Datacraft Asia - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

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Datacraft Asia is the leading independent network and e-business systems integrator in Asia Pacific. It specialises in building and managing integrated intelligent infrastructure and providing the applications that enable businesses to work together seamlessly, both internally and externally.

Listed on the main board of the Singapore Exchange since 1995, the company`s revenue reached US$567.3 million for fiscal year 2001 with a compound annual growth rate of more than 48 per cent over the last seven years.

Datacraft is a member of the Dimension Data Group. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, Dimension Data is a leading global technology services company.



Main Markets

As Asia`s pioneer in network systems integration, Datacraft has, since 1988, established an extensive pan-regional presence with more than 60 offices located throughout China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, New Zealand and Vietnam. This region-wide organisation has more than 1,600 staff and is anchored by Datacraft`s distributed headquarters in Singapore and Hong Kong.



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End-to-End Business Focus

With its regional reach and its proven expertise in managed services, network infrastructure, application integration and e-business services, Datacraft has all the capabilities to deliver fully integrated, comprehensive solutions which address the entire spectrum of its customers` requirements, from infrastructure to services and applications.



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Datacraft Telecom Solutions

As the architect of much of the Internet and telecom data infrastructure in Asia Pacific, Datacraft provides comprehensive solutions in access and backbone network, integrated with Datacraft iBOSS business and operation support systems to help service providers compete effectively in a deregulated telecom environment.

Datacraft also offers voice services over Internet Protocol (IP) solutions, including IP centrex, voice VPN applications and messaging applications, as well as intelligent roaming and unified messaging for mobile operators.



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Datacraft Enterprise Solutions

To help enterprises build integrated, responsive and secure e-business systems, Datacraft provides a full spectrum of multi-faceted solutions. These range from structured cabling, infrastructure design and implementation through to sophisticated security service and e-business applications for banking & finance, supply chain management and customer relationship management.



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Datacraft Services

The Datacraft service portfolio covers the complete network life cycle from planning, design and implementation through to outsourced operations for both enterprise customers and service providers. Datacraft Services include Primer turnkey implementation, Uptime maintenance, Surveyor network assessment, Optimiser performance enhancement, Insite on-line network and security management and cabling services .

Based on a unique Global Services Operating Architecture, these services are delivered worldwide, 24x7x365 via Datacraft STARtrac Managed Network Centres and Dimension Data`s Global Services Operations Centres located in the key business hubs on six continents.

Through Training Partners, its wholly owned subsidiary, Datacraft also offers comprehensive training and skills transfer in networking, project management and security.



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Datacraft Key Differentiators

Global delivery: Datacraft, together with Dimension Data, possesses the skills, resources, technology know-how and global reach to create a worldwide infrastructure that delivers seamless professional solutions and services for international companies.

Strong IT skills: Datacraft has over 500 industry-accredited technical personnel region-wide and is the only region-wide Cisco Gold Certified Partner, employing over 50 CCIEs - more than any other firm in Asia Pacific.

Best-of breed technologies: As an independent systems integrator, Datacraft is able to partner the world`s leading suppliers to provide the most advanced and flexible solutions.



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Major Suppliers

Datacraft`s strength lies in integrating best-of-breed technologies from the world`s leading suppliers to create turnkey solutions that meet today`s demanding networking and e-commerce requirements. Key Datacraft technology suppliers include ADIR, Baltimore, CheckPoint, Cisco Systems, Concord, HP, Lucent Technologies, Micromuse, NET.com, NetScout, Nokia and RSA.



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Blue-Chip Customers

Datacraft Asia`s extensive list of blue chip customer-base is testimony to the company`s strong track record. Leading enterprise customers include ABN AMRO Bank, American Express Bank, Chase Manhattan Bank, Citibank, DBS Bank, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Hyundai Securities, the Hong Kong SAR Government, Merrill Lynch, Hewlett Packard and Sony.

Among the region`s service providers Datacraft customers include China Unicom, ChungHwa Telecom, Globe Telecom, Hanaro Telecom, MCI Worldcom, PCCW, PT Telkom, Telekom Malaysia, Singapore Telecom, Telephone Organisation of Thailand, Telecom New Zealand, VSNL and over 40 regional carriers in China.



