For most Malaysian professionals, business networking is an essential—but messy—part of daily life. Stacks of business cards, fleeting conversations at events, and missed opportunities make it easy for meaningful connections to vanish.

For Danny Ong, a multi-industry entrepreneur and active networker, this problem was personal. Conferences, association meetings, and social events left him buried in business cards he could never fully manage or act on.

Years ago, Danny attempted to build a networking app to solve this problem—but it fell short. Yet his determination never wavered. He had a vision: a digital platform that would replicate the quality of in-person networking while solving the inefficiencies of managing contacts. That vision became Tactlink.

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The Challenge: Why Networking Apps Often Fail

Across Malaysia, networking is integral to professional growth. But the traditional way—exchanging physical business cards—comes with limitations. Cards get lost, contacts go unrecorded, and the connection never materialises into something valuable.

Before Tactlink, Danny Ong tried developing a networking app years ago. While the idea was strong, the execution didn’t deliver. Still, he remained committed to solving a real problem faced by many business professionals who attend global events, associations like JCI Malaysia, and industry conferences.

The need was clear: a digital tool that captures real-life networking with security, relevance, and simplicity at the forefront.

Building a networking app sounds simple in theory, but many fail in practice:

• They encourage mass connections, leading to spam.
• They overlook user experience, making it hard to manage contacts.
• They don’t integrate real-world contexts like events or associations.

Danny’s previous attempt fell into these traps. The app lacked usability, didn’t capture the nuance of real networking, and failed to grow beyond the initial concept. What was needed was a solution that mirrored real-life networking digitally.

The Solution: Turning Real Connections into a Digital Platform

Danny envisioned an app that combined three elements:

• Association-driven networking
  • to replicate the structured connections of business groups.
• Event-based discovery
  • to capture the energy and opportunity of conferences and meetups.
• Digital business card management
  • to replace lost or forgotten physical cards.

He imagined a platform where every connection had a story, every contact was earned, and networking remained personal—even in a digital world.

When Danny approached Lizard Global, the goal was ambitious but straightforward: build a platform where connections aren’t just stored—they’re trusted. The solution was Tactlink, a mobile-first platform that blends contact management with social features and event-driven networking.

Unlike traditional social platforms where anyone can search for anyone else, Tactlink eliminates open search to reduce spam and protect users. Instead, individuals only connect with others they have met in person—creating a community that mirrors real-world interactions.

The Solution: Tactlink Takes Shape

Lizard Global together with Danny, set out to create Tactlink, a secure, community-focused networking app designed to bring real-world professional connections into a digital ecosystem.

At its core, the platform helps users manage contacts, engage within business associations, and connect at events without the noise of mass, impersonal social networks. Instead of random searches or spammy connection invites, Tactlink prioritizes connections that are meaningful and based on actual encounters.

Instead of searching for anyone and risking spam, users can only connect with people they have met in person. This preserves trust and mirrors the quality of real-life networking.

Built on a freemium model, Tactlink offers users a tiered experience where they can upgrade for more advanced features like multiple business cards, secretary management functions, and unlimited device access.

Key Features of Tactlink

Tactlink’s features were not designed to chase trends or replicate existing platforms. Each one was built to solve a real networking pain point Danny experienced firsthand—losing contacts, forgetting faces, and struggling to follow up after meaningful conversations. Together, these features create a digital environment that mirrors how networking works in the real world: intentionally, securely, and with context.

Association-Based Networking

Professionals can join verified business associations, such as JCI, and connect only with members they engage with. This reflects how real networking happens—within trusted communities formed around shared goals, industries, or professional interests.

Digital Fishbowl for Events

Event organisers generate a unique QR code for each event. When attendees scan the code onsite, they can see who else is present and connect digitally. This feature turns physical events into lasting digital networks, ensuring valuable connections don’t disappear once the event ends.

Smart Business Cards

Create, share, and save digital business cards. Users can create digital business cards and save others by scanning or taking a photo of a physical card. If the other person later joins Tactlink, the app automatically links their profile—bridging the gap between offline introductions and online connections.

Social Feed with Controlled Visibility

Tactlink includes a social layer where users can follow, connect, and share updates. Association posts are visible only to members, keeping conversations relevant while maintaining privacy and trust within each community.

Freemium Model with Admin Control

Free users can create one business card and limited connections. Premium users unlock multiple cards, multi-device access, and secretary management functions for seamless contact administration.

The Impact of Tactlink

Tactlink’s value goes beyond digitising business cards. It reshapes how professionals build and maintain relationships by removing noise, reducing friction, and reinforcing trust.

The result is a networking experience that feels purposeful rather than transactional.

Meaningful Connections, Not Spam

By connecting only with people you meet, Tactlink encourages trust and reduces unwanted connection requests.

By eliminating open search and random connection requests, Tactlink ensures users connect only with people they’ve actually met.

This significantly reduces spam and encourages higher-quality professional relationships.

Effortless Contact Management

Say goodbye to lost business cards. Business cards no longer end up forgotten in wallets or drawers.

All contacts are stored digitally, organised, and accessible—making it easier to follow up, stay connected, and build long-term relationships.

Community Growth Made Simple

Associations and event organisers can extend their impact beyond physical meetups. Tactlink enables members to stay connected, engaged, and visible long after an event has ended, turning one-off meetups into long-lasting professional relationships.

Lizard Global’s Role in Bringing Tactlink to Life

Turning Tactlink from an idea into a scalable product required more than just development—it required deep understanding, strategic thinking, and long-term partnership.

Lizard Global worked closely with Danny Ong to refine the original concept, address the shortcomings of the earlier attempt, and build a platform that could grow with its users.

From the early stages, Lizard Global focused on aligning technology with real-world behaviour. Our UI/UX team designed intuitive user flows that made networking feel natural rather than forced. Every interaction—from scanning a QR code at an event to managing digital business cards—was carefully crafted to reduce friction and improve usability.

On the technical side, our development team built a secure, scalable architecture capable of supporting associations, events, and individual professionals across regions. Analytics were integrated to provide insights into user behaviour, engagement, and feature adoption—helping shape future improvements and ensuring the platform continues to evolve based on real usage.

Most importantly, Lizard Global acted as a strategic partner throughout the journey. By challenging assumptions, refining features, and focusing on long-term scalability, we helped Danny turn a long-held dream into a product that truly reflects how professional networking should work in a digital world.

How Lizard Global Can Help Bring Your Digital Ideas To Life

Tactlink is more than a business card app—it’s a digital community for professionals, designed to replicate and enhance the real-world networking experience.

With Lizard Global’s technical expertise and Danny Ong’s vision, Tactlink solves a long-standing problem for Malaysian entrepreneurs and professionals: managing, growing, and securing meaningful connections in a digital age.

If your business is looking to digitize networking, streamline contact management, or build a scalable, secure platform, Lizard Global has the experience to transform your vision into reality.