Sibling synergy, Buddhism fuel start-up's success

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SEATTLE, WA (USA) -- Armorize Technologies doesn't fit the mold of your typical tech start-up.

Brothers Wayne and Matt Huang chart a distinctive course at Armorize Technologies

The Taipei-based malware detection firm was launched in January 2006 as the brainchild of brothers Wayne and Matt Huang, who took divergent paths in their respective college and early career years.

Older brother Wayne, the company's CEO, was a military software engineer in Taiwan, while Matt, COO, was a globe-trotting venture capitalist. After deciding to team up, the Huang brothers found a tall, blonde Mandarin-speaking South African, Jordan Forssman to help them land the company's initial Taiwanese customers. Forssman's is the company's director of business development.

Funded initially by both angel investors and institutional investors, Artmorize began very frugally using minimal resources from its base in Taiwan. "We did everything ourselves with just a few employees and very little cash," says Matt. "It was a very tough but very exciting time."

After a series of advances and setbacks – including Wayne's departure for a year to dedicate himself to Buddhism studies – Armorize hit stride about a year and a half ago when Wayne returned as a reinvigorated CEO. His Buddhist master bestowed him with a mandala, a plan to harmoniously blend his Buddhist's studies and entrepreneurial pursuits.

The mandala was structured to "join these two worlds into one, so the harder I work at Armorize and the more I innovate at Armorize, the more I would actually learn about Buddhism and make great advances in my Buddhism studies," Wayne says.

Wayne brought on board 50 close associates whom he knew from college and Buddhist camps and study groups, and Armorize has thrived ever since.

It now has more than 70 employees, adding 20 people since early 2012, and has sold products to more than 300 enterprise and government customers, in more than 15 countries throughout Asia, Europe and the U.S.

"Buddhists are very, very disciplined people," says Forssman. "They bring that to the table in the way they view their work and their responsibilities in developing solutions for our customers."

Says Wayne: "It's very special. You get the execution power together with an environment that inspires a lot of creativity and innovation."

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COMMENTARY: Tolerance essential for success of economic integration

Bangkok (The Nation/ANN) - A tolerant attitude towards different cultures or beliefs is essential for the success of economic integration in Asia, says a revered Buddhist monk.

As the 10 members of the Southeast Asian bloc enter the Asean Economic Community in 2015, Thais will have to be careful when it comes to their attitude towards people in neighbouring countries, Pramaha Wuttichai Vajiramedhi said at a seminar hosted by the Thailand-China Business Council.

"Some Thais may think that we're superior to our neighbours, such as those in Laos and Burma," he said on Thursday.

He suggested that new movies aimed at stirring nationalism, which might lead to a resurfacing of conflict, should be reduced in number. In recent years, Thai moviemakers have launched many historically based films such as "King Naresuan" that focusing on ancient conflicts between the Kingdom of Siam and Burma.

Pramaha Wuttichai said the rioting in England last year was partly caused by racial prejudice among police officers towards blacks or immigrants.

"When the European Union was formed as a single market, people could move freely from one country to another, which led to a clash of cultures, since people have not yet changed their mindsets," he said.

He said reconciliation between Burma's military rulers and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi had resulted in great changes in that country.

He noted that a monk friend in Burma had once said men there could become either monks or soldiers - there were no other viable choices. But after the national reconciliation, people have more choices on what they can do with their lives, he said.

Many believe that the current period is the Asian century because of the rise of economic power led by China and India. Pramaha Wuttichai said that some say it may be the century of spirituality. The new religion may not have a brand name like Buddhism, Christianity or Islam, but it would be a philosophy of life as people choose the best things from many religions.

Westerners have show interest in Buddhism in recent years; some governments in Europe such as Norway's even provide funding for Buddhist temples. "They have experienced excessive materialism; now they want to take a spiritual path," Pramaha Wuttichai said.

Suu Kyi, who expressed her sincere forgiveness for the generals who imposed house arrest on her for many years, has contributed to political and social improvements in Burma recently, said the monk. In the same way, if conflicting parties in Thailand could reach reconciliation, it would be beneficial for everybody.

Suthichai Yoon, Nation Group editor-in-chief, said the Buddhist religion had contributed greatly to the reconciliation in Burma.

"Everybody - the army, dissidents and the people - goes to pray at the same place, Chavedakong Pagoda," said Suthichai, referring to a famous Golden Pagoda in Rangoon also known as Great Dagon Pagoda.

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