Singapore mobile citizens get $15m boost

Singapore government has set aside $15 million to develop mobile applications for the retail, tourism and food and beverage sectors, which will allow the public to pay their bills via their mobile phones, reports Today Online.

The authorities set aside the amount after identifying the convergence of social networking, location-sharing and mobile devices as an area for new opportunities and challenges.

Asia One reveals the government is looking for company proposals on innovative mobile services suitable for those industries.

The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore will fund at least 30 projects, and hopes that the final product will materialise within the next two years.

A key factor that will be taken into account would be how easily the application can be utilised by its user, be it a hawker stall or restaurant. IDA says it should not require expensive customisation work.

According to the IDA, some possibilities include a wireless payment system for restaurants or a mobile food and drinks menu, states The Straits Times.

Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Yaacob Ibrahim, says consumers are no longer just using their mobile phones for telephony or SMS. He says this is evident in the proliferation of tablets and other mobile devices over the last 12-months.