iX Conference - 18 June 2008

The much anticipated iX Conference 2008 was held on 18 June 2008 (Wednesday), 8.30am to 5.30pm at Suntec Singapore. A total of 400 participants attended the conference.

RADM (NS) Ronnie Tay, CEO of Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and Pek Yew Chai, SiTF Chairman

The conference was opened by Pek Yew Chai, SiTF Chairman, who gave a warm welcome to all the participants. Next, RADM (NS) Ronnie Tay, CEO of Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) presented the iN2015 Business Forum. He shared the updates on the latest national infocomm initiatives such as the Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure (NGNII) and programmes for the various sectors that will provide new possibilities and opportunities for Singapore and the industry.

Following that, Paul Slakey, Enterprise Director (Asia Pacific & Latin American) of Google, gave a creative presentation on Cloud Computing. He explained how Cloud Computing complements iN2015’ programmes by increasing capacity and capabilities that leverage on our Nation’s current infrastructure. Paul’s presentation was one of the highlight that received resounding feedback from the delegates.

Leslie Loh, Chairman of NextVIEW Group ended the first half of the conference with his presentation on “Growing a Successful Software Company”. He shared his experience on how he built his company, and growing it to the level that captured the attention of international players.

The participants were then escorted to the concourse where they were treated to a sumptuous lunch buffet. Other than the delightful food and drinks, the round table seating arrangement also facilitated discussion greatly. Participants enjoyed the relaxing networking over lunch and prepared themselves to the exciting series of Panel Sessions in the afternoon.

Sumptous Lunch Buffet

Virtualization Panel

The afternoon panel sessions which were brought to the audience by Fuji Xerox kicked-off with the Virtualisation panel. As the hottest subject in 2008 and beyond, the speakers shared their views and perspectives on this revolutionary and growing technology area. The speakers were Brian Higgins, Channel Director – Pacific, Citrix Systems, Aman Dokania, Director & General Manager, Hewlett-Packard APJ Infrastructure Software BU, Hewlett Packard, Jim Lenox, General Manager, ASEAN and India, VMware and Frank Feldman, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Red Hat. The discussion was facilitated by Raju Chellam, Vice President (Asia-Pacific-Japan), AMI-Partners Inc.

Software as a Service Panel

The second panel was on Software as a Service. Participants learned the developments of this new technology through the insightful presentations of the speakers and the interactive Q&A session. The speakers were Mark Glikson, General Manager (APAC Developer and Platform Evangelism), Microsoft, Frank Koo, Managing Director, Oracle Corporation Singapore, Lim Seng Kong, Vice President (Global Accounts), SingTel and Andrew Leong, Regional ISV Market Development Manager, Sun Microsystems Inc. The moderator who led the discussion was none other Brian Prentice, Research Vice President, Gartner Advisory.

Service Oriented Architecture Panel

Lastly, Tom Hutchinson, SOA Evangelist, IBM ASEAN lead the discussion on Service Oriented Architecture. Participants were introduced to a technology which encourages the creation of multiple business services that can be easily composed together to support business processes. The speakers were Kenny Goh, General Manager, SOA Fusion Middleware, Oracle Corporation, ASEAN, Ong Whee Teck, Partner, Technology Consulting Lead, ASEAN, Accenture and Gary Wong, Chief Architect, iLog Singapore. With that, the conference came to a close at 5.30pm.

We believe that this has been an enriching and meaningful session for all and we would like to thank our sponsors: Fuji Xerox, IBM, HP, Oracle and iCell; IDA; our speakers and participants who have made this a successful event. We look forward to meeting you at iX Conference 2009!

For more photos, visit our gallery!

SiTF InfoSecurity talk @ NYP

SiTF Security & Governance Chapter (SGC) held its first series of National Education Event at Nanyang Polytechnic on the 4th June 2008, 2pm to 5pm. Over 200 students in their second and final year from Diploma in Information Technology and Diploma in Business Informatics attended the event.

