With the introduction of `Ibook,' a computerised sports facilities reservation system that provides 24-hour service for enquiries, booking and payment, Singapore Sports Council (SSC) will offer on-line interaction to its customers.

Earlier, NIIT was commissioned by SSC to design, develop and implement the e-commerce package named `Ibook' the web-based system for booking of 22 facilities imparted by the sports body, a company statement said here on Friday.

``NIIT has been implementing large systems integration projects for the Singapore Government and leading private sector companies and the succesful implementation of this gives us confidence of emerging among the top IT service providers by 2000,'' the company's senior vice-president and director Arvind Thakursaid.

``We picked up NIIT as our partner of choice in the development of the sports facilities reservation system (SFRS) and its Internet version as we were impressed by their professionalism and edge in technology,'' said SSC executive director Col Kwan Yue Yeong.

The system was formally launched in Singapore on July 1 by minister of state for information and communication technology Lim Swee Sai, the release said.

The system is one of the first commercial business to consumer application using cash card, it said.

As per the new system enquiries, booking and payment of local sports facilities could be made through Internet with the use of nets cashcard as the mode of payment and same thing can be availed in person or by telephone, the statement said.

SSC is also planning to allow credit card payments as the next enhancement of the system.

The system is integrated with Oracle Financials and is being developed using Java, Java script on Oracle platform.