Bangkok--21 Feb--MasterMind Communication
After a successful year in which revenue and profits hit new heights, Advanced Information Technology PCL (AIT), the SET-listed leading system integrator and ICT solutions provider, is targeting further strong growth in 2014 with ambitious plans to expand into the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) markets.
“For 2014, we will focus more on expanding into the regional markets especially Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia because these are newly opened economies which have strong demand for Information Technology (IT) and telecommunication facilities, “ stated AIT President & CEO Siripong Oontornpan. “Our corporate strategy this year is to generate business immunity to support stable and sustainable revenue growth into the future.”
AIT has reported total revenues and net profits of 6,023 million baht and 568 million baht for the 2013 full-year operations, which are the highest levels in the company’s more than 20 years’ history and represent substantial increases of 44% and 55% respectively from the previous year.
In an official filing with the SET this morning (Feb 21, 2014), the company said its Board of Directors resolved at a meeting yesterday (Feb 20, 2013) to pay a second dividend of Baht 1 per share from its results in the second half last year. This will be tabled before the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of shareholders in April for final approval. Together with the Baht 1.75 per share interim dividend paid out last year, total dividend for full-year 2013 will amount to Baht 2.75 per share, another record.
Supporting its new corporate strategy to expand aggressively into the neighboring markets, Mr. Siripong said the company, starting next month, will expand its training facilities at the Queen Sirikit Convention Center to accommodate technical personnel from other countries in the region. The AIT Cisco Certified Training Center has previously been training just AIT and its clients’ technicians.
Also expected to be launched next month, the company is opening up a new “Telepresence” center to provide high-quality, long-distance teleconference facilities for clients both in the government and private sectors. The facilities will operate on high-tech systems supplied by AIT’s long-standing business partner Cisco System.
“After our successful capital increase last year, we now enjoy a strong financial position and are ready to expand our investments in the neighboring countries in ASEAN to capitalize on their strong growth potentials and high demand for ICT systems and services,” Mr. Siripong stated. “We have the capabilities and we are confident that we will be able to achieve our objectives which will help drive growth into the longer-term future.”
Meanwhile, AIT’s Executive Senior Vice President for Finance and Corporate Strategy Mr. Asawin Kangvolkij stated that total revenues and net profits for full-year 2013 both exceeded targets and set new records. The outstanding performance was attributed to overall management efficiency and the ability to deliver quality products and services to clients on a consistent and timely manner.
Going forward, Mr. Asawin said the ongoing political uncertainties in the country are likely to delay major infrastructure projects in the first half this year, but normal business has continued in the bidding of smaller projects valued at less than 100 million baht. “We have continued to actively participate in the segments that are not affected and we hope that the market situation will return to normal in the second half,” Mr. Asawin stated.
Thanks to a substantial backlog of more than 4 billion baht at the end of 2013, the bulk of which is expected to be recognized as revenue this year, Mr. Asawin said the company is confident it will be able to achieve this year’s revenue target of 6.2 billion baht.