Mr Wong Loke Yeow
Chairman, Security & Governance Chapter (SiTF)

The session was opened by Mr Wong Loke Yeow, Chairman of Singapore infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF), Security & Governance Chapter (SGC). He shared with the students on the role and responsibility of SiTF, SGC and the importance of information security. The session was very well received by the students as they actively participated in the quiz being asked upon them.

Mr Thomas Lim
CEO, COSEINC

The second presentation was from Mr Thomas Lim CEO of COSEINC. He talked about the undeniable fact of vulnerabilities in our software and systems. As such, it is critically necessary that all software should be tested before they are operationally deployed or continually tested on a periodical basis even after they have been operationally deployed. The students are given a first hand look in the importance of their future jobs.

Q & A Session

The education event ended on a high note when Mr. Fang Wai walk away with a ticket, which worth $300, to Symposium on Security for Asia Network (Syscan) 2008 by providing a perfect answer to the question of the day.

For more photos, visit our gallery!

Meet the Members Session – 22 May 08

Welcome to Cisco

A meet-the-members session was conducted on 22 May 2008 (Thursday), 2pm to 5pm, at Cisco, Capital Tower Floor 28, Learn 1 & 2. For the first time this year, SiTF members were invited to network with the Council and Execute Committee members. About 100 participants attended the networking event, together with 20 new members showcasing their products.

Mr Craig John Gledhill, SiTF Membership Chairman

The session was opened by Mr Craig John Gledhill, SiTF Membership Chairman. By giving a quick update on what SiTF has done and is going to do, Mr Craig reaffirmed to the members that joining SiTF is the right choice – the correct decision to move their own businesses forward. Members would have a better understanding of the charter of SiTF and how they can leverage on SiTF after the whole session.

Support from the IDA Team

Next, Mr P Ramakrishna, Director of Industry Development Division, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), presented and lent his support to SiTF. Touching on the joint initiatives between IDA and SiTF, he reiterated that SiTF represents the voices of the industry. He said, “IDA has worked very closely with SiTF in terms of sharing our views about what is important in the industry.” This statement shows the strong ties SiTF has with the government body.

The various chapters of SiTF then sent a representative from the Executive Committee to give a short update of their chapter’s objectives and upcoming events. Members can now look forward to the many interesting events that would not had been available had they not join SiTF.

New members showcase their products

After the various presentations, the attendees were given time to visit the various exhibitor booths put up by SiTF's newest members. These new members were given the opportunity to showcase their products to the attendees, boosting their product awareness and sales.

Delicacies from Mum’s Kitchen

The attendees also got to enjoy a wide spread of refreshments while they network. Under a more relaxed condition, attendees casually chatted about work and various business opportunities.

Lucky draw winner!

The event was wrapped up with a lucky draw. Mr Foo Jong Tong, SiTF SOAC Chairman, drew the three lucky winners each walking away with prizes courtesy of the event sponsor, Dicota. The first prize goes to Mr Ravi Nair from Oracle Corporation Singapore. With that lucky draw, the event was brought to an end. Watch this space as SiTF plans for the next Meet-the-Members session in November 2008!

For more photos, visit our photo gallery.

Visit from Mexican delegates – 21 May 08

Team Mexico

A team of 5 Mexican delegates visited SiTF on 21 May 08. Among our guests was Mr Salomón E. Sacal K, Asia-Pacific Regional Director of Pro México, and Mr Carlos Eduardo Sánchez Pavón, Head of the underdirection for foreign investment attraction from the government of state of Mexico. About 10 local delegates from SiTF members were present to give our guests a warm reception.

Sharing between delegates

The session started as soon as everybody is settled down. To start off the sharing session, Mr Ng Tian Beng, councillor of SiTF, got the ball rolling by introducing himself to the delegation team. Each delegate then gave a brief introduction of themselves and their businesses.

What can Mexico do?

