3 suites of groupware applications called 'Desktops' were launched by a local ASP, 2cliq.com. This solution is designed to help business groups communicate, collaborate and interact via the
Internet. - Brills Rebeiro, ZDNetAsia SINGAPORE, 11 May 2000 - Singapore Internet start-up 2cliq.com Pte Ltd (also named "2CLIQ") has launched
a fully Web-based communication platform for business communities to interact and network online. Recognizing
that networking is an integral part of doing business, the company offers on its Web site,
www.2cliq.com, services that empower corporate users with the ability to communicate and collaborate
over the Internet.
2cliq.com provides services they call "Desktops", that allow networking within all levels of a business
and between various businesses. There are various levels of "Desktops" depending on the community of
users that access the services they provide.
For instance, at the highest level is the
2CLIQ Association Desktop, designed as a central point of communication
for business association and clubs, where corporate members can use a customized suite of applications to network,
share information and interact as a business community.
For individual companies, the
2CLIQ Company Desktop, allows corporate users to build their own secure
intranets on the web, accessible from anywhere in the world through a Web browser. This serves as a platform for
intra-organizational communications and collaborative work.
And for the individual employee there is the
2CLIQ Personal Desktop which consists of an integrated suite
of personal information management tools like email, calendar, contact manager and document manager.
"All three Desktops are integrated, so you will find individual users accessing their personal email and
calendars, updating their company's internal meeting schedules, and handling inter-company negotiations, all from
their desks," said Mr. Yeo Guan Kah, the Chief Operating Officer of 2cliq.com. "Together they form the one-stop platform for business communities to network
and collaborate online, which is what we envision for 2CLIQ."
A 2CLIQ Business Center is scheduled to be launched in the third quarter of this year. It will see a convergence
of all these different business communities and is expected to provide many business-related services and full
interconnectivity between companies and associations within the 2CLIQ environment.
The benefits to the Big and the Small The services 2CLIQ provides are of particular interest to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). It
offers a communications platform limited to no less than the extent of the Internet itself, without having to expend
huge amounts of time and resources building their own.
"2CLIQ has provided us with an ideal platform for our members to do just that, without us having to expend
any resources on I.T. infrastructure, not to mention future maintenance fees," said Mr. Benji Ng, executive
director of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME).
Is this just another DotCom on the fly? Currently, the company is in the midst of negotiating a S$10 million funding, devoted to the development of
and enhancements on the Web site and its applications, as well as to developing its revenue streams - paid subscriptions,
co-branding with partners, advertising and e-commerce.
It remains to be seen whether 2CLIQ will be able to ride the storm over the next twelve to eighteen months. Most DotCom
companies hardly survive long enough to garner sufficient credibility in the marketplace, despite their 'great
idea' and vision. Ultimately the lack of funds in the interim would shut down their operations.
Nonetheless, 2CLIQ speaks with much conviction. "We intend to break even within eighteen months from today,
and be profitable to the tune of S$2-3 million within two years of 2CLIQ's launch," said Mr. Yeo Guan Kah the Chief Operating Officer.
That said, it is notable that 2CLIQ has already rolled out their product - which can be viewed at their website
www.2cliq.com. Far from being just another 'vision', it has also signed up several associations
with sufficient numbers -- enough to leave other infant DotComs out of the running.
To date, 6 business associations, consisting more than 5,000 corporate members, have principally agreed to use
2CLIQ's
Association Desktop as their central point of communication over the Internet. These include the
ASME and the Textile And Fashion Federation (TAFF) in Singapore.
Should 2CLIQ continue to grow at this pace, their vision would not be too far off.