Huateng Ma, also known as Pony Huang, is one of the core founders, Executive Director, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Tencent. Pony oversees the strategic development, overall direction and management of the Group. Before he founded Tencent in 1998, Pony was in charge of research and development for Internet paging system development at China Motion Telecom Development Limited, a telecommunications services and products provider in China. He has over 20 years of experience in telecommunication and Internet industries. Pony received his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Shenzhen University in 1993.
Founded in November, 1998, Tencent has grown into one of China’s largest and most used Internet service portals. Since its establishment over the last decade, Tencent has maintained steady growth under its user-oriented operating strategies. On June 16, 2004, Tencent Holdings Limited (SEHK 700) went public on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
It is Tencent’s mission to enhance the quality of human life through Internet services. Presently, Tencent is providing value-added Internet, mobile and telecom services and online advertising under the strategic goal of providing users with “one-stop online lifestyle services”. Tencent’s leading Internet platforms in China – QQ (QQ Instant Messenger), WeChat, QQ.com, QQ Games, Qzone, 3g.QQ.com, SoSo, PaiPai and Tenpay – have brought together China’s largest Internet community, to meet the various needs of Internet users including communication, information, entertainment, e-commerce and others. As of Dec 31, 2012, the active QQ users accounts for QQ IM amounted to 798.2 million while its peak concurrent users reached 176.4 million. The development of Tencent has profoundly influenced the ways hundreds of millions of Internet users communicate with one another as well as their lifestyles. It also brings possibilities of a wider range of applications to the China’s Internet industry.
Looking forward, Tencent remains committed to enhancing its development and innovation capabilities while strengthening its nationwide branding for its long term development. More than 50% of Tencent employees are R&D staff. Tencent has obtained patents relating to the technologies in various areas: instant messaging, e-commerce, online payment services, search engine, information security, gaming, and many more. In 2007, Tencent invested more than RMB100 million in setting up the Tencent Research Institute, China’s first Internet research institute, with campuses in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. The institute focuses on the self-development of core Internet technologies, in pursuing its development and innovation for the industry.
Tencent’s long term vision is to become the most respected Internet enterprise. In order to fulfill corporate social responsibilities and to promote civil Internet communities, Tencent has been actively participating in public charity programs. In 2006, Tencent inaugurated the Tencent Charity Fund, the first charity foundation set up by a Chinese Internet enterprise, and the public charity website gongyi.qq.com. The website focuses on youth education, assisting impoverished communities, care for the disadvantaged, and disaster relief. Tencent has currently begun a number of public charity projects across China. It strives to help build a harmonious society and to become a good corporate citizen.
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