Singapore govt to launch ICT tenders worth $1.6 bn in 2015

The government of Singapore plans to call tenders worth S$2.2 billion ($1.6 billion) this year in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, for further development of the country's Smart Nation initiative.

The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore said the tenders will be focused on digital and data services, web services, infocomm infrastructure, as well as the development of the Smart Nation platform.

The 2015 allocation is about 13 per cent higher than the S$1.95 billion spent on ICT last year.

IDA's Smart Nation programme, initiated in 2013, seeks to harness ICT, networks and data to support better living, create more opportunities, and to support stronger communities.

IDA's assistant chief executive Chan Cheow Hoe said the government will continue to invest in ICT to realise the Smart Nation vision, and seek collaboration with the industry to build infocomm infrastructure, develop more citizen-centric services and enhance overall cyber security within the government.

IDA is setting up a centre of excellence in software engineering and data analytics to facilitate user research, user experience testing, and consultancy services to government agencies in developing services for citizens.

''As we move towards realising our Smart Nation vision, the government is actively engaging with citizens, businesses and the tech industry. We seek to gain better insights into the kinds of applications that people need and build new digital government capabilities to deliver great experiences to them,'' Jacqueline Poh, managing director of IDA said.

Examples include 'One Service,' mobile application to provide feedback on municipal issues; 'MyResponder,' a life saving application which leverages on location awareness to enable volunteers to assist with cardiac arrest cases; 'SingPass,' the common password used by citizens to transact with different government online services; a new 'Corporate Pass,' for businesses to access government e-services etc.

Enhancing cyber security is also one of IDA's key focus areas. The Cyber Watch Centre and Monitoring and Operations Command Centre are being strengthened to monitor and detect cyber threats, and tightening of access controls for securing of government ICT infrastructure are underway.

To achieve the vision of a digital government, IDA will continue to work with the industry to create solutions of Smart Nation. It has, so far, accredited eight companies in areas such as mobile security, enterprise analytics, video analytics and energy management to provide independent third-party evaluation of companies' products.

Various government departments including the ministry of education, ministry of manpower, national library board and Singapore customs are envisaging additional ICT projects in 2015 to build their capabilities.