Two technology companies are teaming up to create a mobile internet service providing tourists to Hong Kong with shopping and travel information.
Smartac Group China’s wholly-owned subsidiary Solomedia Asia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hutchison Global Communications, the fixed-line division of Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings to collaborate on researching and establishing the service, to be called Smart Travel Cloud – Hong Kong Stop.
Hong Kong will be Smartac Group’s first overseas market to develop its Smart Travel Cloud.
Largely targeting Mainland Chinese visitors, they aim to resolve the problems encountered by travellers unable to connect to Wi-Fi networks while travelling abroad.
By integrating with an Online to Offline (O2O) business model, Smart Travel Cloud will provide visitors with real-time travel and shopping information, and will help drive traffic and users to traditional offline businesses.
Pursuant to the arrangement, HGC will leverage its optical fibre network and Wi-Fi network in Hong Kong to provide visitors with stable and reliable Wi-Fi internet access. Solomedia Asia will deploy its innovative technology of O2O big data platform (combining Wi-Fi, bluetooth Beacon, smart interactive screen) to provide visitors with personalised and interactive information for hassle-free travel abroad.
Solomedia Asia and HGC intend to research on the introduction of mobile commerce, mobile payment platform, and commercial smart data platform, to popularise O2O mobile commerce and introduce a new business model to the retail, hotel and other tourism-related service industries in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, both parties will further carry out feasibility study and explore opportunities to establish and operate a big data platform for Hong Kong travelling.
Jason Kwan, executive director of Smartac Group, said the collaboration on establishing Smart Travel Cloud via a Wi-Fi network will assist Hong Kong retailers and tourism operators to effectively connect with and serve the visitors and consumers in Hong Kong.
“We are glad to join hands with HGC, the largest Wi-Fi service provider in Hong Kong, in initialising ‘Internet + Tourist Consumption’. Such collaboration will incorporate the strength of each party to seize development opportunities in mobile internet services. This also caters to the current global trend of transitioning to the big data era and adds impetus to Hong Kong tourism and retail industry.”
Jennifer Tan, COO of HTHKH, added: “HGC is the largest Wi-Fi service provider in Hong Kong. We are pleased to work with Smartac Group and are going to provide its subsidiary Solomedia Asia high-speed wireless internet services in order to develop Smart Travel Cloud services in Hong Kong. Our extensive Wi-Fi network provides over 16,000 hotspots in large shopping arcades, at coffee shop chains, fast food outlets, popular restaurants, commercial buildings, large residential estates, tertiary institutions and car parks. This will enable ‘Smart Travel Cloud’ users to obtain the latest travel information anytime, anywhere in Hong Kong.”