QTSC supports made-in-Vietnam software

Locally produced software programs will be able to conquer markets worldwide if they are developed in the right way and producers know how to take advantage of their strong points. Quang Trung Software City (QTSC) is committed to supporting cooperation between firms and developing human resources.

The software sector, including manufacturing and outsourcing, in Vietnam is characterized by high competitiveness and good prices. However, in the tough times, these advantages may lose part of its attraction. Software companies must therefore seek feasible ways to avert diffi culties. Apart from improving themselves and developing human resources, cooperating with each other to promote made-in-Vietnam software products has proved to be a solution.

Employees at work at a software firm in Quang Trung Software City, Dist. 12, HCMC

Cooperative strengths

After 10 years specializing in outsourcing for foreign customers which helped it acquire ample finance and technology, TMA started investing in “made-in-Vietnam” software products three years ago. TMA developed programs are applications on mobile phones and mobile technology for enterprises. These products have been sold in Europe, the U.S., Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.

Misa Joint Stock Co. has so far made products that meet social and corporate demands in Vietnam. “When the domestic market is stable, we will export these products,” says Nguyen Thanh Ha, deputy director of Misa in HCMC. “We have had 100,000 customers using administrative software programs developed by Misa.”

Meanwhile, Tran Phuc Hong, deputy director of TMA, says the biggest challenge of developing a software product is how to introduce it and sell it abroad, not technical-related issues. What really counts is that Vietnamese firms must set up a “market” where customers can visit and buy their products, gradually creating cooperative strengths to compete successfully on the international market.

In fact, more software enterprises have sought cooperation opportunities. This kind of teamwork not only helps these firms support each other better but contributes to building up a common brand for the Vietnamese software industry.

In QTSC, chief executive officers and personnel managers from software companies as well as investors have met and discussed cooperation through activities held regularly here. These events provide chances for corporate leaders to find reliable partners, not competitors. “When directors and human resource managers become friends, there is an unwritten agreement that they do not attract talents from others and cooperate with each other to conduct sizable projects,” says Lam Nguyen Hai Long, deputy CEO of QTSC.

Talent is the core

Nguyen Thanh Ha says in the information technology industry in general and the software sector in particular, the core is the talents capable of responding to continuous changes of technology and market trends – an exclusive characteristic of the industry. “In Misa, we run both internal and external training programs at the same time. We invest substantially in this,” Ha says.

Misa has sent its made-in-Vietnam software products to teaching programs at nearly 500 schools. According to Ha, this is an effective tool for accessing potential consumers and talented personnel.

Tran Phuc Hong says TMA has been cooperating with some 20 universities and colleges in the southern region in internship and teacher training, and in helping students access new technology and job opportunities. The company has also assisted students in feeling more confident of working after graduation. Moreover, TMA has also operated an internship center exclusively designed for students. The center receives 300 interns a year and helps them practice new technologies. Through this center, TMA can recruit its own talents every year.

QTSC has also been offering free-of-charge training courses for enterprises and has helped create links between schools and enterprises. “We have sponsored some organizations’ recruitment and re-training programs,” Lam Nguyen Hai Long says.

According to experts, cooperation and human resources development policies will help enterprises produce software programs that satisfy both Vietnamese and international markets.

Source: By Tieu Nha – The Saigon Times Weekly