SCS Magazine 2014 Issue 2

THE

SOCIETY

ISSUE TWO 2014 The Magazine of the Singapore Computer Society

The Internet Of Things

04 INTRODUCTION TO IoT BUSINESS MODEL INNOVATION MCI (P) 108/07/2013

05 ENTER THE DIGITAL DIRECTOR

BREAKTHROUGHS HAPPEN WHEN YOU THINK BIGGER Master of Science in Computing and Information Systems Master of Science in Computer Forensics Bachelor of Science (Hons) Computer and Network Technology

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PRESIDENT’S NOTE

Highly Relevant to Dynamic Sector Chak Kong Soon

President Singapore Computer Society chak.kong.soon@scs.org.sg

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s we grow from strength to strength, we are heartened to note that what attracts most new members is that we offer them a platform to stay in touch with the latest developments in the IT industry, to network, and contribute to this dynamic sector.

In a nation as connected and wired as Singapore, this means we are highly relevant.

According to figures from the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), the country’s infocomm industry employed 144,300 people in 2012, up from 142,900 in 2011. Revenue earned by the sector rose to $102.5 billion from $83.4 billion in 2011.

Globally, the 2014 report from the World Economic Forum ranks Singapore second in terms of how well placed it is “to benefit from new information and communication technologies (ICTs), bridge the digital divide and extract value from big data”.

We are, therefore, privileged to be in an industry that’s vital for Singapore’s economy and becoming more so. In February, we honoured Alphonsus Pang, former SCS president, with an honorary fellowship and conferred fellowships on other distinguished IT veterans among us. We are also continually seeking ways to add even more value to our members through relevant new Chapters such as the Business Analytics Chapter you’ll hear about in this issue of IT Society, and also through our website.

If you haven’t joined us, but would like to, turn to page 13 to sign up. Have an enjoyable read!

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THE IT SOCIETY — Issue Two 2014

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EDITOR’S MESSAGE

The Internet of Things Tan Teng Cheong Editor Senior Member, SCS tengcheong.tan@scs.org.sg

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elcome to a new issue of IT Society. As always, we have put together a content-rich issue that sheds light on the latest developments in our fast-paced IT sector.

Our theme this time is The Internet of Things (IoT), which Wikipedia explains as a more advanced level of connectivity of devices, systems and services going beyond machineto-machine (M2M) and covering a variety of protocols, domains and applications.

Personally, I think IoT goes way further than being merely an evolution in technology. It is, in fact, a development with myriad social applications and implications.

Joshua Soh, Cisco Managing Director, Singapore and Brunei, explains how the Internet of Everything (IoE), is transforming the delivery of health-care services in Singapore. Our article on Introduction to IoT business model innovation explains how business models based on “connecting things” can bring companies closer to their customers and deliver real return on investment (ROI).

Highlighting the fact that IT is relevant not only to businesses and industries, IT veteran Ong Lih Ling relates how a piece of wearable technology has motivated her to be lighter, fitter and healthier!

Two of our new Fellows, Dr Chong Yoke Sin and Dr Steven Miller, also share with us their experiences in and insights on the industry. Additionally we meet some of our new members who tell us what draws them to SCS.

Editor Tan Teng Cheong

Editorial Support Leong Hoi Lan

Contributing Writers Joshua Sim Joshua Soh Koo Kee Kiat Ong Lih Ling Robert Chew

Advertising Sales & Admin Leong Hoi Lan For ad sales enquiries, Tel: 6226 2567 ext 12 Email: hoilan.leong@scs.org.sg Mailing Address 53 Neil Road Singapore 088891

Columnist Chandra Sekar Veerappan Contributing Photographer Foo Ce Wei

Email scs.secretariat@scs.org.sg Editorial & Design Oculus Design Pte Ltd

As usual, we recount the activities and events we’ve organised for our members and also update you on our latest developments, such as the creation of our Business Analytics Chapter and the revamp of the SCS website, as well as what’s been happening with our IT Youth Council. For light relief, we have another quiz for you and we’re also featuring a few inventions by resourceful individuals or companies tapping IT to create smart items of practical use.

Enjoy this issue!

Feedback We value your feedback on this magazine. Simply email scs.secretariat@scs.org.sg with your comments to help us produce an even more interesting and relevant magazine for you in subsequent issues.

You are welcome to submit articles for consideration of inclusion.

The IT Society is the official publication of the Singapore Computer Society. Any part of this publication may be reproduced as long as credit is given to the publisher, Singapore Computer Society.

The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Society.

For advertising enquiries, please call 6226 2567 or email scs.secretariat@scs.org.sg.

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CONTENTS REGULARS 01 Highly Relevant to Dynamic Sector 02 The Internet of Things FEATURES 04 Introduction to IoT Business

Model Innovation 05 Enter the Digital Director 06 The Internet of Everything:

Integrating Singapore’s

Health-care Service 08 What Gets Measured Gets Done 09 Earning Her Place at the Top

with Trust 11 Best of Two Worlds

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MEMBERS 12 Outstanding Senior SCS

Members Made Fellows 13 Welcome Aboard PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 14 The CITPM Edge 15 InfoPier Offers Window to

Innovative Ideas and Apps HAPPENINGS 17 Shining Future for IT Career Seekers 19 Serving You as SCS Executive

Council Members in 2014/2015 20 Well Done Yesterday,

On With Tomorrow 21 Business Analytics Chapter

Evolves from Special Interest Group 22 Warming to Our Chill Out 23 Calendar of Events

THE LITE SIDE 23 We Would Love to Hear

from You! 24 SCS Quiz

Innovative Invents

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FEATURE

Introduction to IoT Business Model Innovation How can enterprises measure the benefits of connecting things and how does this affect their Return on Investment?

Bosch Software Innovations, a Corporate Member of Singapore Industrial Automation Association (SIAA), shares some ideas with us with the following article.

subject to change. Digital networking offers undreamed-of technological possibilities.

Companies of all sizes and from all industries need to work together to seize the opportunities and possibilities presented by networking over the internet. It is about working together in both interdisciplinary and cross-sector ways. Collaborations between companies with complementary know-how are a major driver of this connectivity trend.

Executives need to learn and adapt quickly within their ecosystem(s).

Systematic, tool-based business model innovation

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nterprises are continuously looking for ways to sharpen their existing business models or even develop completely new ones. Sooner or later, most enterprises will therefore evaluate the opportunities based on IoT technologies. The question is how to benefit from connecting things and how to measure the return on investment (ROI), which is multidimensional: ranging from cost savings to increased or even new revenues generated by improved customer satisfaction and brand differentiation.

To expand and intensify the relationships with existing customers is one of the main objectives for most companies. Value-added services and new business models are important methods for achieving this objective and are bringing fundamental new opportunities for enterprises. IoT technologies create new ways for companies to enrich their services, gain customer insights, increase efficiency, and create differentiation opportunities. Business models based on ‘connecting things’ bring companies closer to their customers and deliver real ROI. However, the majority of successful business models in the IoT will not follow the pattern: ‘A vendor sells a physical item to a customer.’

Also, conventional Web 2.0 business models – advertising being the most outstanding – don’t have the potential to scale or work for the IoT. The IoT connects non-physical items such as data and services to physical things. This is why more sophisticated (‘evolutionary’) and maybe even completely new (‘disruptive’) business models will play a major role.

But how do you come up with these business modelsi? Good news: it’s not the Quest for the Holy Grail. For us, an executive IoT skill set rests upon three pillars: entrepreneurialism, joint innovations, and systematic tools for business model innovation.

Entrepreneurialism

The connected world is a highly volatile and dynamic one, and the task for entrepreneurs is to actively shape this world and make the most of the opportunities it presents. This includes being ready to deal with high-speed change.

