TM and PANASONIC In Strategic Partnership to Enhance SME Businesses

Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) and Panasonic Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PM) has recently signed a Collaboration Arrangement Agreement for a strategic partnership between the two leading brands in their respective industries to empower Malaysian SMEs through various collaborative initiatives. Under the agreement,TM and Panasonic Malaysia will be collaborating in various initiatives to further enhance the business operations of local SMEs with ICT solutions and devices offered by both brands.The initiatives include an SME Office Solution product bundling that combines TM services and Panasonic devices,leveraging on both TM's and Panasonic Malaysia's sales channels to push products and services to the market,collaboration and joint participation in events and marketing activities and collaboration in loyalty programmes. At the signing ceremony,TM was represented by Mr Azizi A Hadi- Executive Vice President,SME,TM,while Mr Jeff Lee-Managing Director of Panasonic Malaysia signed the agreement on behalf of Panasonic Malaysia.Following the agreement,TM and Panasonic Malaysia are already exploring into several joint ventures,which include bundling attractive broadband packages from TM with the latest Panasonic devices and providing SMEs with more convenience to subscribe to TM's solutions such as Office-in-a-Box (OIAB) and UniFi BIZ.TM will be leveraging on 50 Panashop outlets in Klang valley in the first phase and followd by 450 Panashop outlets nationwide in the next phase as additional contact points for SMEs. SME is one of the major segments for TM and is contributing at least 20% of the Company's total revenue.We encourage SMEs to fully utilise the products, services,solutions and initiatives available from TM to further enhance their capacities and move further into global production and distribtution networks,Mr Azizi elaborated. "Being a key economic growth driver for Malaysia with increasing contributio towards the national GDP,SMEs provide positive outlook for the Malaysia economy.TM,as Malaysia's Broadband Champion and Panasonic are committed to leverage on our core competencies and strong brand presence to push Malaysian SMEs foward and enable them to compete locally as well as globally.At TM,we stay committed true to our promise to the SME market to connect them to the ease of doing business. Managing Director of Panasonic Malaysia,Mr Jeff Lee said that,"The objective of this collaboration is to strengthen the brand awareness for both companies.By providing added value of a new distribution channel for TM products such as broadband,fixed telephone line at Panashop outlets,our business partners will not not only get incentives from the sales of TM products,it will also generates future purchases of other electrical products at the outlets.In return,Panasonic will showcase its rangr of communication produts including DECT phones at all TMpoint outlets for cross selling." Following the agreement,TM and Panasonic Malaysia are already exploring into several joint ventures,which include bundling attractive broadband packages from TM with the latest Panasonic devices and providing SMEs with more convenience to subscribe to TM's solutions such as Office-in-a-Box (OIAB)and UniFi BIZ.TM will be leveraging on 50 Panashop outlets in Klang valley in the first phase and followed by 450 Panashop outlets nationwide in the next phase as additional contact points for SMEs.