Bangkok--Nov 2--dtac
DTAC, Microsoft and Metro Systems Bring Mobility to 'Business Productivity Center' New technology will allow access to business critical information from any smart device
In response to a growing demand from Thai business to create ever more innovative solutions to boost productivity, Microsoft (Thailand) Ltd. and Metro Systems Corporation Public Company today announced the introduction of a range of business mobility applications to Thailand’s first business productivity center (BPC).
To ensure the mobile applications run over a secure, reliable and high-speed network, Metro Systems recently signed a deal with Total Access Communications (DTAC) in which data will be transferred between devices on DTAC’s state-of-the-art EDGE and GPRS infrastructure.
Initially, three new mobile applications have been incorporated into the BPC, allowing businesses to experience how mobility can increase the speed at which employees can access data and make critical business decisions by providing mobile access to e-mail, business intelligence tools and e-commerce solutions.
“The Business Productivity Center plays a vital role in helping businesses and their decision makers explore and experience new technologies in ways a power point presentation cannot hope to achieve”, commented Andrew McBean, Managing Director, Microsoft (Thailand) Ltd. “With the number of mobile users set to pass 27 million this year, it was natural to supplement the Business Productivity Center with a range of business mobile applications. Working with Metro Systems allows us to bring to life real solutions for our customers, and with DTAC on board we can be sure of reliable and secure data transfer for our range of mobile productivity solutions.”
One of the three products, named Sales Force Automation, lets sales professionals order goods, access customers records and check inventory status to further help the process of ordering while outside of the office environment, allowing sales professionals to speed up operations and decision making while increasing customer satisfaction.
Another application, known as mobile collaboration, lets management approve or reject requests from their employees, wherever they may be, by providing a secure authorization mechanism and access to the data they need. In addition, the Business Intelligence solutions help management to call on graphic report from back-end office to compare monthly and annual revenue, among other business critical functions to enable for their faster decision-making at anytime anywhere.
All applications will run on the Windows Mobile Platform, allowing Pocket PCs and Smart phones to provide intelligent communications, not just connecting devices, but connecting people and their data. The Windows Mobile Platform also lets users access their Microsoft outlook, giving access to a host of information and critical data including their e-mail, online calendars and contacts.
“Making business on the go anywhere, anytime is critical to today’s competitive and rapidly growing businesses,” said Sigve Brekke, CEO of DTAC. “Our advanced mobile technology helps business become mobile in an easy and efficient manner via smart phones, pocket PCs, and other devices that support GPRS. Customers can be sure that DTAC’s nation-wide GPRS infrastructure will provide faster, more secure data transfer.”
“The state-of-the-art Enhanced GPRS (EDGE) network in Thailand, which runs at four times the speed of GPRS, is the 6th of its kind in Asia and now covers Bangkok, Chonburi and Rayong, with the remainder of the country being covered with our high-speed GPRS network,” added Vichai Benjarongkakul, Co-CEO of DTAC. “The Business Productivity Centre allows customers to visualize how technology can enhance their businesses in a way that could not have achieved before, and we are looking to provide more mobile solutions to customers in cooperation with the BPC as we look ahead.”
Launched in December 2003, Metro Systems, together with Microsoft Corporation and Intel Corporation, synergized their IT expertise and experience to bring Thai business the first Business Productivity Center in Thailand. Being the first of its kind that does not locate in the USA, it has hosted over 100 companies and 450 decision makers, showcasing how Microsoft software and Intel high-performance chip technologies can help client’s operations.
“Microsoft is working closely with partners and sponsors across the region to build more Business Productivity Centers”, said Jeff Raikes, Group Vice President, Information Worker Business, Microsoft Corporation. “The center in Thailand is the first of its kind and is a great way to experience productivity first hand, visualize solutions used by companies around the world, and get excited about what technology can really bring to their business. All companies around the world have fewer resources to execute on key priorities. Using the right principles with the right technology is needed to maximize that productivity”.
“This is just the beginning,” added Tavit Charuvajana, President & CEO of Metro Systems Corp Plc, “With the Microsoft.Net platform, we are able communicate across devices and programming languages, enabling us to develop solutions for individual business challenges and meet the specific needs of our customers. Microsoft.Net builds on web services technology, allowing diverse systems that could not previously communicate to bind together in bespoke applications that can be accessed from a PC, laptop or mobile device. As long as the network capacity is available, the possibilities are endless. We provide end-to-end IT services, solution development, implementation, training, and maintenance.”
*CONTACT*
Customers: DTAC Call Center *1800 or 02-202-7000
Press: Ponnana Apiluckpanich
Media Relations Division,
Corporate Communications Office,
Total Access C0mmunication Plc.
Tel. 02-202-8000 (#31887) Fax. 02-202-8859, 02-202-8895
Mobile: 01-623-9895 e-mail: [email protected] End.