From what we have seen, IoT entrepreneurs also need to follow exploratory approaches as they face limited predictability and want to minimise risks.

Joint innovations

With the IoT, the economic order and the competitive landscapeii will increasingly be

http://blog.bosch-si.com/business-models-and-the-internet-of-things/ http://blog.bosch-si.com/ten-challenges-the-international-iot-community-needs-to-master-22/ iii http://www.bmi-lab.ch/

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The Business Model Innovation Lab at the University of St. Gallen provides executives with a very useful basic business model innovation tooliii, the ‘St. Gallen Business Model Navigator™.’ The lab analysed some 300 cases of industry-changing business models from American Express Travelers Cheques to Zara and found 55 underlying, repetitive patterns for successful business models.

These patterns serve as building blocks for new business models. They provide external inspiration in the process of creating new ideas for a company’s business. Combining or transferring them to new industries creates new solutions.

Example from the Bosch Group: For Bosch, one viable way to enter new and generally highly dynamic markets is with units that are small, agile, and independent. Currently, Bosch has four innovation clusters for Connected Mobility, Connected Energy, Connected Building, and Connected Things. The clusters take on the role of incubators, which then test out business ideas beyond the normal constraints of established businesses. The Connected Things innovation cluster recently became Bosch Connected Devices and Solutions GmbH. The entire whitepaper is available for download at www.bosch-si.com/iotstrategy.

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FEATURE

Enter the Digital Director Digital expertise should be part of the mix of competencies that company boards seek, says SCS Fellow Robert Chew, a Council Member of the Singapore Institute of Directors.

Robert Chew Fellow, SCS

“

Matthew Yglesias, an economics journalist at Slate, famously declared that “there is no such thing as a tech company” and that every company should act like a tech company if it wants to survive.

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any boards seek diversity in their membership and endeavour to ensure the right mix of competencies, industry and geographical backgrounds, and, increasingly, gender balance.

The emphasis has commonly been to ensure the right balance of financial, legal and industry-specific content. In doing so, most boards often overlook a fundamental competency vital in today’s knowledge economy – digital technologies.

Digital, the Game Changer

Without a doubt, technology has fundamentally changed the way that we all live, learn, work and play.

The first generation of technological breakthroughs was analogue in nature. Digital technologies, with its system of discontinuous data and events, took computing and communications to a whole different level.

Digital technologies, especially with the confluence of social media, mobile computing, data analytics and cloud computing, have been and are still transforming businesses and entire industries.

The phenomenon is not new. For example, Sabre Global Distribution System, which began as an electronic platform for ticketing for airlines in 1964, has since been extended to hotels, car rentals, railways and tour operators, and enabled the huge growth of the travel and tourism industry.

All around us today, we see the transformative impact of digital on different industries, from

advertising (e.g. Google Ads) to finance (e.g. high frequency trading systems) to retail (e.g.

Amazon).

The impact of technology is so pervasive that it escapes no company. Matthew Yglesias, an economics journalist at Slate, famously declared that “there is no such thing as a tech company” and that every company should act like a tech company if it wants to survive.

Digital Director Vital

For this reason, it is important for companies to have on their boards, directors with a strong understanding of digital technologies and their applications.

To be sure, many companies have IT steering committees, but these are often focused on IT projects (prioritising projects and ensuring that they are delivered on time and on budget), are sometimes ad hoc, and seldom involve the directors.

The value and impact of technology need to be continually considered by the board. And it is not just about competitive positioning and digital opportunities (greater efficiency, new business models and market relevance), but also about risk management (disruption to business continuity from IT breakdown, breaches in cyber security, business model shifts).

Directors, unlike those in management, are not bogged down by the day-to-day operations of the business. They can and should provide the macro strategic perspective of the direction the company could and should be heading.

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FEATURE So, how are companies doing with respect to ensuring an appropriate balance of such digital directors on their boards?

The State of Digital

In 2012, Russell Reynolds Associates published a global study of digital directors. It defines a “digital director” as an executive with board or management experience at a company where digital contributes a large portion of revenue, where digital channels are critical enablers of business, or where the company is a digital transformation leader in the industry.

Of the 300 largest companies it surveyed across the US, Europe and Asia, Russell Reynolds Associates found that the majority (70 per cent) of companies has no digital boards, and only six per cent has “highly digital” boards (those with three or more digital directors).

Unsurprisingly, almost all (88 per cent) of the highly digital boards are in the US. They include well known tech names such as Apple, HP and Microsoft, but also non-tech companies such as Walmart, Coca-Cola and

American Express. In fact, 40 per cent of them is from sectors outside of technology.

Asia performed poorly in this respect. Only eight of the 100 large Asian companies surveyed had a digital board, and none had a highly digital board.

A Proactive Decision

What can be done? For a start, the inclusion of digital directors needs to be a proactive decision on the part of Nominating Committees and their boards.

Some companies in Singapore and Asia have already started down this route. A leading example is the Ministry of Health Holdings (MOHH), the holding company of all the public health-care institutions in Singapore.

IT subsidiary, Integrated Health Information Systems. At the same time, it spread out these digital directors across several public health-care clusters. It may not, therefore, be surprising that Singapore health care is often recognised for having some of the most innovative systems in the region.

It would do well for private and listed companies to follow such examples. Digital leadership should be part of every board’s composition and its diversity agenda.

This article was first published by the Singapore Institute of Directors in The Business Times and BT Invest (a financial portal of The Business Times), under the column “Boardroom Matters”.

In 2009, as part of its reorganisation of and push into the greater use of IT in public health care, MOHH assembled several veterans from leading technology companies, such as Accenture, HP, Microsoft and BT Global Services, for the board of its newly formed

The Internet of Everything: Integrating Singapore’s Health-care Service The Internet of Everything (IoE) is transforming the way health-care services are being delivered in Singapore. SCS Senior Member Joshua Soh, Cisco Managing Director, Singapore and Brunei, explains how.

Senior Member, SCS Managing Director, Singapore and Brunei Cisco Systems (USA)

When we talk about IoE, we are referring to intelligent ways of connecting processes with data and living things, and how this can help us make informed decisions in business, health care, education, and every aspect of our daily lives.

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But let’s explore this specifically in the context of health care and technology in Singapore. There are three developments that will have a massive impact on our nation’s health-care sector[i]:

Joshua Soh

he technology industry is always defined by what is coming next and right now the next big thing is not a specific thing; it is the sum of many things.

It is the Internet of Everything (IoE), which has the potential to address many of the challenges we face.

• Singapore’s ageing population, which is expected to multiply threefold from the current 300,000 to 900,000 in 2030[ii] • Higher demands for relevant, integrated health information • Advances in medical technology, information and communications

Leading Technology Adopters

Singapore is well known for its efficient and broad health-care delivery system that provides the population with primary healthcare, hospital care, long-term care and other integrated care. Health-care providers here are leading technology adopters as they

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FEATURE recognise how technology and automation is a powerful enabler for streamlining information for data gathering and analysis, knowledge management, business process reengineering, and even artificial intelligence.

This digitisation of Singapore’s health-care industry has led to many public hospitals achieving HIMSS EMR Adoption Model (EMRAM) Stage 6[iii].

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The power of IoE will also support greater accuracy in diagnosis, emphasising preventive care where individuals can monitor their health at home using comprehensive devices.

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SingHealth and National Healthcare Group (NHG) use SMS to remind patients of their appointments and also for queue management at their Specialist Outpatient Clinics while Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) has a similar system for transmitting information to doctors.

Other initiatives include the Home Telecare solution at the National Heart Centre and Singapore General Hospital; the National University Hospital’s Computerised Patient Support System (CPSS), the centralised data centre for Parkway Hospital’s facilities, the Changi General Hospital’s Interactive Patient Guide (iPG) and the NHG’s ePrescribing and Computerised Clinician Order Entry (CCOE) systems. Recently, it was announced that Singapore’s single largest health-care complex (17 hectares) – Health City Novena – which links TTSH, the third medical school and all public and volunteer health-care facilities, is targeted to be completed by 2030.

