Boustead Singapore

[Drizzt]

Something that we have to understand about Boustead is that we should never view it on a quarterly basis.

Not even ESRI, as at least 40-60% of it is non-recurring. Enterprise License, Consultation Services have different kind of margin. Even Australia, Singapore and Indonesia have different kind of margin.
I don't think ESRI performs very badly this quarter, it is simply because 4Q 2012 has been much better.

4Q 2012 PBT Margin: 26.8% 4Q 2013 PBT Margin: 24.8%
FY 2012 PBT Margin: 24.9% FY 2013 PBT Margin: 26.8%

Comparing the numbers, it really don't look like there's any form of margin compression. In fact, I believe shareholder will have similar problem with 1Q 2014 PBT margin for ESRI when it is announced 3 months later as the margin for 1Q 2013 is 32%, which is an anomaly as I have pointed out back then.

No DBL contract is understandable as Boustead hit a huge road block to reach the critical mass. With the low dividend yield and interest rate that these REITs are trading at, it is so much easier for REIT to bid for yield accretive DBL project while undercutting Boustead's margin. While some CEOs might resort to price cutting to reach that critical mass, I think we should be glad that Mr Wong is not one that will take on projects with low ROI that essentially destroys shareholder value for short term benefit. In addition, it can be seen that Mr Wong and Boustead have put in lots of efforts to come up with the best method to realise the value of this 100,000 sqm DBL portfolio for shareholder, apart from the traditional method of REITing it. That say, it certainly seemed like there's lot of unused capital sitting on the balance sheet.

Can't comment on other divisions without the AR and stripping off all the one-off income.

With regards to the scrip dividend, I am not too worried about it as the problem of Boustead is not being able to deploy the capital and not insufficient capital. I believe it is rare that company in Singapore will allow shareholder to choose a combination of scrip and cash. Most will simply allow pure cash or pure scrip. (Correct me if I am wrong as this is my first time receiving scrip) This simple but rare act does show something about the management though maybe he has a perfect combination of scrip and cash that he prefers. Just wondering what his option will be?

Lastly, I don't think we should pay much attention to the share price for the past 2 days. Yesterday, it reached a new high. Today it falls by 5%. If last Friday I did not purchase the share at $1.45, has the business changed so much in a few days that it is now a bargain after it has fallen 5% from a new high back to $1.45? Personally, I think it is just business as usual for Boustead without any special development.

(vested)

when we question boustead, they like to pin that ESRI is recurring, which puzzles me because for me the main bulk of it are new sales and consultation. That isn't the kind of recurring in my dictionary, unless you say that people buying from them the first time will be tied in to continue to buy from them something perishable.

in this case its a moat. recurring? thats not how i would define it.

[LionFlyer]

Not sure about ESRI but depending on the software licensing model adopted, it is certainly not a one-off expense. There are maintenance fees to be paid for software licenses for continued usage, there are also enterprise license agreements which have fixed regular payments.

[LittleDesu]

ESRI is recurring earning model for number period of years once signed.

[Drizzt]

ah thanks. i do know of the licensing, maintenance as the recurring nature. but boustead perhaps due to competitive issues, doesn't want to break these up. and would say the whole of it is recurring.

i think we are not that demanding to know the rough % out of profit is actually recurring versus not.

[shanrui_91]

ah thanks. i do know of the licensing, maintenance as the recurring nature. but boustead perhaps due to competitive issues, doesn't want to break these up. and would say the whole of it is recurring.

i think we are not that demanding to know the rough % out of profit is actually recurring versus not.

I think mr wong has mentioned before that it is around 40-50% of the revenue. Figures might vary a bit year to year

ii) Oil & Gas - oil prices not concern and benefiting from shale gas revolution in North America. Mr Wong mentioned that Dow Chemical is the end client that handed down the $39m contract and BIH appears to be in the running for more. Net margins after tax is 10%.

