15 August 2006 - Welcome Speech By Mr Chan Yeng Kit, Chief Executive Officer, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore At the IDA Distinguished Infocomm Speaker Series - "Changing Lives, Enabling Economies, Defining The Future" By Michael Dell, Chairman, Dell Inc, Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Welcome Speech By Mr Chan Yeng Kit, Chief Executive Officer, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore At the IDA Distinguished Infocomm Speaker Series - "Changing Lives, Enabling Economies, Defining The Future" By Michael Dell, Chairman, Dell Inc on 15 August 2006, Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. A very good afternoon and welcome to the IDA - DELL Distinguished Infocomm Speaker Series, featuring Mr Michael Dell, Chairman of DELL Incorporated.
2. On behalf of the infocomm industry in Singapore, I would like to extend a warm welcome to Michael. IDA is delighted that Michael has accepted our invitation to share his insights under our Distinguished Infocomm Speaker Series.
3. Many of you here today will agree with me that Michael is an industry visionary. In a short span of 22 years, Dell built its reputation and success as a leading global provider of technology products and services on his revolutionary vision of the direct business model.
4. Dell has also been a good of friend of Singapore. Since beginning its direct operations here in 1995, Dell has steadily grown its business to become a leading computer-systems provider.
5. Besides locating its regional headquarters for Asia-Pacific and Japan here, Dell also has its global displays and imaging development activities originating from its Singapore Design Centre, which began operations in late 2004.
6. As a partner of IDA's Infocomm Local Industry Upgrading Programme (iLIUP), Dell has been active in helping our local infocomm companies and professionals create value and develop new capabilities.
7. To mark Dell's 11th anniversary of direct operations in Singapore, Michael will be sharing later his views on the power of digital access and innovation, to create new opportunities for economic and human progress.
8. This concern for human progress and bridging the digital divide is one particular aspect I admire about Michael. For him, it is not just about "hardware", but importantly, also about "heartware".
9. For example, a recent commentary by Michael, published in the Straits Times, was titled "IT's One Way to Bridge the Economic Divide". In the article, Michael noted that “… for hundreds of millions of people (in the world), IT is a little more than a distant dream. Turning the dream into a reality is a goal everyone in the world of IT, should be able to support and willing to work to achieve."
10. In his keynote address at the World Congress on Information Technology in May this year, Michael urged governments to invest in education that fits with the current and coming waves of technology. Singapore shares many of Michael's ideals about infocomm and how infocomm can benefit society and the world.
11. Indeed, one of the key goods in our latest Intelligent Nation 2015, or iN2015, infocomm masterplan was to ensure we build an inclusive digital society by reaching out to all segments of our society and create opportunities for all.
12. IDA, together with our partners, are exploring ways to ensure that persons with disabilities, the elderly and the less-privileged can also enjoy connected and enriched lives for self-improvement and life-long learning. And that every school-going child, no matter what how poor his or her family, can get access to computers and broadband.
13. IDA looks forward to continued close collaboration with our infocomm industry partners, such as Dell, to achieve our common visions of infocomm technologies enabling businesses, enriching lives and bringing the world closer together.
14. Ladies and Gentlemen, it now gives me great pleasure to welcome Mr Michael Dell!
.webp)