Motivation For Proactivity

Beyond addressing patient information and data management, these advancements facilitate and encourage members of the public to manage their health proactively by offering them easy access to their medical history and doctors, which makes for seamless patient-doctor relationships and highly personalised one-on-one care that promotes improved diagnostic processes and accurate treatments.

Advances in medical knowledge and technologies have also resulted in greater specialisation of health-care professionals.

Patients with chronic illnesses typically suffer from multiple medical conditions that require consultation with doctors from different disciplines. While there is already continuous adoption of IT by Singapore’s health-care sector, IoE has the potential to improve it further through the enhanced integration of various systems.

This will allow systems to analyse a variety of historical data, from genetic to family to travel history, and thereafter predict illnesses or alert patients on increased risks. The power of IoE will also support greater accuracy in diagnosis, emphasising preventive care where individuals can monitor their health at home using comprehensive devices. Patients can also receive guidance and advice from their doctors without the need for out-patient appointments.

For example, those suffering from heart conditions could wear sensors such as a bracelet or attached to their clothing to track and collect vital data. If any of this data showed variations from the patient’s normal readings and existing medical history, the doctor on record would be alerted immediately.

The information would be analysed in the context it was collected, and tracked against medication prescribed and activities in which they were participating, thus providing healthcare professionals with contextually-aware and immediate data to assess the patient’s condition and risk factors. Once we opt to get into the Internet of Everything, health care will become increasingly predictive, rather than prescriptive.

Making IoE Work For Health Care

Besides collecting, collating and understanding data drawn from IoE, we also need to get people to embrace it.

The first step to realising the vision of a connected health-care sector is to bring the

pieces together one at a time. It is possible that when a single bit of data talks to other data sets, the result will bring about changes that lead not only to better health care, but, in the long term, a better society. One connection talks to another, which talks to the next. These connections and how this mass of data is understood will be what transforms the health-care industry.

As we look for better ways to build more resilient cities or societies, we should increasingly adopt the values of the web itself: open, merit-based, flexible, and collaborative.

A highly personalised model is what the 21st-century citizen can expect from the next era of health care. IoE can reinforce Singapore’s position as a medical hub by further strengthening and enhancing consumer trust in the health-care sector and attracting more medical tourists to come here for comprehensive health screening and medical diagnostics, and letting them monitor their conditions and go for subsequent check-ups back in their home countries.

With the milestones Singapore’s healthcare industry has achieved, it has moved beyond connecting the unconnected. The next phase is all about integrating all its health-care services so Singaporeans have access to cost-effective quality health care.

(Report by the iN2015 Healthcare and Biomedical Sciences Sub-Committee 2006 Singapore Department of Statistics, Population Trend 2009 [iii] HiMSS Asia Pacific EMR Adoption Model Trends http://www.himssanalyticsasia.org/docs/AAP_EMR_Adoption_Model_V1.1.pdf [i]

[ii]

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FEATURE

What Gets Measured Gets Done IT veteran Ong Lih Ling shares a personal experience that makes her proud to be part of the IT industry.

Ong Lih Ling

Fellow, SCS Director, GCIO Corporate Development IDA

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n case you were expecting a thoughtprovoking article on good management practices, nope, this is not it.

What this is – is an account of how wearable technology has changed my life for the better.

Reading about fitness trackers piqued my curiosity enough to buy one, but I hesitated. At the back of my mind was the thought that the novelty would soon wane and it would become a white elephant, much like other devices I had acquired in the past. Then, one day, I met two friends who had recently started wearing fitness trackers – they gave rave reviews on these and, more importantly, appeared fitter and slimmer, compared with what they were in their pre-tracker days.

Lighter, Fitter, Healthier

Spurred by such first-hand glowing recommendations, I went online immediately and bought one. That was 6 months ago. Today, I am several kilograms lighter, considerably fitter, and, I hope, healthier, and definitely more enlightened about health and physical fitness issues.

Logically, most of us know that the key to losing weight is “Output must be greater than Input”, that is, you must burn more calories than you consume. The thing is, most of us are either not disciplined enough or cannot be bothered to keep track of our calories. Fitness trackers make this so much easier.

Most trackers will automatically keep count of the number of steps you have taken, the calories

you have burnt, your active minutes, and the quantity as well as quality of your sleep. The day may come when they can automatically compute the calories that you consume as well – not yet, but in the meantime, there are many apps out there that help you log your calorie intake. I was pleasantly surprised to find databases providing complete information on the calorie count as well as nutritional content of different foods, even common local dishes.

Being What You Eat

This information has heightened my awareness and understanding that I am indeed what I eat. With an overall view of my “balance sheet” of calories – in versus out – I am motivated to live a more active lifestyle. I read in forums that some fitness-tracker users walk about in their homes at night just to hit their daily target of 10,000 steps. Very soon I was doing the same! I am also consciously choosing to eat healthy foods that provide good nutrition instead of going for empty calories.

The positive impact on my life is brought about by this little device that brings together information and technology. IT is ubiquitous today, sometimes, to the extent that we take it for granted. This little piece of wearable technology has brought home to me, on a personal level, how IT can have positive effects.

It feels good to be part of this vibrant industry, in a profession that truly makes a difference.

Exercise, anyone?

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This information has heightened my awareness and understanding that I am indeed what I eat.With an overall view of my “balance sheet” of calories – in versus out – I am motivated to live a more active lifestyle.

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FEATURE

Earning Her Place at the Top with Trust In an interview for The IT Society, Dr Chong Yoke Sin, SCS Fellow and CEO of Integrated Health Information Systems, sheds light on what it takes to succeed in the industry.

1. You started working as a systems engineer after graduating from the National University of Singapore with BSc (Hons) and PhD degrees in Chemistry.What inspired you to embark on an IT career?

Actually, I hadn’t planned on joining the IT industry initially. Out of curiosity, I had gone with my students to attend a campus recruitment talk by IBM. I was intrigued that the recruiter said he was looking for “problem solvers” and that computers would change the world. Since I had already been solving problems using my research, what he said appealed to me and I thought, “How about me?” Although I knew that they were really looking for IT degree holders, I still went for it and so became the oldest and most unusual recruit with a PhD in Chemistry. Quite an oddball!

2. Could you share some valuable insights you’ve learned as you moved up the corporate ladder?

There are three things I learned during my 31 years in the industry. Firstly, you need to build trust with your boss, staff, partners and anyone you need to work with. I also learned that trust must be earned and maintained. One can only earn trust by being true to one’s word, being open and delivering as promised.

Secondly, I learned not to take anything for granted. Since there are different factors leading to a successful outcome, I became more open-minded and accustomed to listening to different points of view.

Thirdly, I believe that if we take care of our staff and colleagues, they will, in turn, take care of their work.

3.Tell us about a typical workday in your role as CEO of Integrated Health Information Systems.

My PA manages my schedule. Usually, a typical day starts with a good cup of Teh-C-Kosong which is followed by one meeting after another (which averages about 5-6 a day with internal staff, external management or workgroup meetings). Some of my nights are taken up by my school board or ECA meetings as well.

4. From a CEO’s perspective, how do you envision the role and future of infocomm professionals in Singapore?

I think the role of the infocomm professional will change substantially over the next 10 years. IT stands for INFORMATION technology so we are INFORMATION professionals, utilising technology to fulfil business needs. I strongly believe that the driver of many business transformations will be INFORMATION. With the advent of cloud computing, in the future we will see many systems taken to the cloud. I think the future IT professional will focus on INFORMATION ENGINEERING wherein they will transform businesses using INFORMATION as a strategic resource for businesses (such as banking, retail, aviation, travel, health care, education, and government) and where the SYSTEM knows about you and can provide the right solutions for your needs.

