A deep gratitude to all my sponsors, clients and most of all, RA followers for the past 14 years on my blog and social media. It has been an interesting journey 😀

 

U.S. Ambassador to Brunei, His Excellency Craig Allen in his opening remarks this morning at Brilliance Hall at Concepts Computer, Kiulap

It was a special occasion for both Concepts Technologies and Mircosoft (B) Sdn Bhd as the U.S. Ambassador to Brunei, His Excellency Craig Allen, was invited as a guest of honour in the event themed “Accelerating Competitiveness among SMEs with Technology”. The objective of this event is to boost up business productivity through technology targeting SMES in Brunei Darussalam.

His Excellency gave an opening remarks and joked how he wasn’t much of an IT person but praised the efforts Microsoft (Brunei) and Concepts Technologies for reaffirming the strengths between a local company and a US brand, Microsoft.

As you can see that Microsoft is the market leader in Brunei in terms of their operating system in computers. I’m pretty sure the same can be said for worldwide. I grew up using Microsoft and though for the past eights years that I’ve been using Appel computers, it didn’t stop me using Microsoft products on Apple.

Hence, I can see how Microsoft can empower SMEs to make improvements to the business of managing departments including managing infrastructure and services. So it was good of Concepts Technologies and Microsoft (B) to invite the local SMEs in attending this morning session as they are presented an added value session where it includes a time of sharing on Microsoft licensing solutions in assessing risk, optimizing productivity and cutting costs.

As a Microsoft distributor, one of their roles is to ensure SMEs are educated on the right track to adopt premium level technology. Just imagine business software like Office 365 equips organization in having the tools to overcome the challenges of executing on strategy every day and prospering in today’s economic down turn.

He hopes for more US collaboration with Brunei in regards to SMEs from different industries

A token of appreciation from Vincent Pao to the guest of honour

Haniza Zakariya, Managing Director of Microsoft (Brunei)

During the press conference

Also present were Vincent Pao, Group CEO of Concepts Group of Companies and Haniza Zakariya, Managing Director of Microsoft (B) Sdn Bhd.

Haniza shared in her speech about how Microsoft can empower businesses by making a technology a business advantage. With Microsoft, your business can increase in efficiency and annual revenue. You will have the capabilities to create jobs almost twice as fast as other small businesses. She shared that you need the technology that can grow right along with your business and the freedom to work the way you and your team work best.

His Excellency Craig Allen shared that Brunei has introduced a number of initiatives to demonstrate its commitment to local entrepreneurs and not to be reliant on hydrocarbon exports. He is full of praise on the Brunei Government’s initiative in launching a statutory body, DARe (Darussalam Enterprise) in supporting the local SMES. He even announced that there will be three representatives from Brunei who are invited to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) which will be hosted by President Obama in Silicon Valley in June 2016 (lucky them).

His Excellency also touched on Microsoft’s Intelligent Cloud and Windows 10 where it enables SMES to build a cloud-based IT ecosystem that enables employees to stay productive o matter where they are working from.

After the speech, His Excellency with Haniza and Vincent held a quick press conference for the media before heading for a quick tour of the premise of Concepts Computer.

His Excellency touring around Concepts Computer

Checking out the DXRacer chairs

Group photo with the On-Time associates

 

The star of the day – Black Pepper Long Chicken

BURGER KING ®’s realm does not just dominate the beefier regions of the map, It successfully colonized the land of chicken as well. Today Burger King has officially launched the new Black Pepper Long Chicken under its limited time only menu.

A great tasting sandwich with our very own black pepper sauce, topped with crisp lettuce and finished with creamy mayo on our Chicken Royale Patty. If you prefer to have cheese on your sandwich, you can also request an add-on American Cheese to your sandwich.

The Black Pepper Long Chicken is available at only $6.90 for the meal and $4.90 for the sandwich only.

Burger King Brunei would also like to introduce the new delicious Milo Float and Cheesy fries under our Starbuys menu, The items in our Starbuys menu range from as low as $1.60.

