21 November 2005 - Opening Remarks By Mr Chan Yeng Kit, Chief Executive Officer, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore At the Launch of the Microsoft Business Productivity Centre in Singapore.
Opening Remarks By Mr Chan Yeng Kit, Chief Executive Officer, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore At the Launch of the Microsoft Business Productivity Centre in Singapore, 21 November 2005.
Mr Barney Lau, Managing Director, Microsoft Singapore,
Friends from the media,
A very good afternoon to all of you
1. Busy executives, like you and I, will appreciate that time is money. Honestly, sometimes I really wish I have more than 24 hours a day. This is obviously not possible. However, the use of technology has definitely helped to solve 'part of the problem' and has enabled us to become a more efficient and productive worker.
2. At IDA, we believe in the power of technology to transform lives and businesses. I believe Microsoft, who is a very close and long-time friend of Singapore, share this similar vision. In fact, this is part of the "New World of Work" vision that Bill Gates spoke about during his visit to Singapore in July this year, when he shared with us his views of the 'net-generation'. The 'net-generation' of the future will demand more out of Infocomm. With the world moving into ubiquitous and mobile computing, an intelligent workforce's productivity is no longer constrained by physical limitations.
Microsoft Business Productivity Centre: Changing the Way We Work
3. The launch of the Microsoft Business Productivity Centre (BPC) is an exciting event for Singapore. The BPC not only exemplifies our shared vision, it also affirms Singapore as an ICT hub where major technology vendors base themselves and showcase their technology for increasing business productivity to the thousands of Multinationals located here, as well as to companies in this region.
4. This is good news for businesses in Singapore and the region. They can learn to use technology for greater competitive advantage, empower their employees to work smarter, faster and at lower costs. I am confident that the innovative business productivity solutions featured at the BPC will address real business needs and allow businesses to experience new technologies in a dynamic and hands-on manner.
5. For me, one key benefit that technology has brought is the ability to be at many different events, without having to leave my office in Singapore. Be it meeting with our partners in the United States, attending an IDA press conference in the Middle East or giving a keynote speech at an e-government seminar in China, real-time collaboration will make the world a smaller place. This innovative solution allows me to maintain a high-level of interaction with the audience, even though I am thousands of miles away.
Showcasing Local Capabilities
6. I want to take this opportunity to congratulate our local ICT companies, CHASSAsia and Heulab, whose work-flow collaboration solutions will be showcased and featured in this newly launched BPC. I am looking forward to more local companies leveraging on this 'first-of-its-kind' facility in Singapore. I also look forward to companies in the Infocomm Local Industry Upgrading Programme or iLIUP, demonstrating their 'made-in-Singapore' Infocomm solutions to key enterprise executives in the region.
7. The iLIUP aims to promote strategic, mutually beneficial partnerships between Singapore ICT companies and multinational corporations (MNCs). iLIUP offers a win-win relationship. MNCs can leverage on local Infocomm capabilities to enhance the value of their offerings to local and regional markets. This translates into growth and increased market share and revenue for both the local ICT companies and their MNC partners.
8. The launch of the BPC is a good example of the kind of innovative initiatives needed to achieve our vision of an intelligent, globally connected Singapore, powered by Infocomm.
9. IDA is currently working with stakeholders in the Infocomm industry, to develop a 10-year masterplan, called Intelligent Nation 2015, or iN2015. We want to work with more industry leaders, like Microsoft, to build Singapore's capabilities and enhance the competitiveness of our key economic sectors. More importantly, we want to offer Singapore-based companies new value propositions that will increase their service offerings, enhance their productivity and strengthen their competitiveness.
10. I'm sure the sharing by Mr James Kang, CIO of NTUC Income, will further illustrate this point.
Conclusion
11. IDA is excited by the possibilities created by the launch of the Microsoft Business Productivity Centre in Singapore. I wish the Centre and the team great success!
Thank you.
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