touch points to reach current and potential customers and serve as a good tool for improving marketing effectiveness.”

“Almost half (48 percent) of social media users surveyed claimed they have used social networking to share or discuss their experiences of products or services related to food and beverage and travel or leisure in the last 12 months. Two in five have done so on their encounters about entertainment (42 percent) and restaurants (40 percent),” said Hall.

“When it comes to the likelihood of purchasing a product or services in the coming year based on reviews on social media website, the centre of focus of the social media users in Malaysia is still concentrated around the out of home leisure activities, he said. “Four out of five (80 percent) respondents intend to purchase products and services related to travel/leisure, 72 percent would likely buy food and beverage related products based on the positive recommendation shared online, followed by entertainment related products or services and restaurant (both at 68 percent).”

“Social media is now highly seen as an integrated real-time platform to test new ideas and product strategies to obtain real-time feedback,” said Hall. “Marketers are gradually using it to make corrections to product strategy and marketing campaigns,” said Hall. “The opportunities for companies to connect and engage with consumers online are more plentiful than ever before, and marketers need to move fast to ensure they stay one step ahead of the curve and know how to win customers in a larger community by serving and inciting their interests.”

Japanese Internet services firm Rakuten launched its Rakuten Online Shopping mall in Malaysia on 1 November 2012 with more than 11,000 goods, promising a ‘Shopping is Entertainment’ experience to Malaysian consumers.

Rakuten Online Shopping’s president and chief executive officer Masaya Ueno said many of Malaysia’s top retailers are offering a diverse mix of product categories, including consumer electronics, computer and IT, healthcare, fashion apparels, jewellery and accessories.

Ueno said that customers can expect an exciting line-up from more than 40 top retailers at launch, including Senheng Electric, Best Denki, CARiNG Pharmacy, Toys ‘R’ Us, and Poh Kong, among others, with more merchants and products being added each day.

“Rakuten Online Shopping brings to the market a unique and interactive online shopping experience,” he said. “We believe that shopping online can and should be as exciting and interactive as a live market and not simply the vending-machine-like experience that most sites offer.”

“Unlike existing shopping sites, Rakuten Online Shopping is a virtual mall populated with multiple stores that cater to various segments of interest,” said Ueno. “It employs Japan’s world famous customer service standards and innovative collaborations with reliable partners to deliver a trusted shopping environment that is efficient, hassle-free and secure.”

“Aside from the ability to shop anytime, customers are also treated with exciting promotions by the mall and individual merchants,” he said. “It also features the award-winning Rakuten Super Points loyalty rewards programme that incentivise shoppers with points for all purchases that are redeemable as payment for future purchases.”

“The launch represents a significant first step in our journey towards growing Rakuten into a full Internet services company in Malaysia,” said Ueno. “We aim to build an ecosystem here that is similar in Japan, where we now offer over 40 different Internet services, in addition to e-commerce, all connected by Rakuten Super Points.”

The national cyber security agency CyberSecurity Malaysia has launched this year’s Cyber Security Malaysia Awards, Conference and Exhibition (CSM-ACE) 2012 with the theme ‘CyberSecurity Risk & Compliance for Economic Transformation.’ The event was held in conjunction with the World Innovation Forum Kuala Lumpur (WIFKL) 2012.

CyberSecurity Malaysia chairman General Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Panglima Mohd Azumi Mohamed (Retired) said CSM-ACE 2012 is intended to increase awareness of “mandatory compliance of information-security standards as well as to provide a strategic platform for government agencies to get information on info-security standards.”

This year, the event formed part of the National Transformation Programme under the Strategic Reform Initiative (SRI) to conduct trade events and business matching opportunities, the development of which is spearheaded by PEMANDU, a unit under the Prime Minister’s Department, said Mohd Azumi.

“This year, CSM-ACE 2012 promises to build on the solid foundation laid,” he said. “We seek to unite cyber security experts to share their valuable experiences, innovative ideas and to address tomorrow’s cyber security issues and challenges.”

Mohd Azumi said CSM-ACE should “nurture a strong culture of cyber security awareness” especially among ICT users particularly in the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) sectors. “This is to educate and strengthen Malaysia’s self-reliance in terms of technology, standard and compliance.”

“The theme is significant as it underscores the important roles played by the Malaysian government in placing cyber security as a key growth sector in the Economic Transformation Programme, where ICT forms an integral role in nation building especially in the CNII sectors,” he said.

CSM-ACE 2012 featured three conference tracks namely Governance, Standard & Compliance; Technical; and Business Continuity Management. HeiTech Managed Services was the official partner for Track 3 on Business Continuity Management.

Cyber space is critical to Malaysia

CyberSecurity Malaysia’s acting chief executive officer, Zahri Hj. Yunos, said: “Cyber space is critical to Malaysia’s economic prosperity and national security. The government has taken various initiatives to establish a strategic framework to propel into the new digital economy by creating a digital ecosystem that can increase revenue, improve productivity and enhance the standard of living in Malaysia.”

“CSM-ACE 2012 will delve into both national and global perspectives on national cyber security policy with an aim to develop more robust governance and compliance mechanisms,” said Zahri. “In doing so, we could create a safer cyber space to enable communication, collaboration and commerce for nations to prosper.”

About 50 professional speakers and experts in ICT security field with more than 500 delegates from local and abroad attended the two-day event. The major highlight of CSM-ACE 2012 is the conferment of Malaysia Cyber Security Awards to recognise highly talented information security professionals, homegrown SMEs and global organisations for their outstanding contribution in the ICT security field. The awards are expected to further encourage innovation, commitment, and foster strategic alliances within the local security and ICT industry.

Another component of the CSM-ACE 2012 is the ICT security exhibition. The exhibition showcased ICT security products and solutions developed locally and internationally. A special pavillion was constructed to highlight innovative ICT products that have obtained Common Criteria (ISO15408) certifications, which means those products complied with globally accepted standards and assurance requirements issued by the Malaysian Common Criteria Evaluation & Certification (MyCC) scheme.