Walter Rhodes
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| Private Limited | |
| Industry |
Management consulting technology services outsourcing services |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Headquarters | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Dr. Darren S.F. Ng, President and managing director |
| Website | walter-rhodes.com |
Walter Rhodes is a Malaysian corporation founded in 2006 that focuses on management consulting, technology solutions, and outsourcing services . The firm was established to focus on developing an IT operational framework that helps manage technology-driven corporations. To date, Walter Rhodes has served more than 100 clients and sees a growing client base each year[1]
In 2008, Walter Rhodes expanded its portfolio into the global shared services and outsourcing (SSO) industry via its subsidiary Walter Rhodes BPO Solutions Sdn. Bhd. and has spearheaded SSO developments in the region.[2]
Dr. Darren S.F. Ng, the founder of the Walter Rhodes Group, remains as the President and managing director of the corporation.
Walter Rhodes Global SSO Network
The Walter Rhodes Global SSO (Shared Services and Outsourcing) Network was initiated by the company's subsidiary Walter Rhodes BPO Solutions Sdn. Bhd. – a joint venture company with KPerak INC Corporation.[3] KPerak is an ICT agency appointed by the Perak State Government in Malaysia to oversee and manage technology developments in the State. The joint venture company manages the expansion strategies of the SSO Network.
The SSO Network involves the establishment of various SSO hubs in regions such as Malaysia, China, and Vietnam. The hubs are known as the Walter Rhodes Global SSO Centres and are launched successively. The SSO hubs are set up to provide managed services to ICT organisations or businesses with heavily-invested IT units. In addition to helping companies set up SSO operations, the company functions to expand a network of SSO hubs in various countries in efforts to create an international community of small- and medium-sized enterprises[4]
Perak, Malaysia
The pioneering Global SSO Centre was launched on 28 May 2009 in Perak, Malaysia and officiated by Perak Chief Minister, The Right Honourable Dato' Seri Dr. Zambry Abd. Kadir.The Chief Minister has recognised that the Global SSO Centre, the first of its kind in Malaysia, will make the State of Perak a springboard for global services and provide opportunities to tap into the global SSO market. The State Government has collaborated with Walter Rhodes' partners from China and Vietnam to achieve these objectives[5]
The SSO hub is located in the MSC Malaysia Cybercentre Zone of Meru Raya, in Ipoh, Perak. The MSC Cybercentre is expected to make Perak a leader in the delivery of ICT services as well as a new investment hub for technology related projects in Malaysia[6]
The Global SSO Centre is established in line with the KPerak ICT Strategic Blueprint,[7] which was tabled by the State Government to map and guide ICT projects in the region. The Blueprint indicated shared services and outsourcing as one of the industries to be developed by the government of Perak for the realisation of a Knowledge-State (K-State) by the year 2020[6]
Suzhou Xiangcheng, China
Walter Rhodes' second SSO hub was launched on 6 August 2009 in Suzhou Xiangcheng, China. It is also the firm's first international hub outside of Malaysia. As with the flagship hub in Perak, the SSO Centre was established as a joint venture with the Suzhou Xiangcheng government. Suzhou was targeted as one of the firm's key SSO destinations as it has the second largest outsourcing industry in China, after Shenzhen. Zhou Li Hong, the vice-director of the Suzhou Xiangcheng Economic Development Administrative Committee says that Suzhou can benefit from the foreign direct investments that are pouring into the region, where more than 120 Fortune 500 companies have a presence in Suzhou. The Global SSO hub aims to attract small and medium enterprises that are thriving in the region.[8] The launch of the SSO hub was officiated by the deputy mayor of Suzhou, Qiu LiXin[9]
Hanoi, Vietnam
Following the second SSO hub, the HANEL – Walter Rhodes Global SSO Centre was officially opened in the city of Hanoi, Vietnam on 23 November 2009[10] The SSO hub was set up in partnership with HANEL Communications, a leading government-linked ICT corporation in Hanoi. The SSO hub also has a partner in Hanoi's Department of Information and Communication. The firm is also in the midst of establishing a working relationship with Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Set to rake in a turnover of US$3 million in five years, the SSO centre will focus to cater to several key industries identified by the Hanoi government, including information and communication technology (ICT), as finance and banking, telecommunications, animation and software development[11]
Partnerships
Walter Rhodes established a partnership with the Youth Chamber of the Selangor Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (DPMMS) on 23 November 2009 to form the Dewan Muda – Walter Rhodes Business Advisory Axis. The initiative was created to assist Malaysian entrepreneurs, particularly member companies of the Youth Chamber, to expand their business into the international market. The launch of the initiative was officiated by the Deputy Minister of Malaysia's Ministry of International Trade and Industry, The Honourable Dato' Mukhriz Tun Mahathir.
