Shashank Dixit, CEO, Deskera (the leading enterprise software provider in the South-East Asia region) met Senator Dato Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, Economic Planning Minister of Malaysia on April 25 to discuss the roadmap for a Digital Malaysia. The two leaders also deliberated on how to push for greater technological intervention in the country for providing seamless connectivity, automation, and boost to the country’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.
Apart from Dixit, the meeting was attended by Encik Halim Hj Din, Co-Founder and Group Chairman of the iA group and Deskera’s partner in Malaysia, and Datuk Dr Hamzah Kassim, Co-Founder and Group Managing Director, iA.
“The ICT industry is shaping Malaysia’s business and transforming the government. This has opened up new opportunities for enterprises, making Malaysia the business destination of today,” said Dixit at the meet held to discuss how advances in technology can be used in various areas of the industry to boost Malaysian economy.
According to the World Connectivity Report 2016, though Malaysia has improved its broadband connectivity this year over 2015, it still lags behind most countries. Therefore, the Malaysian Government’s focus right now, when it comes to improving user experience, is to increase connectivity and give technological applications a greater say in the country’s economy and growth.
In a separate meeting, Dixit along with Encik Halim also met senior officials of Malaysia Digital economy Corporation (MDEC), the agency instrumental in making Malaysia a Digital Innovation Hub. The Corporation, formerly known as Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC), has been key to the digitization of the South-East Asian country.
The dignitaries included Michael Warren (Vice President, Global Business Services, MDEC), Gopi Ganesalingam (Vice President, Enterprise Development, MDEC) and Kamlinder Singh (Head of Business Development, Asia Pacific Industry and Business Development), among several others. They exchanged thoughts on extending technology to various other sectors to improve operational efficiency and build a Digital Malaysia.
The meetings gain significance in view of Deskera’s resolution to further strengthen its stronghold in Malaysia and consequently give a boost to the active use of its solutions as drivers of Malaysia’s digital dream. The company is looking to expand its digital footprint across South-East Asia.
Malaysia ranks 25th in Global Connectivity Index 2016. An increase in telecom investment recently has seen various ICT features improve, including bandwidth and 4G coverage. The country has set an ambitious target of achieving broadband coverage for 95% of Malaysian households at 100 Mbps in urban areas and 20 Mbps in rural areas by 2020.