No. 1 Swede IT Firm's Big Asia-Pacific Plans

SWEDEN'S largest IT Service company, AU-System AB, opened its Asia-Pacific headquarters here yesterday and plans to launch 1,000 wireless services by year end, its senior executives said yesterday.

Working with local partners including content providers and infocomm operators, a key focus of the company will be m-commerce (mobile e-commerce). It will work with Singtel as a preferred partner for wireless services like m-commerce, mobile e-banking and mobile travel management and other services based on cutting edge WAP (wireless application protocol) and Bluetooth technology.

AU-System will also partner IT solutions provider National Computer Systems to develop high value financial transaction services, said Mack Palomaki, managing director of the company's Singapore office.

AU-System Singapore's revenue this year is expected to gross $2 million, and double that next year, according to Sweden-based AU-System executive vice-president Anders Cedervall. Revenue is expected to rise with the company's plan to increase head count from 20 this year to 300 in three years. He said the company would make major local announcements in the near future. "By the end of this year Singapore will be a showcase for advanced wireless services. We could see WAP applications used by every Singapore family within 18 months," said Palomaki.

The company will also boost the availability of infocomm talent here by offering training programmes with Temasek Polytechnic and IT firm Genovate Solutions Pte. Ltd. This year, Temasek Polytechnic will provide WAP training to 250 students and professionals through its Info-communications diploma and part-time Info-comm Specialist programmes.

Genovate executive director J. Anton Ravindran expects 500 professionals to go through its WAP training this year which includes certification from AU-System.

A significant number of new applications are likely to result from the WAP training programmes, Mr. Palomaki said.

AU-System is 75 percent owned by London-based venture capital company Schroder Ventures and 25 percent by telecoms giant Ericsson.