The Milo float is available at only $2.20 and you can also asked for a ‘change to‘ from your original meal drink to a milo float for additional $2.00.

Our Cheesy Fries is available at only $2.50 Regular and $3.00 Large. You can also asked for a ‘change to’ from your original meal fries to cheesy fries for an extra $1 only.

For further updates on Burger King® Brunei, visits our Instagram page @burgerkingbrunei and Facebook at www.facebook.com/bkbrunei.

The Milo Float

 

Don’t forget to pen this date on the upcoming Financial Funfair at Jerudong Park Colonnade on 22nd May next weekend as part of National Savings Day 2016

 

In need of Blood O

In need of Blood O. One of the loyal readers of @plusbrunei has been recently diagnosed with Leukaemia at RIPAS. She is urgently in need of regular blood transfusion of Type “O” Blood.



Please show your love and support and donate blood if you can. You can head to RIPAS Haematology department and please donate under the name “KING SIAW CHIAN”. Thank you for your effort.


To make a difference it only takes a little bit, and YOU could make that difference. Do share this message around so we can help save her life ‪#‎Savelife‬ ‪#‎donateyourblood‬ ™@plusbrunei

Brauer Paw Paw ointment cream

Yes, new ORGANIC skin care products for children and young adults.

I stumbled across some new healthy products which parents would love for their children or themselves. Manufactured in Australia, this product has made its way to the Sultanate and approved by the Ministry of Health. It is the first time I heard of Brauer brand – specifically the Paw Paw ointment cream.

100% organic

Yes, its truely100% organic and contains NO petrochemical ingredients. Nowadays, we are looking for more organically based products which we consume or use topically on our skin for ourselves or for our children. Its better to be safe and protect especially the health and wellbeing of our little ones

Paw Paw ingredient

The Brauer Paw Paw ointment is rich in Paw Paw (papaya) with added nourishment of Shea Butter & Honey. This provides a luxurious feel that leaves your skin feeling fresh and moisturizsed. Its also enriched with Vitamin E and Grape seed oil.

Availability

At the moment, the handy 25gm white tube and and 75gm white tub products are perfect sizes for handbags and the bathroom and are available at the following retailers:

• ISC Primecare Pharmacy (Gadong Central)
• Lily Imani MotherHood (@lilyimani.motherhood)
• Kids n Dreams (@kids_n_dreams)
• Dot Dot’s Little Shop (@dotdotslittleshop)
• Qingy Shop (@qinqyshop)

For distribution or any other queries, you may email ProactiveBRU(a)gmail.com.
The Brauer range

Apart from the Brauer Paw Paw cream, you will be happy to know that Brauer also makes a baby bath range called the Brauer Baby Naturals – the Baby Shampoo, Baby Sleepytime Bath, Baby Bath + Body Wash, Baby Soft Skin Lotion and Baby Nappy Balm.

They’re all 100% ORGANIC, have a lovely aromatic smell and leave you feeling soft and refreshed.

So forget the petrochemical products, try the NEW 100% ORGANIC Brauer range today.

Brauer Naturals – Baby Nappy Balm

Brauer Naturals – Baby Baths

Brauer Naturals – Baby Baths and

[Tuesday 8:04am] Aloha, everyone. It’s good to be back typing once more. Things have been just fine and dandy. Not reaching excellence just yet but not too bad. I just feel I’m at a plateau stage right now and needed a sense of zest to kickstart something. That’s the expectation that I put upon myself and sometimes I just wait.. and wait for that opportunity. Only to realise that the old Rano doesn’t wait. The old him would crave and hunt for opportunities, create them for new challenges.

This is what most of us are afraid – to fall or fail. I was afraid too. If you never challenged yourself, your personal growth will be limited. I was spoon-fed, pampered and being stuck in that comfort zone for many, many years. Getting out of that habit won’t be an overnight task but it takes one small step to slowly grow. Just build those steps and slowly you will discover new things and it will be a wonderful ride. It’s ok to make mistakes or fail because there are more of your lessons rather than failures.

