The Hanoi Times – The Vietnam Telecom International (VTI) company, a member of VNPT, on Nov. 27 inaugurated Vietnam’s hook up point for a 20,000 km submarine optical cable network that will connect the country, along with seven other countries across the Asia Pacific region with the US.
The Asian America Gateway ( AAG) network, which is designed to provide a capacity of up to two Terabits of data per second, will supplement existing cable systems.
It will link up ten locations in eight countries and territories including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Guam with Hawaii and California in the US. Later it will probably incorporate other countries such as Australia and India.
With an initial capacity of 500 Gigabits per second, the undersea cable network can be upgraded using field tested Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) technology, which will enables it to provide upgradeable transmission facilities that can support internet and e-commerce traffic in the future.
The agreement to lay the new AAG cable network was reached in April 2007 in Malaysia.
The project has a total investment capital of nearly 554 million USD, to which the Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group (VNPT) contributes 40 million USD.
Monthly Archives: November 2009
IT-TELECOM IN BRIEF 22/11
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IT industry competitive: minister The Vietnamese Government has created a fair, healthy competitive environment for businesses involved in information and communications technology (ICT), said Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Le Nam Thang. At the first seminar of the Viet Nam International Communications Summit & Expo (Viet Nam Comm 2009) which opened in Ha Noi on November 19, Thang said that Viet Nam had developed a modern communications infrastructure which was capable of providing cutting-edge services.
He also said his ministry was focusing on finalising a strategic scheme to make Viet Nam a strong ICT nation within 10 years. Nearly 30 local and foreign speakers discussed upgrading technology and its application in business and daily life, development trends and the management of the communications network during the integration process. The Ministry of Information and Communications granted licences to Viet Nam’s four largest mobile service providers: Vinaphone, Mobifone, Viettel and EVN-HT Mobile to provide 3G technology services. Viet Nam is striving to develop e-government within five years as well as build a broadband network to meet the demand of internet subscribers and convert the entire television and radio broadcast system to digital technology – this with the aim of becoming one of the 10 most attractive nations in the world in terms of software technology by 2020. French telecom sees Viet Nam as stepping stone into rest of Asia Orange France Telecom in co-operation with local firms plans to expand its business operations in Viet Nam. "Orange France Telecom wants to develop further its business in Viet Nam as a first step towards developing its business activities in Asia," said Didier Lombard, chairman and chief executive of Orange France Telecom. "The group has developed strongly in the telecommunications sector in Europe, the Middle East and English-speaking countries," he said. "The group does not plan to open an independent company in Viet Nam but wants to be a strategic partner of mobile phone service providers in Viet Nam. "Orange France Telecom has been following the equitisation of MobiFone and wants to buy as many shares in this local telecoms firm as possible," he said. He added that the group began co-operating with the firm two years ago and had helped the firm develop 3G services in Viet Nam. Jacques Fulcrant, country manager of Orange France Telecom Viet Nam, said: "3G has now become a reality in Viet Nam and as a leader in the field, we are excited about not only sharing our 3G expertise with Vietnamese partners, but also learning from them. "With that in mind, Orange France Telecom has a strong interest in joining hands with Vietnamese mobile operators and partners to establish a robust eco-system that will generate the best benefits for Vietnamese users." Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. France Telecom’s sales reached 53.5 billion euros (US$80 billion) in 2008 and of 38.1 billion euros in the first nine months of 2009. It has a customer base of almost 190 million users in 32 countries. Orange is the third largest mobile operator and the second largest provider of broadband internet services in Europe. VinaPhone partners on new mobile 3G service Mobile service provider VinaPhone has partnered Viet Nam HP Co and Cable and Network Materials Joint Stock Co to launch a new mobile 3G service – SIM 3G integrated into HP notebook computers. HP integrated notebooks, including HP Mini 110, HP Mini 5101, HP ProBook 4310s, HP ProBook 4510s, and HP ProBook 5310m lines which were introduced into the Vietnamese market from the beginning of November can access the internet or send e-mail wherever 3G coverage is available. Hitachi Global Storage expands in Viet Nam Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST) announced that it intended to expand local distribution of its hard disk drives (HDD) and external storage products through My Cuong Technology Co Ltd (McTech). McTech will help Hitachi boost distribution by offering innovative and reliable hard drives and external storage solutions