Vijayakumar Tangarasan is the IWG country head of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei (Photo: Regus)
Options: Tell me about the Regus’ new space at the Tribeca Serviced Suites. What do you most like about it?
Vijayakumar Tangarasan: Regus Tribeca has two levels and measures 2,396 sq ft, which includes a business lounge, 371 workstations, 102 offices and three meeting rooms. Members are entitled to enjoy a suite of services such as unlimited high-speed internet and a well-serviced kitchen. There is also a receptionist present. The services and offerings provided eliminate the need for our members to manage the property themselves.
One of my favourite things about Regus Tribeca is its location within the business and leisure district of Kuala Lumpur. After a productive day at work in our space, members have easy access to the various leisure establishments in the vicinity. They can also have a pleasant dining experience at Tribeca’s well-known restaurant, Wizards at Tribeca.
Who is your target market for this new space?
We are targeting a diverse range of businesses and individuals. One of our strengths is being able to provide a highly customisable working space to suit the different business sizes and budget needs of our members. From start-ups to big global companies, we can provide flexible office space solutions, scalable to what our members need.
This is your 34th space in KL. How does it differ from the others, and how do you set it apart from the many co-working spaces in the city?
Currently, we have the largest network of shared and co-working offices in Malaysia and around the world. This empowers our members to be very mobile while still having access to our full range of office services. Individuals also have the option of purchasing our membership card without the obligation to have a ready office with us. This enables mobile business travellers to work from any of our 3,000 office locations that span 110 countries.
Regus is a pioneer as well as one of the largest players in the business. What is your take on the way co-working spaces have evolved in recent times?
Digitalisation and new technologies are changing the way people work nowadays. Everyone is connected. They can access their work from anywhere through their devices. Today’s generation of modern workers want the advantage of flexibility as they want to enjoy geographic benefits as well as work-life balance. Employees can choose to work in a space closer to their home or to where other people are.
Businesses can also enjoy the financial and strategic benefits of working flexibly. Companies can manage costs by outsourcing corporate real estate to create a more flexible on-demand model for their business. Shared and co-working spaces also enable companies to be closer to their talent, suppliers and customers through the outsourcing of office space.
What do you think has been Regus’ most momentous milestone since establishing a presence here in 2003?
While we have been experiencing steady growth over the years, I must say that one of our significant milestones is that we grew the number of our offices to 34 in the span of just six years. This year, we will continue to expand our footprint in Malaysia by opening a few more Regus offices. We will also see the launch of our sister co-working space, SPACES, originating in Amsterdam and built to cultivate a creative working environment with a unique entrepreneurial spirit that fosters community building and interaction.
This article first appeared on June 10, 2019 in The Edge Malaysia.
