The organising of IDA-led mission trips between the Middle East and Singapore helps open doors for local companies like Ecquaria to engage in oversea business opportunities and to benefit from a sharing of experiences.

Such government-level assistance has been a great boost to Singapore businesses, says Dr Foong Wai Keong, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ecquaria, provider of e-government consultancy services and infrastructure solutions that power high-volume, mission-critical applications.

One of its early successes in the Middle East was in 2006 when Ecquaria signed a landmark deal with the Qatar Supreme Council of Information and Communications Technology (ictQATAR) to develop e-government services, using its flagship solution Ecquaria Service-Oriented Platform™ (Ecquaria SOP™).

Ecquaria partners with IDA to promote the company's e-government expertise and capabilities in the Middle East through e-government forums in countries such as Saudi Arabia and through IDA-led contingents to events such as GITEX. (This year's GITEX Technology Week is from Oct 18-22 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.)

Characteristics of the Middle East market: Dr Foong says that the Middle East presents a vast opportunity with its accelerated pace of e-government progress. The political will is very strong, and this is a significant factor in achieving e-government success.

However, Singapore infocomm companies face the twin challenges of presenting a credible branding and the need for extensive business reach, he notes. Local businesses are often constrained by resources and manpower when it comes to venturing overseas.

"Government-level assistance and support are a great boost to Singapore businesses pursuing opportunities in the Middle East. This support is made possible through strong bilateral political and economic ties and diplomacy," Dr Foong adds.