RADM(NS) Ronnie Tay: The development of capabilities like cloud computing and business analytics will change the way that businesses can operate and leverage on infocomm. |
The development of the cloud and mobile computing as well as business analytics will change the way companies operate and leverage infocomm. These trends came under the spotlight at the recent Infocomm Industry Forum 2010, which was hosted by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and the Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation (SITF) and attracted nearly 800 delegates from both the private and public sectors.
With its theme “Developing Capabilities for a New World', the forum examined how innovation can help companies position themselves to meet new challenges in an increasingly connected world, compete in a globalised market environment and respond to demands for more personalised products and services.
Delivering the opening address, RADM(NS) Ronnie Tay, Chief Executive Officer, IDA, noted that the continuing developments in technology, changing business models and consumer needs have created a new normal, or a new world, that many companies and organisations now find themselves in. “As we make new plans to ride on the economic recovery and take advantage of new opportunities, we would do well to keep pace with these changing trends,” he said, adding that the development of capabilities like cloud computing and business analytics will change the way that businesses can operate and leverage on infocomm.
In a presentation focused on business analytics, Ms Jeanne Harris, Executive Research Fellow (US) at Accenture, noted that there are a lot more data types available now, which include text, structured and graphical data. At the same time, a new generation of executives is increasingly recognising the power of analytics to make better decisions. As businesses want better information for decision-making, the cloud helps to facilitate this, she said.
Ms Jeanne Harris: A new generation of executives is increasingly recognising the power of analytics to make better decisions. |
Speaking on the Economics of the Cloud, Dr Werner Vogels, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Amazon.com, noted that companies are taking advantage of the economics of cloud computing to dramatically improve resource utilisation and shrink capital outlays while expanding geographic reach and staying responsive to changing business conditions.
The theme of cloud computing was also picked up by Ms Tan Yen Yen, Chairman of the SITF, who is also Senior Vice President, Applications at Oracle Corporation (Asia Pacific). She noted that it not only allows IT infrastructure, software and applications to be shared on demand, it also promises to foster more collaborative information-sharing.
According to Ms Tan, cloud and mobile computing were the top two technologies on the minds of respondents to an ICT Outlook Survey conducted by the SITF earlier this year.
In the area of mobile computing, she said what actually makes the platform so compelling is the applications model that lies behind it, and the “rich ecosystem of developers, hardware manufacturers, telcos and payment service providers who enable the seamless delivery of all kinds of applications to the mobile device”.
Ms Sandra Ng: The rise of the "Socialytic Application" has resulted in a platform that combines social media with business applications. |
Expanding on the theme of mobility, Ms Sandra Ng, Group Vice President and Head of Practice Group, IDC Asia Pacific, described it as one of the “game changers” in the industry.
She noted that the business world has moved into the “Mobilution Decade”. “Mobile is the new desktop” because it is becoming so pervasive among enterprises that all their business applications require the ability to be used on the mobile platform, she said.
Another game changer is social media, she said. The rise of the “Socialytic Application” has resulted in a platform that combines social media with business applications such as enterprise resource planning, collaboration tools and business analytics, said Ms Ng. This use of social media in tandem with business applications and customer relationship management has enabled companies to gain a competitive advantage, she added.
Businesses are also beginning to realise what mobile web applications for social networking and user-generated content can do for them in terms of greater employee effectiveness and better customer engagement, said Mr Andrew Mcglinchey, Head of Product Management, Google (South East Asia), in his presentation on The Mobile Internet. A business can also raise the customer experience by tapping on the users’ location and other data from the cloud, he added.
The theme of social media was also picked up by Mr Johan Gorecki, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Globe Forum, who spoke about how peer-to-peer networks have powered companies like Skype to a global scale without the need for vast amounts of capital. Applying this to the context of business and entrepreneurship, he said the concept of peer-to-peer can be taken to the next level by creating a platform for a win-win situation.
The Infocomm Industry Forum 2010 attracted more than 800 participants. |
Meanwhile, the transition into an increasingly networked society means traditional business models and organisation structures will be challenged by more global and transparent ones, said Mr Jouko Ahvenainen, Chairman, Grow VC. In his presentation “Changing the Rules”, he highlighted how this opens a host of opportunities for startups and innovation in terms of how companies are structured, operate and are funded.
The formal programme for the Infocomm Industry Forum ended with a panel discussion moderated by Mr Wilson Tan, Chairman of EZ-Link Pte Ltd and former Group Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Post Limited.