AsiaWorld-Expo Management and PCCW held a joint press conference Thursday to announce a partnership that will task PCCW with providing IT and telecommunication (IT&T) services within AsiaWorld-Expo: a massive conference facility scheduled to open end-2005.
Hong Kong"s largest event and exhibition center according to AsiaWorld-Expo Management, AsiaWorld-Expo will be located near Hong Kong"s Chek Lap Kok international airport and will have its own station on Hong Kong"s Airport Express train.
With the support of PCCW"s IT&T service, wireless broadband will be available in the 70,000 square-meter exhibition center via over 100 wireless access points, said the companies. According to PCCW, the network will represent Asia"s largest indoor wireless broadband coverage. The wireless coverage can also be extended to the outdoor area according to specific needs from the event organizers.
Under a 10-year exclusive partnership agreement, PCCW will provide the basic telecommunication infrastructure and services, as well as work with AsiaWorld-Expo to provide customized IT&T services for event organizers and exhibitors. Both parties declined to reveal the amount of investment in the telecommunication infrastructure as well as the breakdown of revenue for the customized IT&T services.
"AsiaWorld-Expo is dedicated to provide the best services and facilities for our customers," said Nicolas Borit, CEO of AsiaWorld-Expo Management. "The area of IT&T services is a critical part of our pledge to offer ultra-modern technology and infrastructure."
In addition, PCCW supports the center"s IP-PBX system, which can be scaled up to allow 4,000 exhibitors access to the data and voice network simultaneously, said Daniel Ng, general manager, bid and solutions consulting of PCCW.
He added that with the provision of over 3,000 Ethernet ports, PCCW provides a virtual LAN at gigabit-bandwidth at the exhibition center to support scalable bandwidth to meet exhibitor"s needs.
Scheduled to open in December 2005, AsiaWorld-Expo has already booked 25 exhibitions in 2006, including ITU Telecom World, according to Borit.
Jamie Pang, head of building management and services of AsiaWorld-Export said that the company currently has an IT team of three or four people, but the major voice and data network management will be provided by a team of about 10 people from PCCW.
Apart from technical support, PCCW"s team will also join the sales and marketing team of AsiaWorld-Expo to provide other customized IT&T services to meet needs of different events, said Ng.
"We strive to put ourselves in the shoes of our customers and create tailor-made solutions that best fit their business and IT needs," said Marisa Kwok, managing director, commercial group, PCCW. "The arrangement with AsiaWorld-Expo is a perfect example of this customer-driven philosophy."