to the Vietnamese market. McTech will handle a full range of Hitachi products, including Travelstar, Deskstar, Ultrastar, CinemaStar and Hitachi External Hard Drives. CSC installs ERP system at Tan Hiep Phat Co CSC Viet Nam, a subsidiary of the US-based CSC, a global IT services company, announced on Wednesday that is had become a partner of German software company SAP in deploying the latest version of the latter’s Enterprise Resource Planning system at Tan Hiep Phat Corporation. SAP ECC 6.0 will be installed in the corporation’s beverages and packaging operations, with the US$2 million contract executed over eight months, including two months of testing. Sacombank Securities Co signs with Microsoft Microsoft Viet Nam and Sacombank Securities Company (Sacombank-SBS) on Wednesday announced the signing of an enterprise agreement and strategic co-operation contract for the latter to use Microsoft’s technology and licensed software. The three-year deal aims to standardise Sacombank-SBS’s operations to international standards and build a safe and secure information technology infrastructure. Sacombank-SBS uses the US firm’s Active Directory System for managing resources, securities policies and access control; Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 for its internal e-mail system; anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-malware solutions; and internal communication system – Microsoft Office Communication Server 2007 R2 (OSC 2007 R2). Microsoft releases new solution to e-mail Microsoft Viet Nam has released the Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, a new version of its exchange server, 14 years after the release of its first version. The major functions of exchange servers are managing e-mails, calendars and contact lists, and supporting users through personal computers, hand phones and web browsers. |
Source: http://english.vietnamnet.vn/ITTelecom/200911/ITTELECOM-IN-BRIEF-22/11-880199/
Developing human resources critical to IT growth, experts say
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VietNamNet Bridge – The National Instruction Board for Information Technology convened a meeting November 25 in Hanoi to discuss developing Vietnam’s information technology. Human resources in the sector should be prioritized, experts agreed. |
Professor Vu Minh Giang from Hanoi said it was critical for the government to develop personnel resources to strengthen the field. The president of the National Instruction Board for Information Technology, Prof. Do Trung Ta from Hanoi, agreed, saying that it was even more important than developing IT infrastructure in the country.
Participants said it was wise for the government to focus on the burgeoning IT sector and that Vietnam had received recognition for its strength in the field.
However, there is much room for improvement, the meeting heard, and the IT sector must be analyzed in terms of strategic socioeconomic growth to 2020.
Discussing a project to fortify the country’s IT, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan said the allocation of funds for the project was unreasonable.
Total funding for the project is estimated at VND144 trillion (US$7, 8 billion), of which VND131 trillion (US$7 billion) (91 percent), is allocated for implementing broadband infrastructure. The remaining VND210 billion is slated for developing human resources.
The divisions should receive equal funding, he said. IT experts at the meeting agreed, saying the actual cost of developing a strong human resources sector to 2020 is closer to US$1-2 billion.
Following the meeting, a proposal was submitted to the Ministry of Information and Communications, and policymakers, outlining the strategy and projected costs of the project.
In addition, Prof. Ta said the project should focus on training and foreign language skills rather than simply churning out large numbers of IT graduates. Furthermore, the government should concentrate on integrating IT into other fields like security and national defense, rather than treating it as an exclusive sector.
If the project is successful, it will be a boost to the country’s socioeconomic development to 2020, said Prof. Ta. Moreover, the implementation of the project must have the participation of ministries like Science and Technology, Education and Training, Planning and Investment, and Finance in addition to the Ministry of Information and Communications
Viet Nam ICT at a glance
Vietnam needs to build local IT brands
The Hanoi Times - To quickly become a powerful country in information technology, Vietnam should build up the reputation of its domestic IT brands within both the local and world markets.
This according to participants at the Second Plenary Conference of information technology (IT) professionals in Hanoi on November 25.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Information and Communications Le Doan Hop said that to become a strong IT nation, Vietnam must focus investment on developing its broadband infrastructure, training high-quality human resources in the field, and developing its e-government and e-citizens.
Vietnam has taken great strides forward in IT and communications in recent years, especially the fields of television, telecommunications and the growth of its domestic IT industry, Hop said.
However, local enterprises have yet to produce hardware components to meet local demand and still rely heavily on imports, he said, adding that this is hindering IT development in the country.
