Formis Network Services (FNS) held a team building exercise for all their staffs from  12 to 14 January 2007 at Eagle Ranch Resort, Port Dickson. Everyone had a great time and surprisingly we discovered lots of entertainers in the house. The impact of this event was phenomenal, the team spirit was very high and it was clearly a case of just a matter of holding on to it - "Malaysia Boleh". No doubt about it, it was a successful session for all. Would be great to make it an annual event.

   

22nd March (Thursday) - IBM Partner Conference @ Sheraton Subang

Finally, our principal let us have a Free Of Course! free booth at their exhibition. That means there's money on feelgood tactics!

Not just that, we don't have to do all the sales pitch mumbo-jumbo. Instead, we were just required to shout our company's name and just share which of IBM products are under our portfolio.

We had a merry time spying competitors booth catching up with our partners and at the same time discover new ones.

 

It is so much easier to talk after you break the ice with a little game.

Look at the gorgeous Wheel of Fortune and all that goodies! Whole loads of biz cards was collected. Wish they were money.

If you want to take part in any exhibitions and tired of thinking how to entice people to visit your booth, come to us. We can rent it to you cheap, cheap!

While you ask, you must listen to what's config@FIRST and SolutionCentre@FIRST first!

During the recent event which IBM held for all its reseller at Sheraton Subang, we saw a taller figure on the stage delivering the opening speech.

A familiar face!

I remember when First Solution was appointed as an IBM distributor in 1997, Ou was then the Country GM of IBM World Trade Corp.

But what many of us don't know about is, he started his career as a Trainee System Engineer with IBM way back in 1981. 10 years later he became the Director of Operations. Then, from year 1994 to 1996, he held the position of the GM of Banking, Finance and Securities for IBM ASEAN/SA.

Ou Shian Waei's last position in IBM before he joined Lenovo ASEAN/SA was as the IBM ASEAN/SA GM handling Banking, Finance and Securities sector. Voon Seng Chuan took over the seat after Ou left.

I only got to steal a very short chat with him.  Ou has a total of 26 years of experience in the IT industry and obviously love being able to come back to Malaysia.

Of course Mr. Ou! The bestest view of sprawling Damansara in a spanking new office in your old neighbourhood.... what a dream homecoming!

Today, virtualization is in the forefront - helping businesses with scalability, security and management of their global IT infrastructure.

On 23 March, Formis Computer Services (FCS) organised a product presentation for the staff about VMware by Jardine OneSolution. During the presentation, they presented the features & benefits of the virtualization technology.

(Left) Attentive staff during

training session. (Right) Staff attending to light refreshments.

 

For more information, please visit http://www.vmware.com

Apparently, market is talking about a possible move by veteran IT personality, K Raman Country Manager of EMC Malaysia. It is reported that he had tendered his resignation and the IT market oracled that he be going to where the sun shines.

Sun Microsystems was left in a vacuum with the departure of Cheam Tat Inn in mid-2006. Although Sun announced that Gan Boon-San as its Managing Director to oversee operations in Malaysia in August of last year, industry watchers predicted that it is a temporary measure until a local personality can be found. Is it just another Oracle?  Man-o man, who will now take over EMC Malaysia?

Systems Administrators for both Formis Computer Services and FORMIS BASS Software are busy configuring email servers and email addresses for the merged software company, FORMIS BASS Software. Michael Tay, General Manager (Designate) for FORMIS BASS has elected to use formis.net email address. Hence, to email Michael, his new email address is Michael.Tay@formis.net.

Physically, FORMIS BASS is operating their own mail server (formerly the old FSD mail server.) The existing BASS Consulting server will be retired and mailboxes migrated. Mails sent to user@formis.net will be automatically routed to the new FORMIS BASS mail server.  Alternatively, as a backup measure, email can also be sent to user@fbs.formis.net directly.

Users on the old email addresses (exempli gratia user@bass.com.my and user@fsd.com.my) can still continue to receive mail at those addresses until a cut off date (to be announced). FORMIS BASS staff are advised to look out for email on the validity of the previous email addresses and instructions on how to re-configure your email client to avoid missing out any important mails.

Still blur? Contact Deric Chong at Deric.Chong@fbs.formis.net of FORMIS BASS for help. For the rest of us, the change from will be effective April 2nd, 2007.

Congratulations to these happy fathers at Formis Network Services on the arrival of their newborn babies.

     

(LtoR)Fairuz Azura, Network Engineering Manager, Zakri Juzer & Faissal Rezall, both Product Managers.

