Ecquaria and ictQATAR Sign Landmark Agreement to Develop Pilot e-Government Services

Singapore Software Company is First Private ICT Provider to make Middle East breakthrough

Doha, State of Qatar (29 November 2006) - Ecquaria Technologies Limited (www.ecquaria.com), leader in the provision of mission-critical enterprise infrastructure and solutions, today signed a landmark agreement (the “Agreement”) with Qatar’s Supreme Council of Information and Communications Technology (“ictQATAR”) to develop a single integrated platform (the “Platform”) based on the company’s flagship software infrastructure product, the Ecquaria Service-Oriented Platform™ (“Ecquaria SOP™”).

The platform will eventually host the Qatari government’s key e-Services and leverage on common reusable services such as user authentication and e-payment (collectively referred to as the “QSi” project). Ecquaria’s implementation of QSi will both leverage on the best practices conceived in the design and development of Singapore’s Public Service Infrastructure (“PSi”) as well as benefit from the latest in technology innovation and 5th generation e-Government concepts post the deployment of PSi.

Following a series of high key official visits by both governments of the Republic of Singapore and the State of Qatar to strengthen bilateral and economic ties in recent years, this is believed to be the first Government-to-Business (G2B) e-Government agreement of its kind that is successfully sealed by a Singapore software company in the Middle East for mission critical e-Government infrastructure. Ecquaria is proud to work with Singapore’s Infocomm Development Authority (“iDA”) and ictQATAR to fast-track the Qatar government’s aggressive drive towards 5th generation e-Government initiatives.

QSi has been earmarked to provide a significant foundation that will catalyze and strengthen ictQatar’s mission to create an advanced information-based society through Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) infrastructure. When completed, it is envisaged that the integrated e-Government platform will serve as a one-stop electronic services portal where Qatari citizens and businesses will be able to interact and transact with their government in a seamless manner.

Under the terms of the Agreement, Ecquaria will provide Ecquaria SOP™ as well as specialized Ecquaria professional and consultancy services to launch and support pilot online services for the Issue of New Commercial Registration with Qatar’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce. Showcasing the functional capabilities of routing to multiple government agencies and integration to their backend systems, these pilot services, which will be available in both English and Arabic, will be implemented expeditiously in a six-month period.

Today’s signing further affirms Ecquaria’s e-Government leadership position locally and overseas. Ecquaria’s proven experience in powering e-Government projects for the Singapore government and overseas governments such as Brunei, Mexico and Botswana with its flagship Ecquaria SOP™ software - and most recently in its e-Government consultancy work for the Kuwaiti government - have paved a firm and solid gateway for Ecquaria as a forerunner in e-Government solutions in the Middle East.

Mr. Hassan Al Sayed, ictQATAR’s Government Information Management Office Acting Director hailed ictQATAR’s collaboration with IDA of Singapore and stated that “QSi” was selected as the first product to highlight the ongoing joint effort, “In ictQATAR, we always examine the best international practices in ICT development, “ Al Sayed said and “the Singaporean model (Ecquaria SOP™) has a proven track record in empowering e-Government projects and has recently won the UN award for the best IT applications in e-Government Online Business Licensing Service.”

Said Dr Foong Wai Keong, President and CEO of Ecquaria Technologies, “ICT has proven to be a key enabler in helping governments connect with their citizens, businesses and other governments, making it an essential catalyst in enhancing the social and economic development of the country.”

Dr Foong added, “Qatar shares many similarities with Singapore in having a common vision to create an advanced information-based society that will improve the quality of lives of the citizens. We believe this also puts Qatar in a privileged position to build on the learning from Singapore’s e-Government experience. We are honoured to partner with ictQATAR by sharing our Singapore’s experience as well as the knowledge and expertise we have gained from the work we do for other governments. In doing so, we hope to play a valuable part in jumpstarting Qatar’s e-Government initiatives in developing a knowledge economy through ICT.”

The Singapore-based company is widely recognized for its numerous large-scale mission-critical and award-winning e-Government accomplishments, notably for being the chief architect in designing and building the ¹Public Service Infrastructure (PSi) and the ²Online Application for Integrated Services (OASIS) government projects under the Singapore government's respective key eGovernment Action Plans I and II.

About The Supreme Council For Information and Communication Technology, ictQATAR

ictQATAR, the Supreme Council of Information and Communications Technology, is Qatar’s leading telecommunications regulatory authority and initiator of multiple information and communication technology programs designed to drive industry and advance the lives of Qatar's people. ictQATAR's aims to promote an advanced ICT society through the development of infrastructure and skills, the delivery of e-services and education, and the fostering of a regulatory environment conducive to sustainable growth. For more information please visit our website: http://www.ict.gov.qa

About Ecquaria Technologies

Ecquaria is a leading government and enterprise business platform provider that powers high-volume, business-critical government, healthcare, education, financial services and leisure applications for customers worldwide. The company’s flagship product is the Ecquaria Service-Oriented Platform™ (Ecquaria SOP™), a comprehensive standards-based, open-source friendly and award-winning infrastructure that pioneers an innovative process-oriented approach for secure, efficient and collaborative sharing of information, best processes, practices and consolidated assets.

Representing world-first innovations, Ecquaria SOP™’s real-time business intelligence framework and performance management enterprise capabilities empower organizations to gain strategic control of their business processes, enforce good organizational governance practices and service-delivery practices.

Ecquaria SOP™ also enables organizations to achieve scalability via rapid knowledge replication when using Ecquaria SOP™ to build, integrate, deploy, manage and replicate applications involving complex business processes and workflows.

Founded in 1998 with its headquarters in Singapore, Ecquaria has global presence, with offices in Singapore, China, and an expanding network of partners in Thailand, Philippines, Brunei, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mexico and Africa to support the activities of its customers around the world. Ecquaria is an associate company of Frontline Technologies Corporation Limited.

About Frontline Technologies Corporation Ltd 

Frontline Technologies Corporation Ltd is a leading provider of end-to-end IT services that include IT consulting, IT infrastructure, system integration and outsourcing. We are a regional corporation with a strong presence in six countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, China and India) in Asia and a combined talent pool of over 3,000 staff.  

Established in 1993, we serve a wide base of customers in the transportation and logistics, telecommunications, financial services, education, manufacturing, healthcare and public sectors. We have been listed on the Main board of the Singapore Exchange since March 2001, and are ranked in the top 5% of the Corporate Transparency Index (CTI) in Singapore.  

For more information, please visit www.frontline.com.sg