HONG KONG, Jan. 11 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- PacificNet, Inc. (Nasdaq: PACT),
a leading provider of Customer Relationship Management (CRM), mobile internet,
e-commerce, entertainment and gaming technology in China, announced today that
it has been retained by Sony Corporation Hong Kong to provide e-commerce
solutions. Terms and details were not released for competitive reasons. "We
are proud to be retained by Sony, a leading consumer electronics and
entertainment brand in the world, as a key technology provider for Sony
Style," said Tony Tong, Chairman and CEO of PacificNet. "This deal allows us
to leverage the power of hot-selling Sony items such as the Sony PlayStation."
The Sony Style e-commerce platform by PacificNet includes the following
key internet applications: mass multi-user online customer log-in
registration, administration, MySony membership management, billing, sales and
order reports, warehouse inventory management and backend ERP interface with
SAP systems, firewall and load-balancing systems, Web+ application servers,
credit-card security management, and a shopping cart and payment system which
enables customers to purchase products from Sony Style online, and make
payment online using a credit card.
As part of the Sony Style portal, the Sony Style Studio allows members to
share digital content such as images, photos and video with other members and
share the experience of producing professional looking digital content.
Members may also sign up for training courses for a free trial of Sony's
products. The Sony Style Shop is a key online shopping portal for customers,
allowing them to review and purchase various Sony products including:
Computers & Peripherals: VAIO Notebooks, Accessories, LCD Monitors, Micro
Vault USB Storage Media, Memory Stick Media; Digital Imaging & Accessories:
Digital Cameras, Handycam, D-SLR Accessories and Lens; Home Theatre: Sony TV
and Home Theatre System; Portable Audio & Accessories; Mobile Phone; Memory
Stick Media; and PlayStation(R), PlayStation(R) 2, PlayStation(R) Portable and
PlayStation(R)'s Accessories.
"Sony is a leader in the entertainment and consumer electronics industry,
and a repeat customer of PacificNet," said Mr. Tong. "We value this
opportunity to be of service to Sony for this new Sony Style e-commerce
project. We are confident that our e-commerce and CRM implementation experts
will provide valuable e-commerce technology know-how and implementation
experience. At the same time we are looking to increase the overall
effectiveness of their web services to help them capture more online business
opportunities and improve efficiency. We plan to continue our efforts in
building PacificNet as one of the leading brands and a leading CRM,
e-commerce, gaming and entertainment technology provider in Asia by expanding
our software development, integration services, and CRM solutions to our
target markets in Asia in the telecom, call center, logistics, consumer
electronics, entertainment and the hotel-casino markets."
About Sony and Sony Corporation of Hong Kong Limited
Sony Corporation (NYSE: SNE) is a leading manufacturer of audio, video,
game, communications and information technology products for the consumer and
professional markets. Sony is one of the leading multi-national corporations
in Asia, with 38 companies spanning 15 countries and supported by a family of
over 40,000 employees.
Sony Corporation of Hong Kong Limited
Sony's presence in Hong Kong can be traced to 1959 when the company
started a transistor radio assembly facility in Hong Kong through a local
entity. This marked an important chapter in Sony history as this is Sony's
first production facility abroad. In November 1962, Sony opened Sony
Corporation of Hong Kong Limited overseeing liaison activities in the Asia
Pacific region; this is the third overseas company established by Sony
Corporation. With the change in China's open door policy in the early 1980's,
the role of Sony Hong Kong then began to change, from a liaison office to a
sales and marketing operation responsible for regional business activities.
To be closer to the customers in China and to strive for a high level of
customer satisfaction there, Sony Hong Kong has set up representative offices
in Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai; they were opened between 1994 and 1995.
In March 1999, Sony Hong Kong completed its warehousing consolidation and
opened the Logistics Center at Asia Terminal Limited in Kwai Chung, making it
one of Sony's largest warehousing and product fulfillment operations in the
region. In 1999, the e-commerce website http://www.SonyStyle.com.hk was
launched to enable convenient on-line shopping in Sony style. For more
information, please see Sony's web sites: http://www.sony.net , Sony Hong Kong
http://www.sony.com.hk and e-commerce website http://www.SonyStyle.com.hk .
About PacificNet
PacificNet Inc. (http://www.PacificNet.com) is a leading provider of
Customer Relationship Management (CRM), mobile internet, e-commerce and gaming
technology in China. PacificNet's clients include the leading telecom
companies, banks, insurance, travel, marketing and business services companies
and telecom consumers in Greater China. PacificNet's corporate clients include
China Telecom, China Mobile, Unicom, PCCW, Hutchison Telecom, Bell24,
Motorola, Nokia, SONY, TCL, Huawei, American Express, Citibank, HSBC, Bank of
China, Bank of East Asia, DBS, TNT, Hong Kong Government, and leading hotel --
casinos in Macau and Asia. PacificNet employs over 1,400 staff in its various
subsidiaries throughout China with offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shenzhen,
Guangzhou, Macau, and branch offices in 28 provinces in China and is
headquartered in Beijing and Hong Kong.
PacificNet's software R&D and outsourcing unit, Pacific Solutions
Technology, is a CMM Level 3 certified software development center with over
200 software programmers located in Shenzhen, China, and specializes in the
development of high-end client-server application software, internet ecommerce
software, online and casino gaming systems and slot machines, banking and
telecom applications using Microsoft Visual C++, Java, and other rapid
application development tools.
Safe Harbor Statement
This Company's announcement contains forward-looking statements.
Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about our
beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Potential risks and
uncertainties include, but are not limited to, PacificNet's historical and
possible future losses, limited operating history, uncertain regulatory
landscape in China, fluctuations in quarterly operating results. Further
information regarding these and other risks is included in PacificNet's Form
10K and other filings with the SEC.
Contact:
PacificNet USA office: Jacob Lakhany, Tel: +1-605-229-6678
PacificNet Beijing office: Ada Yu, Tel: +86 (10) 59225000
23rd Floor, Building A, TimeCourt, No.6 Shuguang Xili, Chaoyang District,
Beijing, China 100028
PacificNet Shenzhen Office: Room 4203, Jinzhonghuan Business Building,
Futian District, Shenzhen, China. Postal Code: 518040