Experian's new Marketing Services Centre, officially opened in Cyberjaya on 5 October, will develop its analytical and marketing services products for the world, according to Gavin Appel, Experian Marketing Services senior vice-president for Global Product Development and Delivery.

At the same time, Experian Marketing Services centre also received MSC Malaysia status from Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) chief executive officer, Datuk Badlisham Ghazali.

This opening comes about two years after Experian's Global Research & Development Centre opened in another building in Cyberjaya. The Marketing Services Centre is housed in the Ericsson building nearby but their operations are separate.

“Products offered by the Marketing Services Centre include Hitwise, CheetahMail and QAS services and will help  our clients target and acquire new customers and achieve better returns on investment,” said Andy Went, operations director, Experian Global Development Centre Malaysia.

Hitwise helps Internet research businesses make more informed decisions by providing them with daily reports on how 25 million people interact with over one million websites across 160 industries and provides them with competitive intelligence to which enables marketers to compare their company's online performance with those of their rivals.

Through facilities such as Benchmarking, Search Engine Optimisation, Affiliate schemes, online advertising and sponsorships, Hitwise can them of investment opportunities and the challenges.

Research shows that some businesses waste up to 10% of their revenue on funding as a result of poor data. Experian QAS recognises this and creates a first class foundation of address and contact information, and enriches client data stores to improve business processing, financial performance and customer experience.

Experian CheetahMail is a leading e-mail marketing tool which uses innovative technology, strategic insight and industry experience to build data to create driven, highly individualised and relevant e-mail marketing campaigns which truly resonate with the customers.

Experian Marketing Services' robust reporting capabilities can then precisely track and measure the results of any campaign, offering clients invaluable insight into consumer response. By learning from past behaviour, businesses can then communicate on a one-on-one level, which is even more effective and efficient.

Why Malaysia again?

“We evaluated different locations in terms of available skills, talent pool, multi-lingual abilities, strong work ethic and cultural alignment with our operations in Melbourne, London and New York, coupled with the fact that our Global Research & Development Centre was here before and the support we have had from MDeC” said Appel.

“Malaysians work very hard, believe in doing their best at work, speak up, have good ideas and can re-invent the world in six months,” said Went.

Altogether, Experian employs 202 people in Cyberjaya, including 75 of whom it now employs in Marketing Services. Recruitment began in May and Experian aims to have 132 staff in Marketing Services by March 2011.

However, its standards are very high, as its only hired 7% of all those which its interviewed since May. Also, it hires experienced people rather than fresh graduates.

“All applicants must first take a test which focuses on their abilities and if they pass, they proceed to the interview process,” said Went. “We also don't hire people based on grade of qualification but rather by their abilities and while most of those whom we hire are computer science graduates, we'd also hire someone qualified in ancient history who has right abilities,” he added.

Experian has also recreated the university campus environment and the feel of a start-up company by providing its staff with areas where they can play games, relax or chill out, and there also are daily social activities such as different games each evening.

“We pay our staff well and ensure that they enjoy a decent work-life balance by not having too long working hours and we will help MSC Malaysia realise its objectives in research and development,” said Went.