5. Of your career milestones, which was the most life-changing and why?

I think my most life-changing moment was in my previous job, when my team and I won our first project in Hong Kong, which was to implement the

HK Customs and Excise system. It was a large project and our first overseas systems implementation project after our corporatisation. This was hugely assuring for my team and me as we had worked so closely together to win this against all the big names in the industry.

Furthermore, we delivered this on time and on budget while forging a very good relationship with the client, which we’ve kept to this day. It was life-changing because we had to start the Hong Kong office from scratch! I remember buying beds and household essentials while holing up in cheap hotels to save costs on the project.

‘Roughing it out’ together with my team strengthened our bonds. I remember the client commenting that they had never seen a more hardworking and committed team of IT professionals.

6. Could you share some professional tips for graduating students entering the IT industry?

Always be true to your word, be openminded, learn from every success or failure and, most of all, persevere. For those starting out as analysts, take an interest in the business or industry in which you are performing your IT role and look to transforming that business with Information. For those starting out as engineers or security officers, get certified and be ahead of the game by developing your technical expertise and learning the business solutions. Plan your career early but keep your options open!

Always be true to your word, be open-minded, learn from every success or failure and, most of all, persevere.

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FEATURE

Best of Two Worlds

SCS Fellow, Dean of Singapore Management University (SMU) School of Information Systems (SIS) and Vice-Provost for Research Steven Miller shares insights into academia and the commercial world.

1)You started out as an assistant professor in Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) after getting your PhD.You then went into various management and consulting positions in the commercial world before joining SMU in 2002.Why did you leave academia and what made you come back?

As an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon, I did research on the impact of new types of automation and information systems on productivity, quality and labour costs in manufacturing operations. After doing this for 10 years (4 years during my PhD, and 6 years as an Assistant Professor), I wanted to go beyond just analysing this from an academic perspective and take a more active role in “doing it”.

I was able to create an unusual arrangement that enabled me to live in Japan for 30 months and work for the Manufacturing Engineering Division of Fujitsu’s Telecommunications Group. I then moved back to the US and became head of Manufacturing Engineering for Fujitsu’s telecommunications Facility. After 3.5 years in that role, I worked for another company in the US before joining IBM Global Services in Singapore in May 2000 as an e-business architect, doing consulting work in e-business integration. Before I knew it, I had spent 13 years in the commercial world.

While working in Singapore, contacts from Carnegie Mellon had put me in touch with the newly founded SMU. One thing led to another, and I ended up joining SMU in November 2000 to lead the effort to start up their brand new (at that time) School of Information Systems (SIS). In fact, I was the first employee in the new SIS. Even though I have alternated back and forth between academics and the commercial world, management and consulting, my work and areas of interest have essentially remained the same: staying

at the forefront of how infocomm can be used to improve the way people work together.

2) Which is the most important milestone in your career so far?

Why? The establishment and growth of SIS. Starting from scratch at essentially the beginning of 2003, our team has succeeded in developing a community that has created very good opportunities for many students; frequently helped both public and private organisations; and generated good ideas through academic scholarship, R&D projects, educational projects, and many types of real-world engagement.

3)You were recently conferred a Fellowship. In your opinion, which of the contributions that you’ve made to the IT sector have been viewed by SCS as being the most significant?

I think there are three reasons I was conferred an SCS fellowship. The first is the output of SIS. On the education side, our BSc (Information Systems Management) undergraduate programme, and our Master of IT in Business programme have become reliable and important sources of manpower.

On the R&D side, we have contributed to motivating and enabling the industry to accelerate its scope and rate of activities in many areas.

A second reason is the public outreach efforts of our SIS community. Each year we play a big role in events such as CodeExtreme, InnovateIT, and Apex Business IT Case Competition.

The third reason is that I personally do a lot of “national service” in the form of serving on review panels and committees such as IDA, MDA, EDB, ASTAR, MND, and NRF.

4) How do you contribute to the IT sector as an academic as opposed to the ways a practitioner would make contributions to the IT field?

Employers in both academic and commercial organisations need to do their best to give their employees a good working environment. As Chief Administrator for SIS, I spend a lot of time on such matters and this aspect is quite similar to working in a commercial or practice-based organisation.

However, a commercial organisation’s fundamental goal is to make more money and stay competititve. A university of course needs money and must also stay competitive.

But its fundamental purpose is to change the way people think about what is possible to achieve, and equip them to adapt to the current and future environment.

5) Would you advise youths who are interested in a career in IT to give both academia and the commercial sector a try before focusing on one specific path?

Why? Do what excites you. Whichever path you choose, you need to understand that in the process of pursuing your passion, you will need to go through a lot of basic everyday work – even grunt work – to get your basics right.

As a digital native, you are probably very good at learning in a way that is very fast and broad, but shallow. And that’s okay, even necessary, in today’s and the future world.

However, please do not ignore the “oldfashioned” values and practices of learning that require focus and digging deeper for answers. Developing the capacity for this type of learning will pay off in big ways in your future career.

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THE IT SOCIETY — Issue Two 2014

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SingaporeComputerSociety

MEMBERS

Outstanding Senior SCS Members Made Fellows For their significant contributions to the Infocomm industry, SCS conferred fellowships on five senior members recently.

From left: Prof Su Guaning, Dr Lee Hing Yan, Chak Kong Soon (SCS President) and Bill Chang Absent: Prof Steven Miller

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very year, SCS singles out a few outstanding senior members on whom to confer its fellowships.

These members are individuals who have established a reputation of eminence and authority in the IT field and whose contributions have resulted in positive changes to the ICT community.

Heartiest congratulations to the following new SCS Fellows!

Bill Chang, SingTel

Mr Chang joined SingTel in 2005 as the EVP of Business Group and was appointed CEO of Group Enterprise in July 2012. He is concurrently a board member of SingPost and is actively involved in industry committees, task forces and advisory work. He is also Chairman of the Singapore Polytechnic Board of Governors and a member of the Advisory Committee of Singapore Management University’s School of Information Systems.

From 2005 to 2011, Mr Chang served on the Board of the Workforce Development Agency.

For his contributions, he was awarded the National Day Public Service Medal in 2007.

Dr Chong Yoke Sin, Integrated Health Information Systems Dr Chong Yoke Sin is CEO of Integrated Health Information Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MOH Holdings. Dr Chong is also a member of a number of boards in other sectors such as education, and health care, where she serves on an international platform.

Dr Chong Yoke Sin receiving her plaque at the Conferment Ceremony held at the SCS AGM 2014.

She is the Chair of the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Asia Governing Council that governs the activities of the HIMSS Society for Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.

She was awarded the NUS Outstanding Alumni Award in 2007 and the Asean CIO award in 2013.

Dr Lee Hing Yan, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore

Dr Lee Hing-Yan is Director of National Cloud Computing Office at IDA. Prior to this, he was with National Grid Office at A*STAR, Institute for Infocomm Research, Kent Ridge Digital Labs, Japan-Singapore Artificial Intelligence Centre, Information Technology Institute, and two start-ups. He is an adjunct associate professor at NUS, a member of School of Digital Media & Infocomm Technology advisory panel of the Singapore Polytechnic, vice-chair of the SCS Special Interest Group (SIG) on Enterprise Cloud Computing & Virtualisation, and also a member of ITSC Cloud Computing Standards Coordinating Task Force. He also served on the NatSteel Corporate R&D advisory panel, Singapore National Archives Board, Australia-Singapore Joint ICT Council, and NICF Technical Committee on Cloud Computing.

