News Release

Fuji Xerox (Hong Kong) and HKBN Enterprise Solutions (“HKBNES”) jointly announce a strategic partnership in Hong Kong that will see both companies leverage their combined expertise to help SMEs up their technology game for the emerging new economy. The partnership between the two technology solutions experts will culminate in advanced service models as well as a wider range of innovative document management solutions, along with versatile technology support for customers, that are purpose-fit to accelerate business growth, productivity and innovation, and to create win-win-win partnership with the SME community.

Fusing professional office printing equipment by Fuji Xerox (Hong Kong) with HKBNES’ technical support expertise, this complementary partnership builds upon Fuji Xerox (Hong Kong)’s office essentials of multifunction printers and consumables to paper and office automation support with HKBNES’ full-service solutions tailored to help streamline and digitise operations under the new normal, enabling SMEs to emerge from COVID stronger and capitalise on tomorrow's opportunities.

“The biggest winners in this partnership are our clients,” said Yasuyuki Matsumoto, Managing Director of Fuji Xerox (Hong Kong). “Using innovative products from Fuji Xerox (Hong Kong), combining the professional services from HKBNES, our clients will be better able to deal with today’s disruptions, and tomorrow’s digitally-driven challenges.” Yasuyuki Matsumoto continued, “The disruption we’ve all experienced in 2020 has called for us to focus on our key strengths, and to connect with partners whose competencies complement ours. Thanks to HKBNES’ broad reach of local SMEs, we are now even better positioned to deliver our common objective: helping SMEs solve complex challenges and capture growth opportunities in a time of digitally-driven change.”

“With our incredible reach of over 100,000 companies or 1-in-2 active companies in Hong Kong, we are here to massively scale our combined strengths,” shared Billy Yeung, HKBN Co-Owner & Chief Executive Officer – Enterprise Solutions & JOS Group. “This is an exciting co-growth opportunity for both companies and the customers. We will give best-in-class service offerings and support to SMEs, helping them improve efficiency and grow through digitalised, remote-capable operations and best-fit technology solutions.”

HKBNES and Fuji Xerox (Hong Kong) join force to deliver the best document management, printing systems and technical support solutions for SMEs, including installation, maintenance and daily service support. This enables customers to enjoy the new one-stop printing solutions with greater efficiencies in cost and resources, brought by the renowned printing technology from Fuji Xerox (Hong Kong) and HKBNES’ extended professional technical support. For details, please call 128 1111 or email to product_cpe@hkbn.com.hk.

As enterprises transition to digital remote-enabled work modes in the new normal, only 50% of the decision makers* are incorporating cybersecurity into their strategies – yet the alarming rise in recent cyberattacks is a threat no one can afford to ignore. By marrying best-in-class cybersecurity assessment with the technical capabilities of a full-service IT solutions provider, PwC Hong Kong (“PwC”) and HKBN Enterprise Solutions (“HKBNES”) are helping businesses, especially SMEs whose cybersecurity talents are thin on the ground, protect their precious digital assets and infrastructure. Threat management services to be offered include key technologies like Security Operations Centre (“SOC”), which provides round-the-clock network security monitoring, as well as next-gen Managed Detection and Response (“MDR”) services – for hunting and responding to identified threats.

PwC Hong Kong Cybersecurity and Privacy Partner Kok Tin Gan said, “We are excited to extend PwC's cybersecurity suite of offerings to HKBNES' vast customer base. As both companies’ purpose is to solve important problems, I am confident that PwC and HKBNES will co-solve the SMEs owners’ pain points by empowering more local businesses to enhance their cybersecurity readiness, helping them to build sustainable work modes and sail safe through the rough seas.”

HKBN Co-Owner & Chief Technology Officer Danny Li shared, “With our incredible reach of over 100,000 companies or 1-in-2 active companies in Hong Kong, we are here to massively scale our combined strengths. We know very well businesses’ security needs and the imminent risks they’re facing. SMEs deserve better. We’re proud to join hand with a world-class partner to bring SMEs a stack of best-in-class, enterprise-grade cybersecurity solutions at affordable rates, so that companies of all sizes can mount adequate security response as they venture into an increasingly digitised brave new world.”

This collaboration with PwC will see HKBNES provide a full range of cybersecurity services from vulnerability assessment, phishing simulation, 7x24 SOC security monitoring, 7x24 remediation management to next-gen MDR services. Serving as a trusted cybersecurity advisor, HKBNES will provide professional service delivery and world-class SOC security monitoring on an affordable, monthly subscription model tailored for enterprises. More sophisticated options are also available for large-scale operations with higher compliance requirements, including threat intelligence and proactive incident response.

For more information about HKBNES security services, please contact us at esecurity-enquiry@hkbn.com.hk or 128 1111.

*According to Global Digital Trust Insights Survey 2021 by PwC.

HKBN Enterprise Solutions (“HKBNES”) is thrilled to team up with leading local software solutions expert Achiever Technology Limited (“Achiever”) to introduce a remote-enabled human resources (HR) management system for SMEs. Supported by HKBNES’ elite technical professionals, Achiever’s cloud-based HR Management Solution empowers SMEs to seamlessly migrate their HR process to the cloud and, as a result, easily minimise man-hour costs and the possibility of manual error, nonetheless to respond to changes in labour regulations – freeing up resources for businesses to grow in today’s new normal.

