2007 Year End Message from Mr. Foong Heng Huo, Executive Director of RosettaNet Malaysia

What an exciting year 2007 has been for us!

We are entering the New Year on an all-time high, with unprecedented results. First and foremost, I am most delighted to report that the number of companies who have successfully implemented RosettaNet in Malaysia has doubled from 340 in December 2006 to 670 in December 2007. A high proportion of the 670 companies are local Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) from around the country. The number of connections (or the depth of implementation) has also increased from 10,110 to 12,202 within the same period.

These phenomenal achievements are the result of a combination of factors: namely the increased promotional activities we have conducted with the continuous strong support from our partners, sponsors, the industry, various governmental agencies, especially the Small and Medium Industries Development Corporation (SMIDEC) and the Ministry of International Trade (MITI), as well as the media which has brought greater awareness of RosettaNet to the masses.

Taking cue from the successes, impacts and opportunities of the previous RosettaNet Global Conference in 2003 and RosettaNet National Conference in 2005, we have elevated our accomplishments to another level this year by simultaneously hosting both the RosettaNet Global Conference and RosettaNet Partner Summit in Penang . The week-long event in October drew participants from at least a dozen countries, featuring illustrious speakers from China , Europe, Japan , Philippines , Singapore and the United States who shared their experiences, benefits, challenges, and knowledge with regards to the application of RosettaNet. During the event, a successful live demonstration of the synergistic relationship between RosettaNet, EPCglobal (RFID) and OpenXML standards was also presented, showing that in today's world data can be easily moved between standards and between platforms. The week also saw us hosting members of the RosettaNet Global Councils who concurrently conducted their twice-a-year meetings, the first time this has ever been done in Malaysia .

As in 2005 and 2006, in close cooperation with the SMIDEC, we held a series of forums throughout the country, educating and bringing greater awareness to the SMEs about RosettaNet. Learning from our past experiences, we have refined the forums by making them more focused and with greater emphasis on interactivity. This year, we were at mainland Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru along with our partners CrimsonLogic eTrade Services, Dagang Net Commerce, Gridnode, Kompakar Inc., SAP and YGL Convergence. This is yet another sterling example of the collaborative nature of RosettaNet. We have also started to work with other organizations in hope of reaching out to a larger proportion of the community; the National Productivity Centre (NPC), MIRC and ScoPe are notable mentions.

The full suite of our regular trainings and showcases continued, along with the addition of soft skills seminars that we felt would benefit our partners. The revamp and continuous improvement of our website has also garnered respectable results, with over 100,000 visitors since the launch – another clear testament that the interest on RosettaNet is still as constant as the northern star. The work that RosettaNet Malaysia has done has also evoked considerable interest from other RosettaNet communities. This year we were invited to share our experiences in conferences and training sessions in Bangkok , Singapore , Shanghai and Orlando . We also average about two formal speaking engagements per month locally, all of which we do without hesitation, in hope of furthering the gospel of RosettaNet.

None of the work done and progress made thus far would have been possible without the support of our partners, sponsors and friends. Such continuous and tireless backing has enabled RosettaNet Malaysia to grow from strength to strength with each passing year. Everyone concerned and involved has my utmost and sincerest gratitude. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate our Chairman, Datuk Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria on her recent conferment of Darjah Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang by the Sultan of Pahang, Sultan Ahmad Shah on the occasion of His Majesty's 77th birthday. Last but not least, congratulations also to Stanley Chin on his redesignation to Manager effective 1st January 2008.

I wish everyone another fruitful year ahead.

HH Foong

Executive Director