Professor Steven Miller, Singapore Management University

Professor Steven Miller is the Founding Dean of the School of Information Systems,

a position he has held since December 2002.

Since joining SMU, he has concentrated on developing all aspects of the School of information Systems, including undergraduate and postgraduate educational programmes, research strategies and capabilities, interactions with external stakeholders, and the SIS relationship with Carnegie Mellon.

He is SMU’s Executive Champion for building Analytics for Business, Consumer and Social Insight into a globally recognised, universitywide Area of Excellence.

Professor Su Guaning, Nanyang Technological University

Professor Su Guaning is President Emeritus and Professor at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). As NTU President from 2003 to 2011, he spearheaded a quantum jump in research and education capabilities at the university. Prof Su serves on the International Advisory Boards of the King Abdulaziz University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He also works on fostering closer links between China and Singapore through the NTU Alumni in China.

Professor Su is a President Scholar and Founding Fellow of the Singapore Academy of Engineering. He has been conferred the Meritorious Service Medal by the President of Singapore; the National Science and Technology Medal; the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by the President of France; the Friendship Award by the State Council, China; the IES/ IEEE Medal of Excellence; and the Singapore Computer Society Hall of Fame Award.

Web: www.scs.org.sg

THE MAGAZINE OF THE SINGAPORE COMPUTER SOCIETY

13

MEMBERS

Welcome

ABOARD SCS is delighted to welcome recent new members. Here are some reasons they have chosen to join us …

Lyonel Cha Boon Kim

Associate Director (Strategies and Development) National University of Singapore My love for computing was sparked when my parents bought me my first x86 PC and I went crazy over basic programming. IT has been my passion since young and it really fascinates me to see how IT has transformed people’s lifestyles and improved business productivity. I attended a SCS workshop on the Internet of Things (IoT) recently, and it is really exciting to hear how IoT is going to further transform our daily lives. Like it or loathe it, it is irrefutable that IT will play a major part in shaping tomorrow’s world, but we have to keep in mind that nothing can replace the human touch a handshake, a hug or a pat on the shoulder. I am indeed blessed to have the opportunity to live my passion and be part of this exciting SCS family who shares the same passion as I do.

David Leong

Senior Manager, School of Infocomm Republic Polytechnic The main reason I joined SCS is to take the opportunity to stay in touch with current technologies through events it organises. I was 15 when I first used a Casio PB-100 pocket computer. I used it to create some simple games written in BASIC. In the early 80s, not many of my schoolmates could afford a computer.Thus, I was delighted to be considered a geek and I trained in civil engineering.

During my postgraduate years, the heavy use of computers to analyse engineering structures galvanised me into doing coding.This has led me to pursue a career in teaching, research and software development. IT makes us more productive. I don’t think I can get by working in an environment with only typewriters and filing cabinets.

Ashwin Divakaran Nair Senior Consultant NCS Pte Ltd

Your Fresh New SCS Website!

SCS recently revamped its website.Visit this to see how it now serves you even better!

What’s available: • Access online resources such as the SCS quarterly magazines, Infocomm Survey reports, the International Journal of IT (IJIT), and many more…

• Register for workshops and seminars • Connect with like-minded IT professionals on InfoPier • Share your comments and feedback Visit us at www.scs.org.sg today!

Computers have fascinated me ever since I first saw one at my cousin’s house when I was a kid. Growing up, I found computers to be an interesting subject and have not looked back since. I had my first PC was when I was 14 and, believe it or not, it is still functioning after more than a decade! In the past 10 years that I’ve been in Singapore, I’ve been completely immersed in Computer Science, whether through my education or work. I got to know about SCS while I was a student at Ngee Ann-Adelaide Education Trust. SCS offers me a great avenue for networking with other IT enthusiasts, exploring new opportunities, and increasing my knowledge in the ever expanding field of Computer Science. In addition to being a computer addict, I also occupy my time with sports and reading.

Bhaskar Vetrimani

Head, Public Sector Business Development Tech Mahindra Ltd, Singapore An electronics and communications engineer, I started my IT career as a developer when I was straight out of college in 1999. I have over the years gone through the rigours of IT in all its facets – Delivery, Solutions, Pre-Sales, Business Development, Sales and Management.

From my days of visiting labs to accessing computers to holding high-end computers in my palm, it has been an exciting and wonderful journey.And I strongly believe I will be one of the characters of the “Star Trek” world very soon!

I was looking for a platform that would enable me to keep pace with IT developments and also provide me with opportunities to contribute to the IT community. Having followed the activities of SCS for some years now, I find that it is probably THE best platform through which I can join the community to learn and contribute. I’m looking forward to a great journey with SCS.

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THE IT SOCIETY — Issue Two 2014

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SingaporeComputerSociety

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The CITPM Edge

One in three project managers has a Certification in IT Project Management CITPM).

Why is acquiring this worth their while?

In its 17th year running, the Certification in IT Project Management (CITPM) is still a big draw for project management professionals.The recognition of CITPM has been attested by the fact that one in three project managers has CITPM. If you have yet to acquire a CITPM, apply for a CITPM title now.

As a strong advocate of professional development and with the support of the industry, SCS has certified more than 3,400 of Singapore’s IT workforce in a suite of three world-first certifications supported

by IDA (Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore), namely: · Certification in IT Project Management (CITPM) · Certification in Outsourcing Management for IT (COMIT) · Certification in IT Business Continuity Management (CITBCM) SCS certifications not only prove that an IT professional is knowledgeable, but also validate the person’s IT experience and show how well he or she can actually do the job. In the current economy, certification is the way to go as it is an increasingly important tool for building skill levels, and improving marketability and career opportunities.

“The implications of having CITPM certainly extend beyond the fact that the certification is a recognition of professional achievements. It creates an opportunity for IT project managers to gather, share, network and learn from one another’s experiences. After all, despite its dry image, IT project management is an interesting balance between intellect and heartfelt passion!”

Mr Ong Hian Leong CITPM (Senior) Managing Director & Director, Technology GIC Pte Ltd

A Peek at the Key Competencies Covered Under: CITPM

COMIT

CITBCM

• Project Integration Management • Project Scope Management • Project Time Management • Managing Project Costs • Project Quality Management • Project Human Resource Management • Project Communications Management • Managing Project Risks • Project Procurement Management • Interpersonal • Client Customer Environment • Managing Complex Projects

• Outsourcing Planning and Preparation of RFP • Vendor Evaluation and Selection • Contract Formulation and Negotiation • Contract Initiation, Transition and Transformation Management • Service Quality Management and Performance Monitoring • Contract Migration and Handover Management • Cost Management • Risk Management • Human Resource Management • Communication Management • Interpersonal • Relationship Management and Dispute Resolution

Covers 7 key competency areas in IT disaster recovery, data centre and business continuity management: • Program Management • Risk Management • Business & Technology Impact Analysis • Resiliency Strategy • Planning and Testing • Crisis Communications Management • Audit, Review and Maintenance

A Glance at SCS Certifications • The world’s first IT-centric professional certification in the IT project management, outsourcing management and business continuity management arena • The preferred criterion for evaluation of government IT projects • Accreditation by reputable universities • Recognised regionally and backed by more than 600 organisations Visit www.scs.org.sg/certifications/certification.php to find out more about SCS professional certifications – industry benchmarks on competency and skills in IT outsourcing management, IT project management and business continuity management. Or email the Certification Secretariat at meeling.seah@scs.org.sg or evelyn.chan@scs.org.sg

Web: www.scs.org.sg

THE MAGAZINE OF THE SINGAPORE COMPUTER SOCIETY

15

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

InfoPier Offers Window to Innovative Ideas and Apps

Check out the SCS InfoPier’s Talent Showcase at https://www.infopier.sg/talent-showcase

Canine Candidate - Singapore Polytechnic

LifeLine - Singapore Polytechnic

TackThis!TM - Institute of Systems Science

With a focus on ingenious projects that either illustrate the talents of the individuals behind them or provide a useful service to society, InfoPier is proud to spotlight the many talents of Singapore’s tertiary institutions.This showcase identifies the expertise of youths from the Singapore Computer Society’s 16 student chapters and their innovative capabilities.

