“The soft splash of waves against stone heralds the end of an odyssey from the great unknown. It is a timeless epic journey watched by the sky, sun and stars. The triumphant return of the waves coming home to shore is trumpeted by soaring seagulls, the envoys of the sea. Listen to this ancient tale in the songs of the ocean. The sea itself is a vast expanse of rippling blue that disappears into the sky. This is life at Nautilus Bay, a seaside oasis of serenity.”

“Your instructions were VERY clear and easy to follow. The instruction for uploading our photographs for the visas was the best I’ve ever seen. Everything on your website worked smoothly. We were very impressed with the high level of technology used in your website. Also, the English text was very understandable.” said Barbara and Glenn Halliday

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Rural School Project in Cambodia was brought to a whole new height with the acquisition of the domain name Kumomo.com!

On 19th November 2006, the domain Kumomo.com was registered. The Kumomo Project has been developed by the team at 1.com.my to match ad space owners and buyers. At the same time, a portion of the money is donated to a charitable cause. The first charity organization the Kumomo Team engaged was American Assistance for Cambodia (AAC).

In the recent months, an anonymous corporation has expressed keen interest in the domain name Kumomo.com. After a few rounds of discussions, they have decided to take full ownership of the domain name Kumomo.com and would make the necessary compensation to the project.

Most importantly, with the acquisition of the domain name, they have also generously agreed to donate USD26,000 to build 2 schools in Cambodia. This is in addition to the sum that has been collected from all members’ contribution to the Kumomo Tree Project all these while.

“Thank you very much for your very generous arrangement and gesture to turn this sum over to us to build two schools. We are very grateful and so will be hundreds of Cambodia children who will benefit by gaining an education they would otherwise would not be able to pursue,” said Bernard Krisher, Chairman of AAC.

What’s next?

Upon this stage of ownership transfer, the ex-Kumomo team will change to a new name and the effort to develop this ad booking platform will continue. A date of transfer is not confirmed, rather more, it is assured that there are various plans to add a lot of new features in the next release to help monetize the spaces on Kumomo.com.

It is with great awareness that this sudden change would cause various inconveniences to members. Yet the apologizes will hopefully be compensated with the additional funds which will be used in helping to accelerate the process of putting more Cambodian children in schools. The construction of both The Kumomo Tree One and Two School in Kompong Cham province is expected to begin in mid February and should be completed in July 2008.

In the meantime, Kumomo members will be:
1) kept updated on the construction progress of the 2 schools
2) notified once our new platform is released

And with that, on behalf of the Cambodian children and the ex-Kumomo team, wishes to express their highest gratitude to all that’s been part of the success and happenings.

Apply Cambodia Visa Online

Khind Holdings Berhad was in need of a reliable email service provider to control spam and viruses with more reliability. They were aware that outsourcing of email hosting will directly reduce costs and also improve their email service’s reliability. Quick-responding technical support is important, as email issues can easily affect their business operations. They had many users and all their email addresses needed to be managed, therefore, transferring to a new email hosting was a considerable challenge. Also, there was a need for a single control panel that would be able to control different email domains.

To convince the management on the high-level reliability of our email hosting, a trial period was introduced. Upon the successful completion of the trial, the management of Khind Berhad was convinced and agreed to subscribe. The transfer of all initial email accounts was done without downtime, while maintaining the current email address of each user. Upon the setup completion, a transfer guideline was provided to ensure all users knew how to use the new webmail and configure POP accounts.

The transfer of email hosting went smoothly and resulted in high customer satisfaction. Up to this date, there was no downtime, with almost 100% uptime for both SMTP and POP mail servers, while the configuration of email was error free, as shown in the DNS report. By using our email hosting facilities, Khind experienced significant reduction in spam and viruses, which indirectly improved their operational efficiency. The client was also satisfied as there was no need for hardware upgrading or purchase of additional software licenses.

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A more consistent and standardized website structure had to be in place for better clarity and consistency for IJM Properties. In addition, a good database support and a better search function were also required. As with other projects, a reliable hosting infrastructure is of utmost important. We needed to provide an effective and centralized way of handling enquiries, and automated management of newsletter subscribers for easy broadcasting. Besides having up-to-date information, the site must also be optimized for major search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN.

We conducted a system study, held discussions and agreed on a fixed site structure. Following that, individual projects were identified, and a database was set up. We came up with a blueprint and designed a main website, as well as, all its individual project websites including Ampersánd, Lake Plaza and PJ8. In order to fulfill the ISO standard, we also prepared a helpdesk to capture enquiries. To facilitate email broadcasting, contact information is saved in a broadcast centre for convenience. Enquiries are backed up daily and a file management system is set up for newsletter download. Finally, a web server was set up and search engine optimization (SEO) was performed.

