The E-Commerce Environment Of Singapore Essays - Republics

The E-Commerce Environment Of Singapore Geography The Republic of Singapore is located in southeast Asia, south of Malaysia and northwest of Indonesia. The island measures a total of 637 square kilometers with a coastline 193 kilometers long. Singapore is generally comprised of lowland areas with a central plateau in the middle of the island. Its elevation ranges from the Bukit Timah, (166 m.), to the Singapore Strait which is at sea level. Its climate is tropical and wet. Precipitation occurs on 40% of all days, (70% of days in April). Singapore's two biggest natural recourses are its fishing industry, and its deep water ports. Singapore is also a focal point for most Southeast Asian sea routes. History Singapore was originally settled by Great Britain in 1819 as a port of call. The British used Singapore to extend their territories in Indonesia. It remained under British rule until 1941 when Japan bombed and captured Singapore. After three years of Japanese rule, British forces returned to the island. By this time Singapore was longing for self-government. Singapore realized its need for independence in 1959 holding its first general election. The new, independent Singapore was voted into the United Nations in 1965. On December 22, 1965, Singapore became a republic electing Yusof bin Ishak as its first president. Infrastructure In Singapore's short life as a republic, it has developed a sound infrastructure. In the way of transportation, Singapore has a total of 105 kilometers of railways used for commercial and personal transportation. It has also built over 3,000 kilometers of highways, 2,936 of which are paved. Singapore also boasts a 67 kilometer mass transit system with 42 stations. The mass transit system is the preferred means of travel in Singapore due to the fact that only one of every ten people own an automobile. Singapore produces 28 billion kilowatts of electricity annually. One hundred percent of Singapore's electricity is produced by means of fossil fuel. An estimated 97% of all residents live in households with electricity and running water. Singapore's leading industries include: electronics, petroleum refining, oil drilling equipment, rubber products and rubber processing, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade, biotechnology, and financial services. Technological Infrastructure for E-commerce Singapore has a business environment that is conducive to the support of the E-commerce environment. The E-commerce environment consists of the physical internet network, components, and internet services. The environment also includes a collection of supports and incentives to assist and promote the on-line community. Internet Awareness and Usage Approximately Ninety-two percent of adults aged 18 to 55 years old are aware of the Internet. About one third (32%) of the total population have used the internet. This gives Singapore roughly 667,000 adult internet users. However, only 13% of internet users have ever made online purchases. When surveyed only 21% of internet users were aware that these services existed. The bulk of the population uses the internet primarily for information searches and electronic mail (38% and 30% respectively) Infrastructure Services In order to develop, E-businesses need an operating environment including network services, payment services, and trust systems. The information technology industry in Singapore has been working with the government to develop online payment systems, security systems, directory services, and other E-commerce services essential to a developing online industry. Connectivity Singapore has a 45 Mbps (Megabytes per second) direct connection the US Internet system. The Singapore Telecom Internet Exchange (STIX) is an Asian-Pacific Rim internet hub connecting 15 countries with sub-marine fiber optic cables. The STIX boasts a 34 Mbps connection and provides high-speed, quality internet service to corporate users and internet service providers. Other service providers such as Pacific internet and Cyberway provide a high bandwidth connection to Japan and direct most of the regional internet traffic. Laws and Regulations Pro-business and E-business regulations are vital to the growth of E-commerce. The government of Singapore has committed itself to creating an on-line environment of certainty, predictability, and trust so internet companies feel secure in conducting online business. In 1997 the Evidence Act was amended to include electronic records as admissible evidence in courts. In July of 1998 the ETA (Electronic Transactions Act) was created. The ETA provides a legal foundation for collecting electronic signatures. This provides certainty and validity to contracts formed on-line. Singapore's government has also taken steps