Bill Gates Arrives In Vietnam
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has arrived in Hanoi for a visit eagerly awaited by Vietnamese students and the IT industry.
He starts Saturday his one-day visit with meetings with Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and President Tran Duc Luong before having a dialogue with IT students at the Hanoi Polytechnic University.
The world’s richest man will also attend a ceremony to sign agreements for supplying software to the Ministry of Finance and the National Steering Committee for Informatics at the Hilton Hotel before having another meeting with the IT community at the Hanoi Theater Hall.
Later, he will leave for Bac Ninh, 30 km from Hanoi, to inaugurate the “One click” project for which Microsoft has provided hardware, software, and Internet connections together with local companies CMS and Vietnam Data Communications Company. There, he will visit a communal cultural center housing computers and the Net.
Gates will hold a press conference before leaving Vietnam late Saturday.
IT entrepreneurs see the big picture
“Gates’ visit will provide a big boost to Vietnam’s image and a strong confirmation of its IT potential, especially software,” Nguyen Huu Le, president of software firm TMA, said.
Ngo Hung Phuong, general director of another firm, Vietnam Paragon Solutions, believed the visit would clear doubts about Vietnam’s IT capability and hoped that Microsoft would build an IT center in Vietnam like in India.
Le Tuong Tung, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City IT association, said the visit would improve the country’s IT industry as “Microsoft may support Vietnam’s effort to develop [it]”.
The immense potential of Vietnam’s fledgling IT industry was highlighted recently when Intel announced a decision to build a US$300 million plant in HCMC. The visit by the head of the world’s largest software firm follows soon after.
Source: Thanh Nien News and Vietnam Net.
Photo: VNExpress.net
----------
Microsoft wants more development in Viet Nam
04/22/2006 -- 22:11(GMT+7)
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said in Ha Noi on April 22 that the computer giant is looking for opportunities for further development in Viet Nam in order to help improve local living conditions.
The Microsoft Chief Software Architect said at the "Bill Gates with Vietnamese Businesses" meeting held on his second day in Viet Nam that he has seen in Viet Nam opportunities for talented people to work in information technology.
He said the Microsoft Corporation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation would prioritise projects on application of information technology to various aspects of life, first of all in public healthcare.
Also present at the meeting was Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who described Gates' visit as an important event that marks a prospect for strong development of Microsoft in Viet Nam as well as of cooperation between Viet Nam and the US.
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.
Source: VNA
