IPG Mediabrands launches tech solutions hub in Malaysia

• Global Technology Solutions (GTS) specializes in digital marketing intelligence solutions
• Decision to base company in Kuala Lumpur was due to support offered by Malaysian Government

GLOBAL media holding company IPG Mediabrands has announced the launch of Mediabrands Global Technology Solutions in Kuala Lumpur.
 
Global Technology Solutions (GTS) is a new company focused on providing flexible and cost efficient technology services to IPG business units across the world. According to IPG, one of the driving factors for basing GTS in Malaysia was the support offered by the Malaysian Government.
 
Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) chief executive officer Datuk Badlisham Ghazali said Malaysia has established itself among the top three Shared Services & Outsourcing destinations in the world.
 
“It’s important for us to maintain companies that drive innovation and we are very pleased to be recognizing IPG Mediabrands GTS with MSC status. It represents the sort of organizations we look to support in Malaysia and we welcome them into the market,” he said.

Currently servicing IPG businesses in New York, San Francisco and Copenhagen, the company specializes in digital marketing intelligence solutions that require software development and data management services. The GTS hub will also be involved in developing digital advertising solutions for display, search and social platforms.
 
Its establishment will enable the delivery of technology enabled advertising solutions that will allow all the agencies within the company to improve their services in a more innovative, agile and efficient way.
 
The team in Kuala Lumpur is supported by global and regional staff, led by Dene Schonknecht (pic) as senior vice-president, who is also chief information officer for IPG Mediabrands Asia-Pacific.
 
Schonknecht said he is confident that the strategy and investments driving the establishment of GTS will lead to human capital and intellectual property that will increase competitive advantage for the entire agency network.
 
“Acting as a centralized pool of technology skills, GTS aims to provide access to technology Centres of Excellence (COE) which will allow immediate cost efficiencies and, as time goes by, increased industry domain knowledge,” he added.
 
According to a report by CampaignAsia, the local office will be headed by director of application development, David Voo, who joined GTS from iProperty. The team in Kuala Lumpur currently numbers 12 with plans to grow to around 20 to 30 members.

IPG has been investing heavily in technology to develop cutting-edge solutions to improve efficiency and effectiveness for both traditional media industry processes and the increasingly complex and data-centric digital environment.
 
The company said it is making a concerted effort to step up these services across the region; ensuring clients have access to the most cutting-edge services in the digital space.

The GTS hub will also be able to leverage other IPG innovation portals such as the Media Lab. Based out the New York, the Media Lab serves as an avenue for marketers from around the world to get hands on experience on what the future may hold in terms of technological innovation.