Ceycom has stormed into the world of communication technology in Sri Lanka. The recently launched company, a subsidiary of the Ceylinco Group, will offer a wide range of communication options to local clientele using modern state-of-the-art technology. For the necessary technical knowhow, the company is linked with Comsat RSI, Huges Escorts and Hutchison Corporate Access. Using computers and modern satellite technology, Comnet will establish an islandwide network for corporate or personal communication. The story does not end there, Comnet is prepared to offer a truly diverse range of communication possibilities from e-mail to better Internet access to video conferencing, distance education and telemedicine.
Using high-tech satellite links Ceycom will establish international point-to-point corporate data circuits which enables companies especially, to have clear, reliable communication lines with partners in specific locations in other countries. The company has obtained a 20-year telecommunication net- work licence to set up high-tech communication lines linking the world with individuals here.
At the grand launch of the new company, Chairman of the Ceylinco Group, Lalith Kotalawala said that Ceycom was a step in the right direction in a competitive commercial environment. “I have a vision”, he said “it is to see a farmer, after a hard day’s toil in the fields, washing the mud off his feet and then checking the prices of paddy or vegetables from a terminal located close by. It is also to see a young girl talking for hours on our communication links to her boyfriend in another country”. Throwing in a pun he added, “the more she speaks the better it will be for us.”
To begin with, Ceycom will offer six services. Consort, a communication management service will enable customers to outsource the management of their communication needs. Consort will do feasibility studies and deploy a wide range of professional expertise in planning, operating and managing the network. Ceynergy is a systems integration service which develops total solutions and the entire responsibility of management.
Pinpoint is the most talked about service on offer at present. It is an advanced but relatively simple device which involves a small satellite dish and a pinpoint terminal to which a computer or fax could be connected. The device then links you via satellite to one international location or a number of them. Pinpoint allows the user to choose the number of transmitting or receiving points, speed and traffic either way. It can be reprogrammed to suit your needs very quickly. Ceycom claims that the method is amazingly
cost-effective. There is no capital expenditure because everything is included in a fixed monthly rental. The hassle of waiting is eliminated since the device will be installed within a few days of the order. Plus, Ceycom offers the services of their sales group to those who would like to know more about the system.
In addition to Pinpoint, the company also offers several other innovative communication solutions.
Penpal is the innovative new e-mail service claiming to quickly deliver your correspondence via computer to any part of the planet. It works from anywhere there is a phone line connection and any time as the service is open for 24 hours. Penpal mailbox can be used to collect as many incoming messages as possible. One could access this mail at any convenient time. What’s more, the service will also allow one to electronically file the correspondence thus reducing paperwork. The message system is not merely for word-messages; one can transmit images, documents, spreadsheets and even computer software through Penpal.
Active World is another interesting feature useful for businesses which thrive on advertisements. The program offers web advertising options where companies get maximum exposure internationally on the Internet, which is fast becoming the most powerful communication tool in the modern age. These advertisements will typically take the form of several web pages, which will include company and product information and an inquiry form. The form will be a tool for potential buyers to forward their queries via e-mail. It exposes products and companies to potential markets in some 150 countries. Datapack is the ideal communication networking option between branch offices of a company.
Other than the above, Ceycom also plans to revolutionise medical practice by introducing Telecure, which links you up with medical specialists all over the world, who can electronically do check ups and prescribe curatives. Athena is the distance education service for students, laying wide at their fingertips a range of tools and information in a variety of subjects. Cey-Us is a video conferencing service and Cybernet is Ceycom’s link to the world wide web.
Ceylinco Group, the parent company of Ceycom has a long history in Sri Lanka. It began as a local insurance business in 1939 and has now grown in leaps and bounds to become one of the most diversified group of companies in the country. They have staked their claim in the banking, insurance, finance, hotel and travel and diamond processing markets as well as telecommunications and information technology and power generation.
Hutchison Corporate Access (HCA) was founded in 1993 by the founder of Star TV and deputy chairman of Ilutchison Whampoa Ltd., Richard Li. IICA is a subsidiary of Ilutchison Whampoa whose interests are spread in real estate, shipping, cargo services, power and telecommunications infrastructure. IICA’s objective is to provide end-to-end satellite-based solutions to countries in Asia and the Middle East. Based in Singapore, the company today is the only private international VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal technology) operator in Asia.
Ceycom has the licence to operate their communication network using satellite-based VSAT and terrestrial technology. They claim that what they are offering to the Sri Lankan public is modern telecom options that will become necessary for the growth and development of the country. Further, it will be in keeping pace with the rapidly transforming Asia Pacific region. Ceycom also maintains that this state-of-the-art technology comes at reasonably economical rates, enabling companies not just effective, efficient communication options, but practically affordable ones too.
Compiled by Tharuka Dissanaike