Canine Candidate

TackThis!™

Below are but a few of the notable projects two such platforms showcase. They have been created by students from Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Institute of Systems Sciences.

LifeLine

In light of the increasingly technologically dependent age we live in, the creations featured here range from entertainment projects to utility apps that can be used to assist work and personal activities.

Singapore Polytechnic Bronze Award, Animation category, The Crowbar Awards 2013 This lively animation depicts the story of a friendly local police officer who unexpectedly finds happiness after he chances upon a canine friend that changes him from a sad, lonely character to a content, jovial man.

Singapore Polytechnic Gold Award,Tertiary category, Singapore Infocomm Techonology Federation Awards 2012 This mobile application, LifeLine, is a practical tool designed to assist field paramedics during emergency deployments. Lifeline also won the Commendation Award at MHA’s Home Team Innovation Festival - SAFE Programme 2012.

Document Management Migration Project Institute of Systems Science National University of Singapore

This is an app aimed at helping with the data migration of the IBM FileNet system that is used to store documents for the LICENSING system. The application was built as a C# Windows Form Application and the first and second tests of the application completed the shifting of about 935,000 documents from the current FileNet system to the new one.

Institute of Systems Science National University of Singapore This Social Commerce Platform enables anyone to begin selling items instantaneously by simply tacking a widget onto a social network or website of their choice.

It is supported by a native mobile app that provides a better mobile shopping experience through harnessing existing phone features such as location-based services. This app is also useful for enterprise merchants as the contents can be customised and modified to suit differing needs and demands. The project can be deployed as an app named “TackThis Online Store” for both iPhone and iPad devices.

Visit the website at www.infopier.sg/ talent-showcase to find out more about these projects. The website will also be presenting talents from other noted institutions, including the Nanyang Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, and Temasek Polytechnic, just to name a few, in an upcoming talent showcase in the near future.

Interested parties who would like to play a role in the development of these talents or in exploring future collaboration options can contact them through the SCS-InfoPier team at infopier@scs.org.sg.

Web: www.scs.org.sg

THE MAGAZINE OF THE SINGAPORE COMPUTER SOCIETY

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HAPPENINGS

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Shining Future for IT Career Seekers Industry luminaries at the Youth Engagement Series (YES) dialogue session on 15 February envisioned a bright future for careers in IT. Koo Kee Kiat and Joshua Sim of the SCS IT Youth Council report.

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Addressing would-be technopreneurs, the speakers encouraged youths to focus on value creation and build something important that would affect many people, instead of appealing to just a certain demographic. The IT landscape in Singapore is ripe for bold, disruptive ideas to the industry, said Ms Janet Ang. If someone has a great idea, he or she must be prepared to put in the hard work to make an impact, as “there is no free lunch”, she stressed.

Organised by SCS IT Youth Council, this YES! dialogue session marked the third instalment with luminaries from the ICT industry. The session, held at The Connoisseur Concerto (TCC) @ Samsung Hub, was extra special as it had three speakers sharing their thoughts and opinions on the “Future of ICT Jobs in Singapore and the Region”.

Mr Steve Leonard stated that while the Singapore government had taken the initiative to build up the IT landscape here many years ago, countries around the region are catching up. IDA (Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore) has plenty of funding opportunities, but would like more disruptive ideas in which to invest.

He encouraged young people to take risks and not be afraid to try.

Koo Kee Kiat and Joshua Sim SCS IT Youth Council

he future for ICT jobs is bright and opportunities lie in wait for those willing to grab them. This was the key message at the core of the latest instalment of the Youth Engagement Series (YES!) on 15 February 2014.

Speaking to an audience of 100 students and young professionals were: • Mr Steve Leonard, Executive Deputy Chairman of IDA Singapore, • Ms Janet Ang, Managing Director of IBM Singapore, and • Mr Koh Kong Meng, V.P. and General Manager of Lenovo East Asia.

The session kicked off with a dialogue on the various opportunities in technology.

On the topic of job opportunities, the speakers all shared the view that there is a high demand for ICT professionals in Singapore and the region, but the challenge lies in attracting people to join SMEs instead of MNCs. Singaporeans have to play on their strengths to stay competitive, said Ms Ang, pointing to three examples: their ability to speak a second language, their growing up in a multiracial society, and their ability to bridge the east and west.

1. A great turnout at the YES session!

2. Mr Steve Leonard (left) sharing his experiences with the audience.

The speakers also shared their views on moving up to management. Climbing the ladder is not an instant process, short of starting one’s own company, Ms Ang said. “Before you start managing others, you have to manage yourself first,” she continued, adding that it was important to have a clear end in mind and prioritise time to make things happen. The speakers also recommended sourcing for mentors for guidance in one’s career progress.

Singapore, Ms Ang pointed out, is perfectly positioned as the headquarters for regional operations and to act as a control tower for the area. Youths aspiring to be in management must accelerate their learning cycles or otherwise find it hard to manage regional operations.

Expanding on this point, Mr Koh Kong Meng advised young IT enthusiasts to be also open to accepting roles overseas. He recounted how he had a hard time finding employees who were willing to relocate for a period of time to nearby regions.

He closed the dialogue session by encouraging the audience to take advantage of the fact that they have minimal risks, and urging them to chase an opportunity when it presents itself.

The post-dialogue networking session was just as engaging. The speakers mingled with the young professionals and students, sharing anecdotes and career advice over delicious food and drinks.

Watch out for the next YES! on 14 August 2014 with Mr Julian Persaud, Managing Director of Google Southeast Asia.

Web: www.scs.org.sg

THE MAGAZINE OF THE SINGAPORE COMPUTER SOCIETY

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HAPPENINGS

Serving You as SCS Executive Council Members in 2014/2015 At its 47th Annual General Meeting held at SAFRA Toa Payoh on 27 March, SCS elected members for its new leadership team.

Back row from left: Ng See Sing, Lau Shih Hor, Robert Kim, Dr Timothy Chan, Tan Teng Cheong, Myungjo Choi, Ong Chin Ann, Dennis Ang, Philip Kwa, Ong Whee Teck, Bruce Liang Front row from left: Harish Pillay, Cheah Saw Pheng, Dr Chong Yoke Sin, Chak Kong Soon, Dr Kwong Yuk Wah, Adrian Chye, Howie Lau Absent: Yap Chee Yuen, Joshua Soh, Peter Goh, Prof Miao Chun Yan, Deep Singhania, Alan Stone, Dr Toh See Kiat

The following members form the new SCS leadership team: President Chak Kong Soon, FSCS Stream Global Vice-Presidents Howie Lau, SMSCS Lenovo (Singapore)

Tan Teng Cheong SMSCS Digital Intelligence Systems (DISYS) Yap Chee Yuen, FSCS Genting Singapore PLC

Honorary Secretary Dr Timothy Chan, FSCS Singapore Institute of Management Honorary Treasurer Adrian Chye, MSCS Mediafreaks Group

Council Members Dennis Ang, SMSCS Nanyang Polytechnic

Bruce Liang, SMSCS Ministry of Health and MOH Holdings

Myungjo Choi, SMSCS Facebook Southeast Asia

Ong Whee Teck, SMSCS Accenture

Cheah Saw Pheng, SMSCS IBM Singapore

Dr Chong Yoke Sin, FSCS Integrated Health Information Systems Robert Kim, SMSCS Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore Philip Kwa, SMSCS AirWatch

Dr Kwong Yuk Wah, FSCS National Trades Union Congress

Ong Chin Ann, SMSCS MINDEF

Harish Pillay, FSCS Red Hat Asia Pacific

Joshua Soh, SMSCS Cisco Systems (USA) Co-opted Member Peter Goh, FSCS Accenture

Lau Shih Hor, SMSCS Elixir Technology

Prof Miao Chun Yan, MSCS Nanyang Technological University Ng See Sing, SMSCS NCS Pte Ltd

Deep Singhania, SMSCS Emerio GlobeSoft Alan Stone, SMSCS Microsoft Operations

Honorary Legal Advisor Dr Toh See Kiat, FSCS Goodwins Law Corporation

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THE IT SOCIETY — Issue Two 2014

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SingaporeComputerSociety

HAPPENINGS

Well DoneYesterday, On With Tomorrow At our respective Chapters’ AGM, members elected the leaders and committee members who will guide and serve them this year.