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Accolades

Some of the accolades conferred to Datacraft for its outstanding achievements include:

One of "World`s Best 200 Small Companies", Forbes Global , 2001
Asia`s "Best Systems Integrator", Telecom Asia Readers` Choice Awards, 2002,2001, 2000, 1999, 1998
Runner up for "Most Transparent Company, Technology Category", Securities Investors Association Singapore 2001
One of the "100 best managed companies in Asia Pacific", Asiamoney, 2001, 2000 & 1999
Cisco`s Partner of the Year, Asia Pacific, 2001, 2000


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Senior Management Team

Datacraft Asia`s philosophy is one of localised management, centred on its regional offices but operating under a common management culture. Its senior management team comprises:

Patrick Quarmby, Chairman & Non-Executive Director
Ron Cattell, Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director
Koh See Heong, Executive Director & Advisor to CEO
Bill Padfield, Chief Operating Officer
Philip Chu, Chief Financial Officer
Low Beng Lan, Director, M&A
Vincent Lum, Director, Marketing & Business Strategy
Wong Wen Ming, Chief Technology Officer
David Cheah, Chief Information Officer
Jerry Tan, Regional Director, Central Asia
Lim Seng Kong, Regional Director, South Asia
Raymond So, Managing Director, Greater China
Yutaka Aoki, Regional Director, Japan
M.Y. Lee, Regional Director, Korea
Albert Yeung, Director, Human Resources
http://www.datacraft-asia.com

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Monday July 1, 11:04 PM
Datacraft bullish on India, expands ops
BANGALORE, July 1 (Reuters) - Singapore-based systems integrator Datacraft Asia on Monday launched its network services centre and networking training unit in India, one of its fastest growing markets in Asia.

The company, which set up its Indian subsidiary about seven years ago, sees a big potential in partnering with banks and telecom service providers in India for their systems integration requirements.

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"We are growing in India at a rate which is significantly faster than the underlying market growth rates," Ron Cattell, chief executive officer of Datacraft Asia, a unit of South African tech group Dimension Data , told a news conference.

"Some of the other Asian countries we are operating in right now are having some difficult economic times but India is actually continuing to grow very well and we intend to take that pace of growth and our investments higher," Cattell said.

He did not specify the growth rates, but said India currently accounts for about 10 to 15 percent of Datacraft`s revenue. The company invested about $2 million to set up the network services centre and training unit in India, he said.

For its Indian business, Datacraft is banking on the rapid computerisation taken up by state-run Indian banks and expansion of related networks and ATMs by many private-sector banks.

The company last month won a $18 million networking and systems integration project from State Bank of India , the country`s largest commercial bank.

State-run telecoms giant Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, ABN Amro and Bharti group are among Datacraft`s other Indian clients.

"We find it a very exciting and buoyant market and we are continuing to invest in the country," Cattell said.

"Despite an adverse economic situation in some parts of the world, there is still very large investments being made in IT in general and in networking technology in particular, by telecom service providers and large banks in India," he said.

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1557 [Dow Jones] System integrator Datacraft Asia (D07) up 7.8% at US$1.38 on strong volume of 9.1 million shares; trader says stock, biggest player in IT services sector, getting positive rerating before e-solution aspnetcentre (A50) lists tomorrow. Note UOB-KayHian has predicted aspnetcentre may rise as much as 50% on debut, pegging it at 14X FY02 PE, which causing players to take a fresh look at other stocks in sector. (EYG)

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Friday July 12, 10:40 AM
Singapore Shares End -2:IPOs Continue To Attract Interest
SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--Singapore shares closed higher Friday after a late surge on Wall Street overnight gave major local technology shares a boost, while other blue chips rose on bargain-hunting, traders said.
The benchmark Straits Times Index closed up 5.90 points, or 0.37%, at 1614.09, off an intraday high of 1622.13.