After that, Mr Gary Tan from the SiTF team gave a short introduction of SiTF and our charter. Mr Carlos then gave a presentation on Mexico’s strengths and the setting up of their Technology and Science Park, Tecnopolo Esmeralda Tech Pack @ TIzapán. With a strategic location that is beside a growing highway network and transportation corridors, the science park promises to attract heavy foreign investment. This would be the perfect opportunity for Singapore companies who wish to make headway into the Mexican market and set up branches in Mexico.

Contact me and we will discuss

The delegates from Singapore and Mexico continued to network and mingle for the rest of the session. By exchanging name cards, a win-win situation was potentially built as SiTF members looked to explore the options available to them in Mexico.

For more photos, visit our gallery!

Minister Of State Outreach – 20 May 08

SiTF was proud to host the Minister-Of-State (MOS) Outreach in collaboration with People’s Association (PA) and Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI). The MTI has arranged for a dialogue session with MOS Lee Yi Shyan as part of his Community Outreach Group (COG) efforts. Being the leader for the SME COG and also the sub-group leader of the Chinese COG for Trade Associations, MOS Lee, together with representatives from the various MTI agencies, engaged in a discussion with the attendees on enterprise or industry related issues.

Exchanging name cards

The dialogue session was held at The Wine Company on 20 May 2008. Prior to the arrival of MOS Lee, attendees took the opportunity to network and expand their social circle. Among the attendees were C-level personnel of iLEs, hence a great opportunity for smaller industry players to network.

MOS Lee Yi Shyan

Starting from 3.30pm, MOS Lee actively answered queries that were posted by the audience. These discussions were designed to drive 2-way interaction between MOS Lee and the audience. Air time was given to the floor for any attendees to speak up and bring forth the various issues they face in their businesses.

Understanding needs from the industry

This was a rare opportunity for industry players to be heard by the government. Business related issues were discussed as MOS Lee also explained the various supporting policies that may be given to iLEs to compete with MNCs.

Business over dinner

After the dialogue session, a buffet dinner was served. Along with an exquisite selection of wine, the ambience was set for an incredible chill-out session together with MOS Lee. Attendees talked about their businesses over dinner as they searched for unexplored opportunities available at the session.

The chance to be up close with MOS Lee does not come often. However, it is a value that SiTF can bring to its members. With the success of this event, SiTF hopes to organize more events with the opportunity to get up close and personal with high ranking government officials.

For more pictures, visit our gallery!

Seminar on Interoperability in the industry – 15 May 08

Register to know more about interoperability

SiTF joined forces with Microsoft on 15 May 08 (Thursday) to bring members a fresh look at interoperability in a world of open source solutions. With an increasing demand for data and information integration as organizations seek to optimize process performance, the half-day seminar will present interesting collaborative technologies between Microsoft and their respective companies. The event was held at the Singapore Computer Society (SCS) Resource Centre, drawing a crowd of 60 developers.

Mr Oliver Bell, Keynote speaker from Microsoft

The seminar kicked off at 2pm with a keynote speaker from Microsoft. Mr Oliver Bell, regional technical officer, Microsoft, gave a brief introduction and explained the key to interoperability. Through his years of experience, he was able to explain how the industry has evolved and how interoperability would help.

Attentive audience

The seminar covered various topics such as interoperability through virtualization and running PHP on windows server. Speakers from Novell Singapore, Zend Technologies Indonesia and SiTF provided the course information.

What NYP-SiTF SOA Centre can do?

The last speaker of the seminar was none other than Mr John Lim. He represents the NYP-SiTF SOA Centre to talk about interoperability capabilities of documents and spreadsheets using open XML. Seminar attendees also learnt of the test offerings of the SOA Interop Lab at NYP. By giving a good account of the SOA Centre, attendees were more aware of the support SiTF can provide.

For more photos, visit our photo gallery.

GCIO Luncheon - 14 May 08

Registration counters are now open!

The Singapore Enterprise Chapter (SEC) held its annual GCIO Lunheon at the Suntec Convention Centre (Meeting Room 325-326, Level 3) on the 14 May, 12pm to 2pm. Held in conjuction with IDA Annual Industry Briefing on “Business Opportunities in Infocomm for the Public Sector”, over 90 delegates join in for the luncheon, together with almost 30 government CIOs. The event was highly successful with a standing and free moving format to facilitate mingling and networking among the guests.