Through our various chapters and interest groups, we enable our members to choose the specific fields in which they wish to immerse themselves.

Here’s a look at the names that will lead the respective chapters in the coming year.

Business Continuity Group (BCG)

President Paul Lee, SMSCS DC Connect Vice-President Caroline Tan, MSCS Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore Honorary Secretary Yong Foo Onn, MSCS UBS Assistant Secretary Alex Siow, MSCS Pantropic Online

Honorary Treasurer Wong Tew Kiat, FSCS Organisation Resilience Management Assistant Treasurer Ronald Chan, MSCS MOH Holdings

Certification in IT Project Management (CITPM) Chapter

President Thomas Lai, SMSCS ST Electronics (Info Software Systems) Vice-President Sean Lim, MSCS Ministry of Finance

Honorary Secretary Wu Chun Wei, MSCS Accenture

Honorary Treasurer Sim Boon Hwa, MSCS Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore

Quality Assurance (QA) Chapter

President Francis Mahendran, SMSCS EasyWorks Vice-President Quek Ser Choon, SMSCS Singapore Aviation Academy Honorary Secretary Ang Ho Keat, MSCS Integrated Health Information Systems

Council Members Carolynn Lock, SMSCS Hitachi Data Systems Jasper Tan, SMSCS IBM Singapore

Micah Tan, MSCS Horizon Resiliency Inc

Roland Tan, MSCS Eastern Health Alliance

Ex-Officio Raju Chellam, SMSCS Dell Enterprise Solutions: South Asia Co-opted Members Dr David Chew, MSCS Aris Integrated Medical Lok Ee Choon, MSCS Arete Consultancy

Sasanka Sahu, MSCS Acclivis Technologies and Solutions Council Members Jessica Lee, MSCS Integrated Health Information Systems

Low Soon Woon, MSCS NCS

Tan Seng Chong, SMSCS IBM Singapore Vivian Tan, MSCS Defence Science and Technology Agency

Jonathan Tay, MSCS SATS

Honorary Treasurer Balaji Balasubramanian, MSCS Great Eastern Life Council Members James Tey, MSCS Nanyang Polytechnic

Santheep Singh, MSCS Accellion Inc

President, BCG Paul Lee, SMSCS DC Connect

“In today’s competitive industry landscape where organisations are exposed to adverse change, the ability to respond to and recover quickly from catastrophic events/adversity can really change the fate of any organisation. The BCG has been instrumental in promoting organisation resiliency – adopting a holistic business continuity management (BCM) approach of combining all 3 domains of IT Disaster Recovery (ITDR), Data Centre and BCM in one. This year, BCG will continue to organise its signature annual BCM Conference, together with a range of site visits and workshops on prevailing topics such as Organisation Resiliency, Crisis Management through Social Media, and Cloud DR solution.”

President, CITPM Chapter Thomas Lai, SMSCS ST Electronics (Info Software Systems)

“The Certified IT Project Manager’s chapter brings those with CITPM and COMIT together for the purpose of knowledge and experiential sharing of the latest trends and developments in the IT project management and outsourcing management arena. This year, the chapter will be focusing on developing an agile training course and evening events featuring exclusive consultative sessions with experienced PMs to explore how participants can overcome some of the challenges in managing their projects.”

President, QA Chapter Francis Mahendran, SMSCS EasyWorks

“The QA Chapter received great support from SCS members for the evening seminars we organised in 2013. This was reflected in the exceptional attendance of the CMMI Seminar — a full house with 31 participants. This year, we are sparing no effort in planning these seminars equally well and looking into upto-date IT topics such as CMMI, Agile and Security.”

Web: www.scs.org.sg

THE MAGAZINE OF THE SINGAPORE COMPUTER SOCIETY

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HAPPENINGS Interactive Digital Media (IDM) Chapter

President Nicholas Aaron Khoo, MSCS CyberSource Vice-President Daniel Tan, SMSCS Nanyang Polytechnic

Honorary Secretary Low Aik Lim, MSCS Green Thumb Consultancy Honorary Treasurer Eric Lam, MSCS Amdon Consulting Council Members Peter Choy, SMSCS Temasek Polytechnic

Mobile and Wireless (MWL) Chapter

President Jennifer Huang, SMSCS SIM University Vice-President Loh Mun Yew, MSCS TapTalents Honorary Secretary Melvyn Suan, MSCS Nanyang Polytechnic

Samantha Fok, MSCS Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore Luke Lee, MSCS Media Development Authority

Ng Weng Choh, MSCS Ngee Ann Polytechnic

Georgina Phua, SMSCS Singapore Polytechnic Co-opted Member Dr Koh Wee Lit, MSCS Red Hare Studios Bryan Tan, MSCS Pinsent Masons

President, IDM Chapter Nicholas Aaron Khoo, MSCS CyberSource

“The IDM Chapter’s executive committee has a good mix of industry practitioners, educators, and policymakers. We are focused on helping professionals develop their careers with impactful workshops on topics such as e-publishing, developing games for education, and entrepreneurship in this exciting sector.

We will also be joining Singapore’s jubilee celebrations in a digital way through an app contest organised in partnership with the student chapter for this year’s Splash! Awards.”

Honorary Treasurer Yeo Law Learn, MSCS M1 Ltde Council Members Michael Lim, MSCS JamiQ

Richard Oh, MSCS Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore Tan Kok Peng, MSCS M1 Ltd

Be engaged with our chapters and join the chapter of your interest at https://www.scs.org.sg/SIG/sig-registration.php today!

President, MWL Chapter Jennifer Huang, SMSCS SIM University

“The Mobile & Wireless Chapter was started to develop and enhance members’ knowledge and skills in the area of emerging and matured mobile and wireless technologies. Today, we are so constantly connected via our mobile phones that we cannot live without them for a day.

In 2014, the chapter will focus on workshops on Mobile Applications Development and site visits to enhance members’ learning of the latest in mobile trends, and bonding. I urge members who are not yet a MWL chapter member to join us today.”

Business Analytics Chapter Evolves from Special Interest Group

Launch of SCS’s Business Analytics (BA) Chapter reinforces emphasis to grow the BA community.

S

CS elevated its Business Analytics Special Interest Group (BA SIG) that was set up a year ago to a Chapter on 18 March 2014. This widely anticipated move is especially significant because of the emphasis to grow the BA community. The BA Chapter will continue to facilitate skills development, accelerate the building of a pool of infocomm professionals in the area of business analytics, and encourage mind-sharing on this fast emerging technology trend.

If you are keen to know more about the BA Chapter, visit the website https://www.scs.org.sg/Chapter/ba-homepage.php.

If you missed the BA launch cum Seminar on Big Data held on 18 March 2014, view it on InfoPier Gallery at https://www.infopier.sg/scs-gallery.

