Li Kai-shing’s Hutchison Telecom launched its HutchCity Services Monday, supported with the Microsoft Commercial Internet System (MCIS) platform and promising that it would meet the demand in Hong Kong for “reliable, high bandwidth Internet services.”
Huchison’s entrance into the Hong Kong Internet industry is seen by many as a bold move with a market already saturated with over 130 providers.
The competition has lead to some consolidation in the industry including the recent purchase of Hong Kong Star Internet by the market leader, Hong Kong Telecom’s Netvigator.
However, Hutchison claims that it has introduced an ISP service that will give it “a competitive edge” over established providers.
Hutchison’s manager of network service development, Charles Yip, stated that the firm’s established cable network would allow it to increase bandwidth as needed. Yip also said that the company was considering “value added” services to offer to a variety of customers.
In addition to an established network, HutchCity will also have the added kudos of being the first Hong Kong ISP to utilize MCIS.
A Microsoft representative commented that the MCIS platform will “. . .significantly reduce time for development of the HutchCity services. . .” as it offers integration with Microsoft Backoffice Family components and existing client software and systems.
Several industry analysts believe that an ISP with fast access and value added services will do well in the Hong Kong Internet industry that is often jammed with user traffic and offers little variation in the services among its many providers.