When Christopher Bian left his job as a regional manager for biometrics solutions provider Identix, he realised that there was a niche to be filled in the area of biometrics as demand for such products was increasing. iDlink was founded in 2002 to fill this niche but gradually moved from being a distributor of such products into the development and distribution of its own security solutions.
iDlink's expertise and range of solutions brought them to Fujitsu's attention. Under the IDA's Infocomm Local Industry Upgrading Program (iLIUP), iDlink partnered with Fujitsu as well as NEC. Bian was gratified by the interest shown by these security technology incumbents to his then new company.
"These partnerships have been important to us especially because we are a small company. By partnering with MNCs, we have access to their core technologies and can jointly develop working solutions and bring them to market," Bian says. "Both Fujitsu and NEC are well known in the area of security technology. iDlink is working with them to develop and incorporate their core technologies into useful solutions."
Recent years have seen iDlink expanding its operations into the ASEAN region with projects in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Currently 50 per cent of operating revenue comes from iDlink's Singapore operations with the remainder from its overseas activities in the rest of Asia.
Fujitsu and NEC's extensive contacts locally and overseas give iDlink more reach to potential customers. "With their backing and support, it is also easier when talking to potential customers as it shows that we have the right tools and processes to give us the edge over our competitors," Bian added.
Keeping the company going till now has been a challenge, said Bian. "In 2002, although the market was looking for biometric security solutions, we were a small and very new company. Many of the customers we first approached needed convincing that we could deliver; especially when it came to the development and delivery of our own solutions."
Now that iDlink has made it through the first crucial years, success is changing the challenges that Bian is encountering. "We've made the move from selling boxes to selling our own solutions," Bian said, "but now we want to do more." To achieve continued success, iDlink is looking to expand its software development team and its solutions offerings. But the key will be managing growth to ensure that resources are not wasted, Bian added.
Part of iDlink's success has been the ability to select the right products to bring to the market to meet customer demands and requirements. It is important, Bian says, to choose the right products to strategically position the company with the right hardware and software products to be a total solutions provider.
Bian cautioned against skipping steps for aspiring entrepreneurs, saying that there is no overnight success, "It is important to have a good foundation and to establish yourself before you can expect success to come. You should also remember to keep your focus and concentrate on your core competencies. Don't get distracted and try to do too much when your company grows."