March 6-10, 2017

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (ITA) is organizing an Informational and Technologies (ICT) Trade Mission to Singapore and Vietnam from March 6-10th, 2017. The purpose of the mission is to introduce U.S. firms to Singapore and Vietnam’s rapidly expanding ICT sector, and to assist U.S. companies in pursuing export opportunities in this sector. The mission is designed for U.S. ICT companies. The mission also will help U.S. companies already doing business in Singapore and Vietnam increase their footprint and deepen their business interests. With the Administration’s emphasis on enacting the Trans-Pacific Partnership, medium and long-term opportunities will continue for American companies that strategically position in these markets. The mission will not be an executive-led mission.

This trade mission focus on recruiting U.S. veteran-owned companies and others who play a significant role in information communication and telecom infrastructure development, by helping U.S. companies get ahead of their global competitors in the ASEAN markets that present excellent market opportunities in these sectors.
Webinar: Opportunity in Singapore & Vietnam

The U.S. Commercial Service Vets Go Global team will host an in-depth webinar on November 22 featuring experts who will discuss the rapid growth of information and communication technology infrastructure in Singapore and Vietnam. Click here for more information!

Mission Goals

The goal of the Information Communication Technologies and Services Trade Mission to Singapore and Vietnam is to provide U.S. participants with first-hand market information, exposure and access to government decision makers, and one-on-one meetings with business contacts, including potential agents, distributors and business partners, so that they can position themselves to enter or expand their presence in the market. Mission members will meet with potential partners and buyers in both countries at local manufacturing or service provider facilities. Additionally they will meet with manufacturers’ associations and government officials to learn about the local market and sales opportunities. 

The precise schedule will be structured based on specific goals of the mission participants and availability of local government officials.

Target Products & Services for Trade Mission:

• Digital Infrastructure
• Emergency management technology equipment and services.
• Information technology and big data management service (e.g. electronic health records, billing information, etc…)
• Cyber security software, services, and equipment.
• Critical infrastructure protection systems and management solutions.
• Data loss and privacy protection technologies.

Commercial Setting

Singapore: 

Trade between the U.S. and Singapore has continued to increase, thanks to one of the most successful FTAs on record, reaching $47 billion in 2014.

Singapore has one of the most developed ICT infrastructures in the world. It was the United States’ 13th largest export market and 17th largest trading partner in 2014 and is one of the best markets in Asia for U.S. companies hoping to expand their market penetration throughout Asia. With a U.S. style of business, strong intellectual property protection, easy to navigate market, an English-speaking society, and virtually no corruption, Singapore is a great regional trading hub.

Telecommunication and Internet facilities in Singapore are state-of-the-art, proving high-quality communications with the rest of the world. For mobile phone users, 3rd generation (3G) networks and services were rolled out in early 2005, 4G in 2011 and 4GLTE in 2014. The country is dependent on imports and U.S. products are traditionally well received here. Best prospects include equipment, content, software and technologies for broadband, wireless broadband, and 4G.

There are excellent opportunities to sell new applications and solutions to Singapore, as it is an early adopter of new technologies and innovations. Singapore’s telecom service operators are investing in infrastructure to improve their services. The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) is the Singapore government agency that spearheads the strategic use of ICT in Singapore. It is seeking to work with vendors of cutting edge technologies with the goal of developing Singapore into a smart and connected nation.

Vietnam:

As of December 2014 (latest data available), the number of Internet users in Vietnam stood at 39.8 million, posting a penetration of 44 percent. According to Business Monitor International, the Internet market in Vietnam is forecasted to grow at a rapid annual pace of 9 percent for the next few years thanks to the strong growth of over-the-top applications, e-commerce and Internet TV. As the major mobile carriers and Internet service providers (Viettel, Mobifone, Vinaphone, VDC and FPT) plan to upgrade their network infrastructure to improve the quality of connectivity, this is expected to provide significant market opportunities for U.S. suppliers of networking equipment and power systems. U.S. suppliers of cyber security equipment and software are expected to see good market opportunities as virtually all mobile operators and Internet service providers in Vietnam are increasingly making investments to protect and keep their customers.

Security software revenue in Vietnam grew 11.9% year-on-year (YoY) and reached $US 16.2 million in 2014, according to International Data Corp (IDC). IDC forecasts the security software spending will be more on cloud and will see 11.8% growth in 2015.

Based on IDC’s Asia/Pacific 2H2014 Semiannual Software Tracker, the spending for network security that includes intrusion prevention and application firewall grew strongly with 19.7% increase in 2014 compared to 2013. “In terms of security investment, Vietnamese organizations are still focusing much on endpoint and network security, while the spending on web and messaging solutions has been reduced,” said Ha Ngoc Khuong, Market Analyst for IDC Vietnam. Khuong also added that both web and messaging security market will continue to face a challenging year in 2014 with 2.3% and negative 1.2% YoY growth respectively.

In 2014, the endpoint market had returned on track with a healthy growth of 12.4% due to the increased spending from government, communication and media for endpoint protection. There was also growing concern for Secure Socket Layer (SSL) for banking services and the demand for centralizing data center authorization has led to increased traction for identity access management with 15.4% growth last year.

Compared to the same period in 2013, the Security and Vulnerability Management saw lower traction with 2% negative growth in 2014 due to the slow spending from key end-users such as banking and communication sectors.

Trade Mission Features

Introduce your business to Singapore and Vietnam’s rapidly expanding needs for information and communications technology products.
Facilitate trade between your business and firms found in Singapore and Vietnam with market briefings and site visits.
Participate in one-on-one business appointments with pre-screened potential buyers, agents, distributors, and joint venture partners.
Attend VIP networking receptions and events with business leaders and government representatives.
Gain insights, make industry contacts, solidify business strategies, and advance specific technologies.

Fees and Expenses

• $3,200 for a small or medium-sized enterprise (less than 500 employees)
• $5,300 for a large firm
• $750 for each additional firm participant
• $700 for additional/optional meetings in Ho Chi Minh City

Expenses for travel, lodging, most meals, and incidentals will be the responsibility of each mission participant

To Apply

Recruitment for this mission will begin immediately and conclude no later than January 8, 2017. The U.S. Department of Commerce will review applications and make selection decisions on rolling basis. Applications received after January 8, 2017 will be considered only if space and scheduling constraints permit.

Contact Information

Deborah Misouria
Project Officer
Trade Promotion Programs
Washington, DC
Department of Commerce
Deborah.Misouria@trade.gov

Brian N. Beams
International Trade Specialist
U.S. Commercial Service – Northern New Jersey
Department of Commerce
Brian.Beams@trade.gov

Dylan Daniels
International Trade Specialist
U.S. Commercial Service – Memphis, TN
Department of Commerce
Dylan.Daniels@trade.gov

Murat Muftari
Senior International Trade Specialist
Vets Go Global Team Leader
U.S. Commercial Service
Department of Commerce
Murat.Muftari@trade.gov