Singapore prepares for emerging technology trends with five-year infocomm roadmap

Singapore is preparing to stay ahead of the technology curve. 

The Infocomm Development Authority has produced a five-year roadmap flagging key technology trends both public and private sectors should take note of. 

Compiled in a 400-odd page report, the roadmap is up for public consultation till end-September this year (2012), with the final details put online a month later. 

It lists nine broad areas of infocomm opportunities and challenges for stakeholders to leverage, and is meant as a guide for organisations planning to integrate technology into operations. 

Among the areas listed is social media. 

The report urges organisations to understand how it works, and highlights the importance of managing interactions on various social media platforms to extend influence. 

Another area is cyber security. 

With digital attacks becoming more sophisticated, the roadmap emphasises the need for continuous innovation to secure infocomm environments for individuals and organisations to work in. 

Using technology to save the environment is one other area. 

The report encourages the use of building innovations to monitor and optimise energy consumption. 

It also lists the widespread use of mobile technology as an area of opportunity. 

The roadmap says businesses can take advantage of this situation to strike more personalised relationships with customers. 

The last time a technology forecast was produced by authorities was in 2005. 

The newest roadmap came about after a year-long process of engaging researchers, organisations and educational institutes for input.