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c o n t e n t s June 2009business4 upfrontPast, present and future6 biznews8 viewpointFuture of social networks demands medialiteracy education10 analystwatchTop five cloud-computing adoptioninhibitorsGartner’s Bruce Robertson breaks down thecloud12 bizpeopleBuild a better online persona: four steps14 infosecurityeventTenth annual Info-Security event a hit inHong KongCIOs and CSOs face security sprawl in keynotesand panel discussion74 chinawatchChina strengthens cyber laws as hacking hitshome, Chinese outsourcer sees industry surgeafter crisis, and Taiwan’s United Micro buysChinese chip maker76 technews78 cybersecurityPresident Obama’s new cybersecurity czar willface multiple challenges82 backpageCyberwar, cyberdefenseSpecial: Computerworld Hong Kong Awards 200916 Awards winnersMeet the winners of Computerworld Hong KongAwards 200917 Awards paradeWinning products and services on display22 HK tech company of the yearOur 3rd annual award in this unique categoryWinning profiles24 Microsoft30 PCCW36 PCCW Solutions38 IBM41 VMware42 CSL44 Apple45 RIM46 EMC50 Oracle53 SAP55 HP58 Check Point61 Cisco64 Fuji Xerox66 Symantec68 APC70 Emerson72 Tyco73 PolycomCheck our Web site: www.cw.com.hk fordaily news and online features.www.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 3

upfrontPast, present and futureIt is time for the Computerworld HK Awardsprize presentation.It is time to give the vendors the recognitionthey deserve.Throughout the years, the awards schemehas evolved to cope with the market situation.This year, new awards are added, mostly inNetworking & Communications category, andsome awards are re-categorized in a way thatbest reflects the development of technology.By comparing past and present side-by-side,the category list reflects how significantlytechnology has evolved over time, or moreprecisely, how user-demands have changedover time.We all live in the present, look at the pastand think about the future. In the future,I’m sure the Computerworld HK Awards willcontinue to evolve as the market situationchanges.We tend to think more about the futurewhen times are uncertain. 2008 was a toughyear, and 2009 is proving a challenge as well.Many of us miss the “good old days” of justa few years ago—we’re puzzled by the presentdifficulties and skeptical about the future.People are losing confidence in themselvesand losing faith in others. The whole communityseems haunted by an atmosphere ofuncertainty and skepticism.No one can tell about the future. But weare all part of the future. As long as we haveconfidence on ourselves, the future is in ourhands.A pessimistic attitude is the biggest enemyof a bright future. Pessimism is so destructivethat it will ruin our plans, distort our judgementand distract us from what we shouldfocus on.Let’s start looking at things more simply.When I was five, I saw my uncle doing accountingwork one day. He was a businessman running his own grocery store.“Is it difficult to deal with such a thick bookof figures, Uncle?” I asked. “Well, it is actuallyvery simple and straightforward. It is justsimple mathematics about plus and minus,”he said.My uncle got it right. Running a business isno more than plus and minus.There is a decision-making tool called Plus/Minus/Interesting (PMI). This PMI mind toolhelps us on selecting a course of action froma range of options. It is very simple: beforeyou take an action, prepare a sheetof paper and draw three columnson it: plus, minus and interesting.In the ‘Plus’ column, just writedown all the positive results of takingthe action. Underneath ‘Minus’write down all the negative effects.And in the ‘Interesting’ columnwrite down the implications andpossible outcomes of taking theaction, whether positive, negative,or uncertain.By this stage it may already beobvious whether or not you shouldimplement the decision. Simple, isn’t it? If welook at things from a simple angle, the problemsahead will look less difficult and we willfind a solution more easily.So, about the future, I only have one thingto add:You are the future.I am the future.We are all part of the future.Let’s hold it in our hands and make it a betterone.Simon YeungPublishersyeung@questexasia.comhttp://www.cw.com.hkComputerworld Hong Kong is published by Questex Asia Ltd, 501Cambridge House, Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, HongKong.EDITORIALEDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chee Sing Chan cchan@questexasia.comEDITOR Stefan Hammond shammond@questexasia.comSENIOR REPORTER Teresa Leung tleung@questexasia.comCONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ross Milburn, Jason KruppSALESPUBLISHER Simon Yeung syeung@questexasia.comACCOUNT DIRECTOR Connie Yip cyip@questexasia.comMARKETING & SALES Donna Hon dhon@questexasia.comSUPPORTING EXECUTIVEADMINISTRATIONART DIRECTOR Eric Lam elam@questexasia.comPRODUCTION & Donna Hon dhon@questexasia.comTRAFFIC COORDINATORCIRCULATION & John Lam jlam@questexasia.comDISTRIBUTION DIRECTORASSISTANT CIRCULATION Allie Mok amok@questexasia.comMANAGERMANAGEMENTMANAGING DIRECTOR Jonathan Bigelow jbigelow@questexasia.comHR & ADMIN MANAGER Rebecca Ip rip@questexasia.comBUSINESS MANAGER Eunice Chan echan@questexasia.comComputerworld Hong Kong is published monthly. Allmaterial is Copyright 2009 by Questex Media Group,Inc. Reproduction is strictly forbidden without writtenpermission.Sales and Custom Publishing Enquiries: E-mail canbe sent to syeung@questexasia.comComputerworld Hong Kong is circulated to IT, computingand internet companies and other privateand public companies who use IT and computing. Itis edited for IT professionals, engineers, and seniormanagers responsible for design, installation, marketingand maintenance of IT systems and networks.Free subscription offer valid in Hong Kong only. Tosubscribe, go to www.cw.com.hk.Computerworld Hong Kong (ISSN 1023-4934) is published eleventimes yearly by Questex Asia Ltd. Subscription rates: 1 year HK$330(Hong Kong only), HK$440 (Macau only), US$109 (within Asia) andUS$119 (outside Asia), 2 years HK$580 (Hong Kong only), HK$770(Macau only), US$190 (within Asia) and US$210 (outside Asia).Single/Back issue (if available) HK$40 per copy (Hong Kong only)US$11 (within Asia) and US$12 (outside Asia) plus US$5 handlingcharge per order. Printed in Hong Kong. Postage paid in Hong Kong.For subscription enquiries, change of address or delivery services,please contact our circulation department by: fax (852) 2559-2015,e-mail customer_service@cw.com.hk or by mail.Computerworld Hong Kong is on sale in bookshops in Hong Kong atHK$40 per issue.Questex Media Group, Inc.275 Grove Street, Newton, MA 02466, Tel: +1 617 219 8300PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Kerry C. GumasEXECUTIVE V.P. & CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Tom CaridiEXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENTRobert S. IngrahamEXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENTTony D’AvinoEXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENTJon LeibowitzEXECUTIVE V.P. CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT Claudia FlowersVICE PRESIDENT, DIGITAL MEDIASeth NicholsPrinted by:DG3 Asia Limited9th Floor, Haking (Tung Shing) Industrial Building34 Lee Chung Street , Chai Wan, Hong KongTel: 852 2965 6777www.dg3.com/Average Circulation: 9,579www.cw.com.hk(852) 2589-1313(852) 2559-20154 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

iznewsHong Kong IT vacancies up 22.6 percent in Q1The number of IT vacancies in HongKong has seen a 22.6 percent hike from4,966 in January to 6,090 in March, saidrecruitment agency Robert Walters in May.The tech posts that Robert Walters tracksinclude IT supervisor, manager, programmer,and database administration. The recruitmentagency said it tracks advertisements by numberin the executive appointments sections ofmajor newspapers and jobs listing web sites inAsia.Growth of Hong Kong’s IT vacancies ishigher than Singapore which sees a 1.3 percentincrease from 5,187 to 5.254, according tothe Robert Walters Asia Job Index. China hasexperienced the highest growth of tech jobposts compared with Hong Kong, Japan, andWe haven’t been out of thedownward trend yetThe BI tools market in Asia Pacific grew7.7 percent and was estimated to be worthUS$445.30 million in 2008 despite theglobal economic crisis, said IDC recently.However, this still represents a significantfall from previous years’ double-digit growthrecorded for the region in 2005 to 2007, the researchfirm noted.With many businesses knee-jerking intofreezing or slashing IT budgets as the globaleconomic crisis unfolded, the BI softwaremarket generally contracted in 2H 2008 over1H 2008 in most Asia Pacific countries, saidIDC.Cost cutting measures and lower IT budgetsare expected to contribute to longer sales cycleand more pricing pressure in 1H 2009, saidIDC, adding that its end-user studies conductedin 1Q 2009 also confirmed that cost is themain consideration when IT decision makersin the region buy software.Organizations are likely to be more motivatedto try alternative, lower cost BI tools and deliverymodels which tend to tamper down revenuebased market forecasts, said IDC, addingSingapore, with the number of vacancies surging49.6 percent from 151,360 to 226,452 in Q1of 2009.In Hong Kong, the overall number of job advertisementsgrew 42.6 percent from 70,530 inJanuary to 100,593 in March, according to figuresfrom the agency. “However, it’s too soonto suggest that the downward trend of the previousquarter has been permanently reversed,”said Matthew Bennett, director at Robert WaltersHong Kong. “The number of jobs advertisedis still significantly lower than in the correspondingmonths of the previous year.”In Hong Kong, the softness of job advertisingwas most marked in January, traditionallyone of the quietest months of the year becauseof the combined effects of Christmas and ChineseNew Year, said Robert Walters. This year,however, the effect was amplified by delays inthe finalization of 2009 headcount budgets,which in most organizations has historicallybeen completed by the end of November.From January’s low base, advertising activityincreased sharply in February and continuedto grow in March as organizations that had previouslyimplemented redundancy programs beganto experience demand for capacity in otherareas of their business particularly at mid—tosenior—levels, the agency added. IDC: APAC BI market hits US$445 millionthat BI demand is at the same time expected toexpand from within organizations.“The recent turbulent times and uncertaintieshave intensified the need for timely, accurateand relevant information to make soundbusiness decisions,” said Sharon Tan, researchmanager of IDC’s Asia/Pacific Software Research.“Following the economic crisis, manydecision makers and information workers feltthe pain of insufficient, inaccurate or contradictoryinformation as they tried hard to growtheir business. IDC expects this need to fuelinterest in BI tools and pave the way for futureBI growth once business sentiments improve.”She added that preliminary analysis of therecent IDC-sponsored end-user research conductedin March-April 2009 shows encouragingsigns. “Despite tough times, a significant percentageof organizations surveyed are alreadyplanning to equip users, such as managers andcustomer-facing employees, with timely informationover the next 18 months by having BImore pervasively available in their organization,”Tan said.—Compiled by CWHK staffnewsbitesHSBC deploys SAS fraud managementHSBC has picked SAS software for fraud management acrossits global network, said SAS recently. “As we are expandingour protection over other areas of fraud with SAS software,our customers around the world are now benefiting fromthe same level of fraud prevention and detection success weoriginally saw in the US,” said Derek Wylde, head of GroupFraud Risk, HSBC. Since its initial US launch in 2007, SASFraud Management is now live across HSBC in the US,Europe and Asia Pacific. Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore,Thailand, Macau, Brunei and Sri Lanka are all now using itto protect 100 percent of their credit card transactions in realtime, said SAS.Datacraft clinches US$2.5m CNPC dealChina National Petroleum has awarded a US$2.5 millioncontract to Datacraft for a network overhaul. The projectinvolves the installation of more than 200 Cisco 7609/2821routers throughout 76 cities in 48 countries where the oil firmhas offices. Carriers from four continents will host an MPLSVPN network with termination in Beijing. More than 1,000Cisco IP phones will be installed to connect all the majorproduction sites, integrating voice and data.Singapore government makesUS$1.2M investmentThe Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore plans toinvest S$1.73 billion ($1.2 million) in 392 ICT projects forfiscal year 2009, which ends March 31, 2010. These projectsinclude IDA-issued calls-for-collaboration, as well as keyprojects by other government agencies, such as the StandardICT Operating Environment for Schools by the Ministry ofEducation, the Content and Documentation ManagementSystem by DSTA, and the BorderWatch System by theMinistry of Home Affairs.Web-based healthcare info inChina hospitalsInterSystems has secured a contract to provide United FamilyHospitals with a Web-based healthcare information systemacross its network of hospitals and clinics in China. The Inter-Systems TrakCare will create a unified healthcare informationplatform to support the growth of UFH by providing clinicaland administrative functionality, including multi-languageand multi-currency support, and a shared electronic patientrecord.Chunghwa Telecom beefs up ad capabilityChunghwa Telecom in Taiwan has selected BigBandNetworks’ BigBand MSP2000 (media services platform) todeliver advanced advertising video solutions on both highdefinition and standard definition. The platform will also allowdelivery of content, in both MPEG2 and H.264, for ChunghwaTelecom’s flagship service Multimedia-On-Demand. TheBigBand MSP2000 will allow Chunghwa Telecom MODto deliver targeted advertising based on geographic anddemographic information into linear television without clientoperations.6 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

Ricoh Printing Solution Adds Value to Watsons WaterVariable printing solution speeds up printing procedures and increases flexibilityChallengesIn the past, Watsons Water employedseveral software applications to convertinvoices into JPEG images, which wouldbe sent out for printing in Tai Po and ChaiWan offices. This invoicing procedurebrought the following difficulties toWatsons Water:Progress LimitationSending massive JPEG images was timeconsuming and demanded huge bandwidth.It causes the problem of network supportingand hinders the performance of the printer.Moreover, there was only one laser printerin Chai Wan office. In case of accident, TaiPo office needed to take over its printingjob and obstructed the working progress.Difficult to Add ValueThe system was designed merely for invoiceprinting. Adding or binding promotionalmaterials could only be done to a limitedextent. The system could not scan documentsfor indexing and searching too.Ricoh SolutionsUnify the Systems in Two Offices of DifferentLocations to Strengthen the SupportWatsons Water deployed an invoice printingsystem which should connect and support itstwo logistic offices of Tai Po and Chai Wan.After a strict screening process, WatsonsWater decided to employ Ricoh Aficiodocument printing solution with six units ofRicoh not only demonstrated how touse the printers but also taught us howto boost the performance of the system andthe software applications, unleashingfull potential of one solution.Stanley Kwan, Project Assistant,Business Information Department,Watsons WaterAficio MP 5500 high-performance printingmachines for its two offices. Whenever thereis a system problem in one location, the othercan promptly activate the contingent printingfunction to ensure the routine schedule willnot be affected.Relieves Network Burden and Boosts ProductivityPlanetPress software sends data toAficio MP 5500 directly for printing. Itrelieves network burden and smoothensthe printing process.Ricoh’s multiple paper tray designenables us to attach promotionalleaflets to invoices, our marketingcolleagues appreciate this featurevery much!.Roy Wong, Assistant Manager, BusinessInformation Department, Watsons WaterFlexible Modification of Forms for Promotion UsePlanetPress can easily be used to designdifferent forms and modify contents ofvarious electronic forms. It is convenientfor Watsons Water to attach promotionalinformation to invoice. It results in postagesaving along with promotions. FergusLang, O & M Specialist of Watsons Watersaid, "Ricoh's Aficio Document PrintingSolutions together with PlanetPresssoftware go beyond an invoice printingtool. They are now a part of our integratedpromotion system as they add values toordinary invoices."Robust Software Enhanced theEfficiencyApart from the powerfulhardware, Watsons Water alsoselected PlanetPress software toprovide transactional and variablecontent document printing andto perform output management.The PlanetPress can transmitdata to Aficio MP 5500 fromthe server directly withoutconverting the data into JPEGimages. Furthermore, PlanetPressincreases the flexibility ofelectronic forms modification inwhich totally upgrades the invoiceprinting system.BenefitsReduces Printing Time by over 50%After using Ricoh Aficiosystems, the printing time inChai Wan factory is massivelyshorten from 2 hours to 45minutes, which representsmore than a 100% boost inproductivity.Why Ricoh?Ricoh understands the different needsof clients and offers tailor-made solutionsaccordingly. Its flexible “Easy Print Service”allows Watsons Water to pay according tothe output quantity and thus to achievebetter control on expenses.With Ricoh's professional supportingteam who provides one-stop maintenanceand consultancy service, it can assist clientto have a high performance printing systemat all times.Ricoh Customer Service Hotline:(852) 2833 1111http://www.ricoh.com.hkBrought to you by Ricoh

viewpointCharles MokFuture of social networks demandsmedia literacy educationEvery day, someone asks me how to “developa Web 2.0 strategy.” But what theyreally seek is a media strategy to connectpeople, deliver messages of information, andmaintain relationships.As always, examining history helps uslearn how to stay relevant tomorrow. In1800, face-to-face communication was theonly “social network”—to interact, buy orsell, speak or listen, you needed to visit thelocal marketplace. But by 1900, newspapersand magazines allowed a person’s ideas tobe communicated to people they’d nevermet.For the next sixty years, newspapers dominatedthe media scene. But by the 1920s,radio had attracted attention, especially liveradio news—instead of reading articles bypeople you’d never met, you could now listento their voices. Once television arrivedin the 1950s, you could even see the stranger’sface.Enter the digitalAlthough the world-wide web debuted inthe 70s, it wasn’t until the 90s that the Nethit the mainstream. Now, even after the dotcombubble burst, virtually everyone has ane-mail address, and most companies or institutionshave a Web site. All this web activityhas been accompanies by a frenzy of speculation,and those who said the Net wouldfundamentally change communication werefundamentally correct.Now the latest buzz on social networks—Facebook, Twitter—promises that thesewill eliminate blogs and traditional Websites. Some even claim that traditional mediachannels are withering under the constantstream of rich information from socialnetworks (then again, some claimed yourrefrigerator would order deliveries of milkwhen it detected your supply was runninglow).That said, even three years ago no oneimagined social networks would be as popularas they are today. I didn’t imagine whenI first joined Facebook that I would be usingit—ever evolving to the chagrin of ususers—the way I do today.And the pace of change is frantic. It’s futileOur next generation cannot afford overprotection. To grow andevolve with social networking, they need the free environmentthat those in other countries enjoy—to develop, prosper andcompete with the world.for corporations, organizations and individualsto “learn how to use Web 2.0 tools” becausewhat can you master if the media continuallychanges as you try to “learn it?” Forget “learningto use” any particular social media—instead,become part of the media, so the mediacan discover how to work for you. Rememberone of tech guru Tim O’Reilly’s key principlesof Web 2.0: it’s an “eternal beta.”Media literacyHow do we train our business people,government officials, and (most of all) ouryoung people to cope with the dizzying evolutionof social media applications? The answer:media literacy. On May 23, the InternetSociety of Hong Kong held the HKSAR’sfirst Media Literacy Forum for the ICT andeducation sectors in Hong Kong. We hopethis will start a trend in the HKSAR.Wikipedia defines media literacy as “theprocess of accessing, analyzing, evaluatingand creating messages in a wide variety ofmedia modes, genres and forms...[it] usesan inquiry-based instructional model thatencourages people to ask questions aboutwhat they watch, see, and read.” This is acritical survival skill of the future: the abilityto discern information. It’s as importantfor corporations and institutions as well ascitizens.Governments in Europe, North Americaand Australia are increasing media literacyeducation for young people. Yet teachersin Hong Kong still struggle with model answersand examinations. Meanwhile, ourgovernment grapples with educational aswell as censorship systems to decide for ouryoung people what they should or shouldnot see—instead of encouraging them toask questions about what they watch, seeand read, and settling on their own answersof choice.Looking forwardOur next generation cannot afford overprotection.To grow and evolve with socialnetworking, they need the free environmentthat those in other countries enjoy—to develop,prosper and compete with the world.Hong Kong is a world-class city, and ouryoung people deserve world-class education,no matter how quickly it shifts. Noneof us expected the twenty-first century tobe quite so challenging, but that’s the handwe’ve been dealt, and it’s up to us to learnhow to play it skillfully.Charles Mok is the presidentof Internet Society Hong Kong,and ex-officio Member of theHong Kong Information TechnologyFederation. He has beenin the IT industry for almost20 years, and is active in anumber of advisory committees and statutory bodiesof the HKSAR government.8 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

analystwatchBruce Robertsonadoption inhibitorsMany enterprises are intrigued by cloudcomputing’s benefits, including elasticscale, low cost and fast implementation.But there are risks involved. Gartner hasidentified what it believes are today’s top fivemost critical inhibitors to adoption and commonapproaches to mitigating associated risks.Risk-testingTesting is difficult to conduct and often isn’t offeredby the provider. If you don’t have enoughinformation to determine how well a provider ismanaging risk, it probably isn’t.Data and code portabilityOnce you’ve put your data into a system, it maybe difficult to get the data back out. Beyond thedata, it may be hard to get process (and the codethat executes that process) out of the provider.Review bulk data extraction and code copyoptionsbefore signing a contract for SaaS orapplication cloud services. If you are leveraginginfrastructure-oriented cloud services, considersupporting more than one provider’s offeringsimultaneously, and duplicate data across them.Some cloud-enabling middleware services canhelp manage this.Many cloud services do not come with backup/restorecapability included—you have to add that as an option.Data securityExternal parties can access an enterprise’s datamore easily when it is stored externally, makingit more vulnerable. Most enterprises underestimatetheir internal data security, but while it’snot without risk, storing data externally could beriskier.Have competent security and information personnelvet your approach before you sign contracts.Know which data you are allowing ontocloud services. Data with strong restrictions governingwho is allowed to see or change it shouldnever be stored externally. If data needs widedissemination, it will need to be more available,making it a strong candidate for migration tocloud services for scale and availability.Look for security capabilities that are similarto your internal ones and have third parties testthem. Although data security is often the mostvisible fear of customers and enterprises, itshouldn’t stop all use of cloud services.Due diligence is essential. Some vendors won’tallow provider-site visits, but more mature cloudservice providers will show how they operate behindthe cloud to reassure customers. Get a tourand develop assessment criteria.Data locationWhere is your data is being stored? Someenterprises have policies requiring some levelof control over data-location, and many governmentshave laws mandating data-storage in theirown country.Some providers now offer features enabling“sticky” location of data across their distributeddata centers. Push your targeted providers to offera simple level of control over locations. Do notforce them to avoid their own economies of scaleand availability approaches by insisting that databe located in a single place. Know which datasuch location constraints apply to. Do not assumethey apply to all cases.Data lossAny system and any provider can lose yourdata. Cloud providers may be better or worsethan your own internal IT organization on this,but given the low maturity of cloud service offerings,assume the worst. There have beencases of providers suffering a complete technicalmeltdown or going out of business, resultingin non-recoverable data losses. Many cloudservices do not come with backup/restorecapability included—you have to add that asan option, often on your own or with anothercloud provider.Make sure your data is backed up or replicated.Make sure your backups are usable, whetherthey are done in-house, with yet another cloudservice or with optional services from the samevendor. Do this regularly. Develop a plan forchange in case of vendor failure and make sureyou have a backup of your data.Cloud evolutionOver time, enterprises’ perceptions may changeand other risks will become greater inhibitors toadoption. Also, different risks exist for other stakeholders—suchas the providers of cloud-computingservices and their investors.None of the risks discussed here is a “showstopper”for all enterprises and for all specificuse-cases within any single enterprise, but theymust be considered.Confirm that these inhibitors are understoodand reasonably mitigated to get stakeholder approvalfor investments in cloud computing services.Then tackle others that may also apply. Bruce Robertson is a researchVP at Gartner in the EnterprisePlanning and ArchitectureStrategies (EPAS) group.10 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

