Ten years ago, Singapore was a technological backwater, known as little more than a good place for companies to locate low-cost manufacturing facilities. Today it is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. In fact, Singapore is well on the way to becoming the first fully networked society, in which all homes, schools, businesses, and government agencies will be interconnected in an electronic grid. Through development of a superior infrastructure and world-class transportation and materials handling facilities, Singapore has created an extremely attractive environment for multinational business on all levels. The rapid evolution of such an astounding achievement is due in large part to governmental control; Singapore's government closely monitors the country's progress, from continual recruitment of promising students to its civil service to the establishment of various agencies and boards to oversee development. The country's National Information Technology Plan outlines its strategy for progress, and the National Computer Board, a government agency, is largely responsible for ensuring that all elements of the plan work together. But the level of governmental control also creates an inherent conflict. The democratization of information access stands in direct opposition to the Singaporean government's determination to control what and how much information its citizens receive. The ability of any country with few natural advantages to bring itself to the forefront of technological and economic competitiveness holds important lessons for other countries and organizations. This island-city, in fact, is evolving into what many have started calling a "nation-corporation." INSETS: Singapore's Firsts;From Trading Outpost to Strategic Hub. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]