Lee singled out more overhyped trends: "3G: Today, more than 50 percent of new mobile phones in HK are 3G phones, but the killer app for 3G is still...you've guessed it: voice!" As for storage and server virtualization: "It might be real in the western world, but it's still very much a 'virtual' technology over in our corner of the world."

Michael Leung, senior VP and CIO, Information Systems Group, Bank of America (Asia): "YouTube."

"DRM (digital rights management)," said Charles Mok, chairman, Internet Society Hong Kong. "A technology developed to unilaterally protect owners' rights with insufficient consideration for users' convenience and right-to-use is almost surely bound for nowhere. Copyright owners should revolutionize their own business models rather than putting in patches here and there to make life more difficult and less enjoyable for users--think customer equity, please."

Howard Dickson, Hong Kong Government CIO: "The deployment of WiMAX in the market is still insignificant as standards-based equipment is not as prevalent as expected. Widespread take-up would need development of standards with certified interoperable products, availability of licensed spectrum and availability of self-installing, self-configuring equipment at customer premises."

Dickson said: "It is expected that WiMAX will establish market share over the next few years at a greater growth rate but will not become the dominant mobile technology any time soon." However, he added that the Hong Kong government "will continue to provide an enabling environment for the introduction of new communications technologies, such as broadband wireless access for fixed-mobile convergence and ultra-wideband for home networking."