Advancers outnumbered decliners 175 to 77, with 251 stocks closing unchanged or untraded. Trading volume rose to 475.8 million shares from 346.7 million shares Thursday.

Wall Street staged a late rally, with the technology-heavy Nasdaq advancing 2.1% on upbeat outlooks for U.S. technology companies, lifting major technology stocks in Singapore, traders said.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average came off early lows, ending 0.1% lower at 8801.53, fuelling hopes that the upward momentum will continue into Friday, traders said.

Singapore`s technology sector subindex climbed 2.0%.

Creative Technology, known for making sound cards for computers, rose 2.2%, or S$0.40, to close at S$18.40 (US$1=S$1.7469) after customer Dell Computer Corp. Thursday raised its fiscal second quarter outlook, traders said.

Datacraft Asia rose 7.1%, or $0.10s, to end at $1.50. Traders attributed recent gains partly to ongoing speculation that the networking company`s parent, Dimension Data, may take it private.

Chartered Semiconductor closed 2.2%, or S$0.08, higher at S$3.68, while Venture Corp rose 1.3%, or S$0.20, to end at S$15.20.

Singapore Shares End -2:IPOs Continue To Attract Interest

Improved sentiment, spilling over from the U.S., led to bargain-hunting in local blue chips, including Singapore Airlines, which finished up 1.5%, or S$0.20, at S$13.30; and Singapore Telecommunications, which closed up 0.7%, or S$0.01, at S$1.42.

The IPO stocks that made their debuts this week continued to attract strong investor interest. Friday`s debutante, CityAxis Holdings, saw 60.8 million shares traded, about 13% of the day`s total volume.

CityAxis, a commercial interior specialist, rose 7.1%, or S$0.02, to close at S$0.30.

Information technology company Aspnetcentre, which made its debut Wednesday, rose 9.1% to end at S$0.30.

Shares of listed water treatment companies also did well, ahead of water specialist Darco Water Technologies` trading debut Monday, on anticipation that the sector will see renewed investor interest.

Hyflux rose 8.5%, or S$0.10, to close at S$1.28; while Dayen Environmental closed 8.3%, or S$0.07, higher at S$0.91.

Some traders are hopeful that the late U.S. rally Thursday will spill over into Friday, bolstering Singapore`s market Monday. Other traders, however, are concerned that the momentum may not be sustained as concerns over corporate accounting woes in the U.S. continue.

-By June Goh, Dow Jones Newswires; 65-6415-4160; [e-mail]

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Friday July 26, 6:37 PM
Singapore`s Datacraft/Merges Ops -3: Investor Concerns
SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--Network integrator Datacraft Asia Ltd. (P.DAS) said Friday it will merge its various operations in South Korea and in New Zealand, as part of efforts to rationalize the company`s activities.
In New Zealand, Datacraft will merge its two wholly owned units, while in South Korea the information technology specialist will also merge its two wholly owned units there, the company said.

Singapore`s Datacraft/Merges Ops -3: Investor Concerns

The moves to rationalize some of its overseas operations follows investor concerns earlier this year that the company wasn`t keeping a tight enough rein over its various units.

Datacraft said in May it would make a loss for the six months ended June 30 because it would make provisions for unpaid accounts that were due to one of its Chinese units.

The company estimated the provisions would amount to between US$19 million and US$23 million.

Datacraft pledged at the time to restructure its businesses to ensure the problem of unpaid accounts wouldn`t happen again.

Datacraft is the Singapore-listed unit of South Africa`s Dimension Data Holdings Ltd. (O.DDT).

Datacraft shares fell 4% to US$1.20.

-By Sai Man, Dow Jones Newswires, 65 6415 4155; [e-mail]

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Monday July 29, 5:52 PM
Datacraft wins US$1.7 mln contract
SINGAPORE, July 29 (Reuters) - Datacraft Asia Ltd, Asia`s largest systems integrator, said on Monday it has clinched a US$1.7 million network infrastructure upgrading contract from Indonesia`s top cellular operator Telkomsel.

