Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Dragon-i Acquired "SAP Business One Solution" Through ObTech to Improve Management of Restaurants



ObTech Asia Pasific Sn Bhd (ObTech ) has been awarded a RM500,000 contract by Dragon-i Restaurant Sdn Bhd (Dragon-i) to implement the SAP Business One solution in their growing chain of Shanghainese and Hong Kong restaurants.At present to launch the event were Mr Henry Yip Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dragon-i Restaurant Sdn Bhd, Mr Michael Lim Group Chief Operating Officer,ObTech Asia Pacific ,Mr Tan Hun Yang, SAP Channel Manager SAP Sdn Bhd and Mr Jeffrey Doss, General Manager , ObTech Asia Pacific.The system will be implemented on all ten (10) Dragon-i & Canton-i restaurants in Malaysia by 2009 and upon its completion, Dragon-i will be able to improve their control on purchases and usage of ingredients which in return will control the cost more effectively.It also will enable all the outlets transactions to be connected simultaneously via the Portal .Furthermore the SAP Business One solution provided by ObTech will give Dragon-i management a unified view of operations across sales , finance , purchasing and inventory in all their operational outlets. Inter-company transactions will be captured immediately,document flows will be seamless while payments will be centralized when the solution is fully implemented by end December 2008.The centralized purchasing and payment system will enable management to monitor and purchase orders and costs with just one click,in real time.Speaking to reporters after the signing ceremony at Dragon-i's flagship outlet in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur ,Mr Michael Lim ,Group Chief Operation Officer of ObTech Asia Pasific said, "Having implemented various customized ERP solutions for the manufacturing sector and other SMEs , we have seen how other verticals have benefited from such systems.We are delighted that such a forward-looking F&B is partnering ObTech in taking this bold step in turning towards IT to improve their business and fast track growth". We are confident that SAP Business One will deliver results for Dragon-i and improve business productivity of Dragon-i throughout its entire operations,"Lim added.
Meanwhile ,Mr Henry Yip ,CEO of Dragon-i Restaurant Sdn Bhd. said "Dragon-i aims to be the best restaurant operator on the F&B industry by maintaining the highest quality in food and service with passion ,commitment and creativity.To achieve this , we need a partner who understands us and who is able to provide us with solutions that are scalable and can grow with us as we expand.We wanted a solution that will improve workflow and ease the work of our staff.Of all the four companies who tendered for this ,we found ObTech's proposed solution to suit our fast-paced F&B business the best.ObTech has demonstrated that this software is an overall solution that is easy-to-use ,fast and highly efficient.Dragon-i staffs throughout our chain of 10 restaurants can easily manage the system with minimum training.What this means to our customers is that the ingredients used to prepare the food are fresher while prices are still maintained.I believe this is important to customers today as the price of everything is escalating but we are maintaining our standards and prices.The success of Dragon-i is based on the simple business philosophy of quality and consistency at the right price.He added "With the SAP Business One solution , we are able to keep close record of supplies authentic yet affordable cuisine fron regions of China and intend to keep this promise to our customers. We believe that instead of the easy way out of passing on costs to our customers, increasing our effciency and productivity to new levels is the best way to mitigate the effects of inflation.The SAP Business One solution intergrates seamlessly into existing office systems and can be easily adapted to Microsoft Office products such as Word ,Excel and Outlook lowering total cost of ownership.The solution is powered by the SAP system on the IBM hardware.

Monday, September 22, 2008

A Huge Turn-Up At Sony PS3 First Appearance In Malaysia




Sony Malaysia, appointed by Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong Limited (SCEH), has launched the much awaited PLATSTATION 3 (PS3) at New Wing ,One Utama Shopping Centre,Petaling Jaya on 20th September 2008 .The PS3 launch marked the arrival of the new PS3 game console with 80GB HDD.Gracing the adrenaline pumping launch were Mr Tetsuhiko Yasuda, Corporate Executive of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.,Mr Naoi Sudo Managing Director of Sony (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd , Mr Taku Taguchi, General Manager of Product Marketing Division, Sony Malaysia ,Mr. Keiichiro Kondo, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong Limited ,Mr. Pradeep K. Tewani, Managing Director of UPTRON (PTE) LTD and Mr Patrick So of One Utama Shopping Centre.



