Eight Companies Bidding To Create Youth Olympics Virtual World

Last month we reported that the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore had issued a
request for a 3D virtual world aimed at providing a "robust,
interactive and engaging, entertaining and educational"  for the 2010 Youth Olympics. The tender closed last night, and the IDA has posted the names and amounts of the eight tendered offers.  Be International, Dream Axis, IBM Singapore, Infocomm Asia Holdings, PCS Security, Simulation Software & Technology (S2T), ST Electronics, and Stratech Systems are all in the running.

Some of the names stick out as obvious players in the space, like IBM Singapore. Infocomm Asia Holdings is a distributor and operator of games and MMOs in Singapore. It's also involved with a number of educational initiatives, bringing digital media and games into the classroom. With the IDA hoping for the virtual world to be transitioned into an educational platform after the Olympics are over, IAH's practice could bring it in line there.

Dream Axis is a metaverse services company, working with both brands and educators to create experiences in virtual worlds. Its tender includes four companies, so it may also be working with a platform provider. Judging by its site, that could include Second Life, OpenSim, HiPiHi, Twinity, or There.com.

The other companies I'm less familiar with. Be International appears to be an ad agency. S2T and ST Electronics both work with 3D simulations for training and education. Stratech seems fairly varied, offering products that include surveilance, transportation, and general systems, but nothing that seems virtual world related offhand. Likewise, PCS Security seems to be involved with, well, security more than virtual worlds.

The IDA hasn't posted the actual tenders, just the names and amounts. Stratech comes in at the most expensive for SGD$15,247,876 (about US$10.2 million). ST and IBM aren't far behind with SGD$13.9 million and SGD$13.6 million respectively.  Infocomm offered the lowest tender at SGD$2.5 million.

There's not an easy link to the info, but you can access it at http://www.gebiz.gov.sg under "Past Opportunities" and "Tenders and Quotations." Just search for "virtual world."

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