Sophia Sung, Chief Executive Officer of Achiever Technology Limited said, "Achiever understands the HR challenges faced by Hong Kong SMEs. Our HR Management Solution, supported by HKBNES’ comprehensive technical capabilities, helps SMEs grow post-pandemic by making complex HR tasks hassle-free. Achiever and HKBNES share the same vision to help local SMEs achieve success by eliminating hurdles to their growth."

Billy Yeung, HKBN Co-Owner & Chief Executive Officer – Enterprise Solutions & JOS Group said, “Businesses today have to face ever changing and challenging environment, HKBN being a strong home-grown solution provider is committed to respond rapidly and tentatively to all their needs – and for SMEs, that means an easy-to-deploy remote solution. By working with Achiever, we’ve redefined HR solutions for SMEs with an affordable monthly subscription service – down to several hundreds per month – that addresses HR pain points to enable SMEs to focus on what matters most: growing their business.”

This HR Management Solution from Achiever and HKBNES delivers essential HR management functions that include standard payroll, leave and claim, roster and attendance management, and more, with an option to access via mobile devices. This gives HR executives the power to handle daily tasks anytime, anywhere more effectively without the need to invest extra in platform development. For added convenience, the system also updates automatically whenever changes to SME-related labour regulations take effect, saving users the hassle of tracking and understanding such relevant changes. For more details, visit: https://www.hkbnes.net/en/hr-mgt-solution

HKBN JOS Group (“The Group”) proudly announces the launch of JOS+, a full-fledged suite of IT solutions & services, to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore pivot towards an increasingly digital and mobile-first business environment. Recognising the accelerated pace of digital transformation and the emergence of a hybrid workforce in Singapore, JOS+ is a unique IT-as-a-service solution that offers flexible IT and cloud office support for SMEs to maximise cost and business efficiencies. Designed as a subscription-based offering, JOS+ enables SMEs to tap into HKBN JOS’ industry-leading IT expertise and office facilities as needed, so they pay only for the services they need to adapt to the increasingly digital business environment.

JOS+ is flexible subscription-based offering that provides outsourced IT support hours, enterprise applications and office facilities in a one-stop solutions bundle. It allows businesses to access enterprise level troubleshooting solutions and quick implementation of new technology, enabling organisations to step up on their digitalisation efforts to adapt to the region’s new digital-first business reality. The bespoke nature of JOS+ allows organisations to customise the level of support they require, aligned to business and cost considerations, giving them the confidence to strengthen their digital capabilities to pursue growth.

“With the comprehensive IT solutions JOS+ has to offer, SMEs in Singapore will be able to reach their full business potential as they embrace the realities of a hybrid workforce,” said Jeff Lee, Managing Director, HKBN JOS Singapore. “Our proven track record in driving innovations for customers in this region puts HKBN JOS Singapore in a strong position to help businesses win in a digital era. Guided by our belief in making purposeful profits, JOS+ is custom designed to help businesses respond, adapt and accelerate their growth to succeed in Singapore’s increasingly digital future. This new solution also reflects our commitment to help future-proof the country’s business ecosystem and make our home a better place to live,” Jeff added.

JOS+’s extensive range of IT solutions includes: computer support; end-point security; software, hardware and Wi-Fi network support; technical on-site and off-site support; data back-up support; access to cross functional enterprise applications which are available directly, through a 24/7 customer service hotline, bringing about increased convenience and enablement, particularly for companies that do not currently enjoy IT support.

For more details, please visit: www.jos.com

HKBN Enterprise Solutions (“HKBNES”) is thrilled to launch FixIT, a game-changing flexi-cost support solution tailored for Hong Kong’s SMEs’ everyday IT needs. Recognising the severe talent deficits in the IT support regime, at the critical time that businesses are looking to grow and cut costs simultaneously, FixIT offloads the burdens of local companies by offering responsive, wide-ranging IT support services based on flexible and predictable charging models with better quality.

FixIT comes in two flexible options: FixIT token, offering on-demand technical support settled by pre-paid tokens; and FixIT Care, a subscription-based service that features regular monthly onsite check-ups. With both charging models, SME customers will enjoy the same speedy support across their most burning daily IT needs – from hardware connectivity to software licensing – provided by HKBNES’ internationally accredited team of experts. Delivering improved efficiency, reduced risks and better cost control, this convenient solution frees up customers to focus their energies on more strategic functions and grow their business.

Billy Yeung, HKBN Co-Owner and Chief Executive Officer – Enterprise Solutions & JOS Group shared, “We are positioning FixIT to be the Uber of IT services for businesses. Just like it doesn’t make sense to keep a full-time driver and private car, it doesn’t make sense for most companies to keep a full time IT team. With our pooled economies of scale, including our recent JOS acquisition, we can offer far greater depth and breadth of speciality services at a far lower price.”

FixIT’s extensive range of IT support services includes: computer support; end-point security; software, hardware and Wi-Fi network support; office structure cabling and network equipment; PABX telephone system; printer support; data centre support, inventory and health-check, and etc. All of the above are directly available – either remotely or onsite – through a 24x7 customer service hotline, without the hassle of waiting on admin processes like getting price quotations or relaying requests.

Additionally, to enhance cost synergies beyond the IT space, HKBNES will allow FixIT subscribers to flexibly convert unused tokens or services into office stationery and supplies upon contract expiry#. This will give customers greater flexibility to address needs as they expand.

For details, please view: https://www.hkbnes.net/web/en/solutions/fixit

^#Terms and conditions apply.

