The 2nd Ho Chi Minh City Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Awards were held March 27 in the city, with 10 local enterprises and one individual receiving honors.

The winners were selected from 40 businesses and three individuals who made significant contributions last year to Vietnam’s ICT advancement, the Awards Panel said.

Dr. Nguyen Trong, head of ISPACE vocational college, won the sole “individual” award, making him the first HCMC citizen to receive an honor of this nature.

Awards for companies were divided into five categories, with Quang Trung Software Park winning the category of “enterprise making the greatest contribution” to the city’s IT sector.

In the category of “exemplary software products and solutions,” four businesses were honored, including MISA Joint Stock Co. for its “MISA Mimosa.NET 2009;” Tinh Van Technologies JSC for its “Tinh Van I-Portal Solutions;” Vietnam Pyramid New Technology Corp. for its “Pythis-ERP  Business Administration System;” and Vietnam Data Communications Co. (VDC) for its “Public Internet Management System.”

Winners in the hardware category were FPT Elead Joint Stock Co. for its “Elead desktop computer,” and CMS for its “CMS desktop and laptop computer.”

Awards for “exemplary IT application” were given to Saigon Securities Inc. and Vietravel; while the “provider of exemplary added value” award went to VNG Corp. for its “Zing Me”, a social network.
HCMC Department of Information and Communications director Le Manh Ha (C) signs an agreement with representatives of the Military Scientific and Technology Institute and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Safeguarding High Command on applying advanced IT technology to safeguard the mausoleum (Photo: The Gioi Vi Tinh)

The ceremony was jointly organized by the HCMC People’s Committee, and the city Department of Information and Communications, with the attendance of People’s Committee standing deputy chairman Nguyen Thanh Tai, and deputy chairman of the People’s Council Huynh Thanh Lap.

Ahead of the event, the two agencies held a gathering for representatives of city-based IT businesses and organizations.

Speaking at the gathering, Nguyen Anh Tuan, deputy director of the Information and Communications Department, said local IT companies had made great strides last year, including the application of GIS software for management of transceiver stations of mobile messages and the introduction of a database center at Quang Trung Software Park.

Also during the event, the department signed a deal to transfer its digital signature application to Lam Dong Province.

In addition, it signed agreements with the Defense Ministry’s Military Scientific and Technology Institute and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Safeguarding High Command on cooperating to apply advanced IT equipment, including automated systems, for safeguarding the mausoleum.