Trip to firms, museums an eye-opener for participants
Winners of the BSPU/SCMP Web site competition visited the past and future during their 10-day trip.
Their hectic schedule took them not only to information technology (IT) companies, but also research centres and museums in both San Francisco and Los Angeles.
At the Intel Museum, participants discovered how microprocessors are changing the world.
At Exodus Communications, they caught a glimpse of a data bank that has a world-class security standard.
Another exciting stop was the Stanford Linear Accelerator Centre (SLAC), a major science laboratory at Stanford University, which built America's first Web site.
Patrick Lui, a senior researcher at SLAC who is from Hong Kong, said: 'It's encouraging to see Hong Kong finally getting serious about developing the technology industry.'
The students also visited top company, Cisco Systems, which covers a wide range of computer technology-related business.
At Atesto Technologies, vice-president (operations) Ravi Venkatesam briefed the students on automated Web testing.
At Macromedia, developer of Flash and Dreamweaver, students learned how to use the two tools.
Professionals from e21 Corp, Electronic Arts, Everything4MDs and Ticketmaster Online-City Search talked about user interfaces, creativity and virtual business.
Director of Everything4MDs Yvonne Tso reminded participants that it takes more than IT skills to succeed. 'The IT industry also requires teamwork, and you have to understand your customers' needs,' she said.
