Vietnam government continues purchasing Microsoft software copyright

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) of Vietnam and Microsoft Corporation yesterday announced their commitment to accelerating the development of Vietnam’s information communicationstechnology (ICT) capabilities and intellectual property protection.

As part of the partnership a licencing agreement would also see the purchase by the Vietnamese government of Microsoft software product licences for use in government organisations. The information of the deal was not disclosed. The first deal was signed between the two sides in May 2007.

This licencing agreement is a strong demonstration of the Vietnamese government’s commitment to protecting intellectual property rights. The software will help government organisations streamline operations, and introduce more efficient services to better support the demands of a growing economy. Licenced software provides value-added benefits of technical support and upgrades.

“Microsoft is thrilled to partner with the Ministry of Information and Communication to accelerate Vietnam’s ICT industry growth to the next level through capacity building and intellectual property protection,” said Malcolm de Silva, Microsoft Vietnam country manager.

The two sides will work closely to improve capacity building and human capital development for Vietnam’s IT workforce. Initiatives include the establishment of an ICT Expertise Centre, a national CIO training program tailored for Vietnam, and potentially, executive programs for senior Ministry and government leaders at Microsoft’s world-class Executive Briefing Center in the US to discuss and address the unique business needs of the government.

Microsoft will also support the ICT work plan of the government with activities and on-going consultation in support of the ministry’s development of a master plan and public policies for the ICT industry for the period from 2011-2015 and towards 2020.

The copyright deal in 2007 brought benefit to all 63 provincial authorities, 24 ministries and enterprises where the state has a stake of more than 50 per cent, will receive genuine licensed copies of Microsoft Office Systems within three years.

The 2007 deal was also part of the strategic public-private partnership agreement between the two sides to accelerate growth of the ICT economy. Focusing on four key areas, the agreement allowed government employees to access world class productivity tools and secure e-government service architecture, extend digital inclusion to citizens and students and help cultivate local software businesses and entrepreneurs. – VIR

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