Software's not so hard

In the late 1990s, hardcore computer gamers around the world using the Windows CE-platform held the highest regard for games developed by a Thai company called Jimmy Software.

Moreover, Windows CE (now called PC Magazine) in 1999 named it the best software in the US and European markets.

At the time, the company was only two years old. Jimmy Software was not well known in Thailand because it set out to develop software for the global market. Its founder and operator was a medical student named Panutat Tejasen, who discovered when he was barely 20 years old that developing computer software meant more to him than being a doctor.

When Panutat, nicknamed Jim, was only 19 and a second-year medical student at Chiang Mai University, he was introduced to Apple II, the first popular microcomputer manufactured by the Apple Company. It was a life-changing experience.

The Apple II was at the home of a missionary friend, and Panutat began spending most of his free time with computers. In the process, the young student developed an overwhelming fascination for programming. He didn't attend any training courses but began his programming life "learning by doing". His obsession with computers soon began to eat into his medical studies.

"The missionary's house had a lot of computers and software magazines to help in programming," he recalls. "I read them a lot and tried to do programming by myself."

At first he began developing software with basic language, but the missionary, who was skilled with computers, suggested that he use assembly language rather than B or C language and gave him programming books so he could learn more.

Programming with assembly language helped Panutat to understand and recognise the computer as a machine, because this was the language that controlled the machine's overall functions.

Only a couple of months later, in 1983, Panutat completed his first software programme, Thai language for Apple computers. He sold it to Unitec, a local computer-dealer in Bangkok.

"I made money from my first software development. It was about Bt100,000, and that was big money for a 20-year-old student. I felt that developing software could become my career," Panutat says.

Although he continued his medical studies, he seized upon another software-development challenge. Believing he was quite familiar with developing the Thai language for computers, he turned his time and effort to developing Thai language for the IBM PC, which had just been launched. Only one year later, in 1984, Panutat completed his Thai-language program for the IBM PC and once again sold it to Unitec.

"I was the first one to develop Thai language for IBM PC by using only software. At that time developers had to use a hardware card as a tool to develop software for the IBM PC, but I did not. I used only software. I used the Basic and C languages," Panutat says.

He earned a lot more money from selling his second software development. That not only inspired him but also encouraged him to enter the field of software development after he graduated, rather than becoming a doctor. He was a senior medical student, and he almost gave up his studies, but his parents, both of them doctors, pleaded with him to carry on.

"My parents did not blame me: they encouraged me to go on with the thing I loved, but they asked me to continue my studies and to graduate as a doctor of medicine," Panutat explains.

Soon afterwards his double existence became easier when he was invited by 315 Company, a local computer-dealer and a subsidiary of Samaggi Insurance, to oversee Thai-language development for laser printers. He worked on weekends for the 315 Company, while on weekdays he continued to study medicine. He was only 22 but earning tens of thousands per month.

"I developed a Thai-language system for laser printers, called Orchid program. It was a page-composition program, similar to Pagemaker," Panutat says. "Then I continued to work for the company, even after I graduated."

In 1987 he recognised a big challenge when Microsoft released Windows 2.1 on the Thai market, without the local language. He immediately began to develop Thai language for Windows 2.1 even though he was advised that such software was impossible because the Windows 2.1 source code was unavailable.

"I hacked Windows and put Thai language into Windows 2.1. That made the 315 Company the only one providing a Thai version of Windows 2.1," Panutat says.

When Windows 3.0 was released on the Thai market, Panutat went to work again. His Thai version of Windows 3.0 was sold by 315 Company for Bt35,000 per package.

Then Microsoft released Windows 3.1 with a Thai-language version, so Panutat's years of developing Thai language for Windows appeared to be over. Over the years, he had earned the 315 Company huge revenues.

Then in 1995 he was invited by Microsoft to become a contracted developer to work on a Thai version of Windows 95. He immediately accepted and joined a Thai team at Microsoft's headquarters at Redmond, Washington in the US. Unfortunately, just a few months later his wife was involved in an accident back in Thailand, and he had to return to spend six months caring for her.

At the end of 1996 Microsoft unveiled its new Windows CE platform, and Panutat decided it was time he had his own business and began taking his own risks. He developed not only a Thai-language version for the new platform but also other software such as keyboards, games and utilities, but instead of selling the software, he gave it away free of charge from his own website: www.jimmy.com.

"I allowed people to list the programs they needed on the website, and then I developed them for them, for free. That made Jimmy.com famous among Windows CE disciples around the world. It became the top site for Windows CE, and every search site pointed to Jimmy.com whenever people searched for Windows CE," Panutat said.

Then he was approached by an English programmer, Simon Judge, who wanted to market Panutat's Windows CE software, and big business began in earnest.

One of his successful applications was called Key Match Pro. It localised all European languages to a Windows CE-based keyboard. Through the marketing efforts of his partner, this application was bundled with many devices around the world, but more users meant more requests for support services, and Panutat's fondness for developing business software soon began to wane.

In late 1997 he set up a company called Jimmy Software and turned to his real passion, developing game software. The company was formed with capital of Bt1 million and a staff of two, Panutat and a friend. He also set up another website, Jimmysoftware.com, to become his online marketing channel to sell his games to Windows CE-platform gamers around the world.

In its first year the number of programmers employed by Jimmy Software increased to 24. The company released one new game every month, until the website offered many games, and gamers were wildly enthusiastic.

Jimmy Software soon became one of the best-known software-developers in the global game community. In 1999 it was chosen by Windows CE magazine as the provider of the best software for the Windows CE platform in the United States and Europe.

"Revenue from sales on the website was about Bt600,000 a month. The price per download was only US$16 (Bt52,60). Then we expanded our marketing channels to include partners in global markets, selling our software off the shelf. In 2000 we had dealers in almost every country. That was the peak time for Jimmy Software," Panutat says.

In 2001 Microsoft released smart phone, and it was not as successful as expected. Nokia's mobile-phone platform, on the other hand, looked like being more successful and offered more opportunities. Panutat decided to switch his attention from personal assistant devices (PADs) to developing applications for mobile phones.

"But the ecosystem for mobile-phone software depended on operators that were inflexible in their attitude towards software-developers and didn't give us much room to work. So I decided to withdraw from it," he says.

In 2003 he turned his attention to the flourishing fields of animation and multimedia software. He set up a new company, Chiang Mai Digital Works, with the former marketing manager of Advanced Micro Devices Taiwan and the former managing director of Intel Hong Kong, to develop this kind of software.

But after running the new company for just one year he set both his companies aside to join the Information and Communications Technology Ministry as a member of the board at the Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa).

Panutat worked for three years at Sipa, and when his term ended last year he turned back to software development.

Early this year he saw a business opportunity when he learned that a well known game software engine was unable to handle the new generation of games on the market. He focused his attention on developing software for what is code-named the SS Game Engine. It is expected to be ready for the market later this year.

"It is designed to serve game development across all platforms from arcade games to PCs, Xbox, pocket PCs and mobile phones. We hope it will generate revenue of around Bt2 million in its first year," Panutat says.

Jimmy Software is developing the game engine, while Chiang Mai Digital Works is developing about 40 new games for use across all platforms, to be bundled with the new game engine when it hits the market before the end of this year.

Panutat's dream is to build Jimmy Software and Chiang Mai Digital Works into an international game studio recognised around the world and generating revenue of US$10 million per year. He also hopes to realise his dream before he turns 50 six years from now.

Panutat's life and work in software development stand as an inspiration to the Thai software industry in seeking recognition and success around the world.

Asina Pornwasin

The Nation