To effectively summarize the experience and achievements of the informatization development of Chinese enterprises, NiEC, the National Informatization Evaluation Center of China, conducted the survey of IPOWER500 for the year 2003.

The survey is the first time for China to broadly survey and evaluate the enterprises, which have relatively higher level in terms of informatization. The results of the survey revealed the advanced experiences in the development of Chinese enterprise informatization. The survey is conducted in accordance with the relevant internationally accepted guidance, measured with Chinese Enterprises Informatization Indicator System, which is developed by NiEC, as the benchmark system. The survey has generated positive impact to the healthy development of Chinese enterprise informatization, and provided worthwhile references to the relevant policy making of the Chinese government in all level.

The IPOWER500 award ceremony held on November 10, 2003 in Beijing, at the first time announced 500 the most competitive Chinese enterprises in the information age. It is believed that the event has generated profound social influences in China.

IPOWER500 enterprises are representatives of those who have acquired outstanding achievements in terms of enterprise informatization development and possess strong capacity of innovation as well as a certain business scale.

The IPOWER500 survey started from February 2003 and had lasted for 9 months until its end. During the course, both the business society and government of all regions and provinces provided instrumental supports to the survey.

The survey samples of IPOWER500 are respectively collected from:

1) 74 government agencies in charging of information industry, science and technology, economy and trade as well as enterprise informatization.

2) 30 key industry associations;

3) Nominations from a number of key service providers for enterprise informatization;

4) NiEC’s Eenterprise Informatization Database.

A few thousands of enterprises from each key industry across the country have participated the survey. There is one thing in common for all these enterprises. They all have acquired outstanding achievements in the development of enterprise informatization. The most majority of such enterprises in China were covered by the survey. Many foreign funded enterprises also were very active participants to the survey.

IPOWER500 survey adopted both quantative and qualitive methods. Qauntitive method is the major methods adopted.

The evaluation agency of the survey, NiEC, is China’s national informatization evaluation agency as formally authorized by the Chinese government.

The survey and evaluation system of IPOWER500 is based on the Chinese Enterprises Informatization Indicator Systems, complemented with the research experiences obtained from China National Informatization Indicators, Enterprise Informatization Indicators, Chinese Manufacturing Industry Informatization Indicators. The formation of the survey system also takes into account of comprehensive expert opinions.

(N.B. In October 2002, NiEC released Chinese Enterprises Informatization Indicator System; In June 2003, NiEC accomplished the formation of the Chinese Manufacturing Industry Informatization Indicators 2001-2002 and made a joint release with the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology).

IPOWER500 survey system has Chinese characteristics, that is as developed over one platform, the IPOWER500 evaluation could communicate with the China National Informatization Level Evaluation System, and the system is easy for international comparison and exchanges.

Each IPOWER500 enterprise was awarded an IPOWER500 honorary certificate. The survey also announced a serial of single awards, which include: The Best Informatization Strategy Award, The Best Informatization Application Award, The Best ERP Application Award, The Best E-Commerce Application Award, The Highest Informatization Efficiency Award, the Best Development Potential Enterprise Award, the Best Agility Award, the Outstanding CIO Award, the Best CIO Award, the Most Visionary Informatization Leader Award, ect..

Enterprises participated in the survey also required to play an active role, that is to recommend a name of an IT service provider that contributed the most for their informatization development. Finally, 8 IT service providers were awarded the Best Contribution Award in IPOWER500.

The survey of IPOWER500 will be held once in a year in China. For more details, please contact us through niec@niec.org.cn