Page 22 - Sphere No.12 (Aug 2004)

SPHERE 20
C O V E R S T O R Y
Pieces of the Puzzle
With Vanda and PowerCom representing the missing pieces of
the jigsaw, the new company can now offer the full range of
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) solu-
tions, along with cutting-edge “last mile” link-ups.
Vanda has built a strong regional reputation for supplying
IT systems infrastructure and application solutions services.
The benefits this brings HGCH’s business users are significant.
When customers approach HGCH for broadband data and
voice services, they can at the same time get IT systems that
will seamlessly integrate with those networks.
“We can now offer software, computers and networking,”
confirms Peter Wong,
Chief Executive Officer of
HGCH. “This is the perfect
marriage for us because of
our linked perspectives.”
For Chen, this has meant
being able to focus on his
company’s communica-
tions and operational
requirements rather than the technology that makes it all hap-
pen. What’s more, if Chen needs to expand his business
or if there is a problem with any part of the system, assistance
is only a phone call away.
PowerCom, for its part, has created and patented a revolu-
tionary system that allows the delivery of telecommunications
services on the domestic power grid, via a simple power
socket. This allows HGCH to roll out a cost-effective last mile
network for installing broadband service in residential estates,
hotels and serviced apartments, and ensures that older
buildings can also enjoy the benefits of HGCH’s fibre optic
broadband services.
“You can simply plug your PC [personal computer] into any
power socket,” Wong explains. “This is particularly good for
buildings where the cabling is not good enough or is used up.
Hong Kong is one of the very few places where powergrid
technology is usefully deployed.”
The enlarged group is now uniquely positioned as a next-
generation technology services provider. It is able to clearly
differentiate itself both through its range of services and its
geographical coverage in Hong Kong, Mainland China and
Southeast Asia.
“The merger gives us
powerful competitive
advantages,” says Wong.
“There is a lot of synergy
between networking and
computing, and now we
can provide our customers
with a total solution.”
The synergies do not
end there, as Vanda and PowerCom will benefit from HGC’s
stellar customer base.
The Long Road to Broadband
HGC’s story recalls the age-old saga of the tortoise
and the hare.
While many of its competitors floundered in a sea of
short-term promotions, HGC quietly built a business that not
only put it head and shoulders above its Hong Kong counter-
parts but also set new global standards.
For the first few years, we were more
like a construction company than
a telecommunications company
T he power of HGC’s capabilities to facilitate the latest
communications technology was well illustrated dur-
ing the tragic SARS outbreak of 2003. The company
wasted little time in linking its network to Hong Kong’s
Princess Margaret and Wong Tai Sin hospitals, the primary
recovery centres for sufferers of the contagious virus.
Thanks to HGC, quarantined patients were able to com-
municate with their families through broadband-based video
telephony services, providing crucial eye-to-eye contacts with
families and friends. HGC continues to provide the services.
This passion to leave no citizen behind is also evident
in HGC’s successful broadband school project, which has
seen the company deploy networks and computing
equipment in 80% of Hong Kong’s primar y and
secondary schools.
The newly launched GigaNet School Fibre Broadband
service, furthermore, allows schools with intra-school-net-
works to upgrade their bandwidths from 10Mbps to
100Mbps symmetrical broadband transmission, enabling
applications with large bandwidth demand, such as on-line
TV, video education and network storage.
HGC has also been at the forefront of a series of
e-learning initiatives, in conjunction with the Chinese
University of Hong Kong.
“The educational benefits of broadband technology can
boggle the mind, particularly for my generation, who grew
up with chalk and blackboards; typewriters and Tippex,”
says Peter Wong, CEO of HGCH. “Using a high-speed
school Intranet, students can send movie projects or music
recitals and engage in distance remote learning courses.”
In a timely attempt to bridge the Mainland’s yawning digi-
tal divide, plans are afoot to extend this next-generation
educational technology to Southern China. The Internet,
of course, does not respect international borders and this
step serves as an important reminder of the global nature
of HGCH’s operations.
N ONE L EFT BEHIND