CTOs Discuss How To Do More With Less

By Michael Lin | Posted on June 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Symbio will be hosting a roundtable event at the Sainte Claire Hotel in San Jose, California. Also sponsored by the China Business Network, this event gives companies, regardless of size, a chance to soak in some information on how to go about running their businesses during today's economy.

Randy Lee, General Manager for Symbio, will host this event featuring David McClure, a renowned start-up expert, Elliot Ng, Co-Founder & VP of Marketing of UpTake, and Stanley Kwong, former Worldwide Program Director of Software Marketing at IBM, and currently CEO of developer community oDesk.

It should be an interesting discussion on how certain companies are dealing with the current economic climate.  In particular, what kind of software development strategies are being used and what are some of the challenges companies face when managing their resources.  Find out from our panel members some successful methods to mitigate potential risks and survive the current downturn in the marketplace.  Symbio warmly welcomes anybody who is interested to attend.  Please keep in mind that seating is limited, 48 seats, and we strongly recommend people to reserve in advance at http://morewithless.eventbrite.com/

Come figure out what it means to - do more with less.  We hope to see you there!

Join Symbio at China's Emerging Development as an Innovation Partner

By Emily Chong | Posted on June 18, 2009 | Leave a Comment

For those of you located in Silicon Valley, you’re invited to attend Orrick’s complimentary TOTAL ACCESS program focused on the needs of the entrepreneur and venture capital community.

The theme of the event is “China's Emerging Development as an Innovation Partner”.

Symbio's CEO, Jacob Hsu, will be speaking at the event and sharing his thoughts on China’s readiness for innovation.

Panelists at the June 25 event will explore how China is growing beyond its roots of primarily being an outsourcing partner and cost-savings driver and becoming a long-term, open innovation partner for technology product development. We will discuss what is driving this emerging trend, the advantages and risks of utilizing China for long-term innovation, and how companies have successfully adopted this business and operation model.

Topics Include:

Moderator: Harold Yu, Partner, Orrick

Panelists include:

Timothy Chang, Principal, Norwest Venture Partners
Richard Lim, Managing Director, GSR Ventures
Jacob Hsu, CEO, The Symbio Group
Hanson Li, Executive Director, The Hina Group

Date:
Thursday, June 25

Time:
7:15 - 8:15 a.m. Light Breakfast & Networking
8:15 - 10:15 a.m. Panel Discussion

Location:
Orrick
Mesa Verde Cafe
1100 Marsh Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025

RSVP here by Monday, June 22.

Questions? Please contact Alice Pao at 650-614-7398.

Symbio Hosts MBA Students from Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley

By Emily Chong | Posted on June 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Symbio hosted 20 MBA students from the Water Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley today.  The trip was organized by Dr. Frank Schultz, PHD & Lecturer at the school, and it was part of his class, “International Seminar – Doing Business in China.”  The students were on a whirlwind tour of Bejing – in just about a few days, they visited Google, Baidu, Lenovo and a few other companies.  Their final stop was at our office in ShangDi.

My colleague, Peter Wang and I ran the session.  We gave the students a brief intro about Symbio and then discussed China as a market and as an outsourcing destination.  Peter conducted a demo on one of our clients’ products, and the students were very enthusiastic about the product’s innovation, user interface and experience.  Finally, the session ended with Q&A and a discussion about the differences between Western and Chinese cultures.

I was very thrilled at the level of engagement and interaction we received from the students.  About half of the class had an engineering background, so not only were they asking general questions about China, but also technical questions about Symbio and our work.  Some of the questions we heard were –

As you can see, the students weren't shy.  Some were new to China while others had been here before.  In the end, Peter asked the students to comment on their trip to Beijing.  One first-timer commented at how this trip blew his mind away and altered his perception of China.  Overall, it was a fantastic event, and we were excited to meet many promising future business leaders.

Technology Trends from the Valley

By Juel Hood | Posted on June 1, 2009 | Leave a Comment

I had the opportunity to attend the “11th Annual Top 10 Tech Trends” event in San Jose, California. Founded and presented by The Churchill Club, it is the group’s flagship event. This year, the conference was moderated by Tony Perkins, founder of Red Herring and creator of “Always On” and Jason Pontin, editor of “Technology Review.” Tony and Jason facilitated the discussion related to today’s top ten tech trends. Each of the panelists, which included Steve Jurveston (Managing Director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson), Vinod Khosla (co-founder of Daisy Systems and CEO of Sun Microsystems), Ram Shriram (Managing Partner, Sherpalo Ventures LLC), and Joe Schoendorf (Partner, Accel Partners) presented what they thought the newest technology trends were and their fellow panelists voted on the validity of their theories. Each of the presentations warranted some debate and then the audience members had the opportunity to vote as well. The entire program will be up posted to Churchill Club’s YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ChurchillClub.

