Sun's Lai agrees that the iLIUP partnership pays dividends throughoutAsia. "Other countries look at what happens in Singapore," he says. "Astrong reference from here does help. It's a door opener."

Please Come to Singapore

Suresh Prabhu, chairman of Apex Systems, an insurance industrysoftware vendor with offices in India and Singapore, stronglyencourages global leaders eyeing his marketplace. "Don't look atcoming to Asia as a pain in the butt," he says. "Look at it as a wayto expand your business."

Yes, the governments, cultures and customs impose barriers, he says,but not insurmountable ones, not when weighed against the benefits ofentering the Asian marketplace and leveraging localresources.

"Look at what's possible in Asia that will help your bottom lines,"Prabhu says. "Look at the skills available in places like Singaporeand China."