Looks like getting to work these next few days will be frustrating. PDRM is having their 200th annivesary bash and it is a pain for us. Even more so with the lack of information on which roads in particular. Alas, our RM 380 million ITIS came through and they have put the info on their website. Of course, you have to find the particular page, but no worries, click here to jump to it. For those of you who are too lazy to browse or read, here's a map (courtesy of ITIS) of the affected roads. Click on it for a better view. (Thanks to Mohamed Reizal of Formis Computer Services for the alert.)

After the Heads of Company strived with their bottom line (last Friday) and FCS' engineers with the Internet line (over the weekend), it is the Contributors turn; to labor with their story-line.  Its back to school for this group. They will get educated on using various Content Management System to add and manage contents to both Formis homepage and this blog.  This mark the start of 'Pantry Quips' trial-run after having successfully completed the beta stages in the past one month.

The people listed below have been given an added responsibility to publish at least one article a month to the Group's online news page. Hopefully, a continuously updated content will help our fellow colleagues to be more informed and aware of what is happening across the Group.

The contributors are listed in the table below:

Name	Company	email
Chong Sui Pei	Applied Business Systems	suipei@abs.com.my
Terri Sandhu	Com-Line Systems	terri@comline.com.my
Joanne Lim	Continuous Network Adviser	joanne_lin@cnadvisers.com
Desmond Ho	Diversified Gateway	desmond.ho@dgb.com.my
Nik Marini Nik Muhiddin	First Solution	marini@first.com.my
Intan Suhana Sariffuddin	Formis Automation	intan.suhana@fasb,com.my
Lana Chan	FORMIS BASS Software	lanachan@bass.com.my
Siti Azlin Md Shafian	Formis Computer & Communication	siti.azlin@formis.net
Loo Poh Yin	Formis Computer Services	py.loo@formis.net
Jennifer Yap	Formis Media Teknologi	jennifer@fmt.com.my
Noraizah Yunos	Formis Network Services	noraizah.yunos@formis.net
Yvonne Chin	Formis Systems & Technology	yvonne.chin@formis.net
Ruddy Poespoprodjo	PT Formis Solusi Indonesia	ruddy.poespoprodjo@formis.net
Mohd Ibrahim Abdul Majid	Tera Asia Pacific	mohd.ibrahim@tera-ap.com

It is already a year and a day since we changed our name from MY-InfoTech (M) Bhd to FORMIS RESOURCES BERHAD. This means, from today onwards, we need not refer or state "formerly known as MY-InfoTech (M) Bhd" whenever we use or mention in writing FORMIS RESOURCES BERHAD.

Formis Computer Services' engineers continue to struggle to bring up their Internet connections after the lines from AIMS was discontinued on Thursdays, March 15. They had worked over the weekend with no success, hampered by availability of ISP support and physical access to HQ's infrastructure. Picture on the right shows our engineers in bewilderment trying to configure the IPs and line problems.

Another day without mail? 

 

Update 3:00 pm (MYT):  MAIL'S UP!

Heads of Company and Key Managers attended a whole day meeting to present their 2007/08 Business Plan to executive management and Board of Directors on Friday, March 16, 2007.

The annual planning cycle starts with the Business Plan Presentation (BPP) and is followed up by a half year review session called Business Plan Review (BPR) usually held before September 30th each year. This year, the group was joined by its latest addition, Com-line Systems Sdn. Bhd. which was represented by its Managing Director, Lawrence Sunderam. Besides projections, other plans such as the introduction of this on-line newsletter (using blog technology) was presented. Although this on-line newsletter will be officially launch on April 2nd, 2007, beta testing have started and trial-run is due to start tomorrow.

The Group’s main mail server, formis.net is down due to termination of Internet line from AIMS.  Although the cut-over from AIMS services to TMNet and Timedotcom were being carried out, Formis Computer Services engineers were caught by surprised on the AIMS termination. AIMs had given ample notice but it was not communicated downwards. Our own internal communication problem.

This outage only affects FCS server formis.net, and the subsidiaries which FCS host mail for. Other group mail are not affected. For urgent or important communication with HQ staff, please use formis.org domain address instead.

Formis Systems & Technology (FST) succesfully held a teambuilding event together with EMC and FST's 2nd Tier partners on 8th and 9th March 2007 at Guoman, Port Dickson. Some of the partners who attended were from Hicom Teleservices, Siemens, Jardine OneSolution, Advantage Systems, Fuji Xerox, InfoConnect, Formis Computer Services and Formis Network Services. Overall, the event was a great success where EMC product updates were presented to the partners, case studies activity and SWAT camp activites were conducted.

