KUALA LUMPUR: The AIMS Group sees double digit revenue growth this year, above expected industry growth on the back of higher cashless transactions growth.
The carrier-neutral data services provider also expects bright outlook next year as it believes cashless transactions are set to be a game changer for how businesses operate in 2018.
“A cashless society is the way to move forward and in order to stay ahead of the game, small business owners (SME), retailers and e-commerce players, need to get their websites and physical stores ready to address this new change or risk being left out,” said AIMS chief executive officer Chiew Kok Hin.
Chiew said both Alipay and WeChat Pay are set to officially enter Malaysia and transform the mobile payment industry in the country.
“Currently, some businesses have started offering Alipay options to Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia as the bulk of the tourists are used to making cashless transactions.
“Signs stating ‘Alipay accepted’ have been increasing across the tourist capitals of Malaysia.
“Cashless transactions signal an increase in data and analytical potential for businesses to discover, so it is essential that these businesses start looking at ways to empower their business and ensure safe transactions for their customers,” he said.
AIMS helps connect businesses to the right carrier, partner, managed services or cloud provider in any of its facilities.
In anticipation of demand, Chiew said the company will be adding an additional 18,000 sqft of space for the Klang Valley as it is now at more than 85 per cent capacity in its existing space.
Chiew said the price of electricity continues to be a huge issue for the industry as it makes up 40 per cent of its operations cost.
As customers are becoming more environmentally conscious, the company had initiated an investment in green technology to meet these needs, he added.
One of investments includes innovatively applying Dynamic Rotary Uninterruptible Power Supply (DRUPS), which is widely used in the manufacturing industry, in data centres to reduce environmental harm.
“However not all data centres will be able or willing to invest in DRUPS due to its higher capital cost, so we hope the government will look into some incentives to encourage industry players to adopt green initiatives while considering the revisitation of electricity tariff,” Chiew said.