Information and communications technology to Singapore

(Last updated: 5 Sep 2008)

Trends and opportunities

The market

The Singapore Government, through the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), drives initiatives and programs to develop and enhance the Singapore’s information technology and communications (ICT) sector.

The majority of Singapore’s ICT companies have found the need to expand overseas to countries such as China and India and government agencies, such as IDA and International Enterprise Singapore (IE Singapore), are aggressively helping companies to enter new market in the region and internationally. The need to look beyond the limited size of the Singapore market and grow internationally will remain a key thrust for local companies in the long term.

On the international front, significant strides have been made by the Singapore Government in negotiating and concluding a number of bilateral trade agreements with key trading partners, including Australia. Such initiatives form part of the broader efforts to help local industry become more internationally oriented.

IDA’s primary focus is on developing suitable policies and regulating the ICT. It has a national role to identify and facilitate the adoption of infocomm technologies to enhance Singapore’s competitiveness. It fulfils this role by analysing and monitoring trends and development of infocomm technologies, as well as promulgating and encouraging the adoption of infocomm standards in Singapore.

For Singapore, data network infrastructure and regulation will be important, and will see a gradual shift of focus and emphasis from telecommunications infrastructure to higher-level policy issues such as facilitating new services to provide high quality voice and video services over data networks. This includes addressing emerging problems and issues at the application level, such as spamming and cyber security.

Key strategies

The Singapore market is marked by four key strategies outlined by the key national initiative, Intelligent Nation 2015 (iN2015):

• To spearhead the transformation of key economic sectors, government and society through more sophisticated and innovative use of infocomm.
• To establish an ultra-high speed, pervasive, intelligent and trusted infocomm infrastructure.
• To develop a globally competitive infocomm industry.
• To develop an infocomm-savvy workforce and globally competitive infocomm manpower base. 

Against this backdrop, the following developments are presently being rolled out: 

• The ‘new’ megabit broadband for better two-way communication: broadband via ADSL and cable modem is set to replace dial-up as the dominant means of Internet access by 2010. It is also expected that Internet upload speed will match download speeds.
  
  
• The connected home for a connected lifestyle. The convergence of technologies involving information, communications and entertainment will see appliances and devices around the house being brought together, connected and operated over an integrated IP-based network. A variety of digitised information will be available on PCs, home entertainment systems, media servers and game consoles.
  
  
• Mobile wireless going broadband to offer new ubiquitous services: 3G networks have been in place since 2007, and computing capabilities of mobile devices have improved significantly. The concept of ‘anytime, anywhere, any device’ is now a reality. Mobile services will evolve into rich multi-party multimedia and instant communications, and corporations will bring mobile solutions to their workforce. Multimedia broadcasts and multicasts will feature in e-learning, seminars, and corporate marketing and advertising.

Opportunities

iN2015 is Singapore’s 10-year master plan to realise the potential of infocomm over the next decade. Led by IDA, iN2015 is a multi-agency effort that is the result of private, public and people sector consultation.

The iN2015 initiative was launched in 2006, and is the government’s blueprint to navigate Singapore’s exhilarating transition into a global city, and universally recognised as an enviable synthesis of technology, infrastructure, enterprise and manpower.

Within this framework, key opportunities for Australian companies lie in the following verticals identified by IDA in iN2015:

• Government services
• Education and learning
• Tourism/hospitality and retail
• Digital media and entertainment
• Healthcare and biomedical sciences
• Financial services
• Manufacturing and logistics

Tariffs, regulations and customs

Key outcomes resulting from the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) which came into force on 28 July 2003 have resulted in elimination of all import duties. It also allows banks to transfer information, including electronic data, to Australia, and has extended short-term entry for Australian business people to Singapore from one month to three months, and long-term business entry of up to 14 years.

There are no customer duties on bilateral electronic transmissions, and Singapore and Australia have reached an agreement to facilitate paperless trading to reduce business transaction costs, and promotion of confidence in bilateral e-commerce, eg. in electronic signatures.

Along with the above, both governments have agreed to cooperate on investigation and prevention of infringements of customs law.