The contract entails the design, implementation and management of a data communications network infrastructure backbone for the cellular arm of state-owned PT Telkom

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across six major cities in Indonesia, Singapore-based Datacraft said in a statement.

"The success of this project will open up more opportunities for us to establish our foothold in Indonesia`s service provider market," said Handy Wirawan, Datacraft Indonesia`s general manager.

Shares of Datacraft, a unit of South African information technology group Dimension Data , ended three cents higher at US$1.23 on Monday.

The stock has fallen over 40 percent since the start of the year following its shock warning in May of a full-year loss, the first since its 1995 listing, due to bad debt woes at its China operations.

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Singapore`s Datacraft warns of quarterly loss
By Jennifer Tan
Photo Gallery

Reuters Photo



SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore-based networking specialist Datacraft Asia, which warned on Tuesday of a small operating loss for the September quarter, its first since its 1995 listing, said the timing of a recovery remained unclear.

"Trading conditions remain difficult, with a lack of certainty about customer spending patterns," Ron Cattell, the chief executive of Asia`s largest systems integrator, told an analyst and media conference in Singapore.

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"There`s no sign yet of a significant upturn in demand, and I don`t have any better idea than anybody else when that upturn will come."

As the three months to September 30 was a seasonally weak quarter, revenues were expected to soften compared with the previous two quarters, although certain markets such as India and Thailand would perform strongly, Cattell added.

Datacraft is a unit of South African tech group Dimension Data .

For the 15-month period ending in September, it said it would take charges of US$2.9 million, owed by a unit of bankrupt telco WorldCom Group Inc , and an undisclosed sum for potential asset impairment from the rationalisation of its i-commerce companies.

This comes on top of $23 million in bad debt provisions for its China operations, a restructuring cost of $7 million and goodwill amortisation of $5 million announced previously.

The company, which changed its accounting year-end to September from June, stunned the market in May when it said it would post a loss for the year to June due to China provisions.

Datacraft shares were up two cents to US$1.14 in heavy volume of nearly 11 million units on Tuesday afternoon.

The stock, which has fallen nearly 50 percent since the start of the year, has underperformed the broader Straits Times Index by nearly 20 percent in the last three months.


LACKLUSTRE OUTLOOK

Lim Tee Wee, an analyst at ING Baring Securities, said Datacraft shares would not see a major re-rating in the near term as the firm was mired in a sluggish operating environment.

"FY2003 may not be such a good year for them either, as most people were expecting tech spending to rebound from the lows seen the previous year, but I think the bounce-back will be a lot slower and gentler," Lim said.

In the new financial year, Cattell said Datacraft would "focus on its balance sheet, particularly cash generation and PBT (profit before tax) ratios, followed by growth".

"China will remain about or less than 10 percent of the business and will return to profit," he said.

The company would also leverage on global contracts from parent Dimension Data and limit its acquisition activity.

For the six months to June 30, Datacraft posted an operating profit which was similar to the $10 million achieved for the six months ended December 2001, Cattell said.

Revenues for the half-year ended in June also were similar to the $217 million in the previous six months, while group overheads were cut by $6 million from the previous half-year.

During the period, customers continued to focus on cost reductions and were less ready to invest in new projects.

Datacraft`s China operations posted a $2.6 million operating loss in the six-month period. Revenues from China, which represent nine percent of group turnover, fell 28 percent compared with the prior six months, Cattell said.

As at June 30, Datacraft`s net bad debts stood at about $150 million, with China accounting for a gross $56 million, he added.

The company derived 33 percent of its revenues from telecoms, 29 percent from enterprises and 38 percent from services.


PAINFUL CHINA LESSONS

Cattell said China, which used to account for more than 50 percent of Datacraft`s operations before its 1995 listing, has been downsized after the recent string of bad debt woes.

"China is our number one problem, and while it remains strategic to us, we would not have the same geographic penetration or investments that we had in the past, because the returns are just not there," he said.

The company has cut staff, closed a number of unprofitable locations in China and beefed up its local management team with the appointment of a new general manager.

Its China operations will also be restructured into a wholly owned foreign enterprise from a representative office structure to achieve better control.

