Many Internet entrepreneurs are seizing the freebie as a way to build brand loyalty, market share and visibility in an up-for-grabs marketplace.
Corpmart was born six months ago and is hoping to ride the crest of the e-commerce wave. The SAR company offers free domain names, free Web-site hosting, free Web-based e-mail and free intranet applications to small- and medium-sized companies.
The firm’s bilingual English-Chinese portal helps improve business operations and communication by harnessing new Web-based platforms for internal and external use.
For instance, a Web-based intranet enables staff to access valuable company resources spread over multiple locations. It is especially useful for small and medium enterprises with offices around the world.
Technology consultancy International Data Corp predicts there will be 133 million intranet users by next year.
Two years ago, Wallace Ng, the chief executive of Corpmart, thought he spotted a gap in the crowded Web software market – a need for an application service provider that provided in-depth comprehensive administration for small and medium enterprises.
Each company can obtain free 10MB storage capacity for Web-site hosting. Users can even get their own domain name for their Web-based e-mail account – a first, Mr Ng claims, which took 10 programmers 10 months to build.
While many Web portals hope to rely on advertising revenues, Corpmart’s business model is different.
” Web banner advertisement is only part of our income. We will provide other value-added services later such as Web-based accounting, human resources and enterprise resource planning. Additional storage capacity will be charged,” he said.
Before starting Corpmart, Mr Ng worked for six years at an Internet service provider managing business development and marketing programmes.
Mr Ng feels this is the time for what he calls “webification” as small and medium enterprises in the SAR are interested in doing e-commerce.
The youthful working environment at Corpmart’s Kwun Tong office gives the impression every staff member is on the verge of fainting from the heat.
Corpmart is focussing on the Greater China market. “Considering some users may not be experienced Internet users, an easy-to-use interface was of utmost importance,” he said.
“Today many SAR-based Internet businesses are straight copies from the US model. We would like to do something new,” he said.
Amanda Chu writes for the Software Industry Information Centre, part of the Hong Kong Productivity Council. Contact the SIIC