ICT award winners (front row, from left) Professor Thomas Wong, Chan Cheuk-wah, Alex Chan and Majone Cheng Pui-Lai celebrate their success with (back row, from left) Sunny Lee from Hong Kong Computer Society, Francis Ho of the Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau, Rachel Chan of TDC, Daniel Lai of Hong Kong Computer Society, Agnes Mak, chairman of the IT Excellence Award, and Alan Wong, director of Information Technology Services.

Four Hong Kong companies have received international recognition in the Asia-Pacific ICT Awards (APICTA).

The awards recognise outstanding innovation in information communication technologies (ICT). By securing four of the top awards, Hong Kong was the best performer among all the participating countries or cities.

Hong Kong's award winners were CASH Financial Services Group Limited, Infrays (HK) Ltd, Hong Kong Public Libraries, Leisure and Cultural Services Department,  and the Department of Nursing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

The awards were held in Malaysia in September. All contestants for APICTA have to be nominated by the local government or national computer societies. Hong Kong's delegation was led by the Trade Development Council (TDC) and the Hong Kong Computer Society.

Over 90 projects were presented by enterprises and organisations from 11 Asia-Pacific countries or regions.

E-Commerce Interactive Marketing Innovation Award

CASH Financial Services Group Limited won the E-Commerce Interactive Marketing Innovation Award for its electronic trading platform. The platform enables clients to trade securities, futures, options and warrants products of various markets in one single account.

Clients can utilise a growing list of trading channels beyond the more traditional means, including personal computers (via the Internet), mobile phone Short Message System (using the SIM Tool Kit), Interactive Voice Response System, WAP phones and pocket PCs equipped with wireless modem.

Among the platform's features, all devices are real time synchronised. "Our trading platform supports seven languages, and clients are able to trade financial products in different markets with one or more currencies in the account," said general manager of product development and marketing Majone Cheng. "The highly flexible settlement function allows clients to maximise the use of their capital, and an electronic payment gateway has been set up with two banks."

Ms Cheng said the government's commitment to developing Hong Kong into an IT economy, and in educating the community with high IT literacy, provided a comprehensive infrastructure for the company to build on.

Business Applications Award

Infrays (HK) Ltd won the Business Applications Award for its Gourmate Restaurant Management System. A leading provider in Asia for point-of-sale solutions for the hospitality industry, the company was founded in Hong Kong 1994. Epson acquired a 51 per cent share in 1998, an investment that allowed Infrays to expand worldwide.

Its Gourmate system was originally designed by Chinese restaurants, and is now being used by five-star hotels such as the Shangri La, Holiday Inn and Marriott groups.

Managing director Alex Chan said: "We are honoured to receive this prestigious award. It is global recognition of the dedication of Hong Kong's IT innovators, and delivers a message to the world that Hong Kong can produce great IT products."

E-Government Applications and Services Award

The Hong Kong Public Libraries, Leisure and Cultural Services Department, won the E-Government Applications and Services Award for its Multimedia Information System (MMIS). The product heralds a new era in of public library service, providing users with an effective, one-stop search for information and a vast selection of ditigalised services. MMIS has introduced Audio-On-Demand (AOD) and Video-On-Demand (VOD) services to Hong Kong's public libraries, along with a rich collection of materials such as microfilms, clippings, maps, posters and house programmes on digital format.

Telehealth Solutions Award

The Department of Nursing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, won the Telehealth Solutions Award for its Telehealth System. "Telehealth Clinic is an innovative community health care practice involving human/computer interface, offering one-stop contact and follow up, along with multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional service delivery," said Professor Thomas K.S. Wong, head of department. "It acts as a bridge between the point of need and the point of expert services, so the concept of allowing health care professionals to examine, counsel and advise their clients at distant locations becomes a reality."

The community accesses the system through two "kiosks" located in public places, linked by a hybrid broadband network through which data is transmitted to expert station and then to the Health Statistics Centre.

"The fact that we know the direction of the Hong Kong government in its support for innovation and development is a trigger for us to look at possibilities," Professor Wong said.

The TDC, as part of its efforts to promote the information and communication technology industry in Hong Kong, organised special activities including an IT seminar during the awards period. This demonstrated Hong Kong's excellent services and facilitated co-operation between Hong Kong and Malaysian enterprises, TDC's senior services promotion manager Rachel Chan said.

For more about the awards, see  http://www.tdctrade.com/tdcnews/0209/02091901.htm

Related links:
CASH Financial Services Group Limited www.cashon-line.com/
Infrays (HK) Ltd, www.infrasys.com.hk/html/corp/visit.html
Hong Kong Public Libraries, Leisure and Cultural Services Department hkclweb.hkpl.gov.hk/hkclr2/internet/cht/html/welcome.html
Department of Nursing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University www.telehealth.org.hk/
Hong Kong Computer Society www.hkcs.org.hk/