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Earlier this month, I attended the MSC Malaysia MAD TechVentures Conference 2010 in Kuala Lumpur, a two-day tech and web industry event organized by local company MAD Incubator and MSC Malaysia. The launch pad was one of the first of its kind in the country whose Internet and mobile population has been growing rapidly in recent years. (TechCrunch contributor Vivek Wadhwa, coincidentally in town, delivered the opening speech.)

TechVentures is essentially a platform for Malaysia’s startups to demo their services on stage to an audience and a panel of judges, both of whom selected a handful of companies (out of 22) as winners. The nine lucky companies received advertising and marketing prizes valued at a total of 1.5 million Ringgit (US$500,000).

Here are thumbnail sketches of all 22 companies that presented during the MAD TechVentures Conference 2010:

MAD TechVentures Conference 2010: Winner of the Grand Prize

Xilnex by Web Bytes

Xilnex is a Saas-based retail management solution specifically developed for SOHO, small and medium-sized companies, startups, small and medium chain retailers and franchise retailers. The solution can be used for customer and service management, point of sales management, inventory control, services tracking etc. Xilnex also integrates an e-commerce solution (items in the inventory can be automatically pushed to online catalogues) and a number of reporting and marketing tools.

MAD TechVentures Conference 2010: Panel-selected winners

Aiyo!CONNECT by Terato Tech (winner of the category: Mobile and Communication)

Malaysia-based iPhone, iPad and Android development company Terato Tech (iTunes) showed Aiyo!CONNECT, a publishing engine that makes it possible to convert printed material (magazines, books, brochures etc.) to the iPad “in seconds”. Users can then edit content directly on the iPad through a special editor. Here‘s a sample magazine Terato themselves created with the engine.

Math Quest by HezMedia Interactive (winner: Games and Creative Content)

Math Quest is an online edutainment game designed to teach mathematics to children aged between 9 and 12 through avatars, quests, mini games and other elements. The RPG-like game is created in Flash, entirely playable in the browser but also available (in Malaysia) on CD-ROM. Maker Hezmedia is currently preparing an MMORPG version that’s due out in 2011 and for which the startup is looking for international business partners.

ooView by e-Trifecta Solutions (winner: Business Applications and Productivity)

ooView is an augmented reality framework designed for desktop (ooView Suite), web (ooView Extended) and mobile (ooView Pocket) applications. The platform supports both object- and marker-based tracking methods, with maker e-Trifecta offering solutions in a variety of fields, including digital marketing, events, education, or training.

Techsailor Community Connect by Techsailor Group (winner: Community and Social Networks)

Social media consultancy and online marketing company Techsailor presented Techsailor Community Connect, its white-label social platform for enterprises. Community Connect enables companies to “turn any website into an online customer engagement tool” through different social networking modules such as user profile pages, friend linkages, a messaging system, forums, media sharing functions, etc. Here are two examples for sites built on top of Community Connect (more here).

Capsuco (winner: Subscription and Commerce Marketplace)

Capsuco is an online art and graphics store offering customizable products (mainly T-shirts at this point) from artworks submitted by independent artists (who earn a share from each sale of any product featuring their artwork). Online payment is still a big hurdle for e-commerce in South East Asia, which is why the startup is planning to offer pre-paid “Capsuco Cards” in selected brick-and mortar retail stores in Malaysia. Capsuco, which launched in July 2010, is based out of Kuala Lumpur but plans to move to other markets in South East Asia soon (beginning with Singapore).

Xilnex (the winner of the Grand Prize) also won the MAD TechVentures prize in the Cloud Computing, SaaS and Web Applications category – as judged by the panel.

MAD TechVentures Conference 2010: Audience-selected winners

MyMall by Convep Mobilogy (winner: Mobile and Communication)

Kuala Lumpur-based Convep, which develops mobile applications for a number of platforms, presented MyMall at the event, a suite of apps, which are available for the iPhone (iTunes) and Blackberry. Each app helps users navigate through a different shopping mall in Malaysia, for example by providing maps, store directories, different search functions, electronic coupons, event information etc.