HKBN Ltd. (“HKBN” or the “Company”; SEHK stock code: 1310) today announced solid operational and financial results for the year ended 31 August 2020 (“FY20”). Despite social unrest and COVID-19, HKBN saw resilient growth on all business fronts in FY20. The completion of JOS acquisition has further bolstered its offerings and capabilities in the enterprise space as the largest alternative telecom carrier with integrated telecom and technology solutions capabilities in Hong Kong. Key highlights of FY20 results include:

• Revenue, EBITDA and Adjusted Free Cash Flow (“AFF”) continued to grow year-on-year at 85%, 47%, and 49% respectively to HK$9,453 million, HK$2,505 million and HK$1,114 million. The substantial year-on-year increase was mainly contributed by:
  • Increase of Enterprise Solutions revenue by 103% to HK$4,708 million, which was mainly contributed by the full year operating results of WTT and eight and a half months operating results of JOS.
  • Reported EBITDA increased by 47% to HK$2,505 million after adoption of HKFRS 16 in FY20. Excluding the impact of HKFRS 16, EBITDA would have increased 32% from HK$1,709 million to HK$2,251 million mainly contributed by consolidating the operating results of WTT and JOS and the realisation of synergies through integration.
• The Board has recommended the payment of a final dividend of 38 HK cents per share (FY19: 36 HK cents per share), resulting in a 7% year-on-year increase in full year payment to 75 HK cents per share (FY19: 70 HK cents per share).

Enterprise Solutions: increased capabilities and presence drove revenue and ARPU growth

WTT and JOS integrations increased both HKBN’s capabilities and offerings in the enterprise segment, which have enabled the Company to provide integrated telecom and technology solutions at competitive value to a much larger customer base. During the year, HKBN’s total number of enterprise customers increased to 105,000 and its enterprise ARPU improved from HK$1,742 to HK$2,948. Looking forward, Enterprise Solutions will maximise the operational and financial synergies benefits from the enlarged group, and fully utilise the network capacity and back-end support function of WTT and JOS in transforming HKBN to an integrated telecom and technology solutions powerhouse.

Residential Solutions: successful integrated multi-play drove ARPU growth

During the year, HKBN customers have shown good receptiveness to its quad-play offerings whereby its triple/quad-play upsell has reached 50% of total broadband customers as at 31 August 2020. Excluding the impact of one-month service fee waiver given to customers to relieve their household financial burdens due to COVID-19, HKBN Residential Solutions revenue increased by 0.4% year-on-year to HK$2,483 million. Historical full base residential ARPU has increased from HK$185/month to HK$190/month. HKBN will continue to expand quad-play bundle plans to infinite-play to drive ARPU and subscription growth and disrupt the legacy standalone broadband, fixed-voice, multimedia content and mobile services.

1-HKBN Strategy with interest alignment to maximise synergies for growth

“HKBN saw proven success integrating five add-on acquisitions since management buyout in 2012, especially in driving market leading growth with interest alignment through our Co-Ownership plans. With the collective efforts of our over 5,900 Talents led by around 990 Co-Owners to deliver disruptive innovations for stakeholders, and by transforming our enterprise customers into our business partners, we are in an enviable position to grow in these tough times,’’ said Co-Owner and Executive Vice-chairman William Yeung, and Co-Owner and Group CEO NiQ Lai.

For more details of HKBN’s results in FY20, please refer to the announcement:
https://reg.hkbn.net/WwwCMS/upload/pdf/en/e_FY20_AnnualResultsAnnouncement.pdf

Understanding the needs of parents who welcome an adopted child into a family, HKBN Group (“HKBN”) today introduced a pioneering 14-day ‘Adoption Leave’ for all Talents in Hong Kong, mainland China, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. By giving Talents who become adoptive parents paid time-off to prepare a child-friendly environment and build a loving, trusting relationship with the new family member, this policy furthers our efforts to go far beyond the obligations stipulated by law in creating a Talent-first workplace.

CY Chan, HKBN’s Co-Owner & Chief Talent and Purpose Officer, said, “Adoptive parents have traveled a long road to accommodate a new family member, but they’re often not compensated when taking leave as most companies only provide statutory maternity and paternity leaves for natural parents. By adding this missing piece to our already progressive list of family-first benefits, we ensure our Talents arrive at work fully motivated to help us stay competitive and deliver on our Core Purpose ‘Make our Home a Better Place to Live’. It’s also how we set an example for other companies out there – that offering beyond what the law requires has its own rewards.”

Alia Eyres, CEO of Mother's Choice, said, “Companies commonly adopt various family-friendly work policies, but the concept of adoption is still fairly new in Hong Kong. We’re happy to see that HKBN has taken an important step to support adoptive families at the workplace. Adoption leave makes a big difference to new adoptive parents, helping with stress and allowing them to focus on bonding and building attachment with their child.”

To show its full support and encouragement for big-hearted Talents, HKBN is teaming up with Mother’s Choice, a Hong Kong charity dedicated to helping children find safe, loving families for over three decades, to hold a webinar (click to register) on 11 November 2020 where CY will join with Mother’s Choice to share heartwarming adoption stories, HR industry best practices in handling adoption cases, and how companies can best support adoptive parents in the workplace.