According to Prof. Dr. Do Trung Ta, President of the National Council on Scientific and Technological Policies, right now, Vietnam needs to build large IT brands and strengthen the image of its made-in-Vietnam offerings through high-quality and creative IT products and services
Nepal, Vietnam rural schools get broadband-connected
Qualcomm Inc. and Room to Read, have equipped wireless computer labs with 3G CDMA broadband Internet connectivity in rural schools in Nepal and Vietnam. Each lab includes 20-25 computers and serves as many as 50 students during a class period. In addition to providing training for students to learn basic computer skills, each lab also plans to use technology to teach other subjects such as English, math and science.
The wireless technology company and the non profit enabled wireless computer labs with 3G CDMA broadband Internet connectivity on 20-25 computers. The labs will serve as many as 50 students during a class period. Aside from training for students in basic computer skills, each lab also plans to use technology to teach other subjects such as English, math and science.
"Access to online resources and educational materials can have a life-changing impact on students. Not only will they have connectivity that enables access to learning materials and communities for the first time, but they will also have the opportunity to gain specialized skills and training," said Paul Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. "Qualcomm is committed to enabling wireless technology to help improve socioeconomic conditions and enhance quality of life in local communities. I believe this project works to accomplish both of those goals and we are fortunate to be working with Room to Read, Nepal Telecom and S-Fone to address computer literacy in developing countries." As part of the project, five wireless labs have been established in the Kaski and Kavre regions of Nepal and six labs in Can Tho Province of southern Vietnam. Qualcomm and Room to Read are working with Nepal Telecom and S-Fone in Nepal and Vietnam, respectively, to provide broadband connectivity in schools. Through the provisioning of affordable, high-quality and reliable Internet connectivity to government schools where landline access is limited or unavailable, the wireless lab project helps underserved students bridge the digital divide and addresses the goal of universal access and opportunity in education. "By providing books and schools to nearly 10,000 communities in the developing world, Room to Read has opened up opportunities for children whose families face a cruel paradox– they are too poor to afford education, but until they have education, they will always be poor. Now, with the addition of technology and the Internet, these children will have access to a whole new world," said John Wood, founder and executive chairman of Room to Read. Room to Read believes that all children, regardless of gender or background, have a right to education. By empowering children through this lifelong gift, Room to Read sees a world in which people are able to realize their full potential. Room to Read’s programs have reached more than three million children and hopes to improve literacy for five million children by establishing over 10,000 libraries and distributing nearly nine million children’s books by 2010. Room to Read is providing opportunities that change children’s lives and communities throughout Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Zambia. "We are pleased to be a part of this important project," said Amar Nath Singh, managing director of Nepal Telecom. "In this increasingly connected world, providing the opportunity for students to have dependable access to the Internet in their early school life initiates a completely new dimension in providing basic schooling needs to children. Teaching children how to take the best benefit from the available Information & Communications Technology opens a new chapter in their fundamental learning process." "Access to the Internet can provide students more educational opportunities and the ability to build upon their problem solving skills," said Ho Hong Son, managing director of S-Telecom, CDMA mobile network operator S-Fone. "The benefit of this accessibility will help their futures as they enter into a world where most of their peers use the Internet."
Source: http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800588018_499488_NT_80310a97.HTM
Largest IT exhibition opens in Hanoi
VietNamNet Bridge – One of the largest events in the year in the field of information technology, telecommunications and communications, was opened in Hanoi on November 19.
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| 3G logos are hung everywhere at the exhibition. |
The Vietnam International Communications Expo 2009 / International Exhibition on Electronics Products (Vietnam Comm & Vietnam Electronics 2009) will celebrate the sector and exhibit up to the minute technology.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, deputy minister of information and communications, Le Nam Thang, confirmed that the role of telecommunications, electronics and IT in the economy is getting more important because it helps enterprises enhance competitiveness and develop in a sustainable manner. For state agencies, telecommunications, electronics and IT can assist them to better meet the requirements of the society and the people. Most of government agencies have had their websites and made public administrative procedures.
Thang said that there are many chances to develop this industry in Vietnam, especially to serve the rural and isolated areas, to fight the impact of climate change and for use in rescue activities.
Vietnam’s licensing of 3G networks attracted the public’s attention and also foreign firms. 3G was the outstanding topic at the Vietnam Comm & Vietnam Electronic 2009 exhibition. Visitors can see the latest models of 3G mobile phones, solutions for 3G networks or attractive 3G services at the exhibition.
