Microsoft Announces Five Major Initiatives for Singapore ONE Project

Microsoft Announces Five Major Initiatives for Singapore ONE Project

SINGAPORE, March 19, 1998 — In his speech today at the Suntec International Convention Center, Bill Gates, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft Corp., announced five initiatives supporting the Singapore ONE project creating a high-speed network in Singapore. Microsoft has a long-term commitment to Singapore and Singapore ONE, Gates told an audience of 400 CEOs and IT industry leaders.

“Microsoft is committed to being a partner to Singapore ONE and the country’s IT industry and economy,” Gates said. “It’s an incredible opportunity to share information, to improve the educational system, and to allow the businesses in the country to reach out in a way they never have before.” His announcement was part of a speech on how governments need to use IT to make services more efficient, useful and accessible to citizens – part of the framework Microsoft calls the “digital nervous system.”

The five planned projects include cooperation between Microsoft and these organizations:

  • SingTel. To help build video-on-demand (VOD) and develop broadband services, enabling SingTel to make advanced communications technologies available in Singapore

  • Singapore CableVision (SCV). To deploy advanced set-top boxes based on the Microsoft® Windows® CE operating system

  • Television 12. To establish a strategic alliance providing enhanced television and
    on-demand television video services in Singapore, including value-added, consumer-oriented television services based on the Microsoft Broadcast Architecture, NetShow
    ™
    server and related Microsoft technologies

  • The Singapore Ministry of Education. To help develop solutions that support the IT Master Plan for Education. Microsoft has already made progress in this area by detailing its technology elements and opportunities in relation to the IT Master Plan.

  • Times Publishing. To set up the Times Online Education Service, creating an advanced educational online service designed for the Internet and Singapore ONE

The goal of Times Online Education Service is to set up curriculum-oriented, supplemental educational services that help bring children, their parents and teachers closer together to foster student growth and performance. Times’ experience producing educational software used in Singapore’s schools today and Microsoft’s experience in online services and multimedia content will help support the Ministry of Education’s new online programs for the schools.

“We envision that the Times Online Education Service will help prepare Singaporean students for the 21st century by enabling them to better develop the core skills required for the future, such as creative thinking, rapid learning and communication,” Gates said.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

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