S'pore leads Asian charge into world IT elite
S'pore leads Asian charge into world IT elite
SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore has emerged as one of the world's
top information-driven economies, and Asian countries in general
have outpaced Europe in progress in the field, an industry
research group said Wednesday.
The International Data Corp. (IDC) placed Singapore at fourth
place -- next only to the United States, Sweden and Finland --
in its annual Information Society Index (ISI) rankings for 1998.
Singapore, whose government is promoting information
technology (IT) in virtually every aspect of society, ranked 11th
in the 1997 list.
And in projected rankings for 2002, Singapore is forecast to
vault to second place behind the United States, with more Asia-
Pacific countries joining the upper ranks.
The survey covers such fields as computer and Internet usage
as well as social aspects of IT in the countries covered.
Other Asia-Pacific countries high in the 1998 rankings were
Australia in the eighth place, followed by Japan in ninth, Hong
Kong in 12th, New Zealand in 13th, South Korea in 20th, and
Taiwan in 21st positions.
Well behind were Malaysia in 34th, Thailand in 45th, the
Philippines in 46th, India in 52nd, China in 53rd, Indonesia in
54th and Pakistan in 55th places.
The ISI survey, done in cooperation with the World Times Inc.
publishing and conference group, tracks data from 55 economies
accounting for 97 percent of global economic output and 99
percent of IT expenditure, IDC said.
"This new study shows how effective policy translates into
progress, and how IT suppliers can find new opportunities for
growth," Matt Toolan, program manager of IDC's global research
services, said in a statement.
"For policy makers, effective legislation promoting IT use and
telecom deregulation can make an immediate difference in the
information wealth of countries -- the Singapore example shows
just how quickly," he said.
Singapore is rapidly opening up its telecommunications
industry and heavily promoting computer and Internet usage in
schools, homes, offices and factories.
Even the elderly are being taught computer skills to promote a
knowledge-driven economy in the affluent island, whose wages have
become too steep for basic manufacturing, forcing it to move
higher up the economic ladder to stay competitive.
In the 1998 rankings, IDC noted that the gap between the
highest and lowest scores grew significantly, calling it a
worrying trend.
"With so many countries improving their ability to create,
manage and use digital information so quickly, the pressure on
the more slowly moving countries is intensifying," said senior
research analyst Stephanie Hutchison.
"The very real threat is that countries that do not create a
national information policy -- and make the attainment of this
policy a priority -- will fall further and further behind," she
added.