Bill Gates sees Vietnam’s IT potential

April 2006 Visit - C-MG goes to find out more at Bill Gate's conference in Ha Noi

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates announced a range of information technology (IT) development programmes and other assistance for Viet Nam and met with Vietnamese leaders during his visit to the country. President Tran Duc Luong said on Saturday Viet Nam attached great importance to the role of science and technology, particularly IT and informatics to strongly develop the country and had established incentive policies to develop this field. The president said that he would like Gates and the Microsoft Corporation to place special importance on developing their partnership with Viet Nam in their long-term strategy, helping the country meet the requirements of the cause of national construction and development.

Vietnam Prime Minister Phan Van Khai meets with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates

Meanwhile, Gates said Viet Nam has great information technology development potential, adding that his duty now is to think about what Microsoft could do to accelerate IT development, and how IT can help young people develop and find employment.

President Luong said he fully supported important agreements on education and training, informatics and software technology between Microsoft and the Government and other relevant ministries, companies and organisations.

He also expressed his hope that the Microsoft corporation will show its concern in concrete co-operation programmes on human resources and IT experts training so that the country could develop training programmes for the people.

The President said that Viet Nam is striving to carry out its IT development strategy with the nation’s internal strength. With the capability and intellect of young Vietnamese people, the access to and application of IT in Viet Nam will be rapid and widespread, he said.

During his visit, Gates said, he would meet partners to research the market, meet students and call at outlying areas to see how they have had access to IT under a programme carried out by Microsoft in collaboration with the Vietnamese Government.

He promised to find an appropriate university in Viet Nam to supply with software.

PM Khai in turn said he hoped that after Gates’ visit to Viet Nam, the relationship between Viet Nam and Microsoft would progress markedly and that Microsoft will regard Viet Nam as a strategic partner.

More opportunities

Gates said that he has seen opportunities here for talented people to work in information technology.

The president said that he would like Gates and the Microsoft Corporation to place special importance on developing their partnership with Viet Nam in their long-term strategy, helping the country meet the requirements of the cause of national construction and development.

Meanwhile, Gates said Viet Nam has great information technology development potential, adding that his duty now is to think about what Microsoft could do to accelerate IT development, and how IT can help young people develop and find employment.

He pledged to create all possible favourable conditions for Microsoft to further develop in Viet Nam.

"Viet Nam will also do its best to protect intellectual property rights, including those of Microsoft, in line with the Law on Intellectual Property of Viet Nam as well as the country’s commitments to the international community during its negotiations for its membership in the World Trade Organisation," Dung said.

Focus on universities

The most important thing that Microsoft does in Viet Nam is to develop its partners, and on top of that list is universities, Gates said.

Gates told a get-together of over 1,000 students at the Ha Noi University of Technology that he will ensure they have access to the latest software technology and are trained in order to become a part of the software development going on all over the world.

He said: "Even before we release a new version of Windows, we will make sure that you have access to that."

"We are making very special types of software like a form of Windows called Starter Edition that is less extensive, and actually Viet Nam is one of the first countries that we have designed it for, because we know it will help drive adoption of PC technology," he added.

He also announced scholarships for 10 outstanding students at Ha Noi-based universities.

Technology centres

Gates announced at a ceremony in the northern province of Bac Ninh a project to help build community technology centres (CTC) in Viet Nam’s 64 provinces. The ceremony was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem and Minister of Post and Telematics Do Trung Ta.

The project, named TOPIC 64 or "Training Online Programme on Information Technology for Communities – 64 provinces," is undertaken and executed by the Centre for Research and Consulting on Management (CFC). It is also part of Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential (UP) programme, aimed at broadening digital inclusion and developing human sources all over the world.

TOPIC 64 is jointly funded by Microsoft, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), QUALCOMM, and EVN Telecom.

Under TOPIC 64, CTCs will be equipped with software-installed computers with internet connections, localised UP curriculum in Vietnamese and UP training programmes.

Microsoft will co-operate with EVN Telecom to provide the installation service, maintenance of wireless CDMA450 Internet-linked systems and free use of the Internet for a year. Trainers at the CTCs will also have opportunities to participate in advanced IT training courses.

In addition, Microsoft will also provide localised UP curriculum in Vietnamese to an additional 440 training centres nationwide.

On the same day, Microsoft introduced its OneClick programme, established in partnership with Viet Nam Data-communication company (VDC) and hardware supplier CMS (Computer Manufacturing and Service Company). The programme provides Vietnamese people with an average income the opportunity to own their first personal computers with installed hardware, Windows software and Internet connection. — VNS