GOOGLE Malaysia is on track to rope in some 50,000 local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to start their business online, after having signed 15,000 SMEs to go online under its Get Malaysian Business Online (GMBO) programme.
Google Malaysia communications and public affairs head Zeffri Yusof said most of the SMEs that went online under GMBO comprised consumer goods companies.
“Google is investing RM10mil this year to provide free advertising to generate more public awareness for GMBO,” he said at a one-day training session attended by 40 participants at Wawasan Open University.
“Penang is the fourth destination we have visited so far, after Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, and Sarawak, to provide training since GMBO was launched in November 2011.
“We urge more SMEs from the northern region to go online under the GMBO programme to take advantage of its free business tips and education, free online advertising and subsidised training.
“There is only a RM23 annual renewal fee to the domain owner, .My Domain Registry,” Zeffri said.
While there are 17.5 million Malaysian Internet users searching regularly for products and services, there are only slightly more than 100,000 out of the 700,000 SMEs operating in Malaysia today with an online presence.
“This means that they are invisible to two-thirds of the Malaysian population as well as the rest of the global market who are online.
“It is estimated that Malaysians spent RM1.8bil via online shopping in 2010, and the figure is expected to grow to RM5bil in 2014,” he said.
GMBO is an initiative between Google, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, .MY Domain Registry and ITrain.
The SMEs interested to go online under the GMBO programme can sign up at www.getMYbusinessonline.com.my/
“For those who need training, they have to indicate that when signing up at the website.
“ITrain, which is providing the training, will then contact them on the time and venue for the training, which should be monthly, depending on the number of participants involved,” he said.