"We`re happy to have a smaller operation as long as it`s profitable and well-controlled," said Datacraft chairman Patrick Quarmby, who is also Dimension Data`s executive director.

He added that Datacraft had no plans to do a share buyback or increase the dividend payout to shareholders in the near term as the company needed to preserve its cash in difficult times.

"It`s prudent to maintain our cash resources as we don`t want to have to go out and borrow money in the current environment," Quarmby said.




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Friday August 23, 8:13 AM
MARKET TALK/SGatacraft Likely To Sink; CAD Probe
Contact Us: Singapore (65) 6415-4153
0813 [Dow Jones] Datacraft Asia (D07) likely to sink when trade resumes this morning on news Commercial Affairs Department has asked it for "certain information" for probe; comes amid talk some Datacraft directors sold shares before profit warning last October. Shares down 8% at US$1.04 yesterday before suspension; trader says in worst case scenario, shares could hit 70 U.S. cents, low reached in Asia financial crisis. Says lack of detail on nature of probe likely to exacerbate market nerves; "the company should be more forthcoming and tell their shareholders what the probe is all about."(EYG)

0808 [Dow Jones] SHARES OVERNIGHT: Singapore shares down on profit-taking despite Nasdaq`s 1% rise (note, Philly semicon index down 1.3%). ST Assembly (S24) ADRs down 4.1% at US$10.55, Chartered Semiconductor (C27) ADRs down 1.1% at US$14.84, Creative (C76) shares down 1.9% at US$8.60.(EYG)

0804 [Dow Jones] WALL STREET: Another solid day for stocks pushed DJIA back above 9000 mark for 1st time in 6 weeks; investors apparently switching back from bonds into equities despite lack of major news - earnings season has dwindled to close, no key data overnight, trading volume still light. DJIA +1.1%, Nasdaq +1% but Philly semicon index down 1.3%. "In early July, we were drifting lower because there was so much stock for sale as investors reduced their holdings. Now that supply has evaporated," says Wells Fargo`s Todd Clark. Microsoft a key factor, +1.8% after Salomon Smith Barney upped rating, citing survey indicating several firms plan to spend more on Microsoft products next 6 months. But Ciena fell 8.2% on 3Q results which worse than expected; and J.P. Morgan down 0.7% after Moody`s said it may cut debt rating. Not much news after-hours; tech firm Tivo +8.6% on 2Q loss which less than expected.(RXM)

0801 [Dow Jones] 1715 Raffles LaSalle (5BP) to report FY02 results.(EYG)

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Friday August 23, 9:41 AM
S`pore shares open firm, Datacraft leads losers
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SINGAPORE, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Singapore shares started firm on Friday after gains on Wall Street but Datacraft Asia led losers on news the computer systems integrator is under investigation by the city state`s white-collar crime unit.

Dealers said investors were taking short-term positions in smaller stocks in the absence of major market-moving news.

At 0126 GMT, the bellwether Straits Times Index was up 0.47 percent or 7.22 points at 1,549.24. Gainers beat losers 75 to 24 in meagre volume of 59 million shares.

Datacraft, a unit of South African tech group Dimension Data

, was in the spotlight after it said late on Thursday it was cooperating in a probe by the Commercial Affairs Department.

Asia`s largest systems integrator was down 11.54 percent at US$0.92 and was the most heavily traded stock with 23 million shares trading hands. Datacraft shares had been suspended at the company`s request on Thursday afternoon.

Datacraft warned on Tuesday it expected a small operating loss for the quarter ending September 30, following bad debt charges and few signs of recovery in demand.

Shares of the former market darling have fallen nearly 60 percent since the start of the year following its shock warning in May of a full-year loss, the first since its 1995 listing, due to bad debt woes at its China operations.

Semiconductor parts maker ASTI Holdings Ltd fell 7.55 percent to S$0.245 after it said U.S.-based August Technology ended an agreement to acquire its unit Semiconductor Technologies & Instruments Inc.

ASTI is 49.4 percent-owned by electronics manufacturer Flextech Holdings . The shares of both companies were suspended on Thursday.

