HONG KONG, August 20, 2005 – In a recent interview with Outsourcing2asia magazine, Mr. Winston Wong, Executive Vice President of Azeus Group of Companies, unveiled the company’s core competency and strategy in strengthening its leadership in the IT services industry in the Asia Pacific region.

Best Practices as Core Strength

“Azeus’ core strength is actually all about its best practices and process expertise in software development, especially custom applications,” said Wong.

Azeus adopts well-defined standards and established methodologies to ensure high standards of IT solutions. In light of the ever-changing nature of the technologies and business needs and as a CMMI-SW Level 5 certified organization, our methodologies and processes are continuously monitored and optimized. Azeus’ experience with large scale complex Government projects has led the company to institutionalize international standards such as FPA (Function Point Analysis) for sizing estimates, and methodologies such as PRINCE (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) for Project Management, RAD (Rapid Application Development) and SSADM (Structured Systems Analysis and Design Methodology) for Software Development.

In addition, Azeus also adopts Technology Change Management (TCM) and Process Change Management (PCM). TCM, like sound supply strategies, is designed to minimize time, labor, risk (including human error), unnecessary waste, and unjustified costs – therefore maximizing asset value, internal productivity and competitive advantages. PCM on the other hand, continually improves the software processes used in the organization with the aim of improving software quality, increasing productivity, and decreasing the cycle time for product development. PCM involves defining process improvement goals and, with senior management sponsorship, proactively and systematically identify, evaluate, and implement improvements to the organization's standard software processes.

“Our track record on services delivered plus our international certifications further boost our business prospects,” added Wong. In 1997, Azeus became the first local company in Hong Kong to achieve ISO 9001 accreditation for both software development and software maintenance. In 2002, Azeus became the first software company in Greater China to achieve CMM Level 5. Only a year after receiving its CMM accreditation, Azeus geared up to further enhance its software processes with a bid to attain Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Level 5, which it got in 2003. The quality of the Azeus team and combination of the on-site, off-site and off-shore delivery approaches is apparent in the fact that Azeus Hong Kong, Manila and Dalian offices are all assessed at CMMI Level 5 – the highest level.

The accreditations have helped Azeus gain the confidence of clients. In 2002, the Hong Kong Government awarded Azeus the Information Technology Professional Services Agreement (ITPSA) contract for large-scale systems development, under which Azeus is the only local SME to be given such privilege. Also, a significant outcome of Azeus’ strict adherence to standards is the lowest level of post-production defects resulting from the highest achievement in productivity and quality of the delivered solutions. Azeus’ clients receive not just cost-effective solutions but high quality cost-effective solutions.

Long Term Business Growth Plan

“At present, Azeus is scaling up staff in its headquarters in Hong Kong as well as in its offshore development centres to take advantage of growing opportunities within the region. So far, Azeus has avoided risks entailing such an expansion because of its competent, experienced and well-structured management and business models,” said Wong.

The company's 15-year experience as a leading IT services provider in Hong Kong, as well as the domain knowledge mustered in building more than 100 projects for over 40 clients, have always been the driving force that has propelled Azeus to expand organically and strategically.

Azeus is persistently expanding its business process outsourcing capabilities, of which foundations have been the offshore development centers in Manila, the Philippines (more than 10 years in operation), and in Dalian, Mainland China. These centers have provided Azeus with a significant edge in enhancing cost competitiveness and eventually will serve as the springboards for expanding to overseas markets. “For example, the development center in Dalian is geographically close to Japan, wherein Azeus anticipates opportunities in the Japanese IT outsourcing market,” added Wong.

Recently, Azeus acquired BIGontheNet Private Limited (“BIGontheNet”), a Singaporean provider of Internet search products and solutions for various industry applications including Intellectual Property management and e-government. Wong explained that the acquisition aimed to combine the company’s technical expertise and customer relationships to better address the needs of customers and jump-start Azeus' entry into Singapore.

He also revealed that Azeus was considering joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions in Malaysia as well as in Bahrain/ Dubai for Middle East market. Azeus will continue to capitalize on its track record to expand in emerging markets within the Asia Pacific region first and then worldwide.

Established in 1991, Azeus is a leading provider of IT consultancy services. With headquarters in Hong Kong, Azeus has established offshore software development centres in the Philippines and China. In February 2005, Azeus acquired BIGontheNet, an award-winning provider of eBusiness software solutions based in Singapore.

Aside from designing and implementing a wide range of IT software and systems to fulfill the outsourcing needs of customers, Azeus also provides maintenance and support services. Azeus has won the first and thus far, only business outsourcing project from the Hong Kong government, covering IT consulting, IT maintenance and support, as well as office operations and support services.

Azeus is appraised at the highest level of process maturity under the CMMI-SW model, endorsing its commitment to deliver high quality work. Its emphasis on high quality solutions has enabled the Group to build a solid track record backed by completion of over 100 projects for both the public and commercial sectors.