SiTF unveils new identity as SGTECH and revamps 2017 award categories

Singapore, 27 October 2017 – As Singapore enters a new era when technology has become
the cornerstone of businesses, homes and society, the Singapore infocomm
Technology Federation (SiTF) is refreshing its brand with a new name to reflect
the increasing digitisation of companies in Singapore and to ensure the tech
industry continues to have a significant voice.

SiTF unveiled SGTECH, its new
brand and identity, during the annual SiTF Awards held last night at Suntec
Singapore alongside the 35th Anniversary Gala Dinner of the ICM industry – a
progressive move for the association.  The name change will take effect
from January 2018.

As technologies become increasingly pervasive,
the association rightly seeks to embrace all technology-enabled companies that
leverage technology as a core driver of their business. The new name SGTECH embodies
this move and is inspired by the changing landscapes of technology which have
expanded beyond the traditional ways of defining Infocomm.

SITF also announced the formation of a new Artificial Intelligence
& High Performance Computing (AI & HPC) Chapter, in addition to the established chapters catering to areas
such as Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Cloud and Big Data Computing.This new grouping will help users with tech adoption, developing
talents and creating better awareness for Artificial Intelligence,  which is in line with the
industry’s current focus and growth area.

“Our re-branding reflects the changing market dynamics and
evolution of the tech industry in Singapore. Technology will always evolve and
as a Federation we will always be at the forefront, pushing the envelope of new
digital technologies to our stakeholders,” said Mr Saw Ken Wye, SiTF Chairman. “We also want to strengthen our relationship
with the communities we serve and represent companies who are at the cutting
edge. How we define technology and ICT are maturing and converging when
compared to the past, and we are looking beyond traditional models to embrace
transformation, disruption and progress. The line between the digital
technology suppliers and consumers of digital technology is also blurring. As a
Federation, we want to be able to represent everyone in the industry.”

With the new SGTECH brand, the 2017 edition of
the Awards sees the introduction of product categories which are key industry
growth drivers today and cover the different facets of technology – Artificial
Intelligence, Big Data, Cyber Security, Digital Services, Immersive Media and
Internet of Things.

This year, over 200 submissions was received and 61 finalists
were selected based on their superior applications or solutions using leading
technologies. A total of six applicants won the prestigious Gold awards in
the Best Innovative Infocomm Product sub-categories of
AI and Big Data, Cyber Security, Digital Services and Internet of Things, Best
Innovative Use of Infocomm Technology (Private Sector) and Best
Innovative ICM Student Project (Tertiary).

DC Frontiers emerged as the Gold winner for Best
Innovative Infocomm Product (AI and Big Data) sub-category
for SEER, a real-time surveillance system that monitors news feeds and
automates the process of identifying material information. CashShield won Gold
award for Best Innovative Infocomm Product (Cyber Security) for
Frontier, an online fraud management solution that helps enterprises to manage
their risk against fraudulent payments.

FoodZaps, a point of sales provider with strategic partnership
with e-payments providers and combines the strengths of Legacy and Cloud
technology with its patent filed offline-online robust protocol, was recognised
as a Gold award recipient in the Best Innovative Infocomm Product
(Digital Services).

The final Gold award winner for the Best Innovative
Infocomm Product (Internet of Things) category went to igloohome
for their product Smart Deadbolt 02 which allows home & property owners to
grant access to their visitors remotely, via a mobile app.

Other Gold winners included Singtel’s “Creating Seamless &
Effortless Sales Journeys through Digital Innovation” project for Best
Innovative Infocomm Product (Private Sector) and Temasek
Polytechnic’s augmented reality game, Clown Box, for Best Innovative
ICM Student Project (Tertiary).

“This year’s awards are beneficial for the teams as they
validate or invalidate some of their hypotheses, usually through questioning by
seasoned investors, entrepreneurs or executives. It is also, for the winners,
an added exposure and recognition of their efforts, and maybe, especially for
the students, the beginning of a new career,” said Sachet Guillaume, Strategic
Planning at MediaCorp and SiTF Awards 2017 judge.

Mr Khoong Hock Yun, Chief Digital Evangelist
at Infocomm Media Development Authority added, “There was a very
wide diversity of ideas – some were going to make money (particularly because
they served a ready market, have the right partners and barriers to entry), and
some had very innovative ideas but had much more work to do –should they
succeed, they would win big. There was a good participation from many
international players.”

Starting 2018, the annual SiTF awards competition
will be merged with National Infocomm Awards, a biennial
awards organised by both the Infocomm Media Development Authority of
Singapore (IMDA) and SiTF, and last held in 2016. The combination of both
awards into one will make the new awards the single highest accolade
for technology innovation in Singapore.

“SiTF and IMDA are long-time partners. Today,
we are pleased to deepen our collaboration in supporting our national
transformation towards a digital economy and smart nation. From initiatives
such as IMDA’s SMEs Go Digital programme to the merging of the National
Infocomm Awards and the SiTF Awards, we are constantly on the lookout to help
our companies and professionals seize new opportunities,” said Mr Tan
Kiat How, Chief Executive, IMDA.