The Minister for Home Affairs and Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, Mr Wong Kan Seng, today visited Singapore's first Internet Home. The Internet Home in Bishan creates an e-lifestyle for Singapore couple Raymond and Ashley Tang in their 4-room HDB flat. In their Internet Home, Raymond...
Singapore, 12 October 2000 | For Immediate ReleaseThe Minister for Home Affairs and Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, Mr Wong Kan Seng, today visited Singapore's first Internet Home. The Internet Home in Bishan creates an e-lifestyle for Singapore couple Raymond and Ashley Tang in their 4-room HDB flat.
In their Internet Home, Raymond and Ashley enjoy the e-lifestyle where online services, home automation and the Internet are seamlessly integrated and available at the touch of a screen. The Tangs enjoy always-on, high speed Internet access and the convenience of a single interface via the Internet, for everything they need to live, work and play.
TV and audio systems, air conditioners, lights, computers and security systems in the Internet Home are all connected, giving Raymond and Ashley immediate access to entertainment, information, services, communications, education and work, from any room in the flat.
Developed by Cisco Systems, SingTel Aeradio and ASPnetcentre, and supported by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), the Internet Home is a prototype for future homes in Singapore that will maximise the power of Internet technologies and intelligent systems, as well as benefit from an ecosystem of community and personal services.
The Internet Home comes equipped with several e-lifestyle services which Raymond and Ashley can access through their secure personal Internet Home homepage. The Shopping System application helps the Tangs keep track of the provisions they need. When they want to re-order food or sundry items, the Tangs can create a shopping list by simply passing the item over a barcode scanner to record all relevant details. An online connection to a supermarket ensures that they can shop at the touch of a screen and have their groceries delivered right to their door at a convenient time.
The Tangs find access to community services a breeze from their Internet Home. To book the void deck or community facilities, Raymond and Ashley can access eBooking which is linked to the Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council to make a reservation online. If they are looking for a car, they can easily check eClassified for advertisements on used cars posted by other HDB residents. Similarly, by doing a quick check with eSearch they can locate the nearest hairdresser or dry cleaner before stepping out.
In the near future, they will be able to access eServices to make an appointment with their neighbourhood doctor and check on their place in the queue to minimise waiting time at the clinic.
The Internet Home enables the Tangs to monitor what is going on in their flat even when they are out of Singapore. With eView, a password-activated service, the Tangs can view images of different rooms anywhere, anytime as long as they have access to a web browser.
And, if they need to speak to each other when one of them is in the office and the other at home, they can still enjoy a 'face-to-face' discussion using the video conferencing facilities in the Internet Home. With eMessage, another one-touch Internet Home service, Ashley and Raymond can access one central inbox to retrieve their e-mail as well as personal messages.
The Internet Home integrates the Internet with home automation to provide great convenience for the Tangs. Raymond can choose to switch on the lights, air-conditioner, stereo or any other connected device in the Internet Home even before he leaves the office. And when he wants to, he can switch off the lights, stereo or PC from a touchscreen panel, doing away with multiple remote controls.
With their high speed Internet connection, the Tangs can enjoy immediate access to all the services on the Web effortlessly through touchscreen panels located at various points in the flat. If he wanted to, Raymond could plan a holiday in Japan or check his bank account even while in the kitchen.
The e-lifestyle which the Tangs enjoy in their new flat is only a sampling of the infinite possibilities presented by bringing the Internet into the home as more service providers join the Internet ecosystem.
"This Internet Home is in line with our vision to realise an ecosystem for the e-lifestyle, where ordinary Singaporeans can access a wide range of products and services via fully interactive broadband multimedia (IBBMM) content. We would like to spur our industries to look into how they can re-engineer themselves to provide new services and product offerings to homes, leveraging on Singapore's nation-wide broadband network. The fact that integrated online services are brought to this HDB flat goes further to prove that today's technologies are fully deployable not just in the commercial sense, but also in any private or public residential property. This is further made possible with 99% broadband coverage in Singapore," said Mr Khoong Hock Yun, Assistant Chief Executive, Infocomm Development of the IDA.
"We believe the Internet will soon become essential to the home - a utility like water, electricity or gas," said Bill Chang, Managing Director, Singapore, Cisco Systems. "By providing high-speed access to the Internet and wiring up devices in the home, we're helping to create a new personal lifestyle - and changing the way people live, work, play and learn. The home management solutions save time and increase convenience, and the high-speed connections make it easy to access useful services like online shopping."
"Eventually, everyone will live in an Internet Home, and the Tangs are the first couple to experience it," said Mrs Tan Kah Rhu, CEO of SingTel Aeradio. "SingTel Aeradio is proud to provide seamless integration of broadband technology with home automation systems. The feedback from the Tangs will allow us to further fine-tune our current offering to the property market. Together with SingTel's readily available broadband infrastructure island-wide, it is possible for each Singaporean to live tomorrow -- today -- to experience this Internet lifestyle."
"ASPnetcentre is glad to participate in Singapore's first Internet Home project, which demonstrates that the Internet Home is within the reach of every HDB dweller. Advances in technology will continue to raise living standards, and we look forward to seeing, not just one Internet Home but a whole Internet HDB Estate some time soon," said Mr Lim Hwee Leng, Managing Director of ASPnetcentre.
INFOCOMM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE
About Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. For more information, visit http://www.cisco.com.
About Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) is a dynamic organisation with an integrated perspective to developing, promoting and regulating info-communications in Singapore. In the fast-changing and converging spheres of telecommunications, information and media technologies, IDA will be the catalyst for change and growth in Singapore's evolution into a vibrant global info-communications technology centre. For more information, visit www.imda.gov.sg
About SingTel Aeradio
SingTel Aeradio is a member of the SingTel Group. The company provides info-communication systems integration services and facilities management to the aviation industry and the commercial market, as well as telecommunication service providers.
About ASPnetcentre
ASPnetcentre is a leading e-enabler that focuses on building e-business solutions for companies and helping them go to market rapidly with huge competitive differentiation. ASPnetcentre provides end-to-end services incorporating leading-edge technologies and applications and a robust communications infrastructure to address client outsourcing and hosting needs.
Press contacts:
Mr William Oei
Cisco Systems
Tel: (65) 6833 5555
Email: loei@cisco.com
Ms Jennifer Toh
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
Tel: (65) 6211 0508
Email: jennifer_toh@imda.gov.sg
Mr Clement Ng Shin Kiat
SingTel Aeradio
Tel: (65) 6668 3318
Email: clementng@aeradio.com.sg
Ms Valerie Lai
ASPnetCentre
Tel: (65) 6788 8335
Email: valerie@asponline.com.sg
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