 

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A few colleagues were having a CNY tour i.e. visiting DGBians' home on 24th Feb 2007. Kick starts from Desmond's house from 10AM and end at Richard's place for dinner. In between, we have visited Ho (Ex), Khoo (Ex), Melissa (F&A), TCWong (Tech, VP), Hing Ling (Sales) and Robin (ED). To most of us, these houses are new to us, some just move in months ago.

   

  Pix were taken at the home of (Left) TC Wong's, Des' and Mel's house.  

Pak Hamdan is back in hospital last Friday (March 9, 2007) according to Pow Chwee Meng, Sales Manager, Formis Media Teknologi. He was admitted again due to presence of water in his lungs and a bad case cataracts. He is now in Pantai, Block D, Room 420.

Last week’s update has now been superceded.

This is it! The new logo for FORMIS BASS Software Sdn Bhd. The basis for the design is in maintaining the former companies identities but adopting the standard FORMIS blue as the color. The logo was picked out during Wednesday's management meeting after two rounds of various options presented.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007: Pow Chwee Meng reported on that Pak Hamdan's doctors are not going ahead with the second angioplasty as the arteries involved are difficult to access. The blockage only appear to be about 60% and Pak Hamdan’s condition is reported to be stable and satisfactory.

Pak is recuperating at home and is expected to be on medical leave for a month.

With the resignation of two key managers last week, the Group announced the appointment of Wong Wai Wah, Senior Business Manager (right), to oversee the running of Formis Computer Services Sdn Bhd as an interim measure.  Similarly, Pow Chwee Meng (bottom), Sales Manager,  Formis Media Teknologi is assuming the role as HOC until Hamdan Hamzah returns from his month-long medical leave.

No replacement was announced for the position of Vice President, Software. However, the official appointment of Michael Tay to head the new combined software company, FORMIS BASS Software Sdn Bhd was also announced today.

Strive Forward, Managers!

Damian Yeoh, Vice President, Software, tendered his resignation on Friday, March 3rd, 2007. Damian joined Formis’ subsidiaries, Continuous Network Advisers Sdn Bhd and Continuous Network Services Sdn Bhd as Director, Sales & Marketing in 1999. In 2003, Damian was appointed Managing Director of both companies. Following the MY-Infotech and Formis acquisition, he was appointed to his present position in 2006.

Damian, a Masters in Business Administration, specialising in International Management (MBA-IM) from RMIT University of Melbourne, Australia, began his career in the IT industry in 1991

Nick Goh, General Manager of Formis Computer Services Sdn. Bhd. tendered his resignation on February 27th, 2007. However, he will continue to serve until March 22nd, 2007. According to Nick, he will be taking a break before trying his hand into doing his own business.

Nick was appointed General Manager for FCS in 2004 after serving about a year in Diversified Gateway Berhad as Vice President, Marketing, there.

Nick has been in the Computing, Data Communications & Telecommunications industry since 1985. His 19 years working experience span across end-user to service provider. Prior to joining the Group, Nick was attached to Cordoda Corporation Sdn Bhd as its General Manager. In addition to his hands-on experience in the technical arena, Nick is a member of the British Computer Society – System Analysis and Design chapter.

Good luck, Damian and Nick! We wish you all the best in your endeavors.

CNY ' Loh Sang ' Luncheon Talk on Customer Service Solutions

 

Left pic : Participants listening attentively as Kevin Allder, Director of Channel and Global Services, Touchpaper delivered his stuff.

Right pic : From left, Mr. Michael Tay ( GM, FORMIS BASS ), Mr. Graham Ridgway ( CEO, Touchpaper ), Mr. WF Lee ( COO, Comintel ), Mr. Jeffrey Yem ( COO, Prudential ) and Mr. Chow Chee Wen ( IT Director, Prudential ) getting ready for the toss.

FORMIS BASS Software organised a Chinese New Year ' Loh Sang ' Luncheon Talk titled ' Customer Service Solution ' ( CSS ) by Touchpaper on the 28th February 2007 at the Yu Jia Seafood Village Restaurant.  This initiative attracted a group of COOs and representatives from diverse industries to sign up for the event.

Graham Ridgway, CEO of Touchpaper acquainted everyone with the Touchpaper ITBM Maturity Model and Customer Service Solution ( CSS )  after Michael Tay, GM of FORMIS BASS Software delivered his welcome address.  Graham shared briefly on how organization can serve their customers better and offered expert advice and industry tips to the enthusiastic participants.  This was followed by a CSS demo by Kevin Allder, Director of Channel and Global Services, Touchpaper.  Lim Wing Hoe, our Product Manager closed the session with a final note before everyone picked up their chopsticks to stir up prosperity for 2007.

FORMIS BASS Software also took the opportunity to share with the participants our latest initiative, a Complaint Management System targeted at FSIs.