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Mr Leong Keng Thai,
Deputy Chief Executive & Director-General (Telecoms)
Infocomm Development Authority Of Singapore
Opening Address at the Launch of the JavaJive Challenge
ITE College East, 10 Simei Avenue
Singapore, 10 May 2007
Mr Tan Seng Hua,
Principal, ITE College East
Mr Wong Heng Chew, Managing Director, Sun Microsystems
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Good afternoon
1. I am happy to be here
today to launch the JavaJive Challenge 2007 organised by the
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), Sun Microsystems
and the Institute of Technical Education. JavaJive is one of the 13
challenges of the National Infocomm Competition. Today, JavaJive is
the first challenge to kick off the 2007 National Infocomm
Competition series. It is also one of the latest challenges to join
this nation-wide infocomm competition. It is my pleasure to welcome
JavaJive to the National Infocomm Competition.
2. The development of
infocomm has grown rapidly in the last few years. Today, we see many
new infocomm innovations which we have become very familiar with.
Blogs, podcasts and videocasts, to name a few, have now become very
popular as a form of communication and interactivity. Indeed,
infocomm has become pervasive and become a part of how we live,
learn, work and play.
3. No doubt, you would
have heard of or better still, experienced the
Wireless@SG service. This is a nation-wide wi-fi service
available at public areas offering free access at 512 kbps. I am
happy to share that to date, we have 2,000 wireless hotspots
available and more than 400,000 subscribers on Wireless@SG since its
launch in December last year. What this means is that more
Singaporeans and even visitors to Singapore can enjoy an infocomm
lifestyle while they are out of their homes and offices or on the
move. Infocomm will continue to be a strategic enabler and source of
competitive advantage as we progress into a world that is
increasingly digital and connected.
4. A challenge like
JavaJive is a great platform for aspiring infocomm professionals
like yourselves to showcase your talent and to come up with
innovative ideas and solutions that make all our lives more fun,
more exciting, and more fulfilling. I am sure you are familiar with
applications such as Flickr, Wikipedia, Blogger and Google Maps.
These are innovative applications that have become part of our
everyday lives. Who knows, you may invent the next great web
application just by participating in this challenge. I strongly
encourage all students to give your best, because creativity,
passion and the will to succeed will be important ingredients to
succeed in this competition.
5. Your success in
today¨s challenge may well spell your success in the future infocomm
landscape. For now, you will be pleased to know that the future is
looking bright for the infocomm industry. In a recent survey
conducted by IDA, the number of infocomm job vacancies has more than
doubled, from 2,100 in 2004 to 5,700 in 2005. In particular, there
is demand for skills like Software Development, Infocomm Security,
Database Management, IT Project Management and Web Services. And one
of the highest numbers of employed infocomm professionals is in
'Programming & Software Design'. For this challenge, students will
be challenged on software design & programming. This is your chance
to hone your skills for the infocomm career.
6. Beyond growth
prospects in the areas of infocomm job vacancies and demand, I am
pleased to share with you that infocomm employees are today also
enjoying higher salaries. Recent articles in the Straits Times
reported higher salaries for infocomm workers in Singapore. Salaries
for top infocomm professionals have jumped up to $100,000 a year in
recent years. Overall, the infocomm industry has put in a sterling
performance. Its revenue grew from $38 billion in 2005 to cross the
$40 billion mark for the first time in 2006. Such growth can only
spell more job opportunities for aspiring infocomm professionals
like you.
7. Given the pervasive
adoption of infocomm in Singapore, and the power of infocomm to
transform lives and businesses, it is little wonder that infocomm
professionals are now in high demand in every industry, be it in
hospitality, biomedical or financial services. A career in infocomm
comes with many opportunities to create intellectual property too.
We are looking to you to be part of this dynamic workforce.
8. In closing, let me
thank Sun Microsystems and the Institute of Technical Education for
your efforts in leading the charge to nurture infocomm talent for
Singapore. I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations
especially to ITE College East, which has emerged first runners-up
in the polytechnic/ite circuit of the National Infocomm Competition
last year. Well done!
9. I wish all of you an
exciting journey in the National Infocomm Competition 2007.
10. Thank you.
Source:
www.ida.gov.sg News Release 10
May 2007
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The future is looking bright for the
infocomm industry
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