Sponsored FeaturePreparing for Outbreaks –Are you Ready to Telecommute?Time to review business continuity plans with a focus on networkcapabilities and communications.Sooner or later, every business facesdisruptions that prevent employees fromdoing their jobs effectively. Swine flu hasreached the WHO’s alert level 5 and IT teamsare rushing out contingency plans to optimize riskmanagement strategies. Across Asia, businessesare regularly threatened not only by pandemics,but also by typhoons, floods, earthquakes, firesand man-made disasters, including strikes, powerfailure and oil spikes among the many possibledisruptions.How do you keep employees on the networkwhen they are working from homes, hotels orInternet cafes? How do you ensure secureconnections when people may login from alllocations with home PCs, PDAs and Web phonesand when there is little time for rolling out patchesor configuring new secure connections?Business continuity planningAll enterprises should prepare a Continuityof Operations Plan (COOP) covering two majoraspects. First is integrated and intelligentinfrastructure that is robust enough to functionthrough a crisis, whether the data moves throughwires, fiber, or the air. Second is end-to-endsecurity across the teleworking infrastructure. ACOOP telework system must authenticate usersand control their access with 100% confidenceanywhere, anytime, on multiple products operatingon multiple platforms.“Teleworking infrastructure should start with senioremployees who need to plan, organize and executetheir organization’s response to an emergency,”said Kondia Kan, Regional Product Manager, AsiaPacific, Juniper Networks.“They should then setthe example of how their agencies will be able toexpand remote work to all of their exmployees tomaintain operations in emergencies.”Kan added that a successful COOP system isa cost-effective way to demonstrate the viabilityof teleworking in day-to-day operations. A relatedchallenge is to create the policies and proceduresto support orderly teleworking in a crisis.“In an emergency, many communicationstechnologies need to work together, and only openstandards can secure this interoperability,” notedKan. Open standards also provide best-of-classsolutions at lower operating cost.Kondia Kan, Juniper: Teleworking infrastructure shouldstart with senior employees who need to plan, organizeand execute their organization’s response to an emergencyIn an emergency, many communications technologiesneed to work together, and only open standards can securethis interoperabilityAccess with SSL VPNManagement of access is a critical issue todayand Juniper technology is able to support thebusiness rules that determine who has access towhat information and under what conditions. Accessis guarded by authentication of both users whoseek access and their equipment. The technologyfor network policing of end-users and equipment iscalled unified access control.When planning for remote users, people in the pastwho wanted access to company systems usuallytapped IPSec technology for VPN-based security.But this generates a large administrative overheadof pre-installation and configuration of end-pointsand it’s inflexible in controlling user access. Facedwith rapid growth in demand for remote accessconnections, IT professionals are switching to thesimpler to manage technology of SSL VPNs.SSL is platform independent, so users can loginwith a home PC running Windows or Linux, a PDA,an Internet cell phone with Windows Mobile, a smartphone with Symbian OS or an iPhone with 3G.Juniper, the leader in SSL VPNs , provides secureSSL VPN access to remote users of any devices,at any locations, all from a single secure accessappliance. The portfolio includes the SA4500, formid to large-sized enterprises and supports up to1,000 concurrent users, plus the SA6500 for largeenterprises and service providers supporting 10,000users, or 30,000 users with a cluster of four.In case of Emergency: ICEMost enterprises purchase licenses for theirnormal level of user connections, but IT Departmentswith disaster contingency plans will love Juniper’sICE (In Case of Emergency) license. This providesadditional capacity for remote access up to the fullcapacity of the appliance, for a period of up to eightweeks.“Supposing there’s a pandemic or otheremergency, you press an activation button on yourSA4500 or SA6500 and get maximum capacity(1,000 or 10,000 users, respectively) for as long asyou need it,” said Kan.Each time a company turns ICE off, the unit willrecord how much of the eight weeks usage is leftand you can use the remainder any time. When theICE license is used up, you can buy a normal or ICElicense as preferred.Included with the ICE license is Secure Meeting,an easy-to-use Web Conferencing packagethat enables users to share their desktop andapplications with group and private chat. This secureconferencing system encrypts all traffic and has nopeer-to-peer backdoor. Secure Meeting transmitsan agent to each client to that no client software isneeded. Users join the conference by clicking onpersonalized URL links.Special offerFrom now until July 31, we are offering aJuniper Networks SA-2500Appliance + 10 concurrent user licensefor only HK$ 3x,xxxThe offer comes with one year 8x5 nextbusiness day support services and oneday’s FREE training.Free Trial is available!For details, please contact Ms. Chan at2581 8227 or email tomarketing@cyberworld.com.hk

izpeopleBuild a better online persona:stepsTech professionalsshould leverageInternet socialnetworks to build their“personal brand”By C.G. Lynch, CIO.comSocial networks including Facebook, Twitterand LinkedIn have enabled everyone tobecome instant publishers. As a result, thecontent attached to our names will continue toshape perceptions of us both professionally andpersonally.This has been a particular challenge forGeneration Y, the group of individuals thatgrew up with Facebook when it was limitedto “@edu” e-mail addresses. After people inGen Y’s future workplaces got their handslevel of credibility to the topic as it concernsGen Y: Schawbel is only 25.But while “Me 2.0” is aimed at the youngerdemographic, Schawbel says the book appliesto workers of all ages, and based on thebroadening social networking landscape.Facebook claims its fastest growing age demographicis users who are 35 years old ormore, and the number of 18 to 24-year-oldTwitter users is nearly the same as the 55to 64-year-old crowd. Knowing how to communicateyour professional persona on theWeb—and maintain it—is important for allgenerations.By writing constantly, it’slike practicing a sporton the technology and “friended” the youngerset, college students had to rethink the social networking services, says Dan Schawbel,author of the new book “Me 2.0: Build aPowerful Brand to Achieve Career Success.”Schawbel has made a name for himself inthrough, among other things, his blog, thePersonal Branding Blog. While blogging,he drew upon personal experiences gainedduring the rat race of competing for in-choice working in marketing at EMC. Notonly has he produced an extensive body ofadvice for people looking to “manage theirbrands” online, but also, he has brought aCIO: How did you decide to get into personalbranding? Was it based upon your ownexperiences?Schawbel: In high school, I gained two significantskills: Web development and graphicdesign. I had my first internship as a highschool senior, in Internet services. My jobwas sales-related and I did cold calls. Fromthat, I quickly realized that I wasn’t interestedin front-end marketing. I was more interestedin the back-end, doing things I’d studied, likegraphic design and Web development. ternshipat a promotions company. Afterthat, I realized it was going to be reallyBentley. So I formed a development planthat aligned me to various internships thatwere all across marketing. I developed thispersonal branding toolkit, though I didn’tcall it that back then. I had a business card,a website, CD portfolio, custom cover letter,and references.12 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

izpeopleFacebook claims its fastest growing age demographic isusers who are 35 years old or more, and the number of 18to 24-year-old Twitter users is nearly the same as the 55 to64-year-old crowdI did internships at Reebok, Lycos, Lo-Jack and Techtarget. Before I graduated, Iwhere I currently am, in product marketingA lot of people who had already internedI discovered something then: Even with agood resume, eight internships, seven leadershippositions in school and good grades,networking reigns supreme. I hadn’t focusedon networking. I had promoted myself in thetraditional methods, so it was really hard forbut the lessons learned there were interestingcall to my father. I realized the importance ofbuilding a network. to Succeed, in October of 2006. It was abouthelping college kids get internships and learnhow to market themselves. Then on March14, 2007, I read Tom Peter’s article in FastCompany Magazine: “Brand Called You.”Then it clicked for me: I realized that itwas the same type of advice that I’d beenpreaching for years, but I couldn’t put itinto a concept that I could evangelize. I didresearch, and saw that no one my age wastalking about this. So I quickly positionedmyself as the personal branding spokesmanfor Gen Y.CIO: And you had a day job in marketing atEMC. How did you align those two elementsof your life?Schawbel: EMC had no idea what I was doingoutside of work. I was working in e-services supportand online support tools for EMC, talkingwith customers and getting that type of experience.Our vice president here, Chuck Hollis, hehas a blog too. He wanted to move in the directionof social technologies both internally andexternally.Around that time, PR read an article inFast Company about the fact I was launchinga magazine on the topic of personalbranding. They found it because EMC wasmentioned. So PR forwarded the article to[Hollis], and then I was recruited to be theMy experience, in many ways, shows thechange, or evolution, that people are goingthrough in the whole recruitment system.Now, it’s not all about what you do at work.It’s also what you do outside of work. If youbuild a powerful brand outside of work, peoplewill know about you and you’ll have thatadded visibility.CIO: The book gives some practical tips forsomeone looking to get started at building abetter online persona. Can you share themwith us?Schawbel: It’s basically a four step process.Discover your brand. People should lock thoughts about how they’d describe themselves.Go talk to people who know you, andask how they would describe you. To brandyourself properly, you want your network toagree with you. If you say you’re intelligent,you want other people to say you’re intelligenttoo.At every point in your life, you’ll beasked, what do you do? In the book, I havea personal development plan. The personaldevelopment plan is a personal vision foryourself. It should help answer the “wheredo you want to be in 20 years?” types ofquestions.Create: You want to use the same type of pictureand writing for all your content on the Web, andwhat you create will very much depend on youraudience. While I started with Gen Y as my audience,for example, now a lot of people who readmy website [are older]. So I have to be consciousof that in the things I put on my website and onsocial networks. It must be consistent across allsites.Then you need to think about your nameon Google. Maybe you need to use a middleinitial so your name sticks out, because alot of people have common names and theystruggle with it. Whichever you use, you you’re creating when they use the searchengine.Communicate: You need to be a good communicatorand decent [at writing] because everyoneis a content creator now. For example, the moreyou blog, the better your writing skills become. Iwouldn’t consider myself a natural, gifted writer,but I think it’s because I blogged that I got betterat it. By writing constantly, it’s like practicing asport.Maintain your reputation: Use GoogleAlerts. Track your name, keywords for yourniche, or the companies you work for or mightbe interested in. It’s all about using thosecomments made around [your content] tohelp you be better at what you do. www.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 13

infosecurity 2009Tenth annual Info-Security eventa hit in Hong KongCapacity crowd gleans wisdom fromPeople Security, Microsoft, IBM, Datacraft and KPMGBy Stefan HammondThe 10th Info-Security Conference, heldat the Hong Kong Convention and ExhibitionCentre on Thursday, drew acapacity crowd keen on security wisdom. Keynotespeeches from representatives of IBM,Microsoft, Datacraft, KPMG and People Securityfilled the morning session.After a welcome message by Questex editor-in-chiefChee Sing Chan, Stephen Mak, JP,deputy GCIO, said that security risks have existedas long as we’ve been in business, creating“new challenges and opportunities.” Makpointed out that in 1999, the Melissa virus rapidlyspread “despite advance warning...now,history seems to be repeating itself with theConficker worm. What’s worse is that manyusers are not aware of infection and its consequences.”“Today, the ‘network perimeter’ is no longerrecognizable,” said Mak. “Users of endpointdevices like USB drives, and the ‘always-on’Internet make [security] more difficult.”LegCo’s IT repDr Samson Tam, member of Hong Kong’sLegislative Council (Information Technology),said that when he was young: “I remembermy mother going to the bank to keep ourvaluable documents like birth certificates in aTam from LegCo: In the past you needed a physical key, now you need a virtual keysafe deposit box. Nowadays, more and moredocuments are stored in digital format, put ina database—a virtual deposit-box. In the pastyou needed a physical key, now you need avirtual key: a password and other securitymeasures.”“The world keeps changing, and Hong Konghas changed greatly over the last ten years,”said Tam. “But Hong Kong needs to changeagain. we need the experience to turn ourselvesinto a digital city. Thanks to events likethis conference, I believe we are showing theleadership to do so.”HackernomicsDr Herbert “Hugh” Thompson, chief securitystrategist for US-based firm People Security,spoke on “Recession Hackernomics,”a term he said was important in times whenbudgets are tight and risks are high.“Much of our legacy code and systems wasdesigned for a different time,” said Thompson.“Software communications are fundamentallychanging, with many transactions now takingplace over the Web—network defenses arecovering only a portion of the attack surface.”“Attacks are becoming organized and profitdriven,and the economic downturn is drivinggrowth and innovation,” said Thompson, whoOGCIO’s Mak: Today, the “network perimeter” is nolonger recognizableadded that an “entire underground economyhas been created, with chat rooms and auctionsites.”“Embrace the attacker and think like him/her to succeed: become a hackernomist,” concludedThompson.Interconnectivity“Our world is becoming interconnected,imagine a world with a trillion humans/machinesinterconnected,” said Kevin Skapinetz,technology strategist, office of the CTO, InternetSecurity Systems, Global TechnologyServices, IBM. “The only constant is change,and it takes a dynamic infrastructure to dealwith that change,” said Skapinetz. “A dynamicinfrastructure will enable visibility, controland automation across all business and IT assets.”Skapinetz added that a massive increase inSQL injection is replacing cross-site scriptingas the predominant web app vulnerability.Andrew Cushman, senior director, TrustworthyComputing, Microsoft, said his firmis moving towards “end-to-end trust.” Cushmansaid “You need a trusted stack of people/data/software/hardware,” adding that “this isa long-term vision.”14 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

infosecurity 2009CIOs and CSOs face security sprawlChee Sing Chan, Hugh Thompson, Carsten Paasch, Steve Tunstall, Stephane Vidart, Jonathan AndresenCompanies must accept and deal with greater user choice and further industry regulationBy Chee Sing ChanBusinesses were urged to face reality duringa panel discussion at the 10th InfoSecurity Conference in Hong Kong. Rampantcybercrime, rising user power and increasedregulation will further complicate the risk and securitychallenges that businesses face.The session, sponsored by security player BlueCoat Systems and the company’s Director ofProduct Marketing in Asia Pacific, Jonathan Andresen,observed that companies are changingfrom iron-clad user policies around Web usageand choice of tools and devices to a more openattitude to user requests.“There’s a clear trend of companies moving toa new way of looking at users, applications andthe way they control the network,” Andresensaid. “It’s very difficult to completely control theWeb and how it’s accessed—people still wantcontrol but without limiting the ability for peopleto interact and communicate in exactly the waythey want.”Hugh Thompson, CTO at People Security, acknowledgedthis challenge of balancing controlwith the need to cater to user choice and alsofind ways to enable the cost of this to be passedonto the user where appropriate. “We see somefirms allowing users to use their own laptops anddevices where the company has decided to supportuser choices provided the user takes up thecost,” Thompson added.Andresen also insisted that the only way companiescan overcome this over time is to employtechnologies that provide granular control overuser behavior, Web access and communications.Creative crimeThompson noted that there has been a waveof innovation in the cybercrime underworld andonly now is the industry showing signs of catchingup.“There are incredible examples of hybrid attackswhich leverage system vulnerabilities aswell as targeted social engineering techniques,”said Thompson. “Cybercriminals are now able toleverage a wide range of resources to create targetedattacks rather than the traditional scattergunapproach.”Thompson’s fellow panelists acknowledgedthe rising threats but insisted that the industryis in better state of preparation than ever before.“Clearly the threats are startling but the defensesand technology are far better than before andwith that the awareness levels are much highertoo,’ said Carsten Paasch, head of subsidiariesand acquisitions, Group Information Security,Group Technology & Operations, Standard CharteredBank.He also noted that heavy regulation in the financeindustry was also pushing banks to actquickly in face of threats. “It’s not perfect butwhile we admit it’s tough to stay on top of thechallenge we’re pretty close behind the criminals.”User responsibilityAccording to Stephane Vidart, regional CIO,AXA Asia Life, the ability of a company to be secureis down to the actions of its people. “Gettingusers to be responsible for their actions and beingopen with discussing examples of behaviorthat need addressing will serve companies wellin meeting the security challenge.Steve Tunstall, group risk manager, Cathay PacificAirways, agreed that all businesses face thisgap in awareness which requires further attention.He noted that companies must trust its employeesin order to be more effective in enforcingsecurity. “We empower staff and give them confidenceto make decisions and use tools appropriately,just as we trust our pilots to fly planessafely,” said Tunstall.Axa Life’s Vidart detailed his company’s policyto conduct ongoing awareness and securityknowledge tests via an annual survey of around20 questions. Users are asked how they wouldhandle confidential data, what action they wouldtake in certain scenarios and this becomes companycompetition.This simple and efficient process helps identifythe information gaps and the areas that need furtherattention.A quick poll of the audience showed less than10% having a similar survey process at their companyhighlighting the lack of ongoing awarenessmeasurement in Hong Kong.Tunstall added that whether companies likeit or not there will be more and more regulationacross all industries particularly driven from thefinance industry. “The question is no longer ifthere will be regulation but when and how wecope with the wave of regulations that will be enforced.”For the full length version of this story – go towww.cw.com.hkwww.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 15

specialawardsThe Computerworld Hong KongAwards 2009WINNERS CIRCLE:Hardware Datacenter Power Systems APC Symmetra PXDatacenter Cooling SystemsEmerson Liebert Precision CoolingCorporate Multifunctional Copier/ Printer/ Scanner Fuji Xerox ApeosPort-III C3300Mid-Range Server (50-200 users)HP ProLiant ServerEnterprise Server (201 users +)IBM Systems zNetworking & Communications Smartphone/Mobile Enterprise Device Apple iPhone & RIM Blackberry BoldEnterprise Router (50 users+)Cisco 3800 Series Integrated Services RoutersEnterprise Switch (50 users+) Cisco Catalyst 3750E Stackable Switch & ISR 3800Video ConferencingCisco TelePresence & Polycom Telepresence SolutionsIP PBX Cisco Unified Communications Manager Version 7.0Call Center ManagementCisco Unified Contact Express+Cisco Unified WorkforceOptimizationWAN OptimizationCisco Wide Area Application (WAAS)WLAN SwitchCisco Wireless LAN ControllerMessaging and Collaboration Microsoft Exchange 2007Unified Communications Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007Structured CablingTyco ElectronicsSecurity Intrusion Detection/Intrusion Prevention (IDS/IPS) Check Point IPS-1 ApplianceUnified Threat Management (UTM)Check Point UTM-1 Total Security ApplianceFirewall/VPNCheckPoint VPN-1 PowerSurveillanceIBM Physical Security Services(IBM Smart Surveillance Solutions)Identity ManagementIBM Tivoli Identity ManagerManaged Security ServicesPCCWContent Filtering / Anti-SpywareSymantec Brightmail GatewayAntivirus/Anti-SpamSymantec Endpoint ProtectionServices Corporate Mobile Services Provider CSLConsulting & Systems IntegrationIBM Global Business ServicesData & Telecoms Services ProviderPCCWManaged ServicesPCCWIT Hosting & OutsourcingPCCW SolutionsSoftware Syetems Management IBM Tivoli System Management SuiteApplication Server & MiddlewareIBM WebsphereDocument and Content Management Microsoft Sharepoint Server 2007BI and Analytics Microsoft SQL Server 2008Developer Tools /Web ServicesMicrosoft Visual Studio 2008 Team SystemServer OS Microsoft Windows Server 2008Database ManagementOracle DatabaseData Mining & OLAPOracle DatabaseCustomer Relationship Management (CRM)SAP CRMEnterprise Resources Planning (ERP)SAP ERPSupply Chain Management (SCM)SAP SCMVirtualizationVMware InfrastructureStorage Mid-range Storage Systems EMC CLARiiON CX SeriesStorage Management SoftwareEMC ControlCenter FamilyBackup Storage (Disk)EMC Disk LibraryEnterprise Storage SystemsEMC Symmetrix DMX SeriesBackup Storage (Tape)HP StorageWorks Tape DriveHong Kong Technology Company of the yearOutblaze16 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

HardwareMid-range Server (50-200 users)WINNER: HP ProLiant Servers2nd place: Dell3rd place: IBMThe unmatched flexibility of HP ProLiantDL380 server has made it the best selling serverin the world. The DL380 G6 server continues todeliver on its heritage of engineering excellencewith increased flexibility and performance, enterprise-classuptime and manageability, 2-socketIntel Xeon performance, and 2U density for a varietyof applications.Enterprise Server (201 users+)WINNER: IBM System z2nd place: HP3rd place: SunBuilt upon a heritageof 45 years of largescaledata and transactionserving, IBM Systemz is a world-classenterprise server providinglarge-scale consolidation,improvedsecurity, resiliency andavailability to reducerisk, and just-in-timeresource deploymentfeature to help respond to changing businessrequirements. Featuring leadership capabilitiesfor virtualization, security and resiliency and energyefficiency, System z is well suited to be thehub of an enterprise infrastructure providing thedependability a business needs in today’s alwaysconnected,24/7 world.Datacenter power systemsWINNER: APC Symmetra PX2nd place: HP3rd place: Emerson LiebertThe APC SymmetraPX is a power systembased on a standardizedand easily scalablearchitecture thatspans the range fromlow-density data centersto high-densityzones. Systems are hotscalablefrom 16kW to160kW, N+1 redundantand a key feature is lowTCO (Total Cost of Ownership) in which userspay only for the power they need. Symmetra PXfeatures dual mains, monitoring of individual batterycells and an efficiency of 95%, plus a centralizedmanagement display.Datacenter cooling systemsWINNER: Emerson Liebert PrecisionCooling XD Range2nd place: APC3rd place: IBMEmerson LiebertPrecision Cooling’sXD range directlycools hotspots inthe data centerrather than theroom, by targeting the CPU, rack or row. Theyhave been engineered for continuous operation,and feature redundancy, monitoring, and diagnosticsto guard against down-time. The modularnature of the units and piping allows themto be rolled as they are needed, significantly increasingutilization and lowering TCO.Corporate Multifunctional Copier/Printer/ScannerWINNER: Fuji Xerox ApeosPort-IIIC33002nd place: HP3rd place: CanonFuji Xerox ApeosPort-III C3300 is industry’sfirst product that won an Eco-Product Award inJapan. Designed with the use of biomass plasticand lead-free shafts, it enables reduced carbonemissions and energy savings without compromisinghigh performance color copying, scanningand printing. With document managementtools that link directly to business applicationsfor workflow improvement, it guarantees excellentproductivity with enhanced security featuresand usage controls.StoragespecialawardsBackup Storage (Tape)WINNER: HP StorageWorks TapeDrive2nd place: IBM3rd place: SunHP tape solutions streamline the data protectionprocess for businesses of all sizes. HP StorageWorksDAT Tape Drives are based on theDigital Data Storage (DDS) format. The largestinstalled base of any tape technology means thatSMB customers can have dependable backupand restore. Ideal for midrange and high-endservers, HP StorageWorks Ultrium Tape Drivesare based on LTO technology for highest capacity,performance and reliability.Backup Storage (Disk)WINNER: EMC Disk Library2nd place: HP3rd place: IBMEMC Disk Library leverages industry-leadingscale, performance and availability while emulatingleading tape solutions. With over three millionmost-qualified backup environments, EMCDisk Library is a simple-to-deploy and easy-tousedisk-based backup and recovery solution thatdelivers faster backup and restore and improvedservice levels compatiable with an existing backupinfrastructure.Advance features include datadeduplication.Mid-range Storage SystemsWINNER: EMC CLARiiON CX Series2nd place: IBM3rd place: HPThe EMC CLARiiON CX Series is designed forthe mid-range storage market, providing cost effectivesolutions for customers while deliveringwww.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 17

specialawardsStoragethe highest level of performance, functionalityand reliability. The CLARiiON CX4 Series is thelatest generation of the market-leading CLARiiONfamily of networked storage systems, withmore than 300,000 systems installed and a midrangestorage leading benchmark of “Five 9’s” ofavailability—99.999 percent uptime.Enterprise Storage SystemsWINNER: EMC Symmetrix DMXSeries2nd place: IBM3rd place: HPThe EMC SymmetrixDMX series is anenterprise-class highendnetworked storageplatform with the highestperformance, highestcapacity, most functionalcapability and yetmost competitive pricing.The latest modelEMC Symmetrix DMX-4 is the only enterprisestorage system availableon the market toleverage on solid statedrive (SSD) technologyto deliver ultra-highperformance for mission-critical applications.Storage Management SoftwareWINNER: EMC ControlCenterFamily2nd place: IBM3rd place: Symantec/VeritasEMC ControlCenter Automated ResourceManager lets you meet or exceed time-to-provisionservice level commitments by fulfillingapplication requests for storage—quickly andeasily. A critical part of the full family of EMCControlCenter storage resource management(SRM) solutions, ControlCenter Automated ResourceManager simplifies storage allocation byenabling efficient, automated policy-based storageprovisioning.SoftwareDatabase ManagementWINNER: Oracle Database2nd place: Microsoft3rd place: MySQLOracle Database delivers industry leading performance,scalability, security and reliability ona choice of clustered or single-servers runningWindows, Linux, and UNIX. It provides economiesof scale on easily managed low cost grids,making it easier to reduce cost of downtime andchange IT system faster. It provides comprehensivefeatures to easily manage the most demandingtransaction processing, business intelligence,and content management applications.Application Server & MiddlewareWINNER: IBM WebSphere2nd place: Oracle3rd place: MicrosoftIBM WebSphere software delivers open-standardtechnologies and infrastructure for building,deploying and managing all types of applications.At its core, it provides a high-performancefoundation for creating and implementing agileand reusable SOA applications and services. Andit can allow users to intelligently and proactivelymanage that application infrastructure evenwhen the situation calls for extreme processingcapability, while helping to optimize the cost.Systems ManagementWINNER: IBM Tivoli System ManagementSuite2nd place: HP3rd place: MicrosoftEnterprise Resources Planning (ERP)WINNER: SAP ERP2nd place: Oracle3rd place: MicrosoftThe SAP ERP application is a world class, fullyintegrated solution that fulfills the core businessneeds of midsize and large organizations acrossall industries and market sectors. Powered bythe SAP NetWeaver technology platform, SAPERP helps enterprises perform financials, humancapital management, procurement and logistics,product development and manufacturing, andsales and service, supported by functionality foranalytics, corporate services, and end-user servicedelivery.Supply Chain Management (SCM)WINNER: SAP SCM2nd place: Oracle3rd place: I2SAP SCM provides broad functionality forenabling responsive supply networks and integratesseamlessly with both SAP and non-SAPsoftware. The application delivers planning andexecution functions that are integrated by design.Recognized by key industry analysts as themarket-leading SCM application, it supports bestpractices and provides preconfigured softwarefor enabling collaborative business, acceleratingimplementation, and reducing costs.Customer Relationship Management(CRM)WINNER: SAP2nd place: Oracle3rd place: MicrosoftIBM Tivoli System Management Suite offers integratedautomation and management capabilitiesfor a dynamic infrastructure with enterprise-wideassets, including IT, business and physical assets.It enables substantial cost efficiencies, high servicequality and reliability while optimizing overallsystem performance. It addresses changingbusiness needs by managing all assets on a singleplatform to automate change, configuration, provisioning,release and management tasks.The SAP CRM application provides the necessaryflexibility to quickly develop distinctive capabilitiesand deliver superior customer experiences.SAP CRM drives rapid user adoption andproductivity and provides quick time to valuewhile supporting companies’ strategic CRM initiative.It also delivers best-in-class, front-officefunctionality and support for end-to-end, industry-specificprocesses. As companies evolve,organizations can ensure outstanding customer18 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

