IFCA BECOMES FIRST MALAYSIAN COMPANY TO SIGN WORLDWIDE ISV AGREEMENT WITH IBM

IFCA Consulting Group is now concentrating on increasing our market share in the Southern African region and new markets in Indo China, Middle East and China so as to register greater profitability whilst bringing in precious foreign exchange into Malaysia.

In realizing our global expansion aspirations, we have signed an ISV Advantage Agreement with IBM Corporation World Trade Centre (represented by IBM Malaysia). Now, the Group will be able to leverage on the influential global reach of the world's largest IT company in terms of technology as well as IBM’s resources and database globally. This will result in the export of ‘Malaysian-made’ solutions to strategic global markets.

A signing ceremony was held in Plaza IBM on 21 Nov 2003 between IFCA Consulting Group represented by Mr Leong Nyu Kuan and Mr Hong Kok Cheong who represented IBM Malaysia, witnessed by investors and the media.

IFCA TO CAPTURE GREATER MART SHARE IN M’SIA AND INTERNATIONALLY

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 (Bernama) -- IFCA MSC Bhd, believes that its recently-concluded Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Advantage Agreement with IBM, will further propel the former to capture greater market share in Malaysia and internationally.

IFCA was listed on the Malaysian Mesdaq market on July 30 this year.

IFCA group president Leong Nyu Kuan said in a statement here Friday that the IFCA Group's specialty is in the provision of fully-integrated suites of enterprise-wide application solutions for the property, construction, hospitality and finance industries.

"With this agreement, we plan to replicate our success globally with our internationally accepted software," Leong said.

IFCA is the first Malaysian company to sign the ISV Agreement with IBM.

This landmark agreement builds upon the existing PartnerWorld relationship between both parties and complements the IBM PartnerWorld Agreement (International Terms) that were previously in place.

PartnerWorld is a comprehensive marketing and enablement programme which provides a vast array of benefits which include, among others, the sharing of resources and marketing efforts, technical resources and support, training and certification and business incentives for significant advances in the industry.

Meanwhile, IBM Malaysia software group country manager, Hong Kok Cheong said that the agreement enables IFCA to leverage on IBM's global network to realise their global expansion aspirations whilst also empowering the latter to tap into IBM's resources and database.

-- BERNAMA

PROMOSING YEAR AHEAD FOR IFCA
The Star (Star Biz), Saturday 22 November 2003

IFCA MSC Bhd is expecting software sales abroad and its new tie-up with IBM to significantly boost revenue and profit for its 2004 financial year.

The developer of industry specific business solutions was also in talks with Chinese software companies to jointly market its solutions to China's property companies, IFCA president Leong Nyu Kuan said.

"The performance of our global revenue will depend on how we work with IBM in 2004,'' said IFCA vice-president Tan Chen Meng.

IFCA signed in Kuala Lumpur yesterday an independent software vendor (ISV) agreement which would see the company’s software being bundled with IBM hardware for sales globally.

IFCA is the first Malaysian company to have signed an ISV agreement with IBM in Malaysia.

IBM Malaysia is talking with between five and eight other Malaysian companies to sign similar agreements.

“With this agreement, we plan to replicate our success globally with our internationally accepted software,'' said Leong.

Overseas revenue is seen as a bottom line booster for IFCA as revenue from abroad is projected to flow directly into profits.

The company says that revenue from domestic operations would be sufficient to cover operating expenses.

A profit margin of between 25% and 30% is expected from businesses conducted overseas, and IFCA is projecting revenue to grow by double-digits next year.

IFCA, which has 14 offices worldwide, has started a Mandarin version of its solutions and wants to form a partnership with a Chinese company to penetrate the market in the fast growing economy.

It expects to make its first sale in China in January next year.

“This is the time for us to build an international brand,'' said Leong.

Meanwhile, IFCA in a statement to the KLSE yesterday announced that it's subsidiary IFCA Solutions Sdn Bhd had on Nov 19 entered into a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Khanh Hoa Trading and Investment Company (TIC) Vietnam, the owner of a number of hotels and resorts.

The MoA, valued at RM1.1mil, is for the supply, installation, training and implementation of IFCA D' Hotel systems.

IFCA through its business partner MBS Software Pty Ltd had also on the same day entered into a RM570,000 contract with Kopanong Hotel & Conference Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the supply, installation, training and implementation of IFCA D' Hotel systems.

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