Here’s how Singapore plans to make its services as easy as Facebook Connect

Minister for Communications and Information Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim (3rd from right), GovTech chief executive Jacqueline Poh, and the GovTech team take a selfie at the GovTech launch event. Photo credit: GovTech.

The Singapore government made one more step toward bringing public services online. GovTech, or the Government Technology Agency, launched yesterday to drive Singapore’s digital strategy.

GovTech plans to continue digitizing key functions of governance and public life.

Working with public agencies, industry players, and Singaporean citizens, GovTech plans to continue digitizing key functions of governance and public life. It wants to make new technologies accessible and easy to use, and train the people who make it all possible.

“The government has a big role to play by setting the example and applying [information and communication technology] and related engineering solutions to improve our quality of life, create opportunities for businesses, and drive productive and efficient government processes,” said Minister for Communications and Information Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim during GovTech’s launch event.

Power to the people

A big part of becoming a Smart Nation involves making it as easy for Singaporeans to access online services as, say, using Facebook Connect or their Google account to log in to their favorite apps and websites.

For example, MyInfo is intended to help people simplify banking transactions by eliminating the need for them to produce documents for verification. Parents Gateway will allow parents to engage with their kids’ schools. OneService is an online portal and app for accessing municipal services. MyResponder helps alert emergency response to your location through your smartphone.

The Minister visits an exhibition of GovTech’s programs and services. Photo credit: GovTech.

The Smart Nation Platform that GovTech is developing will make it easy to share data and analytics between different departments, allowing health, mobility, urban planning, energy, and education services to work together seamlessly.

And let’s not forget Singapore’s treasure trove of open data that lets people create their own apps and digital services.

Smart technology

These services aren’t limited to software. On the quest toward making Singapore a smart metropolis, GovTech’s Emerging Technology team experiments with internet of things (IoT) and sensor tech.

How about an autonomous wheelchair that can take you around your house and go around obstacles, for example? Or a smart walking stick that alerts your caregiver if you fall, keeps track of your location, and plays the radio for you? Or smart cones that alert cars about roadworks?

Security and education