Flextech was down 3.7 percent at S$0.26.

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Wednesday August 28, 5:00 PM
Singapore Datacraft Has $35.5M Net Cash, No `Cash Crunch`
SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--Systems integrator Datacraft Asia Ltd. (P.DAS) Wednesday clarified that it has $35.5 million in net cash and isn`t facing any "cash crunch" as a result of delayed payments by its customers.
Datacraft generated positive operating cash of $22 million for the 12 months ended June 2002 and disclosed its cash reserve "is more than sufficient to absorb the deferred payments liability and cover future capital expenditure."

Deferred payments due from past acquisitions stand at $7.5 million after factoring in recent payments and re-negotiations, Datacraft explained, responding to market concerns.

Datacraft shares have slumped since Thursday when the company revealed that Singapore`s white-collar crime watchdog - Commercial Affairs Department - is investigating the company.

At 0830 GMT (4:30 a.m. EDT), Datacraft shares were up $0.01, or 1.2%, at $0.83.

Datacraft needs to recover some $150 million in back payments - of this amount, around $56 million were billed in China.

Failure to collect these payments led to a hefty $23 million provision for the six months to June 30, and is likely to lead to a small operating loss for the current quarter.

Datacraft said it has improved its ability to collect payments in China by merging its two units there into a single entity, and turning that into a wholly owned foreign enterprise from a representative office, thus enabling the company to collect payments directly from mainland customers.

Datacraft has also slashed 18% of its workforce to 1,573 since October last year. This includes the 74 employees laid off in China since the start of the year, as Datacraft reduced the number of its offices there to 12 from 20.

-By Abdul Hadhi, Dow Jones Newswires; 65/6415-4153;

[e-mail]

[gaethje]

HEUTE:

Datacraft slipped 3.9 percent to US$0.74. Asia`s largest computer systems integrator is under investigation by Singapore`s white-collar crime unit.

[gaethje]

Letzter deutschsprachige Artikel den ich gefunden habe.



NEWS
Datacraft im freien Fall


Singapur 27.08.02 ( asia-economy.de ) Datacraft Asia Ltd. ( Singapur: D06, WKN: 899695 ), einmal als die Cisco von Asien bezeichnet, befindet sich seit voriger Woche im freien Fall. Nachdem bekannt wurde, das dass Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) im Unternehmen Nachforschungen begonnen hat, findet der Kurs keinen Halt mehr. Das CAD teilte zwar nicht mit, um was es sich bei der Untersuchung handelt, aber es wird von unerlaubten Insiderhandel in Führungsetage ausgegangen. Am Freitag brach der Kurs in Amerika um 14 % ein und gestern nochmals um fast 9 % auf 0,84 US-$ was das Niveau von 1996 bedeutet. 1995 ging das Unternehmen an die amerikanische Börse zu einem Preis von 0,39 US-$. Anfang 2000 hatte die Aktie im Bereich von 10 US-$ ihren Höchststand erreicht und kennt seit dem nur noch den Weg nach unten. Die Deutsche Bank stuft das Unternehmen von „market perform“ auf auf „underperform“ ab mit einem Kurs Ziel von 0,69 US-$. Bereits vor einer Woche hatte Daiwa Institute of Research die Aktie mit „sell“ eingestuft, nachdem für das zweite Quartal weitere Gewinnrückgänge bekannt gegeben werden mussten. (il)


© bei www.asia-economy.de

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Wednesday September 11, 6:12 PM
Datacraft gets US$2.6 mln Vietnam deal
SINGAPORE, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Datacraft Asia, the region`s largest network systems integrator, said on Wednesday it signed a US$2.6 million contract to build an Internet service provider data centre for Vietnam`s Hanoi Post and Telecommunications.

"Although Vietnam`s Internet market is in its infancy, the prospect of telecom industry deregulation is spurring new investment," Manish Sogani, general manager of Datacraft Vietnam, said in a statement.


Shares of Datacraft, which is still under probe by Singapore`s white-collar crime unit, ended half a cent lower at S$0.735 on Wednesday.

