page_title: Teras Teknologi
section_title: 1998–1999: Expansion
hierarchical_section_title: Teras Teknologi / History / 1998–1999: Expansion
caption_attribution_description: English: A typical entrance of SmartTAG lanes on Malaysian expressways.
context_page_description: Teras Teknologi Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of PLUS Malaysia Berhad, is a Malaysian global corporation based in Petaling Jaya.
  TERAS is the creator, developer, and leading system integrator of Touch n Go and SmartTAG in multiple platform technology widely used throughout Malaysia as highway, parking and public transportation payments, and access control system by over 6 million users.
  With 1,800 toll lanes committed to date, TERAS is the leading provider of Electronic Toll Collection system in South East Asia and control over 70% market share in Malaysia. TERAS now diversified its technology capabilities into transportation and property market.
context_section_description: The period sees TERAS expanded its core businesses and technology diversification in two major areas; ETC and general Information and Communications Technology (ICT) projects.
  In term of corporate ownership, the highlight was divestment by Renong Berhad of its 70% equity stake in TERAS to UEM Group for RM11.3 million cash (US$5 million equivalent at that time) in June 1999.
  In ETC area, TERAS upgraded TRACS through the development of SmartTAG (a non-stop electronic toll collection) and completed its national implementation by 15 March 1999 (replacing PLUS TAG) at 20 toll plazas of North–South Expressway (NSE/PLUS Expressways).
  Built on a non-stop ETC philosophy, SmartTAG incorporated infra-red communication, a proprietary technology control by an Austrian company; EFKON Gmnbh that communicated with infra-red transceivers mounted at the ceilings of toll plazas to allow vehicle drivers to drive through SmartTAG dedicated lanes and pay toll without stopping. It is designed to process up to 1,200 vehicles per hour.
  A joint venture between EFKON, under Dr Helmut Rieder was set up with UEM Group that created Infrared Advance Technology Sdn Bhd (IRAT) to produce SmartTAG related hardware and on-board unit for mass production.
  In general ICT projects, TERAS has bid and won contracts to supply total network environments and IT requirements for the Commonwealth Village in Bukit Jalil, in conjunction with the Commonwealth Games hosted by Malaysia in 1998. At the same year, TERAS was also contracted to design, build and equip TIMEdotCom data center in Glenmarie, Shah Alam.
  As deterrence for Year 2000 problem (Y2K), TERAS was engaged by nine companies under UEM Group to ensure readiness, through creation of internal operations plans continuity in the event of possible technical glitches caused by the Y2K bug.
  For financial year 1999, TERAS revenues breached US$20 million mark with over 140 employees employed. The year also marked the appointment of Akbar Ahmad as the new managing director of TERAS.
caption: A typical entrance of SmartTAG lanes developed and installed by TERAS on Malaysian expressways.
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