HSBC and Microsoft Hong Kong today announced a new partnership that aims to help Hong Kong’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) boost their organizational resilience and expedite their digital transformation journey amid the new normal through technological resources and multi-dimensional support.
“Tech Me Up” is a year-long collaboration that brings together the complementary strengths of HSBC and Microsoft Hong Kong in key business areas. Microsoft Hong Kong will provide remote working devices, cloud solutions and technical enablement trainings to HSBC SME customers. Through joint webinars on HSBC VisionGo platform, SMEs will acquire HSBC’s business knowledge and Microsoft’s technology capability. In addition, Microsoft’s applications will be integrated into HSBC’s service platform to enable SMEs to manage their finances and daily operation more seamlessly.
Technology has become a key enabler for Hong Kong businesses to navigate the new normal. According to HSBC’s report Navigator: Building Back Better*, nine-in-ten surveyed businesses in Hong Kong agree that times of adversity showcase how they can leverage technology to enhance the way they work, and 60% of respondents expect virtual collaboration to become the standard way of working. Meanwhile, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently announced that Microsoft Teams now has 75 million daily active users. “Tech Me Up” provides Hong Kong companies with timely support to address challenges and make a smooth technological transition.
“With the COVID-19 outbreak, Hong Kong businesses rapidly adopted remote working to maintain business continuity. However, SMEs face challenges such as lack of laptop devices and business operation systems are mostly on premises, making it difficult to switch to remote working promptly. This puts tremendous pressure on their future success. Our collaboration with HSBC allows us to support Hong Kong’s SMEs to address their urgent needs, equipping them with the tools and knowledge, so their teams can work anywhere, anytime in a secure manner to continue operation and be well protected. We are confident that this initiative will empower Hong Kong businesses to leverage technology to be more agile and emerge stronger from the turbulent times,” said Cally Chan, General Manager of Microsoft Hong Kong and Macau.
Daniel Chan, Head of Business Banking, Commercial Banking, Hong Kong, HSBC, said, “SMEs are the lifeblood of Hong Kong’s economy and the pipeline that will deliver the territory’s future success. The business operating environment has changed drastically and SMEs face unique challenges in adapting successfully. We believe this partnership will help them prepare for a future where success will increasingly hinge on the effective use of digital technology.”
“Tech Me Up” covers three key areas:
Hardware and software enablement: Microsoft Surface devices, Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams will be available for HSBC customers to enjoy distance business IT applications with full security and collaboration capability. Together with usage training, they can have access to affordable and easy-to-adapt solutions, as well as the technological expertise
Technology and business knowledge sharing: Co-created content and webinars are made available on HSBC VisionGo, the Bank’s proprietary SME digital community platform built with Microsoft on Azure, to provide knowhow and strategies on business transformation
Digital platform integration: A one-stop digital solution will enable SMEs to manage daily finances and operations with a holistic business health outlook through integrating Microsoft’s technology - such as payment process automation application programming interface (API) and cloud services - into HSBC’s platform by the end of this year
Starting today, HSBC Commercial Banking customers will be exclusively offered free rental** of the latest Microsoft Surface model Pro 7 and complimentary Office 365 Business Standard package, Microsoft Teams training and remote activation services for three months.
Eligible businesses may also receive special discounts on paid rental plans. Interested companies are welcome to visit the following website: https://empowerhk/com/surface-pro-7-rental/hsbc/ for further information.
*Navigator report: Building Back Better surveyed over 2,600 companies in 14 markets, including 200 companies in Hong Kong, in the months of April and May 2020. Please visit https://www.business.hsbc.com.hk/en-gb/hsbc-navigator for more information
**Three-month free rental of the Microsoft Surface model Pro 7 is limited to 100 units on a first-come-first-serve basis. Terms and conditions apply.