Mr Eddie Chau, SiTF SEC Chairman

The session was opened by Mr Eddie Chau, SiTF SEC Chairman. A brief introduction about the SEC chapter and its initiatives was given to the guests. Along with Mr Eddie Chau, 3 APICTA 2007 winners also got their opportunity to address the crowd and briefly present their winning product. The presentation segment was wrapped up with an introduction to the list of GCIOs present at the luncheon. Delegates would find value in knowing which government departments they would be able to reach out to.

Time for our mouths to work!

Shortly after these presentations, a sumptuous lunch buffet was served. Food variety ranging from pasta to sushi and savoury desserts pampered the guests’ taste buds as they munched on their lunch. As the guests ate, they mingled with each other in search of business opportunities.

Look at our products

Besides lunch, 11 table tops were also set up for various vendors to showcase their major products. This is no doubt a golden opportunity for the vendors to impress upon the GCIOs who were present. With such opportunities present at the event, many delegates will be looking forward to next year’s luncheon as SiTF looks to bring more value to its members.

For more photos, visit our photo gallery.

I Want Windows Mobile Solution Event - 12 May 08

Registration begins!

The annual wireless event, “I Want Windows Mobile” solution showcase event was held on 12 May 2008 (Monday), noon to 5pm, at the Intercontinental Hotel Singapore, Ballroom 1 & 2. For the third year running, the event managed to draw exhibitors, showcasing their applications on the popular Windows Mobile platform. Over 80 participants attended the showcase event to understand the platform more so as to bring value to their own organizations. Each participant was also given a goodie bag containing showcased solutions and upcoming events from SiTF. This event was proudly sponsored by Microsoft and Motorola.

Sumptuous lunch buffet

Enjoying lunch

Lunch was served promptly at 12.30pm. The participants enjoyed a free sumptuous buffet lunch consisting of both western and Chinese cuisine. While the guests eat, they also took the opportunity to interact with each other.

Opening speech by Mr James Loo, SiTF Wireless Chairman

The session was opened by Mr James Loo, SiTF Wireless Chapter Chairman. He gave a short introduction of SiTF Wireless Chapter, along with the upcoming events to look forward to for SiTF. The sponsors and exhibitors were then given the chance to present their solution to the audience. The solutions covered many aspects of daily life, including tracking home bills and crisis communication. The exhibiting companies include Inspire Tech Pte Ltd, SQL View Pte Ltd, ICSP Solutions Pte Ltd, Y3 Technologies Pte Ltd, RPI eSolutions Pte Ltd and hSenid Software (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

What Windows Mobile has to offer?

After the various presentations, the attendees were given time to visit the various exhibitor booths at the solutions marketplace by the side of the ballroom. By engaging in depth with the vendors, attendees would understand better if that particular solution best suit their needs for personal or organizational use. No doubt, this opportunity was a win-win situation for both vendors and end-users.

Networking remains a highlight

Apart from gathering information on Windows Mobile solutions, networking remains part and parcel of the event. As always, networking is an important component for attendees at the event. Participants took the opportunity to understand their counterparts better and kept a look-out for potential partnership deals.

Lucky lucky – a free MC35 Windows Mobile device!

The event was wrapped up with a lucky draw. Ms Grace Ho, director, business segment marketing, Microsoft Corporation, drew the one lucky winner who walked away with a MC35 windows mobile device. The winner of the draw was Mr Teo Yee Cheong, managing director of Bizpoint System Pte Ltd. With that lucky draw, the event was brought to an end. We shall look forward to more innovative solutions and more overwhelming responses for next year’s “I Want Windows Mobile” Solution event. Watch this space!

For more photos, visit our photo gallery.