This year, Vietnam Comm & Vietnam Electronic 2009 gathered more than 200 companies from 18 countries and territories, including big brands like NTT DoCoMo from Japan, Huawei from China, ZTE, Range France Telecom, Nokia Siemens Networks among others.
The event also has the presence of Singapore Industrial Automation Association, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the Taiwan Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association and the Economic mission of the French Embassy in Vietnam.
The Vietnam Comm & Vietnam Electronics 2009 will run until November 21
Last year, Vietnam’s ICT sector earned US$5.4 billion, a 38% increase over 2007. With the 3G licenses in 2009, Vietnam’s telecom market expects to reach a turnover of US$6 to 7 billion in 2010.
Resource: http://english.vietnamnet.vn/ITTelecom/200911/Largest-IT-exhibition-opens-in-Hanoi-879911/
Techmart Asean + 3, The biggest ever Fair for Technology and Equipment in Vietnam
VietNamNet Bridge – The biggest ever Fair for Technology and Equipment in Vietnam, Techmart ASEAN + 3, enjoyed a successful opening at Giang Vo Exhibition Centre, Hanoi.Top government officials were on hand to witness the impressive and profitable Techmart start as the proceedings got underway. Politburo member To Huy Rua, chief of the Party’s Propaganda and Education Committee, Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan, and Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Van Phong, all participated in the opening ceremony. Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan commented: “This Techmart, with the presence of eight ASEAN countries and Japan, China and South Korea, shows the great effort of the Ministry of Science and Technology in the process of international integration. On behalf of the Government, I praise them and the People’s Committees of Hanoi and HCM City for organising this event.” At the end of the opening ceremony, guests witnessed the signing of technology contracts believed to be worth millions of US dollars. Minister Hoang Van Phong said this Techmart offers an opportunity to bring foreign technology into Vietnam and vice versa as well as boosting further economic and technological cooperation between ASEAN and China, Japan and South Korea. Techmart is an annual event started in 2003 with the aim of promoting scientific and technological market in Viet Nam. In 2003 businesses signed technological transfer contracts worth more than $64 million. Last year’s Techmart saw contracts exchanged worth over $76 million.
Techmart 2009 has 600 stalls showcasing Vietnamese enterprises and 50 from ASEAN, South Korea, Japan and China.
Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan delivers the opening speech.
The opening ceremony begins with music and dance
VIA pc-1 ICT Training Center Changing Lives in Rural Vietnam
The very nature and content of the first training course for trainers at the Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry (TUAF) in Northern Vietnam says it all: how to guide people in installing software, identifying and troubleshooting some of the more regular computer errors and how to work with some of the more commonly used applications such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Internet Explorer. While most of us in the developed world have long since forgotten our first introduction to computers and we marvel at young kids typing away with no apparent need for training, and even elderly people have taken to the mean machine, people in rural Vietnam are only now being introduced to computers. Located in the poorer northern mountainous area of Vietnam, TUAF is strategically important as a learning center in the region. The primary aim of the VIA pc-1 Training Center is the training of students and faculty at the university in ICT skills, but its influence is bound to reverberate far into the surrounding communities, changing lives and saving lives. It points to the human side of technology, combining business ingenuity with corporate responsibility and altruism."It is our aim that the VIA pc-1 ICT Center will become a blueprint for ICT education and community development in Vietnam and far beyond," says Richard Brown, Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. To understand the potential life-changing impact of an ICT training centre in a place like rural Vietnam we need to remind ourselves of the realities of rural life in this Southeast Asia country. According to the Asia-Pacific Development Information Program 75% of Vietnam’s 80 million people live in rural areas. Ownership of computers is expressed as 1.17 per 100 inhabitants. Their accommodation would shock most of us: houses with straw roofs and dirt floors. Many have no windows, just openings with no panes or shutters. In the rainy season, these dwellings offer little or no protection from the elements. Most people have no electricity, no safe drinking water, and a steady diet of rice. These harsh conditions are the reality of life in rural Vietnam. Creating a website with life-saving information for these people would be like rushing an empty ambulance to a road accident. People are dying while the sirens blare. One needs only to look at the UNICEF priorities for Vietnam, to grasp the serious need for information and training:
