Four fantastic years in HK

Our beginning in HK was not a very diplomatic one. On our way to HK we decided to take a family vacation in Thailand, which was very enjoyable and very much needed, taking into consideration our very difficult year in Qatar (different story, different time, will tell about it one day). Anyway we boarded Thai Airways almost straight from the beach due to time constraints expecting to be collected by the consulate driver and taken directly to our apartment (we were not fully accredited yet). What we did not expect, was that while we were on the plane the accreditation arrived "entitling" us to a full blown reception by the deputy head of protocol of the special administrative region (SAR) of Hong Kong in the very luxurious VIP room at the HK airport. This was quite embarrassing since we did not look like the typical HK diplomats. We were wearing our very torn jeans and cool tee-shirts with 3 hungry and tired children. At that point we learned the hard way, never to be taken off guard and that we will probably have very few moments to ourselves in this very small Island. Of course the protocol people were very understanding and sympathetic and nothing on their face hinted the awkwardness of the situation, I still wonder what they thought about us at the time.

You might say that HK is not really China and you would probably be right. Although formally HK is very much China, on the other hand it was the perfect micro system, for me to learn the importance of this vast country (China) to my very dear, struggling and much smaller one, Israel. HK opened my eyes to the opportunities for Israeli technologies and companies in China.

Very quickly I saw and understood that Israeli companies have great potential in China. That Israeli companies should put less emphasis on the American and European market because they hold very little growth and although they were the typically traditional markets for Israeli companies there is, no longer any real opportunity there just incremental growth. Israeli companies can not survive or keep there advantage on incremental growth, they need a market that can give them exponential growth, this is the Chinese market. Some companies have come to this reckoning, but others still resist for different reasons. There are those that are perturbed by IP infringement, those that heard of how people lost all their money in China and those that just don't understand or don't what to bother to learn how to do business in China. All of them might be right, but this is no excuse because today there are many ways to overcome these obstacles. The Companies have to look at the bigger picture, when one is given an opportunity like this, no company as strong as it is, can decide not to pursue it. The sooner companies understand this and execute by it, the better. Only then will they continue to be a real competitor in the international rat race.

From the other side of the map, more and more companies and people in HK and China felt that they have a real partner in Israeli companies and that they are really interested in Israeli technology. There was also a feeling that they can communicate well and that this partnership can work in the long run. Israeli companies although seem aggressive are very pragmatic and are willing to go to great lengths to make a deal work. Our technology is flexible and not rigid, it allows for change and different protocols and specs.

People in HK and China were and are always curious to understand what has made Israel so successful in many terms, although it is very small and plagued by war and violence. Unfortunately, in a twist of fate our greatest hardships were those that brought us the most success and fame. On the one hand many of our technological innovations are based on military technologies, and on the other our innovative spirit is due to the fact that in Israel "no" is not an option, in our mind "one" can always find a solution to even the hardest of problems, it is usually not conventional, but it also usually works. We have a motto if you can't enter through the door then try through the window, and this is why we may seem to some as aggressive, pig headed and even at times impolite. For us to get the job done comes first and foremost and one doesn't bother with trivial things like niceties…….(in a few weeks I will write about how to understand and get a long with Israeli business people)

Once people understood the benefits of doing business with Israeli companies, they also understood that Israel being far is not that great an obstacle. At my time and till today you see how the technological exports are on the rise. It came to the point that several of the big companies in HK, would contact our office as a first resort when they where looking for new technology.

To mention just a few of the Israeli technology that were incorporated in HK companies, here are a few examples: Orad Hi-Tec Systems is used in the Hong Kong Jockey Club, providing a dynamic horse tracking system with multimedia presentation for horse racing. Orad's CyberSet Virtual Studio and CyberGraphics 3D Real Time are also used for air graphics for web casting for TV productions in Hong Kong's major TV stations.
Starhome, a telecom company, implemented its Dialing Assistance Service at CSL – one of HK's cellular operator, enabling visitors easy roaming and generating additional revenue for mobile operators,
NICE Systems technology is used at the Jockey Club, insurance companies and 70% of the banks in Hong-Kong for recording customers' calls.