Mohd Taufik Abdullah and Amir Muhammad are aiming to take Bill Adams Associates onto the world stage with their gstream.tv 3G video service. Fittingly the company was conceptualized and created in London where their paths crossed in 2003.

Intrigued, we talk with the two guys behind this rather interestingly named company.

Kashminder Singh

MW: First things first. What’s the story behind the name Bill Adams Associates?
TA: We wanted a name that crosses borders. A name that is acceptable anywhere in the world. Adam can be pronounced as Adam in a Western way and as a Malay name. It’s carefully chosen name for a company that will operate in many countries.

MW: So, what are you guys involved in?
TA: We’ve just launched gstream.tv, where we are providing 3G mobile content to users. Our primary offerings are music videos because we believe that everyone likes music. We are also looking into taking on outsourcing projects and developing other mobile solutions in areas like IPTV.

MW: That’s interesting, a mobile content company that does not sell ringtones and wallpapers.
TA: Yes, we believe that stuff like ringtones and wallpapers were part of the first wave of mobile content. Videos and other rich media content will be the next big thing.

MW: Tell us how you guys started. Were you previously in the telecommunications industry?
TA: No. We are best described as serial entrepreneurs. We want to be involved in promising ventures in booming industries. We felt that the mobile business was exploding, decided to join the rush and spent two years conceptualising gstream.tv.

MW: What’s so special about gstream.tv
TA: Well, it’s not just the content. We have developed the technology too. Our streaming technology is fast. We have digital rights management software on our products which is why music companies like EMI allow us to sell their products. All Gstream.tv content is also specially formatted for mobile screens.

MW: How do you plan to make it on the world market?
TA: Our strategy is to sell niche content in areas like Europe and Australia. We have rights to Bollywood music videos which is extremely popular in certain segments there. Did you know that there are two million Indians in Australia? In a nutshell, we will become big by being small players in a huge market.

MW:  What’s life like working in Cyberjaya?
TA: We work very hard. We work virtually 24x7 and so does the staff.



MW: Don’t your families complain?
TA: After years of seeing us start up businesses, they have gotten used to our work schedule.

MW: What kind of support have you got in Malaysia for this venture?
TA: Sun Microsystems have been especially helpful. We also got support from MDC and MMU. Beyond that, we have been on our own. We have never asked for special favours. We don’t see ourselves as a bumi company but as a Malaysian company. In the world market, there is no such thing as a bumi company; they only know us as a Malaysian company.