What happen is that shale gas revolution leads to cheap energy cost. Many companies are practising in-sourcing, and that includes the downstream chemical plants where energy cost is a significant amount or even to use natural gas as feedstock

http://img.en25.com/Web/ICIS/FC0160_CHEM...c90b8c4b09
http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/2012...ne-cracker#

I think the $39 million deal could be for the 2017 cracker plant by Dow.

(vested)

[greengiraffe]

ah thanks. i do know of the licensing, maintenance as the recurring nature. but boustead perhaps due to competitive issues, doesn't want to break these up. and would say the whole of it is recurring.

i think we are not that demanding to know the rough % out of profit is actually recurring versus not.

I think mr wong has mentioned before that it is around 40-50% of the revenue. Figures might vary a bit year to year

ii) Oil & Gas - oil prices not concern and benefiting from shale gas revolution in North America. Mr Wong mentioned that Dow Chemical is the end client that handed down the $39m contract and BIH appears to be in the running for more. Net margins after tax is 10%.

What happen is that shale gas revolution leads to cheap energy cost. Many companies are practising in-sourcing, and that includes the downstream chemical plants where energy cost is a significant amount or even to use natural gas as feedstock

http://img.en25.com/Web/ICIS/FC0160_CHEM...c90b8c4b09
http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/2012...ne-cracker#

I think the $39 million deal could be for the 2017 cracker plant by Dow.

(vested)

Hi Shanrui,

Thanks once again for the excellent detective work.

We should have our mine at ease on BIH. Fingers crossed BIH hit something on the downstream front and it will then be the beginning of a new dawn.

Cheers
GG

[greengiraffe]

    BIH (http://www.bihl.com/) - the only known support industry player under Boustead Singapore, listed on SGX that will potentially benefit from the on going boom in global LNG industry especially those in North America:

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Vested
GG

http://aap.newscentre.com.au/acf/130503/...95281.html

Why Shell has its foot on the gas

LNG It's the world's fastest growing fuel and business wants to capitalise, writes Stanley Reed. A s Big Oil increasingly becomes Big Gas, no major petroleum player may have more at stake in the shift than Royal Dutch Shell. More than any of its rivals, Royal Dutch Shell is betting its future on the business of bringing natural gas from remote locations like Qatar to energy-hungry destinations like China and Japan.

Many experts say Shell may eventually show big benefits from its natural gas emphasis.

Increasingly, to make gas a global commodity, companies supercool it into a liquid form for transport on specialised ships. Shell has already invested about $US40 billion in liquefied natural gas production plants, storage terminals and related systems, and it plans to continue pumping money into that business.

Shell now has about 7 per cent of the world LNG business, with ambitions to more than double that share through new projects and acquisitions. Last year, LNG and related businesses earned Shell $US9.4 billion of its $US25.1 billion in profit.

"We are in the lead, and we want to stay in the lead," Andrew Brown, Shell's head of international exploration and production, said in a mid-April interview.

Brown said Shell expected global demand for LNG to grow rapidly in the coming years, doubling by 2025 to about 500 million tons a year, the equivalent of about 4.5 billion bar- rels of oil,making it by far the fastest growing fuel. The main reason for the anticipated growth is that natural gas is abundant. And because of the US shale gas boom, it has become relatively cheap especially in North America, where prices lately have been in the range of $US4 per million British thermal units, compared with highs of $US13 as recently as 2005.

The European spot price is around $US10 per million BTUs, and the Asian price around $US15; contract prices, often linked to oil, may be higher.

And because it burns much cleaner than either coal or oil, it will very likely stay in favour because its use can help lower the greenhouse gas emissions that are blamed for causing global warming. To Brown's frustration, not everyone gets the message.

That is one reason Shell's big LNG bet is no sure thing. The United States has wholeheartedly embraced gas.

But Europe, mired in economic doldrums, has turned to coal, which is less expensive. This has driven down demand for gas in the region, which in recent decades had been one of the world's biggest markets for natural gas via pipelines and LNG.

Europe did not have "the right balance" in terms of promoting gas, Brown says. About 75 per cent of Shell's LNG goes to Asia.

To build on its lead, Shell agreed in February to buy the LNG business of the Spanish company Repsol for about $US6.7 billion.