Securityspecialawardsexperiences and respond immediately to marketrequirements.Document and Content ManagementWINNER: Microsoft Office Share-Point Server 20082nd place: EMC3rd place: Fuji XeroxMicrosoft OfficeSharePoint Server2007 is an integratedsuite of server capabilitiesto support allintranet, extranet,and Web applicationsacross an enterprisewithin oneintegrated platform,instead of relying on separate fragmented systems.It aims to improve organizational effectivenessby providing comprehensive contentmanagement and enterprise search, acceleratingshared business processes, and facilitatinginformation sharing across boundaries for betterbusiness insight.BI and AnalyticsWINNER: Microsoft SQL Server20082nd place: SAP3rd place: IBMMicrosoft SQLServer 2008 is part ofMicrosoft’s broadervision for pervasivebusiness intelligence(BI), offering a completeand integratedBI solution that customerscan rely onto meet critical BIneeds. SQL Server 2008 provides the BI platformfor Microsoft’s overall BI solution, delivering datawarehousing, integration, analysis and reportingcapabilities to provide a quick, consolidated viewof your information across all business dimensionsand aspects.Data Mining & OLAPWINNER: Oracle Database2nd place: Microsoft3rd place: SAPOracle DataMining enablescustomers to produceactionablepredictive information and build integrated businessintelligence applications. Using data miningfunctionality embedded in Oracle Database,customers can find patterns and insights hiddenin their data. Oracle OLAP delivers an industrialstrengthcalculation engine to support the entirespectrum of advanced analytical applications includingplanning, budgeting, forecasting, sales,and marketing.Development Tools/Web ServicesWINNER: Microsoft Visual Studio2008 Team System2nd place: Oracle3rd place: IBMMicrosoft VisualStudio Team System2008 is an integratedapplication lifecyclemanagement(ALM) product familywith the toolsand processes thathelp developmentteams work moreeffectively together. It provides the ultimateset of tools for every team discipline engagedin your project: architecture, design, development,database and testing.Server OSWINNER: Microsoft WindowsServer 20082nd place: IBM3rd place: Red HatWindows Server 2008 is designed to powerthe next-generation of networks, applications,and Web services. With Windows Server 2008you can develop, deliver, and manage rich userexperiences and applications, provide a highlysecure network infrastructure, and increasetechnological efficiency and value within yourorganization.VirtualizationWINNER: VMware Infrastructure 32nd place: Microsoft3rd place: CitrixVMware Infrastructure 3 is an integratedsuite of virtualization, business continuity andmanagement tools. The suite includes twonew products aimed at business continuance,namely VMware HA (virtual machine healthmonitoring software) and VMware ConsolidatedBackup.Firewall / VPNWINNER: Check Point VPN-1Power2nd place: Cisco3rd place: JuniperCheck Point VPN-1 Power security gateway isan integrated firewall, VPN, and intrusion preventionsolution that provides an active defenseto secure core networks or data centers.Content Filtering / Anti-SpywareWINNER: Symantec BrightmailGateway2nd place: McAfee3rd place: WebsenseThe Symantec BrightmailGateway delivers inboundand outbound messagingsecurity for email and IM,with effective and accurateantispam and antivirus protection,advanced contentfiltering, and data loss preventiontechnology.Antivirus/Anti-SpamWINNER: Symantec Endpoint Protection2nd place: McAfee3rd place: TrendMicroSymantec Endpoint Protectioncombines SymantecAntiVirus with advancedthreat prevention to deliverunmatched defense againstmalware for laptops, desktopsand servers. It seamlesslyintegrates essentialsecurity technologies in asingle agent and management console.Identity ManagementWINNER: IBM Tivoli Identity Manager2nd place: EMC RSA3rd place: VerisignIBM TivoliIdentity Manageris a secure andautomated solutionfor governing user privileges on IT systemsand business applications. It helps strengthenenterprises’ user access management with comprehensiverequest-based provisioning that canrequest and approve user access to fine-grainedroles, accounts or access entitlements.www.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 19

specialawardsSoftwareIntrusion Detection/ PreventionWINNER: Check Point IPS-1 Appliance2nd place: Cisco3rd place: JuniperCheck Point UTM-1 Total Security appliancesare all-inclusive, turn-key solutions for networksecurity. IPS utilizes signature- and protocolanomaly-basedintrusion prevention that can protectbusiness-critical services like FTP, HTTP andVoIP and block IM and P2P. Antivirus and antispywaresignatures and anomaly-based protectionstop viruses and malware.SurveillanceWINNER: IBM Physical SecurityServices, IBM Smart Surveillance2nd place: Panasonic3rd place: SonicWallThe IBM Smart Surveillance Solution is designedto integrate data from a variety of monitoringdevices such as cameras and sensors, andapply sophisticated querying, advanced analyticsand automated alert capabilities to improvesecurity, reduce security overhead and increasebusiness intelligence while providing a flexible,scalable solution.Unified Threat ManagementWINNER: Check Point VPN-1 UTM2nd place: Cisco3rd place: IBMCheck Point UTM-1 Total Security appliancesare all-inclusive, turn-key solutions for networksecurity. IPS utilizes signature- and protocolanomaly-basedintrusion prevention that canprotect business-critical services like FTP, HTTPand VoIP and block IM and P2P.Managed Security ServicesWINNER: PCCW2nd place: IBM Internet Security Systems3rd place: Symantec MessageLabsNetworking & CommunicationsEnterprise Router (50+ users)WINNER: Cisco 3800 SeriesIntegrated Services Routers2nd place: Juniper3rd place: H3CCisco 3800 SeriesIntegratedServices Routersfeature theindustry’s mostcomprehensivesecurity services, offering a single, resilient platformto rapidly deploy secure networks and applications.The modularity of the Series allowsit to support a wide variety of network modulesand such a flexibility fulfills the specific requirementsfor each customer, enabling it to offer exceptionalnetwork agility, performance and intelligence.Enterprise Switch (50+ users)WINNER: Cisco Catalyst 3750EStackable Switch & ISR 38002nd place: Juniper3rd place: NortelAn enterprise-class line of stackable wiringcloset switches that feature Cisco StackWisetechnology, Cisco Catalyst 3750-E Series Switchesallow customers to create a single, 64 Gbpsswitching unit with up to nine individual Catalyst3750-E switches. The switches improve LAN operatingefficiency by combining industry-leadingease of use and the highest resiliency availablefor stackable switches, facilitating the deploymentof secure converged applications and maximizinginvestment protection.Video ConferencingJOINT WINNERS: Cisco Telepresence& Polycom TXP2nd place: Tandberg3rd place: MicrosoftCisco TelePresence creates a live, face-tofacecommunication experience over the network,empowering people to collaborate likenever before. The recent additions of the CiscoTelePresence System 1300 Series and the 500Series provide flexible deployment options forbranch offices, and businesses of all sizes includinga private office. Cisco is also expandingthe application of Cisco TelePresencebeyond meetings with Cisco TelePresence RecordingStudio and Cisco TelePresence EventControls.Polycom’s TelepresenceExperience(TPX) is avideo conferencing suite that enables 12 peopleto meet face-to-face and in full size. It consists ofa boardroom-style table with three high definitionflat panel displays, unobtrusive cameras, microphones,high quality audio and recessed LCDpanels that allow content to be pushed to participants.The suite is also interoperable with allstandards-based video conferencing products.Smartphone/Enterprise MobileDeviceJOINT WINNERS: Apple iPhoneand RIM Blackberry Bold2nd place: HTC3rd place: NokiaApple’s iPhone2.0 software supportsCisco IPSecVPN and employeescan authenticate via password, two-factortoken, or digital certificate. The device also supportsWPA2 Enterprise with 802.1X authentication—thestandard for Wi-Fi network protection.Corporate passcode policies and settings can beset via Configuration Profiles created and distributedby your IT administrator.The BlackBerry Bold supportstri-band HSDPA high-speed networksand comes with integratedGPS and Wi-Fi, as well as a richset of multimedia capabilities.The device is a major step forwardfor customers that want anexceptional mobile experience foremail, entertainment and the Internet on-the-goand stands as a symbol of accomplishment andaspiration.WLAN switchWINNER: Cisco Wireless LAN Controller2nd place: Nortel3rd place: H3CCisco Wireless LAN Controllers support arange of features from voice and data servicesto location tracking, which help simplify thedeployment and operation of wireless networksand ensure smooth performance, enhanced securityand maximum network availability. Ciscowireless LAN controller products provide the20 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

Servicesspecialawardscontrol, redundancy, scalability, security and reliabilitythat businesses need to build highly secure,enterprise-scale wireless networks.IP-PBXWINNER: Cisco Unified CommunicationsManager Version 7.02nd place: Nortel3rd place: AvayaCisco Unified Communications Manager Version7.0 is the powerful call-processing componentof the Cisco Unified Communications Solution.Scalable, distributable and highly available,this enterprise IP telephony call-processingsolution aims to lower the total cost of ownershipfor organizations and improve the callingexperience for end users as well as system administrators.Call Center ManagementWINNER: Cisco Unified ContactCenter Express + Cisco UnifiedWorkforce Optimization2nd place: Avaya3rd place: OracleCisco Unified Contact Center Express is a simple-to-deploy,easy-to-use and rich-in-feature ContactCenter solution. It improves agent scalabilityand provides powerful automatic call distributorfeatures, aiming to enhance employees’ productivityand callers’ satisfaction.Cisco Unified Workforce Optimization is a fullfeaturedcomponent of the Cisco Unified ContactCenter Express that supports managers to helpthem take immediate action, plan evaluationsand make adjustments to optimize contact centerteam performance.Messaging and CollaborationWINNER: Microsoft ExchangeServer 20072nd place: IBM3rd place: CiscoMicrosoft ExchangeServer 2007 is the industry’sleading server foremail, calendaring, andunified messaging. It hasbeen designed specificallyto meet today’s businessand IT challengeswhile delivering on thecapabilities demanded bymobile workforces. Microsoft Exchange Server2007 manages all asynchronous communicationsand delivers unified messaging (e-mail, voicemail, faxes, and calendaring) to users’ of MicrosoftOffice Outlook 2007, Windows Mobile devicesand from a Web browser.Unified CommunicationsWINNER: Microsoft Office CommunicationsServer 20072nd place: Cisco3rd place: IBMMicrosoft unified communications technologiesuse the power of software to help streamlinecommunications between people and organizations,regardless of medium, platform, deviceor location. Microsoft Office CommunicationsServer 2007 is the first Microsoft product to combineenterprise-ready IM (instant messaging),presence, conferencing, and VoIP (Voice overIP) telephony in a fully integrated unified communicationssolution.CablingWINNER: Tyco2nd place: Systimax3rd place: BelkinTyco Electronics Amp Netconnect manufacturesa range of structured cabling systems tosuit any data center or SAN, catering for bothcopper and optical fiber. These systems distinguishthemselves by coming preconfigured,making installation a simple process of placingthe cable, plugging the cassettes and installingpatch cords—all of which come pretested.Thehigh-density connectors and cables reduce cablingbulk in pathways, resulting in higher portcounts in a smaller space.WAN OptimizationWINNER: Cisco Wide Area ApplicationServices (WAAS) Appliances2nd place: Riverbed3rd place: JuniperThe Cisco Wide Area Application Services(WAAS) appliance portfolio supports comprehensiveWAN optimization, network-embeddedvirtualization for local hosting of branch ITservices and branch video delivery across theWAN. It allows the IT department to centralizeapplications and storage in the data center whilemaintaining LAN-like application performance,and effectively accelerates applications, reducesbranch infrastructure costs, improves IT agilityand simplifies remote data protection.Corporate Mobile Services ProviderWINNER: CSL2nd place: PCCW Mobile3rd place: Smartone-VodafoneData & Telecoms Services ProviderWINNER: PCCW2nd place: SingTel3rd place: Wharf T&TAs flagship of PCCW’scomprehensive portfolioof data and telecoms services,PCCW FiberNETis attracting the attention of companies from diverseindustries after setting the market benchmarkfor next-generation enterprise networks interms of unprecedented reliability, unparalleledflexibility and robust throughput. Working fromthe PCCW FiberNET platform, we provide managedsolutions that include Fiberline, 4G FiberChannel StorageLink, High Definition VideoLinkand Next Generation Metro IP Network.Managed ServicesWINNER: PCCW2nd place: IBM3rd place: HPIT Hosting & OutsourcingWINNER: PCCW Solutions2nd place: IBM3rd place: HPPCCW Solutionsprovides afull spectrum ofIT outsourcing services; from datacenter hostingand infrastructure design-and-build; to applicationsdevelopment and management; and businessprocess outsourcing services tailored to theneeds of different industries.Consulting & Systems IntegrationWINNER: IBM Global BusinessServices2nd place: PCCW Solutions3rd place: HPIBM Global Business Services (GBS) bringstogether the world’s largest consulting practicewith industry-leading research capability to provideclients with an integrated approach to businessdesign and execution. Integrating a strongteam of consultants and professionals in over 170countries, GBS delivers a full suite of consultingservices and solutions including: Strategy andChange, and an extensive portfolio of applicationservices.HK Technology Companyof the YearWINNER: Outblazewww.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 21

awards2009Hong Kong Technology Company of the YearOutblazeBlazing a trail for Hong Kong techPHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Joi ItoOutblaze lauded as tech-leader by CWHK By Stefan HammondThis year, ComputerworldHong Kong presents its thirdHong Kong Technology Companyof the Year Award. Thisaward is based on past achievements(both in terms of revenueand IT development),while accolades, customerreviews and contribution toHong Kong’s IT industry are also considered.There are many worthy companies in HongKong, from niche-player SMBs to pillars ofHong Kong industry. Hong Kong tech firms,we feel, do not always get the attention theydeserve, and this award is our small way of tryingto rectify this situation.This year, the award goes to Outblaze Ltd.Blazing for over a decade“Outblaze was founded in Hong Kong in1998 and was the first company to offer fullyhosted multilingual communication servicesfor online communities,” said Outblaze founderand CEO Yat Siu. “We started with four orfive people in a run-down office of less than1,000 square feet with a failing electrical systemand single toilet. In our first few monthswe hired about 20 people, which packed ustight as sardines.”Yat Siu from Outblaze:Risk-taking can beadvantageousToday, Outblaze occupies over 10,000 squarefeet of office space in Cyberport. “There weremany challenges along the way, but we alwaysfound ways to overcome them,” said Yat. “Risktakingcan be advantageous. Solaris was thedominant operating system for servers whenwe set up Outblaze, but we couldn’t afford thecosts. Linux was considered experimental atbest, but we decided to use it. In 1998 it wasnot clear that open source was a viable alternativewith a promising future. We ended uprunning our production environments on opensource—a substantial risk that paid off. Today,software architects recognize that the future isabout open sharing.”Present strengthsThe firm continues to raise the internationalstandard for web communication softwaredelivered as a service—and continues to beprivately held. Outblaze is a company of innovatorswho are passionate about Web communicationand whose mission is the deliveryof powerful Web 2.0 products including onlinecommunity and social media tools and services.“We built a Hong Kong IT company servicinginternational clients, which we consideredan accomplishment in itself, since HongKong had a limited track record in hostedservices or IT in general,” said Yat. “We nowhave overseas offices in the US and Europe,but our headquarters have always remainedhere, making us a homegrown Hong Kongcompany. Outblaze services were deliveredto 480,000 domains and more than 76 millionuser accounts, making us one of the largestservice providers in the world. Last year, IBMdecided to buy some of our assets, which theyare using to set up a computing cloud here: thefirst time IBM has done so in the region.”Outblaze collaborates with clients to createcustomized solutions tailored to meet theirspecific needs without requiring them to investin expensive software and hardware. Thecompany handles all operations of the service,leaving clients free to focus on their core competencies.We now have overseasoffices in the USand Europe, but ourheadquarters have alwaysremained here in HongKongAwardsAmong Outblaze’s previous awards: the ITExcellence Awards 2002 (Gold Award for BestProduct), Linux Business Adoption Award2003 (Enterprise Grand Award), Asia PacificICT Alliance (APICTA) 2003 (Best CommunicationApplication), Linux Business Award2005 (Product Development Merit Award),the 2005 Hong Kong Awards for Industries(Technological Achievement Award), HongKong ICT Award 2007 (Best Business ProductGold Award) and the APICTA Award 2007(Best Tools & Infrastructure Application).22 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009www.cw.com.hk

awards2009Messaging and CollaborationMicrosoft Exchange 2007Unified CommunicationsMicrosoft Office CommunicationsServer 2007Document and Content ManagementMicrosoft SharepointServer 2007BI and AnalyticsMicrosoft SQL Server2008Developer Tools /Web ServicesMicrosoft Visual Studio2008 Team SystemServer OSMicrosoft Windows Server2008Microsoft: On thepulse of HK businessQuick response to financial crisishas allowed Microsoft to meet thecritical needs of customersBy Chee Sing ChanFor most IT companies, 2008though 2009 has brought mixedresults and ultimately targetshave been revised down sharplyin light of the global recession.Microsoft is no exception withresults this year being a littleshort of earlier expectations andforecasts made in 2008.Despite this there are areas of stronggrowth and Microsoft has picked up sixawards to show for its successes this year.Adam Anger, director, Business MarketingOrganization, Microsoft Hong Kong, notedthat while companies grappled with theneed to reshape strategy as the financialcrisis hit, the Redmond-based software giantquickly measured the pulse of custom-Microsoft’s Anger: Some customers deploying UChave slashed telephony costs by as much as 20%ers here in Hong Kong and formulated aclear idea of the critical needs that companiesfaced.This allowed Microsoft in Hong Kong toidentify areas where it could proactivelyhelp customers deal with the crisis andfrom this, the “Achieve More” campaignwas born. This campaign focused hardon driving up efficiency and productivity,while finding innovative ways to helpcompanies as much as possible duringthe downturn.Microsoft could see that customers facedtighter IT budgets, fewer resources as layoffsstarted to bite amid declining revenues.A range of technologies have come intoplay that can help alleviate the problemsthat these business issues have created.Communications marchOne area is unified communications(UC) and the whole range of collaborationthemedtools. Anger noted that UC is oneof the more obvious areas where IT hasbeen able to make quick savings and gains.“A little investment here often yields signif-continued on page 26 24 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009www.cw.com.hk

awards2009 continued from page 24icant return and cost savings on operatingexpenses,” Anger added.By unifying telephony with e-mail, instantmessaging and conferencing, companiescan cut down on telephony charges, driveup productivity and enable companies tocut down on unnecessary travel.Anger observed that some customers deployingUC have slashed telephony costsby as much as 20% while on travel somefirms have cut down by 25%. Travel costsare likely to be reduced in any case but UChas allowed this to happen while also maintainingthe same level of productivity andinteraction between staff when operatingnormally.Interestingly, some companies have adopteda long term view of UC and decidedto use this downturn as an opportunity tocompletely review the way their staff workand lay out a vision on how to make it moredynamic for users across the board.“Leading firms in Hong Kong have madesignificant investments in UC which aremuch broader and wider in scope than expected,”said Anger.Cathay flies UC flagOne such firm is Cathay Pacific who hastapped Microsoft and HP to put in place astrategic unified communications and collaborationinitiative that will change the wayCathay staff communicate and interact.“Microsoft’s approach to unified communicationsand collaboration solutions,combined with HP’s global technology andservices, will help us drive innovation andgrowth in our business,” said Tina Atkinson,program sponsor, New Ways of Working,Cathay Pacific Airways.Anger added that a key differentiator forMicrosoft in the collaboration space is itsunique combination of its Exchange, OfficeCommunications Server and Sharepointproducts, all of which picked up awardsthis year in their respective categories.“The value that this complete suite bringsto information workers is immediately visibleto companies when they evaluate offeringsin this space,” said Anger.Sprint saves US$9.3 million a yearthrough UCUS telecom operator, Sprint Nextel, sought to improve communications for itsmobile workforce and reduce expensive local carrier connection fees as wellas PBX maintenance costs.With 50,000 employees globally, the company decided revamp communicationstools by unifying voice over IP, conferencing. Instant messaging, email and voiceSprint deployed Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 on more than 66,000 devicesUS$9.3 million.“We realized that we needed a solution that provides rich communications to our-nessprocesses. This also allows Sprint to converge its voice, instant messaging ande-mail communications under one platform.another more quickly and easily.He added the user friendliness and levelof integration across the products enablescommunications to be embedded and easilyaccessible from everyday applicationslike Word and Excel. “The ability to reachothers instantly and be contactable at anygiven moment is key to driving collaborationand productivity,” Anger noted.Cloud or not?Another element in its favor is the choicethat customers have when deploying collaborationtools. Customers now have theoption to deploy these products as softwareas a service offerings or as traditional onpremisesystems or a hybrid of the two.Surprisingly BI is doingwell despite being atechnology not associatedwith quick returnsAnother key growth area in these toughtimes has been business intelligence (BI).Surprisingly BI is doing well despite beinga technology not associated with quick returns,which tends to be the priority duringsuch times.Anger has observed that as firms seek tobecome more efficient and optimize operationsthey rely on clear data and analysisto identify areas for improvement. “Oncethey engage in this exercise, many firmsfind this quickly exposes how badly theyare positioned to analyze company performance,”said Anger.This is where the analytics and BI capabilitiesfrom products like SQL Server 2008come in to play. Companies must have insightand performance metrics to gaugewhere to focus attention on.BI spotlightCompanies in Hong Kong like HR firmcontinued on page 28 26 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009www.cw.com.hk

awards2009 continued from page 26Employee Connect have actively used SQLServer to improve reporting on its recruitmentprocesses and efficiency of variousoperations within the companyAnger has noticed that during this downturnthe need for BI has become even morecritical than during the boom.“There is a stronger sense of urgencyduring bad times, as management demandclear insight into the business which duringgood times there is possibly less critical,”said Anger. “This places more pressureon executives to drill down and look toIT to deliver better information and morerelevant data back to the business.”of less work occurring in Hong Kong.In reality the need for tight project managementand oversight on offshore teamshas meant that development platforms likeVisual Studio Team System have come intoplay as valuable tools for keeping projectson track.“There is a huge demand for a team-ori-ented approach to software developmentand being in syn with programmers, projectmanagers and users is critical in processof developing software,” said Anger.“Users don’t just want tools today, the wantcollaborative elements that help connectall aspects of the complete application lifecycle.”Savills creates single interface forusers across AsiaThe need for BI has becomeeven more critical thanduring the boomOne other big area of activity has beenvirtualization. This has been another obviousstrategy for enterprises as they seek tocut costs on hardware and on managementresource. With fewer staff, IT operationsseek ways to simplify the operational sideof IT so running fewer servers in a consolidatedand virtual environment is an idealsolution.The consolidation that virtualization bringsmeans that hardware costs are reduced, andcompanies such as real estate firm Savillshas seen significant savings since deployingWindows Server 2008 (see sidebar: “Savillecreates a single interface”).Out of sightFinally another noteworthy developmentis the collaborative nature that is increasinglyimportant in the software developmentspace in Hong Kong. As more workis sent offshore the expectation is that theuse of development tools drops as a resultSavills’ Raju: With Windows Server 2008, Savillsheterogeneous systems we rely on and makesthese systems easier to manageGtionsharing platform to allow users to access client and property data in aconsistent manner.With more than 40 offices across the Asia region and a heterogeneous ITenvironment to work with, the company decided to build a web-based platformusing Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio as the developmentplatform with Microsoft Silverlight as the user interface.The platform consolidates all property related data from the region and givesconsultants easy access via a Web interface which has helped deliver a 25%rise in productivity, 30-40% cut in hardware costs and 20-35% reduction in supportcosts.With over 2000 concurrent users, the platform needed to deliver the informationsecurely and reliably. “With Windows Server 2008, Savills has a flexibleplatform that sits on top of the heterogeneous systems we rely on and makesthese systems easier to manage,” said Avi Raju, director, Asia Information Technology,Savills.With Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V virtualization technology, Savills hasbeen able to consolidate legacy systems on the new hardware, saving hardwareand operating cost, and also run multiple operating systems in parallel on oneserver. This ability allows the IT team to more easily and effectively manage andmaintain Savills’ heterogeneous configurations.28 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009www.cw.com.hk

