By Michelle Tay

SINGTEL has launched three 'Smart' packages to help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) save up to 75per cent on telephony and technology costs.

The packages come with monthly subscription fees and are designed to help companies tailor their infocomm technology (ICT) needs.

SingTel says the plans are 'ideal for SMEs that wish to avoid upfront investments in infocomm technology systems and equipments'.

Mr Dumas Chin, SingTel's vice-

president for business sales, said they allow SMEs to focus on core revenue-generating business activities.

'They remove the hefty upfront costs of implementing ICT services and the ongoing costs of managing issues such as security, changing user requirements and technology obsolescence,' he said.

SingTel says an SME with 10 to 15 employees may be able to lower its ICT costs from $4,200 to $1,100 a year - based on the bundling of a SmartOffice Broadband package with a Human Resource Management application.

SMEs may also be eligible for an Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore grant of up to $1,000 for subscriptions to broadband and Web-hosting services for the first year.

To qualify, SMEs must be at least 30per cent Singapore-owned, have fewer than 200 employees, own less than $15million in fixed assets, and they should not own a website.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.