Some industry analysts considered the price toohigh.But,Repsol says, Shell had to outbid more than a dozen competing offers. Over the longer run, being a big player in LNG is likely to help Shell out-earn its peers, predicts Martijn Rats, an analyst at Morgan Stanley in London. The huge upfront invest- ments of several billion dollars per gas liquefaction plant might seem prohibitive, Rats says, but those projects "generate large amounts of operating cash flow over two or three decades".

While LNG projects may not have as high potential returns as some oil fields, it is less risky to build giant gas installations because much of the out put is sold in advance and the plants require relatively little capital expenditure once up and running.

The steady cash from LNG, which at current prices produces profit margins of 10 per cent to 15 per cent, can be used to finance riskier activities. One risk for Shell is that an anticipated export surge from North America leads to a plunge in the much higher prices for gas in Europe and Asia.

"Assuming that there are large volumes of LNG exports from North America, the price differences between US and Asia and especially US and European gas are likely to be substantially reduced," says Christopher Goncalves, an analyst at the Berkeley Research Group in Washington. But Goncalves says the differences would probably not disappear, because shipping and liquefaction added several dollars to the cost of LNG.

Shell is trying to further stoke demand for LNG by making it easier to use the chilled gas as a transportation fuel.

In Europe, the company recently chartered two LNG-powered tanker barges to ply the busy Rhine waterway. It appears to be a first step in trying to persuade shippers to shift to LNG-powered craft to transport diesel fuel or gasoline. According to the barges' maker, Peters Shipyards in the Netherlands, they emit 25percentlesscarbondioxidethantheiroilpowered counterparts, while running much quieter.

Europe is tightening regulations on emissions from shipping, particularly in inland waterways, Rats says, and LNG-powered ships are an economically sound means of complying.

Last year Shell bought a Norwegian company, Gasnor, that supplies LNG fuel to ships. Shell is also building operations to provide fuel for LNG-powered trucks along a route in western Canada and has plans to do the same in the US.

So far the use of LNG in transportation is negligible: about 16 million cars and trucks are powered by gas, which is just 1.5 per cent of the world's road vehicles. Morgan Stanley calculates that the gas now used by these cars and trucks replaces about 1.2 million barrels per day of oil products.

Under optimistic forecasts, that use in 10 years could rise to 5.6 million barrels a day, or around 7 per cent of 2012 oil supplies.

Meanwhile, Shell is trying to lower the capital cost of LNG to make it feasible in even more remote offshore locations, by building liquefaction plants on what amount to enormous barges, bigger than aircraft carriers. The first such vessel destined for an offshore field in Western Australia is being built in a South Korean shipyard, where Brown says it can be done "cost effectively" compared with Australia, where labour and other costs have recently risen sharply. Shell wants to come up with a standard design for these floating LNG plants and gradually introduce them around the world.

A candidate for one of the vessels is a field called Abadi in Indonesia, in which Shell has a 30 per cent stake.

This week Shell and Woodside, an Australian company in which it owns a 24 percent stake, agreed to work on a floating LNG plant for Woodside's estimated $45 billion Browse offshore gas project in Australia. And where is the LNG-liquefaction building boom likely to be after Qatar and Australia? North America, Brown says.

NEWYORK TIMES The LNG-powered barges emit 25 per cent less carbon dioxide than their oil-powered counterparts, while running much quieter.

Headline: Why Shell has its foot on the gas
Author:

[ Previous ][ Climate Change ]
Copyright © AAP AFR

[greengiraffe]

FF Wong mentioned about Data Centre as a new direction for Boustead Projects.

