Outstanding services provider delivers fibre, cloud and talent to business

Time-tested Chinese wisdom has for years provided sound principles that illuminate the pathways for successful enterprises in Hong Kong. The leading ICT company Wharf T&T is one such business that is guided by the principles of harmony and unity of Heaven, Earth and People, a trinity that interconnects and intertwines to create synergy and pave the way for success. Wharf T&T’s success is based on this same formula: Heaven (Cloud) x Earth (Fibre) x People (Talent).

Trinity underpins success
Earth represents the ‘Fibre-to-the-Desk’ (FTTD) broadband network covering 90% of business customers. This lays the foundation for sustainable growth at Wharf T&T. Heaven represents comprehensive fibre cloud services, the driver of accelerated growth. People represents talent and is the core valuable asset that enables, fuels and sustains business growth and ensures service excellence. While technology forms the foundation, it is people and service quality that are crucial elements for success. “Technology, domain know-how, and sales are crucial to our success, but all these are powered by talent. By integrating the best-of-breed technology and the best talent, we have excelled against our competitors and become the leading ICT company in Hong Kong,” Vincent Ma, President of Wharf T&T said.

Alchemy of fibre business broadband
The launch of Wharf T&T’s “+EN” project makes ultra-high-speed business fbre broadband accessible and affordable to all Hong Kong businesses. The FTTD broadband network now covers 5,000 commercial buildings, providing secure, reliable and high-speed broadband internet to 90% of local business customers. With only approximately 60% technology penetration in the business sector, this city-wide broadband coverage raises the broadband penetration rate in Hong Kong and serves as the bedrock for cloud deployment which will help enhance ICT adoption.

Growth of cloud applications 

Wharf T&T has developed a complete suite of subscription-based Fibre Cloud solutions backed by the fbre network, to cope with the ever evolving demand by business to adopt ICT, such as Cloud Voice. Cloud Voice is an integrated and highly scalable unifed business communications solution that embraces a collaboration of scalable voice, video and fxed-mobile convergence using a “cloud-based” platform. In the two-and-a-half years to June 2013, Cloud Voice has grown strongly and recorded high market penetration in Hong Kong. The number of lines as of June 2013 has increased 4-fold since its launch. In addition to the robust growth, it has shown a high adoption rate in Hong Kong. From December 2012 to June 2013, the growth of Hong Kong IP telephony lines amounted to 2,871 and Cloud Voice contributed 63% to this growth. “Given its success, cloud development is well underway and we are ready to bring more new cloud applications to enable your businesses,” Vincent Ma said. Cloud Voice offers a wide range of innovative features that realize fxed-mobile convergence. It extends business voice to cell phone and unifed communications platforms in which a smartphone, PC, or tablet becomes a virtual desktop phone anytime, anywhere.

Developed under a “device independent” environment, it supports iPhone, smart phone, any 2G or 3G mobile handset and can interoperate with any local mobile operator. The fact that large and small industries across sectors have embraced Cloud Voice has contributed to the strong growth. Companies such as offce furniture and design frm POSH, textile and apparel company Esquel Group, and Bridal Tea House Hotels have vastly improved customer service, customer satisfaction and upgraded the effciency of internal communications by adopting Cloud Voice. 

Power of talent
Wharf T&T upholds a strong commitment to talent management and makes available ICT-related professional training programmes (such as. CCIE, CCMC) for technical staff, while self-effectiveness programs such as the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Signature Program, are available for all 200 managers and above. A Leadership Development Program (LDP) further nurtures high-potential staff into future leaders by enhancing their competencies and potential. Since 2010, more than 100 talents have benefted. At Wharf T&T, employees advance on the career ladder through a dual track. The Dual Career Ladder is a system of promotion that represents two hierarchical parallel developments in management or specialist feld. Under this system, employees with technical knowledge are not restricted from taking a general management role, they can choose to grow hierarchically in their profession.

Strong commitment to CSR
CSR is deeply embedded in Wharf T&T. By investing money, manpower and resources, Wharf T&T is actively engaged in The Wharf’s Project WeCan, a pioneer 360o school improvement program targeting under-privileged students with high potential. The partnership with CCC Kei Heep Secondary School through teaching, extra-curriculum development, conduct and behaviour as well as counselling develops all-round students and brings signifcant improvement in student’s HKDSE results in 2013.

A year of triumphs
Industry peers have publicly recognised Wharf T&T for its outstanding service, excellent talent management and leadership skills development in 2013. This June, in recognition of its prominent performance in technology development and excellence in business execution, Wharf T&T was presented with the ‘Technology Company of the Year 2013’ Award by Computerworld Hong Kong magazine. Wharf T&T’s LDP team became the Champion of the Hong Kong Management Game in August demonstrating focus, determination, strong teamwork and sound management capabilities, while two more teams also from Wharf T&T emerged as second runner-up and third runner-up.

Fast facts:
• Wharf T&T is the first and only comprehensive ICT service provider in Hong Kong focusing on the business sector.

• Licensed in 1995, Wharf T&T is a core member of the Wharf Group with over HK$6 billion invested in its own telecommunications network infrastructure in Hong Kong.

• Wharf T&T’s ultra-high speed ‘Fibre-to-the-Desk’ network covers 5,000 commercial building, serving 90% of local business customers.