awards2009Managed Security ServicesPCCWData & Telecoms Services ProviderPCCWThe purveyors of fiber arealso on top of what it takesto be a service market leaderBy Stefan HammondManaged ServicesPCCWAs Hong Kong’s dominanttelco, PCCW has established itselfas the main conduit betweenour tiny bit of rock and the “tubesof the Internet.” Recently, PCCWhas amped up its service by addingfiber-to-the-home, makingpossible speeds of 100Mbps andeven 1Gbps, for Hong Kongerswho want to watch streaming video in highdefinition.The firm has raised Hong Kong tothe level enjoyed by only a few regions acrossthe globe (Japan and Korea among them).PCCW scores three awards for its valueaddedservices in this year’s mix. Gary Chow,managing director, commercial group, PCCW,said that while earning Computerworld HongKong awards is a powerful indicator of hisfirm’s predominance in Hong Kong, this is notime for anyone to rest on their laurels.Adversity demands action“It is a fact that the economy looks gloomyand posts great challenges to Hong Kongenterprises,” said Chow. “Customers of anyenterprise in this adverse situation are of utmostimportance.”Chow stressed that his firm was no exception:“This applies to us at PCCW as well. Andwe see it differently by not just saying andmaking it our top priority but taking appropriateimmediate action accordingly.”The PCCW manager had some specificEnterprises wellunderstand that they canleverage the abundant ICTresources of the providersof managed services toensure cost-effective useof their own ICT assetsactions in mind: “The stalemate of the economicactivities presents opportunities for usto refine and retune some areas of our operationsthat will allow us to serve our customerseven better.”Service-orientationChow said this is logical because “eventhough perhaps people see us a technologycompany, I would say [that] half of our productsare service-intensive. In that sense, ourenterprise customers’ experience with ourservices, be it via our account managers, consultantsand technicians, or hotlines and websiteare essential for our business.”“We will continue pressing for the highestPCCW’s Chow: Adversity demands actioncontinued on page 32 30 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009www.cw.com.hk

awards2009 continued from page 30service level for our enterprise customers inHong Kong,” declared Chow. “We put thesame attention as service on products, andwe keep improving our network infrastructureand services.”According to Chow, networking is the keyto future enterprise success. “Our experiencetells us that a robust and reliable network—be it fixed and mobile—is a fundamental enterpriseneed. And now, the emphasis is shiftingto collaboration between parties who areoften geographically apart, and to maintainingan agile mobile workforce.”New products and servicesIn Hong Kong’s fast-and-fluid environment,PCCW is not a company that sits still. “PCCWNextGen is an obvious example of that,”said Chow. “We rolled out a plan by end oflast year to combine optical fiber speeds of1000Mbps (1Gbps) and beyond with thevery latest mobile broadband technology togive customers ultra-fast Internet access onthe move—this has extended PCCW’s stateof-the-artNext Generation Network to boostland-based mobile traffic, between cellularmobile network ‘cell sites’ and their switchingcenter to achieve ultra-high speeds.”Whether it’s economicbuoyancy or the currentdownturn, the demandsof business customers donot fundamentally change“Keeping the innovation and growing momentumin these product areas are the keychallenges nowadays,” declared Chow. Headded that, “externally, fierce competitionin both the SME and corporate market segments—whichalways demand more valuedchoices—and internally, we have also to workwith a tight corporate budget to ensure goodreturn for our shareholders.”This combination produces a unique set ofchallenges, according to Chow. “Apart fromusing our network expertise to develop newservice-initiatives,” he said, “being a servicemarket leader in this contemporary environment,we fully appreciate the benefits of collaborationwith external parties to provide innovativeand premium quality services to ourbusiness customers.“Thus,” said Chow, “the challenges liemore in picking the next winning applicationstogether with our partners.”Prudence in adversity“Doubtless,” said Chow, “the ‘credit crunch’stole the headline during the past year. Thisled to a profound impact on the global economy—noenterprise in Hong Kong could shyaway from the downturn.”The PCCW MD said that slashing spendingon ICT was seen as the obvious reaction bymany Hong Kong businesses. “Cost-effectivenesswas almost the only hypothesis for anyIT plans and proposals,” he said. “Executivesin charge of IT operations were all findingways to squeeze more out of their existingbudgets.”But all was not gloom and doom. “In adversity,we see prudence,” said Chow. “Thedemand for managed services surged as aresult.”Managed services“Leveraging on ubiquitous and reliable networkcoverage as well as powerful throughput,managed services—where capablenetwork service operators such as PCCWhave an inherent advantage—are more thancapable of saving capital expenses on hardwareequipment while enabling enterprisesto equip the ICT functions essential for theiroperations,” he said.“What’s more, enterprises well understandthat they can leverage the abundant ICT resourcesof the providers of managed servicesto ensure cost-effective use of their own ICTassets,” said Chow. “Peak performance ofcontinued on page 34 32 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009www.cw.com.hk

awards2009 continued from page 32their ICT operations is then assured—whichlays a competitive and stable foundation fortaking their business challenges ahead.”Chow said that network-based services(with low upfront capital investment) willnow be more appropriate for enterprises.“The other advantage is the short and flexibleimplementations of network-based serviceschemes,” said Chow. “They’re suitablefor modern enterprises that choose adaptivemode of organizations and scale of operations.”develop more new service-initiatives,” headded,” being a service market leader inmodern days, we fully appreciate the benefitsof collaboration with external partiesto provide innovative and premium qualityservices to our business customers, sothe challenges lie more in picking the nextwinning applications together with our partners.”“Whether it’s economic buoyancy or thecurrent downturn, the demands of businesscustomers do not fundamentally change,”said Chow. “They seek solutions that aresimple, services that are comprehensive andfree of hassles in dealing with the technologiesbehind them.”“We are always working on this,” concludedChow.The stalemate of theeconomic activitiespresents opportunitiesfor us to refine andretune some areas of ouroperationsOne example, said Chow, “is PCCW SecureVoice Recording Services for banks and financialinstitutions. This network-based servicenot only demonstrates our customer-centricpractice but also our swift response to thecustomer demand in the financial industry.Exceeding even the stringent requirementsfrom the regulator, the service applies to variousscales of bank operations, [includes] topclasssecurity practices and allows convenientaccess from authorized personnel to record,track and store dialogues with customers.”Addressing key challenges“Keeping the innovation and growing momentumin these product areas is always thekey challenge nowadays,” said Chow. “Externally,there is fierce competition out therein both the SME and corporate market segments,which always demand higher-valuechoices. Internally, we have also to work witha tight corporate budget to ensure good returnfor our shareholders.”“Besides using our network expertise to34 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009www.cw.com.hk

awards2009IT hosting and outsourcingPCCW SolutionsPCCW sits atop data center chartsPressure on costs drives further demand for consolidation and optimizationof data center facilities By Chee Sing ChanPCCW Solutions has riddenthe surging demand indata center services to scoopthis year’s award in the ITHosting & Outsourcing category.The Hong Kong market hasseen a number of new playersand existing players open upnew or expand existing facilities to addressthe rising need for data center space andservices. PCCW Solutions has been ableto consolidate its position at the top of thedata center services sector by attractingnew business, particularly from multinationals.According to Martin Chan, senior vicepresident of PCCW Solutions, growth inthis space has been very strong in HongKong with many multinational firms eitherentering Hong Kong and putting in new facilitiesor existing organizations seeking toconsolidate IT operations.Hong Kong hubChan noted that many firms have beenaggressively rationalizing their IT and centralizingmuch of their systems into fewersites. “Hong Kong being a very financiallyand politically sound location makes it anattractive data center hub in this region,”he said.While the financial crisis has had someimpact on overall demand, the emphasis oncost cutting has also pushed organizationsfor better ways to manage existing IT assetswhich leads to interest in outsourcingand managed services.“China has had a significant impact onthe market with multinationals attractedto Hong Kong as a base, but also Chinesefirms see Hong Kong as a launch pad tooverseas markets,” said Chan.He added that Hong Kong is seen as avery stable and mature location in terms ofits ability to meet business continuity requirements.Chan from PCCW Solutions: Overall IT outsourcingand hosting demand has not fallen in the face of theeconomic crisis, but selling cycles are longerResistance to slowdownChan expects there to be continued interestin managed services and software as aservice offerings as companies seek waysto leverage IT with lower upfront investment.Such services also alleviate the managementoverhead meaning internal resourcesare free to focus on more core activities.“Overall IT outsourcing and hosting demandhas not fallen in the face of the economiccrisis, but selling cycles are longer,”said Chan. He noted that deals have beeneither reviewed and slowed down or areless aggressive in scope. “Overall the neteffect is still upwards but growth is maybenot as the same pace [as the year before].”While mutinationals have driven mostof the demand, Chan observed much lessactivity from domestic SMEs. “In this marketit is the large firms that are driving theactivity.”PCCW Solutions has recently signed amajor data center deal with a global Internetplayer with a 4000 sq m facility in theNew Territories.Leading US data center operator Rackspacehas occupied a large space at PCCWSolutions’ Fo Tan facility and the HKSARgovernment also awarded its seven yearcontract to PCCW Solutions to manage itsdata centers.A software-as-a-service deal was also recentlysigned by a cosmetics company inShanghai for point-of-sale services.PCCW Solutions hasrecently signed a majordata center deal with aglobal Internet playerChan noted that PCCW Solutions willcontinue to expand capabilities and serviceofferings with additional space to come atits Fo Tan operation and a new data centerdue to open later this year in Fan Ling.Expectations are that growth will continuein this space while companies lookfor further ways to leverage IT with fewerresources. “Companies will be looking formore opportunities to consolidate wherepossible and reduce the demands on internalresources,” said Chan. 36 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

awards2009Services - Consulting & Systems IntegrationIBM Global BusinessServicesSecurity - SurveillanceIBM Physical SecurityServices (IBM SmartSurveillance Solutions)Security - Identity ManagementIBM Tivoli IdentityManagerSoftware - Systems ManagementIBM Tivoli SystemManagement SuiteSoftware - Application Server & MiddlewareIBM WebsphereHardware - Enterprise Server ( 201 users +)IBM Systems zIBM has customersfocused on transformationSix awards validates IBM’s push on services and softwareBy Chee Sing ChanIBM’s recent quarterly resultsput the company among asmall group of tech companiesthat have performed respectablyin gloom of the current recession.Revenue and profit figuresfor its fourth quarter wereup year on year. According toDominic Tong, general managerof IBM China/Hong Kong Limited, thecompany is on track for its five-year plan tohit earnings of US$11 per share by 2011.“It’s clear that the strategy we put inplace a few years ago to really focus ongrowing services and software is deliveringresults,” said Tong. He noted the companyhas significantly strengthened its consultingand systems integration capabilitieswhich culminated in scooping the award inthat category this year.“This in combination with our strength inhardware and software gives us a completeend-to-end offering that has brought greatsuccess,” said Tong.Translating cost-cuttingTong noted that the last year has seencustomers face tough decisions on how tocope with the financial crisis. Enterpriseshave looked hard at cost-cutting but Tongis keen to stress that CEOs can look at thisin two ways. “Either you literally cut costand stop spending completely or you canreview resources and find ways to do morewith what you have.”Tong is adamant that the latter is the bestway to interpret the focus on cost. Optionsrange from driving more efficiency, squeez-IBM’s Tong: Either you literally cut cost and stopspending completely or you can review resources anding more productivity and value from existingpeople and systems as well as look tooutsourcing and managed services as waysto alleviate management overhead.As a result Tong is also keen to emphasizethe opportunity to look at transformationand optimization of processesand operations across the board. “Suchtimes are ideal for identifying opportunitiesto transform the business in order tobe prepared for the future,” he said. It isduring these downturns when firms havethe time to reevaluate operations and henoted that leading businesses will look toinvest wisely while others focus purely onsurviving.All these can help firms operate at an optimumlevel while being open to the signsof recovery and being prepared to quicklytake advantage of market opportunities asthey appear.Working smarterIBM’s focus in the last six months hasbeen to help customers create more dynamic,resilient and adaptable infrastructure.On the applications side there has been a38 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

ig push to help its customers be smarterin the way they leverage information withanalytics and business intelligence comingin the spotlight.“Working smarter is a big theme for usright now, creating better intelligence andenabling customers to operate more effectivelyis our goal,” said Tong.HKBN upgrades storageplatform with IBMSenior executives from IBM and HKBNBeing green and sustainable is now increasinglyon the agenda as Tong observedmany firms see corporate social responsibilityas one key factor in creating competitiveadvantage.He noted that overall, deals are still occurringdespite these tough times andinterestingly it is the medium-sized andTelecoms provider Hong Kong Broadband Network has deployed IBM storageproducts and data center services to support business growth.The implementation allows improvement of its customer service throughenhanced billing and subscriber e-mail services, said HKBN, adding that the newdata center also helps the company to capture business opportunities and reduce itsoperational costs.“Hong Kong’s telecommunications market is one of the most liberalized in theworld. To compete and be successful, we have to meet the challenges of a dynamicmarket and constantly look for better and more innovative ways to meet customerexpectations,” said John Chong, director of Corporate Division, Hong Kong BroadbandNetwork.As a result of the implementation, IBM storage systems have delivered a 50 percentimprovement in application performance for HKBN’s billing system, Chong said.He noted that Big Blue’s storage products allow HKBN to enhance its e-mail storageto 1GB for users and achieved a 70 percent increase in subscriber number.Products and services HKBN deploys include: IBM’s System Storage DS8000 andvirtualization technologies supported by SAN Volume Controller (SVC); IBM’s SystemStorage N5300; and IBM Global Technology Services for building a new data centermedium-term deals that are seeminglymore common right now. “Traditionallythe big deals which represent big gainsare being passed over for smaller dealswith clear and obvious gains to be made,”said Tong.He stressed that the large deals are unlikelyto happen in this current economicclimate and in the last six months the focushas been on helping customers identify areasof clear opportunity to deliver value.CEO oversightCompanies are looking to be smarterand explore outsourcing in order to createmore predictable costs, aid cashflow andenable resources to be better focused onbusiness goals. “We are helping customerstransform and be more dynamic, resilientand adaptable,” Tong added.Another noticeable trend is how CEOsand CFOs are now taking a more activerole in the final sign-off on technologydeals. “Leadership involvement is morecommon now and the decision-making processrequires more than the CIO sign-off,”noted Tong.This implies that IT is receiving attentionright at the leadership level which is whatIT vendors want to see. “This means IT isbecoming a more strategic part of the businessand this means a new approach to theway we need to communicate technology,”said Tong.A second key requirement that is evidentis how enterprises are asking for ways tohelp effect process and culture change ascompanies pursue business transformation.The role of technology in this area isbecoming more critical and this is increasinglybeing presented as a partnershipwithin companies that are successful withbusiness transformation initiatives.Tong believes that a relevant outsourcingstrategy is a key part of this. Tong stressedthat companies don’t want the CIO and theIT team to be occupied managing hardwareand systems. “You want IT talking to thecontinued on page 40 www.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 39

awards2009 continued from page 39business on how to drive revenue and howto grow.”IBM helps CUHK revampstudent data systemCEOs and CFOs are nowtaking a more active rolein the final sign-off ontechnology dealsService & software boostIBM has put in place a clear strategy togrow the software and services units of itsbusiness and its target is to have 70% of revenuescome from non-hardware offerings.This effort has recently been bolsteredby the landmark acquisition of the e-mailservices arm of Outblaze, the first timeIBM has acquired a Hong Kong company.This will aid the effort to roll out comprehensivecollaboration tools mainly throughthe software as a service model to enterprisesand small businesses. “IncorporatingOutblaze’s offering into out Lotus Liveplatform will form a key part of the IBMsoftware as a service strategy,” Tong said.IBM has also recently launched for thefirst time an IBM R&D lab here in HongKong which focused on cloud computingtechnologies and forms part of the overallChina development lab operation.Tong noted that all the winning productswere important but the scooping of theconsulting and systems integration awardwas significant as it’s a major reflection ofIBM’s progress in that area. “This categoryassumes growing importance as it mapswith exactly what our strategy is trying toachieve—a greater role for IT to enablebusiness change and transformation,” saidTong. “For that to happen, companies andCIOs look to consulting and systems integrationpartners to help them in formulatingplans for that change.” The Chinese University of Hong Kong and IBM signed a recents agreement toroll out a new student information system.According to both organizations, the system will help address the changingrequirements leading up to 2012, when Hong Kong’s new 3+3+4 education reformwill take effect in tertiary education.The system will enable CUHK to manage student-related data caused by anincrease in the number of undergraduate students, and cater to students’ needsthroughout their years of study and after their graduation, said CUHK in a statement.Under the agreement signed late last year, IBM Global Business Services willimplement Chinese University Student Information System (CUSIS) which will beused to manage the entire student lifecycle and address regulatory compliance andThe vendor will also provide CUHK with change management services to ensuresmooth and successful adoption of the system by users and integration with CUHK’sexisting IT application systems and infrastructure.“Today’s students are more global and mobile in nature. The new system will allowthem to access university services anytime, anywhere and at their own pace, thusenhancing services as well as their learning experience,” said Professor Pak-ChungChing, pro-vice-chancellor, CUHK. “The system will help us develop a strong linkbetween the University, students and alumni. CUHK and IBM will work in close collaborationto develop this brand new system.”CUSIS will be built on Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise Campus Solutions, an ERPbasedstudent administration management system, said IBM. Leveraging the solutions’student administration, gradebook, contributor relations, campus self-service,and enterprise portal modules, CUSIS will allow users to manage student admissionand registration, course selection and enrollment, assessment and examination re-capabilities to meet CUHK’s growing requirements.40 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

awards2009VirtualizationVMware InfrastructureVirtualizing through the tough timesVMware’s virtualization leadership recognized by IT executives looking tomanage their data center as a shared utility By Jason KruppWhen you mention the termvirtualization, more often thannot the first vendor name thatcomes to mind is VMware.In the 10 short years since thetechnology was commerciallylaunched, it has expanded itsreach into today’s IT infrastructure,including the server, network,storage and desktop spaces. It’s alsobecome one of the key pillars of the nexttechnology mega trend: cloud computing.Despite the global economic downturnand its resulting freeze on IT budgets andprojects, one that VMware has triumphed,said Edward Yeung, general manager ofVMware Greater China.Tsunami triumph“The financial tsunami has forced manycompanies to look at ways of rationalizingtheir IT operations, to streamline their operationsand lower costs while still maintainingenough agility to remain competitive,”said Yeung. “Enterprises are lookingfor lower TCO and faster returns, and virtualizationis an effective means of doingjust that.”He noted that while enterprise-levelcustomers are still investing in their infrastructure,there had been a significantlevel of attrition in the SME space whereIT spending has been all but stopped.Looking forward, Yeung is highly optimisticabout VMware’s prospects in thenear future, particularly in Asia, which isexpected to make faster economic recoverythan other markets.“We see a lot of growth potential for ourtechnology and products in Hong Kongand in mainland China, especially whenyou consider that we have only captureda relatively low share of the market potential,”he said. “We feel that there are stilla lot of roads in the market for us to explore.”In addition Yeung foresees a number ofopportunities arising from the financialcrisis that VMware is hoping to capitalizeon.Chief among these is the expected increasein the levels of M&A activity oncethe global economy starts rebounding, especiallyas sector consolidation sees strongercompanies absorbing their weaker rivals.We see a lot of growthpotential for our technologyand products in Hong Kongand in mainland China“We see good opportunities for us in themerger and acquisition space, specificallyamong the telcos in China. There is a lotof consolidation taking place there, andone major area of this is data center consolidation,and we think virtualization andprivate clouds are the best way to achievethis.”VMware Infrastructure 3 profileVMware Infrastructure 3 is a suite ofproducts designed to allow businessesto optimize and manage their IT environmentsthrough virtualization technology.The software, which was specifically designedfor the production server environment,is made up of VMware ESX Server(v3), VMware Virtual Center (v2) and VirtualSMP.In addition, customers can augmentthis core offering with several optionalproducts, such as VMotion, VMwareHigh Availability, VMware DistributedResource Scheduler and VMware ConsolidatedBackup.The net effect is that with VMware Infrastructure3, industry-standard infrastructurefarms can now be managed as ashared utility and dynamically allocated todifferent business units or projects.Some of the key features of the productinclude the ability to add or remove new capacitywithout any operational disruption,and applications can be migrated automaticallyto available hardware resources.In addition hardware failures can be automaticallyovercome with minimal disruption,meaning business data can be protectedwith minimal impact to productionSLAs.Applications can also be provisioned instantlyand recovered easily regardless ofthe operating system and hardware.“With VMware Infrastructure, customersare able to transform IT service levels,simplify and automate their infrastructureand deploy virtualization pervasivelyacross their entire environment,” said Yeung.www.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 41

awards2009Corporate Mobile Services ProviderCSLEnterprises get anedge from mobilityBusinesses rely on mobiles as a key communications tool, sonetwork performance, quality and support are criticalBy Ross MilburnCSL was founded in 1983,as Hong Kong’s first mobilenetwork operator and it hasestablished a strong reputationfor service, especially in thecorporate sector.CSL provides its comprehensivepostpaid and prepaidmobile services to local and internationalcustomers in Hong Kong throughthree brands: 1010, a high quality servicefavored by corporate customers, one2freefor consumer mobility with easily accessiblemusic and social networking, and New WorldMobility, a no-frills mobile solution. The companyrecently launched NextG, the world’sfastest all-IP mobile broadband network, withdownload speeds up to 21 Mbps.CSL is also a leading roaming operator inHong Kong, able to provide internationalmulti-media connectivity with over 400 mobileoperators around the world.Quality serviceThe Hong Kong mobile phone market isextremely competitive, with five operatorsand an overall mobile phone penetration of140% of the population, among the highest inthe world. CSL is the market leader in largeand medium-sized enterprises, with around80% penetration, plus about 23% of the smallerenterprises.“Price is the main factor in the consumermarkets,” said Irene Leung, Executive VP ofCorporate & Business Market, “but businessesrely on mobile phones as a key communicationstool, so network performance, voicequality and service support are extremelyimportant.”CSL put a large effort into creating customizedapplications for corporate users, mainlyusing the 1010 service. In Hong Kong, companiesuse SMS intensively. “For example,banks use SMS to stimulate credit card usageand to manage or confirm online transactionssuch as stock trading,” said Leung. “CSL alsosupports an application which enables hearing-impairedpeople who cannot use a normalphone to send an SMS from a mobile deviceThe Hong Kong mobilephone market is extremelycompetitive, with fiveoperators and an overallmobile phone penetrationof 140% of the populationwhich creates an emergency alert at the policestation—like calling 999 on a phone.”“Another CSL service is provided for theSenior Citizens Home Safety Organization, anon-profit organization which installs emergencybells in the homes of elderly people,”said Leung. “If they can’t reach the emergencybutton, they can call the CSL Call Centre,which can trigger the same response.”RoamingBusiness customers also need serviceabroad, and therefore international roamingCSL’s Leung: We help customers get the best valuefrom their roaming service with Call Filteringcoverage is extremely important. CSL probablyhas the greatest global coverage from itsnumerous roaming partners, so that wheneverits corporate users travel, they enjoy thebest connectivity for both voice and data, onphones PDAs and laptops.“We help customers with advice on howthey can get the best value from their service,”said Leung. “For example, roamingcharges are made by overseas networks andsome of them charge from the first ring tone,even before the customer answers it. So weprovide a service called Call Filtering, inwhich the customer nominates 20 VIP numberswho can reach him, while other calls goto their voicemail or secretarial service. Thisavoids the customer paying high charges foreven promotional calls made at night or duringbusiness meetings.”“Another recommendation we make to ourcorporate clients when roaming is to use datarather than voice,” continued Leung. “If youneed to ask your team to send you a report,for example, instead of picking up the phone,use email or SMS, because data is charged ata lower rate than phone calls.” 42 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

