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.