Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has launched miw.com.sg, a community lifestyle portal integrated with an e-services center, to enable Singapore's national servicemen (NSmen) and their families to interact with the government ministry on all matters relating to national service.

The portal will initially target the country's 360,000 NSmen, but its future audience is said to include "the broader community of Internet users in Singapore and elsewhere." Built and operated by Green Dot Internet Services, a subsidiary of Green Dot Capital and a member of the Singapore Technologies Group.

miw.com.sg consists of three sections: Information and transactions with MINDEF; personal productivity and community tools; and lifestyle offerings.

Transactions with MINDEF include notifying the ministry of overseas travel, booking of a physical fitness test date, applying for exit permits and applying for MINDEF scholarships.

The portal also provides a range of useful community and personal productivity tools on the Internet for the NSmen, who will be given unified messaging accounts that integrate e-mail, fax and voice mail. Also provided at the portal are online chat and forum facilities.

The lifestyle section provides non-military information and attractive offers for commercial products and services. Examples are information on technology, food, health and fitness, travel, career and entertainment.

Such information is grouped according to the life stage of the user:

* Starting out (aged 16-24): pre-enlistees into the military as well as active NSmen
* Early career (aged 20-35): young men embarking on their careers after completing national service
* Family men (aged 30-50): NSmen with established careers and their own families

Because the portal and its associated e-services center is accessible around the clock, NSmen and the public may interact with MINDEF using any mode of communication convenient to them, such as the telephone, fax, e-mail, voice mail and ordinary mail. SMS and WAP-based communication will be available "in the near future."