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Federal Bank banks on Datacraft India for its WAN network
~ Consolidates leadership position in India`s Banking sector


Singapore, 2 Apr 2003 - Datacraft Asia, the leading independent IT services company in Asia Pacific, has won a US$1 million deal with one of India`s leading banks to create a high-speed WAN network that will link 140 branches across the country.

The project is the fourth in a six-phase initiative undertaken by Federal Bank to connect its entire network of branches nation-wide. Datacraft has already networked the bank`s regional offices in Kerala. This latest deal will see Datacraft supply, install and integrate new, state-of-the-art networking equipment with Federal Bank`s existing infrastructure as well as providing support for a period of three years.

"We are very pleased with the confidence placed in us by Federal bank," said Dilip Kumar, Regional Director, India and the Sub-Continent. "This win demonstrates the depth and strength of the business relationship that Datacraft and Federal Bank have built-up in the last few years.

"Datacraft has already built the three largest banking networks in India. This deal with Federal Bank deal further consolidates Datacraft`s leadership position in the Banking and Financial Services sector on the Sub-Continent."

Federal Bank has so far invested over US$13 million in IT. It achieved total automation of its entire branches in FY 2001-02 and offers a suite of convenient products including Internet banking, mobile banking, mobile alerts, telebanking and a network of ATMs.

On completing the fourth phase in April 2003, the wide area network known as FedWide will cover 300 of its 420 branches and will support a host of advanced applications like anywhere banking, inter-bank EFT, centralised MIS etc. The network will enable Federal Bank to meet growing customer demand and compete in an increasingly competitive market. The branches will be linked via a network of leased lines, with a secondary network of ISDN and VSATs links providing back up in case of any disruptions.


Datacraft is using its proven PRIMER project management methodology to ensure that the project is completed on time and within budget. Datacraft will also provide Uptime maintenance support services for three years.

"Federal Bank has been at the forefront in deploying innovative technology-enabled solutions for the convenience of its customers," said K N C Nair, Head of IT, Federal Bank. "We needed a network integrator with proven expertise and an excellent track record in building large network infrastructure and Datacraft met all our expectations."

About Federal Bank
Federal Bank is a regional banking giant with strong national presence and global reach. The bank has a wide network of 420 branches covering almost all the important cities in India. All its 420 branches are fully automated with its own software package developed in-house. The Bank was the first from the older generation banks in India to introduce full-fledged Internet banking in April 2000. Mobile banking, Mobile Alerts, Telebanking and interconnected online ATMs provide the customers the options to choose from a wide array of convenient delivery channels. More information on Federal Bank can be found on the web at www.federal-bank.com.


About Datacraft
Datacraft Asia is the leading independent IT services company in Asia Pacific. It specialises in providing IT solutions and services that enable businesses to operate seamlessly across Application Networks. Application Networks are the convergence of two previous separate areas of IT: application integration and network infrastructure.

The Group`s expertise in networking integration, application deployment and global managed services uniquely positions it to deliver the IT solutions that businesses need to connect information, applications, business processes, people and organisations. A member of the worldwide Dimension Data Group, Datacraft is listed on the main board of the Singapore Stock Exchange and is a component company of the Straits Times Index. Anchored by a distributed headquarters in Hong Kong and Singapore, Datacraft spans more than 50 offices and 1,500 staff in 13 Asia Pacific markets. More information about Datacraft Asia can be found on the Web at www.datacraft-asia.com.






Datacraft`s Customer Interactive Solutions make customer service more user friendly and effective at lower cost
~ Positions company to capitalise on boom in customer contact centres

Singapore, 29 April 2003 ... Datacraft Asia, the leading independent IT services company in Asia Pacific, has introduced a set of solutions to help businesses improve the performance and customer satisfaction generated by their contact centres and self-service systems.

Datacraft`s Customer Interactive Solutions (CIS) specialise in the two broad areas of customer self-service and contact centre productivity optimisation. The objective is to rapidly determine the customers` needs and then match and route them to the contact centre agent or self-service channel best suited to serve them.