awards2009Smartphone/Mobile Enterprise Device (Joint Winner)Apple iPhoneThe iPhone comes to Hong KongThe Apple device leverages apps from Microsoft and Cisco in its ongoingcampaign to penetrate Hong Kong enterprises By Stefan HammondLast summer’s iPhonelaunch in Hong Kong wasnot only one of the more celebratedproduct launches of2008, but also featured thefirst legally activated iPhone ingreater China. Apple partneredwith 3—the mobile operationof Hutchison Telecom HongKong Holdings Limited—to offer the iPhone3G, and would-be iPhoners lined up aroundthe block at Tsimshatsui’s Ocean Terminal.The iPhone 3G’s improvements over theoriginal model include 3G networking andbuilt-in GPS for expanded location based mobileservices. But perhaps more important tousers: the new iPhone 2.0 software includessupport for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSyncand runs third-party applications built with theiPhone SDK (software developer kit). At presstime, Apple’s Web site claims over 35,000apps are available at their iTunes App Store—including apps that leverage weather from theHong Kong Observatory, are exceptionallyuseful for Hong Kongers on-the-go.“The cooperation forged between Apple andHutchison Telecom Hong Kong takes mobilecommunications development in Hong Kongto the next level,” said Amy Lung, COO, Mo-Apple’s iPhone,spotted in MTRcarriages dailybile, Hutchison Telecom. “Not only does itarouse citizens’ awareness of the beauty of themobile Internet, it also greatly facilitates theuse of mobile data services in Hong Kong.”Enterprise connectionsApple’s Web site says that the iPhone “connectsto Microsoft Exchange right out of thebox. It supports Cisco IPSec VPN and WPA2Enterprise with 802.1X authentication. And itmakes quick work of configuration and enterprise-widedeployment.”“If your office uses Microsoft ExchangeServer 2003 or 2007,” said Apple, “iPhone 2.0software allows you to wirelessly push companyemail, calendar events, and contacts tothe iPhone over a 128-bit encrypted SSL connection.With secure push email and overthe-aircontacts and calendar features, userscan stay up to date wherever they go.”Security of individual devices can be handledremotely in enterprise environments.“IT administrators can securely manage anyiPhone that contains confidential companyinformation using remote wipe and enforcedsecurity and password policies,” said Apple.According to Apple, iPhone 2.0 softwaresupports Cisco IPSec VPN “to ensure thehighest level of IP-based encryption for transmissionof sensitive company information.Employees can authenticate via password,two-factor token, or digital certificate.” Thedevice “also supports WPA2 Enterprise with802.1X authentication—the standard for Wi-Fi network protection.”“Corporate passcode policies and settingscan be set via Configuration Profiles createdand distributed by your IT administrator,”said Apple. “In addition, Configuration Profilescan be used to remotely configure yourcompany’s VPN, email, and wireless networksettings, making each iPhone secure andready for business.”User satisfactionA November 2008 study by US-based researchfirm JD Power and Associates ranked the iPhonehighest in overall customer satisfaction amongbusiness wireless smartphone users.The study measures business customersatisfaction with wireless smartphones—defined as mobile phones offering advancedcapabilities and personal computer-likefunctionality—such as a BlackBerry or Treo.Overall satisfaction is measured across fivekey factors: ease of operation (27%); operatingsystem (24%); physical design (21%); handsetfeatures (18%); and battery aspects (10%).In the 2008 study, Apple ranks highest inoverall smartphone customer satisfaction witha score of 778 on a 1,000-point scale, performingparticularly well in the ease of operation,physical design and handset feature factors.BlackBerry manufacturer RIM (703) and Samsung(701) follow Apple in the rankings.“With the introduction of the iPhone in2007, Apple has clearly differentiated itselffrom the competition in areas that are mostimportant to business smartphone users,”said Kirk Parsons, senior director of wirelessservices for JD Power. “By making basic applicationsand features easy to use and providingfunctionality in a thin, lightweight device,Apple has performed well in exceeding customerexpectations.” 344 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

awards2009Smartphone/Mobile Enterprise Device (Joint Winner)RIM BlackBerry BoldBlackBerry emboldenedRIM’s BlackBerry Bold ties with Apple’s iPhone for top enterprise mobile device By Stefan HammondWhile Hong Kongers arefamiliar with RIM’s BlackBerrydevices, few think of ResearchIn Motion (RIM) as a Canadiancompany. Yet the firm, foundedin 1984, is headquarteredin Waterloo, Ontario, Canadaand listed on both the NAS-DAQ Stock Market and the Toronto StockExchange.RIM describes itself as a leading designer,manufacturer and marketer of innovativewireless solutions for the worldwide mobilecommunications market. RIM’s portfolio ofaward-winning products, services and embeddedtechnologies are used by thousands oforganizations around the world and includethe BlackBerry wireless platform, the RIMWireless Handheld product line, software developmenttools, radio-modems and software/hardware licensing agreements. RIM openedits first office in Asia, in Hong Kong in 2002.Hong Kong is one of ourmost successful marketsglobally in terms of overallmarket penetration“RIM chose to set up an office in Hong Kongin 2002 due to its excellent business network,”said Norm Lo, RIM’s VP for Asia Pacific. “Itshuge financial and commercial sectors werekey market segments for the BlackBerry. Inaddition, Hong Kong also has world-class infrastructure,a fair regulatory and legal environmentand is a great location as gateway toChina and the rest of the region.”Over the years, RIM has expanded to marketssuch as China, Australia, Singapore, Indiaand Japan, and today has more than 45 carrierRIM’s Lo: Hong Kong’s financial, commercial sectorskey market segments for BlackBerryrelationships in over 20 markets in the region.Globally, Hong Kong is one of RIM’s mostimportant markets. “Hong Kong is one of ourmost successful markets globally in terms ofoverall market penetration. In addition to ourleadership in the corporate market, we havealso extended the BlackBerry solution into thesmall business enterprise (SBE) as well as lifestylesectors,” said Lo.RIM has also gained traction in to the professionalconsumer market following the launchof products like BlackBerry Pearl and theBlackBerry Curve series of smartphones. Therelease of the BlackBerry Bold smartphonehas solidified our position in this space, andhas quickly become popular and widely adoptednot just by corporate users but also celebritiesand consumers. This was the first-everBlackBerry smartphone to support tri-bandHSDPA high-speed networks, integrated GPSand Wi-Fi, as well as rich set of multimedia capabilities.“BlackBerry Bold represents our dedicationto innovation and our focus on customerneeds. Its unique features will empower usersand help them make the most of their personaland professional life,” said Lo.With more lifestyle features, BlackBerry isstarting to be perceived as a tool not just forwork but also for play. Moving forward, Black-Berry plans to provide more value to corporations,small businesses and consumers whiledelivering more fun and exciting features formore work-life balance. 3Hong Kong SMBMerry Chance choosesBlackBerryThe more recent adoption ofby SMBs is one of the areasof next great opportunity forRIM, as this sector comprises a hugeportion of the local economy. One ofthese companies that has recentlytaken up the solution is Merry Chance,a homegrown leading manufacturerand designer of kitchenware.According to the Web site of theHKTDC (Hong Kong Trade DevelopmentCouncil), Merry Chance was foundedin 1989 and has a monthly turnover ofUS$2-3 million. It manufactures an extensiverange of products: kitchen toolsand gadgets, bar sets, serving itemsand barbecue sets made of materialsincluding stainless steel, hard and softplastic and silicone rubber, all processedin-house. The company has even developedan innovative range of tiny candyboxes for a Japanese customer.Merry Chance adopted the Black-Berry solution to help with its expandingbusiness needs, said RIM. Travelingis essential for Merry Chance executivesin order to reach their customersand suppliers face-to-face, therefore itis important for their staff to be reachablevia email in order to provide quickresponses to their customers’ needs.www.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 45

awards2009Mid-range Storage SystemsEMC CLARiiON CX SeriesStorage Management SoftwareEMC ControlCenter FamilyBackup Storage (Disk)EMC Disk LibraryEnterprise Storage SystemsEMC Symmetrix DMX SeriesEMC: Comprehensive, green offeringsEMC’s integrated offerings enable cost savings, greener operation, and newbusiness opportunities, said Gabriel Leung, general manager, EMC Hong KongBy Teresa LeungVirtualization plusexcellent cablinginfrastructure will allowHong Kong to grow into adata center hubEMC’s success in the pastyear wasn’t a variety of products,but integration and interoperabilityof the range of offeringsthat allow customers toachieve cost savings and betterROI, said Gabriel Leung, generalmanager, EMC Hong Kong.The vendor acquired differentcompanies and now products from themcan work with each other to provide usersbenefits, according to Leung. “This isimportant,” he said. “Customers in HongKong are sophisticated and want comprehensiveofferings.”Besides, EMC helped different customersunderstand their infrastructure by assessingthe utilization level of their equipmentin the past nine months. “Many firmsbought a lot of different products,” saidLeung. “Some of them were bundled tools.Many of these were left unused or had aEMC’s Leung: EMC’s R&D investment reachesUS$1.4 billion a yearlow utilization rate.”According to him, consolidation must bedone to raise utilization. “To enable consolidation,companies must virtualize their ITresources,” said Leung.Green ITVirtualization and consolidation also helpcompanies save power costs and becomegreener. Power costs have increased, especiallyfor those having offices on the islandside, said Leung, adding that firms saveelectricity costs when they unplug unusedcontinued on page 48 46 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

awards2009 continued from page 46systems and equipment.”“Some banks have over a thousand 100-300TB disks, which costs them HK$2,700per hour when they are power-connected,”said Leung. “Don’t forget there are associatedcooling costs.”“Our comprehensive offerings allow firmsto deploy tiered storage, which results ineffective consolidation, virtualization, costssavings, and greener operation and environment,”Leung noted.Being green is increasingly important, saidLeung. “It doesn’t just mean a leaner powerbill, but in general a better business environmentfor Hong Kong,” said Leung. “Poorair quality will drive businesses and talentaway—this hurts our competitive edge.”R&D effortsEMC also attributes its success to R&Defforts. According to Leung, EMC’s R&Dinvestment reaches US$1.4 billion a year.“We never give up R&D even during an economicdownturn,” said Leung. “During thedotcom bust and even SARS, we continuedour R&D investment.”“A new product takes three to five years’R&D effort,” said Leung. “If we had stoppedR&D during those times, we wouldn’t havegreat products and useful features like deduplication.”R&D aside, EMC is proud of its customer-care.“The sales cycle doesn’t end oncea customer has paid,” said Leung. “Webring our proposals to customers again sixmonths after to see if we have deliveredwhat were promised.”Cloud computingLeung sees cloud computing as a new opportunityin the future. Virtualization hasmade virtual data centers possible and allowsHong Kong to grow into a data centerhub, said Leung.“Hong Kong is small in terms of physicalspace,” said Leung. “But virtualization allowsus to control data centers in low-costlocations.”He added that government, private sectors,and telcos have shown interest invirtual data centers and the opportunitiesthey could bring. “Virtualization plus HongKong’s excellent cabling infrastructure allowsservice providers to offer co-locationservices in low cost locations and at thesame time create higher value services tomeet customer needs,” he concluded. Emanagement software, for an undisclosed sum.uresoftand acquire the software maker outright, which will helpEMC broaden its management capabilities across the “entire ITtionAnalytics Manager. EMC said the purchase will help customersautomate management across virtualized environments.“Customers are looking for new tools and processes to helpthem more effectively manage the virtualized data center. Serverchallenges faced by IT,” said Chris Gahagan, EMC senior vicecustomers the power they need to fully automate the data center incompliance with new physical and virtual best practice policies.”The company acquired innovative network management start-upSmarts more than 5 years ago. EMC also added application discoveryand mapping technologies with the 2006 acquisition of nLayers.By picking up Voyence in late 2007, EMC was able to incorpo-into its portfolio, and IT service management and ITIL best practiceswere the ultimate goal when EMC bought software makerInfra in 2008.Industry watchers have speculated that EMC is working todisplace one of the “Big 4” management software makers—BMC,CA, HP and IBM—with its management-centric acquisitions. But itbroader IT management dollars and change customers’ perceptionof EMC as mainly a storage—and storage management—vendor.“EMC’s recent acquisitions, such as nLayers and Voyence, havementcoverage is questionable. It has some great weapons in itsarsenal with Smarts and now Infra, but it must accelerate its M&Aexpansion and internal development to capitalize on its assets andenter the elite class of anchors,” wrote Forrester Research analystGlenn O’Donnell in a report discussing the leading managementtechnology providers.-“Becoming part of EMC is the right move at the right time—in information management to take our market leading solutions toment.The transaction is expected to close in June. Following theEMC’s Resource Management Software Group.— By IDG staff48 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

EMC’s new Symmetrix array targets virtual data centersEMC has unveiled a new Symmetrix storage array designedto support heavily virtualized data centers withhundreds of petabytes of storage and mass quantities ofvirtual servers.EMC positions the Symmetrix V-Max storage system (shortfor Virtual Matrix), announced earlier in the year, as a secondtualMatrix architecture will deliver massive scalability, deliveringtens of millions of IOPS (input/output operations per second)and the ability to manage storage for hundreds of thousands ofvirtual machines from a single management system. The systemwith Fibre Channel and SATA.The V-Max is EMC’s most importantannouncement since the introductionWambach, senior director of Symmetrixmarketing. V-Max uses Intel Xeon quadcoreprocessors to speed up data access,along with software that automatesprovisioning of storage to physical andvirtual machines. The Virtual Matrix providesmassive scalability by connectingand sharing resources, such as I/O ports,CPUs, mirrored global memory, interconnectsand a storage operating system,according to EMC.While server virtualization makes oneserver act as many independent virtualmachines, storage virtualization takes1,000 disparate elements and makes them appear as one,said Steve Duplessie, founder and senior analyst at EnterpriseStrategy Group. Server virtualization by itself isn’t as useful as itshould be, because when a virtual machine moves from one boxto another it might lose access to its data, he said.EMC’s new system ensures that virtual machines maintainaccess to data even as they move, he said. Moreover, when anenterprise adds more terabytes, the system automatically rearrangesitself and redistributes the load. The real key is reducingthe amount of manual processes required of a storage administrator.“Storage today has a million little knobs and buttons andhooks, and you need to have a PhD to get your data sometimes,”Duplessie said. “This takes all the tactical, operationalelements and lets the machine do it.”system, Duplessie notes. It is expensive and raises the specterof vendor lock-in, particularly because EMC owns VMware, themajor server virtualization company.V-Max is generally available at a starting price of $250,000,which covers one 42U rack system with about 200TB. Full-featuredsystems that scale up to many petabytes will cost millionsof dollars.analysts have criticized the company because its systemsforce storage administrators to manually move data from tier totier. EMC announced that it will address that shortcoming withFAST (Fully Automated Storage Tiering), a new software toolthat “will automate the movement of dataacross multiple storage tiers based uponbusiness policies, predictive models andreal-time access patterns.” This type ofsoftware, already offered by vendors suchas Compellent, helps prevent the wastefulpractice of storing rarely-accessed dataFAST will be available in the fourth quarterof 2009 for both V-Max and DMX-4.The V-Max will not replace the DMX-4, norwill it make EMC’s new Atmos cloud storagesoftware obsolete, the company said. Atmosis designed to manage petabytes of informationacross tens or hundreds of geographiclocations, using x86 servers with high-capacity,low-cost SATA drives.Atmos is mainly for unstructured orsemi-structured data needed to run socialnetworking applications and Web sites that provide contentlike photos and video. Symmetrix arrays, Wambach said, arefor mission-critical applications including ERP, transactionalsystems, e-mail, databases and electronic trading.EMC has optimized V-Max for VMware’s hypervisor andMicrosoft’s Hyper-V virtualization software, but not for Citrix’sXenServer. “We see right now that the majority of customerdemand is for VMware and Microsoft,” Wambach said.Although EMC stressed that V-Max will not replace the DMX-4, it said the new product triples the performance of the DMX-4while offering twice the connectivity, and three times the usableEMC said it has shipped more than 30 V-Max systems to betacustomers including the European bank UniCredit Group, whichis testing V-Max to improve database performance during peakworkload times.By IDG staffwww.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 49

awards2009Database ManagementOracle DatabaseData Mining and OLAPOracle DatabaseOracle: Simplicity mattersIt’s now all about cutting cost and improving efficiency, says Dennis Yeung of Oracle Hong KongBy Stefan HammondOracle’s Yeung: Enterprises seek immediate, ongoingcost-savings”Enterprises are lookingfor ways that can bring immediateand ongoing cost-savings,”according to Dennis Yeung,Oracle’s managing director forHong Kong.”“Over the past three decades,Oracle has been committed tohelping customers do morewith less by leveraging their existing ITresources and expanding capacity withoutbeing constrained by IT budgets and capacity,”said Yeung. “In Hong Kong, ourinstalled database and new customers areturning to Oracle’s value-added solutionsto extend the power of their database in acost-effective way.”Market shareAccording to IDC, Oracle is the #1 RD-BMS vendor for SMBs in Hong Kong with53% share in 1H 2008 in terms of softwarerevenue. Oracle posted 38% software revenuegrowth in the SMB segment to extendits lead over its competitors.Oracle was the first company to make arelational database commercially available.The company is committed to innovationfor enterprise software through R&D andacquisition. Database-related acquisitionsincludes TimesTen and Innobase in 2005and Sleepycat in 2006.According to a report published by Gartnerin February, Oracle Real ApplicationClusters (RAC), a value-added solution forOracle Database, has moved to the main-stream, with more than 15,000 customersin production. Oracle RAC, introduced in2001, offers a proven alternative to traditionalexpensive hardware and proprietarysoftware solutions. Oracle RAC supportsthe deployment of a single database acrossDatabase administratorstypically spend 55% of theirtime on ongoing databaseadministration tasks suchas performance tuning,space management, andsystem resource tuninga cluster of servers—providing fault tolerance,performance and scalability with noapplication changes necessary. Analystsare taking note of RAC’s growing importancein a wide range of customers acrossall industries for transaction processingand data warehousing applications.Resource allocation“The notion of a grid is about pooling andsharing of resources,” said Eric Cheung,director, database sales consulting, OracleHong Kong. “Grid and well-architectedsharing of resources in general givescontinued on page 52 50 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

awards2009 continued from page 50enterprises more predictable behaviorthrough better instrumentation and moreoptimal allocation of resources. Applyinggrid technologies to databases has provensuccessful in helping customers save ITcosts and maintain a high level of availabilityand scalability—now we are taking itto middleware by introducing ApplicationGrid, a new approach for foundation infrastructurethat enables lower operationalcosts.”Managing the rapid changes and growthof complex database environments whilemaintaining optimal performance andkeeping management costs in check hasbecome a day-to-day juggling act for databaseand system administrators. Accordingto a survey conducted by Oracle, databaseadministrators typically spend 55%of their time on ongoing database administrationtasks, such as performance tuning,space management, and system resourcetuning.The problem is that management of a dynamic,high-performance database and itsassociated storage is simple in concept, buthighly complex in reality. The ongoing processof provisioning and configuring storageand mapping and managing databasefiles is labor-intensive, tedious, and subjectto human error. The result is that databaseand storage administrators’ waste endlesscycles on administration without ever attainingoptimized performance and capacityutilization.Stack upgradeIn March, Oracle announced Oracle EnterpriseManager 10g Release 5, a comprehensiveset of solutions to simplify themanagement of the full Oracle softwarestack. Oracle’s unique top-down approachto application management enables customersto reduce IT complexity and to increaseefficiencies resulting in better performanceand lower management costs for their enterpriseapplications.With this release, Oracle Enterprise Managerrounds out Oracle Database managementcapabilities with tools that can enhancedatabase administrator (DBA) productivityand reduce costs through increased automation,higher availability and improved compliance.Key new capabilities include: real-In Hong Kong, ourinstalled database andnew customers are turningto Oracle’s value-addedsolutions to extend thepower of their database in acost-effective waytime SQL monitoring and support for newOracle Database advisors; deployment automationfor highly available grid computinginfrastructure; enhanced support for OracleDatabase Vault; automated database testingworkflow that integrates database softwareprovisioning, data masking, database workloadcapture and workload replay tasks.With new self-managing capabilities, theintegrated management solution helps toeliminate time-consuming, error-prone administrativetasks, so database administratorscan focus on strategic business objectivesinstead of performance and availability“fire drills.”AHong Kong-listed integrated international containertransportation, logistics and terminal company has successfullyimplemented Oracle RAC to build the nextgenerationdatabase server platform for its mission-criticalapplications.To cope with the rapid business growth that was expectedto double in a year, the company decided to revamp its ITinfrastructure to better support its two key customer serviceand shipment management applications. As the previouslegacy system ran on a 12-CPU SMP machine, the companywas looking for an effective way to lower the costs for managingthis complex server environment.Before the actual implementation, the company’s ITdepartment and Oracle’s technical consultancy team hadgone through a detailed system test on Oracle RAC. Duringthe test, Oracle demonstrated linear scalability from one tosix nodes and the benefits of rolling patch upgrade, ease ofonline node addition and flexibility in workload distribution.The company finally selected the database grid solutions toscale out its systems and create one 4-node and one 6-nodeLinux cluster farms. The systems were brought to productionin April 2008.The new system helps to elevate database administratorproductivity. DBAs can define the rules to automaticallyallocate processing resources to services. Oracle RACinstances can be allocated to process individual servicesor multiple services as needed. These allocation rulescan be modified dynamically to meet changing businessneeds.For example, the DBA can modify these rules at the endof a quarter to ensure that there are enough processingresources to complete critical financial or reporting functionson time. The rules can also be defined so that wheninstances running critical services fail, the workload willbe automatically shifted to instances running less criticalworkloads.52 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

awards2009Customer Relationship Management (CRM)SAP CRMEnterprise Resources Planning (ERP)SAP ERPSupply China Management (SCM)SAP SCMSAP engineers value for customersAwareness of customer requirements, value-creation, and integratedstrategies create success in the apps space, says SAP’s Mark GibbsBy Teresa LeungConsolidation in the enterpriseapps space in the past 24months has pressurized vendors.As businesses have tighterbudgets, apps makers mustprovide products that help customersdo more with less.According to Mark Gibbs,president, North Asia, SAPHong Kong, the firm has been successfulin securing new deals from both existingand new customers. Last quarter,said Gibbs, St Paul Hospital in Hong Kongsigned a deal for SAP’s apps such as financialand procurement together with Siemen’snetwork infrastructure for use in anew building.“We foresee the healthcare sector to continueinvestment in the next 24 months,”SAP’s Gibbs: We offer integration and certainty to our customerssaid Gibbs. “This particular sector feelsless impact of the economic downturn aspeople need their services.”SAP also sees opportunities from sectorslike utilities, government, and manufacturing.“Manufacturers especially smallerones have a difficult time, but some aregetting stronger after consolidation tookplace,” said Gibbs. “These stronger firmsare still investing in technologies to preparefor the economic upturn.”Value engineeringTo grab the most of these opportunities,Gibbs said SAP focuses on value engineering.“Instead of focusing on deals and transactions,we try our best to understand whatusers want to achieve,” he said.SAP’s approach is to look at a customer’scurrent metrics and requirements,and helpthe client develop a businesscase, he added.One recent majorchange in customer requirements:companiesare more cautious andbreak projects downinto smaller increments,said Gibbs, adding thatbusinesses also demandmore analysis and businesscases before makingpurchase decisions.For the smaller companieswhich are themajority of Hong Kong’s business community,SAP has a dedicated team to focuson this sector. “These firms are small butthey need technologies to make their supplychain more effective,” Gibbs said. Headded that SAP has a few hundred SMBcustomers in Hong Kong, adding that theratio of SMB clients to large enterprises isabout two-to-one.SAP will continue tostrengthen awareness of itsSOA-enabled SAP BusinessSuite 7Integrated strategyWhen asked how SAP’s differentiationstrategy in the fast-changing applicationlandscape—especially after the acquisitionof Sun by Oracle—Gibbs said that SAP hasan integrated strategy.“Unlike firms that buy many companiesand simply put them and their products together,we offer integration and certaintyto our customers,” said Gibbs. “We don’twant to create a software supermarket likeothers did.”Besides, our strong interactions withcustomers, innovations, and comprehensiveenterprise support make us stand out,he added.In the coming 12 months, SAP will continueto strengthen awareness of its SOAcontinuedon page 54 www.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 53