The following are some newsflow and potential new data centres in Singapore:

http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2013/...riorities/

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT, E-GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT analYTICS, GOVERNMENT CLOUD, GOVERNMENT CXO, GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
SINGAPORE OUTLINES GOVT ICT SPENDING PRIORITIES
By James Smith | 23 May 2013 | Views: 988
G-Cloud, Big Data, Analytics, Information Security, and a more pervasive use of sensors to position Singapore as a ‘smart city’ - these were the key areas of focus for ICT spending over the course of the next financial year, announced at an industry briefing organised by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) this morning.
PHOTOS

View photos
RELATED ARTICLES
• Singapore tops international e-government rankings
• Singapore Institution Establishes Innovation Centre
• Singapore to install CCTVs to control parking
RELATED CATEGORIES
• CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
• E-GOVERNMENT
• GOVERNMENT analYTICS
• GOVERNMENT CLOUD
• GOVERNMENT CXO
• GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
FROM THIS SECTION
• NEWS
Government ICT spending is set to remain unchanged for the year ahead at S$1.2 billion (US$947 million), but the Deputy Chief Executive of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, James Kang, heralded a major shift in the way the government will procure ICT.
Smaller, but more frequent, projects
Explaining that the world of ICT was becoming more complex, and the needs of users were changing at a faster rate, Kang set out a vision of ‘agile software development’ where agencies would break down largerICT projects into their constituent elements with a view to delivering services faster, and with less risk.
“We can no longer wait nine months or more for delivery, the world is moving too fast,” explained Kang. “And there has been a tendency for agencies to list their maximal requirements, including things they did not need. This can lead to very complex programmes where the risk and magnitude of failure increases.”
“So what we want to move towards is a more disciplined approach, where the most important functions are prioritised and the emphasis is on going live as quickly as possible,” he continued.
G-Cloud: open for business
The next phase in the development of the Singapore government’s ‘G-Cloud’ received particular attention, as Kang signalled a switch from Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).
“Many agencies have been encouraged to take advantage of public cloud services for non-confidential systems, and the take up rate has been good. So we are now trying to extend the same benefits for systems which are dealing with confidential information, and that is the function of the G-Cloud,” he explained.
Inviting solutions providers to work with IDA to make their cloud-based applications available from the G-Cloud, a private cloud infrastructure that has been built up over the past year, Singapore’s GCIO revealed that “close to 100 systems are already making their way to the G-Cloud”. ICT companies were encouraged to adapt to this new provisioning model as individual agencies sought to tap “the agility, scalability and utility pricing model of the cloud while maintaining the governance and security of confidential systems and data”.
Information Security
In response to a question from FutureGov Asia Pacific magazine, Kang revealed that the one continuous strand linking this industry briefing with previous years was the enduring importance of information security.
“If anything it continues to grow in importance every year - you would be surprised to see our own statistics on what is happening. We literally receive billions of attacks a year from automated crawlers and viruses. So this year we are going to enhance our ‘Cyber-Watch Centre’ (CWC) so that we can have constant monitoring throughout the day, and where there is real time detection of suspicious activity so that we can take remedial action - as opposed to being attacked and not knowing about it.”
The CWC was set up by IDA in 2007 to provide alerts on cyber attacks for government agencies. It currently runs a round-the-clock Security Operations Centre staffed with security professionals. In the coming year it will develop new capabilities in the areas of web site security, detection of data loss, and better detection of malware. These enhancements are expected to be implemented by April 2014.
Big Data = Smarter Cities
The large volumes of data being automatically created by an ever-growing array of sensors was another area that Kang drew attention to during the briefing. Referring to the city-as-a-system, and the internet-of-things, Kang backed the Singapore government’s efforts to break new ground in the field of ‘smart cities’: “I think we are doing things that you won’t see anywhere else, and if you look at our procurement plans you will see a lot of money being spent on cameras and other passive sensors.”
Citing the danger posed by high tides coinciding with sudden downpours of rain that can lead to road flooding within 30 minutes, Kang said that real time decision would make the city more liveable and improve the quality of life for residents.
“Data analytics will help the Singapore government to analyse all this multimedia data coming in, as well as a lot of unstructured data, and help improve the delivery of services, analyse feedback, optimise our operations, and improve safety and awareness,” he explained. “We are moving towards a data-driven, actionable intelligence mindset. And we are looking for more innovative applications through mash ups with private sector data in order to co-create initiatives that leverage all this government data.”
Thinking differently
During the morning session Kang was at pains to stress that the government was seeking to work more collegiately with industry, and that he acknowledged that government departments needed to step out of their comfort zone to make this work.
“I think the government is now a collaborative government. Not ‘government to you’ - but ‘government with you’. We are looking to become a government that co-creates with the private sector,” he concluded. “The mindset of government must change. You have to have partnership thinking. I just think that this approach is more appropriate for the complex environment in which we find ourselves.”

