Vietnam slated to be the next IT hub

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: and even beat China to earn this dubious distinction.

There may be hope on the horizon as Vietnam’s ministry of post and telematics recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft pledging its support for intellectual property rights protection. As part of this, the Vietnamese government will legally purchase licenced copies of Microsoft software for all state agencies.

There is no denying that Vietnam’s IT sector is poised for future growth and this will create newer opportunities in knowledge-based industries. As my colleague at the Hanoi school of business put it, “We do not want to be known as a textile centre.” When I asked the gentleman how he viewed competition from India’s well-established IT industry, he remarked, “It’s a big ocean for all of us but we are closer to Japan.” The optimism in his statement was palpable.