After years of doing business exclusively via resellers and SIs (systems integrators), major vendors are now setting up offices in the MSAR'Microsoft Corp., IBM Corp., and Hewlett-Packard Co. have set up shop in the Macau's flagship Bank of China Building opposite the Lisboa Complex. 'We currently have 10 staff,' said Adam Iao, director of HP Macau technology solutions group,' but plan to expand.' HP also has warehouse facilities in north Macau, but no plans to move into neighboring the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of Zhuhai, said Fred Sheu, marketing director of HP Hong Kong technology solutions group. 'Currently, we handle our Pearl River Delta (PRD) business through our offices in Guangzhou,' said Sheu.

What can major vendors accomplish with local offices? 'Macau's in an environment of sustainable growth across multiple areas, including IT,' said Iao. The public sector's e-government measures are boosted by gaming tax revenue, which helps fund initiatives like Macau smart ID cards'of the MSAR's 488,000 residents, about 300,000 have smart cards.

Johnny Au, executive director of Macau-based SI Netcraft Ltd., said his firm started in 1996, when the economy of pre-SAR Macau (then described as a 'Chinese territory under Portuguese administration') was stagnant. 'We focused on government, utilities, universities and major banks,' said Au, who added Netcraft currently supplies 60 percent of the switchers and routers used by clients like the Macau police force, customs department and health department.

Growth potential

The massive reclamation and infrastructure projects now underway are projected to deliver 40,000 new jobs by 2007, but are not exclusively hotel and casino-related. Sporting facilities'including the Macau Dome, known locally as the 'Macau Egg''were constructed for last year's East Asian Games and will host the 1st Lusofonia Games (comprising the world's eight Portuguese-speaking countries) in 2006 and the 2nd Asian Indoor Games in 2007.