Promoting infocomm usage

November 28, 2009 – During the first day of the Silver Infocomm Day, there were long lines of seniors confirming their registrations for the IT courses in English and Mandarin. The event, which was organised by The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), RSVP Singapore-The Organisation of Senior Volunteers and Singapore Polytechnic, offered courses in basic computer and Internet, e-communications, e-travel, e-entertainment, social networking and blogging. There were also free tips and tricks’ talks such as how to do e-banking, introduction to senior-friendly Windows 7, how to create a digital home network and remote camera surveillance, and how to guard your computer against viruses and spyware. According to IDA, the talks and courses were “oversubscribed” with some 700 people attending the first day alone. The IT courses will continue on December 12 and 13.

RADM(NS) Ronnie Tay, CEO of IDA, said at the opening ceremony that online activities such as Facebook help seniors remain socially-connected and engaged, and break down the IT divide and connect to the young. He shared that to promote infocomm usage among seniors, IDA will set up four more Silver Infocomm Junctions (SIJs) islandwide by October 2010, one of them at iClickz Club in Tampines Ave 5 which will be operational by end of the first quarter next year. Currently, there are four SIJs at RSVP Singapore at Bishan Junction 8, Marine Parade Family Service Centre, CDAC@Bukit Panjang and Paya Lebar Kovan Community Club. “Since November 2007, more than 8,700 training places have been taken up at the SIJs,” said RADM(NS) Tay.

This will be on top of the 100 Silver Infocomm Hot Spots at various locations in Singapore from January 2010. These hot spots, which were announced over a week ago, will have free IT facilities at community centres, Senior Citizen Connect areas or clans and society buildings. The deployment of these hot spots is scheduled for completion by end-2012. For more IT information, check out two useful IDA Web portals – www.itforseniors.sg and www.infocomm123.sg.