http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archi...australia/

http://www.pr.com/press-release/492711

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes...-singapore

http://www.4-traders.com/KEPPEL-LAND-LTD...-16800140/

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/technolo...05116.html

http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/focus/...ia-pacific

[wozhaodaole]

ive said this before, but this again shows that the company is like his own personal investment vehicle. investors will never see the cash. the stock will always trade cheaply.

only warren buffet does this sort of stuff. but there is only one warren buffet in the world.

FF Wong mentioned about Data Centre as a new direction for Boustead Projects.

The following are some newsflow and potential new data centres in Singapore:

http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2013/...riorities/

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT, E-GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT analYTICS, GOVERNMENT CLOUD, GOVERNMENT CXO, GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
SINGAPORE OUTLINES GOVT ICT SPENDING PRIORITIES
By James Smith | 23 May 2013 | Views: 988
G-Cloud, Big Data, Analytics, Information Security, and a more pervasive use of sensors to position Singapore as a ‘smart city’ - these were the key areas of focus for ICT spending over the course of the next financial year, announced at an industry briefing organised by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) this morning.
PHOTOS

View photos
RELATED ARTICLES
• Singapore tops international e-government rankings
• Singapore Institution Establishes Innovation Centre
• Singapore to install CCTVs to control parking
RELATED CATEGORIES
• CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
• E-GOVERNMENT
• GOVERNMENT analYTICS
• GOVERNMENT CLOUD
• GOVERNMENT CXO
• GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
FROM THIS SECTION
• NEWS
Government ICT spending is set to remain unchanged for the year ahead at S$1.2 billion (US$947 million), but the Deputy Chief Executive of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, James Kang, heralded a major shift in the way the government will procure ICT.
Smaller, but more frequent, projects
Explaining that the world of ICT was becoming more complex, and the needs of users were changing at a faster rate, Kang set out a vision of ‘agile software development’ where agencies would break down largerICT projects into their constituent elements with a view to delivering services faster, and with less risk.
“We can no longer wait nine months or more for delivery, the world is moving too fast,” explained Kang. “And there has been a tendency for agencies to list their maximal requirements, including things they did not need. This can lead to very complex programmes where the risk and magnitude of failure increases.”
“So what we want to move towards is a more disciplined approach, where the most important functions are prioritised and the emphasis is on going live as quickly as possible,” he continued.
G-Cloud: open for business
The next phase in the development of the Singapore government’s ‘G-Cloud’ received particular attention, as Kang signalled a switch from Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).
“Many agencies have been encouraged to take advantage of public cloud services for non-confidential systems, and the take up rate has been good. So we are now trying to extend the same benefits for systems which are dealing with confidential information, and that is the function of the G-Cloud,” he explained.
Inviting solutions providers to work with IDA to make their cloud-based applications available from the G-Cloud, a private cloud infrastructure that has been built up over the past year, Singapore’s GCIO revealed that “close to 100 systems are already making their way to the G-Cloud”. ICT companies were encouraged to adapt to this new provisioning model as individual agencies sought to tap “the agility, scalability and utility pricing model of the cloud while maintaining the governance and security of confidential systems and data”.
Information Security
In response to a question from FutureGov Asia Pacific magazine, Kang revealed that the one continuous strand linking this industry briefing with previous years was the enduring importance of information security.
“If anything it continues to grow in importance every year - you would be surprised to see our own statistics on what is happening. We literally receive billions of attacks a year from automated crawlers and viruses. So this year we are going to enhance our ‘Cyber-Watch Centre’ (CWC) so that we can have constant monitoring throughout the day, and where there is real time detection of suspicious activity so that we can take remedial action - as opposed to being attacked and not knowing about it.”
The CWC was set up by IDA in 2007 to provide alerts on cyber attacks for government agencies. It currently runs a round-the-clock Security Operations Centre staffed with security professionals. In the coming year it will develop new capabilities in the areas of web site security, detection of data loss, and better detection of malware. These enhancements are expected to be implemented by April 2014.
Big Data = Smarter Cities
The large volumes of data being automatically created by an ever-growing array of sensors was another area that Kang drew attention to during the briefing. Referring to the city-as-a-system, and the internet-of-things, Kang backed the Singapore government’s efforts to break new ground in the field of ‘smart cities’: “I think we are doing things that you won’t see anywhere else, and if you look at our procurement plans you will see a lot of money being spent on cameras and other passive sensors.”
Citing the danger posed by high tides coinciding with sudden downpours of rain that can lead to road flooding within 30 minutes, Kang said that real time decision would make the city more liveable and improve the quality of life for residents.
“Data analytics will help the Singapore government to analyse all this multimedia data coming in, as well as a lot of unstructured data, and help improve the delivery of services, analyse feedback, optimise our operations, and improve safety and awareness,” he explained. “We are moving towards a data-driven, actionable intelligence mindset. And we are looking for more innovative applications through mash ups with private sector data in order to co-create initiatives that leverage all this government data.”
Thinking differently
During the morning session Kang was at pains to stress that the government was seeking to work more collegiately with industry, and that he acknowledged that government departments needed to step out of their comfort zone to make this work.
“I think the government is now a collaborative government. Not ‘government to you’ - but ‘government with you’. We are looking to become a government that co-creates with the private sector,” he concluded. “The mindset of government must change. You have to have partnership thinking. I just think that this approach is more appropriate for the complex environment in which we find ourselves.”

