HOLLAND-BASED QUINTIQ HOPES TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS NEW ECONOMIC MODEL

By Santhia Thevi Panjanadan

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 (Bernama) -- Holland-based software company Quintiq
Inc, which earlier announced it will invest close to RM100 milion (uS$32.25
million) in Malaysia to expand operations, hopes to contribute towards the New
Economic Model (NEM).

Under the NEM, the government is calling on companies to adopt information
technology (IT) to be globally competitive.

"Quintiq will be a key enabler in making this achievable," said Sanjay Nair,
managing director of Quintiq's Malaysian operation, Quintiq Sdn Bhd.

"Besides this, we are fully aware of the potential here and this adds to the
objective of our Global Development Centre here," he told Bernama in an
interview recently.

Quintiq aims to meet the specific IT needs of businesses worldwide with its
specific Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) solutions.

On the Global Development Centre, Sanjay said its presence in the country
opened doors to enriching the economic landscape of local industries.

He said with the company's rich and diverse expertise in servicing multiple
clients internationally, the knowledge transfer would both directly and
indirectly benefit Malaysia in terms of knowledge and skills.

"This also creates more high-level employment opportunities, developing the
human resource industry here, in line with Prime Minister Najib Razak's vision
of creating a high income and skilled society," he added.

Sanjay said attractive financial incentives and cost competitiveness, along
with a highly advanced ICT infrastructure supported by a pro-business
government, were the main factors that attracted Quintiq to Malaysia.

The company planned to invest close to RM100 million over the next three
years in Malaysia, mainly to develop human capital, especially skilled knowledge
workers, he said.

The allocation would also be used to support the development of Quintiq's
industry solutions, project delivery and implementation of its APS solutions.

To date, Quintiq has invested about RM50 million (US$16.12 million) in its
Malaysian operation.

Most of its clients are in Europe and North America, while those in Malaysia
include DHL Express (M) Bhd and LSG Sky Chefs Brahim Sdn Bhd, an airline
catering services company.

On local customers, Sanjay said the company was in the midst of expanding
its client network due to the increasing demand for its solutions.

"Globally, we are established in the metal and manufacturing, logistics and
workforce market segments," he said.

"In Malaysia, we would like to enhance further in existing segments besides
tapping other fields. We are talking to a few potential clients."

Moving forward, Sanjay said growing market opportunities throughout the
region would enable the company to grow, along with current efforts of
developing the Southeast Asian customer base.

Under its expansion plan, the company aimed to raise its workforce locally
from 110 to 300 by 2013 to cater to the expected growth of the domestic and
other Southeast Asian markets, he said.

"This translates into creating more skilled and professional manpower for
the local industry."
-- BERNAMA