A full text of SAFTA can be found on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website at: www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/safta/index.html

Marketing your products and services

Market entry

Singapore is an IT-savvy market and keen to harness infocomm to add value to the economy and society.

A significant proportion of Australia’s merchandise trade with Singapore is subject to regulation. Traded goods subject to mandatory technical regulations in the country of import often need to be tested and/ or certified for compliance with those requirements by a body located in that country. For example, previously electrical and electronic equipment manufactured in Australia could not be sold in Singapore unless the Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board SPRING Singapore approved it for sale. The cost of obtaining a test report and certificate of approval for a new product line added to the cost of exporting, of imported inputs to production, and thus increase prices paid by consumers in Australia.

To help reduce cost to Australian manufacturers and exporters and remove barriers to the movement of goods between Australia and Singapore, the Australian Government has been encouraging the Singapore Government to recognise Australia’s standards and conformity assessment procedures. To this end, Australia and Singapore have, in February 2001, signed a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) on conformity assessment.

Against an IT-savvy background, Australian exporters should develop and market ICT products and services that are innovative, world-class, and competitive in pricing.

Distribution channels

ICT products and solutions are usually marketed through channel partners and systems integrators. Other methods of marketing and raising awareness of Australian ICT capabilities are through trade show participation, organising technical seminars, and focused networking activities with industry associations and relevant government departments.

Links and industry contacts

Events

The following events may be of interest.  Please note that Austrade is not involved in these events.

SITEX, Singapore – www.sitex.com.sg/about_organiser.html
SIGGRAPHASIA 2008, Singapore – www.siggraph.org/asia2008

CommunicAsia 2009 – www.communicasia.com

Government, business and trade resources for Singapore

eCitizen – www.ecitizen.gov.sg

Infocomm Singapore – www.singaporeinfocomm.sg

Singapore Government portal – www.gov.sg

Singapore Government directory – www.sgdi.gov.sg

Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation – www.sitf.org.sg/index.aspx

SITF House

55/55A Neil Road

Singapore 088892

Tel: +65 6325 9710

Fax: +65 6325 4993

IE Singapore – www.iesingapore.gov.sg/wps/portal

230 Victoria Street

Level 10, Bugis Junction Office Tower

Singapore 188024

Tel: +65 6437 7673

Fax: +65 6337 6898

Media Development Authority – www.mda.gov.sg

11, Ayer Rajah Ave

#14-20 Fusionopolis Tower 1

Singapore 138666

Tel: +65 6377 3800

Fax: +65 6577 3888 

Service providers

Singapore Computer System Limited – www.scs.com.sg

7 Bedok South Road

Singapore 469272

Tel: +65 6827 8888

Fax: +65 6827 8899

NCS Pte Ltd – www.ncs.com.sg

5 Ang Mo Kio St 62

NCS Hub Building

Singapore 569141

Tel: +65 6556 8000

Fax: +65 6483 3225 

Media

AsiaOne – www.asial.com.sg

Channel News Asia – www.channelnewsasia.com

Contact details

The Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) is the Australian Government’s trade and investment development agency, operating as a statutory agency within the Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio.

Austrade assists Australian businesses contribute to national prosperity by succeeding in trade and investment, internationally, and promoting and supporting productive foreign investment into Australia.

Austrade:

• Delivers services that assist Australian businesses initiate, sustain and grow trade and outward investment.
• Promotes Australia as an inward investment destination and, with the States and Territories, supports the inflow of productive foreign direct investment.
• Administers the Export Market Development Grants scheme.
• Undertakes initiatives designed to improve community awareness of, and commitment to, international trade and investment.
• Provides advice to the Australian Government on its trade and investment development activities.
• Delivers consular, passport and other government services in designated overseas locations.

A list of Austrade offices (in alphabetical order of country) is available.

More information

For further information please contact Austrade on 13 28 78 or email info@austrade.gov.au

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Sources

Doing Business in Singapore, publication by RSM Chio Lim (2007)
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore – www.ida.gov.sg
The Investor's Guide to Singapore (2007 edition), publication by Singapore International Chamber of Commerce
SAFTA - A Business Guide, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation, SiTF Directory 07/08 – www.sitf.org.sg