PRESS RELEASE, 18 April 2008
Hanoi 18 April 2007: A high-level workshop is discussing key issues around Free and Open Source Software such as business models, regulations and requirements to access the European marketplace in Hanoi, Vietnam. The event is organised by the initiative “FOSS-Bridge EU-Vietnam” through InWEnt - Capacity Building International of Germany, INRIA of France and IOIT of Vietnam. The four day event gathers over 30 representatives from key Vietnamese ICT associations and companies, who all share an interest in Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). In group works and through direct interactions with experienced FOSS experts from Europe and Vietnam, they exchange knowledge on international regulations and how to build better capacity in FOSS business models and applications, which meet the needs of the market in Vietnam and internationally. Through two additional 6-days workshops in July and November 2008 the participants are supported in becoming multipliers and trainers of FOSS expertise in Vietnam.
The main goal of “FOSS-Bridge EU-Vietnam” is to develop business partnerships between software players in Vietnam and Europe. For that purpose, companies from Vietnam are matched with counterparts from Europe. Over 42 deals of joint cooperation have been recorded to date. In addition, FOSS Bridge aims at supporting intermediaries and multipliers by offering high level training and information on technical regulations in the field of FOSS in Vietnam. The focus lies in establishing innovative business models for potential use in Vietnam and providing crucial knowledge on regulations and requirements to access the European marketplace.
“The workshop is an answer on requests of FOSS-Bridge participants to learn more on how to get into the FOSS ecosystem and take part in international FOSS development. This is also reflected in the ambitious participation of the trainees during the workshop”, comments Ms. Corinna von Hartrott, Project Manager of InWEnt. Vietnam is a fast-growing emerging market economy. Having joined the World Trade Organisation in early 2007 the country of 84 million people is striving to meet its WTO commitment and adhere global standards on intellectual copyright protection. A strong area of focus is software.
“Free and Open Software is central in the software innovation process. We expect, to spread knowledge about the underlying economical and technical mechanism in Vietnam through FOSS Bridge EU-Vietnam, for the benefits of the country at both local and in international level cooperation”, said François Letellier, a visiting European FOSS expert.
In 2003, Vietnam decided to switch its IT infrastructure to Free and Open Source Software. In 2008, Vietnam’s Communist Party plans to switch its 20,000 desktop computers nationwide to open-source avoiding problems with copyright infringement. State agencies, such as Ho Chi Minh City's departments of trade, post and telecommunications, and science and technology have already used OpenOffice on a trial basis. Therefore, demand for expertise in the field of FOSS development and implementation is expectedly high and still increasing in the coming years.
For further information, please contact
Mr. Vu The Binh
Email: binh[at]netnam.vn
Post address: 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam
Fon +84-4-7564907
Mobile +84-(0)-9 0343 4477
Fax +84-4-7561888
Or visit our web platform on www.foss-bridge.org.
Information on the implementing partners:
The international consortium of InWEnt - Capacity Building International of Germany, the French Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA) and the Institute of Information Technology of Vietnam (IOIT) is implementing FOSS Bridge “EU-Vietnam”:
InWEnt – Capacity Building International, Germany, is a non-profit organisation with worldwide operations dedicated to human resource development, advanced training, and dialogue. Our capacity building programmes are directed at experts and executives from politics, administration, the business community, and civil society. We are commissioned by the German Federal Government to assist with the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations. In addition, we provide the German business sector with support for public private partnership projects. Through exchange programmes, InWEnt also offers young people from Germany the opportunity to gain professional experience abroad. (www.inwent.org, www.it-inwent.org)
INRIA - is the French national institute of research in information technologies whose missions are to undertake basic and applied research, to design experimental systems, to ensure technology and knowledge transfer and to organize international scientiic exchanges. INRIA is a strategic partner of the OW2 Consortium, an independent and international industry consortium working on more than 100 Open Source Software (OSS) projects in the domain of software infrastructures (middleware). OW2 was founded in January 2007 as a result of the merger of the ObjectWeb community and its Chinese counterpart OrientWare. As a cofounder of the former ObjectWeb Consortium, INRIA is actively contributing to the launch of OW2. (www.inria.fr)
IOIT – Institute of Information Technology – the leading IT research and implementation institute in Vietnam, belongs to the Vietnamese Academy of Sciences & Technology (VAST). With more than 30 years of experience working in the IT ield, its 200 employees, amongst 60 of which hold a PhD and more than 10 of which are professors, IOIT has been leading in many research IT ields in Vietnam such as internet and networking, patent recognition, automation, etc. IOIT has conducted many signiicant projects related to FOSS, including the co-organization of an international FOSS conference for e-Governance – COSGov Vietnam in 2005. (www.ioit.ac.vn)
This text has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this text are the sole responsibility of InWEnt and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.