"It's important that we deliver service that helps us to stay ahead of the competitors," explains Baker. This is a challenge that has to be grappled with on a non-stop basis. How does International SOS manage this challenge? Baker: "Our strategy of being able to deliver a global footprint is a key element in this thinking. This takes us back to our fundamental approach in implementing technology - integrating IT with communications in one system."

From mind to matter

It started as an idea hatched by Singapore's prime minister during a trip to Scandinavia in 1996.Construction started in 1997. But the emerging markets' financial crisis struck soon after, putting a stop on development. Construction recommended in 2000 and the building was completed in the same year.

What began as an idea in the prime minister's mind has materialised with the creation of the Nordic European Centre, an intelligent building comprising 22,000 sq m of office space, located at Singapore's International Business Park. This building was conceived for the purpose of enticing Scandinavian SMEs to set up operations in Asia, using Singapore as a launch pad. But soon after construction recommended, the Nordic European Centre opened its doors to other European companies as well.

Fledgling start

One of the risks foreign SMEs have to manage in starting operations in a new region is the burden of having to incur high upfront costs without a clue as to how long it will take before they start to rake in profit, if ever. The other risk is the difficulty of operating in environments where the business culture is substantially different to that of the home country. These risks were the key reasons why this building was constructed: To provide its tenants with a hospitable and technologically sophisticated, yet affordable, operating environment.

SMEs are often thrown into a Catch-22 situation when it comes to investing in ICT infrastructure. They require access to first-rate ICT infrastructure to compete, but investing in high-quality solutions is expensive for such businesses. Furthermore, implementing ICT infrastructure can be a challenging experience for an SME or enterprise if it lacks expertise in managing it. This is why the Nordic European Centre turned to T-Systems ITC Singapore Pte. Ltd., the enterprise-service division of German communication-services provider Deutsche Telekom AGDeutsche Telekom AG. T-Systems provides tenants with voice, data and Internet services. It can set up e-mail accounts, provide broadband access, implement security solutions and VPNs. All this takes away tenants' worry of having to set up and manage their own ICT infrastructure. "T-Systems provides a one-stop shop for our clients," says Goh Ek Boon, CEO, Nordic European Centre Pte. Ltd. Top-500-Firmenprofil für Deutsche Telekom AG