Trosworld by Scandic Corporation (winner: Subscription and Commerce Marketplace)

Trosworld is a B2C online mall that offers Malaysia’s 60%+ small- and medium-sized businesses that are still offline a simple CMS to bring their products to the web. Subscribers to Trosworld’s so-called VIP Store solution can get their own domain name and hosting on the platform, list up up to 4,000 products, use the integrated order and inventory system, let buyers pay through multiple payment gateways, etc. Trosworld provider Scandic offers offline guidance for VIP Store merchants, for example workshops in the real world or phone support.

JustSAMit by ISA Innovation (winner: Cloud Computing, SaaS and Web Applications)

JustSAMit is a cloud-based IT Asset Management solution specifically geared towards small- and medium-sized businesses. The service not only keeps track of what kind of hardware is being used in a given company but also helps to control software usage on computers that are in the asset list. JustSAMit, which currently requires an invitation, also wants to support clients to keep up-to-date by benchmarking their IT equipment with relevant industry vertical trends by location.

The three panel-selected winners Math Quest, Techsailor Community Connect and ooView also won the audience awards in their respective categories.

Here are the 13 other startups that made it to the MAD TechVentures finals but didn’t quite make the cut:

• mobile augmented reality platform by Clarify Consulting


• mobile content platform Happy Ring Ring


• monetization solution for social games Sogamo by ZelRealm Interactive


• knowledge management system Qryos by BCZ IT Solutions


• GPS tracking solution by bBat


• tree maintenance system TREEMAIS by Urban Headline


• SaaS based business activity management solution KPIMatrix by Suzerein


• sports portal Hooha Asia


• real-time, location-based sales and promotions platform GetTodo by Aveniq


• e-commerce website solution HanWebFusion by Hanventure Worldwide


• Joomla-based website builder for businesses Joomware by Juzit


• task management solution TaskTwister by KH Software Services


• wimax network performance analyzer by Syndes Technologies

MAD Incubator and co-organizer MSC Malaysia already expect to have another TechVentures Conference in Kuala Lumpur next year.

To keep up-to-date about Malaysia’s web scene, head over to the Entrepreneurs.my blog or follow the Twitter account of Kuala Lumpur-based mover and shaker Daniel Cerventus. For more South East Asia-related information, have a look at the e27 and SGEntrepreneurs blogs or download the This Week In Asia tech podcasts.

Mobile texting paradoxically sounds like “old news” as far as new technologies are concerned. After all, we were able to send each other texts before our mobile phones even had color screens. While the Western world has focused on smartphones and flashy apps that let you pull up RSS feeds, find information, or fling exploding birds at structures, SMS marketing is still a hugely important part of our mobile lives.

Consider that while smartphone adoption has been slower than anticipated, nearly every mobile phone user in the U.S. is capable of sending and receiving text messages. Additionally, SMS has become increasingly important in developing countries where the penetration of feature phones far outnumber smartphones.

Companies or small business that can nail down their SMS marketing strategy, especially when the space is still ripe for innovation, can open up a number of opportunities. We spoke with four mobile experts for some tips, advice and insights on how to include SMS in a global business strategy.

Small Businesses Can Reach a Broader Consumer Base/>

There’s a huge population of consumers in the U.S. who do not own smartphones, notes Tom Cotney, CEO of mobile marketing firm Air2Web. “And if you’re going to provide some kind of customer service capability on mobile phones, you really need to reach as much of the population as possible.” That isn’t to say that mobile apps are useless, but having a way for text to complement or introduce those services can help you reach a larger base of people. This is especially true in developing countries where the percentage of smartphone users is even smaller.

Even though it may seem like global mobile marketing is just the purview of large, international companies, small businesses can also jump in. “We are a small business with no outside funding,” said John Pelphrey, CEO of One-Txt, an SMS broadcast service. “The trick is to find the right niche, something that you’re knowledgeable about and have some connections in and work it from there.” Pelphrey saw opportunities on continents like South America and Africa where cell phone access is more common than landlines or even open class='blippr-nobr'>Internetclass="blippr-nobr">Internet access. “Their first access to the outside world is their cell phone,” Pelphrey added.