The initiative's first venture abroad was formalised on 6 December 2009 with the opening of the Youth Chamber's Business Advisory Centre at the Walter Rhodes Global SSO Centre in Suzhou, China. Five Malaysian companies were selected to start up operations there as part of a pilot project[12]
Walter Rhodes' MIS Restructuring Framework (MISOF)
MISOF is the company's methodology developed to provide organisations with a framework to organise their IT units for better efficiency. It was essentially developed as a guideline for restructuring the Management Information Systems (MIS) of organisations into a unit that is able to generate profit for the company. It not only governs ICT practices but also enhances organisation structure and processes to improve overall efficiency and productivity, thus its emphasis on both the business operations and ICT implementation aspects.
In addition to employing best practices in business processes and ICT strategy, MISOF also encourages the ownership of Intellectual Property which is subsequently used to achieve tangible business value.[13]
The Framework dictates that the restructured MIS division provide supporting IT functions to the various administrative entities within the organisation as an independent entity with its own Research & Development (R&D) activities and internal Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).[14] This is achieved by establishing a full-fledge in-house IT division and developing technology in-house to create Intellectual Property and retain domain knowledge and technical knowledge. It may then extend its revenue streams by providing products or services acquired through the Intellectual Property to other organisations beyond its affiliated companies. MISOF suggests that as a result, the MIS division makes the transition from a cost centre to a profit centre.
MISOF has also provided the foundation on which the Walter Rhodes Global SSO Network expansion strategies are built.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Spearheading the SSO Initiative", Technology Business Review, July 2009: 47–54
- ↑ "Creating Business Gateways Without Barriers", Malaysian Business, 1–15 January 2010: 12–13
- ↑ "Foreign Investors Returning to Perak: Zambry", Bernama.com, 29 May 2009, retrieved 29 May 2009
- ↑ "Perak Creates Global SSO Centre", Utusan Malaysia, 8 June 2009, retrieved 8 June 2009
- ↑ "Perak moves to set up ICT centres with China, Vietnam", New Straits Times, 30 May 2009, retrieved 30 May 2009
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Perak: From tin mines to ICT glory", The Brunei Times, 24 October 2007, retrieved 5 July 2009
- ↑ http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/bm/newsindex.php?id=414292
- ↑ "Outsourcing venture can put Perak on global map", The Edge Financial Daily, 24 August 2009
- ↑ "Walter Rhodes eyes more centres", Business Times, 10 August 2009, retrieved 10 August 2009
- ↑ "KPerak INC Aims to Transform Perak into Knowledge Economy by 2015", Yahoo! Malaysia News, 20 November 2009, retrieved 20 November 2009
- ↑ "Walter Rhodes Hanoi Hub Expected To Achieve US$3 Million Turnover Within Five Years", BERNAMA, 22 December 2009, retrieved 23 December 2009
- ↑ "DPMMS Youth Chamber To Set Up Advisory Centre in China", BERNAMA, 23 November 2009, retrieved 24 November 2009
- ↑ "The Framework for Success", Technology Business Review, August 2009: 88
- ↑ http://www.walter-rhodes.com/resources/MISOF%20Brochure%20(18July08)%20v1.2.pdf