Hutchison Global Communications (HGC), the fixed-line services arm of Hutchison Telecommunications, is seeking to boost revenue and add customers next month when it starts offering subscription-only business applications from a variety of partners such as BlackBerry provider Research In Motion and virus software vendor Symantec.
The company is the first fixed-line network operator in Asia to launch such a program, which gives it 'a significant competitive advantage' HGC chief executive Peter Wong King-fai said.
'Collaborating with partners through an open network is the key to reinforcing our leadership position in the Hong Kong market,' Mr Wong said. 'Network operators should no longer compete solely on price but on creating additional value for customers through innovative ideas.'
The initial batch of global partners also includes remote computer access specialist Senvid, audio-conferencing provider Fujitsu, multimedia video-conferencing firm Teligent (Asia) and voice-response systems supplier Expert Systems IVR (Asia).
The program, which will have 30 technology partners by the end of next year, takes advantage of the growing acceptance of software-as-a-service (SaaS) among enterprises in Asia.
'We expect at least a 10 per cent increase in our customer base in the first year of WorkTools@HGC,' said Andrew Lee, HGC's commercial director for the wholesale and business market. He declined to provide the company's subscription numbers.