CA Partners MIRC to Equip SMEs to Face Globalization and Liberaliza

CA unveiled six fully integrated solution suites designed to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) reduce risks, system down time and IT management costs, at the MCA ICT Resource Centre’s (MIRC) SME ICT Conference in Kuala Lumpur today. The CA Protection Suites r2 is specially tailored to help SMEs address data and IT systems vulnerabilities, and complements CA’s Business Management Suite-SME Savings Plan which was launched at Global SME in September.

“Much has been done to drive the adoption of information and communications technologies (ICT) amongst the Malaysian SMEs. Given the accelerating pace of globalization and liberalization, traditional boundaries no longer separate the vendor from the purchaser and competition has intensified. Added to that, the rapid development of technology has also resulted in the shortening and compression of product life cycles. Given all these challenges, the adoption and application of ICT is inevitable for SMEs,” said YB Dato’ Kong Cho Ha, MCA ICT Bureau Chairman and Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation.

“CA has been exemplary in their efforts towards helping SMEs in Malaysia adopt technology and enjoy its full benefits. Through the recently launched CA Business Management Suite-SME Package and today’s introduction of the CA Protection Suites, CA offers SMEs an opportunity to adopt enterprise-strength solutions at SME prices. Such corporate efforts help Malaysian SMEs gain a competitive edge and compete better in the global economy. I urge SMEs to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about the solutions available, as well as tap onto their expertise to adopt and integrate technology into their businesses,” Dato’ Kong said.

Although SMEs have been identified as the next engine of growth for the nation, it is reported that only about 30 percent of SMEs in Malaysia have a web presence and use IT on a daily basis. The adoption of enterprise-wide applications or devising an enterprise-wide IT strategy has not yet occurred for SMEs in Malaysia where by comparison, approximately 70 per cent of SMEs are still contemplating the idea of implementing basic ICT tools. Computer hardware purchase is still the leading priority. Next is broadband access, Web presence, networking and simple enterprise software such as accounting, front-office system, anti-virus, Internet security and storage systems.

“Now more then ever, our SMEs need to utilize ICT to improve productivity as well as gain business agility. This would not only enhance their global competitiveness, but also offer greater opportunities for them to be integrated into the global supply chain, especially in the high-end and high value-added activities outsourced by the larger organizations,” said Queenie Wong, Managing Director of CA Malaysia.

“As our SMEs increasingly adopt ICT into their daily operations, their need for rigorous protection of data and IT systems also becomes more critical. The CA Protection Suites have been designed to address this need,” said Ms Wong. “By providing the industry’s most streamlined and easy-to-implement solutions for security, backup management, and systems migration, CA Protection Suites enable SMEs to implement the protection they need within tight staffing and resource constraints. This will enable SMEs to focus on their business, rather than on managing technology.”

CA Protection Suites feature a new Web-based management console that allows SMEs to centrally manage data protection tasks, users, policies and reports. The graphical dashboard simplifies all antivirus, anti-spyware, and data backup and migration operations.  A user-friendly post-installation checklist helps protect servers and ensure that client-side software is deployed to all desktops and laptops. A single installation process eases set up and configuration and automates compliance with backup policies. 

“With the Protection Suites complementing our Business Management Suite-SME Savings Plan, we have a complete suite of offerings to help SMEs secure their data, optimize the efficiency of their IT operations and minimise the total cost of PC ownership. Our aim is to help SMEs focus on their business, rather than on managing technology. This is in line with CA’s global vision to help corporations, SMEs included, enhance their productivity and efficiency by first simplifying the management of technology, and then by aligning IT resources with business needs,” Ms Wong concluded.

The three-city Roadshow with MIRC covering Penang, Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur is part of CA’s follow-up initiatives after Global SME to encourage more SMEs to integrate technology and enter the ICT mainstream. CA will continue working closely with MIRC on ICT-related education and training initiatives, which are in line with its global thrust to support the SME market worldwide. Through product development and acquisition, CA is stepping up its focus on the SME market.

CA has also partnered with ORIX Rentec to develop attractive leasing programmes for MIRC’s SME members. Developed specially to make it easier for SMEs to invest in total solutions, the programme offers SMEs an option to lease software and hardware, as well as the flexibility to upgrade or purchase solutions when needed.