awards2009 continued from page 53enabled SAP Business Suite 7 announcedin early May. More than 300 customersin all major industries across 37 countriesparticipated in the six-month ramp-upprogram for the new suite, according toSAP.In addition, the application vendorwants to enhance its market educationin Hong Kong. According to Gibbs, SAPwill spend more time and effort lettingusers know that applications are enablersrather than expenses. “[Applications] enablecompanies to reduce costs while increasingtransparency and the capabilityto meet compliance requirements,” heconcluded.SAP expands BI strategyIn mid-May, SAP unveiled software for business intelligenceand analytics—areas that are becoming integral to the strategyof the German enterprise applications company.One product is a business-analytics search tool called SAPBusinessObjects Explorer. Leo Apotheker, co-CEO of SAP,likened it to an “iTunes” for business analytics—allowing anytionvery quickly.The other application, called Constellation, combines socialnetworking and business intelligence and “helps people worktogether in a very seamless way,” Apotheker said. He did notapplication” that “links back into the business suite.”SAP BusinessObjects Explorer is the result of the company’spurchase of BusinessObjects in late 2007. The product combinesa memory database, a custom-built search engine and auser interface that is similar to the interface of Apple’s iTunessoftware and allows for easy searchability of business-analyticsinformation, he said.“Even SAP can be cool,” Apotheker said, joking about theiTunes comparison, before describing the product. “It enablesyou to do one very important thing—you can look at anyquantity of data—we’re talking about terabytes, hundreds ofterabytes, and get an answer in less than a second in normallanguage,” he said.Business intelligence and analytics are becoming an increasinglyimportant part of SAP’s overall business, particularlysince the purchase of BusinessObjects, Apotheker said. Hesaid that many people still think of SAP as mainly an ERPcompany, but that ERP “is not our biggest moneymaker” andmakes up only a small percentage of SAP’s revenue.“I believe business intelligence is a true game changer, providedyou make it accessible to the common human being,”he said.Apotheker’s appearance came just before he took over assole CEO of SAP. His colleague and co-CEO Henning Kagermann,who Apotheker congratulated for his service Monday,departed his position last month.In addition to giving a SAPPHIRE preview, Apotheker alsospoke on a range of other topics, defending SAP’s enterprisesupportpolicy and also commenting on the current economicrecession.Regarding the former, he took a shot at SAP competitorSalesforce.com on the subject of its enterprise support policy.Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff has warned of vendor lockinwith enterprise support and said customers should not payfor it.“Someone thinks enterprise support shouldn’t be paid becauseit’s a lock-in—that’s a bloody joke,” Apotheker said. Hesaid that SAP’s 86,000 global customers have a choice aboutwhether they want to pay for enterprise support or not.amount of recurring revenue from its support, but said thecompany has committed to making it a good value for customers.“There is no other vendor on the planet that has sat downwith its users and customers [about support like SAP],” hesaid. “We will deliver a 30 percent value generation over aperiod of four years.”On the subject of the challenging economy, Apothekerstressed the importance of business responsibility goingforward, and said SAP’s business-analytics and applicationsstrategy are aimed at making businesses take more responsibilityand to also foster sustainability.“I believe we are talking about a period and I’m sure it willlast for quite a number of years where people want businessesto demonstrate accountability,” he said. “At SAP we think thatis a good thing and we want to embrace that.”To help support SAP’s sustainability strategy, the companyrecently also unveiled the acquisition of a company calledClear Standards, which offers software to help enterprisesmeasure and monetize greenhouse gas emissions and otherenvironmental impacts across their operations and supplychain.In a press statement, SAP said the acquisition would help itaccelerate its ability to meet the carbon-management requirementsof organizations to meet increasingly stringent governmentregulations and to be more transparent about responsibleecological strategies.—By IDG staff54 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

awards2009Mid-Range Server (50-200 users)HP ProLiant ServerBackup Storage (Tape)HP StorageWorks TapeDriveHP: business-critical virtualizationSheu from HP: Pre-packaged cloud tools are the newrequirementCustomers don’t just needservers and storage toolsbut also features that makevirtualization deployment ofthese products simpleBy Teresa LeungSuccess in the server andspace will be sustained by virtualizationofferings, said FredSheu, director, Marketing andBusiness Development, TechnologySolutions Group, HP HongKong.During the past 12 months, thekey trend among large enterprisesand smaller firms in Hong Kong was IT infrastructureconsolidation, said Sheu. “Theywanted to increase their machines’ utilizationrate and allocate resources for applicationswithout investing in new infrastructure,” hesaid.“That’s where virtualization comes intoplay,” Sheu added.VirtualizationAccording to him, sectors such as finance,utility, government are working on their virtualizationprojects. In response to customers’needs, HP recently launched shared storagetools that improve business reliability andreduce costs by simplifying server virtualizationdeployments, said Sheu.The new HP LeftHand P4000 SAN productoffers a scale-out architecture that providesdata replication and automatically balancesdata volumes across storage resources, HPsaid. This product also allows administratorsto ensure application requirements are metby cost-effectively deploying shared storagewithin virtual server environments while usingexisting physical and virtual technologyinfrastructures, HP added.The vendor also recently announced sharedstorage solution within a virtualized bladeserver infrastructure. The new HP Storage-Works SB40c with P4000 Virtual SAN ApplianceSoftware bundle delivers a scalable SANthat can be deployed within the HP BladeSysteminfrastructure and expanded across multipleblade enclosures to meet high growthstorage needs, said the vendor.As the iSCSI SAN market driven by servervirtualization is expected to increase at a 25percent CAGR through 2013, the HP LeftHandP4000 SAN helps make sure business-criticaldata is always available while reducing thecosts of managing and expanding storage infrastructures,HP noted.Simplifying data center managementAccording to Sheu, customers also wantto simplify data center management and improveresource utilization in the data center.HP’s strategy is to offer afull portfolio of products,solutions and services tohelp enterprise customersmanage and transform theirtechnology environmentto deliver better businessoutcomes— Fred Sheu, HPIn April this year, the firm launched the HPBladeSystem Matrix—a converged software,server, storage and networking platform thatautomates service delivery for the data center.HP Matrix Orchestration Environmentprovides a unified management interface torapidly design, deploy and optimize the applicationinfrastructure, the vendor added.Together, these offerings create an integrat-continued on page 56 www.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 55

awards2009 continued from page 55ed pool of resources that operate in both physicaland virtual environments, creating the firsttruly business-ready infrastructure, said HP.Through a self-service portal, BladeSystemMatrix provides CIOs with a push-button approachto accelerating the provisioning of theinfrastructure for applications, said HP, addingthat it also dynamically assigns resources tomeet the needs of the business in minutes versusweeks or months. Resources are assignedto requests as needed, and then returned tothe pool once the service requirements arecompleted, optimizing utilization of the infrastructure.Challenges and new requirementsDespite success in meeting customerneeds, like other vendors, HP faces thechallenge of businesses’ reduced IT budget.“Customers are now more price-sensitivethan before,” said Sheu, adding that serverspending in Hong Kong continued to dropin recent quarters according to figures fromresearch firms.“We have seen more vendors compete fora deal while there are more tech projects onhold,” said Sheu. “Companies are looking forhigh-value services and support.He said that, “HP’s strategy is to offer a fullportfolio of products, solutions and servicesto help enterprise customers manage andtransform their technology environment todeliver better business outcomes.”The overall costs include those related tothe management of processes and inventory,which can be achieved by automation,consolidation, and risk mitigation via effectivebackup and disaster recovery tools andplans.Sheu also sees new requirements by businesses.“Service providers need pre-packagedcloud computing tools for easy deployment,”he said. “Because without pre-packaged tools,it takes these firms around 10 days to deploya cloud infrastructure.”Software-as-a-service (SaaS) enabled bycloud infrastructure will allow SMBs to usemore IT. “At the moment, SMBs in HongKong don’t use much IT,” said Sheu. “Theirusage is limited to Internet and building companyWeb sites.”SaaS allows SMBs adopt technologiesthey need without internal IT resources,Sheu added.HP automates management of VMware, virtualization systemsHP recently announced updates to its business serviceautomation suite designed to help customers cut thecost of managing virtualization and improve servicequality.The company updated two software applications and introducedone new offering in its BSA suite, which is built on technologyHP acquired with Opsware.“We see a huge opportunity to cut back on labor bloat. Whenyou have very expensive resources, the storage administratoris one of the most expensive people in the data center. Logginginto storage arrays and checking for capacity is a huge waste oftheir time,” said Michel Feaster, senior director of products forBusiness Service Automation Software at HP. “We want to takeall these low-level tasks and apply automation to take advantageof the huge opportunity for productivity improvements.”HP added new capabilities to its Storage Essentials and OperationsOrchestration products and launched BSA Essentials,a set of subscription services that will help customers bettermanage their infrastructure in a standardized way by providingaccess to security alerts and updates on regulation policies andcompliance auditing, the company said. BSA Essentials alsoincludes a community portal that would provide an online forumfor HP BSA customers.The company enabled Storage Essentials to discover and mapVMware hosts to storage and storage-area network (SAN) dependencies.HP said this will enable IT managers to reclaim unusedstorage resources from virtual machines and reallocate the capacity.The software can also now automate storage provisioning toVMware hypervisor and guest operating system. Industry watcherssaid HP recognizes the need to manage IT services in virtualenvironments that span across technology silos.“One issue is expanding the reach of virtualization managementto encompass and to coordinate with the management oftechnology silos—storage, networks, application, and database,”said Jasmine Noel, principal analyst and co-founder at Ptak,prisesto shift mission-critical virtual machines from one physicalsystem to another during a hardware failure or upgrade becausewhile their server stacks may be mobile, the network connectionsto SANs, databases and other legacy systems may not bemobile. That’s why HP is trying to make their other managementproducts more virtual machine-aware.”HP also upgraded its Operations Orchestration automatedInfrastructure, Citrix XenServer and Microsoft HyperV. Theupdates will help integrate automated tasks across servers,network, storage and other IT elements.“If you speed up the mean time to change without also givingIT managers a way to speed up all their other administrativeexpecting,” Noel said. “What HP is trying to do with Operationsautomation.”— By IDG staff56 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

awards2009Unified Threat Management (UTM)Check Point UTM-1 TotalSecurity AppliancesFirewall/VPNCheck Point VPN-1 PowerIntrusion Detection/PreventionCheck Point IPS-1 ApplianceCentralized security:more control, less hassleCheck Point scores withsecurity appliancesBy Ross MilburnCheck Point Software Technologieshas been among theglobal leaders in security technologyfor many years, embracingthe two domains of network anddata security. The company wasfounded in 1993 by the presentchairman and CEO, Gil Shwed,who was closely associated withthe development of the first firewalls, and ithas gone on to become a multinational corporation,with international headquarters in TelAviv, subsidiaries in more than 30 countriesand 1900 employees.Check Point’s solutions were originallysoftware-based, but two years ago, a rangeof UTM (Unified Threat Management) applianceswas introduced, containing firewall,virtual private network (VPN), intrusion prevention(IPS), antivirus, anti-spying, URLfiltering, Web security and anti-spam. “Theappliance market is growing in double digits,and it constituted 35 percent of our productsales last year,” said Itzhak Weinreb, VP ofsales. “We also strengthened our hand by acquiringNokia’s high-end security business,after many years of providing software fortheir appliances.”The range of UTMs extends from SMEsizedboxes to huge units with 65Gbps networkthroughput.Software blades for customizationUTM-1 models incorporate a new technologycalled software blade architecture, thatenables security functionality such as firewall,IPSec, Anti-virus and anti-malware oranti-spam to be provided on a customizedCheck Point’s Weinreb. Switching capex to opex isgood in the current financial environmentbasis. “The customer only pays for the softwarerequired,” said Weinreb, “so the CPUis used efficiently and the appliance is morecost-effective.”For companies that don’t need all the comprehensivefeatures in the UTM-1 range, ordon’t want to invest in purchase, a subscriptionservice is available, operated by telcosand other service providers, acting as MSPs(Managed Service Providers). “Switchingcapex to opex is good in the current financialenvironment,” notes Weinreb.End-point protection is becoming a moreimportant element of Check Point’s business,as more mobile devices are connectedto enterprise networks. The ease with whichmobile devices can be connected to networksposes new security risks. “Enterprises are goingto get the message in one of two ways: oneway is through regulation, as in Japan,” saidWeinreb. “The alternative is when crisis develop,as when thousands of patient recordswere lost thanks to unauthorized memorystick use, as occurred in Hong Kong.”In 2007, Check Point acquired Pointsec, aworldwide provider of mobile device security.“Pointsec delivers a trusted solution forcontinued on page 60 458 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

awards2009 continued from page 58automatic data encryption on mobile devices,protecting sensitive enterprise data at themost vulnerable location,” said Weinreb. “Itworks on laptops, PDAs, smartphones and removablemedia, encrypting files and foldersto protect corporate data.”Check Point is about to launch a new solutionto the problem of staff using home laptopsor PCs at Internet cafes that are likelyto be insecure. It’s a flash memory stick forendpoint security. “When you connect theflash memory, it creates a secure IPSec connectionto your network. And when you savedata, it resides on your network server and inthe memory stick – but not on the client PC.This closes off a potential data risk.”The appliance market isgrowing in double digits,and it constituted 35percent of our product saleslast yearIntrusion prevention technologyIntrusion prevention is a relatively newsecurity technology. “Only five percent ofenterprises have IPS,” said Weinreb. “Oursystem is integrated with UTM-1 appliances,and it provides protection against over 2,000threats. We regard this as a differentiator forour UTM products.”Microsoft publishes its list of vulnerabilitiesand patches on “Patch Tuesday” whichis a nightmare for most IT managers, whoneed to implement patching and other securitymeasures as soon as possible. “Since wework closely with Microsoft, we know whatthey will ship a few days in advance,” saidWeinreb. “This means that our customerswho are equipped with IPS-1 are already protected,before they even receive Microsoft’slist on Patch Tuesday. We provide IPS-1 as asoftware blade within UTM-1 appliances.”All UTM systems have management consolesfor monitoring and control purposes.Check Point have produced a range of threestandalone security consoles. For large enterpriseswith multiple data centers, the newconsoles enable, say, four data centers to beprotected from a single location, increasingconvenience and cutting equipment costs.Among the latest trends in security servicesare software blades allowing customizedappliances, virtualization of security systemsto match users network virtualization,and Managed Security Services Providers(MSSP).Check Point’s centralized endpoint securityOne of the main security concerns of enterprise IT services is the steadyincrease in the number of endpoints and especially mobile devices that areattached to the corporate network.“End-points can be the Achilles heel of risk, since attacks can bypass traditionalperimeter-based security and enter the enterprise network through endpoints by, forexample, interacting with malicious Web sites,” said Weinreb. “Many mobile endpointsmay be used inside or outside the perimeter of security controls. And endpointsgenerate a huge headache for IT staff who usually have to manage deploymentof policies and controls for multiple security agents on each physical device.”Check Point’s strategy is to unify endpoint security with a single agent on each PCthat is deployed, all managed from a single central console. “This means, the IT staffwill only have to run test cycles on a single agent, but it must be comprehensive,covering the following six key functions,” said Weinreb.1.Detect and Block Malware: The agent must detect and block malware, typicallycentral visibility of the endpoints, to monitor their security status.2.Secure Data: Data must be secured by full-disk encryption, media encryption andport/device control and strengthened by pre-boot authentication. Full disk encryptionensures all data stored on a system is secure if the device is lost or stolen.Media encryption will protect data from leaking on to, for example, USB storageIn the past, endpoint encryption has been cumbersome to execute and hinderedsystem performance, but newer encryption solutions have solved these issues. Port/device control is a relatively new technology that enables enterprises to centrallycontrol the use of individual ports on an endpoint. This can prevent unauthorizedtransfer of data to a personal storage device, such as USB storage and the entry ofmalware to the network from such devices. It also enforces encryption of data storedon approved storage devices.3.Enforce Policy Compliance: Heterogeneous networks should support Network AccessControl (NAC) for multi-vendor environments and auto-remediation for automaticretrieval and installation of updates on non-compliant endpoints.4.Secure Remote Access: Remote access should be protected by VPN technologythat provides a secure, encrypted tunnel for access, preventing eavesdropping anddata tampering.5.Centralized Management: A single management console should be available toendpoint security.the user’s way, by unifying security requirements on a single small-footprint agenton each PC, rather than the multiple agents used in the past.60 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

awards2009Enterprise Router (50+ users)Cisco 3800 Series IntegratedServices RoutersEnterprise Switch (50+ users)Cisco Catalyst 3750-ESeries SwitchesVideo Conferencing (Joint Winner with Polycom)Cisco TelePresenceIP PBXCisco Unified CommunicationsManager Version 7.0Call Center ManagementCisco Unified Contact CenterExpress +Cisco Unified WorkforceOptimizationWAN OptimizationCisco Wide AreaApplication Services(WAAS) AppliancesWLAN SwitchCisco Wireless LANControllersCisco Systems has long heldthat “the network is the platform.”Last year, taking cuesfrom social networking trendsand other network-synergies,Eddie Lau (systems engineermanager, Cisco Hong Kong)told Computerworld Hong Kong:“Nowadays we say we are in the‘work/learn/live/play’ space...we’re in aprocess of change.”The change Lau spoke of extended beyondany single vendor, or even technologyitself. The global economic situationhas shifted within the last twelve months,and although learning-while-working isstill important, everyone now focuses morekeenly on the fundamentals. “We at Ciscoare focused not only on our customers,but also on the Hong Kong government,”said Barbara Chiu, general manager, CiscoHong Kong and Macau. “We’ve been tryingto influence the Hong Kong government toset policy [that will help] drive ICT to boostthe economy at this time.”Cisco: strength andevolutionCisco urges Hong Kong government to leverage its strengthsand move forward using ITBy Stefan HammondCisco’s Lau: We want our customer to drive moreappsChiu said that technology is an importantdriver for Hong Kong, and one that canhelp the HKSAR leverage the strengthscontinued on page 62 www.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 61

awards2009 continued from page 61it has built up over the decades. “HongKong has a sophisticated legal system,”she said, “let’s leverage that by creatinga center of excellence.” One tactic Chiusuggested was the use of abandoned industrialbuildings in Hong Kong for datacenters or other IT facilities. “There arelots of things the government can do tohelp boost the technology sector,” shesaid, “including liaising with the mainland[on IT issues].”“We have the expertise and infrastructureto be either an IT hub or a datacenterhub,” said the Cisco GM. “Enterprisesmainly, but also SMBs, can consolidatedatacenters here,” she added.Cloud talent“Down the road, when users are more accustomedto using cloud-computing technology,no one cares where the app or dataresides,” pointed out Lau. “That means itwill then be critically important to managethe business, but where’s the talent? HongKong has that ability, but if the governmentdoesn’t build up Hong Kong in this aspect,Cisco’s Chiu: A phone is not a phone, it’s a platformwe may lose data center talent.”“If we can demonstrate that we [in HongKong] have that talent,” said the Ciscosystems engineer manager, “we can movefrom ‘private cloud’ to ‘public cloud’.”“Hong Kong has the capability to do so,but we don’t publicize as much as Singaporedoes,” said Chiu. “The Hong Kong governmentsees the window of opportunity, butThe government needsto be proactive as otherregions are aggressive...we should use the new LokMa Chau border area toattract mainland talentthey cannot build the cloud for us—that’snot their role.”However, Chiu stressed the need forour government to provide incentives andhelp drive the sector’s development. “Theyneed to be proactive as other regions areaggressive,” she said. “We should use thenew Lok Ma Chau border area to attractmainland talent. Cisco is willing to workwith government more on this area, andboth government and industry are movingin this direction—the most important is toget something started, and perhaps a taskforce should be established.”Public and private sectors dovetail“We have excellent telecom infrastructurehere in Hong Kong, and we can elevatethis,” said Chiu. She added that the developmentof the Tamar site into a governmentHQ should drive IT, along the linesof “smart-connected cities” like Singaporeand the major metropolitan areas of Japanand Korea. “Once you have an IP network,many things are possible if the governmentis proactive,” said Chiu.“Take, for example Mongkok—with anIP network, you can add video surveillancequickly and easily,” she said. “You canalso add pollution sensors, like EcoMapSan Francisco (see sidebar: “EcoMap: SanFrancisco, Seoul, and beyond?”). The ideais to make it easier for government to usetechnology.”Private-sector initiatives“Customers are transforming their businessesand using our software to do so,”said Chiu, referring to Cisco Call CenterManagement software which won a CWHKAward this year. “A phone is not a phone,it’s a platform,” she said.“Cisco in HK very progressive in deployingour own products,” said Lau. “We arevery flexible in video, Unified Communications...webelieve in open platforms andprogrammability as a function of Call CenterManagement.”The systems engineer manager focusedon granularity: “The contact center is anapp, but it also enables other apps,” hesaid. “Clients can use it to push what theywant to the customer, dealing with directlywith the customer and customize apps sothey can use 100% of capability. We wantour customer to drive more apps.” 62 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

The HKIEd selects Cisco’s next-generation data centerIn March 2009, the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd)and Cisco announced that the Institute has deployed a Cisconext-generation data center solution to power a high-speednetwork with 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports, offering a greener, moreinnovative and effective learning environment as well as greateradopt such a highly resilient data center solution, the deploy-and intensive bandwidth capacity while simplifying networkmanagement and supporting media-rich applications, saidCisco Hong Kong in a statement.The goal is to help the HKIEd protect its data center resources,optimize its operations, and support future growth in theiruser base as well as on-campus technological initiatives.“We strive to deliver state-of-the-art technology to meet theevolving needs of our students, staff and the community,” saidmationTechnology and Services, HKIEd. “Cisco’s next-generationdata center solution helps us build power-saving, resilientthrough the high-bandwidth, highly available solution that connectseveryone anywhere anytime. “We selected Cisco becauseit has a proven track record in the education sector that webelieve will help us become a leading tertiary institute in the AsiaThe backbone of the Cisco data center solution deployed bythe HKIEd comprises the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Virtual SwitchingSystem (VSS) 1440 and Cisco Application Control Engine (ACE)Module.Cisco Catalyst 6500 Switches feature innovative VSS technology,enabling the HKIEd to simplify network complexity and toreduce switch management overhead, thus increasing opera-also maximizes the available bandwidth for the 10-Gigabit Ethernetports in the network infrastructure to as high as 1.4 Tbps,providing the Institute with massive capacity to accommodatemedia-rich applications over the network, as well as reducingthe capital expenditure required to add capacity.To prepare for the 3-3-4 education reform in 2012, the Institutehas developed plans to support Mobile Learning by providingnetbooks to all full time students. The Institute will also fullynitionvideo broadcast. These innovative initiatives demand aquantum leap in bandwidth and capacity requirements. Cisco’sCatalyst 6500 Switches next generation data center solution offersa robust and future-proof network platform to power theseinnovations. The solution also prepares the Institute to supportIPv6 which is progressively adopted in academic and researchnetworks, including the China Education and Research Network(CERNET/CERNET2).Cisco Application Control Engine (ACE) with virtualization capability.This helps the HKIEd to leverage virtualized architectureand roles-based system administration to streamline the cost ofrolling out, scaling, accelerating and protecting application andWeb Service environment. Through intelligent load-balancingand content-switching technologies, HKIEd is empowered toscale its data center resources to support bandwidth intensiveapplications such as multimedia e-learning applications, thusenabling students to access information and resources, encouraginggreater interaction and ultimately, helping them accomplishtheir educational goals.educational excellence. We are pleased to collaborate withHKIEd to help create a better and greener learning environmentexperience with Cisco’s advanced data center solution. We lookforward to working even more closely with HKIEd to augmentthe Institute’s role as a leading breeding ground for educators inHong Kong,” said Cisco’s Barbara Chiu.www.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 63

awards2009Corporate Multifunctional Copier/Printer/ScannerFuji Xerox ApeosPort-IIIC3300Fuji Xerox sees outsourcing,green IT as hot trendsInnovations in products and services are crucial in today’sdocument management landscape By Teresa Leung“Recently we announced a service patchthat guarantees 99.5 percent of device uptimefor a customer’s contract period,” said Chan.“Fuji Xerox is the only document managementvendor that provides such a guaranteein Hong Kong.”The past 12 months wasn’teasy for tech companies, butFuji Xerox had a rewardingyear. “We were once again theleader in Hong Kong in termsof color multi-function devicesales, according to IDC’s rankingin 2008,” said Lydia Chan,senior manager, Office & ProductionBusiness, Business Planning & Marketing,Fuji Xerox Hong Kong.” We’ve heldthis position for 12 consecutive years.”Fuji Xerox will continue tobe a market leaderFuji Xerox is also proud of its innovation indocument management software. Chan saidthe company has long noted that softwareplays a crucial role in production and hasspent much effort in creating software toolsfor workflow improvement. “For instance, wehelp construction firms manage their documents,”she said, “including proposals andtechnical drawings for more streamlined tenderbidding preparation processes.”The firm also helps raise the awarenessof the education sector in document management.“The latest education overhaul requiresmuch effort in managing student information,”said Chan. “Schools need to keepstudent profiles, their learning records, examresults, and other documents including replyslips related to different activities. It’s a challengeto turn them into paperless records.”The firm’s green effort has also receivedrecognition. “We won the 2008 Hong KongAwards for Industries: Environmental PerformanceAward,” said Chan, adding that FujiXerox continues to boot its efforts to collectused hardware from customers.New opportunitiesDespite the economic turmoil, Fuji Xeroxsees new opportunities in Hong Kong. Businesseswant to raise their productivity by enablingemployees to share information moreeasily, said Chan, adding that they also wantto minimize the volume of paper used.Fuji Xerox offers tools to enable effectivecontrol of: costs, volume of paper used, anddata leakage, she said. The company also allowscustomers to lease devices and servicesrather than forcing them to pay an upfrontsum, Chan added.She also sees opportunities in print roomoperation outsourcing. “Fuji Xerox did astudy on outsourcing trends a few years ago,”said Chan. “According to the study results,we came up with services that businessesneeded.” She foresees more outsourcing opportunitiesin Hong Kong in the coming 12months from industries such as banking, finance,and insurance which have a huge volumeof statements to print.Unparalleled servicesAsked what differentiates Fuji Xerox fromits rivals in Hong Kong, Chan said the firm’sservice quality is unparalleled.Fuji Xerox’s Chan: Our green effort receives recognitionBesides, Fuji Xerox is committed to completean onsite fix job in four hours, Chan noted.“Unlike us, our competitors only provideresponse time,” she said.According to Chan, Fuji Xerox also offersa range of online support services dubbediSupport services. They are designed tohelp ensure smooth operation of Fuji Xerox’soffice and production printers, offering24x7 help with the least possible disruptionto a customer’s productivity level,Chan said.iSupport services allows customers to accessinstant self-service for product informationsearch in English, traditional or simplifiedChinese; fast diagnosis and troubleshootingservices via the Internet; up-to-the-minuteinformation on their machines’ current state;proactive monitoring on the health and historicalperformance of devices; as well asfeatures for consumables ordering, consumablesand network connectivity monitoring,and detailed statistics on the output volumeof each device.“With all these advantages, Fuji Xerox willcontinue to be a market leader,” Chan concluded.64 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

