Hong Kong International Computer Conference 2012 Kicks off Today
Explore How Enterprises could Create Opportunities and Manage Risk in a Volatile Economy
Focus: Cloud Computing, Mobility and Social Media
Survey: Over 80% Students Using Smartphone?80% of Whom Changed Handset in last 12 months
Major Online Activities: Audio-visual Entertainment and Playing Social Media

The Hong Kong International Computer Conference 2012 (HKICC2012), organized by Hong Kong Computer Society (HKCS), kicks off today at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. The two-day conference is themed by “ICT in a Volatile Economy: Creating Opportunities and Managing Risk”.

HKCS also announced the survey result on Smart Phone Using Habit of Hong Kong Students today. According to the findings, over 80% students are using smart phones. Among these students, more than 70% spend over 1 hour on smart phone while 15% spend more than 4 hours. And nearly 80% of them change a new mobile handset in last 12 months. Most of them spend less than HK$150 per month on telecommunication expense. Other than basic telephone calls and messenger, Hong Kong secondary students go online with smart phone mainly for audio-visual entertainment and browsing social media websites. And 85% respondents claimed they haven’t downloaded any paid mobile applications.

HKICC2012 Opening Ceremony will be officiated by Mr. Daniel Lai, BBS, JP, Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, The Government of the HKSAR. Mr. Daniel Lai, BBS, JP, together with Mr. Stephan Lau, JP, President, Hong Kong Computer Society, Ms. Susanna Shen, Chairperson of HKICC2012 Organising Committee and Mr. John Chiu, JP, Chairperson of HKICC2012 Programme Committee, will jointly host the ceremony.

HKICC2012 will focus on how enterprises could survive, create opportunities and manage risk in a volatile economy, and further, strengthen competitiveness and lead the market. The conference covers a broad spectrum of latest Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development, especially in Cloud Computing and related topics like Cloud Infrastructure and Data Center, Big Data, Knowledge Management and Mobility and Social Media Enterprise.

Mr. Stephen Lau noted: “ICT, in particular cloud computing, broadband and smart devices, develops so quickly that Mobility and Social Media become popular and hot issues for the conference. According to the survey conducted by HKCS in this October, over 80% students are using smart phones. Among these students, more than 70% spend over 1 hour on smart phone while 15% even spend more than 4 hours. Nearly 80% of them change their mobile handsets in last 12 months and most students spend less than HK$150 on telephone bills every month.”

Mr. Lau explained: “The result only reveals the smart phone using habits of students, and I believe adults, particularly working people, will be even more dependent on smart devices to maintain business and social contact. As ICT advances further, I am certain that in the future, more innovative, advanced and multi-functional smart devices will be developed at accelerated speed and introduced to the market.”

Mr. Lau furthered: “The importance of ICT in daily life could be easily observed form the results, as does its huge business potential and value. Actually, ICT is pervasive in all service sectors in Hong Kong and its importance to business operation is growing. To keep abreast of development, particularly in current volatile economy, one has to fully understand the latest information technology and its innovations. HKICC2012 aims to provide an excellent platform, for governments and business organisations to share and exchange useful IT information, and to assist enterprises in creating opportunities, managing risk as well as further promoting competitiveness and business value.”

Ms. Susanna Shen addressed in her welcome remarks: “after the financial tsunami, the world-wide economy still faces many uncertainties. How could large corporations and SMEs maintain sustainability and even generate more value, create opportunity and manage risk under such volatile economy? ICT absolutely provides a better solution. And that’s why HKICC2012 set the conference theme to be ICT in a Volatile Economy: Creating Opportunities and Managing Risks.”

Mr. John Chiu outlined the conference programme in the Opening Ceremony and explained, “The main focus of the conference this year is Cloud Computing. As Cloud Computing flourishes and matures, its application has become widespread. Thus we will intensively discuss Cloud related topics like Cloud Infrastructure, Data Center, Big Data and Knowledge Management, Cloud Security and so on. ”

Mr. Chiu furthered: “I am confident that with the popularity of social media and mobile applications, Mobility in life and business inevitably will be the biggest trend in social development. Enterprises will create more opportunities and business value if they could understand better and take advantage of this new business model. Thus, we will discuss Mobility and Social Media Enterprise in the conference.”

Ms. Shen noted that the conference has invited top speakers from ICT related corporations to share their unique views and opinions. Other speakers include relevant government officials, professors from famous local and overseas universities, chief ICT officers from local large organizations, authority figures from research and development centers, ICT enterprises founders and so on. Ms. Shen believed such big name speakers will definitely come up with more inspirations and new ideas, to assist enterprises in creating opportunities and managing risk.

For detail speakers list and conference details, please refer to HKICC2012 official website: http://www.hkcs.org.hk/hkicc/2012/.

About Hong Kong International Computer Conference (HKICC)

The HKICC has been organised by the HKCS annually since 1978, to bring together IT professionals and business and government leaders from all over the world to explore opportunities that information technology can offer, and to share successes and insight. More than 600 delegates are expected to attend this year’s Conference, representing a variety of local and overseas public and private organisations.

About Hong Kong Computer Society (HKCS)

The Hong Kong Computer Society is a non-profit professional organisation established in 1970, which strives to improve and develop Hong Kong's Information Technology (IT) industry. Being the most well-established and the largest professional association in Hong Kong, the HKCS is dedicated to promote the highest professional standards for the industry. The HKCS members are from a broad spectrum of Hong Kong's IT industry, from corporate users to individual talents, all working together for the benefit of the industry.