New IT packages to help SMEs stay competitive

By Oh Boon Ping

DP Bureau has launched seven new tailor-made packages to help SMEs use technology to stay competitive.

The one-stop business advisory centre said the offers are part of the SME Infocomm Package (SIP) introduced by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), and they help SMEs reap substantial savings as well as subsidies from IDA.

The SIP initiative seeks to provide companies that have yet to embrace technology with affordable, entry-level IT packages that come complete with one-stop helpdesk and advisory services.

DP Bureau said in a statement the subsidy is available if the SME is investing in a web presence for the first time and is open to the first 5,000 SMEs on a first-come, first- served basis.

Said DP Bureau general manager Ong Siew Kim: 'In today's fiercely competitive world, every SME should be making full use of technology to stay competitive. The SME Infocomm Packages are an efficient and affordable way for SMEs to get the technology to stay ahead in the game.'

Of the seven packages, four are focused on providing the essential infrastructure required for using technology in a business - website development and hosting, domain names and broadband Internet access.

The other three are designed to meet the technological needs of companies in the retail, trading and services sectors.

For example, the retail sector package offers sophisticated point-of-sale equipment, while the service sector package includes accounting software.

The trading sector package comes with accounting and inventory management software.

These latest offerings came as the 2008 Start-Up Enterprise Survey - conducted by DP Information Group - identified a clear link between the use of technology and higher net profit.

The study found 50 per cent of those generating net income of $200,000 to $500,000 were highly dependent on technology.

Of the firms with net profit in excess of $500,000, some 35 per cent were also dependent on technology.

Conversely, 37 per cent of firms with low levels of technology reliance reported losses.

One of the first SMEs to sign up for an SME Infocomm Package is Hai Yang Cultural Arts & Development Centre.

Said its director Yu Shu Huai: 'This package and the government grant enables IT-illiterate people like me to establish a company website with ease. It allows me to create brand awareness and raise my competitiveness.'

To qualify for a subsidy, an SME must have at least 30 per cent local shareholding and less than $15 million in assets.

In addition, non-manufacturing firms must have fewer than 200 employees.

The SIP initiative follows the call by IDA last November for tech vendors to come up with product bundles for local SMEs, a group that is perceived to be lagging behind in using technology to improve their daily operations.

The so-called CFC (call for collaboration) closed in January this year with proposals from 31 consortiums.

This article was first published in The Business Times on 24 June 2008.

“Future Trends in Egypt ”

Beltone Financial, the fastest growing investment bank in the Middle East and North Africa region with assets-under-management of USD$5 billion, will be hosting the “Future Trends in Egypt” forum with the participation of Egyptian corporate and governmental leaders.

They will provide UK investors with unique insights on the Egyptian market, recent economic reforms and the factors that they expect will continue to drive growth and ensure Egypt ’s position as a prime investment destination for international investors.

Since 2003, the Cairo and Alexandria Stock Exchange (CASE) has consistently registered year-after-year top performance on a worldwide basis, with stocks up 2000%, and an increase in foreign investment into Egypt from US$400 million in 2002 to more than $11.1 billion in 2007/2008, year-to-date.

Taking part in the forum will also be 10 of the leading CASE-listed companies. These companies hail from across key industry sectors, have an aggregate market capitalization of USD 32 billion and account for nearly 20% of the Egyptian stock market by market capitalization. A number of these companies’ shares are also traded as GDRs on the London Stock Exchange.


Key government ministers and business leaders will be presenting to international investors and the media on prospects for the Egyptian economy, factors underlying continued strong investor confidence and expected robust growth and ongoing expansion by Egyptian and other regional companies. Among these leading figures are:

-His Excellency Dr. Mahmoud Moheildin, Minister of Investment, Egypt ;
-Aladdin Saba, Chairman and co-founder, Beltone Financial;
-Ali El Tahry, Managing Director and co-founder, Beltone Financial;
-Angus Blair, Head of Research, Beltone Financial;
-Nassef Sawiris, CEO, Orascom Construction Industries;
-Samih Sawiris, Chairman and CEO, Orascom Hotels and Development;
-Hisham Ezz Al Arab, Chairman, Commercial International Bank (CIB);
-Raouf Ghabbour, Chairman, Ghabbour Auto;
-Ahmed El Sewedy, Chief Executive Officer, El Sewedy Cables;
-Hassan Nouh, General Manager, Al Ezz Steel Rebars;
-Mohamed Kamel, Board Member & Vice President - Corporate Development, Egyptian Resorts Company;
-Hossam El Mestikawi, Chief Financial Officer, Olympic Group;
-Yehia Kotb, Chairman, Egyptian Financial Industrial.

