His Excellency, Mr Chris Sanders, Ambassador from the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands to Singapore,

Richard Ireland, Managing Director, Terrapinn,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

1                  Good morning. It is my pleasure to be here today to officiate the Opening Ceremony of Cards Asia 2006. The success of this event is evident as it runs into its 11^th year this year. It also testifies to the significance of the ICT (infocomm technology) industry in Singapore. The innovative use of ICT in Singapore in e-government and e-commerce ranks amongst the highest in the world. To be globally competitive, we must be an “early technology adopter” and a “thought-leader”. Being an “early adopter” allows us to successfully exploit infocomm for economic growth and job creation.

2                  Last year, Singapore’s estimated growth in the ICT sector was between six to eight percent, generating about S$37 billion in revenue. Employment in the sector increased from 108,000 in 2004 to 111,400 last year. Demand for infocomm manpower also strengthened with 5,700 job vacancies in the infocomm sector last year and 3,000 more jobs are expected to be created this year.

3                  The World Economic Forum (WEF) 2005 Global IT report placed Singapore at the top of 104 countries. This will stand us in good stead as companies, such as yourselves, seek to move into the regional and even global arenas.

4                  As we advance further into the 21^st Century, our infocomm sector is poised to move up the value chain.  In the process, companies will become more innovative and ICT will have an even greater influence on our lives.

Smart Cards

5                  Take the smart card as an example – one simple small plastic the size of a credit card may bring with it numerous applications and opportunities. I look forward to the day where you and I can each use a single card for all our transaction and authentication needs, whether as our global identity card or passport, or to travel, dine, shop, and conduct personal banking.

6                  With all the benefits of online transactions come important concerns about security, in particular, the danger of identity theft and fraud. We have   one of the lowest cyber-crime rates in the world. As Singapore progresses into the digital age, we will have to innoculate ourselves against new forms of cyber crimes by being agile in the use of suitable technologies to secure electronic transactions and protect one’s identity.  The use of biometrics is one such plausible tool for greater security in the next few years.

7                  Smart cards are currently used widely in the public sector, and we expect a ripple effect of more extensive use given the many e-government services we now have. As usage becomes more pervasive, we will continue to emphasise the importance of card compatibility, access to online services, and the secure exchange of information between citizens.

RFID

8                  Another related example of innovation in companies can be seen in the use of RFID (Radio Frequency ID) tags.  Together with smart cards and biometric technologies, RFID plays a key role in building a secure authentication and payment infrastructure within a smart working space.  As RFID tags become more cost effective, we are on the threshold of another quantum leap in productivity and cost savings.

9                  RFID is already playing an integral part in supply chains, tagging goods worth more than S$900 million annually in Singapore’s manufacturing, logistics and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industries since May 2004. The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA)’s recent announcement to expand the existing RFID frequency bandwidth allocation to 920 MHz to 925 MHz – which more than doubles its existing range – will certainly encourage greater proliferation of RFID applications. Singapore also supports the interoperability of RFID across Asia. This will improve the distribution and logistics efficiency of companies in the region, and help entrench Singapore’s position as a logistics nerve centre.

10                With the trend towards sensor-enabled RFIDs with increased processing capabilities, more demanding applications beyond identity sensing are now possible.

iN2015

11                These new technologies bring forth the promise of a bold new future which I am sure we are all excited to see.  The Singapore Government is drawing up the Intelligent Nation 2015 Masterplan, or iN2015 in short, which is a 10-year master plan to transform Singapore into an Intelligent Nation & Global City, powered by infocomm. Looking ahead, we envisage pervasive deployment of intelligent digital technologies that will enhance our economic competitiveness, exploit new opportunities and transform life in every possible way.

Conclusion

12                On a final note, I would like to congratulate Terrapinn for organising Cards Asia for the 11^th consecutive year I look forward to viewing the latest cards, payments, RFID and biometrics solutions showcased. Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to declare Cards Asia 2006 open.

13                Thank you.