HKBN JOS Group (“The Group”) proudly announces the appointment of Jeff Lee as the Co-Owner & Managing Director of HKBN JOS Singapore, to serve companies in Singapore through the best-in-class system integration, technology solutions and services by HKBN JOS.
Jeff’s appointment represents HKBN JOS’s commitment to co-grow with Singaporean enterprises through bespoke technology solutions, as businesses pursue further digital transformation during the new normal. Leading a strong, professional team in HKBN JOS Singapore, Jeff would apply his extensive knowledge of technologies and a deep understanding of organisational requirements to help businesses optimise growth opportunities with best-fit technologies. HKBN JOS Singapore will also step up customer support through an all-digital engagement model with a focus on supporting organisations adopt digital technologies as they rebalance for growth in the new digital reality.

“I am excited to work with our customers to harness the full potential of technology and chart a new course towards recovery and growth in Singapore’s digital future. Backed by the HKBN Group, one of the fastest growing integrated telecom and technology solutions companies in Asia renowned for its Co-Ownership culture, HKBN JOS Singapore is now stronger than ever. Being Co-Owners of the company, my team and I have vested interest in the success of our customers,” said Jeff Lee, Managing Director, HKBN JOS Singapore.

Jeff brings to his role over 20 years of experience in the IT&T industry, as well as his in-depth knowledge in application development, networking, server systems and architecture design. Over hiscareer, Jeff has led IT teams and assisted companies of all sizes in planning their wireless, ISP, IT/system integration and application development initiatives across different Asian markets.

HKBN Group (“HKBN” or the “Group”) is proud to celebrate the win of Samuel Hui, HKBN Co-Owner and Chief Transformation Officer, for the 2020 DX Leader Award for Hong Kong in the fourth IDC Digital Transformation Awards. This accolade confirms HKBN’s outstanding capabilities to lead digital transformation for both HKBN as well as its enterprise customers, and to co-grow with the business community whilst adapting to the challenges arising from the new normal.

As a leading telecom and technology solutions provider, HKBN is a forerunner of digital transformation. Samuel led a strong, professional team at HKBN to modernise the Group’s way of doing business, fueling its growth with an ambitious target of doubled revenue without doubling headcount, and turning HKBN’s successful transformational experience into business solutions – Transformation as a Service (“TaaS”) – with enterprise customers. Over the past year, HKBN has seen phenomenal business-impactful successes from its Digital Transformation, ranging from a 40%+ growth in monthly active users of My HKBN mobile app, 2+ times higher engagement rates in campaigns, to 3 times faster in deploying APIs leveraging Change-Ready Architecture design, and more.

Samuel shared, “Digital transformation goes beyond technologies. Companies need the right business model, the right operating model, and ultimately the right Talent mindset for business-impactful and sustainable transformation. I’m proud that our technical expertise plus the business and operational insights gained along our own transformation journey have not only transformed our own business, but also empowered our enterprise customers to expedite their own digital transformations.”

HKBN’s holistic digital transformation project - Next-Generation Telco: Transforming HKBN for double revenue - stood out among the 1,200+ high quality entries across Asia Pacific. Following this initial win at the country-level, HKBN is now an IDC finalist for the regional awards to be announced on 22 October 2020. HKBN will be benchmarked against other winners in the same category for the region’s best of the best.

Click here to watch a short video on HKBN’s TaaS and Samuel’s winning edge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyZ_jXVUsfE&feature=youtu.be.

HKBN Enterprise Solutions (“HKBNES”) and theDesk today announced their collaboration to help selected HKBNES customers continue operations and maintain growth momentum during COVID-19, through access to theDesk’s facilities and collaborative business community at a preferential rate.

Selected HKBNES customers will enjoy full access in six locations of theDesk at the prime business areas and community networking events at only HK$1,680 for a 30-day pass¹, a 55% discount off a monthly hotDesk membership (original price: HK$3,750). This allows them to easily meet theDesk members and other HKBNES customers working at the same location, explore opportunities and collaborate for further businesses. They can also broaden their connections through activities or events organized by theDesk and its members community.

Samuel Hui, HKBN Co-Owner & Chief Transformation Officer, said, “HKBNES wants to help companies emerge stronger from COVID-19. Our partnership with theDesk offers our customers flexible and cost-effective co-working space, which helps de-risk operations and forge collaborative opportunities with others in theDesk community. This is an example of how we transform our customers into our partners, and from making money from them to making money with them.”

Thomas Hui, CEO and Co-founder of theDesk, said, “We are thrilled to partner with HKBNES and bring ‘co-work 2.0’ to their sizable pool of enterprise customers. They will not only have access to our workspaces and facilities – the 'first level’ of co-working, but also get to connect with our dynamic community of professionals and entrepreneurs and engage in co-creation, collaboration and expertise sharing for new ideas and business at theDesk’s multiple locations across Hong Kong.”

¹ Terms and Conditions apply.

Always putting Talents first, HKBN Group (“HKBN” or the “Group”) announced today that it has passed on all wage subsidies received under the first tranche of the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Employment Support Scheme to about 3,500 Talents in Hong Kong.

Faced with unprecedented global economic challenges posed by COVID-19, many of HKBN's Talents have seen their overall family incomes adversely affected. Embracing the wage subsidy scheme announced by the Hong Kong SAR Government, in April HKBN pledged to pass on all Talent-related payout funds received to about 3,500 Talents in Hong Kong, without reducing their current salaries paid by the Group, and will meet the headcount retention requirements as stipulated by the subsidy terms. Likewise, HKBN will also pass on 100% of the payout funds to its Talents after receiving the second tranche of wage subsidies from the Government in the coming months.

