By Ong Boon Kiat

HELPING local tech firms flourish in overseas markets, and recruiting more local start-ups - these are among the top priorities of the Singapore infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF), according to the federation's new chairperson Tan Yen Yen.

In an interview with BizIT last week - four weeks after she took over the SiTF chair from Pek Yew Chai, the Singapore head of Siemens IT Solutions and Services - Ms Tan laid down the markers for her coming two-year tenure at the helm of the federation.

On the overseas front, Ms Tan, vice-president and managing director of Hewlett-Packard (HP) Singapore, said: 'We have to take a more holistic and bigger approach in overseas markets.'

She added: 'We want to make sure that our business development efforts extend beyond just introducing Singapore businesses to overseas markets.'

SiTF has been a key figurehead in the local infocomm technology (ICT) scene, responsible for organising major tech events like the iX Conference during the mega CommunicAsia tradeshow and the Sitex computer show, as well as driving the 'Infocomm Singapore' brand initiative. Supported by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and boasting an A-list of ICT professionals as council members, the 400-member strong federation has a charter to help tech firms here in areas of business development, networking and alliances.

The federation also creates dialogue sessions and business forums for its multi-national company members.

SiTF currently has two overseas offices in Shanghai and Hangzhou to help local firms tap market opportunities in China. In the past three years, some $15 million worth of deals have flowed through SiTF's Shanghai office.

Ms Tan said more help for local firms which are venturing in overseas markets will be forthcoming.

In particular, SiTF is planning to work closely with IDA International, an overseas development arm of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), to increase its overseas business development abilities.

'IDA International will come in from a consultancy angle,' she noted. 'This means we can have a lot more influence compared to providing a point solution. With SiTF's engagement of IDA International, we hope to play at a different level in overseas markets.'

SiTF is also mulling moving into more parts of China and the Middle East. 'The expansion can be in many forms. I wouldn't say that means we will be setting up offices everywhere, but it will be in some form of representation,' she explained.

'We now have business development efforts in the Middle East region and China. The next step is to gel our efforts and go to market as a group,' she added.

Another to-do item is increasing membership.

Ms Tan is especially eyeing the over 100,000 small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in Singapore, an area where SiTF 'can do better' in terms of recruitment. Out of SiTF's 400 member companies today, around 60 per cent are local ICT firms, with the rest foreign ones, including multinational corporations.

One way to attract this younger and more diverse group of entrepreneurs is by tapping social networking websites like Facebook, she pointed out. SiTF recently revived its own Facebook group - dormant since it was set up a year ago - by having all its councillors join it. Ms Tan said the federation will be driving more activities through this online community.

On other upcoming initiatives, Ms Tan said SiTF hopes to recruit firms with non-core ICT business but have an interest in ICT - for instance, banks - to become associate members.

Also in the offing is a Green ICT chapter.

Ms Tan said: 'We've set up a pro tem committee led by Teo Lay Lim (Singapore managing director of consulting firm Accenture) to look at making green ICT a possible chapter. We want to engage government agencies, foreign associates and business partners to make sure our programme can be effective.' SiTF currently has eight chapters, covering areas like best-sourcing, digital media, e-government and others.

Going forward, SiTF intends to 'create more buzz' around what it is doing, while continue to serve SMBs and multi-national firms, Ms Tan said.

'We hope to inject a new excitement in the ICT industry by showing how vibrant the industry can be. We want to be a stronger voice in the industry,' she added.

This article was first published in The Business Times on September 28, 2008.