Speaking at the launch, Mr Naoi Sudo, Managing Director of Sony Malaysia Sendirian Berhad said “The launch of the new PS3 coincides with Sony’s aim in providing full high-definition entertainment to every home”.He added "The PS3 is more than just videogame console,it is also a complete entertainment system with Blu-Ray playback and intergrated WIFI connectivity to surf the web from your living room".


Sony Computer Entertainment Asia President, Mr Tetsuhiko Yasuda said ” the timing of PS3 launch in Malaysia was good as the market for high-definition products and broadband infrastructure to support the PS3 system is growing at a rapid pace in Malaysia”.

According Mr Taku Taguchi, General Manager of Product Marketing Division Sony Malaysia "The new generation PS3 will offers all Malaysian gamers a total enjoyment with its vast range of over 200 games title available on the shelf not to mention the multi function entertainment features, due to its Blu-Ray player capability, Cell Broadband Engine, DUALSHOCK 3 Wireless Controller, HDMI output, and WiFi connectivity to surf internet”.



During the Sony PS3 launch, three lucky videogame enthusiasts - Joey Lim Chee Yee ,James Chong and Ean J.Chan were awarded with RM1,000 cash vouchers each when the became the first three customers to buy the Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) and the first 120 early birds who purchased the special launch package also walked away with cash voucher worth from RM150 to RM1000


In addition to the excitement ,the Malaysia's first PS3 game challenge marathon -Longest Video Game Marathon", which was kicked off the day before the offcial launch on the 19th September 2008 at 10 am until the 10 am of 20th September 2008 has also set a record in the history of Malaysian Book of Records as the longest video game challenge ever held in the country to date.


The PS3 with 80GB version is available now in Malaysia for RM 1,599 at all Sony Style outlets and slelcted Sony Centre outlets. Sony Malaysia Sendirian Berhad and UPTRON (PTE) LTD will be the official joint distributor for Sony Playstation 3 in Malaysia.For further information kindly log on to http://www.sony.com.my/


Thursday, September 18, 2008

EURO Signs RM150 Million Contract With India's Giant Furniture Distributor



EURO Space Industries (M) Sdn Bhd ,the leading office furniture manufacturer in South East Asia and a wholly owned subsidiary of Euro Holdings Berhad ("EURO") has recently signed a supply contract with One Office ,an affliate of Seating World, one of the fastest growing furniture distributuion groups in India.The agreement was signed by Mr Lew Fatt Sin ,Managing Director of EURO and Mr Rajesh K Manghnani ,Managing Director Minister of One Office ,witnessed by Y.B Datuk Liew Vui Keong ,Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry ,who also offciated the launch on behalf of Y.B Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin ,Minister of International Trade and Industry ,Malaysia.


Under the terms of the supply contract, Euro will supply its full range of office furniture systems including workstations, office seating, storages and other office peripherals worth USD44.5 million or approximately RM150 million over the next 5 years and One Office will exlusively carry only 'EURO' brand of office furniture systems.The contract signing ceremony is said to be in line with EURO Group's plans to expand its brand pressence in India which currently contributes over 25% of its overall group's turnover. EURO's turnover for financial year 2007 is extimated to be over RM120 million and besides India EURO also exports its products to 53 countries worldwide. Meanwhile EURO's counterpart in India known as Seating World Group was established 11 years ago by a group of professionals and has a longstanding business relationship with EURO Group is currently servicing both multinationals and reputable Indian companies from various industries including Telecommunications ,IT, Pharmaceutical, Call&Data Processing Centres etc.


In conjunction with the signing event ,Y.B Datuk Liew also launched EURO's latest system named "Lighthouse" on behalf of Y.B Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin .This product is yet another innovative creation by the EURO Group.'Lighthouse" is specially designed for small office spaces as it is light in weight and slim in size.This newly launched spaces product will be showcased at the upcoming Orgatech exhibition in Koln,Germany in October 2008."Lighthouse" will be made available to both the local and overseas market by the fourth quarter of 2008.For more information please visit http://www.eurochairs.com/

