MalaysiaGIS.com

Source: The Star

Billadam Europe chief executive officer Amir Mohamed said the project, to be concluded within two years, would cover not only London but also other major cities in Britain.

"The initial rollout of the maps will involve central London with 45,000 streets, which we aim to complete by June or July. Then, we will roll out maps of greater London, involving 50,000 streets, which we hope to finish by Christmas. After that, we will cover other cities, especially those popular with tourists," he told reporters yesterday.

Amir said the company hoped to achieve revenue of £571,000 a month in its first year of operations by targeting 2.5% of tourists and 5% of the local population in central London.

The collaboration between Billadam Europe and Geographers' A-Z Map is on an equal basis, with revenue to be shared evenly between both parties.

Amir said Billadam Europe would own the rights in promoting and marketing the maps, to be known as A-Z Mobile Version, to mobile operators in Britain.

"The content would be developed in Malaysia through our research and development centre Bill Adam Associates Sdn Bhd in Cyberjaya," he said, adding that the business model could be replicated in other cities around the world.

On the viability of introducing a similar product in Malaysia, Amir said the acceptance of third-generation technology (3G) in Malaysia was still at an early stage. "At the moment, the price of 3G-enabled phones and the cost of sending or downloading the content are expensive. The market in Malaysia is small and not ready yet. Unlike in Britain, its penetration rate is 80% and the use of mobile phones is a way of life," he added.