The Mobile Phone is an Intimate Technology/>

It’s one thing to say there are opportunities in global mobile texting. It is another thing to come up with a plan and put it into action. For Pelphrey, a successful strategy is about intimacy and immediacy: “To have the right information for the right person and at the right time.”

Most expert advice focuses on capitalizing on the intimacy of a cell phone. “The mobile phone is the most personal form of technology there is, barring hearing aids and other medical technologies,” Cotney said. Rather than sending out a text blast, treat your messages like a conversation with the customer while offering them value: “You really need to offer consumers a foundational benefit as the primary reason for having a mobile relationship with you.”

Limitations/>

Of course, mobile texting isn’t all just sunshine and rainbows. There are some key limitations to consider before jumping in. First, SMS is necessarily limited by its character limit. In the U.S., text messages are limited to 160 characters — which is fine if you’re checking in with friends but more difficult when you’re trying to connect with or sell to consumers. That limit further varies by country. While Asian countries are closer to 70 characters, their individual characters usually have more meaning than Western letters.

There’s also the problem of getting your message to its destination. “There’s no single international body that goes and hands out short codes,” said Andrew Kenney, Chief Operating Officer at ONEsite. “You have to get one for a specific region. Carriers won’t deal with the particular brands.” After that middleman, it’s important to think of how your audience receives your messages. Not everyone has premium messaging or unlimited texts, Kenney warned. Texts can be expensive for your consumers, so make sure there’s value to make it worthwhile.

Ideally you could set up regional offices to best understand the communities you’re contacting. If that’s out of the budget, try to set up a contact already living in that community or do your research to make sure you know what times of day people are most social or what kind of information or language will be most effective. “Every country, every tribe, they’re all going to be different,” Pelphrey said. “You can’t take the lessons you learned in South America and take it to Africa. Those cultures are so distinct even within a few miles of each other.”

Is SMS Marketing Here to Stay?/>

One hesitation businesses have when it comes to SMS is determining if it is a dying breed of marketing, especially when faced with smartphones or the increasing emphasis on mobile apps. While SMS has greater reach, it also has less interactivity. “It’s certainly possible to set your DVR using text, but it’s not a great user experience,” said Griswold.

Anyone worried about text disappearing as a marketing tool should consider that 2008 was the first year that text messages outnumbered cell phone calls. Cotney cited a study that showed users get mobile text alerts seven times more than they used to with feature phones. “Text is not just a technology, it’s an actual type of interface,” Cotney said. “Usually the older a technology, the less frequently it will be used, but text will be around for a long time.”

Tips and Tricks/>

There are a lot of ways to approach SMS marketing, whether you’re a big company or a small startup looking to branch abroad. There are basic tips like offering your consumers real value, emphasizing intimacy, and being conscientious of cultural norms and traditions. Part and parcel, Kenney advised that “people should go do their research and they should pick partners that they can trust to build long-term relationships.”

Cotney emphasized reach, namely, how many people is your mobile strategy going to touch? While mobile apps may look nice, they can sometimes be a case of prioritizing new technology over a real strategy. “Have a strategy and incorporate how many people you’re going to be able to reach when the product actually gets out there.”

Still, it seems that the most pervasive advice was just to get started. “If businesses think they may want to do text, it’s never too early to collect numbers for the opt-in lists. There are lots of ways to do it…” Paul said. “You don’t have to have everything in place. By the time you do start, you’ll have a head start.”

The cell phone is really the first piece of technology that people started carrying with them all the time, Kenney said. We use it to find our friends or find information on a daily basis. That personal proximity and it’s social capability allow us to have an intimate relationship with our phones and what they can do. SMS is an immediate way to capitalize on those qualities without having to worry about downloading an app or compatibility issues. SMS, if done properly, is an effective way to reach customers both domestically and globally.

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More Business Resources from Mashable:

- 5 Tips for Marketing Online to an International Audience/> - HOW TO: Build Your International Business Network Online/> - 5 Tips for Developing a Global-Friendly Website/> - HOW TO: Optimize Your Mobile Site Across Multiple Platforms/> - 15 Mobile Translation Apps for the International Businessperson

Image courtesy of iStockphotoclass="blippr-nobr">iStockphoto: fotosipsak & spxChrome

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