- provision of safe, clean water
- prevention of malnutrition (which continues to affect a third of children under the age of five)
- treatment of common childhood diseases
- environmental and sanitation program
UNICEF posted a report by Steve Nettleton on their website, describing the lack of knowledge regarding basic hygiene in remote areas and celebrating the construction of toilets at a school. Statistics from United Nations Development Program (UNDP) show that 80% of human illness in rural Vietnam is caused by water-borne disease or pollution. Also reported was that 46% of the country’s 70 million people do not have clean water- this amounts to nearly 32 million individuals. The long and short of the situation is: people don’t only need clean water and a clean environment (which is not going to happen overnight); they also need access to information on how to deal with reality as it is now. The UNICEF Office in Vietnam launched the first bilingual website – in English and Vietnamese in December 2004. The site focuses on the rapid change in the country. It highlights the many child survival issues that still affect children in Vietnam, such as access to clean water and the importance of immunization as well as new challenges that are emerging, such as HIV/AIDS and child protection.CollaborationThe VIA pc-1 ICT Center was set up in collaboration with Cornell University in the USA as part of the ICT for Development (ICT4D) program initiated by the APEC Digital Opportunity Center group.Dr. Royal Colle, Professor Emeritus at Cornell University highlighted the vital link between the need of rural communities for information and universities as information suppliers: "TUAF is taking a major step to demonstrate to international agencies and to other countries how higher education can play a vital role in bringing information and communication services to rural populations. Up to now, most information technology projects have overlooked or ignored educational institutions as partners. In supporting this initiative, VIA and the ADOC program have given a vote of confidence to the idea that universities – as society’s key knowledge institutions – can make computers, networks, and data relevant and beneficial to many thousands of people in the Northern Mountainous Area."
VIA’s flexible and extremely power-efficient pc-1 systems are the emergency instruments that, in the long run, will save lives in rural Vietnam.
by Zenda Nel
Source: http://www.via.com.tw/en/initiatives/empowered/itc-center-vietnam.jsp
IT-TELECOM IN BRIEF 8/11
08/11/2009
Ha Noi hosts side-by-side electronics expos
Two events, Viet Nam Exhibition on Electronics, Communication, and Information Technology 2009, and IT Week 2009, are to be launched next Tuesday in the Viet Nam Exhibition and Fair Centre.
The five-day exhibition will attract 200 stands of foreign and domestic enterprises displaying the industry’s new products, services and technology. Viet Nam IT Gold Cup 2009 will also be awarded to outstanding enterprises at the event.
VDC/VNPT introduces MegaVNN Plus
Viet Nam Data Communication (VDC), under the Viet Nam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) on Tuesday introduced the information gateway and value-added service – MegaVNN Plus.
MegaVNN Plus which includes 7 packages focuses on paying attention to the most basic of human needs such as learning, working and entertaining: MegaE-learning, MegaE-school, MegaE-Meeting, MegaSecurity, MegaWeb, MegaShare, and MegaVstar.
CSC Viet Nam achieves CMMI level 5
CSC Viet Nam, a subsidiary of US-based CSC, a leading global IT services company, was on Monday announced as the first company in Viet Nam to achieve CMMI level 5 latest version 1.2 which was developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) of Carnegie Mellon University .
CMMI level 5 is the highest level which aims to provide enterprises and organisations with essential elements for effective process improvement.
S-Fone brings wireless computer labs to schools
S-Fone, Qualcomm in co-ordination with Room to Read (a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting education in Asia and Africa) has launched a programme to provide wireless computer labs for six primary and secondary schools in the southern province of Can Tho.
The project aims to provide training for teachers and students to learn basic computers skills and apply technology to teaching. Each school has a lab with 21 computers with 3G CDMA EV-DO internet connectivity provided by S-fone for 3 years.
Budget hosting server for small businesses
Small – and medium-sized businesses looking for an economical host server can now purchase LifeCom, a general solution package from the combined efforts of Intel Semiconductor Viet Nam, Nhat Tien Chung Telecommunications and Online Data Service companies.
Costing only VND1.25 million (US$70) per month, the LifeCom server includes Intel four core chipset Xeon X3330 and data transmission service of 400GB/month at 100Mbps.
The special offer, which can help SMBs save half the cost of hiring a hosting server themselves, is available in Ha Noi and HCM City from October 28 to November 30.
Source: http://english.vietnamnet.vn/ITTelecom/200911/ITTELECOM-IN-BRIEF-8/11-877679/