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The two-week International IT Fest 2014, organised by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) in collaboration with its technology partners and the local information and communications technology (ICT) industry, concluded successfully today (April 20).
The International IT Fest 2014, held between April 7 and 20, featured a total of 38 events covering a wide range of ICT domains in which Hong Kong is developing fast, such as cloud computing, startups, information security, mobile technology, the Internet of Things, digital entertainment and digital inclusion. Response from the industry and the public to various events was encouraging, with total number of participants estimated at around 50,000.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Financial Secretary, Mr John C Tsang, said the scale of the second International IT Fest was larger than last year, with more participants and covering a wider range of topics. It had highlighted the vibrant development of local ICT industry and the business opportunities it offered.
Mr Tsang also visited the Hong Kong ICT Fair at Cyberport today. He toured the "Made in Hong Kong" exhibition to see for himself various locally-developed innovative ICT products which had won numerous international awards.
The products on display included locally-developed micro-displays, and a range of mobile applications that ensure the authenticity of food products, provide information on leisure activities and assist basketball teams in their matches. There were also technological products catering for the needs of the underprivileged groups to enhance their quality of life, such as equipment for monitoring the heartbeat rate of elders and assisting the hearing impaired to listen clearly and more comfortably. These technological products involved extensive product research and innovative software development. They fully demonstrated the creativity and passion of local ICT talents.
Mr Tsang hoped that the local ICT industry would continue to work together closely and leverage on Hong Kong's advantages to develop more "Made-in-Hong-Kong" technology, thereby enhancing Hong Kong's position as an ICT hub in Asia.
To support development of the local ICT industry, OGCIO held a competition to encourage the development of mobile applications using public sector information datasets on the government's "Data.One" portal (data.one.gov.hk).
The Data.One App Competition offered gold, silver and bronze awards and 10 merit prizes. Over 100 entries were received. The winning entries made agile use of the information on Data.One and smartphone features to create practical and convenient products. The winning entries were displayed at the ICT Fair and the award presentation was held at today's closing ceremony.
A common brand for free Wi-Fi services in Hong Kong selected through online public voting was also unveiled at the closing ceremony. The brand, with the name "Wi-Fi.HK" and a unique brand identity, makes it easier for the public and visitors to identify the free Wi-Fi hotspots in the territory, thus further enhancing Hong Kong's position as a highly connected city.
Ends/Sunday, April 20, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:38
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