The technology trends that I related to included green technology, real time web, and mobile. Mr. Vinod Khosla stated the new trends will have low carbon technology. He explains that the number one career choice available to the brightest students would be energy-related fields. He goes further to explain that technology is creating massive new opportunities and disrupting traditional energy/infrastructure. Mr. Khosla expects to see innovations in lighting, engines, appliances, water, plastics, cement, glass and steel.

All of the panelists agree that real time web is very important when defining new technology trends. Mr. Joe Schoedorf states, “This month will be the first college graduating class whose members do not recall life off line.   For openers, they do not read newspapers.   This group will drive the greatest wave of disruption ever witnessed.” This comment made me think about how my habits have changed over the years. This next generation demands real time information at their finger tips, and this is not limited to the PC, laptop or mobile. When I was in fourth grade (many years ago), I had to draw a picture of what the year 2000 would look like. My picture included televisions hanging on the wall, flying cars, and appliances that talked to you. I called it the Jetson (Jetson’s was a futuristic cartoon when I was growing up) picture. Well, I do have a television on the wall, and I believe many of the newer appliances will talk to me. This next generation will create a “Jetson” household.

One of the more interesting facts presented is that half of the world’s population is under the age of 26. This is important, because these digital natives will continue to develop the culture of technology; its language, values, and norms. Another important fact is there are two times more mobile than internet users and services will continue to move from the internet to mobile. Mr. Jurveston stated that an application economy is emerging and thousands of businesses will create successful applications. Mr. Ram Shriram states, “Emerging markets comprise the majority of the world’s mobile users, and are not only the fastest-growing, but also show the largest interest in data services over mobile devices. Greater availability of broadband wireless will spur the adoption of many new and existing applications.”

I am not in the 26 or younger group (that is the last hint I will give you regarding my age). I remember doing my homework with a paper encyclopedia and my first mobile phone was in a bag which didn’t fit under my car seat. I remember my first computer took up half of my desk and was so slow I could read a book in between downloads. It is amazing to me that I now can help my daughter with her research paper, find directions to the closest restaurant, answer email, and pay my bills all with my mobile that conveniently fits in my purse. It is hard for me to imagine all of the new applications that will be available on the mobile and that my phone may soon be the only device needed for work, play, and entertainment.

It was very interesting to hear the very intelligent panelist's opinions on the newest trends.  Although I did not walk away with any great insight into the future, the evening did confirm for me that technology trends are shifting and this next generation is expected to cause the biggest disruption to date.  Congratulations to the Churchill Club for organizing an entertaining and informative event.  I cannot wait to see what the future technology will look like.

Symbio Sponsors Children's Book Drive to Benefit Silicon Valley's Low-Income Asian American Community

By Juel Hood | Posted on May 27, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Symbio and AAMA (Asian American Multi Technology Association) are coming together to sponsor a children's book drive, benefiting Silicon Valley's low-income Asian American community.  During the months of May and June, we will be collecting slightly used or new books for children ages 2-12.  All books will be donated to AACI (Asian Americans for Community Involvement).  To get a better understanding of AACI, I recently took a tour of its facility in San Jose, California.

AACI was founded in 1973, and it is the largest community-based organization in Santa Clara County.  AACI’s mission is “to improve the health, mental health, and well-being of individuals and their families by providing an array of human services.”  Serving over 8,000 clients each year, the organization's focus typically lies within the Asian American community.  AACI's workers speak over 30 different languages, and they are committed to helping and serving those in need.  Without AACI, many of its clients would not have a hot meal, medical attention, or other supportive human services.

As I toured the facility, I was struck by the lack of items that would normally be found in a setting like this, particularly the lack of children's books.  Bringing children to a medical facility is always stressful.  Having a few books or toys available for the children helps everyone be more comfortable.  Symbio's recent book drive will provide AACI's patients, particularly the children, a more pleasant experience.  In addition, many of these books will be given to mothers who are victims of domestic violence, so they have something to share with their children.

When I left , I was in awe of the people I met.  They work everyday to help others and provide support to those in need.  I am proud that Symbio is reaching out and establishing a relationship with this wonderful organization.


Books can be donated at an AAMA-hosted event or contact Juel Hood at juel.hood@symbio-group.com to have your books directly picked up before June 30, 2009.

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