SiTF Golf Classic 2008

Welcoming GOH – Dr Vivian Balakrishnan

The annual SiTF golf classic flagship event was held on 24 April 08 at Raffles Country Club. This is the event that golfers from within the ICT industry congregate to have an afternoon of golf and fun. Gracing the event on that day was none other than Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports. He was warmly received by Mr Pek Yew Chai, Chairman SiTF, and Ms Ho Semun, Executive Director SiTF.

Hainanese chicken rice for lunch

After a smooth registration process, golfers were treated to a Hainanese chicken rice buffet for lunch. The carbohydrates consumed would no doubt be useful on the golf course later in the day. Amidst the lunch session, golfers chatted casually as they catch up with their old friends. Soon, it was time for the tee-off!

Teeing off with Dr Vivan Balakrishnan

Mr Pek Yew Chai swings his club

GOH Flight

The GOH flight consisted of Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Mr Pek Yew Chai, Mr Loh Teck Heng (SiTF Golf Classic 2008 Chairman) and Mr Chris Khang (Cisco is the tee-to-green sponsor). They started off on the Palm Course Hole 1 at approximately 1.30pm. The good weather ensured that the golfers have as much fun as possible. Even a slight rain late in the afternoon could not dampen the spirits of the golfers.

Girl Power

Golf is not just a guy’s game. The female counterparts in the industry were having just as much fun as the GOH. It was a long afternoon before all the golfers finally completed their game. They then proceeded to wash up and prepare for dinner.

Thank you sponsors!

During dinner time, lots of prizes were given out during lucky draws. The participants also enjoyed a sumptuous dinner while watching entertainment provided by special guest performers such as the Baobei sisters who voiced over for the local movie, 881. Trophies were also given out to the winners of the golf game. In appreciation to our fantastic sponsors, a token is given to each representative from our sponsor companies. Without them, the golf event would not have been such a success.

Watch this space as we bring you more pictures from the SiTF Golf Classic 2008.

For more photos, visit our photo gallery.

Networking session with Shandong delegates – 18 Apr 08

Warm welcome at the door

On 18 April 2008, a team led by Mr Pek Yew Chai, Chairman SiTF, played host to a delegation visit from Shandong. The province of Shandong, located in the eastern coastal region of China, is one of the most developed provinces in the country. The delegation team, comprising of Mr Liu Xiaojiang, Vice Director General, Department of Foreign Trade & Economic Cooperation of Shandong Province, and Mr Ma Weigang, Vice Director General, Qingdao Economic & Technological Development Zone, visited SiTF in hope of finding collaboration opportunities to further the development of information industry in Shandong province.

The row of Shandong delegates

The session started off with an introduction given by all present at the networking session. One by one, both the local and Shandong delegates introduce their name and brief job description. Some presentation on SiTF and Infocomm Singapore were given during the session. The Shandong delegation focused on the rapid development of information industry in Shandong province. Hopefully, when SiTF members visit them, they will be able to play host and give a much more detailed scenario about the Shandong IT industry.

The whole delegation team

SiTF continues to host delegations such as these wonderful people from Shandong. Meanwhile, the session would no doubt benefit both the Shandong and SiTF delegates as both sides look for collaboration opportunities.

For more photos, visit our photo gallery

Singapore branding helps tech firms in China

Partnershops and coverage are among the key challenges named by five Singapore technology firms which have been making forays into China's fast-rising infocomm market.

However, executives from CrimsonLogic, Bizpoint System, LanTroVision, Origami Frontiers and Asiasoft said that the proliferation of the Singapore branding in China - aided by agencies like the Singapore infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF) - will help.

The executives interviewed by BizIT were in Shanghai this week with a delegation from the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and SiTF. The delegation was there to pen collaboration deals in Hangzhou and launch SiTF's renamed Shanghai business networking office, now called the Infocomm Singapore Centre (ISC).

For full press release, click here

MediaCorp launches first "intelligent" digital reading platform in Singapore

In collaboration with E-Book Systems Inc and Microsoft, Mediacorp has launched the first "intelligent" digital reading platform in Singapore. The software viewer, named Mediacorp EasyReader, integrates the best of physical newspapers and web browsing into an intuitive browser-like interface. Not only will users be able to add their own notes and highlight content, they can also re-size the test and images to suit their preference. Readers will also be able to store content up to 30 days of archived news, giving them the flexibility to read news offline as well.

