4 April 2013 - Speech by Mr Ronnie Tay, Chief Executive Officer, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore Keynote Address at Oracle Cloudworld Event, Marina Bay Sands, Thursday, 4 April 2013, 9.00am.
Speech by Mr Ronnie Tay, Chief Executive Officer, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore Keynote Address at Oracle Cloudworld Event, Marina Bay Sands, Thursday, 4 April 2013, 9.00am.
Good Morning
Ms Tan Yen Yen, Senior Vice President, Applications, Oracle Corporation, APAC
Mr Leslie Ong
Ladies and gentlemen
1. It is a pleasure for me to join you at this inaugural Oracle CloudWorld 2013 event, which provides a good platform to discuss innovation, services and applications provided through the cloud.
2. For Singapore to be a cloud computing hub in the region, there is a need for ultra-high speed and seamless broadband connectivity as well as secure storage and processing of data. The development of major infocomm infrastructure such as the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network, Singapore Internet Exchange and Data Centre Park, provides a conducive environment for nurturing a vibrant cloud computing ecosystem here.
3. We are pleased to see the good growth of cloud adoption and cloud services in Singapore over the past few years. Singapore now hosts more than ten cloud data centres of global cloud service providers. The 2013 report of the BSA Global Cloud Computing Scorecard, which tracks year-over-year changes in the international policy landscape for cloud computing, has placed Singapore in fifth position, up from tenth position in the previous year's report. As the momentum of cloud-based delivery of technology continues to grow, companies like Oracle can take advantage of Singapore's position as a secure data and ICT hub, to meet the growing demand for secure cloud-based services from its customers in the region. Your new cloud data centre in Singapore will enable you to do just that, and I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to Oracle on the opening of this Cloud Data Centre today.
4. As part of Singapore's iN2015 Masterplan, we aim to grow our infocomm sector and use technology to drive economic growth and enhance the competitiveness of key sectors. Cloud computing is a key driver for such business transformation - with lower implementation costs, ease-of-use and agility for deployment.
5. IDA, together with Spring Singapore, Ministry of Education, NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute and Ministry of Social and Family Development, launched the SaaS Call-for-Collaboration in June last year. This is a multi-agency effort to spur demand for high-impact sector-specific SaaS solutions, and bring about mass adoption and deliver productivity gains for various sectors. The CFC also encouraged ICT vendors to develop innovative high-growth SaaS solutions with export potential as well as to promote user confidence in SaaS by inculcating industry best practices in the areas of data security, integrity, privacy, recovery and portability. More details on the awardees of the SaaS CFC will be announced soon.
6. IDA also encourages the adoption of SaaS based solutions among SMEs under iSPRINT, a collaboration between IDA, Spring Singapore and the Inland Revenue Authority (IRAS). iSPRINT is a comprehensive initiative that supports the adoption of ICT by SMEs, from simple solutions that improve business operations to innovative uses of technology that can transform a business or sector. Currently there are 41 SaaS packages under iSPRINT that SMEs can adopt, and I would like to encourage more SaaS solutions providers to be part of iSPRINT.
7. IDA has also collaborated with various private and public organisations to boost cloud adoption and capability development through R&D. These efforts have resulted in the setup of a research initiative to study cloud computing, and a technology evaluation programme where ICT companies can develop cloud computing solutions. Competency development for industry and manpower is facilitated under IDA's Critical Infocomm Technology Resource Programme funding for cloud computing courses. CITREP was expanded two years ago to cover new and emerging areas, which includes Cloud Computing, with the aim of deepening the capability of infocomm professionals and ensuring that Singapore's infocomm manpower continues to remain competitive with the developments in the global industry and Singapore.
8. To foster a trusted environment, IDA has also worked with Singapore's Information Technology Standards Committee to set up a cloud computing standards co-ordinating task force in February 2011. The task force, which comprises representatives from IDA, ITSC, Singapore Computer Society, Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation, Information Technology Management Association as well as industry sectors, work on guidelines for various cloud issues with inputs from the industry.
9. Arising from the effort, the task force has developed two Technical Reference documents which are available to the public - one that provides best practices for server virtualisation security, and the other on guidelines on cloud security and service level for public cloud services' users.
Conclusion
10. Today, Oracle has chosen Singapore to set up its cloud data centre to serve your customers in the Asia Pacific - this will lead to new opportunities for your team to develop new technology skills and for Oracle to participate in Singapore's growing role as a leading cloud computing hub. It will also be a good platform for you to co-develop innovative and exportable SaaS products and services with Singapore-based technology partners, institutes of higher learning and research institutes, to deliver new value to your customers and extend Oracle's market presence in the exciting cloud computing scene in the Asia Pacific. I wish you every success as you grow your activities in Singapore and foster new collaborative partnerships in the cloud ecosystem here. On that note, I wish you all an enjoyable and fruitful time here at the Oracle CloudWorld event. Thank you.
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