Press Coverage

Management Lessons:
A & M, 31 Oct 2001

There is a spate of good news on some Indians Internet ventures, even if their numbers are small. Consider this. The year old TheManageMentor, dedicated to professionals - with a strong focus on building competencies. Providing networking solutions and a host of value added services - is set to break even soon. With over 7,000 individual members and 80 corporates, this management portal began by aiming to be the largest online community of professionals. Promoted by TMI Network and funded by ICICI Ventures, the portal provides practical and conceptual inputs across multiple channels including manufacturing, sales and marketing, finance and accounting, information technology, human resources, and strategic management.

It is also emerging as a knowledge management (KM) and Intranet Management Services Company, which provides KM and intranet services from strategy to customized content and implementation for corporates, and knowledge augmentation services to enhance their career prospects to individuals. According to promoters, the portal "has evolved into a complete knowledge company with its customized knowledge management solutions. With our partnerships with some of the leading players in corporate training, e-learning and technology firms, we can also provide customized learning, training and KM solutions in India and abroad. " Some of the channels include Chat Zone, Knowledge Universe, XLRI Corner and Market Value Meter. The latter is particularly useful as it helps professionals to track their compensation and map the progress vis-à-vis other professionals with similar academic credentials, skill set and experience. A must visit for the professional community.

CIMA Endorses eCPE Portal For its Members
Alauntan National, Sept 2001

The Malaysia division of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) has endorsed TheManageMentor.com as a recommended electronic continuing professional education (eCPE) portal for its members.

CIMA Malaysia President, Datuk O.K. Lee, was reported saying the CIMA Malaysia also recognized the portal as a strategic opportunity for its members to further promote and enhance the CPE.

According to Lee, the eCPE, Asia's first knowledge portal developed by management professionals for management professionals for management professionals, will help CIMA members to keep abreast of new knowledge in a particular field of specialization.

Lee said CIMA decided to have the portal placed in the library where it could be accessed by its members and students.

"This new option will benefit our members in remote locations, who are unable to attend face to face CPE programmes in big cities". He said.

The portal, the largest of its kind, provides practical and conceptual input in 33 management areas across six channels - manufacturing, sales and marketing, finance and accounting, information technology (IT) human resource management and strategic management.

C & K Management Limited [Ed. Now C & K Management Limited] an Indian-based company, launched its portal themanagementor.com in August 2000 and already has more than 7,000 individual subscribers and about 80 corporate subscribers.

Portal to promote continuous professional education
New Strait Times, 6 Oct 2001

The executive committee of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Malaysia Division has endorsed themanagementor.com. The endorsement was based on the evaluation reports by a technical panel from CIMA Malaysia and a subsequent proposal and recommendations of the divisional council.

The Portal is now recognized as a strategic opportunity to further the Malaysia division's collective efforts to promote and enhance continuous professional education for its members via this e-CPE tool.

"Today, the philosophy of lifelong education is readily subscribed by professionals and those who choose to operate at the professional level," says Benedict Morais, CIMA's business development regional director.

The rationale behind CPE Morais says "Is to keep abreast of new knowledge in a particular field of specialization, to be updated with the relevant changes brought about by new legislation, to familiarize with new techniques and methodologies that have a bearing on a particular profession, to be aware of revolutionary new technologies that can greatly assist professionals and to consciously acquire the range of softer skills such as human relations, social and business etiquette, etc, so critical for the overall packaging and standing of the professional in the community."

Based on the core principle of CPE, themanagementor.com is Asia's first knowledge network for professionals. The portals is committed to enhancing the competency of professionals.

It will add value to their professional profile and thereby they would contribute to themselves as well as to their employers by being knowledgeable, competent and effective. Professionals stay contemporary by gaining access to the latest ideas, technique, best practices and case studies.

The portal has been analysed and evaluated by the specially set-up technical panel of CIMA members of Malaysia. CIMA is the first international institute to endorse the portal.

The arrangement between Career Community Dot Com (C & K Management Limited) and CIMA Malaysia will provide additional benefits to subscribers from CIMA Malaysia. These include creation of network of CIMA fraternity, organizing moderated chats for them and carrying out important announcements and results of CIMA.

The portal would also provide special need based content for CIMA subscribers if there is a justifiable demand.

CIMA was founded in the year 1919 as the Institute of Cost and Work Accountants in the UK. It was renamed CIMA in the 1986.

The institute has 70,000 students and 55,000 members spreading over 156 countries. The institute focuses on the core areas of management accounting and financial management and offers the internationally recognized financial qualification for business. A recent survey in the UK revealed that 68 per cent of the employers in the UK chose CIMA as a preferred qualification.

Management Vortal sees break-even by month-end
V.Rishi Kumar, Business Line, Hyderabad,Sept, 14

TheManageMentor.com, a knowledge management vortal addressing the niche management space and catering to over 80 corporates with its range of solutions, has managed to buck the dotcom downturn trend.

Ms M.K. Geetha, General Manager, told Business Line that the company, which had over 7,000 individual member list, was set to break even by the month-end after just about a year in existence.

The ManageMentor.com is promoted by TMI Network and ICICI Ventures which hold 70 per cent and 28 per cent of equity respectively.

ICICI Ventures has part-funded the portal by infusing Rs 8 crore. Recently. APIDC Venture Capital Ltd has invested about Rs 50 Lakh, Ms. Geetha said.

Those investments are in addition to the promoters funding of Rs 84 lakh and a small investment from MindTree Consulting, its technology partner.

The portal provides practical and conceptual inputs in 33 management areas across six channels - manufacturing, sales and marketing, finance and accounting, information technology, human resources and strategic management.

It also operates a K-call center for members where a team of experts operates a helpdesk on professional and career issues.

Continuing professional education (CPE) is a basic requisite for management professionals and chartered accountants and those in the financial services industry.

As a part of efforts to address electronic CPE, or e-CPE many professional organizations and institutions have begun to endorse this new approach of knowledge management.

The Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI) and its affiliate institutions have endorsed the portal as e-CPE tool for its members and students.

The portal has tied up with the Malaysian division of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), which has recommended e-CPE to its members, CIMA has 70,000 students and 55,000 members spread over 156 countries.

Ms. Geetha said that a lot of changes were made, including cutting down on flab and voluntary cost-efficiency measures across layers, which had yielded "excellent results"

Mr. T. Muralidharan, Chief Executive Officer, said that the portal was built on the principles of adult education and thereby made it easy for professionals to unlearn and relearn all the time.

Dr. Reddy's Labs, Hero Honda Sundaram Finance are among corporates that leverage the company services.

"We started K-practice with Ballarpur Industries Ltd (BILT), Delhi and MK Electricals, Chennai and provide content to news papers and Kaashyap Radiant" Ms Geetha Said.

"We also hosted online test for the students of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India for the Information Systems Audit Course.

She added " While providing a range of management - related information, we have combined electronic and face-to-face training in a soft skills programme for the MS in IT, a degree course consigned by Carnegie Mellon University and partner Universities in Andhra Pradesh" Ms Geetha added.