"These solutions revive the forgotten art of customer satisfaction while increasing the revenue or service per contact," said Bill Padfield, chief operating officer of Datacraft Asia. "The two can co-exist by automating the way expensive contact centre resources are deployed to give the best possible outcome based on a `customer delight` strategy.

"Staffing is the major component of operational costs, so it is important to optimise the use of human resources, even when contact centres are under utilised. With the right tools and experience, contact centres and self-service systems can be made to run with higher call volumes, deliver more information and perform more transactions to everyone`s benefit, " Padfield added.

Automated customer self-service channels enable customers to access information and conveniently perform transactions 24x7, using telephone touchtone keypad, the web or their own voice. Datacraft CIS also provide a range of agent productivity enhancement tools including computer telephony integration systems, workforce management and agent recording with business intelligence analytics that optimise agents` productivity while enhancing customer satisfaction.

Datacraft is building on the CIS expertise developed by Dimension Data, Datacraft`s parent company, and positioning itself to capitalise on the boom in contact centres across the region.

Dimension Data Australia has been delivering solutions that represent industry landmarks in the customer interactive field. These include Telstra`s million calls per-week voice portal that uses natural language speech recognition to support customer service operations. Almost every major bank and service provider in Australia has a contact centre solution supplied and supported by Dimension Data`s CIS team.

Datacraft has been equally successful in India`s booming contact centre industry. Over the last two years, it has completed more than 25 contact centre voice and data network integration projects in India for local and multinational customers including American Express, AOL, Dell, eFunds, GE Capital International Services, Ocwen Financials, Phoenix, Spectramind and Talisma. These contracts were already recognised in previous financial years` accounts and therefore have no material impact on this financial year.

Building on this base, Datacraft India has already racked up some early wins for its expanding CIS practice this financial year. These include a workforce management solution for eFunds to precisely match its agent shift rostering with its call volumes, a project to enhance the effectiveness of AXA Business Services` collections process, along with a voice recording solution for the same client. It has also won project engagements for help desk workflow management from Tata Consultancy Services. These contracts do not have any material impact on this financial year, but indicate a very encouraging trend towards creating a higher margin business.

McKinsey & Co estimates that Asia-Pacific`s offshore call centre services will have a compound annual growth rate of 50 per cent from 2000 to 2008. In India, the regional leader for business process outsourcing, NASSCOM is projecting that the call centre industry revenue will reach US$4.2 billion by then.

Solid partnerships with industry leaders are central to Datacraft`s strategy of providing and supporting market-leading solutions. The new customer interactive solutions use Cisco networking equipment, Nortel interactive voice response systems, CTI systems from Genesys Labs, Nuance Communications Speech Recognition technology and Sun Microsystems server platforms.

Rapid implementation and solid support for these solutions are based on Datacraft`s suite of proven services that assess, implement, monitor and optimise each layer of the application network environment.

The Surveyor discovery and assessment service plus Primer proven solution delivery framework are the foundations that assure low risk, informed implementation. Once a customer interactive solution goes live, Datacraft`s managed services, Insite and Uptime, can be deployed to help manage and maintain the contact centre`s IT environment, ensuring ongoing efficiency, scalability and reliability.

Being a new business solution, it is difficult to ascertain the material impact of the CIS business on this financial year.




About Datacraft
Datacraft Asia is the leading independent IT services company in Asia Pacific. It specialises in providing IT solutions and services that enable businesses to operate seamlessly across Application Networks. Application Networks are the convergence of two previous separate areas of IT: application integration and network infrastructure.

The Group`s expertise in networking integration, application deployment and global managed services uniquely positions it to deliver the IT solutions that businesses need to connect information, applications, business processes, people and organisations. A member of the worldwide Dimension Data Group, Datacraft is listed on the main board of the Singapore Stock Exchange and is a component company of the Straits Times Index. Anchored by a distributed headquarters in Hong Kong and Singapore, Datacraft spans more than 50 offices and 1,500 staff in 13 Asia Pacific markets. More information about Datacraft Asia can be found on the Web at www.datacraft-asia.com.