First Batch of SMEs ‘graduate’ from SITEC E-Commerce Programme
Shah Alam, 16th March 2016 – Chief Minister of Selangor, Dato’ Menteri Besar Azmin Ali today awarded ‘graduates’ of the Selangor Information Technology & E-Commerce Council (SITEC) Online 100 programme with certificates as an acknowledgement of their proficiency in e-commerce.
Pictured: MB of Selangor presents certificate to an e-merchant under the Online 100 programme. From L – R : Chief Executive of SITEC, Mr. Yong Kai Ping; Ms Sharon Goh of IT Comp Sales & Services Sdn Bhd, an Online 100 e-Merchant; YAB Dato’ Menteri Besar of Selangor, Azmin Ali; Selangor State Government EXCO Dato’ Teng Chang Khim; and CEO of Invest Selangor, Mr. Hasan Azhari Hj Idris.
Also gracing the ceremony were Selangor State Government EXCO member Dato’ Teng Chang Khim; CEO of Invest Selangor, Mr. Hasan Azhari Hj Idris, and SITEC Chief Executive Yong Kai Ping.
Online 100: From Brick and Mortar to Online
Launched in July 2015, the SITEC Online 100 programme sought to assist 100 traditional brick and mortar retailers to establish themselves in the e-Commerce sphere within a targeted period of 12 months.
SITEC managed to achieve the goal of bringing 100 Selangor SMEs online within only 9 months, a good 3 months ahead of expectations.
“E-commerce is very important, an integral part of the whole vision of turning Selangor into a global trading hub, and this event marks a milestone for SITEC,” said YB Dato’ Teng Chang Khim, as he addressed the large crowd at SDCC.
“Today, we see the first batch of 100 brick-and-mortar merchants going online under the Online 100 programme, where the 100 merchants were provided with an online store as well as a mobile application with the full support of the state government.
“We look forward to more batches of e-merchants fully supported by the state government”, he added.
The Online 100 programme is free to join, and not only do SMEs get a free webstore in an online marketplace of their choice, but they also get their own native mobile app for iOS and Android devices. E-Merchants are required to undergo essential training programmes that are also offered free of charge.
With a strong focus on encouraging quality merchants, applicants have to fulfill requirements such as being SSM-registered, possess a brick and mortar store in Selangor, earn over RM300,000 in sales revenue yearly and have a physical stock of goods.
The Online 100 merchants sell a wide variety of items and services, from automotive & industrial products, to baby and motherhood items, on top of popular consumer products such as fashion & accessories, home furniture, health & beauty products as well as mobile electronic devices.
Through the Online100 programme, these brick-and-mortar stores now have the capacity to increase their sales through a wider-reaching, online and importantly, borderless market.
Photo Studio: Industrial support and MyCyberSale
SITEC also celebrated the inauguration of the Photo Studio@SDCC, a 320 sq ft studio within the Selangor Digital Creative Centre with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony today.
The Photo Studio@SDCC seeks to provide top-notch, professional photography and videography services to Malaysian e-commerce merchants so as to facilitate and increase their proficiency in e-tailing as part of efforts to raise standards of e-commerce here.
The Photo Studio@SDCC is the second such facility to be offered to e-commerce merchants in Malaysia, after 11street, who launched their photo studio at their office in KL Sentral early in 2015.
Photobook sponsors Photo Studio@SDCC
The Photo Studio@SDCC is sponsored by Photobook, an exemplary service provider and inspiration to local e-commerce providers, having started 11 years ago with barely 3 staff and home printers.
Now, Photobook has rapidly expanded to rake in a massive 50 million turnover per year, making them Asia’s most popular photo service company, thanks to a huge Northern American market. Statistics from DHL show that Photobook ships the most parcels from Malaysia, and estimates the number to be between 4000 – 6000 shipments per day.
Photobook is regarded as a paragon of excellence when it comes to the revival of a sunset industry – the picture printing industry – as they adeptly utilise the internet and its reach to establish efficient and effective cross-border trading.
Working together with Photobook and MDeC, SITEC will be offering 100 free hours of professional photoshoot sessions to all Online 100 graduates and E-Commerce merchants to encourage them to take part in the MDeC-hosted MyCyberSale 2016 set to happen sometime in the 3rd quarter of 2016.
Top E-Commerce Merchant Awards: Over 60 confirmed eligible
SITEC is also working together with MDeC and 10 veteran players of the e-Commerce industry to organise the inaugural Top E-Commerce Merchant Awards. This competition, where the most creative and innovative SME online merchants with sales of more than RM50,000 or 200 orders in a month in 2015 will compete for the honour of becoming Malaysia’s Top e-Merchant, has already recorded over 60 successful applicants who will go on to compete.
Since SITEC’s establishment 9 months ago, we have witnessed the beginnings of a booming E-Commerce scene where an increasing number of SMEs are taking to the internet to sell their goods and services online, both local and cross-border.
Logistics companies such as GDeX have reportedly taken the Asean market by storm, while marketplace and service providers such as Lazada and Photobook are looking forward to expanding their warehouse and office capacities, reportedly spending tens of millions in Subang Jaya and Kota Kemuning. All these goings-on within Selangor marks a clear sign that E-Commerce is booming in Selangor, and that the Selangor government’s efforts with SITEC are on the right track.
About SITEC
In recent years, B2C E-Commerce trends and developments in Southeast Asia have seen rapid growth and is predicted to maintain double-digit growth rates for the next several years.
In light of this, the Selangor Government established the Selangor Information Technology & E-Commerce Council (SITEC), whose mandate is to develop Selangor as a regional e-commerce hub and to uplift the startup community in Selangor. Since our inception in May 2015, we have kick-started over 30 initiatives, events, conferences, workshops and gatherings to facilitate the spread of e-commerce activity in the state.
For more information, please contact:
i. Online 100 Programme for SMEs
Ms. Fatin Fadila; online100@sidec.com.my; 016-551-0803
ii. Photo Studio@SDCC
info@sidec.com.my; 03-5521-8580
iii. Top EC Merchant Awards 2016
Mr. Loke Chee Hoo; ecclass@sidec.com.my; 012-670-5026
Photo album: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B8oJTJRJT5x3NVVNcERvdlJKRkk&usp=sharing