One of the immediate results observed was an increase in search engine ranking. There was also an improvement in customer support, where the response time has been reduced and enquiry submissions were diverted to the relevant departments. This, in turn, helped to reduce operational costs. To increase efficiency, we’ve streamlined their web hosting needs with a single server, and sorted out the site contents accordingly. In a nutshell, the entire corporate presentation has significantly improved, with its website serving as one of its main marketing tool.

As a national project, it is important for the Cambodia e-Visa system to be secure, high-performance, effective and reliable. The system is available at all entry ports to Cambodia with special e-Visa lane to be setup. Each year, about 2 million tourists from Japan, Korea, France and other countries travel to Cambodia. The website must be able to serve these tourists in their native languages. Officers handling the operation have different user-level access that make the system and interface design a challenge. An ongoing marketing campaign is required to promote the system, thus stimulate the growth of the tourism industry.

The Cambodia e-Visa system was built from scratch. Planning is critical in this project. 1.com.my performed a thorough system studies, design and planning. On-site as well as off-site trainings were conducted and end-user feedback was constantly gathered to improve the system. Any operational upgrades or changes on the system were gradually implemented, so that errors are minimized during the transition. An online marketing plan was created to promote the e-Visa services through search engine, email and referral campaigns. Cambodia e-Visa blogs in different languages are also set up to gather feedback and comments on the system.

The new website supports 25 languages and serves travelers from over 150 countries. There is a marked increase in the number of visitors to the website. Overall, there is a 15% average monthly growth in the number of successful applicant. With the recent upgrade to make the application process easier and faster to everyone, we have noticed significant decrease to both operation and customer support. Visitors who have used the system were immensely satisfied.

Travelers’ feedback
Interview with Barbara
Interview with Mike Morley
Apply Cambodia Visa Online

Mike Morley is a Web Developer working for a software company in London, married to Rachel and lucky enough to be Welsh (and to be married to Rachel!). He spend whatever holiday time he has, on holiday.

Tell us about yourself? What do you do fulltime? What kind of projects you have been doing? When?

I am a Web Developer, I previously worked for a Design Agency called Red Snapper on both front and backend code. I now work for Ipreo as Frontend Web Software Developer, looking after HTML/CSS/JavaScript for a Java application used by investment banks in the City of London. Recent projects include a drag and drop report module and the re-factoring of application front end code in line with web standards and improving cross browser compatibility.

Is this your first time visiting Cambodia? Share with us what is most inspiring during your trip?

I am yet to go, but looking forward to going very much.

You are often accused of being over critical of websites. What makes a good website?

The first, and if nothing else, the only thing a website should do is allow you to achieve your aims when arriving on a website. I believe e-Visa goes beyond with good design. Normal users should be able to move through the process without having to think too much in order to acccomplish their task. From my profession I often think about design and process, but this is often when things go wrong and a user is left confused on what to do. Good design is more subtle, often you do not realise something is well made purely because the amount of effort reqired to complete a task is minimal and you can move through a process as if on auto-pilot. I believe that it is the ease of use achieved on e-Visa that makes it a good example of design. Information and the interfaces are provided through a clear and uncluttered visual design allowing no unneccesary distractions for the users. Information is laid out in a logical easy to navigate manner with the appropriate visual hierarchies, iconography and white-space so important information is easily found and supporting information is visible by not intrusive. Along with the strong visual cues guiding you through the process the feedback on user actions was excellent, you knew exactly when you had completed a section and where I needed to go next. Finally there was attention to detail, options to duplicate flight data for all passengers in a single click, simplified image upload and verification and well thought through visual guidance made for a positive user experience. I get the impression that your client has been flexible in allowing process change in their visa applications and you have managed to implement this process efficiently online.

In what ways has the e-Visa website been appealing to you?

It has successfully achieved exactly what I wanted with much less effort, which the internet often has the power to do. That is to simplify a particular task by allowing easy access to information, an interface to information provision and a method of delivery. All of which took a few minutes rather than several hours that other paper based processes may take.

The eVisa website is catering to travelers from more than 150 countries. We believe we are not doing enough on the localization. Do you have suggestions?

The only thing I can say is that I found the application process excellent and I never noticed that website was used across multiple languages on first look – so either you do not have a problem with localisation or your simplification of processes have been so successful the need for localisation is reduced. I believe simplicity is the greatest success of the e-Visa site, just keep it simple and doing the job it is meant for.

Listen to the ranting of a Welsh Web Developer?
Apply Cambodia Visa Online

Feng Shui has always been linked with the practice of understanding living conditions to maximize the flow of ‘positive’ energy into one’s home and life. It is a study of the harmony of nature. Such is the power of Feng Shui that it has found its way into the
internet.

With that, we are proud to announce that we have recently setup a blog for Master Boon who is an established Feng Shui master currently based in Australia.

The blog features insights into Master Boon’s never-ending quest for knowledge as she shares with us her thoughts and experiences. It documents her travels and contains interesting articles which provide an engaging look into the world of Feng Shui.

