Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) looking to accelerate the adoption and innovative use of infocomm can now receive a wider scope of assistance under a new scheme called iSPRINT (Increase SME Productivity with Infocomm Adoption and Transformation).

iSPRINT makes it easy for SMEs to seek assistance for infocomm adoption through one point of contact at IDA.

Launched by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) in collaboration with SPRING Singapore and the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) in March 2010, the S$25-million iSPRINT scheme is an expansion of the Infocomm@SME Programme, which aims to help SMEs leverage infocomm to improve productivity, sharpen their competitiveness and expand their market reach.

The new scheme, which is expected to benefit more than 4,500 SMEs, makes it easy for SMEs to seek assistance for infocomm adoption through one point of contact at IDA. It supports SMEs in the adoption of a wide range of infocomm solutions, from simple systems to improve business operations to the innovative use of technology to transform the business or sector:

1. Business improvement. This includes the acquisition of basic infocomm solutions to improve the fundamental business functions of an SME, as in accounting, human resource and payroll, customer relationship management and enterprise resource planning.
   
   
2. Business transformation. This involves the implementation of large-scale infocomm solutions, such as a supply chain management system, to integrate business operations within the company and beyond, resulting in a significant value-add to the SME and transforming the way the SME conducts its business.

iSPRINT will also support subscriptions to Software-as-a-Service applications to allow SMEs to  get started on infocomm adoption easily with minimum infrastructure investments.

Each SME is allowed multiple applications for assistance in adopting the different types of infocomm solutions to benefit their business, capped at 50 per cent of the total qualifying costs and up to S$10,000 per SME.

Beyond supporting individual SMEs through iSPRINT, IDA also partners other government agencies, industry and trade associations to facilitate infocomm adoption of SMEs by sectors. The collective adoption of infocomm solutions by sector helps to bring down implementation costs, achieve better synergy and change the game play for the entire sector.

For example, IDA collaborated with the Ministry of Education to help the pre-school sector source for infocomm solutions to improve their operations and curriculum. IDA also supported the Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore) to automate their members’ common business processes through the implementation of a portal.