Raft of programmes launched to help ICT SMEs

Singapore

BUSINESSES in the infocomm media sector are getting a leg-up from the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in the form of initiatives designed to help them capture opportunities in the fast-growing services industry.

The programmes announced on Thursday are aimed at transforming the sector so it delivers services that are end-to-end and seamless, and able to anticipate customers' needs.

Key to this ecosystem, termed Services 4.0, is ensuring that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are able to leverage cloud technology for their businesses.

The GoCloud initiative, expected to be launched early next year, will thus help SMEs to move to a "cloud-native" system, that is, use software designed specifically to be deployed on the cloud.

The initiatives follow the unveiling of the Services and Digital Economy Technology Roadmap (SDE Tech Roadmap), which outlines the efforts to put Singapore on the crest of emerging technological trends.

The services sector has been of particular focus in this effort, said Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran at the SG:Digital Industry Day event.

The sector contributes to nearly 70 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) and employs up to three-quarters of the workforce. It covers enterprises engaged in activities ranging from logistics and infocomm media to banking and insurance and transportation.

Under GoCloud, infocomm technology (ICT) SMEs will be provided with funding support and coaches so they pick up on the benefits of cloud-native architecture, equip their employees with the relevant skills, and get hands-on experience in developing cloud-native applications.

Most ICT SMEs develop solutions based on traditional software infrastructure, which is highly complex and limited in scalability and flexibility. It can thus take weeks or even months for these companies to amend their applications and redeploy new solutions.

ICT SMEs are thus not nimble enough in responding to their customers' needs; they also face higher development costs and cycles, and take longer to go to market with their solutions.

While locally-hosted traditional software can be adapted for the cloud, it is more efficient to have a cloud-native system from the get-go.

Mr Iswaran said: "Cloud-native architecture is not just about shifting a company's on-premise assets and resources onto the cloud. This is an essential step, but is by no means the complete path or solution.

"More fundamentally, cloud-native architecture is a way to build and run applications on the cloud with flexible modular components, allowing companies to amend their applications quickly, and to scale up or down as required."

To promote the adoption of cloud-native architecture, the IMDA has introduced the SG Digital Cloud Community, which counts about 30 companies and associations as its pioneer members.

Other key initiatives by the IMDA to boost the infocomm media sector include expanding services at Pixel at one-north, starting in January. (Pixel is a resource centre and focal point for media-content creators, owners and games developers; it fosters cross-sector collaborations in content creation, delivery and commercialisation.)

It will run workshops and masterclasses in design-thinking, user interface and user experience, immersive experiences and digital storytelling. Two labs will be opened at the facility - an immersive-experiences lab, and a user-testing lab for digital products and solutions.

In addition, a Digital Services Laboratory (DSL) has been set up to connect researchers, industry players and government agencies, with the goal of developing digital solutions to overcome challenges in the services industry. It will first address the issues in the built-environment, lifestyle, modern services, and trade and connectivity sectors.

Projects undertaken by DSL will be selected by a cross-agency team comprising the IMDA, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), Enterprise Singapore and DI.SG.

Selection criteria include whether these projects yield ecosystem-level economic benefits, and whether they align with national strategic interests. Selected projects will be granted up to 70 per cent in funding.

Lastly, the IMDA will roll out a series of programmes to help infocomm media firms break into overseas markets more quickly.

For a start, it will work to link businesses with talent and potential partners through the tech and media community in Jakarta, Bandung and Yogyakarta.

The programme will focus on three main activities: market immersion, half-yearly or quarterly demo days for parties to explore collaboration opportunities, and curated professional services for companies to tap.

READ MORE: Temasek will explore AI, blockchain deals