Datasonic Group is involved in the provision of ICT solutions including the smart card personalisation (such as secure ID or chip-based credit / debit / bank cards), customisation of software and hardware solutions, project management, consultancy, R&D and technical consultancy services.
Our history began with the operations of Datasonic Corporation Sdn Bhd ("Datasonic Corporation") which was incorporated on 22 October 1980. Datasonic Corporation was originally named Bumi Packaging & Storage (M) Sdn Bhd. At the initial stage, the company was selling ICT products in the form of computer forms and credit card imprinters to financial institutions in Malaysia.
The company then subsequently ventured into the personalisation services and started its business relationship with Datacard Corporation in 1983. In 1991, Datacard Corporation became a 49% joint-venture partner in Datasonic Corporation (which was named Datacard Toppan Moore (M) Sdn Bhd at that point). As a result of the joint venture, we were awarded the distribution rights for Datacard® Central Issuance Systems and Solutions in Malaysia.
Since 1999, Datasonic Corporation has been the technology provider and exclusive sub-contractor of Dibena Enterprise, who was appointed as the Chairman and key member of GMPC Corporation Sdn Bhd, a consortium of five companies for the national ID or MyKad project. GMPC Corporation was formed to implement the pilot phase of the GMPC project in 1999. Under the Multi Purpose Card Flagship Application agreement between the Government and GMPC Corporation, dated 1 June 1999, the Government has agreed to award the GMPC project to GMPC Corporation, a consortium company, which consist of 5 members namely Dibena Enterprise, IRIS Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd, Unisys MSC Sdn Bhd, Tricubes NCR JV Sdn Bhd and CSA MSC Sdn Bhd, to undertake the GMPC project.
Datasonic Corporation through Dibena Enterprise is the only consortium member who was assigned to design, set up and commission a personalisation centre as well as to supply smart card personalisation systems and solutions, consumables and provide technical support and maintenance services to NRD. The other consortium members include CSA MSC Sdn Bhd which provides the networking and computer hardware; Unisys MSC Sdn Bhd which conducts the system integration services and interface to legacy system; TricubesNCR JV Sdn Bhd which provides smart card readers (Card Acceptance Devices) and IRIS Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd which provides raw cards (MyKad), chip with OS and readers. Upon procuring the GMPC project, GMPC Corporation will then sub-contract the entire GMPC project to each of its consortium members based on their respective roles.
Datasonic Corporation is the only ICT vendor involved in three (3) major smart card programs in the country, namely the GMPC, PMPC i.e. ATM chip-based card and EMV chip-based credit card migration in the country. The GMPC project was officially launched in 2001 with the purpose of migrating paper based IDs card with new smart IDs card with multiple applications for all Malaysian citizens; and the smart card ATM and EMV migration underwent a national rollout in 2003 as part of the goal of reducing fraudulent financial transactions which were then prevalent with magnetic stripe cards.
In 2003, Datasonic Corporation established an RPS centre in cooperation with Bank Simpanan Nasional to provide outsourcing services for the personalisation of financial PMPC, ATM and EMV credit cards for major banks in Malaysia. In 2007, Datasonic Corporation established its own independent RPS centre in order to increase its production capacity to accommodate its increasing number of clients from the financial sector. Datasonic Corporation's Central Issuance Card Printing System (operated by the RPS centre) was well-received particularly from Malaysian financial institutions and this spurred the company's growth in the market.
In 2005, Dato' Abu Hanifah bin Noordin acquired Dibena Enterprise and assumed the position of Executive Chairman/ CEO of the company and was also appointed as Chairman of GMPC Corporation Sdn Bhd. In 2006, following the acquisition of Datacard QSS Sdn Bhd (now known as Datasonic Corporation) by Dibena Enterprise, he assumed the position of CEO of Datasonic Corporation.
In February 2006, Dibena Enterprise acquired from Datacard Corporation its entire shareholdings in Datasonic Corporation to expand its technology and solutions services. This was to be followed by the acquisition of Datasonic Technologies a year later in 2007. Datasonic Technologies, (formerly known as Guthrie Technologies Sdn Berhad) was incorporated on 26 June 1991. The acquisition of the company by Dibena Enterprise from Kumpulan Guthrie Berhad occurred during the latter's merger with the Sime Darby Group and Dibena Enterprise has since met the acquisition objective which was to further expand Dibena Enterprise's portfolios to provide large-scale government ICT projects and solution services and project management services.
Datasonic Technologies is involved in the provision of ICT solutions and services which include project management for the implementation of ICT system solutions. These solutions are customised software and hardware solutions for the government ministries and agencies, and large industries like healthcare, telecommunications, and others.
Over the years, the business of our Group has grown from the provision of secure ID and smart card personalisation into more diversified products and services e.g. government ICT projects and services, project management and provision of other ICT solutions services, namely provision of customised integrated ICT software and hardware systems and solutions.
Datasonic Smart Solutions was incorporated in Malaysia on 2 April 2004 as a private limited company to provide R&D and technical consultancy to both Datasonic Corporation and Datasonic Technologies. Our Group utilises Datasonic Smart Solutions as our main channel to conduct R&D activities for the smart card OS solutions and other key ICT developments which include development of centralised and decentralised card issuance system and solutions, multi-purpose ID system, integrated front-end and back-end system solutions as well as web-based total HIS system solutions to support the current and future business of our Group.
Datasonic Innovation Sdn Bhd ("Datasonic Innovation"), a 70% owned subsidiary of Datasonic Group was incorporated on 25 July 2014 to carry on the business of providing biometric solutions.
Datasonic Manufacturing Sdn Bhd ("Datasonic Manufacturing") (formerly known as Asia Pacific Card & System Sdn Bhd), a 99.45% owned subsidiary of Datasonic Group together with its wholly-owned subsidiary, Constant Ahead Sdn Bhd ("Constant Ahead"), were acquired by Datasonic Group on 16 July 2014. The principal activities of Datasonic Manufacturing are manufacturing of electrical integrated circuit (I.C.) cards, or commonly known as smart cards and its related products. Whilst Constant Ahead has not commenced operations since incorporation.
Datasonic Group had on 26 September 2014 acquired a 30% stake in Electric Vehicle Automotive (M) Sdn Bhd ("Electric Vehicle Automotive"). The intended principal activities of Electric Vehicle Automotive are to manufacturing of automobile and various vehicles and spare parts.