KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 29): IT solutions provider M3 Technologies (Asia) Bhd's (M3Tech's) focus for this financial year (FY18) is to ramp up promotion of four business solution software services, as it works towards returning to the black after being loss-making for five financial years.

The four, packaged under its i3 series of services, are: the i3Display solution that provides interactive digital displays, the i3TeamWorks that provides business solution management software, the i3Tracker that enables mobile tracking and the i3Apps that allows the creation of mobile application.

"We have pushed out our i3 series platform in full force and have started to spend money on advertising. Since then we have seen an increase in the user uptake of the software (services)," the group's managing director Lim Seng Boon told theedgemarkets.com after its annual general meeting earlier.

Lim said users of the i3 services are required to pay a yearly fee, which will serve as a recurring income for the group. He expects user uptake to rise in the coming quarters following increased promotion, which would reflect in better earnings for the group.

The i3 series platform is currently available through its Southeast Asian distribution units, namely Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as in China.

Moving forward the group intends to make it available via its Pakistan unit, which is currently the revenue driver of the group, selling mobile value added services.

Lim told the theedgemarkets.com that as part of this plan, the group is currently mulling the idea of listing its Pakistan unit — M3 Technologies Pakistan Pvt Ltd — on the local stock exchange there, though did not disclose a date.

"[Our] Pakistan [unit] is actually eligible to go for listing. It's in our plan, but whether we want to list it or not depends on regulatory approval," the group's managing director Lim Seng Boon said.

Lim added that the group is also looking to expand to other international markets to bring its i3 series products to the Middle East and South Europe.

At 3.57pm, M3Tech shares were trading 0.5 sen or 3.85% lower at 12.5 sen, with a market capitalisation of RM75.96 million.