Sponsored FeatureModern Education Raises Service Quality and Expands inGreater China with Fuji Xerox Document Management SolutionFuji Xerox helps the leading education service provider streamline businessprocesses, save printing cost, and become greener.Established in 1988, Modern Education isthe leading education services provider inHong Kong. Running 15 tutorial centers,five registered colleges, a professional Englishlearning center, Modern Education has helpedover one million students to improve their academicperformance, with many of them scoringtop results in the Hong Kong Certificate of EducationExamination and other public examinations.Modern Education has won awards not only inHong Kong but also in the Greater China region.Some of wins include Corporate Credibility AccreditationProgramme 2009/2010, TVB WeeklyBrands Award 2008, East Week-Hong KongServices Awards 2009, and Reader’s DigestAsia’s Trusted Brand.ChallengesModern Educationprinted notes for differentcourses, courseoutlines, and marketingcollaterals at a centralizedprint room in TsuenWan. As a routine, tutorsfrom different centersmanually filled outW.L. Lee, Executive print request forms,Director, Modernwhich were submittedtogether with hard copiesof documents to beEducation (HK) Ltdprinted to administration staff for approval. Thecopies, when ready, would be sent from the printroom to different centers.The entire process took seven to 10 days,which was long especially when Modern Education’snumber of students grew rapidly, saidW.L. Lee, Executive Director of Modern Education(HK) Ltd. This manual print process couldresult in missing hard copies and never allowedthe company to track the number of printoutsfrom each center accurately.Modern Education realized it was in need of asolution that helped keep track of print volume,streamline and centralize printing processes, aswell as move towards greener operation.SolutionModern Education has been a customer of FujiXerox since 2002. According to Lee, Fuji Xeroxadopts a proactive approach in understandingcustomer needs. “The Fuji Xerox team came toour centers, investigated our production environmentand evaluated our printers/copiers devicesand usage volume, and suggested an effectivesolution,” said Lee.Deployed since January 2009, the documentmanagement solution for Modern Educationcomprises document management softwareApeosWare My Document Portal (AMDP), Docu-Works, a centralized Document ManagementSystem (DMS), and more than 20 multi-functiondevices including the FX ApeosPort-III C3300and FX ApeosPort-III C2200 models.BenefitsProcess streamlined – productivity and serviceslevel raisedThe Fuji Xerox solution has automated andstreamlined the printing processes at ModernEducation. Now tutors can easily upload theirprint requests and soft copies of documents tobe printed via a Web interface anywhere, anytime.After the electronic approval on the DMS, thedocuments will be stored in a centralized libraryfor printing. “From request to document deliveryto a center, it only takes two to three days now,”said Lee. “Students can have up-to-date notes,which are crucial to the current issues discussionin the newly introduced Liberal Studies.”Tutors never worry about missing hard copiesagain because the centralized library has softcopies of their documents. Besides, the centralizedlibrary allows tutors to instantly retrieve andrevise stored documents.As DocuWorks enables the seamless integrationof electronic documents of common formatssuch as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, jpeg,and tiff, tutors can create notes and presentationsthat best meet students’ needs.The centralized print processes and the easilyconfigured user and system settings on theAMDP and DMS also translate into time savingsfor administration workers. The thumbnailsof stored documents and tutors’ photos on thecolour graphical user interface of the AMDP attachedto the multi-function devices enable easypreview, efficient version control, and minimizedhuman error.Greener processesThe Fuji Xerox solution enables tutors andFor more information, please call 2513 2513Modern Education keeps track ofprint volume of every course withFuji Xerox solution.centers to order the exact amount of printouts,significantly minimizing wastage. Previously,Modern Education employees pre-printed extracopies to be placed in the centers. But theyeither ran out of copies without immediate replenishmentor left a certain amount of copiesunused.Without the need to submit hard copies ofdocuments for approval and manual copying,the education service provider saves not onlycost of paper purchase but also achieves greeneroperation.Effective cost and security controlThe Fuji Xerox solution allows ModernEducation to keep track of print volume of everycenter and every course. It also enables ModernEducation to authorize staff access to documentsand printing functions, allowing tighter securitycontrol of the company’s important asset. Allthese features result in remarkable cost savingsand effective operation management.Fast expansion enabledModern Education is expanding in GreaterChina, with the first learning center alreadyopened in Beijing in early June. “The industrystandardbased Fuji Xerox solution is easy todeploy in China while the easy-to-use graphicaluser interface of Fuji Xerox’s multi-function devicesminimizes training time and effort,” saidLee.Next stepModern Education plans to add email and e-faxto the Fuji Xerox solution for better communicationsbetween Hong Kong and China operationsas well as rapid delivery of scanned documentsto email accounts.“We will have 18 centers by end-Q3 in HongKong and we are looking into opportunities inTaiwan and Macau. I am sure the Fuji Xerox solutionwill continue to help us grow in a cost effectiveand green manner,” Lee concluded.

awards2009Anti-Virus/Anti-SpamSymantec EndpointProtectionContent Filtering/Anti-SpywareSymantec Brightmail GatewaySymantec: All-round protectionProduct improvement, dedicated support: ingredients for Symantec’ssuccess By Teresa LeungChue from Symantec: Symantec is a one-stop shopwhen it comes to servers, networks, and endpointsecurityContinuous product improvementand innovation arewhat make Symantec successful,said Michael Chue, Symantec’smanaging director of HongKong.Earlier this year the securityvendor launched the latest versionsfor end-point protection,Brightmail Gateway, and archiving product,said Chue, adding that the company isworking on SaaS offerings too.“Our effort in product improvements andinnovation has won our customers’ recognition,”said Chue. “For instance, HACTL(Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals) has deployedmultiple products of Symantec tomeet their storage and security needs.”HACTL started to use to use Symantec’smanaged security services earlier this yearfor guarding its networks and data, saidThomas Lee, IT operations manager atHACTL, adding that that the company hasalready been a user of storage and securityproducts including Veritas Storage Foundationsoftware and NetBackup, and VeritasCluster Server for five years.Success in the local market, he added, isalso a result of a strong local support teamthat strives to solve customers’ problems.OpportunitiesSymantec sees the recent economic turmoilas an opportunity, said Chue. Whencompanies respond to the downturn withattempts to cut cost and increase ROI, Symantecprovides help to them in both areas.“When the economy was doing well, customersdidn’t mind buying more products,”said Chue. “But many of these productsmight be left unused for a long time. Ourjob and our offerings are to help these usersbuy less.”According to him, Symantec helps customersunderstand their existing infrastructureand advises them on when theyneed to get additional products. “For instance,customers might not need to buymuch storage capacity in one go,” saidChue. “Future storage products are alwaysbetter and cheaper. Companies can buy ata later time when they really need them.”Hong Kong deploymentsserve as reference to ChinacustomersIn addition, Symantec sees a growing needamong corporations to guard against dataloss during merger and acquisition as wellas layoff exercises. “Companies worry aboutconfidential and customer data leakage in allthese cases,” said Chue. “Symantec is a onestopshop for these firms when it comes toservers, networks, and endpoint security.”The number of new customers every yearmight not be a lot, but existing customersdeploy an increasing variety of securityproducts by Symantec, said Chue. “Thisreflects the trend that companies need allroundprotection.”At the moment Symantec has more largeenterprise customers than SMB ones inHong Kong. “But it’s good to see that weare increasingly well known among localSMBs, which find our products work well66 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

for them and never ties them to a certainhardware platform,” said Chue.Compliance as a driverSymantec expects compliance to becomea more common security deployment driverin Hong Kong. “Many firms are still doingcompliance control manually,” said Chue.“But compliance is a routine that can beautomated.”Launched last year, Symantec ControlCompliance Suite provides end-to-end coveragefor the IT compliance lifecycle, includingpolicy management, technical andprocedural controls assessment, reporting,and remediation, Chue noted.“I believe our compliance suite is usefulto Hong Kong’s players in the finance andbanking sector,” he said.Chue says that Symantec’s focus on humantouch will sustain its success in thelocal market. “Unlike the US or China markets,Hong Kong is geographically small,”he said. “Customers expect us to reachthem onsite and support them when necessary.”“Hong Kong is a unique market,” saidChue. “It isn’t as huge as China but it servesas a reference and showcase to China customers.”Symantec CEO: Security sells in hard timesEnrique Salem, Symantec’s new president and CEO,sat down with Computerworld’s Scot Finnie and LucasMearian at the Storage Networking World conference inthe US recently to talk about how his company is dealing withthe recession and his vision of the future of Symantec and thetechnology business.Security is something you need all the time, independent of theeconomic environment. People continue to buy security becausethey need to protect their information. So we think security continuesto do as well or better than other sectors in tech spending.I don’t want to go that far, but I will say that security will absolutelydo better in a recession.Virtualization continues to be a hot topic. Another trend is softwareas a service. We absolutely believe that people are goingto think about their core competencies: What are the things theyhave to be good at, and what can they allow other third parties totake advantage of?Another important trend we see is the “consumerization” of IT.People coming to work every day are bringing new devices. IThas to start thinking about how to embrace these new technologies—everythingfrom your iPhone to social networking technologies.infrastructure—MIPS storage and so forth. Software as a serviceis delivering an application into an environment. Our focus ismore on software as a service. How do we help our customersto encryption—that has to be delivered as a service? We expectas a service.We went from being a US$600 million company in 1999 to a $6billion company today through about 30 acquisitions. We needto continue to drive the integration of those technologies. Ourcustomers don’t want point products. We need to do a better jobof continuing to integrate our technologies.professionals have known for a long time that the real threat isinformation.Different types of storage media are critical for us, so we willcontinue to extend the types of targets [that] data can be backedup to. Expect to see Symantec invest in more types of media.We created in Storage Foundation smart-move functionalityedgeto the applications. [And] we created what we call the thinreclamation API. As applications delete information, you want tomake sure that the arrays know that storage is available.— By IDG staffwww.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 67

awards2009Datacenter Power SystemAPC Symmetra PXCost-effective data center infrastructureAPC address network-critical physical infrastructure in a holistic wayBy Ross MilburnAPC by Schneider Electric(APC), a global leader in criticalpower and cooling services,provides industry leading products,software and systemsfor home, office, data centerand factory floor applications.Backed by the strength, experience,and wide network of SchneiderElectric’s Critical Power & CoolingServices, APC plans and installs solutions andmaintains them throughout their lifecycle.APC delivers energy efficient solutions forcritical technology and industrial applications,and is a global leader in what it terms”network-critical physical infrastructure”—comprising Uninterruptible Power Supplies(UPS), power distribution, racks and physicalstructures, cooling, security and environmentalmonitoring, surge protection andmanagement software, networking and cablesolutions.The central issueNetwork-critical physical infrastructurecurrently faces virtualization, high-availability,and rapid changes in IT technology. “Inresponse, APC is working to change the waythe world designs, installs, operates, manages,and maintains Network-Critical PhysicalInfrastructure (NCPI)” said Jonathan Chiu,general manager, APC by Schneider Electric,Hong Kong and Macau.“A central issue is market evolution fromcomponents to solutions,” said Chiu. “Today,we have custom-designed solutions withcomponents from many suppliers and ‘integration’burdened with an array of designers,vendors and builders. The process is slow,complex, error-prone, unpredictable, hard tochange and results in defects.”Chiu said that by contrast, “APC providesChiu from APC: The larger SMBs are installing bladeservers which drive heat issuesan integrated power, cooling and rack infrastructurefor critical networks. The equipmentis modular, scalable, serviceable fast,predictable, adaptable and can be configuredto-order.The solution is pre-engineered andrepeatable in different server room environments.”“The number of physical servers is down,but we see more rack servers with higherprocessing that draw more power,” saidChiu. “We see increases in the criticality ofthe consolidated or virtualized environment.The larger SMBs are installing blade serverswhich drive heat issues. We see more kilowattsper rack, which means higher densityand more heat. Virtualization also enablesservers to be added or moved more quickly,which changes the heat load.”Coping with virtualizationThe long term trend for data center infrastructureis virtualization, which is alreadybeing implemented by a majority ofenterprises. “This raises three challengesfor cooling,” said Chiu. “First, are the dynamicand high-density loads. The solutionis row-based cooling. The second challengeis under-loading of power/cooling systems.The solution is scalable power and cooling.Third, the need for real-time rack-level visibility.The solution is predictive managementtools, such as APC Change and CapacityManager (CCM).”“A key question when virtualizing is, if theIT load is reduced by a certain factor, howmuch will the energy losses due to power systemand cooling system be reduced?” continuedChiu. “As servers are consolidated, theirpower consumption could drop by two-thirds,but the cooling fans and motors may end upconsuming nearly 40% of the electricity bill.Optimized power and cooling should accompanyevery virtualization project. Efficientinfrastructure can not only increase powersavings up to 65% or so, but provide scalablesolutions for when the virtualized server loadincreased with enterprise growth.”As servers areconsolidated, their powerconsumption could drop bytwo-thirds, but the coolingfans and motors may endup consuming nearly 40%of the electricity billGreen IT is a global trend which demandschanges from users but also generates savings.“For example, we are able to make detailedcomparisons that show that APC’s ISX(InfraStruXure) can increase infrastructureefficiency from 31.5% to 46.9% compared withlegacy data center equipment,” said Chiu.“With ISX, more of the energy consumed isused for the IT load and less for cooling. Overten years, the ISX solution can save as muchas 35.98% of data center and infrastructurecosts.”68 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009www.cw.com.hk

Now, upgradeyour server roomwithout overhauling itAPC integrated cooling future-proofs yourIT room without breaking the bankIs your server room a barrier to adopting new technologies?Consolidation, virtualisation, network convergence, blade servers—these newtechnologies improve efficiency, cut costs, and allow you to “do more with less.” Butthey also bring high-density power, cooling, and management challenges that serverrooms were never designed to handle. You’re relying on guesswork, depending onbuilding air conditioning, or improvising remedies. So, how can you increase the levelof reliability and control in your server room without spending a fortune?Introducing the APC ® by Schneider Electric total server room solutionNow you can get power, cooling, monitoring, and management components thateasily deploy together as a complete, integrated solution. Everything has been preengineeredto work together and integrate seamlessly with your existing equipment.Just slide this proven, plug-and-play solution into most existing spaces—there’s noneed for confusing cooling configurations or expensive mechanical re-engineering.The modular, “pay as you grow” design lets you be 100% confident that your serverroom will keep pace with ever-changing demands.Future-proof your server room easily, cost-effectivelyAPC takes the hassle out of configuring server rooms. Self-contained InRow ® coolingunits, high-density NetShelter ® enclosures, and the APC rack air containment systemcombine to create a proper IT ecosystem in almost any environment. Rack-levelmonitoring sensors, intelligent controls built into the cooling unit, and integratedmanagement software provide complete remote control and unprecedented visibilityinto the entire system. Simply add power protection (such as undisputed, bestin-classSmart-UPS ® or Symmetra ® units) and you have a total solution for today,tomorrow, and beyond.The integrated,cooled, managedserver room1 Cooling Effective andenergy-effi cient InRow4 1cooling units handlehigh-density heat at itssource. Unique variablespeedfans automatically2adjust to meet changingheat loads.2 Power Energy-effi cient, ultra-reliable Smart-UPS andSymmetra UPS offer scalable runtime. Rack-mountpower distribution units (PDU) ensure that a wide varietyof devices get plugged in and powered.3 Environmental Monitoring & ManagementPoE-enabled temperature sensors let you keep an eyeon conditions at the rack level. Metered PDUs reporton aggregate power draw and tell you which rackshave available capacity. Centralised software gives youreal-time, data-driven insight into the entire system fromanywhere on the network.4 Enclosures Vendor-neutral NetShelter SX rackdesign handles high-density airfl ow and power needs.3Energy Impactof IncreasedServer InletTemperatureWhite Paper #138Register online and enter the key codebelow to win a FREE gift.Visit www.apc.com/promo Key Code 45830F • Call (852) 2126 6212 / 2834 5001 • Fax (852) 2563 5342 / 2834 8876© 2009 American Power Conversion Corporation. All trademarks are owned by Schneider Electric Industries S.A.S., American Power Conversion Corporation, or their affiliated companies.e-mail: esupport@apc.com • Unit 1410, 14/F Telecom Tower, Wharf T&T Square, 123 Hoi Bun Road, Kwun Tong, HONG KONG • 998-2028_A4_GB *Full details are available online.

awards2009Data Center Cooling SystemsEmersonKeeping your coolEmerson’s targeted cooling systems help IT departments drive energy efficiencyand green IT in their data centers By Jason KruppThe data center has beenin the middle of the debatearound energy efficiency,lower operating costs andgreen IT.And while many in the industryfocus on the amountof wattage each piece ofhardware consumes, EmersonNetwork Power and its cooling subsidiary,Liebert, are working to make thecooling process more efficient.The company has been a major player inthis market since 1965, and it is this experiencethat has seen the company win thisyear’s CWHK Award for Data Center CoolingSystems.Always innovateThe key to this success is constant innovation,according to Robert Sun Griffith,regional director for Emerson NetworkPower (North Asia and Japan).“Cooling a data center is not just aboutadding air conditioning. It’s about maintainingthe right level of humidity at theoptimum temperature,” said Griffith.“A lot of cooling systems can do this, but[they do so] inefficiently,” said Griffith.“When your customers are looking forways to cut costs in the data center, thisjust doesn’t work.”And Griffith believes that the pressureon companies to be energy efficient is onlygoing to increase as electricity prices risein the long term.To deliver solutions to cater for thisdemand, Emerson relies on a 1,000 person-strongresearch and developmentteam, and a global network of over 150offices.In addition, the company is committedto reducing power consumption in thedata center as a whole, and not just in theircooling products.“In terms of our approach to cooling wetry to look at every aspect of how energyis consumed,” said Griffith. “We tell ourcustomers to look at the processor, lookat virtualization, and to look at coolingbest practices such as cold aisles and hotaisles.”This approach to innovation has been avital part of Emerson’s strategy in tacklingCooling a data center isnot just about adding airconditioning—it’s aboutmaintaining the right levelof humidity at the optimumtemperaturethe growing data center market.The company has established partnershipswith the likes of Cisco, HP, IBM andSun, and designs systems to meet the exactcooling requirements of their products.Going forwards, Griffith believes thatthe drive towards more energy efficientcomputing has only just begun to shapethe technology landscape with many challengesfor customers and vendors alike.But these are challenges that he feels Emersonis well positioned to tackle.Cooling powerEmerson Liebert Precision Cooling providesa wide range of cooling products fordata centers, specifically designed to caterfor the extreme power and heat densitiesfound in today’s racks.how energy is consumedThey are designed for continuous operation,and feature redundancy, monitoring,and diagnostics to guard against downtime.These systems deliver cooling either bydirectly cooling the CPU, or positioningcooling vents above racks.This is significantly more cost-effectivethan the traditional under-floor approach,according to Emerson, as it directly targetslocalized hotspots rather than coolingthem by increasing the overall room airconditioning capacity.The targeted approach also reduces theamount for floor space needed for coolingsystems, and the modular nature ofthe cooling units and piping means IT departmentshave the flexibility to roll themout as they need them, lowering TCO ascompanies need not invest in capacity theywon’t immediately use.Emerson is also driving energy efficiencyin their products by using infraredtechnology to vaporize water in order tomaintain optimal humidity levels, ratherthan the traditional approach of constantlyrunning a boiler.All of this translates to a discount of 15percent over 15 years as compared to typicalcooling systems.70 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

awards2009Structured CablingTyco ElectronicsRiding the data center revolutionTyco Electronics’ Amp Netconnect leverages over 60 years experience in the connection and cabling arena tohelp companies cost effectively wire their data centers By Jason KruppThis year’s winner of theComputerWorld Networkingand Communications StructuredCabling Award was wonby Amp Netconnect, a divisionof Tyco Electronics.When you take into considerationthat they have beenoperating in the network infrastructurespace for almost 60 years in oneform or another, it is not surprising that theirexpertise shines through in the market.Amp Netconnect was formed in 1941, thenas a standalone company, specialized inproducing internal and I/O connectors forthose early pioneers who started moderncomputing.Since then the company has rapidly evolvedits business model and products to adapt tothe changing connectivity requirements oftechnology, ranging from the days of mainframes,Ethernets and co-axial cables throughto today, where Amp Netconnect develops,manufactures and supplies a comprehensiverange of communications infrastructure systemsand products.Managing changeIt is this ability to manage change thathas helped the division navigate throughthe financial crisis, according to Neville Lai,regional business director, Asia Pacific, forAmp Netconnect.“It wasn’t only the downturn that hit ourmarket, but the drop in raw material prices,”said Lai. “When copper and oil prices fall, ourcustomers immediately expect it to be translatedinto lower prices for them.”Despite these tough conditions, he notedthat the year to date had hardly been a bust,thanks chiefly to two main factors.The first of these is Amp Netconnect’sstrong supply chain management. “The keyAmp Netconnect’s Lai: We’re seeing a requirementfor more bandwidth through the data centerto remaining competitive in this sector is howwell you manage your supply chain, from themanufacturing location to shipping, sellingand channel partner management, until yourproduct reaches the end-user—and that’s oneof our strengths,” said Lai.Data center growthThe other factor is growth in data centers,despite the downturn.“Today a lot of the processing is handledby the server, not the PC, so we’re seeing arequirement for more bandwidth through thedata center,” said Lai.“As a result, we’re bullish on the growthof data centers, especially as cloud computingand virtualization come online. Allof these factors are going to drive demandfor network infrastructure, and we are wellplaced to further capitalize on this opportunity.”About the companyAmp Netconnect is a division of Tyco Electronics,and specializes in the developmentand manufacture of a comprehensive range ofcommunications infrastructure systems, thatrange from the desktop to the data center andbeyond.The company is a well-established providerof structured cabling systems, specializing inoptical fiber and twisted-pair copper technologies,and has over 18 years experience in theHong Kong market alone.In addition the company also markets arange software that streamlines the monitoringand operation of network, data center and10 gigabit infrastructure.The combination of the two means Tyco offersa full, end-to-end structured cabling productto their customers, from design throughto implementation and monitoring.We’re pretty bullishon the growth of datacenters, especially ascloud computing andvirtualization come on lineSome of their standout product offeringinclude plug-and-play infrastructure for datacenters, with pre-configured panels enablingcustomers to get their servers operational asfast as possible, sidestepping the tediouswiring process.In addition the company also has a strongfocus on automation, which reduces many ofthe skills and resources need to maintain arobust IP infrastructure.All of the company’s monitoring andmanagement software is build with anopen API, allowing it to link with upperlevel network management systems. 72 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009www.cw.com.hk

