Speech by Ir. Allen Yeung, Government Chief Information Officer, at the “Cloud Tech Forum”

Ms. (Sheila) Lam, Distinguished Speakers, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning. It is my great pleasure to join you all at the ”Cloud Tech Forum”. First and foremost, I would like to thank Computerworld Hong Kong for organising this Forum, which provides an excellent platform for industry experts and IT professionals to share insights and views on the latest trends and development of cloud computing.

Since its emergence, cloud computing has been developing rapidly. It has brought about disruptive change to the delivery of IT services, and is gradually becoming an integral part of IT nowadays. According to Gartner, cloud computing is one of the top ten strategic technology trends for 2015, and it also underpins the development of a number of other strategic technology trends, such as computing everywhere, software-defined infrastructure.

In our new Digital 21 Strategy, cloud computing together with Big Data Analytics, Internet of Things, wireless and mobile technologies, have been identified as the key enabling technologies in propelling Hong Kong into the next stage of ICT development. Recognising the great potentials, the Government seeks to drive the development of cloud computing in Hong Kong on various fronts.

We have formulated a cloud computing strategy for enhancing public service delivery, facilitating the development of ICT industry and promoting wider use of cloud computing in the community. To lead by example, we have established the Government Cloud Platform (GovCloud) for the delivery of common e-government services such as electronic information management and electronic procurement in a cost-effective and agile manner. We have also deployed cloud technologies to re-provision our E-Government Infrastructure Service (EGIS) platform for supporting the delivery of citizen-centric Government-to-Citizen (G2C) and Government-to-Business (G2B) public services.

To facilitate Government departments in adopting public cloud services and foster the development of local cloud services industry, we have put in place a procurement arrangement for easy acquisition of public cloud services. We have enlisted some 40 service providers and over 300 cloud services were provided to Government departments as of June 2015.

To facilitate and drive cloud adoption and deployment in Hong Kong, we have established an Expert Group on Cloud Computing Services and Standards (EGCCSS) to draw expertise from the industry, academia, community, professional bodies and the Government to develop and promote best practices and guidelines on cloud computing for the local community. In collaboration with the Expert Group, OGCIO had launched an information portal named ”InfoCloud” to promulgate information and useful resources relating to cloud computing, including adoption guidelines, success stories, best practices and other technical references for businesses and SMEs.

To further promote the adoption and development of cloud computing services and standards, we had established the Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Committee on Cloud Computing Services and Standards. A ”Hong Kong/Guangdong Practice Guide for Procuring Cloud Services” has been published to facilitate enterprises, in particular SMEs, to appreciate how cloud computing can bring benefits to them, and understand how to evaluate and consider some of the risks associated with incorporating cloud computing into their businesses.

For promoting adoption of cloud computing among SMEs, we have implemented a “SME Cloud Promotion Campaign” in the past 6 months to provide free training on cloud computing and organise a series of promotional activities in raising the awareness and promoting application of cloud computing among SMEs.

With the concerted effort of Government and the industry, cloud adoption is gaining momentum in Hong Kong. We envisage that the development of cloud standards and best practices will further unlock the potential of cloud computing, driving further development of innovative cloud services for businesses and the community. I wish today's Forum a great success and all of you have a fruitful sharing.

Thank you.

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