Singapore restructures IDA and MDA. What will it mean for the tech industry?

Image credit: Pixabay.

By April 2016, IDA and MDA will be no more. In their place will come the Info-communications and Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Government Technology Organisation (GTO).

Cue the jokes. GTO is one “F” away from GTFO. IMDA is just a letter away from imba. Two more acronyms to add to the huge Singapore collection.

At least they’re memorable.

Jokes aside, this change is not a game of musical chairs. Here’s what it could mean for the tech industry, along with some unanswered questions.

The Singapore government knows tech trends

“The IMDA will focus on deepening and regulating the convergence of infocomm and media sectors in a ‘holistic’ and integrated way,” says a TodayOnline news report.

This is indeed happening. Twitter, Google, and Facebook aren’t just internet companies. They’re gatekeepers of media; the front pages of the internet.

Algorithms on these services are replacing page one editors in newspapers, and doing a better job: they know our reading preferences, and serve up content we like.

This would not be allowed on local TV, but Netflix has it. How will the government respond?

Netflix is another example. It’s more than a video streaming site with cool tech to maximize video bandwidth. It’s producing its own content, and is well on its way towards changing the entire entertainment industry.

There are tons of examples I can name. Reddit, YouTube, Apple, and Spotify. These companies don’t just want to bring you cutting-edge tech products. They want to dominate the time you spend online.

Media and telcos, in response, are becoming more like tech companies, and it’s probably these entities that the government has at the top of its mind when it comes to the reorganization.

So, this change is a recognition of this new reality. And it’s long overdue.

Less bureaucracy to deal with?

Will tech companies be regulated like media companies?

More competition for tech talent?

There’s still plenty of overlap