“HKBN’s Core Purpose is to ‘Make our Home a Better Place to Live’,” said NiQ Lai, HKBN Co-Owner and Group CEO. “In these tough times, we are here to support our Talents by passing on the wage subsidies to them. Additionally, all 10 executives in our Management Committee will be donating 100% of our personal wage subsidies to charity, and we encourage fellow HKBNers who are under less financial difficulty to join us.”

Meanwhile, delivering on its Core Purpose to wherever the Group operates, HKBN has given the business subsidies it received from Singapore, Malaysia, mainland China and Macau governments as a one-time financial subsidy to over 2,500 Talents there. These Talents have each received payment from HKBN equivalent to around HK$3,000 – HK$25,000.

Besides looking after Talents through these challenging times, HKBN has embraced its responsibilities to the society and customers and introduced various #ToughTimesTogether initiatives since February. These initiatives included a one-month service fee waiver to residential fixed-line and enterprise solutions customers, free remote office solutions for enterprise customers, free 2-year broadband service for 10,000 disadvantaged families, free data smartphones for care home residents, and 3-month employment with on-the-job training and mentorship for 100 university graduates.

HKBN Enterprise Solutions (“HKBNES”) today announced the launch of innovative, one-stop disinfection solutions to help companies maintain business continuity amid the COVID-19 outbreak. As the first ICT service provider in Hong Kong to collaborate with Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), the world leader in lighting, HKBNES will offer comprehensive solutions with proven UV-C lighting and smart IoT technologies to companies and institutions seeking to create a virus-free environment for their customers and employees.

These disinfection solutions comprises a portfolio of UV-C based disinfectant products – with validated effectiveness on inactivating COVID-19 virus in a matter of seconds*, for easy sterilisation of air, surfaces and objects. UV-C lighting can be applied to a wide variety of settings, such as offices, schools, retail stores and restaurants, enabling them to continue operations in a safe environment.

For as low as HK$839, HKBNES offers the Philips UV-C Disinfection Desk Lamp with free delivery#. HKBNES can support larger scale deployment with end-to-end service that includes consultation, planning, product delivery, installation and maintenance. When integrated as part of its range of smart office solutions, HKBNES can provide additional safety measures by equipping UV-C luminary deployment with IoT sensors and controls, ensuring the luminaries to operate safely.

Apart from the Philips UV-C Disinfection Desk Lamp, HKBNES also offers an array of smart solutions to help businesses and institutions cope with COVID-19. IoT and AI-based contactless thermal and face mask detection solutions enable businesses to identify and avoid suspected infection before they enter the premises; UV-C chambers disinfect all incoming parcels and bags; and UV-C freestanding luminaries, fixtures and robotic solutions support air and surface disinfection, meeting the operational needs of different industries and organisations.

"We are proud to partner with Signify to be the first ICT service provider to roll out one-stop UV-C disinfection & IoT solutions in Hong Kong. We are committed to bringing innovative technologies from reliable partners to help our enterprise customers fight COVID-19," said Billy Yeung, Co-Owner and CEO of HKBN Enterprise Solutions & JOS Group.

“Signify is the leader in UV-C light sources and has been at the forefront of UV technology for more than 35 years. We have a proven track record of innovation in UV-C lighting, which is designed, manufactured and installed in line with the highest safety standards. Through this cooperation with HKBNES, we hope to raise more awareness on workplace safety and health and introduce an effective disinfection solution for companies and institutions who are seeking ways to provide virus-free environments to their employees,” said Timothy Mak, Group General Manager of Signify Hong Kong Ltd.

For additional information regarding HKBNES's one-stop disinfection IoT solutions, please contact 128 1111.

* Research by National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories at Boston University, U.S.
# Terms and conditions apply.

HKBN Group (“HKBN” or the “Group”) announced today that it has appointed Danny Li as Chief Technology Officer (“CTO”) with effect from 1 August 2020. Danny will undertake a range of leadership responsibilities that include strategy, development and implementation of the Group’s network and information security, and will lead HKBN to reinforce its position as one of Asia's leading integrated telecom and technology solutions providers.

Since joining HKBN in 2017, Danny has been focusing on enhancing network services and infrastructure to advance HKBN’s fast growing business and surging customer demand for data, reliability and performance. Danny is committed to expanding the Group's fiber optic network coverage and bringing benefits of competition to more residential and enterprise customers. Prior to this appointment, Danny was HKBN's Deputy Chief Technology Officer and Chief Information Security Officer, responsible for network technology and the Group's overall information security strategy.

HKBN Co-Owner and Group CEO NiQ Lai said, “Danny’s appointment and his entry into our Group’s Management Committee demonstrates our determination to offer customers best-in-class network services, which includes empowering enterprises to operate seamlessly to transform and optimise their growth opportunities in the digital era. Since joining our Group, Danny has put his skin-in-the-game of HKBN by investing to become a Co-Owner. And in our recent Co-Ownership III Plus, he further topped up his interest alignment to 2-year gross salary investment (typically equivalent to 10 years of savings), which is consistent with all nine existing members of our Management Committee.”

Danny said, “HKBN is committed to building and operating future-proof network infrastructure, with top notch reliability and security at various touch points. We’re proud to be the trusted partner for businesses and leading carriers from around the world. We’ll continue to lead the industry in meeting the increasing demand for both network resources and service quality.”

