The WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Conference, which attracted worldwide attention, drew to a successful conclusion in December 2005. EMSD, among the many government departmental teams which helped organise the event, provided conference facilities, communication systems and information technology equipment and services.

To ensure smooth running of the conference, the department set up a special task force over a year before the event to oversee all related activities. Some 30 professional and technical staff were assigned to take charge of system design and project management, from drafting tender requirements, selection of service providers, to equipment testing and drills. Starting early from the project planning stage, EMSD has been holding close discussions and sharing with the MC6 Coordination Office so as to fully understand the tasks and missions. Pricing exercises were thoroughly conducted to secure the most cost-effective and reliable solutions which would meet the highest standards of requirements. IT systems chosen and network designed were stringently evaluated and assessed for security and risk control. As the scheduled conference dates approached, the department allocated 300 square metres in its Data Centre for the construction of a mock up for various tests, including simulation of hacker attacks and communication systems failure, to ensure the equipment and systems in good operating conditions before delivery. Moreover, a final trial-run was further carried out after all systems components had moved into the conference venue.

Facilities provided by EMSD at the conference venue included: 26 simultaneous interpretation (SI) systems; 62 SI booths and some 10,000 infrared receivers; 2,600 microphones; 3 electronic bulletin board systems, comprising 31 LCD monitors; over 1,200 telephone lines, 1,300 mobile phones/smart cards and 136 mobile transceivers.

IT facilities and services comprised about 1,000 personal computers (PC) and a network infrastructure, covering the News Centre, the WTO Secretariat, dedicated PC area for delegations, centre for non-government organisations (NGOs) and office of host government. Members of various delegations, media and NGOs could access the Internet whenever needed using their own PCs. The total length of the network cables for the entire event was about 90 kilometers, longer than the combined length of the tracks of six MTR lines. During the conference period, EMSD provided over 40 hours of webcasting. Over 15,000 hits from around the world were registered for the inaugural ceremony, and the plenary and closing sessions.

EMSD's responsibilities at the conference also included security of IT systems. During the entire period, some 150 core personnel and 50 supporting staff were assigned to help man the IT and communication command centers as well as offering technical support. To prevent attacks from those cyber hacker, EMSD had also maintained close sharing of intelligences with a network of some 30 appointed designates, which included the Hong Kong Police, multinational Internet service providers and IT professional associations, for instant exchange of information about potential cyber attacks around the world.

The highly efficient services of EMSD provided during the conference had been again won the department acclaim by the customers. It is proved that, in additional to expertise in mechanical and electrical equipment, EMSD is also fully conversant with electrical control, information and communication technology and data processing know-how, hence the capability to handle large-scale international projects.