EON BANK and ePETROL Launch The ePetrol MyKad Payment Service



EON Bank and ePetrol Holding Sdn Bhd has jointly launched the "ePetrol MyKad Payments" Service at Kuala Lumpur recently.This unique and new cashless payment service allows all Malaysians to purchase fuel at selected petrol stations by using their national identity card or MyKad .The ePetrol MyKad not only offers safe ,fast and secure way to purchase fuel and eliminates the use of bulky notes but it also complements credit and charge cards schemes.
EON Bank which has joint-up with ePetrol's as their first partner in this venture will provides its new and existing EON Bank account holders ,a simple registration procedure that will allow them for full access of the MyKad cashless payment scheme.
Present to officiate the launch were Assistant Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia-Puan Nor Shamsiah binti Mohd Yunus and witnessed by Mr Albert Lau -Group CEO of EON Bank, Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Hussin -Chairman of ePetrol Holding Sdn Bhd at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur.

In his speech Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Hussain, Chairman of the ePetrol Group thanks ePetrol's pioneering effort for the MyKad which hitherto has mostly been used for identification purposes can now for a start be used by all Malaysians of all income groups to purchase fuel". In the near future .We hope that the MyKad using our payments solution will also be used by Malaysians to purchase a host of other goods and services nationwide", he added.The move by ePetrol to promote the use of the MyKad as a payment instrument is also significant as it is in line with Bank Negara's efforts to promote cashless payments throughout the country. In addition ,this paves the way for other financial instituitions in the country to ride on ePetrol's new MyKad payment solution and save substantially on any investment costs that may be incurred by them in developing and maintaining their own payment schemes .
Meanwhile,Group CEO of EON Bank Mr Albert Lau said ,"EON Bank has chosen to participate in this MyKad venture with ePetrol because we see their innovation as groundbreaking, convenient,secure and broadly acceptable to all Malaysians and financial partners". In conjunction with the joint launch today , a two-month pilot programme will be conducted whereby 250 EON Bank customers will register and use their MyKad to pay for fuel purchases at designated BHPetrol ,Caltex and Dialog-owned petrol stations in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya.

Monday, September 15, 2008

All new Honda Jazz Goes Premium






The premium 2nd Generation Honda Jazz , recently made its grand entry into the Malaysia market with an exclusive fashion presentation created jointly by Malaysia’s top fashion designers and stylist Melinda Looi, Jonathan Cheng, Khoon Hooi and Cris Yong .Present to launch the event were Mr Fumihiko Ike -President & Chief Executive Officer,Asian Honda Motor Co.Ltd ; Mr Atsushi Fujimoto-Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Honda Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. ; Mr Kohei Hitomi - Chief Engineer and Large Project of the All-New Jazz ;Mr. Azman Idris, President & Chief Operating Officer of Honda Malaysia Sdn. Bhd ; and Ms Daphne Chen Sook Yen-Project Leader of the All-New Jazz,Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd.




Since its first introduction in 2001, the 1st Generation Jazz has immediately won over fans from around the world as an unconventional car that exceeds customers’ expectations of a compact car in terms of its stylish design, reliability, practicality, fuel efficiency and drivability. The global Honda model made an impressive cumulative sale of 2.3 million units worldwide with Japan and the Asia & Oceania region accounting for half of its sales. In fact, it opened a new 5-door hatchback segment in the Asia and Oceania region’s automotive markets, and bagged numerous awards from acclaimed research houses and automotive media in Europe, South Africa, Japan and Southeast Asia.



In his speech at the unconventional launch of All-New Jazz ,Mr. Atsushi Fujimoto, Honda Malaysia Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer said “ The 2nd Generation Jazz is fitted with newly enhanced 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine and it has also adopted the class-leading and well-received elements from its first generation and improves on them .He believed"The All-New Jazz will continue to appeal to both female and male, aged 25 to 39 years old, determined young singles and families who seek to be discerned and unconventional, and yet enjoy a car that is highly practical and reliable.



According to Mr. Fumihiko Ike, President & Chief Executive Officer of Asian Honda Motor Co. Ltd in Thailand, the All-New Jazz maintained its number one market position in Japan for the ninth consecutive month in July 2008 since its introduction in October last year. Its cumulative sale in Japan alone has achieved more than 140,000 units as of July this year, which surpassed the sales record of the 1st Generation Jazz. It also received Japan’s “Car of the Year” award, making history by winning the same prize as the first generation model. “Based on these successes as well as strong acceptance of the 1st Generation Jazz in Malaysia, Honda believes that the All-New Jazz will deliver even greater joy to our customers here in Malaysia,” expressed Mr. Ike.



