Commentary

Top 5 issues that will impact Hong Kong employment in 2013

2013 will herald in the Year of the Snake – a year for steady progress and attention to detail. Focus and discipline will be necessary for Hong Kong business leaders to achieve what they set out to create.

Top 5 issues that will impact Hong Kong employment in 2013

2013 will herald in the Year of the Snake – a year for steady progress and attention to detail. Focus and discipline will be necessary for Hong Kong business leaders to achieve what they set out to create.

9 communications trends to watch out for in 2013

2012 was a mixed bag of highs and lows. Despite a sluggish global economy, humans continued to surprise with their endeavor and ambition to go where no man has gone before.

What Hong Kong can learn from the China Rail Ministry’s online ticketing incident

In 2011, the China Rail Ministry created an online ticketing website 12306.cn for people to book train tickets. During this year’s Spring Festival, tens of millions of Chinese in Hong Kong and migrant workers across China visited the website to purchase train tickets. However, the massive traffic load for the ticketing website has caused increased dissatisfaction among users.

5 key growth drivers for cloud computing in Hong Kong

2013 is a year of data explosion. The online world is forecast to have 200 million new users getting online for the first time this year. With a large number of these emerging from Asia and logging on for the first time via mobile or social channels, demand for enterprise infrastructure and secure, cloud ready, geographic hubs will be a key theme for the year ahead.

Digital vs non-digital advertising in Hong Kong

“Going Green, Recycle and Protect the Earth”, was a message endorsed by the Hong Kong Environmental Department showcased through a banner ad attached on the side of the bus. That is, a form of out-door advertising, often refer to as Out-Of-Home (OOH) advertising.

What you must know about bribery in Hong Kong

It may be a little early for moon cakes, but  as we are well into the season of gifting, and where businesses are receiving gifts, consideration of what might constitute a bribe, should never be far from company owners' minds. After all, it wasn't too long ago, in 2009, that a local company director received a jail term for offering 15 boxes of moon cakes to local police officers.

Opportunities for Hong Kong investors in Chinese gas

Traditional energy sources – oil and gas – are one of the few areas to remain relatively untouched by the global economic crisis. All over the world, demand for gas in particular is high, as key energy consumers look for supply security as well as cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternatives to coal and oil as energy sources. Considerable investments have been made in mature markets, such as the US and Australia, but opportunities are developing in a range of countries.

Why mobile apps are not just for consumers anymore

In Hong Kong mobile phone penetration is currently 213% and smart phone penetration is 61%, the second highest in the world1.

Should Hong Kong companies look further afield for growth opportunities?

A decade or so after the term 'BRIC' term was coined to acknowledge the potential of leading emerging economies, there still appears to be a reluctance to see the opportunities there. Even as mature industrialised markets as Western Europe and the United States essentially stagnate, companies are not exactly rushing into new territories.

Finding the right Chinese translation

When you are told to “slip carefully” instead of be careful because of the slippery floor or you see people dining at a place called “Translation server error”, you would know how seriously erroneous English translation can be.

Shaping the future of Hong Kong companies from the past

Tourism was Hong Kong’s only pillar industry with sustained growth last year; the 48 million tourists who came to Hong Kong spent HK$305 billion, up 16.5% on the year before.

How to manage personnel change in Hong Kong before it's too late

Chinese New Year is traditionally a time of change in the job market in Hong Kong and our research tells us that employers should expect increased movement this season.

The gender agenda: Promoting more women into top jobs

Workforce diversity is rising up the agenda of financial-services employers in Asia as they seek to widen their talent pools, overcome skill shortages, boost retention, and improve customer relationships.

A quick guide for businesses shifting into the cloud

The last 12 months have felt like an uphill struggle for many businesses in Hong Kong.

What does search ranking mean to businesses?

Every year, Google releases an end-of-year list of the fastest rising search terms from Hong Kong. We call this list “Zeitgeist” because we think it reflects the “spirit of the times” and the people, events, and memories that made this year unique.

3 tips to plan a cost control strategy in Hong Kong

Even during good times, cost control is a vital factor for Hong Kong businesses and directly leads to savings through better working practices.

What Hong Kong businesses should know about using unlicensed software

Earlier this year the Attorney General of the US State of Massachusetts took legal action against Narong Seafood Company Limited on the grounds that the Thailand-based seafood processor was unfairly exporting products to Massachusetts with the aid of unlicensed software.