Asiasoft Corp, a local online game provider, has teamed up with Chinese Internet security software developer Kingsoft to market Kingsoft Internet Security 9+ in Thailand.
"Our aim is to expand from the game market to IT products. Our strategy is to turn IT products into consumer products. We will provide our first IT product, that is, KIS9+, at the consumer price of only Bt189 per computer per year," Pramote Sudjitporn, CEO of Asiasoft, said yesterday.
Asiasoft has set up a dedicated server to offer KIS9+ and provide customer support, while Kingsoft provides the product and technology updates.
Asiasoft saw a huge opportunity in selling Internet security software, as it already has a well-established and strong business infrastructure, including 16 million game IDs, payment channel and system, and 24-hour, seven-day customer support, while Internet users in Thailand are increasing rapidly.
Users can download KIS9+ directly from www.kingsoft.in.th and get auto updates three times a day.
Users can try this software out for 30 days free. Then they can buy it using Asiasoft's A Cash card from stores such as 7-Eleven, ePay, A Cash online via Asiasoft's website, or A Cash mobile by sending an SMS to an assigned number. They will get a serial number to use to activate their KIS9+ account.
KIS9+ come in three modules - antivirus, antispyware and a firewall - all localised in Thai.
The company expects its new business to reach Bt50 million-Bt70 million this year, for a share of almost 10 per cent of the total Internet security software market valued at Bt700 million-Bt800 million.
This year the company aims to grow its total revenues at least 20 per cent from Bt1.5 billion-Bt1.6 billion last year, of which Bt1 billion was from the domestic market and Bt500 million-Bt600 million from overseas.
This year, the company has set aside an investment budget of Bt150 million-Bt180 million, of which half will be used to upgrade and improve its IT infrastructure and buy more game licences, as it plans to launch eight online game titles in Thailand.
And the rest will be used for its new venture in Vietnam.
"We are working with a Vietnamese company to provide online games to Vietnamese. Vietnam's online game market is quite big, around Bt3 billion, which is bigger than Thailand's online game market, which was around Bt2 billion last year and is expected to be Bt2.3 billion-Bt2.5 billion this year," he said.
