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.