Danny has over 25 years of experience in telecom infrastructure, engineering and operations, as well as sales and marketing. He began his telecom career at New T&T Limited (now HKBN Enterprise Solutions HK Limited), followed by a role as Network Assistant General Manager at CPCNet Hong Kong Limited. Before joining HKBN, Danny spent 11 years with DMX Technologies, a regional system integration company of Japan's KDDI Group. He has served to protect regional customers, including the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, from cyber-attacks, and helped build Asia Pacific's first MPLS IP VPN.

For a detailed introduction of Danny, please visit the website below.
https://www.hkbn.net/new/en/about-us--our-company--senior-management.shtml

Pricerite Group Limited (“Pricerite Group”) and HKBN Group (“HKBN”) announced today a long term corporate strategic and business partnership to leverage their respective marketing and technological excellence to deliver enhanced value for both companies and their customers. In the next 5 years, HKBN Enterprise Solutions will provide premier telecom service to Pricerite Group for strengthening the development of its New Retail service, while Pricerite Group will extend its exciting offerings to over 1 million HKBN customers.

This strategic partnership allows the broad customer base of the two companies to enjoy a great number of premium offers, thereby achieving a win win situation. Starting from today, customers who register designated HKBN home broadband or mobile plans via online can earn up to HK$400 in Pricerite cash coupons by using a designated promotional code. Residents of MALIBU and St Martin Phase 2 who spend HK$1,000 or above at Pricerite, or register for measurement order at TMF, can enjoy HKBN home broadband service on a contract free basis with a 6 month monthly fee and installation fee waiver*; while selected HKBN customers who register and install designated home broadband plans can get a total of over HK$1,000 Pricerite shopping coupons, a TMF measurement order waiver and an extra 3% discount on tailor made furniture*.

Dr. Bankee Kwan, Chairman of Pricerite Group said, “Pricerite Group is determined to keep a firm foothold in Hong Kong and serve the Hong Kong community. Despite challenges ahead, we are dedicated to developing the home furnishing market in Hong Kong. Under current adversity, Pricerite Group has joined hands with the industry, together we have stimulated creativity and strived to provide quality while competitive services to our customers. We will continue to seek further collaborations with HKBN in all aspects, especially on technology, with an aim of a win
win situation in the long run.”

HKBN Co Owner and Executive Vice chairman William Yeung said, “This win win collaboration with Pricerite Group demonstrates the high flexibility of HKBN’s Barter & Bundle programme, which co creates long term value with our enterprise customers. Looking ahead, we will continue to step up collaborations with different companies to bring more benefits for both residential and enterprise customers while accelerating business growth.”

* Terms and conditions apply.
 

HKBN Enterprise Solutions (“HKBNES”) today announced that it has been appointed to be the key ICT service provider for Cyberport’s information technology & telecom (“IT & T”) enhancement project, empowering Cyberport to reinforce its commitment to technology development and innovation in the region with world-class infrastructure and service support for technology enterprises and start-ups.

HKBNES will provide end-to-end services that include round-the-clock Network Operations Centre operation through a dedicated professional team, implementation of IT system automation to streamline operational workflow, and efficient on-site IT support via a user-friendly service portal. These enhanced ICT services will crucially help meet Cyberport’s over 1,500 start-ups’ and community members’ growing needs for first class infrastructure to enhance their product and application development. Best-in-class data connectivity and Wi-Fi network are also in place for full coverage and optimal performance to support the large-scale technology and insight exchange events and conferences hosted at Cyberport.

"We are proud to be the key ICT service provider for Cyberport, bringing our world-class expertise and end-to-end ICT solutions to support the growth and development needs of Cyberport’s diverse technology community," said Billy Yeung, Co-Owner and CEO of HKBNES & JOS Group.

"Cyberport’s start-ups and digital technology ecosystem continue to thrive despite the various challenges in the past months. These challenges have accelerated digital transformation in various sectors in Hong Kong and our start-ups are seizing the opportunities to bring forth new services and applications to meet the digital tech demand under the new normal. To facilitate Cyberport companies’ development, we are further enhancing our IT & T infrastructure to provide more value-added services and a stable and efficient data platform. We are delighted to have HKBN Enterprise Solutions’ support to enhance our services and platform to better serve our digital tech community companies,” Peter Yan, Chief Executive Officer of Cyberport.

Eu Yan Sang (Hong Kong) Limited (“EYS”), Hung Fook Tong Group Holdings Limited (“HFT”, SEHK stock code: 1446) and HKBN Group (“HKBN”) are thrilled to announce a strategic partnership where all three parties stand to gain from their resource and channel collaboration. The partnership enables all parties to leverage on each other’s competitive strengths and resources, to facilitate business growth during these challenging times. Customers and employees of EYS, HFT and HKBN will also get to enjoy a wider range of valuable privileges from the partnership.

Being deeply rooted in Hong Kong, EYS, HFT and HKBN believe in giving back to where their home is, by providing high quality products and services to Hong Kong customers. EYS is dedicated to innovating traditional Chinese medicine (“TCM”), to keep it relevant to mainstream healthcare and modern lifestyles. HFT aims at advocating the benefits of natural herbal products and promoting a modern wellness concept of healthy diet and living, while HKBN delivers stable and fast broadband services at competitive prices for residential customers in Hong Kong. With this partnership, they will gain exposure at each other’s extensive customer touchpoints, to further expand their sales channels and customer reach. Customers and employees of EYS, HFT and HKBN will get to enjoy exclusive membership / customers and employee discounts on a diversified range of product offerings at all three companies, starting from the end of July.

