Web Services in Singapore is gaining traction. That was the message sent out by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) at the WEAVE or Web Services Add Value to Enterprises Seminar today.
Singapore, 30 June 2004 | For Immediate Release
45 Local Companies Embark on 26 Projects to Generate S$125 million in Revenue over the Next Two Years
Web Services1 in Singapore is gaining traction. That was the message sent out by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) at the WEAVE or Web Services Add Value to Enterprises Seminar today. This is confirmed by industry experts who spoke at the seminar. WEAVE is IDA's developmental programme launched last year to help companies realise economic and business benefits with Web Services.
Web Services Generating Infocomm Revenue, Creating Jobs, Developing Manpower
Mr Lam Chuan Leong, Chairman of IDA updated that since the launch of WEAVE, 45 companies have now embarked on 26 Web Services projects, in diverse industries such as lifestyle & entertainment, banking & insurance, high-tech manufacturing, logistics, retail and distribution as well as healthcare.
These 45 companies expect to commercialise their solutions to generate S$125million in infocomm revenue over the next two years. A total of S$32.9 million has been jointly invested by the industry (S$23.9 million) and IDA (S$9 million) in these 26 projects. The joint investment is part of the overall S$120 million committed in 2003 by the industry (S$80 million) and IDA (S$40 million) for the three-year WEAVE effort.
Today, examples of infocomm companies that have benefitted from this effort include Gridnode, a local company providing enterprise businessware. Gridnode has sold its business integration software to MMI, Borneo Motors and a major manufacturing MNC, thus expanding its client base in the manufacturing and distribution sectors.
Local software company, Ecquaria, has also grown its market beyond e-government into lifestyle and entertainment, while Integro has gained in-roads into the finance sector.
Synergix, another local software company, intends to make their software more competitive by allowing it to interoperate with the ERP systems of large vendor companies. Synergix also intends to provide customers with multiple ways to access the software, including mobile phones and PDAs.
In the area of capability, there are now more than 1,000 professionals who have acquired Web Services skills and knowledge. Of these, some 269 professionals have already been certified through formal CITREP-endorsed courses2. The WEAVE target is to certify 600 by 2006. 130 new jobs, mainly in the area of system developers, business analysts and project managers, have been created under WEAVE.
To increase the pool of Web Services professionals, the industry has also come together to organise skills development seminars. The Singapore infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF) Web Services Chapter, together with IBM, Microsoft and Sun, will be organizing a 'Developers' Day' at Nanyang Polytechnic in September 2004. Developers' Day will offer seminars and hands-on lab sessions for 300 professional to train them on the tools and techniques available to build Web Services applications.
Companies are Embracing Web Services
Web Services adoption is on the rise in Singapore. According to IDA's latest survey on Infocomm Usage in Businesses, 12 per cent of enterprises surveyed said they are now deploying Web Services, compared to 8 per cent last year.
Companies that are embracing Web Services are also looking beyond company-centric to more industry-wide deployment. This is to optimise the potential of Web Services which integrate machines-to-machines, and across different platforms.
An example is SISTIC, a local ticketing company that has adopted Web Services to collaborate with players in the entertainment and lifestyle industries. Another is NTUC Income, which together with American Home Assurance and AXA Insurance, are using Web Services to exchange insurance policy and claims information. DP Information is also providing online credit information to banks through Web Services.
Moving forward, IDA encourages more companies to consider deploying Web Services solutions on an industry-wide basis, especially for the Banking & Insurance, Healthcare, High-Tech Manufacturing, Lifestyle & Entertainment, Logistics and Retail & Distribution industries.
ISSUED BY CORPORATE COMMUNICATION DIVISION
INFOCOMM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE
Notes to Editor:
1 Web Services is a set of open standards that enables machines to communicate with other machines over networks such as the World Wide Web. One advantage of using Web Services is that it allows a website to pull together all the functionalities of other machines, since one machine can now 'talk' to another with Web Services. At the end of the day, Web Services pave the way for smoother automation of business processes, better integration between enterprises, and helps companies to operate more efficiently.
2 CITREP or the Critical Infocomm Technology Resource Programme (CITREP) is an IDA training incentive programme to develop emerging, critical and specialised Infocomm skills sought after by the Infocomm industry and user organisations. Relevant training courses that impart knowledge and skills in the identified technologies will be evaluated and endorsed under CITREP. Self-sponsored participants and organisations that fully sponsor their employees for training in these endorsed courses can apply for funding support, which covers course fees and exam fees (if any). Web services and wireless technologies have been identified as emerging Infocomm skills and are supported under CITREP.
About Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) develops, promotes and regulates info-communications in Singapore, with the aim of establishing Singapore as one of the world's premier infocomm capitals. To nurture an internationally competitive infocomm industry, IDA offers a comprehensive range of programmes and schemes for both local and international companies. For more information, visit https://www.imda.gov.sg/.
For media clarification, please contact:
IDA PR Contact
WONG Yin Mei / HO Hwei Ling
Corporate Communication
DID: 6211-1724 / 6211-1996
Email: wong_yin_mei@imda.gov.sg / ho_hwei_ling@imda.gov.sg
Industry PR Contacts
SISTIC.com Pte Ltd
Josephine Low
DID: 63193290
Email: josephine@sistic.com.sg
Gridnode Pte Ltd
Leong Kah Keong
Tel: 6848 5848
HP: 97399648
Email: kah.keong.leong@gridnode.com
Ecquaria Technologies Pte Ltd
Paul Leong
Tel: 6837 2822
Email: paul@ecquaria.com
Integro Technologies Pte Ltd
Cathrin Poh
Tel: 6536 9133 Ext 208
HP: 98787131
Email: scpoh@integrosys.com
Synergix Technologies Pte Ltd
Koh Yang Uei
Tel: 6275 5775
HP: 97914244
Email: kongyang@synergixtech.com
SiTF Web Services Chapter
Abdul Rahman
Tel: 9172-9010
Email: rahman@maxinfo.com.sg
| Factsheet | Date of Issue |
|---|---|
| An Overview of Web Services (75.00KB) | 30 June 2004 |
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