Eye for accuracy ensures leading edge (hktdc.com)


	Dr John Lee, Asia Vision co-founder, is proud that Hong Kong is leading the way in global traffic road and sea traffic solutions

	The daily work of a Brazil traffic policeman is made easier thanks to Asia Vision

Asia Vision Technology is a home-grown success story, leading the world in global traffic management solutions within just a decade of start up.

Founded in Hong Kong in 1997, the company is the brainchild of its Chairman and CEO Dr John C. M. Lee, a pioneer in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. Since obtaining a US patent, Asia Vision has become a leading provider of total intelligent systems for fleet management, container terminals and road traffic.

The company has won numerous awards for technological and industry achievement, and its systems are in place in over 20 countries from South America to Australia to China. Such is the extent of its success that Asia Vision's revenue grew a staggering 840 per cent in a three year period from 2000 – 2003, an achievement which earned the firm the
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Asia Pacific Technology Fast 500 award.

The key is Asia Vision's "all-purpose computer eyes", a technology invented by Dr Lee and Ken W.K. Wong, the company's co-founder and Chief Technical Officer, at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Called VECON, the software improves business efficiency through its ability to visually locate and identify stationery and moving licence plate or registration numbers, both alphanumeric and alphabetical, regardless of their colour, pattern or size. Hindrances such as rust, mud, bad light, peeling or fading paint might distort the image to the human eye, but VECON overcomes this to provide an accurate reading.

Global solutions

Asia Vision's solutions are tailored to specific needs. On Brazilian roads, the technology helps traffic police detect and intercept unlicensed cars. In California, US, it delivers unprecedented accuracy at one of the world's largest container terminals, AP Moller/Maers's Pier 400. In key Chinese mainland cities, Asia Vision technology helps police locate stolen, unregistered or illegally parked vehicles.

Various Hong Kong Government departments use Asia Vision solutions for purposes from fleet management to security. In Australia, it monitors traffic flow across the busy Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Dr Lee said Asia Vision's success lies in its ability to provide cost effective, accurate, convenient solutions for a multitude of applications. The innovative technology is easy to integrate, reliable and user-friendly. In addition, the company has a strong commitment to customer care.

Reliability

"The technology is 98 per cent accurate, and this includes countries which have the most difficult to read licence plates, like Thailand, Japan, Korea and China," Dr Lee said.

As a regional business centre, he says Hong Kong has many advantages. "We do a lot of business in the region, and have offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. From Hong Kong it is convenient to travel to neighbouring countries, which helps us to expand our business. Another advantage is that it's easier to fund-raise in Hong Kong, where there are more investors." Asia Vision already has Standard Chartered Bank as a venture capital partner, and has plans to list in 2009.

Market need

The company was founded in the year of Hong Kong's handover to Chinese rule, in 1997. Dr Lee says there was "no significance" to starting the business during that period – rather, it was in response to a perceived need for his OCR technology in traffic and port operations.

The Asian financial crisis and Sars which followed in the ensuing years had no effect on his business, he added. "Most of our business was (done) on a project basis and a necessity for security control in airports, building or car parks, no matter how the economy went down."

Asia Vision products filled a need as they provided state-of-art, reliable systems for the automation of in/out gate and port operation. "I was the pioneer in OCR, (and) I offered the comprehensive solutions to the customers," Dr Lee said. "There was no-one (else) who could guarantee that level of reliability and service".

With a decade of robust economic growth behind it, Hong Kong – and Asia Vision – seem set for a prosperous future.