ThatWeb.com Pte. Ltd., the Internet service
arm of Singapore multimedia components maker Aztech Systems Ltd. said Monday it
is setting up new development operations in China.
The company will set up the Software Development Centre in Shanghai to
focus on research & development, a move aimed at supplementing its existing
engineering capability in Singapore.
Aztech managing director Michael Mun said that Thatweb.com’s latest expansion is
more of a strategic move to penetrate into the “vast market of China.”
ThatWeb.com plans to generate revenues through advertising, licensing out its e-mail
retrieval technology, and offering private and co-branding business solutions to Internet
service providers (ISPs), cybercafes, kiosks, academic institutions and other
businesses, he said.
“The Shanghai Software Development Center will contribute additional engineering
efforts to the current web site by continuing product and software development to the
already well established products such as ThatWeb.com’s intelligent e-mail retrieval
portal, Uni@address and Clic’Card,” the company said in a release.
The centre is also expected to work on new projects such as Java-based e-mail
applications, advanced e-mail securities and enhanced database management.
In addition, hardware such as new servers will be installed to facilitate the expected
increase of Web user traffic from China and also to speed up the service.
The 10-men Shanghai development team will be head by Dixon Hong, senior manager
at ThatWeb. “This is just the beginning for the Shanghai Software Development
Centre. We plan to expand another ten times, up to hundred engineers, to meet the
growing demand (for new services),” said Hong.
Mun said that the company sees “a lot of potential here (China). It is also more cost
effective for us to set up a Software Development Centre in Shanghai as there is a
larger pool of talent in China to tap from. This is just one of the many development
plans in the pipeline.
ThatWeb.com also plans to set up other new offices in Asia Pacific, Europe and US,
he said.