Following HFT and HKBN's announcement on a five year Barter and Bundle strategic partnership, EYS and HKBN also announced today that they will enter a long term strategic partnership. HKBN Enterprise Solutions will be the key telecom service provider to EYS, offering telecom and technology solutions such as high speed broadband services to over 40 EYS retail stores in Hong Kong. In return, EYS will be settling part of its payments for HKBN’s services in the form of EYS coupons, thereby extending its health and wellness solutions to HKBN’s customers at a privileged price.

By playing to the unique strengths of the respective brands, EYS and HFT plan to develop crossover products, incorporating EYS expertise in producing premium quality TCM and health products with HFT’s herbal experience in food and beverage, to provide customers with more healthy and reliable choices. Meanwhile, EYS and HFT will also set up branded counters for each other in selected retail stores to cross sell health products and food.

Mr. Francis Phua, Managing Director of Eu Yan Sang (Hong Kong) Limited said, “EYS has been providing TCM health and wellness solutions to Hong Kong people for over a century. Amid the global pandemic, people are paying more attention to their health, and we believe TCM has an important role to play in keeping them well. The partnership with HFT and HKBN not only expands our distribution channels and product offering for every day needs, but more importantly, gives us an opportunity to promote TCM as a lifestyle habit to benefit more Hong Kong people.”

Dr. Ricky Szeto, Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director of HFT said, “Cross brand collaborations and resource sharing are exceptionally important in this critical period, and we have to make it even faster. Following the former announcement of strategic collaboration with HKBN, HFT is pleased to start a long-term partnership and share resources with the long-standing brand EYS, as the partnership holds potential to a win for both, in our product development and customer building efforts, and even for the leadership positioning of both brands in the health and wellness industry.”

HKBN Co Owner and Executive Vice chairman William Yeung said, “Together with our partners, we are looking for opportunities in a time of crisis. We leverage our unique strengths to provide exceptional offers, improve convenience for our customers through complementary strategies, and ultimately achieve win win win. Following our previous announcement that HKBN Enterprise Solutions has become HFT’s key telecom and technology solutions provider in Hong Kong, this time our win win cooperation with EYS again serves to showcase the flexibility of our Barter & Bundle model.”

HKBN Group (“HKBN” or the “Group”), and the independently operated charity, HKBN Talent CSI Fund (“Fund”), today announced the launch of the “Donate Your Own Device for Students” programme. This programme will leverage donated notebook computers and tablets from HKBN’s broad base of over 1 million residential customers and over 100,000 business customers and partners to help empower the learning of disadvantaged students.

Following HKBN’s #ToughTimesTogether – “Free Broadband for the Disadvantaged” programme to provide two years of broadband service for free to 10,000 disadvantaged families, the Group understood that there are many needy students who are unable to afford their own computer devices. To address this, HKBN and the Fund will collect notebooks and tablets from its residential and enterprise customers, as well as business partners, pay for the necessary refurbishment work done by the Caritas Computer Workshop and donate them to needy students.

HKBN Co-Owner and Chief Talent & Purpose Officer CY Chan said, “Purposeful work by HKBNers when done alone only goes so far. By pooling together the goodwill of our broad base of customers and partners, we can achieve far stronger impact for our community, as well as lengthen the life of devices in an eco-friendly way. We hope more companies will do good and find more ways, like leveraging their network and resources, to contribute to our society.”

HKBN Talent CSI Fund Director Bonnie Chan said, “We believe it is more important to bring sustainable impact to people in need rather than just monetary donations. This time, we’re supporting disadvantaged students through refurbished computers, empowering them to learn much more effectively for the long-term.”

Donation period for notebooks and tablets starts from today until 31 August 2020. For more details, please visit www.hkbn.net/ComputerDonation/en.

With a view to helping businesses across Hong Kong to enhance cloud proficiency and accelerate digital transformation, HKBN Enterprise Solutions (“HKBNES”) today announces the launch of the Cloud-learning Incentive Programme^#, which offers attractive discounts and service rebates to companies for learning on two reputable cloud-training platforms, Cloud Academy and KORNERSTONE.

“The COVID-19 outbreak stands as a stark reminder of the importance of digital transformation to long-term business viability. The success of a go-cloud strategy does not hinge on tangible IT hardware and software, but rather the mastery of intangible cloud capabilities within the companies, ranging from identifying the best-fit cloud strategy, solutions and vendor to the uplevelled hands-on tech skills,” said Andy Lau, Co-Owner & Chief Commercial Officer – Cloud Services, HKBNES.