At this moment, I would say I am still in my “newer” comfort zone. I have raised the bar for myself and yet again I shared about my expectations I planted to myself. My mind is ready for a new challenge. Just waiting for my heart to be realigned with my thoughts. I will break out of my comfort zone. Yes, one step at a time. It’s a journey, not a destination. Have a great week, peeps 😀

Ah, a great reminder not to stay too long in that comfort zone. The key word I see there is “create”. So let’s not just stop there. Do something. Anything.

One of my role models, Dananjaya, World Champion of Public Speaking 2014, and he still creates that impact to this very day. I’m proud to say that he will be coming to Brunei this October because one big reason – “I see something in him”.

Check out the amazing winning speech by Dananjaya that won the hearts of many.

The resellers and partners of Microsoft during the educational session hosted by Concepts Technologies and Microsoft (Brunei) at Brilliance Hall, Concepts Technologies this morning

Joneil Joseph, Software Licensing Specialists, Concepts Technologies, sharing knowledge on licensing

We have been familiar with Microsoft for many, many years. Anyone with a PC or even a Mac would have experienced Microsoft products. I grew up with Microsoft Windows 3.0 during my Aussie days and now it has evolved to Windows 10 (the best Windows yet). My biggest disappointment of the Windows series was the Vista version. Though I have shifted using a different operating system, the latest Windows 10 have given much confidence to end users.

Today Concepts Technologies hosted a session with their local partners on educating the licensing, agreement, renewals of subscription on Microsoft software and products. The presentation was led by Danial Azizan Abdullah Henry, the newly appointed SME Lead for Microsoft Brunei, where he shared the benefits of having cloud services through means of Microsoft products.

The other sessions were then conducted by Joneil Joseph, Software Licensing Specialist, Concept Technologies and Ardoni Siregar, Manager of Software Distribution, Concepts Technologies. I realised that the end users of Microsoft products still have much to know about the other benefits. We always have this perception that Microsoft products are expensive and difficult with many options available (in terms of agreements and licensing).

Today I learnt that Microsoft can make life easier with the multiple benefits. It’s really hard to explain here because they have many categories when it comes to licensing, tailoring especially to your business needs. Corporate companies will see a huge benefit as it can be a cost effective measure. I also learnt about Software Assurance where end users can enjoy free upgrades especially. As you know that Microsoft keeps upgrading their software, so you won’t have to pay extra within your subscription period.

Let’s hope during the session that the resellers of Microsoft software will have a better idea on how to pass the knowledge to the end users. The thing that sold me with Microsoft is the ability to store your data on the cloud with a space of 1TB. Now would be very, very ideal for me as I’m on-the-go all the time.

Danial Azizan Abdullah Henry, the newly appointed SME Lead for Microsoft Brunei, with Muthukrishnan, Manager, Business Engagement of JSY Systems

Ardoni Serigar, Manager – Software Distribution, Concepts Technologies talking to some of the resellers

The ground breaking ceremony which took place two days ago. Image courtesy of James Jon of Borneo Bulletin.

Cho Won-myung, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Brunei Darussalam (right) handing over a token to guest of honour Hj Adnan bin Haji Mohd Jaafar, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Image courtesy of James Jon of Borneo Bulletin.

Korean Embassy will be having their new chancery. Chancery means office or department of a chancellor. Apparently this is a 5 year project of the new chancery and also the ambassador’s residence. There was a signing agreement between South Korea and Brunei Darussalam for the lease land for the construction of premises on June 5, 2012.

Currently their embassy and residence is located at Jalan Muara. So when the project is completed by October 2016, the Korean Embassy will shift their embassy and residence at Jalan Kebangsaan.

The ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the new chancery was officiated by Hj Adnan bin Haji Mohd Jaafar, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade who was the guest of honour. Accompany him was Cho Won-myung, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Brunei Darussalam.

