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The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Gregory So, today (November 30) visited two local IT companies which have gained recognition in the international arena with their home-grown technological products.
Mr So first visited Logital Company Limited in Mong Kok. The company's flagship product, EasyHear, scooped the highest accolade, the Chairman's Award, in the World Information Technology Services Alliance Global ICT Excellence Awards 2012, after receiving two awards at the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2012.
Mr So was briefed by the company's management on the application of a patented technology that enabled EasyHear to differentiate human voices from other noises, making a remarkable breakthrough in regard to the technical challenges that conventional hearing aids face. It allows the hearing-impaired and elderly people to listen more clearly and comfortably in noisy environments such as restaurants and streets.
Mr So then visited Cherrypicks Limited in Tsim Sha Tsui, a company specialising in creative mobile applications, augmented reality solutions and cloud-based mobile advertising platforms. An innovative mobile entertainment application, iButterfly, developed by the company together with Media Palette Hong Kong won the Award of the Year at the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2012. It also won an award in the m-Business & Commerce category at the World Summit Award for mobile content (WSA-mobile) in 2012.
The application enables users to acquire branded discount coupons or content by physically catching three-dimensional virtual butterflies using smartphones. Mr So was interested to see how it combined the joy of social games and the download services of coupons to bring a brand new user experience.
"I am glad to see that the two companies have ridden on the success they achieved locally and moved on to win international acclaim. This is a vivid demonstration of the excellence and perseverance of our information and communications technology (ICT) professionals.
"The ICT sector is an important part of Hong Kong's economy. The Government will continue to support development of the local ICT industry by recognising and promoting their excellent achievements.
"In particular, the Hong Kong ICT Awards have become a springboard for our dedicated professionals to gain prestigious international recognition and exposure, thereby enhancing their competitiveness and market access worldwide," Mr So said.
During the visits, Mr So also exchanged views with representatives of the companies on the nurturing of ICT talents and other issues relating to the long-term development of the industry.
Ends/Friday, November 30, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:33
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