Singapore Entrepreneurs Network & Startup Organization

Project:Senso is honoured to be invited to attend and report on the 16th World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT 2008) held in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on 20 May 2008. Themed ‘Enable, Empower and Enrich’, this year’s WCIT tickets had all been sold out to more than 4000 delegates and 44,000 visitors from all over the world.

Officiated by Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia, this event is also graced by big named speakers like Bill Gates who made a special appearance through a holographic projection which is done for the first time in the world and President of Dell Global, Steve Felice who both spoke about how IT can be used to innovate businesses.

Various new technologies were launched and publicised throughout the 3 days from Grid Computing by MIMOS to higher levels of Internet Security by IMPACT and MyNIC. Various MOUs were signed from the establishment of a knowledge city in Cyberjaya called iTopia, the alliance between Microsoft and QubeConnect to link Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS) to a choice of proprietary and open source computing and communications platform as well as the establishment of CSR initiatives by PIKOM to help the nation move towards a much more savvy and knowledge society. MIMOS meanwhile will help indigenous industries to move forward to address the digital divide by providing tools that will simplify technology take-up to the young and old. It was encouraging to see how organisations all over the world from United Nations who started Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development (GAID) to aid the developing nation in the world to use ICT for growth to the launch of Cybersecurity, a non-profit organization set up by the Malaysian Government to address technical ICT security issues in the country. Malaysia used this event as a great opportunity to tie up collaborations and joint venture with various IT organisations from large corporations like Microsoft to small medium industries like Asocio, an India IT company who will invest $576 million to buy softwares for companies in Malaysia. After the 3 days event, nearly USD3 billion worth of investments have been planted into the ICT industry in Malaysia.

Luncheons were punctuated with talks about how IT can be used to innovate businesses to how mixed reality like SecondLife and Warcraft is changing the face of the Internet through the collective power of the community. Press events include the launch of a massive IT initiative in Sarawak, talk by Google, the launch of locally grown IT company called ezypzy and alliance bewteen Microsoft and QubeConnect. There were also special meeting rooms for MSC companies where further collaborations and joint ventures can be discussed and signed on the spot. There were so many announcements to the press that I was breathless just running from one room to another, taking note of what were important.

Mobile Monday ’s conference had an interesting amalgation of talks from Mobile Finance/Payments, Mobile Education, Mobile TV, Mobile Music, Mobile Advertising. The prospect of funding your latest mobile application is addressed through the talk about VC’s perspective on Mobile Application and the best practices for mobile development with key revenue generator coming from mobile commerce (couponing, ticketing), mobile advertising, search, voice based mobile marketing campaigns, location based services and target profiling. 

The ICT expo occupied all five halls of the KL Convention Centre glamorised by companies like PIKOM that attracted a crowd through their invitation to try out their PS3 games for the chance to win prizes, MIMOS that explained the establishment of  Microsoft Innovation Centre companies and companies from other countries like Netherlands and Korea that are allocated booths in the same expo.  

One of the important dinners of the event come in the form of the ICT Awards night held in Putra World Trade Centre on 20 May 2008 to honour companies that have contributed a lot to the IT industry. Malaysia’s MyGovernment portal must have done Malaysia proud by beating 70 others around the world to clinch the top prize. Many of the award winners consists of companies that provide IT technologies to help the society like systems to mobilise the disabled and many others. With performances like Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Iban, Bidayuh cultural dances during all 3 nights of the dinners, WCIT presented a myraid of colors and characters of Malaysia to these delegates. One would be tempted to stay or to make another trip to Malaysia just to experience these colors and eccentricities in real-life.

With so many people sharing and exchanging best practises in the IT industry, it is inevitable to have the attendants going home with valuable contacts and great innovative business. Kudos should go to the organisers of the event, Millenium for great co-ordination and good planning to ensure a smooth sailing event. Little details from the printing of tags, the allocation of press rooms and always available broadband, the constant availability of food and drinks and the transportation of the delegates from hotels to the places for dinner were well taken care of. Even the spouses of the delegates were not forgotten by providing them with the option to go for daily ancillary activities from city tour to visits to the visits to Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), homestay in fruit farms and watching cultural performances. Just like what the Chairman of WITSA, George Newstrom mentioned during his speech, this event has far surpassed his expectations and has elevated the standard of WCIT to the highest level.