Located in a separate plot of land, the chancery has a total land area of 4,250 square metres while the ambassador’s residence has a total area of 6,070 square metres.

The contractors and subcontractor involved in the project are Setia Makota, Soosung Engineering and Gemilang Latif Associates.

According to the Ambassador, this will be the first property owned by the Korean government (in Brunei) and this is a symbol of the bilateral relationship between two countries. He believes this will play an important role as a centre for cultural exchange, people-to-people interaction, business and political communication.

Now I just hope there’s a direct flight to Seoul in the near future 🙂

The new Korean Embassy Chancery (office) to be completed by October 2016. Image provided by the Korean Embassy in Brunei Darussalam.

The new Korean Embassy Chancery (residence) to be completed by October 2016. Image provided by the Korean Embassy in Brunei Darussalam.

Alice Chan of Concepts Technologies, Haniza Zakariya, the country manager of Microsoft Brunei and Mr. Vincent Pao, General Manage of Concepts Technologies during the announcement of the Microsoft Distributorship recently. Image courtesy of Concepts Computer.

For the first time in the existence of Microsoft (Brunei), they have given the local distributorship to Concepts Group of Companies which will be under the flagship of Concepts Technologies. For many years, there have been one distributor in Brunei Darussalam but this time round, Concepts Group of Companies have been chosen as another distributor because of their exceptional track record in Brunei Darussalam for the past 15 years.

A few days ago, Haniza Zakariya, the country manager of Microsoft Brunei and Mr. Vincent Pao, General Manage of Concepts Technologies had a press conference to announce the official distributorship of Microsoft. Haniza believes that the leading IT retail company can help tap in the Brunei economy and increase the productivity of Microsoft. She also believes that despite the economic setback (oil prices and budget cuts), technology is still relevant as everyone uses it.

This is a strategic move by Microsoft Brunei as Concepts Technologies will be able to create an ecosystem through means of hardware, software, training, licensing and many more. I believe this will also help to drive and educate the public on the copyright issues.

Since year 2000, Vincent Pao has a strong philosophy that he won’t sell pirated software or sell his Acer computers with a pirated pre-install Windows or Microsoft office despite the fact back in those days, the local consumers prefer pirated softwares over original ones. He has maintained that commitment to this very day and still continuing.

Furthermore, Concepts Commercial Suppliers was given a certificate of recognition for selling genuine Microsoft software. Only two companies in Brunei Darussalam achieved this recognition and Concepts Computer was one of them. This was awarded back in December 2014 and to achieve this award is no easy feat due to the high piracy in softwares in Brunei alone.

The beginning of lasting relationship between Microsoft and Concepts Technologies. Image courtesy of Concepts Computer.

The man behind Concepts Group of Companies and Microsoft will be distributed under the flagship of Concepts Technologies

Last December, Concepts Commercial Suppliers got recognized by Microsoft for continuing selling genuine products in Brunei

During the launch of Microsoft Office 365 earlier this year

Mr. Pao has a vision for Concept Technologies to become a trusted and reliable distributor and serve their strategic partners and resellers and this, in turn, will give more confidence to the consumer end. The product of Microsoft are as always reliable and has become part of our daily lives. The extra step now is to educate those who are still using not genuine softwares of Microsoft.

I believe with the track record of Concepts Group of Companies, Mr. Pao and his team will continue to educate the end users and also maintaining their standards in selling genuine products.

Now with the distributorship entrusted to Concepts Technologies, the IT resellers and agencies can get their Microsoft softwares from Concept Technologies. This is one of the biggest milestone for Mr. Pao and his team.

Microsoft Brunei has definitely chose the right decision in trusting Concepts Technologies’ capabilities and most importantly, the work ethics between partners. Congratulations to Mr. Vincent Pao, the founder of Concepts Group of Companies and the distributorship of Microsoft products award was well deserved.