By Hu Hongjun

'Despite influenced by the global financial crisis, software service industry in Beijing still achieves a rapid development.' said Chen Ligong, a member of Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission.

Statistics shows that during the past five months of this year, the income in Beijing software and information service industry reached RMB 69 billion yuan, increased by 16 percent compared with the same period of last year. Hu Qinghua, Director of Beijing Software Industry Productivity Center, expressed that this benefited from a series of policies launched by the State Council and Beijing municipal government, such as promoting the stock ownership encouragement trials in Zhongguancun state-level innovation demonstration park; what's more important, Beijing municipal government had always connected technology research on such information fields as software with economic and social development of the capital city, which actively elaborated supporting and leading function of science to the society.

Firstly, optimize the innovative environment for industrial development based on industrial union. Take Changfeng Alliance (CFA) as an example. This union was the first in participating 'SOA Promotion' and drove software industry in China to melt into international mainstream. Till the end of May 2009, there are already 73 members in CFA. In 2008, the total business income of member companies was RMB 25.4 billion yuan.

Secondly, strengthen companies' competitiveness and enlarge market shares by pushing integration of information technology into the industry and constructing industry knowledge bases. At present, relying on leading companies, Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission has deployed industrial knowledge bases in such nine industries as bank and insurance and has achieved prominent results.

Thirdly, improve municipal management level and residence living quality through IT application innovation. In recent years, by supporting innovation in application and mechanism, Beijing has promoted the further application of IT technology like software and offered support to economic and social development of the capital city.

Additionally, by supporting informatization and model innovation of traditional service industries, Beijing municipal government has led traditional service industry to transform towards modern pattern.

Driven by this, Beijing is becoming one of the developed cities for software industry in China and is gradually stepping towards the goal of 'Software capital of China'. Statistics show, till the end of 2008, business income of Beijing software service industry was RMB 153.7 billion yuan, increased by 22.7 percent compared with the same period of last year, being the top one for the eighth successive year; software and service export value was US$535 million, increase by 16.5 percent compared with the same period of last year; 973 software companies were approved, and the accumulated number has reached 5318; 2370 software products were newly registered, and the accumulated number has reached 13,178.

At the same time, senior-level companies in Beijing software and information service field are increasingly strengthen their competitiveness and holding on a leading position in China. Till the end of 2008, 38 companies in Beijing had been listed as 'State planning key software enterprises', occupying 20 percent of nationwide.

Beijing municipal government will, focusing on modern service industry, promote development of software industry and elevation of traditional service industry; and try to make income of software service industry reach RMB 180 billion yuan till the end of 2009, with an added-value of RMB 56 billion yuan, which will then occupy over 5 percent of total productivity value in Beijing of the whole year.

A person in charge in Beijing municipal government expressed that while pushing advanced development of industry structure, Beijing would focus on software's function in supporting economy of the capital city and penetrating modern service industry, and promote all-roundly three IT-related special projects in municipal mid-long-term scientific planning, including 'basic software', 'new-generation broadband wireless mobile communication' and  'promotion of traditional service industry', and seek for significant breakthrough; continue to enhance scientific innovation capability construction and based on technologic standard, support co-innovation between industrial unions; directed by customers' demand, popularize resolution application to large industrial users and thoroughly promote development of Beijing software service industry.