Students establish AI-based technology company to address printing needs

PrinTEX provides printing services to students at public universities, private universities, polytechnics, Malaysian Community Colleges, and many more, while UNINET TECHNOLOGY Company began its operations in 2022. Inset: Lie Xin, Fikri Kamal.

SHAH ALAM – Two students have successfully developed a company that utilises automation technology, Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) to address issues of inflexible printing services, high printing costs and low productivity.

Uninet Technology chief operating officer Low Lie Xin, 24, said products under the company named PrinTEX played a role in assisting many students in public higher education institutions (IPTAs), private higher education institutions (IPTSs), polytechnics, and Malaysian Community Colleges to obtain more effective printing services.

It all started with Low’s complaint of having to walk two kilometres to find printing shops, most of which were closed in the Iskandar Puteri area, Johor Bahru.

Taking this incident as an opportunity to start a business in the area, Low, along with his 22-year-old friend at the time, offered traditional printing services at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) but faced challenges in handling numerous orders manually until late at night.

Hence, the idea arose to use AI, automation, and IoT technologies to address these issues by incorporating technology into the company’s products and operations automatically without relying on conventional methods.

“AI technology has been very beneficial to us as it has reduced a lot of manual work during the development of the company’s products. Certainly, AI skills are crucial nowadays to thrive in a competitive environment.

“Our company is implementing AI technology in printing services using customer data such as location, time, and types of printing documents when they place orders using the PrinTEX platform,” he told Sinar Premium.

UTM, Science in Electronic Engineering Bachelor student, Lie Xin, said that AI technology also enhances the company’s productivity and efficiency through more advanced data processing and understanding of market needs.

For Uninet chief executive officer Fikri Akmal Aizzudin Bahrim, 22, many companies are seeking experienced students in AI to help improve industrial productivity.

Fikri, who is also a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (Software Engineering) student at UTM, believes that most students still cannot master AI and require broader knowledge of technology to be easily absorbed into the job market.

“Although there are universities striving to offer AI courses and programs, students need talent and more direct learning methods to master this advanced technology field,” he said.