Do visit her blog at www.BoonYap.com to learn more about Feng Shui and many other interesting aspects of life. Then perhaps, we might be able to get a complimentary consultation for our office.

“I work as a web Developer and I am often accused of being over critical of websites, the e-visa process was fantastic. Easy to understand website, quick to use, looked good and clear understanding of what is going on during the process. Looking forward to using the visa very soon.” Mike Morley, November 12, 2007

It’s indeed an honor to be commended by a fellow Web Developer as we hope to improve on our strengths.

As a leading build and operate online business service provider, 1.com.my ensures that clients conduct their businesses well. We communicate with clients to enhance corporate competitiveness and also think from the customer side to strengthen their loyalty and ultimately towards their potential prospects.

Recently, one of an interesting online businesses, a4trip.com, was launched. Some of the Web Developer Alliance (WDA) members were involved in this project as well.

Honestly, don’t you agree that traveling is fun but it ain’t easy? There are much to plan and think for a holiday and it’s normal that one will get frustrated with decisions (basic ones!) such as on the types of flights to take, types of accommodation as well as different types of nice food to be hunted for. And most importantly, not to miss out on those ‘hot-spots’!

Don’t let this ruin your beautiful holiday. This is where A4trip.com comes in, as a one-stop online travel guide.

Despite the fact that there are many travel guidebooks in the market, A4trip.com stands out with its specialties. The information in the guidebook comes from feedback and suggestions right from the travelers themselves. Since it is online, travelers can download and print it out, You could carry all your need on the pieces of papers right in your pocket!

For further information, please visit http://www.a4trip.com

So imagine my (pleasant) surprise when I landed on what is, by far, one of the best websites I’ve ever come across–both within and outside the travel industry. The website of the Royal Embassy of Cambodia is everything a website ought to be: informative, well-designed, easily navigated, and attractive.

This is one of the feedback we have received yesterday from Tricia Holly Davis, chief writer of Travolution Blog :)

Launched officially by the Government of Kingdom of Cambodia since April 2006, with more than 10,000 e-Visas issued up to date, to travelers from more than 120 countries world wide.

E-Visa are usable in 5 major entry ports including Phnom Penh International Airport, Siem Reap International Airport, Cham Yeam (Koh Kong), Poi Pet (Banteay Meanchey) and Bavet (Svay Rieng).

We have gathered feedbacks from tourists and improved the applications on the New Cambodia e-Visa System. The intention of this revamp is to make the e-Visa application process more user-friendly with better instruction and clearer direction.

The new e-Visa system now supports 25 languages, thanks to the 140 voluntary translators. It adapts easy to use methods and allows applicants to check and change applications online. Furthermore, the new e-Visa certificate looks exactly like an actual Visa, and we hope it makes traveling to Cambodia much easier and hassle less.

We would also like to thank all the tourists and team for their support in making this happen. We wish to improve further and increase the usage of e-Visa in any way we can. Thank you again for the feedbacks given. It has all been taken into consideration and we will look into these matters continuously. We are glad to uplift Cambodia’s tourists and business travelers to a new era of applying Visa. We hope to meet our objective in making the applications faster and convenience.

About Cambodia e-Visa:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has launched official e-Visa, which enables you to apply for a Cambodia tourist visa online.

Instead of applying through Cambodian Embassy, all you need to do is to complete the online application form and pay with your credit card. After receiving your Visa through email, print it out and bring it along when you travel to Cambodia.

Apply Cambodia Visa Online

We believe in ‘hard work does pay’ phrase. The more we work out, the finer it will get. This is what we have been standing on since the day we took off as the trusted company to build the site for D’RAX Corporation Sdn Bhd, www.draxcorp.com.my. Compiled with innovative ideas and touches of designed, we are proud to present the site to the eyes of you. The main idea of the site is to provide information of the company in a clear-cut design, which combined a simple design with the manipulation of interesting graphics. In order to produce the finest result, research has been done and long-hour discussion has been held. At last, we have came out with concept of weaver bird to resemble the spirit of the company.

Known as the Baya Weaver bird, it is belongs to the family of the weaver bird. Famous of its diligence in building up its home, it is indeed a fascinating bird. Base on its characteristic, the designer team has selected the bird as the main design concept theme for the site. Due to the profile of the company, which involve in decorators, interior and renovation, the perfect match knows it.

The image of the bird crafting it’s nest is chosen by us to show the diligences of the company and the team behind the stage on working out the best to present to its client. Credit should be given to Paul Huang who has successfully captured this wonderful panorama of the bird in Kranji, Singapore. Paul Huang is indeed a talented photographer and with his effort, he has come out with his own website to feature his masterpiece. For those who are interested, you can visit his site at www.naturestops.com.

It is our hope that this site will feature the best combination of information and design to cater your interest.