awards2009Video Conferencing (Joint Winner)PolycomVideo killed the radio starEnterprises take a shine to maturevideoconferencing technologiesas cost and productivity becomeincreasingly importantBy Jason KruppVideo conferencing hasbeen growing in popularityfor a number of years, as thetechnology has matured intoan IP-enabled offering featuringhigh definition video andmulti-node conferencing.One of the companies pushingthis technology forwardis Polycom, the winner of this year’s CWHKAward for video conferencing.The company, which started out in the traditionalvoice space, has quickly grown towhere it is today: a leader in the field of telepresence,video and voice conferencing.“Some people might be tempted to thinkthat this is a nice-to-have technology,” saidMichael See, regional sales director forPolycom, ASEAN, Taiwan, HK and Macau.“But in this economic climate companies arelooking to cut travel costs and increase thereturn on their investments, and videoconferencingis a highly effective way to achievethis.”Productivity enhancerAccording to See, videoconferencing hasalso become part of a suite of applications beingused to push collaboration and productivityin the workplace.“UC (Unified Communications) is a majordriving force behind videoconferencing, especiallyaround telepresence technologies,”said See.“Every UC player out there has their ownstrategy, but not matter what the service theyare pushing, they all see a need for video,” hesaid. “So we are working with all the majorplayers, such as Microsoft, Nortel, Juniperand others.”Despite the appeal of these solutions, Seeadmits that there are still a few challengesthat remain in the market—chiefly aroundbudget constraints due to the financial crisis.However, he said that Polycom’s channelpartners have been working hard to educatethe market about playing off operating expenditureagainst capital expenditure.[Unified Communications]is a major driving forcebehind videoconferencing“We are seeing signs of budgets beginningto unfreeze,” said See. “A lot more proof-ofconceptis going on and our partners are extremelybusy every day.”He is highly optimistic about the prospectsfor videoconferencing going forward, andPolycom TPXPolycom’s See: Videoconferencing eases travel costsand painsnotes that there are many applications for thetechnology besides linking boardrooms.“We’re seeing increased interest from governmentto provide services like e-justice, e-health or e-elections,” said See.“The medical applications are also huge,”he said. “For example, videoconferencing isa key way in which doctors in different geographiclocations can collaborate on a pandemicwhen something like SARS or swineflu limits travel.”You’re asked to describe the leap from the old ISDN-enabled video conferencingWith products like Polycom’s Telepresence Experience (TPX) it is easy to seewhy, which allows up to twelve people to meet face-to-face and in full size. This can beexpanded to include participants using desktop conferencing.plays,it is easy to feel as if you are in the same room with the participants thanks to theunobtrusive cameras and microphones.Recessed LCD panels in the desk allow content such as slides to be pushed to participants.The system was designed to be intuitive to use, and has no remote control—only atouchpad control—so there is no learning curve.In addition the TPX suite is interoperable with all standards-based video conferencingproducts that help you maximize your capital investment and continue to use traditionalvideo solutions.For bandwidth cost effectiveness the software allows the IT department to either partitiona portion of their existing bandwidth for the conference, or use a dedicated network.www.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 73

chinawatchAs hacking hits home, China strengthens cyber lawsCybercrime maximum sentencesjump from three years to sevenBy Robert McMillan, IDG NewsService (San Francisco Bureau)Ayear ago, when a Time Magazine reportertold Tan Dailin that he’d beenidentified as someone who may havehacked the Pentagon, he gasped and asked,“Will the FBI send special agents out to arrestme?”The answer, it turns out, was, “No, the Chinesegovernment will.”Dailin, better known in Chinese hacker circlesas Withered Rose, was reportedly pickedup last month in Chengdu, China, by local authorities.He is now facing seven years in prisonunder a new Chinese cybercrime law thatwas passed in late February.Although the Western media has been awashwith stories of Chinese hacking for years, cybercrimewas until recently governed by threearticles added to China’s criminal code in 1997.The laws were out-of-date and “failed to correlateproportionately with the tremendous socialharm” caused by cybercrime, according toa recent paper on Chinese cyber-law publishedin the International Journal of Electronic Securityand Digital Forensics.“China has made significant progress in cybercrimelegislation and is putting in great effortsto strengthen it,” said Man Qi, one of thepaper’s co-authors, in an e-mail interview.However, the paper concludes that the country’slaws are still in the early stages of development.“Gaps and inadequacies exist in traditionaloffense provisions,” said Qi, a senior lecturerin the Department of Computing at CanterburyChrist Church University in the UK.Until the new law was passed in February,computer crimes carried a maximum of threeyears’ jail time. That has now been extendedto seven years, and the definition of computercrime has also been broadened.“These changes to the criminal code areimportant to crack down [on] cybercrime andalso help to strengthen the protection of privacyand personal property,” Qi said.However, the laws are still not as tough asthose in the US, where perpetrators of computerfraud routinely face 20-year sentences.And many security experts accuse China ofsponsoring politically motivated cyber-attacksand turning a blind eye to cybercrime.Still, China has expressed some willingnessto work internationally on crime, Qi said. Whilepreparing for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, “Chinawas praised by Interpol for their ‘highestpossible standard’ work,” she noted.The new law comes as cybercrime is startingto hit home in China, according to ScottWith China’s economy struggling, some IT professionals havebegun turning to crime in the past two yearsHenderson, the author of a blog that coversChinese hackers.In the past few years, criminals posing assecurity experts have begun calling smallbusinessowners, offering their services, Hendersonsaid. If they’re not hired, they simplyattack the business, typically with distributeddenial of service (DDOS) attacks, unless theyare paid. “We’re starting to see Chinese hackershacking internally now, too,” he said.Dailin reportedly was arrested after hetrained a DDOS attack on rival hacker groups.His victims went to authorities with evidence.With China’s economy struggling, some ITprofessionals have begun turning to crime inthe past two years, Beijing-based security expertWei Zhao said recently. “They cannot easilyfind jobs, maybe the security market is toosmall for them,” he said in an interview.Zhao, the CEO of security consultancyKnownsec, called China “the world’s malwarefactory,” saying that the country has becomea major source of online attacks and so-calledzero-day attacks, which target previously undisclosedsoftware flaws.In recent months, Chinese hackers havegained fame for launching widespread attacksagainst programs such as Internet Explorerand Adobe Flash, but they have also targetedpopular local programs such as Xunlei, QQand UUSee.74 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

chinawatchChinese outsourcer sees industry surge after crisisNeusoft is pushing to expand in theUS and EuropeBy Owen Fletcher, IDG News Service(Beijing Bureau)Chinese outsourcer Neusoft is pushingto expand in Europe and the US aheadof an upswing in outsourcing the firmexpects after the global recession.Neusoft, one of China’s bigger outsourcers,has appointed new top executives in Europeand the US in recent months to help crackthose markets, said Walter Fang, the US headfor Neusoft since last fall. That will diversifyforeign clients for the firm, which drew 80percent of its overseas revenue from Japanesefirms last year, he said.“Outsourcing will probably surge after thecrisis is over,” said Fang.Outsourcing has suffered along with theglobal economy, but a continued need for costcuttingat firms will help the industry rebound,Fang said. Rising pressure for firms to quicklydevelop products that keep up with changingtechnology will also boost outsourcing demand,he said.Neusoft’s main business is in embedded softwareoutsourcing. It counts Intel and Nokiaamong its clients, though Chinese customerslast year accounted for two-thirds of its revenueof 3.7 billion yuan (US$544 million).India remains the top offshoring choice formost firms despite saturation in its market anda recent financial scandal at outsourcer SatyamComputer Services. Almost all of Neusoft’s USclients have outsourced to India or say theythink about doing so, Fang said.But China is among countries including Vietnamand Mexico that will benefit as customersstart to consider destinations besides India,said Frances Karamouzis, a Gartner analyst.China offers a large pool of untapped, cheaplabor and better infrastructure than India intelecommunications and transportation.Offshoring to China is especially attractivefor firms like financial service providers thataim to build their businesses in the country,Karamouzis said.China’s outsourcing appeal still suffers fromweak enforcement of intellectual propertylaws. Clients rely on the internal standardsof outsourcers rather than China’s courts toshield against the loss of trade secrets, saidKaramouzis. The outsourcers with such maturestandards are usually US or Indian firmswith operations in China, she said.Neusoft has worked to shake free of China’sreputation by conforming to industry standardsfor the protection of intellectual property, Fangsaid. Neusoft is one of the few firms allowedaccess to the source code for Symbian, the operatingsystem used by Nokia’s smartphones,he said.Neusoft’s work on Symbian occurs in a restrictedaccess room built to meet securityneeds. The room’s computers are blockedfrom networks in other areas and made withoutUSB ports to guard against the copying ofdata, Fang said.John Ribeiro in Bangalore contributed to thisreport.United Micro to buy Chinese chip makerUMC will pay US$285 million for the 85 percent of He Jian Technology itdoesn’t already own By Dan Nystedt, IDG News Service (Taipei Bureau)In a deal that marks a first for both countries,Taiwan’s second-largest contract chip makersaid last month it planned to buy one of China’slargest chip makers.United Microelectronics (UMC) will payUS$285 million for 85 percent of China’sHe Jian Technology, which was establishedby former UMC employees in China in late2001.UMC wants to buy the company because ofthe promise it sees in the Chinese market.“UMC believes that a production base in Chinais key” to increase profitability and promotegrowth at the company, UMC said in a statement.The company already owned 15 percent of HeJian through a deal made by UMC executivesseveral years ago in return for consultation andadvice on how to set up the business.Taiwanese authorities at the time chargedtwo UMC executives with crimes under lawsdesigned to prevent Taiwanese chip makers orpersonnel from establishing factories in Chinaor transferring technology there without expresspermission from the government. Thetwo were acquitted.The deal shows how far Taiwan and Chinahave come over the past few years. At the timethe UMC executives faced trials, a pro-Taiwanindependence party ruled the government. Now,a Beijing-friendly party reigns in Taipei. Taiwanand China separated in 1949 amid civil war. Beijinghas threatened to take the island by force ifit moves toward formal independence.The new government in Taiwan has loggeda series of firsts since it took power justunder a year ago, including the first directcommercial flights between Taiwan and Chinasince their separation. The deal betweenUMC and He Jian will be the first ever purchaseof a Chinese chip maker by one fromTaiwan.UMC said regulators from China and Taiwanwill have to approve the deal.He Jian operates a factory in Suzhou, China,making chips on older 8-inch wafers. The companywas profitable from 2005 to 2007 and itsoperating performance and financial conditionremain promising, UMC said.One of the executives acquitted in the HeJian case, John Hsuan, is now the head ofTaiwan Memory Company (TMC), the companyTaipei established to try to clean up thebad loan problem among its DRAM makers.Hsuan remains an honorary vice chairman atUMC.www.cw.com.hkJune 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 75

technewsDNS attack downs Internet in parts of ChinaAn attack on the servers of a domain registrarin China caused an online video applicationto cripple Internet access in partsof the country in late May.Internet access was affected in five northernand coastal provinces after the DNS attack,which targeted just one company butcaused unanswered information requests toflood China’s telecommunications networks,China’s IT ministry said in a statement on itsWeb site. The DNS is what computers use tofind each other on the Internet.The incident revealed holes in China’sDNS that are “very strange” for such a bigcountry, said Konstantin Sapronov, head ofKaspersky’s Virus Lab in China.The problems started when registrar DNS-Pod’s DNS servers were targeted with aDDOS (distributed denial of service) attack,described by the company in an online statement.In such an attack, the attacker ordersa legion of compromised computers to try tocommunicate with a server all at once, whichoverwhelms the server and crushes its abilityto return requests for information.Telecom network operators blocked accessto the IP address of the registrar, concernedthat its beleaguered servers were drainingresources from the machine rooms they oc-IIS 6 attack could let hackers snoop on serversSecurity vendors are warning users of Microsoft’sInternet Information Services 6Web-server software that a new online attackcould put their data at risk.The flaw was made public in late May, whensecurity researcher Nikolaos Rangos posted detailsof the vulnerability to the Full Disclosuresecurity mailing list. By sending a speciallycrafted HTTP request to the server he was ableto view and upload files on the machine. The attacktakes advantage of a bug in the way thatMicrosoft’s software processes Unicode tokens,he said.The vulnerability is being used in online attacks,the US Computer Emergency ResponseTeam said recently.In a statement, Microsoft said it hadn’t heardof any such attacks, but that it was investigatingRangos’ claims. “We are working on a securityadvisory to provide customers with guidance,”the company said.The bug affects IIS 6 users who have enabledthe WebDAV (Web-based Distributed Authoringand Versioning) protocols, used to share documentsvia the Web.cupied, the registrar said.Web sites served by the registrar’s servers,including one that offers an extremely popularonline video playing application, becameinaccessible.The story might have ended there. But assome massive number of users tried to bootup the video application, called Baofeng,their unanswered DNS requests were apparentlypassed on to higher-level servers thatdidn’t know how to process them.The requests piled up, and the resultingtraffic jam slowed or halted Internet accessacross affected provincial networks. DNSPodwas told that even Baidu, China’s top searchengine, became inaccessible in one province,it said in a message on Twitter.Internet access returned to normal in thelate night several hours later, according tothe government statement.China had almost 300 million Internet usersat the end of last year, according to the country’sdomain registry agency, and streamingonline video is as popular among young peopleas it is in Western countries.The event, the first of its kind in China, suggeststhe country needs to improve its rulesmanaging the DNS, said Zhao Wei, CEO ofKnownsec, a Beijing security firm. It gives attackers a way to view protected fileson the server without authorization and it couldbe used to upload files as well, according to ThierryZoller, an independent security researcherwho confirmed Rangos’ findings. However, Zollersaid he had found no way to use this flaw to rununauthorized software on an IIS server.Zoller said that IIS 5 and IIS 7 do not appear tobe vulnerable to the attack, but that it could affectother Microsoft products that use the WebDAVtechnology. “Better safe than sorry,” he said viainstant message, “Disable WebDAV temporarilyand wait for Microsoft to patch.”In an e-mail interview, Rangos said that evenwith WebDAV enabled, Exchange Server runningon IIS 6 and SharePoint Server were not affectedby the flaw.Cisco sounded a similar warning. “Administratorsof sites that are hosting sensitive informationon IIS servers that use WebDAV are advised toput effective mitigations into place immediatelybecause exploit code is publicly available,” thecompany said in a security alert posted to its Website.— Compiled by CWHK staffnewsbytesNortel’s big gunNortel has broken into the already crowded core datacenter switch arena with the release of the VirtualService Platform 9000. The VSP 9000 supports itsSplit Multi-Link Trunking technology, a link aggregationtechnique in which multiple physical links betweentwo switches and another device are treated asa single high-speed pipe. Traffic loads are balancedacross all available links.3Com: Data center switching platform3Com has unveiled a new data center switchingplatform and a next-generation managementplatform. The H3C S12500 data center aggregationand high-end enterprise core switch is built on anarchitecture that delivers 2.2 billion packets persecond of forwarding through a 6.6 Terabits persecond non-blocking fabric. The new switchingplatform is managed with the new H3C end-toendenterprise-class management tool, IntelligentManagement Center, which provides single-panemanagement of the entire heterogeneous enterprisenetwork infrastructure and integrates with existingsystems.Cisco: Unified service deliveryCisco’s Unified Service Delivery product promisesto transform the delivery of consumer and businessapplications to any place and device. The productcombines Cisco’s data center portfolio and unifiedcomputing architecture with the capabilities of theInternet protocol next-generation networks. Thisallows a service provider to deliver video, data andvideo services from the data center.Juniper: Cloud switchJuniper Networks’ EX8216 Ethernet switch, a 16-slotplatform with a switch fabric capacity of 12.4 terabits,is optimized for high-density 10 Gigabit Ethernet datacenter and cloud computing environments. Accordingto Juniper, the switch has a per-slot capacity of320Gbps and delivers up to 2 billion packets persecond performance. The EX8216 joins the eight-slotEX8208 as Juniper’s modular, chassis-based LANswitch offerings.New, improved OpenOffice.orgOpenOffice.org 3.1 has an improved user interfaceand better usability, starting with anti-aliasingthat makes graphics look “smoother” on screen.When dragging objects, users can now see a“shadow” of the object instead of a dotted outline.General text formatting improvements include“overlining,” in addition to regular underlining,subtle highlighting of background text and bettergrammar checker integration. The OpenOffice.orgspreadsheet, Calc, can now rename sheets with adouble-click.76 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

cybersecurityBy Bill Brenner, CSO (US)As I write this, the security communityis buzzing with speculation over whoPresident Obama will choose as hisnew, White House-based cybersecurity czar.My e-mail inbox is brimming with requestsfrom PR folk who want me to interview theirsecurity vendor clients about the big announcement.The PR push makes me wonder what thecalls would be about. Perhaps their vendorshave shiny new products to meet any company’scybersecurity-czar challenges? Maybe theproduct will automate the Administration’s cybersecuritymachinery in the event the new cyberczar quits in frustration after a few weeksor months.The thing is, for those of us who focus onInternet security for a living, nothing Obamasays will be new.Controlling cybersecurityFrom the beginning Obama has floated theconcept of putting cybersecurity more directlyin White House hands. We all want to knowwho will get the position, but as of this writingthe White House is saying candidates are stillunder consideration.As for the 60-day review Obama orderedshortly after taking office, Melissa Hathaway,acting senior director for cyberspace for theNational Security and Homeland SecurityCouncils, ran through some of the high pointsat last month’s RSA security conference.We already know, as Hathaway put it lastmonth, that “despite all of our efforts, our globaldigital infrastructure, based largely uponthe Internet, is neither secure enough nor resilientenough for what we use it for today andwill need into the future” and that “this posesone of the most serious economic and nationalsecurity challenges of the 21st century.”Protecting critical systemsWe already know that critical infrastructure,including the power grid and water supplysystem, is under threat from those who wouldhijack the IT machinery used to run it all. Industrialcontrol systems, including SCADA(supervisory control and data acquisition) systems,have been in the crosshairs for years. Goback to 2003 for the example of the Slammerworm infesting systems at Ohio’s Davis-Bessenuclear power plant. And security experts haverepeated time and again that a key to makingthings better is user education/awareness.But the wider public isn’t anywhere near asaware as it should be. For that reason, the activitycoming from the White House today iscause for hope.This is arguably the biggest spotlight apresident has shined on the issue to date. Bycreating a White House-based position to coordinatecybersecurity efforts across the federalgovernment, Obama is making it clear that thevarious agencies can no longer shrug off theproblem as the Department of Homeland Security’sproblem.For those of us who focus onInternet security for a living,nothing Obama says will benewLine of commandHis announcement will by no means be ironcladagainst criticism. Some security expertshave already frowned upon reports that thenew cybersecurity czar will not have direct,unfettered access to the Oval Office as hadbeen suggested earlier. Rather, accordingto the Associated Press, the post will carrya special assistant title that’s not as high inthe White House hierarchy as some officialssought. As the AP reported, the official wouldreport to senior NSC officials—a structuremany say will stifle attempts to usher in majorchanges within the federal bureaucracy.But it appears this person will be much closerto the Oval Office than those who have laboredin frustration inside DHS in recent years.And while we’ve all been calling for betteruser awareness and education, a lot morepeople listen outside security circles when it’scoming from the president.So don’t look for perfection today. But dohave hope that we are at least moving in theright direction.78 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

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ackpageCyberwar, cyberdefenseWe can only guess its size, but the threat count grows exponentiallyBy Robert ClarkHere’s a headline that caught my attention:“Hard Drive Missing From US NationalArchives.”It was a 1TB drive that contained names, addressesand Social Security numbers of some100,000 staff and visitors to the Clinton WhiteHouse, plus details of Secret Service procedures.In a similar vein, an eBay customer unintentionallyacquired data about US missile defenseon a second-hand hard drive, along with securitypolicies, blueprints of facilities, and personalinformation on the Lockheed Martin staff whobuilt the system.Spike in NetcrimeObtaining data by physically acquiring hardwareis hard going, which is why we have theInternet. You can break into anyone’s networkfrom anywhere. Network threats and fraudtoday form the basis of a flourishing criminaleconomy.We can only guess its size, but the threatcount grows exponentially. According to Symantecthe number of malicious programshas blossomed from 1,738 in 1988 to 177,500in 1998 and 6 million last year. “In the last 18months we’ve seen more than in all the previousyears combined,” a Symantec exec told theBBC.But those are the familiar, everyday criminalthreats that might merely take all our moneyor drive us out of business.The military cyber-threat level is of an altogetherdifferent order. The temperature seemsto be rising.Digital warfareThe classic event was the DDOS attack onEstonia in early 2007. Following a confrontationwith Russia over the moving of a Red In our next issue:Army statue, the Baltic state wasbrought to the verge of a collapseby sustained attacks on its bankingnetworks, media outlets andWeb sites. Russia denied anyknowledge of the attack—expertsare still not sure who was responsible.It seems we are in the middleof a cyberwar arms race betweenChina, Russia and the US. Wemight call the militarization of theInternet but for the fact that theNet began as a military researchproject.Defense planners in the cyberwarringcountries are figuring outhow to protect vital infrastructurelike power grids, cable systems,satellites, data centers, governmentcomputer networks and themilitary’s own command-and-controlsystems.InternetThe Obama administration is dueshortly to issue a cyber-securityplan, which has prompted a gooddeal of bureaucratic skirmishing in Washington,and some revealing media disclosures.Cyber boot campThe US military—like, presumably, theirRussian and Chinese counterparts—is on thecase. The New York Times reported on May11: “There is hardly an American military unitor headquarters that has not been ordered toanalyze the risk of cyberattacks to its mission—and to train to counter them.”West Point cadets are playing cyberwargames. In one exercise they must keep a networkgoing 24/7 while a team of NSA hackerstries to take it down. To keep it real, NSA plantedviruses in the equipment.This has given rise to a debate about cyberwardoctrine that parallels the debate aboutnuclear weapons 50 years ago. In what circumstancesshould cyber-weapons be used? Whoshould control them? How to defend againstthem?Obtaining data byphysically acquiringhardware is hardgoing, which iswhy we have theThe arresting thought proposedby some experts is that cyber offensemight just an essential partof cyber defense. You can onlyharden a network so much, thethinking goes. Eventually someonewill breach your defenses.The result is the idea that “mutuallyassured destruction”—thedoctrine that kept Cold War missilesin their silos—might equallyapply to cyberwar.There’s a limit to the analogy,of course: it is difficult if not impossibleto identify the source ofnetwork attacks.But it raises the question ofjust how safe CIOs can maketheir organization’s IT systems.If the Pentagon, with the world’sdeepest pockets, can’t guaranteethe security of critical infrastructure,what hope do the rest of ushave?Banks: the weakest link?It does not take much to bring an economydown. Mike McConnell, the former director ofUS national intelligence, has warned that “theability to threaten the US money supply is theequivalent of today’s nuclear weapon.”An attack on a single major bank, he argued,could bring an economy down. With one majoractor out of the financial system, banks wouldbe unable to clear transactions.Without the benefit of an actual network attack,that’s exactly what happened during thefinancial meltdown in September. “Our marketcollapse has just given every cyberwarrior outthere a playbook,” an intelligence official concluded.For all the effort to date on security, CIOswill inevitably spend even more time on keepingthe systems safe in the future. Cyberspaceis a lethally dangerous place. Robert Clark is a Beijing-based technologyjournalist rclark_a_electricspeech.com82 Computerworld Hong Kong June 2009 www.cw.com.hk

It is indisputable that many litigation cases facing companies involve manyelements of digital evidence in today’s ever changing technology era. Diffi cultiesin discovering and identifying relevant electronic evidence increase the workloadand pressure of corporate legal and IT teams.e-Discovery and Digital Forensics, which have been widely employed byjurisdictions such as the US, UK and Australia, are powerful and valuable tools todiscover and process electronic evidence necessary for litigation. It is becomingincreasingly crucial for practitioners in Asia to gain essential understanding ofthese tools to proactively tackle the evolving challenges of litigation.This interactive 2-day conference brings together an eminent panel of leadinginternational experts and prominent local practitioners to share their knowledgeand experience on key issues concerning e-discovery and digital forensics.David C. ShonkaPrincipal DeputyGeneral Counsel,Federal TradeCommission USASeamus E. ByrneSolicitor andBarrister, AustraliaBrowning MereanPartner and Co-chair ofthe ElectronicDiscovery Readinessand Response Group,DLA Piper US LLP,USAScott NonakaPartner, O'Melveny &Myers, Japan• Gain insight on developments in e-discovery in the US, UK, Australia and China andimplications of cross border litigation• Learn and practice the essentials of e-discovery and digital forensics to increase litigationreadiness• Understand issues in the Civil Justice Reform relating to e-discovery & forensic evidence• Acquire the skills in handling digital evidence in civil, criminal and commercial litigationcases• Discover practical approaches to prepare your organisation for e-discovery in a globalcontext• Link e-discovery and digital investigation with Personal Data Privacy Ordinance andother related lawsMenachemHasoferPartner and Memberof the ElectronicDiscovery andRecords ManagementPractice,Mayer Brown JSMDr. K.P. ChowAssociate Professorof Department ofComputer Science,The University ofHong KongRongsheng XuChairman, ChinaComputer ForensicsResearch CenterChief Scientist,Network SecurityLab of Institute ofHigh Energy Physics,Chinese Academy ofSciences• In- house Counsel / Legal Counsel • Chief Legal Officer • Compliance Managers• Attorneys • Litigation Lawyers and Managers • Commercial Litigators • CIOs,Heads of IT • IT Professionals • Records / Document Managers • IT ForensicSpecialists • Enforcement BodiesExhibition Sponsor:Other SpeakersHis Honour Judge Simon Brown QC Specialist Mercantile Judge, BirminghamCivil Justice Centre, UKGary Clarke Detective Senior Inspector, Technology Crime Division, Hong KongPolice ForceMicky Lo Asia Head Information & Tech Risk Management, JPMorgan ChaseBank N.A.Gary Soo Secretary General, Hong Kong International Arbitration Association(HKIAC)Supporting Organisations:Press Release Partner:Media Partners:To register, please contact us at:Phone: +852 2965-1480 | Email: eunice.mak@LexisNexis.comWebsite: www.globaleconomiccrime.comFor sponsorship opportunities please contact Jennifer Qian on +852 2965-1475 or Jennifer.Qian@LexisNexis.com