Under its Cloud-learning Incentive Programme, HKBNES offers the following to each company enrolled to Cloud Academy or KORNERSTONE:

Cloud Academy enrollment via HKBNES

• 25% discount per Cloud Academy enterprise license¹
• Up to HK$50,000 HKBNES service coupons* for each company¹

KORNERSTONE enrollment via HKBNES

• Up to HK$50,000 HKBNES service coupons* for each company (i.e. 1/3 of course fees of selected KORNERSTONE cloud-training courses)¹
• Note: Approved KORNERSTONE courses offer 2/3 course fee reimbursement under Reindustrialisation and Technology Training Programme

Cloud certifications attained

• Up to HK$50,000 HKBNES service coupons*² for attaining cloud certifications issued from May till August 2020 by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud

Cloud Academy and KORNERSTONE are both reputable organisations providing innovation-focused, practical and measurable training courses. Cloud Academy is a self-learning platform supporting customised and scalable learning anytime, anywhere, while KORNERSTONE combines interactive instructor-led trainings and practical workshops. Both are perfect learning platforms to achieve recognised accreditations and certifications from global leaders such as AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

“As one of the most cloud-proficient integrated telecom and technology service providers in Hong Kong, HKBNES is in a very strong position to guide our customers in their digital transformation journey. Around 1,300 of our Talents have completed cloud training, among which around 300 professional certifications from leading public cloud providers have been achieved,” added Andy Lau.

For enquiries about or application for the Cloud-learning Incentive Programme, please click https://hkbnes.net/en/cloudlearning or call 128 180.
# Terms and conditions apply.
* Service coupons are valid for the new subscription of HKBNES services and the redemption of up to 50% of the original service fee
¹ This offer is valid until 31 July 2020
² This offer is valid until 31 August 2020

Jardine Restaurant Group (“JRG”) and HKBN Group (“HKBN”) today announced that they have entered into a long-term strategic collaboration to leverage their respective technological and marketing excellence to deliver great value for both companies and their customers. Central to this collaboration, HKBN will become JRG’s key telecom and technology service provider in Hong Kong in the coming 10 years, while JRG will further extend its exciting offerings to HKBN’s broad customer base for consumption in restaurants under JRG.

With operations under three global brands, Pizza Hut, KFC and PHD, JRG is one of the leading restaurant groups in Asia, operating over 200 outlets in Hong Kong and Macau, and over 890 in Asia serving over 1 million customers weekly. HKBN is a leading integrated telecom and technology solutions provider, serving 1 in every 2 active businesses and 1 in every 3 households in Hong Kong.

Under this collaboration, HKBN will deliver a comprehensive range of information and communications technology (“ICT”) solutions to JRG to support its business development. Boasting unique tri-carrier fibre networks, HKBN will provide high-speed Internet connectivity to JRG’s restaurant outlets across Hong Kong. Data centre modernisation will be another key project to accelerate JRG's digital transformation.

With this win-win strategic partnership, JRG and HKBN would continue to create more value to customers of both organisations in the years to come.

Andrew Wong, Group Chief Executive, Jardine Restaurant Group said, "JRG and HKBN are like-minded entrepreneurs who embrace innovative collaboration to seize business opportunities and drive results. We are excited to have HKBN’s strong ICT support as we continue to enhance our performance and efficiency, while expanding our market reach and deliver compelling value to customers.”

HKBN Co-Owner and Executive Vice-chairman William Yeung said, “This is a win-win collaboration demonstrating HKBN’s agility and flexibility to co-create long-term value with our enterprise customers. We are proud to render our technical excellence to support JRG’s business needs and growth, while allowing our extensive residential and enterprise customers to enjoy the great food and the great value offered by their much-loved restaurants.”

Hung Fook Tong Group Holdings Limited (“HFT”, SEHK stock code: 1446) and HKBN Group (“HKBN”) today announced that they have entered into a long-term Barter and Bundle strategic partnership. Under a 5-year contract valued at over HK$20 million, HKBN will become HFT’s key telecom and technology solutions provider in Hong Kong, and will oversee planning and management of HFT’s entire IT system; while HFT will extend its exciting product offerings to HKBN’s broad customer base by settling part of the telecom and technology services payments to HKBN through HFT coupons, which can be used for the purchase of wellness food and beverage items in over 110 HFT retail stores across Hong Kong. HFT will also deploy dedicated retail stores as convenient redemption locations for HKBN customers to redeem and collect HKBN products and promotional gifts.

With an aim to leveraging HKBN’s expertise in IT and digital transformation, HFT’s appointment of HKBN will see the telecom and technology services provider manage its IT operations, as well as review, plan, manage and execute its overall IT transformation strategy in the coming 5 years. The immediate benefits from outsourcing IT operations to HKBN include enhanced cost-efficiency and availability of IT resources. To support HFT’s long-term business development, HKBN will devise an IT transformation roadmap based on HFT’s business needs, operational requirements and budget, all within a comprehensive service scope that covers maintenance, trouble-shooting, upgrading and interconnecting its point of sales (POS) system, inventory control, e-Payment platforms and real time data processing across its entire retail network. This roadmap will pave the way to accelerate HFT’s digital transformation and facilitate its future growth.

Dr Ricky Szeto, CEO & Executive Director of HFT, said, “We are excited to engage HKBN as our long-term technology partner, which has impressed us not only with its ICT excellence and business acumen, but most importantly, its great flexibility and agility to achieve a win-win outcome for both HFT and HKBN. Its unique ‘Barter & Bundle’ model lets us settle part of the telecom and technology solutions payment with HFT coupons, which helps us save costs off the profit margins, and extend our market reach to HKBN customers.”

HKBN Co-Owner and Executive Vice-chairman William Yeung said, “At HKBN, we pride ourselves as the only leading telecom and technology solutions provider in Hong Kong that embraces a broad-based Co-Ownership among our Talent base. This entrepreneurial mindset ensures that we can deliver unparalleled flexibility in our offerings and payment terms, and we seek to co-grow with our customers and help them stay ahead of the competition.”