When we were drafting our initial project plan for platform2u.com, our idea was simple, to build an e-commerce solution that enable the Internet entrepreneur. The buzzWord glocalization never came into our mind at all. All we aim for is our enthusiation to help the young Internet entrepreneur to find a point of start up and utilize their existing familiarity on Internet to earn their first fortune.

Throughout our journey, the plan and idea evolved, and the Big Picture slowly reveal. Our dream and vision become bigger and extended to a regional basis – to build a cross countries e-commerce platform that able to facilitate regional trade through internet.

I need to admit that to build a web shop or e-commerce for Malaysia is easy, but when we need to extend to a regional cross trading, many consideraiona come into picture. Localize payment gateway with local currencies exchange is a challenge; cross border logistic for micro or small sme with small quantity shipments is a challenge; to prevent and proactively reduce fraud case on e-commerce is a never ending fights against the non ethical buyers in internet. We know all these challenge and we need to call for a choice to go local or global. It is beyond the technology concerns of server loads, hardware and apps uptime, or language compatibility issues. We know that for the nex three year, there are one after another challenges that we can’t predict nor avoid awaiting us. We take the bold step to move on and build this platform, and fortunate, we have launched our first e-commerce 4.0 system in April 09, continue with a month later to launch in Hong Kong, and in next month in Manila, Philippines.

The buzzword glocalization came across our mind a month after we launch our system , during one of our business briefing session with our prospect merchant. I gave an example, if you sell something online and you have 100 agents or cross sellers selling your product online, you are doing a global business. And when your product is cross-sell by the 100merchants in their individual local webstore, with local look and feel website design, your product actually selling as localize one. On the term, this is glocalization… And SMiLDS.com is the enabler for this glocalization business, and we help Asia retailers to glocalize their business at every countries we presence. This is our vision and we will definitely make it happen!!