In his message, Mr Lim Swee Say, Chairman of the National Computer Board (NCB), described FY95 as a year of corporate transformation for the NCB. 2. The development function of the Civil Service Computerisation ...
Singapore, 27 November 1996 | For Immediate Release
FY95 - A Watershed Year
In his message, Mr Lim Swee Say, Chairman of the National Computer Board (NCB), described FY95 as a year of corporate transformation for the NCB.
The development function of the Civil Service Computerisation Programme (CSCP) was corporatised. The NCB was repositioned to focus on masterplanning, promoting and facilitating IT application and development in Singapore to accelerate the realisation of the IT2000 vision. Clusters were formed within the new NCB to mirror the key economic and user sectors in Singapore. A Government Chief Information Office (GCIO) was set up to plan and oversee the development and integration of civil service-wide IT applications. A new corporate logo was unveiled for the NCB to signify its fresh focus of bringing IT to everyone.
Mr Lim said that these major changes were necessary to take Singapore a step closer to becoming the Intelligent Island as envisioned under the IT2000 masterplan. In the Intelligent Island IT will be used pervasively - in offices, schools, libraries, shopping malls and homes; and IT will be for everyone - spanning all age groups, all races, and all walks of life.
Progress Made in FY95
To bring Singapore closer to the IT2000 vision, the NCB had initiated a number of pilot projects that would change the way people work, learn and play. The NCB introduced a $200 million Cluster Development Fund to accelerate the deployment of IT2000 applications. Together with the Economic Development Board, the NCB also co-managed a $500 million Innovation Development Scheme to promote innovation in the IT and other industries.
In the civil service, the thrust was to use IT to improve government efficiency and to make government services more convenient to the public. In industry sectors, the focus was on transforming industry processes and deploying applications that would bring about quantum productivity gains. For the public, the thrust was to bring IT to the home to raise the IT literacy level of Singaporeans. For the IT industry, programmes were focused on building up new capabilities within the industry.
Looking Ahead: Key Future Thrusts
Mr Lim went on to paint the NCB's strategic directions and challenges in the coming year. He stressed that to realise the IT2000 vision, Singaporeans will need to keep pace with the rapid advances in IT, break new ground and exploit new frontiers. Innovation and integration, besides widespread application of IT, will be the two critical success factors for IT2000.
He elaborated: "Innovation is the transformation of creative and promising ideas inTo reality. Technology is neutral. It rewards those who are able to embrace it early and effectively. To succeed as early adopters of useful technologies and applications we must be able to dream new ideas and act on them quickly ahead of the competition.
Integration involves putting together technological components, processes, workflows and information into a cohesive whole. We need to integrate to derive synergy from relevant technologies and applications to create added convenience and advantages for the users."
Mr Lim cited Singapore ONE (One-Network-for-Everyone) as an example of innovation and integration. Singapore ONE, a broadband network, was launched by the NCB, Telecommunication Authority of Singapore (TAS) and the National Science and Technology Board (NSTB) in June 1996. It will provide the telecommunication infrastructure to deliver multimedia applications such as fast Internet, distance learning, digital library and electronic government services to everyone. Singapore ONE will be the launching pad for new multimedia contents, hardware and software platforms, and applications and services in the Asia Pacific. It will serve not only as a pilot project site but also as a platform to develop new innovations.
In conclusion, Mr Lim said the next target was to innovate ahead of the competition and integrate IT across all relevant sectors to create new capabilities in Singapore's economy and society. He added, "We want to be not just one of the most computerised nations, but one of the best computerised nations in the world by the year 2000."
Details of projects undertaken in the past year will be released in a series of briefings at the NCB from 27 Nov - 3 Dec.
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