Bakersfield, Gwinnett Named

PRINCETON, N.J. – The ECHL announced that the web sites of the Bakersfield Condors (BakersfieldCondors.com) and the Gwinnett Gladiators (GwinnettGladiators.com) have been named as the ECHL Web Sites of the Year for 2007-08.

Bakersfield, which becomes the first two-time winner having won the inaugural award in 2004-05, finished ahead of the Victoria Salmon Kings (SalmonKings.com) in the National Conference while Gwinnett finished ahead of the Reading Royals (RoyalsHockey.com) in the American Conference.

The web sites were reviewed by Rich Libero and the staff of NHL.com, the official web site of the National Hockey League.

“This season presented the biggest challenge yet,” said Libero, who is in his ninth year as Vice President of Editorial & Production for NHL.com. “Across the board ECHL club sites took a big step in the right direction, particularly in the video space.”

Bakersfield’s web site is designed and hosted by iSportsMedia, an IWS/D Company and is updated by vice president of communications Kevin Bartl and media relations manager Andrew Buchbinder.

“Bakersfield’s design is simply professional and well organized,” said Libero. “Content modules are nicely balanced with marketing and advertising.”

Gwinnett’s web site is designed and supported by Andrew Cortez and Gary Nichols of Interdev with hosting provided by GoDaddy.com. The site is updated by director of broadcasting and media relations Dustin Bixby and director of merchandise Christi Johnson.

“Gwinnett represented another cleanly-packaged site with simple navigation, easy-to-track scheduling and easy e-commerce,” said Libero.

ECHL Web Site Award Winners
Year Team
2007-08 Bakersfield Condors and Gwinnett Gladiators
2006-07 Idaho Steelheads and Wheeling Nailers
2005-06 Phoenix RoadRunners
2004-05 Bakersfield Condors

ECHL
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2007-08, the ECHL is the Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League and the third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League.

ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states and has grown to be a coast-to-coast league that will play with 24 teams in 16 states and British Columbia in 2008-09.

The league officially changed its name to ECHL on May 19, 2003.

The ECHL has affiliations with 26 of the 30 teams in the NHL in 2007-08, marking the 11th consecutive season that the league has had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL.

There have been 355 former ECHL players who have gone on to play in the NHL after playing in the ECHL, including 99 in the last three seasons. There have been 210 former ECHL players who have played their first game in the NHL in the past seven seasons.

There are 15 coaches in the NHL who have ECHL experience including former Wheeling coach Peter Laviolette, who is head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, and former Mississippi coach Bruce Boudreau, who is head coach of the Washington Capitals.

The ECHL is represented for the eighth consecutive year on the National Hockey League championship team in 2008 with Detroit Red Wings forward Aaron Downey.

The ECHL has affiliations with 26 of the 29 teams in the American Hockey League in 2007-08 and for the past 18 years there has been an ECHL player on the Calder Cup champion.

In each of the last two seasons there have been more than 225 players who have played in both the ECHL and the AHL and there were over 800 call-ups involving more than 500 players. In the last five seasons the ECHL has had more call-ups to the AHL than all other professional leagues combined with over 2,000 call-ups involving more than 1,000 players since 2002-03.

Further information on the ECHL is available from its website at ECHL.com.

Editor's Note

by Tim Whitaker

People who work at publications like this one are convening here this week for the annual alternative newspaper convention.

There’ll be seminars, speakers, awards and lots of shoptalk. By the final night of the convention some sales dog from Phoenix or Vegas or one of those faux cities will end up with his picture on Flickr wearing a lampshade.

It beats ending up at the Roundhouse.

Our crosstown City Paper friends are the hosts for the convention, which runs through Saturday.

Nice guys, the CP folks. Nicer than we are, for sure, since they’re the ones hosting this shing-a-ling.