http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archi...australia/

http://www.pr.com/press-release/492711

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes...-singapore

http://www.4-traders.com/KEPPEL-LAND-LTD...-16800140/

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/technolo...05116.html

http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/focus/...ia-pacific

[greengiraffe]

YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary.

I am vested and may be biased but I have never felt so comfortable with Boustead. Stripping out one-off, Boustead most recent payout amounted to around 62% on my numbers.

Your comment IMHO, should be posted on New Toyo. I have already given up on New Toyo and the share price has been trading at a discount to book value for a good reason.

Good companies need no justifications - they are like Godfathers - "Friendship to them are bigger than Family,bigger than talent and bigger than those who try to con you into voting for them".

As long as the operating cashflow is there, balance sheet is strong, dividend payout stays reasonable - only fake gold need to fear.

YMMV
GG

ive said this before, but this again shows that the company is like his own personal investment vehicle. investors will never see the cash. the stock will always trade cheaply.

only warren buffet does this sort of stuff. but there is only one warren buffet in the world.

FF Wong mentioned about Data Centre as a new direction for Boustead Projects.

The following are some newsflow and potential new data centres in Singapore:

http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2013/...riorities/

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT, E-GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT analYTICS, GOVERNMENT CLOUD, GOVERNMENT CXO, GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
SINGAPORE OUTLINES GOVT ICT SPENDING PRIORITIES
By James Smith | 23 May 2013 | Views: 988
G-Cloud, Big Data, Analytics, Information Security, and a more pervasive use of sensors to position Singapore as a ‘smart city’ - these were the key areas of focus for ICT spending over the course of the next financial year, announced at an industry briefing organised by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) this morning.
PHOTOS

