STARTED in August 2004, Red Bear Technologies began as an audio visual (AV) solutions provider. It was founded by chief executive Alfred Wee and executive director Shaun Heng. The two had worked together previously and became good friends.

Mr Wee, who obtained a bachelor's degree in commerce, earned his stripes when he took over a relative's AV business in Malaysia six years ago. He returned to Singapore in 2004 to spend more time with his family and thought it was an opportune time to start a business.

'So I thought, why not go down there and do something? After all, it is an area we're familiar with and confident of doing well in,' said Mr Wee.

'If you don't do it now, your age will catch up with you ... If you want to be an entrepreneur, if you want to start your own business, you've got to start in your 20s or early 30s. Should you fail, I think you can still pick yourself up and try again. Once you're above that age and have a secure job, it may not worth the risk anymore.'

About a year ago, the company started offering security solutions as well, as they saw potential growth in demand for these products here, given the continued terrorist threat. Some of the products they now offer in this range include closed circuit television systems and biometric identification systems.

Mr Wee believes that in the current business environment, it is not enough to provide just one product range. Instead, it is necessary to provide 'total solutions' to customers. 'You can't reject a customer's needs ... You can't just say, 'I don't sell this' and walk away. Even if we don't sell a certain product they want, we still need to source for them,' he says.

Professional excellence

In order to gain technical competency, Mr Wee makes sure his sales and technical staff attend product training conducted by manufacturers and the relevant certification courses held by professional organisations. He often sends them to attend regional and international exhibitions and seminars, with partial or even full subsidies from the company, he says.

'You need to keep yourself in line with the development of your products. Every three to six months, new products and technologies will come up. You have to keep yourself on the move,' he said.

As a result of its dedication to professional excellence, Red Bear Technologies became the third Singaporean company to gain the Certified Audio Visual Solutions Provider (CAVSP) gold status award from Infocomm International, a leading US-based non-profit association serving the professional AV communications industry worldwide. This is the highest level of certification by the association and further boosts the company's credibility, says Mr Wee.

Another key factor for the company's success so far is its emphasis on customer service. 'We can't just be a push-box company ... Everybody knows how to sell. But after the sale, a lot of customers don't get the kind of service they want. You can't just sell and walk away,' Mr Wee told BT. So the sales team visits clients regularly, and offers maintenance contracts so that clients get value for their money. This has allowed the company to build up a loyal clientele over the past two years or so. To date, Red Bear Technologies has served over 100 corporate clients from the finance, education and biomedical sectors, among others.

The company also works closely with channel partners, such as audio visual (AV) equipment makers Panasonic, Kramer and AMX, as well as security device maker RCG to provide more value to customers.

Looking forward, Mr Wee expects revenues to grow by about 25 per cent this year, with the security segment of the business being a main driver of growth.

The company moved to its current larger premises in Pacific Tech Centre from Suntec City in January this year to facilitate expansion. Even with the number of staff members increasing from just six in 2004 to 15 at present, there is still space for further expansion. The company is also able to better keep track of and control its inventory, as its warehouse is now located in the same building.

To further enhance sales, the office premises will be converted into a showroom for its AV and security products by the end of July. Rooms will be equipped with biometric fingerprint door locks; high-definition plasma screens will be used to showcase digital signage solutions; and centralised electronic control systems will be used to control all the equipment installed.

Within the next two years, the company hopes to roll out consultancy services for AV and security systems. In the longer term - Mr Wee reckons the earliest possible is in three years' time - the company aims to expand into regional markets such as China, India and Vietnam. 'I think in terms of technology and expertise, we don't lose out to anyone in South-east Asia ... we've got to do it one step at a time. I'm more of a realistic person,' says Mr Wee.