Reflective of the changing technological, business and social climate, the period from 1980 to 2003 has seen a total of five national IT plans. We are now into the sixth, which aims to grow the infocomm sector and use infocomm technologies to enhance the competitiveness of key economic sectors and build a well-connected society.
- One of the key objectives of the National Computerisation Plan was to embark on a CSCP to computerise the major functions in every government ministry. Directed at improving public administration through the effective use of IT, the plan focused on automating traditional work functions, reducing paperwork and escalating the deployment of IT in the Public Service. This 'start small, scale fast' approach became a catalyst for the widespread acceptance of IT. The other objectives were to facilitate the development and growth of the local IT industry, and develop a pool of IT manpower to meet the future needs of the industry.
- As our IT strategies matured, the focus shifted to the provision of one-stop services through cross-agency collaboration. The enhanced inter-agency communications resulted in the creation of three Data Hubs - Land, People and Establishment. An increasing number of public services were developed according to a 'One-Stop, Non-Stop' strategy. Singapore's ground breaking use of IT in automation and integration of traditional manual processes resulted in award-winning applications such as School Links, Integrated Land Use System (ILUS), One Stop Change of Address Reporting Services (OSCARS) and networks such as Tradenet, LawNet and MediNet.
- The IT2000 masterplan was launched to position Singapore as a global IT hub. Building on the National IT Plan, the expanded focus included improving the quality of life in Singapore, boosting the economy, linking communities locally and globally and enhancing the potential of Singaporeans. In the public sector, greater emphasis was placed on the integration of computing resources through the consolidation of computing facilities in a data centre and a civil service-wide network. The Internet was introduced as a new delivery channel providing both information and transaction-based services to the public.
- The first e-Government Action Plan was a key initiative in implementing Infocomm 21, a blueprint launched in 2000 to develop Singapore into a global Infocomm Capital with a thriving and prosperous e-economy and an infocomm-savvy e-society.
- The second e-Government Action Plan will leverage infocomm to delight customers and connect citizens. The current blueprint sees infocomm as a key enabler, to create new ideas that enrich lives and produce new value. Through realising new possibilities, infocomm technology becomes a true connector - bringing together the power of computing, communications and content, to create new business opportunities, consumer value and cultural experiences. Infocomm Capital with a thriving and prosperous e-economy and an infocomm-savvy e-society.
The Intelligent Nation 2015 (iN2015) masterplan was launched in June 2006. Recognising infocomm as a strategic enabler for social and economic growth, the 10-year infocomm masterplan has enabled citizens and various sectors to explore a whole new digital world of possibilities and opportunities by 2015.
Key thrusts include:
- Establishing an ultra-high speed, pervasive, intelligent and trusted infocomm infrastructure
- Developing a globally competitive infocomm industry
- Developing an infocomm-savvy workforce and globally competitive infocomm manpower
- Spearheading the transformation of key economic sectors, government and society through more sophisticated and innovative use of infocomm