Meanwhile Mr. Kohei Hitomi, Chief Engineer from Honda R&D in Japan, whose team took the demanding task of developing the 2nd Generation Jazz, explained that the development concept was focused on three areas: to develop a model that can be placed in the centre of compact car category; to offer strong product competitiveness; and to deliver new values to customers. The result is a premium and class-leading compact 5-door hatchback with further improved and evolved ‘DNA’ from the 1st Generation Jazz, which includes its design, utility, drivability and fuel consumption.




In within the Asia & Oceania region, the All-New Jazz has already launched in Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore with notable sales record. On July this year, three months following the launch in March, the bookings of All-New Jazz in Thailand have reached an encouraging 10,000 units.



Key highlights of the 2nd Generation Jazz include the dynamic exterior styling with advanced super forward form -that enhances the aerodynamic and energetic appearance of the car,spacious and comfortable cabin that is equivalent to an average medium-sized sedan and extended and larger wind shield which provides better visibility for the driver.All these features were made possible with the front pillar of the All-New Jazz been removed to the forward section thus creating exhilarated effects on both exterior styling and interior comfort. Ingenious layout inside the 2nd Generation Jazz which provides three ULTRA Seat modes -the Utility, Long and Tall modes also enable car owners to load objects of different sizes into the car thus enhancing the practicality of the car.



In term of performance ,the All-New Honda Jazz offers the most powerful engine in its class as it is powered by Honda’s newly enhanced 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine, with a power output of 120 PS at 6600 rpm,offering a maximum torque of 14.8kg-m at 4,800 rpm.In order to achieve unparalleled driving performance and fuel efficiency, a class-first 5-speed Automatic Transmission (5AT) with DBW (Drive-by-Wire acceleration control) was adopted.It is also equipped with Grade Logic Control that enhances drive ,reduces gear hunting and provides faster acceleration.Smooth and more agile performance in the new Jazz was further enhanced with the Shift Hold Control,a system that adjusts computerised transmission, preventing over transmission that results in low acceleration and speed.Overall the aerodyamic Jazz with its is redefined body to reduce air resistance has boasted an improve fuel efficiency of 24km per litre on a test drive .New suspension and highly fortified body with lightweight structure were implemented on the new Jazz to achieve comfortable ride with lower noise and vibration .




On top of that, the new Jazz is imbued with Honda's G-Force Control Technology,an advanced safety feature that emphasized on three safety aspects-the Collision safety body, Occupant restraint system and Pedestrian injury reduction to effectively absorbs spreads and disperse collision impact during a crash by limiting cabin intrusion so as to effectively minimise driver and passengers as well as pedestrian injuries.Additional safety features include 3-point ELR safety belts,Superior braking systems-ABS (Anti -Lock Braking System) ,EBD (Electronics Brake-Force Distribution) and BA (Brake Assist),Dual SRS Airbags and Immobilizer and Security alarm.





In Malaysia,the all new Jazz is available in four colours: the Cerulean Blue Metallic, Alabaster Silver Metallic, Taffeta White and Crystal Black Pearl(available on November) and it comes in two variants with the New Jazz Grade S edition retails at RM 104,800, while the Grade V edition with additional features such as dual mode paddle shifts, cruise control, steering wheel audio controls, retractable door mirror with turn light, 16-inch alloy wheels and sporty exterior fittings is retailed at RM109,800 OTR with insurance. Modulo accessories package ( worth RM3,000) exclusively for Grade V variant is also available now .All variants have been designed to meet the EURO 4 emission level.



In conjunction of the launch the first 300 customers of the All-New Jazz will be rewarded with an exclusive polo t-shirts as Honda Malaysia has commissioned three famous designers, Khoon Hooi, Melinda Looi and Jonathan Cheng to design 300 pieces of polo t-shirts. Each piece will have its own unique design. For more information and test drive on the the All-New Jazz please call Honda Toll Free number at 1-800-88-2020 or kindly log on to http://www.defyconvention.com.my/.