| HDB
revamps e-bidding portal |
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"Although this was the first time I carried out
an e-transaction through the Internet, to my surprise
it was a smooth and pleasant experience. The website
is intuitive to even beginners like me. The best
part was not having to wait for days but merely
10 minutes to know that I had secured a factory
unit. HDB even informed me through SMS that I was
successful in my bidding,” commented Mr Nah Kok
Beng from Soca Computer Accessories Supplies who
got his unit at Tampines Industrial Park through
the new and swift Quick Bid mode at www.place2lease.com.
First introduced in November 2000, www.place2lease.com
is an avenue for industrialists to search for their
ideal premises to operate from. The e-bidding portal
is managed by the Housing and Development Board’s
Industrial Properties Department (IPD).
The IPD recently revamped the portal because
it recognised that with the advent of technological
advances and the information age, speed is of the
essence and every minute counts. The website
was totally redesigned and unveiled on 1
December 2003.
Said Mr Sng Cheng Keh, Director (IPD), “Our
goals were to make the hunt for industrial
premises a hassle-free and efficient experience
for industrialists, give the site a new, more
current layout and look, offer interactive
services as well as to automate the
management of content.”
The revamped website has achieved all that and
more. Some of the new features and benefits are: |
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24
x 7 - There are now industrial properties
put up for bidding 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week. Industrialists are spoilt for choice
with the wide variety of available factory
units. |
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• |
Quick
Bid - This is the website’s new,
innovative mode of allocation. When someone
bids for a unit, a “10-minute countdown” process
is activated. If there are no other bidders
vying for the same unit, the bidder can get
his selected factory premises in just 10 minutes. |
| • |
Going-going-gone
- With this feature, industrialists can outbid
their competitors. A 10-minute extension of
the bidding period will be activated whenever
a bid is entered. During this time extension,
bidders can offer higher bids to ensure that
they get their preferred unit. |
| • |
Wireless bidding - Industrialists on the move
can bid through their WAP/GPRS-enabled
mobile phones. |
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Instant notification - Bidders can view the
initial bidding results from computer terminals
and also get such first-hand information via
SMS and email once
the bidding process
ends. |
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A good find
-
Industrialists who
cannot find suitable
premises will
appreciate the new
“Alert Me” feature,
which enables them
to be notified of
new factory units
that meet their
requirements once
they are available
via SMS. |
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The new website has
created unprecedented opportunities for IPD’s customers.
As always, the department will continue to take
full advantage of the Internet to bring about more
pro-business solutions.
By IPD, HDB |
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