IBM China/Hong Kong Limited announced in Beijing Tuesday that helping Hong Kong companies transform to capture sustainable growth opportunities in Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and globally is its key priority in 2004.

Timothy Cheung, general manager of IBM China/Hong Kong Limited, said at a press briefing that the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong is helping fuel the economic recovery of Hong Kong and opening up a world of opportunities for Hong Kong enterprises in the mainland.

However, as Hong Kong is a relatively smaller and mature market and as CEPA only provides a couple of years' lead-time on global competition, enterprises that want sustained growth have to look beyond Hong Kong and the mainland to the global market, said Cheung.

He announced that IBM has unveiled "on demand Supply Chain Management Solutions (ODSCMS)" aimed at helping small and medium sized companies attain four attributes necessary for sustainable growth: being focused, responsive, variable, and resilient.

"In 2004, IBM's key priority is to provide innovative services and solutions that help Hong Kong companies become more focused on their core competency, be responsive to dynamic market changes, be variable in their cost structure and be resilient enough to withstand external threats," said Cheung.

The ODSCMS is an end-to-end solution set combining leading business practices with applications to help clients enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of managing their supply chain operations.

The solution set is available on a secure, redundant IT infrastructure from IBM's managed data centers in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, backed by comprehensive disaster recovery services.

"Besides these on demand Supply Chain Management Solutions, similar borderless solution sets are in the pipeline for the financial service and retail sectors as the CEPA benefits evolve, "Cheung said.

"We have put together a truly innovative business transformation solution that hits the market 'sweet-spot' of companies between 50 and 500 employees," said Cheung.

 "Not only does this help Hong Kong SMEs jump-start and sustain their China growth plans, it also supports Chinese enterprises moving in the opposite direction. That's a win-win scenario for Hong Kong's economy. This will also help companies from both sides build a strong foundation that positions them for expanding globally," he added.
 
(Xinhua News Agency March 10, 2004)