Shanghai Daily News

It would be an understatement to say that men dominate the information technology sector. Tech tycoons Bill Gates, Larry Ellison and Michael Dell, to name but a few, are among the richest and most famous people on the planet.

In such a male-dominated profession, women have had a tough time leaving their mark in this growing sector.

Zhou Lei, however, is one woman changing this stereotype. The Anhui native cut her IT teeth overseas where she worked for leading companies in both Canada and the United States.

In recent years, she has brought her expertise home.

In 2004, she established a joint venture called Alpone Information Systems Co Ltd at Zhangjiang High-tech Park. To date, the company has flourished with its software and hardware offerings for network safety. Earlier this year, the tech park recognized the company with its Self-Innovation Product Award.

"Alpone means safety, honesty and integration," Zhou said. "At the beginning I did everything myself. Now I'm glad to see it has grown from a tiny start-up to a competitive company."

With her overseas experience, Zhou recognized early on that if the local IT industry is to prosper, it needed both strong input and investment from Chinese professionals. Following that thought, last year she set up Highguard Networks Inc to develop more software projects.

It is clear that the 30-something Zhou has always been an achiever. When she attended the University Of Science And Technology of China in Hefei of Anhui Province she graduated among the top in her class, emerging with a Master degree in science and engineering.

"After graduation, I went to Canada to pursue a doctorate in economics at Carleton University (in Ottawa). There I found a more open and equal atmosphere. We used to discuss issues of the leading edge with professors and classmates freely."

Three years of studying economics introduced Zhou to a new way of thinking, broader horizons and in particular, a concept of teamwork. She said these were all vital elements to the success of her software development work.

At first, Zhou worked for Nortel Networks as a senior manager for nearly four years. She oversaw network management and the development work for monitoring software.

"Those four years were a golden time for the development of high-tech in North America and for me as well. I got special training in development and management and I learned more about the importance of teamwork."

In 2000, Zhou left for warmer climes in California's Silicon Valley. There she joined Anda Networks and Alidian Networks in succession. Both were start-ups at the time.

"I chose to work for new companies because the 'live to work' concept at Silicon Valley made my life efficient," she said. "In addition, I wanted to experience more challenge in software development."

In 2003, she was granted her wish when was assigned by the KLA-Tencor, one of the four biggest US semiconductor equipment manufacturers, to return to China. At the time, she successfully set up the company's first research and development department in the country.

However, with her abundance of experience in working for others, Zhou felt she had done as much as she could and it was time to start her own business.

"Self-innovation has long been my dream. Compared with working for foreign companies, it brings more satisfaction. The favorable domestic conditions, especially here at Zhangjiang High-tech Park, also contributes a lot to the development of IT industry."

Zhou said she expected her company to become the leader in the field of information security in China within two years. She also wanted to list on the stock market, both at home and abroad, within three to four years.