How to manage bad publicity in Singapore

A few keystrokes in Singapore are all it takes for consumers to give expression to any dissatisfaction they may have with a company or its products. Whether their gripe is genuine or reeks of impulsive vitriol, it can cause far-reaching damage to companies that are the target of attack.

This is a new challenge that businesses have to address amid the lethal dimensions that social networking platforms (such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube) have begun to take.

The very platforms people use to stay connected with their contacts have become a potent consumer weapon. They waste no time in blogging/tweeting about their experiences with the products they use or the services they get. The damage is instantaneous and the consequences unpleasant.

On the brighter side, by leveraging an intelligent network and adopting the right social media strategies, enterprises can turn even negative publicity to positive mileage with an effective, quick response.

Trailblazing Singapore

Singapore has consistently been at the forefront of technology and a trailblazer in the region in initiating intelligent networking. It started in 1991 when the country launched an IT 2000 master plan to transform Singapore into an intelligent island. The initiative enabled a connected lifestyle, with the promise of an enhanced quality of life for its people.

In 2007 Singapore followed it up with another pioneering initiative to build the Next-Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (Next-Gen NBN through the iN 2015 master plan. That has made substantial headway, equipping people with pervasive, ultra-high-speed fibre connectivity for higher productivity. Just as BT’s 21st Century Network in the United Kingdom, iN 2015 has transformed the way people live, learn, work and play.

The idea of an intelligent network has now gone beyond Singapore and enveloped the entire region. It is a powerful tool for companies to build their business, save costs and effectively handle public feedback that is now delivered instantly and spreads rapidly through the social media.

The Cloud and a Thinking Network

A network that thinks can enable businesses to catch potential minefields quickly and facilitate a prompt corporate intervention to stem any negative fallout. That is a reflection of the times where the speed with which information is delivered, with intelligent connectivity at its core, determines where you are headed.

Even with the Cloud, Singapore is a trend-setter, exploiting it to fuel its ICT infrastructure. Moreover, its Ministry of Education adopted a cloud platform in September 2009, thus becoming the first government in Asia to equip all its teachers with Web 2.0 collaboration tools.

Also, with the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, Singapore showed how cloud computing could be utilized for even major events, realizing cost savings of up to 80%.

Multi-dimensional efficiencies

Social networking sites have combined with cloud computing to open the floodgates for consumers to make communications direct and raw with a phenomenal reach. The changing face of Unified Communications and the need for enhanced security give relevance to intelligent networking.

Businesses are embracing this trend and building the social media into their marketing portfolio. Where some stumble is when slip-ups occur and they are slow to react.

Clearly, current user demands have made the network go beyond easy connectivity and deliver multi-dimensional efficiencies with embedded intelligence. With everything from power grids to even entire cities turning intelligent, the network assumes a critical role in enabling it.

Traffic has to be prioritised, the quality of service enhanced and reliability ensured while factoring in scalability and a sturdy defence against malware.

Top Business Priorities: A recent IDC survey found that issues uppermost in the corporate agenda included improving WAN security, enhancing application performance and putting video over the WAN. The video is expected to be the main driver for network upgrades.

With an intuitive, self-healing network, requiring less monitoring, firms will be able to:

• gauge what kind of traffic is running over it so they can use bandwidth intelligently. They can determine how secure the network is from cyber attacks.
• enable sustainability
• enhance their business processes and be ready for new trends – such as IPv6

The benefits are manifold, guiding businesses to an intelligent network.