For press release, click here
Know more about NewsReader, click here

SiTF inks deal with HESP to facilitate technology and business exchange

Singapore companies now have more help in cutting high-tech business deals in the "Heaven Silicon Valley" of China.

Yesterday, Singapore infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF) inked an agreement with the Hangzhou East Software Park (HESP) to facilitate the exchange of technology and business between companies from Singapore and Zhejiang province.

In a news conference in Zhejiang's capital city Hangzhou, SiTF representative Tay Eng Hoe said trade missions, business partner matching services, and local marketing events will be among activities that HESP and SiTF will carry out in the coming months.

"There are so many opportunities for Singapore companies in Zhejiang," said Mr Tay, who is also the group CEO of ECS Holdings. He said SiTF will help both Singapore and China companies collaborate in each other's markets.

The SiTF-HESP agreement is supported by Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), which brought a delegation to Hangzhou and Shanghai this week for the signing event, as well as to meet local companies and officials there. At the event, IDA chief executive Ronnie Tay said that the agreement would "greatly" benefit infocomm industries in Singapore and China.

HESP chairman Song Xiaochun said that Hangzhou companies could learn from Singapore's infocomm expertise. "As companies in China move towards globalisation, Singapore will be our example.".

Dubbed "Heaven Silicon Valley" because of Hangzhou's natural beauty, the 180,000 sq m HESP is home to technology companies such as Alibaba and Huawei.

Zhejiang, which has a population of about 50 million per capita GDP of US$5,000, is China's fourth-largest provincial economy.

SiTF has had a presence in Hangzhou since 2006 when it established a business exchange office called Hangzhou-Singapore Solutions Centre with HESP. The new agreement builds on the centre's exisiting programmes.

Two other agreements were signed yesterday in Hangzhou. One was by ESP Aspire - a Singapore company headed by ex-SiTF chairman Stephen Lim - with the Hangzhou Dianchi University, to foster exchange of the university's students with infocomm companies in Singapore. The other was between Singapore's NCS and HESP. Both agreed to collaborate in the areas of e-government, smart building, Internet security and Hangzhou's metro train system. The IDA-led 20-strong team will be in China till tomorrow.

Source: The Business Times - 15 April 2008

SEC Chill-Out Evening - 9 Apr 08

The early birds

The well-received chill-out evening is back! This time, the event's theme was “Venturing into Thailand”. The event was organised by the SEC chapter and supported by the SGC Chapter. Held at the wine arcade, the event promised great ambience and an informal environment for experience sharing. Over 30 participants turned up to learn more about business in Thailand. The event was also graced by a special guest, Ms Lena Ng, Assistant Director, from IES.

Ms Lena Ng, Assistant Director, IES

Based in Thailand for a period of over 3 years, Ms Lena Ng was the perfect person to share with the attendees on the topic concern. She also gave some insights on the vertical markets that are still booming in Thailand. No doubt, this is a valuable piece of information for businessmen who may not know about such facts.

Mr Eddie Chau, SEC Chairman

Besides Ms Lena Ng, Mr Eddie Chau, SEC Chairman, also shared his experience on setting up businesses in Thailand. With his previous company, e-Cop Pte Ltd, he has been there, done that. Hence, he was able to give tips and ways to penetrate the Thailand market.

Q & A by the attendees

The attendees were also allowed to ask some questions to the speakers that they may be interested to know. All in all, the session was an informal yet interactive experience sharing session.

What is networking without exchanging name cards?

As a networking event, most of the attendees prepared a whole stack of name cards for exchange. By making new friends and extending their social circle, attendees kept their options open, exploring business opportunities in new untapped markets. Watch this space as SiTF continues to organize such chill-out sessions with different themes and target market.

For more pictures, visit http://picasaweb.google.com/sitf.sg/SECChillOutEveningApr