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The Asian Solutions Center (ASC), operated by Sybase and the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC), has helped earn its partners more than $12 million (HK$97 million) since its inception in January 2000.
As the ASC celebrated its second anniversary, the numbers tell a story of more than 40 local and international partners recruited and more than 120 projects completed. ASC seminars and workshops in 24 months total 118, two study missions have been organized, and participation by members has been arranged in nine local and overseas exhibitions. More than 20,000 individuals were involved, and an additional 471 company representatives attended the ASC's software quality assurance certification program training for information technology (IT) firms and software developers.
In the m-Business area alone, for instance, the ASC has provided technology-skill transfer and market information. It has also helped industries identify opportunities for solutions partners developing a wide range of innovative mobile computing applications, according to Dr. W. C. Keung, branch director, Information and Technology Services, HKPC.Dr. Keung; guest of honor Francis Ho, commissioner for innovation and technology, Hong Kong SAR Government; and Thomas Tang, executive director of HKPC, joined Sybase executive Mark Wang, senior vice president and general manager, Asia Pacific, to celebrate the ASC anniversary.
With them were representatives of partner firms including Topsoft Co. Ltd., which developed a system to help governments assess contractors' performance; CyberM Information Technology Ltd., which offers small- and medium-size enterprises customized software solutions for wireless and mobile devices; TopDomain Network Ltd., which allows consumers to make purchases via "e-coupons" downloaded on their PDAs; and CiF Solutions Ltd., whose Palm platform features applications for order and dispatch, inventory, real-time entertainment, and dining information-all leveraging their applications on Sybase's SQL Anywhere.
Addressing birthday celebrants, Thomas Tang, the HKPC chief, said the ASC had created a "new synergy" through technology transfer, solutions development, and international networking that has helped local IT companies explore business opportunities in the region and beyond.Launching the ASC two years ago, John Chen, Sybase chairman, CEO, and president and a native of Hong Kong, said it represented Sybase's commitment to development of business solutions for Hong Kong and the region.
Coincidentally, almost two years to the day after the ASC's launch, the People's Bank of China (PBC) announced that it had chosen Sybase database and application development tools-Sybase's Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE) database and its PowerBuilder and PowerDesigner tools-for its China National Advanced Payment System (CNAPS).
In making the choice, PBC executives noted that they see Sybase's leadership in the global financial industry as supportive of their efforts to modernize their interbank capital payment clearance and settlement process.
In Hong Kong, the ASC provides a range of client services; state-of-the-art training and meeting facilities, conferences, and workshops; and information updates on global market trends and technology developments.Mark Wang credited the concerted efforts of the HKPC and Sybase for the ASC's success. "The achievements have been beyond our expectations," Wang told the birthday celebration.