View photos
RELATED ARTICLES
• Singapore tops international e-government rankings
• Singapore Institution Establishes Innovation Centre
• Singapore to install CCTVs to control parking
RELATED CATEGORIES
• CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
• E-GOVERNMENT
• GOVERNMENT analYTICS
• GOVERNMENT CLOUD
• GOVERNMENT CXO
• GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
FROM THIS SECTION
• NEWS
Government ICT spending is set to remain unchanged for the year ahead at S$1.2 billion (US$947 million), but the Deputy Chief Executive of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, James Kang, heralded a major shift in the way the government will procure ICT.
Smaller, but more frequent, projects
Explaining that the world of ICT was becoming more complex, and the needs of users were changing at a faster rate, Kang set out a vision of ‘agile software development’ where agencies would break down largerICT projects into their constituent elements with a view to delivering services faster, and with less risk.
“We can no longer wait nine months or more for delivery, the world is moving too fast,” explained Kang. “And there has been a tendency for agencies to list their maximal requirements, including things they did not need. This can lead to very complex programmes where the risk and magnitude of failure increases.”
“So what we want to move towards is a more disciplined approach, where the most important functions are prioritised and the emphasis is on going live as quickly as possible,” he continued.
G-Cloud: open for business
The next phase in the development of the Singapore government’s ‘G-Cloud’ received particular attention, as Kang signalled a switch from Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).
“Many agencies have been encouraged to take advantage of public cloud services for non-confidential systems, and the take up rate has been good. So we are now trying to extend the same benefits for systems which are dealing with confidential information, and that is the function of the G-Cloud,” he explained.
Inviting solutions providers to work with IDA to make their cloud-based applications available from the G-Cloud, a private cloud infrastructure that has been built up over the past year, Singapore’s GCIO revealed that “close to 100 systems are already making their way to the G-Cloud”. ICT companies were encouraged to adapt to this new provisioning model as individual agencies sought to tap “the agility, scalability and utility pricing model of the cloud while maintaining the governance and security of confidential systems and data”.
Information Security
In response to a question from FutureGov Asia Pacific magazine, Kang revealed that the one continuous strand linking this industry briefing with previous years was the enduring importance of information security.
“If anything it continues to grow in importance every year - you would be surprised to see our own statistics on what is happening. We literally receive billions of attacks a year from automated crawlers and viruses. So this year we are going to enhance our ‘Cyber-Watch Centre’ (CWC) so that we can have constant monitoring throughout the day, and where there is real time detection of suspicious activity so that we can take remedial action - as opposed to being attacked and not knowing about it.”
The CWC was set up by IDA in 2007 to provide alerts on cyber attacks for government agencies. It currently runs a round-the-clock Security Operations Centre staffed with security professionals. In the coming year it will develop new capabilities in the areas of web site security, detection of data loss, and better detection of malware. These enhancements are expected to be implemented by April 2014.
Big Data = Smarter Cities
The large volumes of data being automatically created by an ever-growing array of sensors was another area that Kang drew attention to during the briefing. Referring to the city-as-a-system, and the internet-of-things, Kang backed the Singapore government’s efforts to break new ground in the field of ‘smart cities’: “I think we are doing things that you won’t see anywhere else, and if you look at our procurement plans you will see a lot of money being spent on cameras and other passive sensors.”
Citing the danger posed by high tides coinciding with sudden downpours of rain that can lead to road flooding within 30 minutes, Kang said that real time decision would make the city more liveable and improve the quality of life for residents.
“Data analytics will help the Singapore government to analyse all this multimedia data coming in, as well as a lot of unstructured data, and help improve the delivery of services, analyse feedback, optimise our operations, and improve safety and awareness,” he explained. “We are moving towards a data-driven, actionable intelligence mindset. And we are looking for more innovative applications through mash ups with private sector data in order to co-create initiatives that leverage all this government data.”
Thinking differently
During the morning session Kang was at pains to stress that the government was seeking to work more collegiately with industry, and that he acknowledged that government departments needed to step out of their comfort zone to make this work.
“I think the government is now a collaborative government. Not ‘government to you’ - but ‘government with you’. We are looking to become a government that co-creates with the private sector,” he concluded. “The mindset of government must change. You have to have partnership thinking. I just think that this approach is more appropriate for the complex environment in which we find ourselves.”

http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archi...australia/

http://www.pr.com/press-release/492711

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes...-singapore

http://www.4-traders.com/KEPPEL-LAND-LTD...-16800140/

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/technolo...05116.html

http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/focus/...ia-pacific