Business Analytics (BA) Chapter President Simon Thomas, MSCS IBM Global Business Services Vice-President Kelly Choo, MSCS iSentia Brandtology

Honorary Secretary Swaminathan Rajamanickam, AMSCS EMC International SARL (Singapore Branch)

Honorary Treasurer Shridar Jayakumar,MSCS Oracle Applications, Asia Pacific Council Members Kwa Siew Kuan, MSCS Nanyang Polytechnic Eveline Lim, MSCS Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore Oh Chin Lock, MSCS Temasek Polytechnic

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THE IT SOCIETY — Issue Two 2014

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SingaporeComputerSociety

Warming to Our Chill Out An evening for networking and relaxing proved a heartwarming experience for our sponsor and members

H

ear what one of our members and our sponsor have to say about the recent Chill Out held on 3 April at The Bank Bar. SCS would also like to extend our appreciation to Oodrive for sponsoring the event.

Catching up over drinks and canapes!

“I was very impressed with the warm welcome.

Everybody gathered in a pretty casual way, very relaxed, and speaking with you as if they have known you for ages.

I can’t think of anyone who did not thank me personally for sponsoring this event. A lot of members contacted me after the event to ask me about our cloud professional services, and some also invited me to join them on social media.”

Steven Cohen Business Development Manager – Asia, Oodrive

A great crowd at the Chill Out!

“It was an enjoyable chill out in a cosy environment with lots of networking among people from the infocomm industry. Certainly a “must attend” event for members who want to relax after a day’s work and meet up with fellow members of the industry.”

Tan See Peng SCS Member Look out for the next Chill Out coming your way in July. Interested in sponsoring the next Chill Out? Please contact Siow Peng at siowpeng.tan@scs.org.sg

Web: www.scs.org.sg

THE MAGAZINE OF THE SINGAPORE COMPUTER SOCIETY

HAPPENINGS

Calendar of Events june 2014 6 Jun

SCS IT Law Seminar (Half-Day): Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act & Its Implications for Businesses

8 jul

Movie Night

17 Jun

QA Chapter: Seminar on Microsoft’s Infrastructure Optimization Model

24 jul

InfoPier: Infocomm Professional Development Forum (IPDF) 2014

19-20 Jun

SCS IT Law Seminar: Fundamental Elements of IT Contracts

july 2014 3 jul

4 JUL

18 jul

august 2014 AUG

COMIT Preview Session

14 Aug

IT Youth Council:YES! Youth Engagement Series

4 AUG

Chill Out Night Site Tour to One of Singapore’s Largest Business Resiliency Centre

SCS Golf Day 2014

CITBCM Preview Session

THE LITE SIDE

We Would Love to Hear fromYou! Get your free Starbucks card now! Simply answer the 3 questions below at https://www.infopier.sg/poll.

Members recounting the 3 funniest incidents will each earn a complimentary Starbucks card from SCS! Would you advise your children/younger-siblings to join the IT industry in Singapore? a. I would strongly encourage them to b. I would encourage them to c. No, I would not d. I would leave that decision to my children/ siblings

Please tell us (in fewer than 100 words) what your typical working day is like. Please include your job title/ function.

Tell us something really funny that happened in the course of your work.

Hear what our members say about a funny incident at work: Eric Tay Member, SCS “In one of my training sessions, I informed my trainees to set their passwords and ensure that they could remember their passwords. I saw that there was a 55-year-old female trainee sitting in the corner of the room. Assuming that elderly trainees needed more time in acquiring IT-related knowledge and skills, I approached her and asked whether she had set and memorised her password. She confidently told me that she had set her password and would always be able to remember this. I was hesitant and curious to know her trick for memorising her password. She then whispered to me that she set her password as ‘incorrect’, because whenever she typed a wrong password, the system would inform her that her password is incorrect.”

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THE IT SOCIETY — Issue Two 2014

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SingaporeComputerSociety

THE LITE SIDE

2. In the practical IPv6 application, a technology encapsulates IPv6 packets inside IPv4 packets.

This technology is called A) Tunnelling B) Hashing C) Routing D) NAT 3. Recently, the Singapore start-up company, Zopiam, was acquired by A) Infosys B) Zendesk C) Accenture D) SAP

INNOVATIVE INVENTS

5. The first Silicon Transistor was introduced in 9. What is Singapore’s mobile phone 1954 by which of the following? population penetration rate (Total number of A) HP subscriptions/Total Population)?

B) Fairchild Semiconductor A) 104% C) Intel B) 110% D) None of the above C) 129%

D) 155% 6. What is the estimated number of connected devices and machines by 2020?

10.Virginia M. Rometty is the CEO of which A) 6 Billion organisation?

B) 50 Billion A) Twitter C) 100 Billion B) HP

D) 1 Trillion C) Blackberry

D) IBM 7. Which of the following Jabber-based protocol can be used in IoT application?

A) FTP B) XMPP C) UDP D) REST API 7 B 8 B 9 D 10 D

1. In which major world event was IPv6 first used?

A) 2008 Summer Olympic Games B) 2010 Summer Olympic Games C) 2014 Winter Olympic Games D) 2010 Youth Olympic Games

Dubbed Aros by creator Garthen Leslie, this air conditioner redirects noise, allowing you to switch between its 3 cooling modes and 3 speed fans quietly. The technology behind it allows it to learn from your usage patterns so it cools when you need it, and doesn’t when you don’t.

When Origami Meets It

Get Smart Cooling Down The “smart air conditioner” of the future appears to have arrived. Created by a novice catalysed into action by his own dysfunctional air conditioning unit, this invention allows you to monitor, programme and control it from anywhere via Wi-Fi, using the Wink App on your mobile device.

It tracks how much you’ve spent on cooling your home each month and suggests settings based on your budget and weather forecasts, so you can save on energy costs.

With its flat, touch-capacitive sensors, a sleek LED display, and retractable fabric wings adaptable to most windows, it’s also aesthetically pleasing.

8. According to NetMarketShare, what is the percentage of computers that are still using Windows XP? A) Around 15 % B) Around 25% C) Around 30% D) None of the above

You wouldn’t normally associate the traditional Japanese art of origami with IT. But thinking outside the box, an origami fan, fascinated with its functional potential, invented a light that borrows from this art and uses IT to make it work. The technology allows the lamp to masquerade as a hardcover book when shut, and turn into a sculptural light illuminated by a highperforming LED when the “book” is opened.

Motivated also by a desire to create flexible lighting adaptable to a user’s needs, Max Gunawan has given this lamp a minimalist, compact form that makes it highly portable.

Its diaphanous, pleated interior made of hard-wearing and water-resistant Tyvek means it will look right at home beside your bed, at your balcony barbeque, or on the go.

Strong neodymium magnets embedded within its covers enable it to be stretched

5 D Correct Answer: Texas Instruments 6 D

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4. What are the Contiki and TinyOS operating systems suitable for?

A) Smart Watch B) Wearable devices C) IoT applications D) None of the above

Answers 1 A 2 A 3 B 4 C

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180 degrees for maximum brightness, or be mounted to any magnetic surface. Known as Lumio, it works with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery offering up to eight hours of wireless power.

Bridging Analogue And Digital Worlds Do you sometimes feel a tinge of nostalgia for the good old days when you can have an instant print of the photo you’ve just taken with your Polaroid camera? A new technology, born from the conviction that analogue things can have value in a digital world, will now allow you to get quick prints from images taken by your digital devices. What’s more the quality is much higher than that of Polaroid prints.

Simply choose a digital image from your iPhone or iPod Touch using what’s called the Instant Lab iOS App, place it on a device known as the Impossible Instant Lab, and you’ll see an analogue photo developing in depth, detail, and colour before your eyes.

Operable with iPhone 4-5S and iPod Touch 4-5, the Impossible Instant Lab is made in Germany while the film is made in the Netherlands.