|
Hong Kong, 3 December 2009: Outblaze, the leading web development
and services company, today announced that Founder and Chief
Executive Officer Mr. Yat Siu has been awarded the Young Entrepreneur
Award at the DHL/SCMP Hong Kong Business Awards 2009. The
Young Entrepreneur Award honours persons under 40 years of
age who have made substantial contributions to a Hong Kong
business through the application of outstanding talent, originality,
innovation, and managerial skills.
Mr. Yat Siu, a graduate of the Musik Konservatorium in Vienna,
Austria, launched his career in the technology sector in 1990
working for Atari Germany. His business instinct and technological
acumen led him to the U.S., and within three years he was
a director and Head of East Coast Operations for Lexicor,
a professional graphics software company based in Silicon
Valley.
Yat Siu moved to Hong Kong in 1996, where he set up Hong
Kong Cybercity, the first free web page and email provider
in Asia. Later renamed Freenation, the business grew rapidly
and was acquired by a U.S. based company. In 1997 Yat joined
AT&T Solutions’ System Integration practice, but
left in 1998 to set up Outblaze, which developed innovative
web-based multilingual white label communication and collaboration
services.
Yat Siu’s steady leadership and vision steered Outblaze
through the Dotcom Bubble and several subsequent crises. Outblaze
became a world leader in white label hosted web services,
winning numerous awards and accolades. With over 75 million
end-users under management, Outblaze secured clients and partners
from all over the world and business sectors, including service
providers, telecommunications operators, corporations, academia,
media and publishing companies.
In April 2009, Outblaze messaging assets were sold to IBM
and incorporated in IBM’s LotusLive suite of services.
IBM also used the Outblaze assets to open its first cloud
computing laboratory in Hong Kong. The transaction established
beyond doubt that -like banking and finance services- Hong
Kong’s local information technology can compete on a
global scale.
“Receiving the Young Entrepreneur Award is an exceptional
honour,” said Yat Siu, Chief Executive Officer and Founder
of Outblaze. “I share this award with all my colleagues,
those dedicated and gifted people who have made Outblaze the
success it is today. We are all extremely proud of this recognition
and consider it further motivation to keep innovating.”
“2009 is a special year. Not only does it mark the
20th anniversary of DHL/SCMP Hong Kong Business Awards, but
also recognize those businesses which have successfully weathered
the global economic turmoil started from late last year, and
at the same time made a positive contribution to the world,”
said Mr. Jerry Hsu, President, Greater China Area, DHL Express
Asia Pacific. “With excellent business results and wide
respect in the community, the winners are certainly well deserved.
Their commitment and efforts have helped sustain the wellbeing
of Hong Kong business community amid all these challenges.”
“As a co-organizer of the Awards, we are impressed
by the number of nominees; all of whom have played a significant
part in the expansion of the local economy and have been instrumental
in setting benchmarks for future success. The winners not
only achieved business success in 2008/ 2009, but also in
the community as responsible corporate citizens” said
Mr. Reginald Chua, Editor- in-Chief, South China Morning Post.
- Ends -
About Outblaze
Outblaze Ltd. was founded in Hong Kong in 1998 and is privately
held. Originally a pioneer in the field of multilingual communication
services for online communities, Outblaze today develops and
provides various cloud computing services across digital media,
including Web services, online virtual community services,
online transaction systems, and more. Outblaze is a company
of innovators who are passionate about information technology,
and whose mission is the delivery of powerful digital media
and web 2.0 products
Outblaze collaborates with clients to create customized solutions
tailored to meet their specific needs without requiring them
to invest in expensive software and hardware. The company
handles all operations of the service, leaving clients free
to focus on their core competencies. For more information
please visit www.outblaze.com.
About DHL/SCMP Hong Kong Business Awards
The Hong Kong Business Awards were established by DHL and
the South China Morning Post in 1990 to acknowledge publicly
the vital contributions made by individuals and by companies
in maintaining and expanding the economic viability and international
stature of Hong Kong; and to encourage and sustain the Hong
Kong entrepreneurial spirit and highlight and recognize excellent
standards of corporate management.
There are four categories for individuals, namely, Business
Person of the Year Award, Executive Award, Owner-Operator
Award and Young Entrepreneur Award; and four for companies,
namely, International Award and China Company Award, Enterprise
Award and SME Award. Nominations are made by individuals or
by public or private organizations. Nominees who meet the
criteria for the respective categories will be invited to
participate. Those who accept the nominations will submit
supporting documents for the judging panel, who will vote
for a winner for each category.
Over the past nineteenth years, the DHL/SCMP Hong Kong Business
Awards has successfully established its status as one of the
most prestigious and authoritative business awards in Hong
Kong.
|
