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Purpose — This paper aims assess to the perceived importance (PI) and actual implementation (Al) of five preliminary knowledge management (KM) success factors, i.e. business strategy, organizational structure, knowledge team, knowledge audit, and knowledge map in the Malaysian telecommunication industry. Design/methodology/approach — A questionnaire survey was conducted on telecommunication organizations located in the capital of Malaysia. Data were analyzed using indices and parametric statistics. Findings — The results show that the organizations are aware of the importance of all the KM factors but fall short of implementation. The implemented factors consist of business strategy, organizational structure, and knowledge team. Knowledge audit and knowledge map are perceived as important but are the least implemented factors. Research limitations/implications — This study was conducted in only one industry in Malaysia. Furthermore, it focuses on the preliminary success factors of KM implementation rather than on learning and knowledge utilization. Practical implications — Telecommunication organizations have to overcome resources problems and enhance implementation level in order to narrow the gaps for effective, full scale KM implementation in the later stage. Such viable practice will significantly help the industry not only to compete more effectively within Malaysia, but also to position itself as a global player in the world. Originality/value — This study is perhaps one of the first to address the preliminary steps to be dealt with prior to KM implementation. Moreover, it attempts to compare the PI and AT of the five proposed success factors, which has received very little attention to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]