Rising star: Among the names announced in Việt Nam’s Golden Book of Creativity 2018, which honours Vietnamese people’s creativity in science-technology, Duy is the youngest. VNS Photo Võ Việt Dũng Viet Nam News by Lương Thu Hương In this era of information technology, a smart phone with the Android operating system can run virtual calculator applications that can be easily downloaded from the Google Play Store for free. One of the most popular applications, which has become familiar among many students, is NCalc+, with over one million users worldwide. NCalc+ is the brainchild of Trần Lê Duy from the southern province of An Giang. Duy is now a freshman at FPT University, majoring in software engineering. It took Duy nearly one year to write NCalc+, which simulates a handheld calculator to help students with maths and science. The applications not only include the basic functions of a regular calculator but also … [Read more...] about Vietnamese IT whiz happy with his apps
App developer program
Competition in ride hailing market enters new period
VietNamNet Bridge - After the departure of Uber, the battle in the ride hailing market has heated up with the participation of many newcomers. Joining the market, FastGo and Go-Viet applied two major tactics – offering ‘next-to-nothing fee’ and using the motto ‘Vietnamese use Vietnamese apps’. Go-Viet bears the management hallmark of Go-Jek and its Malaysian origin, but the brand still tries to win Vietnamese hearts by saying ‘buy Vietnamese’. Meanwhile, its promotion campaign under which passengers only paid VND5,000 for trips less than 8 kilometers, caught special attention from the public. After the departure of Uber, the battle in the ride hailing market has heated up with the participation of many newcomers. The marketing formula proved to be effective. Nadiem Makarim, CEO of Go-Jek, said that Go-Viet has 35 percent of the motorbike hailing market share in HCM City, and the app has got 1.5 million downloads after six … [Read more...] about Competition in ride hailing market enters new period
Workforce key in foreign investment decisions
Industrial parks in Hai Phong city and Hung Yen, Bac Ninh and Phu Tho provinces in Vietnam’s north always face a shortage of high-performing workers, as many foreign investors have built or plan to build factories in the region. Some foreign investors, especially from South Korea, expect to expand their business and employ 10,000 workers in the electricity and electronics sectors, according to the latest report from the Navigos Group. Others in the south, meanwhile, are willing to recruit foreign candidates for managerial-level positions when necessary. Greatest demand As Vietnam is considered an attractive destination for foreign investors, the jobs market has been active over recent years. Manufacturing, IT, retail, and finance and banking will see the highest demand for employees this year, according to local and foreign industry insiders. Manufacturing had the highest demand in the first quarter, Navigos Search reports, as growth of 13.56 per cent in the … [Read more...] about Workforce key in foreign investment decisions
BUSINESS IN BRIEF 5/7
1H FDI disbursement at $8.37 bn FDI projects were estimated to have disbursed $8.37 billion in the first half of this year, up 8.4 per cent year-on-year. Vietnam had 25,953 valid projects as at the end of the first half, with total registered capital of $331.24 billion. Total disbursed FDI capital was estimated at $180.74 billion, or 54.6 per cent of total registered capital in valid projects. Foreign investors have invested in 19 out of the 21 sectors in Vietnam to date, in which processing and manufacturing accounted for the highest proportion, with $189.13 billion, or 57.1 per cent of total investment capital, followed by real estate with $56.2 billion, or nearly 17 per cent, and the production and distribution of electricity, water and gas, with $21.92 billion, or 6.6 per cent. Valid projects come from 128 countries and territories. South Korea ranks first, with total registered capital of $61.67 billion, accounting for 18.6 per cent of the total. Japan ranked second, with $55.45 … [Read more...] about BUSINESS IN BRIEF 5/7
More Vietnamese startups jump into ride-hailing app market
VietNamNet Bridge - Uber’s departure from the Vietnamese market has created a space for Vietnam’s apps to develop. Vato, Aber, 123xe and the newcomer Fastgo are among them. The e-hailing market is very competitive To date, Vietnam has 8-10 apps to compete with Grab, while Go-Jek from Indonesia has joined the market and MVL from Singapore plans to debut in July. Huynh Le Phu Phong, CEO of Aber, said the riding app is still full of potential. Just several days after debut, Aber received many clients. Two days after launching its app, FastGo got 1,500 drivers. Both FastGo and Aber follow specific policies to retain users and drivers. FastGo, for example, has committed not to collect fees based on revenue, but to collect no more than VND30,000 a day from drivers. It has also committed to maintain a VND7,900 per kilometer fee and not to raise fees in rush hours. Both FastGo and Aber follow specific policies to retain users and drivers. FastGo, for example, … [Read more...] about More Vietnamese startups jump into ride-hailing app market
Danang launches apps to introduce tourism events
Danang launches apps to introduce tourism eventsBy Nhan Tam Tourists can look up cultural and tourism events by using Zalo and Chatbot apps - PHOTO: NHAN TAM DANANG - Visitors and locals in Danang City can now use Zalo and Chatbot apps to stay abreast of upcoming tourism events and activities in the city. Zalo app, which is connected with Call Center 1022 under the Danang Public Service Center, will enable tourists to find extra information, such as public transportation schedules. Meanwhile, the app Chatbot Danang Fantasticity helps tourists stay updated on current and future events taking place in the coastal city. It even shows them ways to reach their favorite activities, so they can arrange their itineraries more conveniently. Aiming to open up more information channels to support tourists, the municipal Department of Tourism has collaborated with the technology firm Hekate in developing the Chatbot Danang Fantasticity app, which is the first automatic search tool based … [Read more...] about Danang launches apps to introduce tourism events
New Vietnamese app for transport services launched
ABER is a smart app in the Industry 4.0 and is user-friendly with local people. It is developed by a group of Vietnamese programmers studying overseas in Europe. The services that ABER offers are Aber Bike (motorbike taxi service), Aber Car (taxi service), Aber Truck (deliver truck service), Aber Travel (travelling with Aber), Aber Business (vehicles for hire), Aber Express (delivery service). All services from ABER are supposed to have competitive fees, along with many promotional programs for customers and reasonable fee for drivers (they will not collect fee if drivers’ revenue is lower than VND500,000 – around $20 a month). ABER drivers are all professional enough to ensure safety to all passengers. The most noticeable fact is that ABER’s map does not depend on Google Map but is built by its creators, so it is much more precise in Vietnam. According to Mr. Nguyen Binh, ABER founder, although the app is introduced when the market is quite full, he still believes … [Read more...] about New Vietnamese app for transport services launched
Non-cash payment programs encounter barriers
VietNamNet Bridge - The smartphone-based payment service market in Vietnam has become busy in the last six months, but Vietnam is still far from its ‘non-cash payment’ target. Vietnam is still far from non-cash payment target The country had great opportunities to develop mobile payment services as the Vietnamese retail market, with high growth rates, is among the top 3 in Asia. According to GSO (General Statistics Office), the retail revenue of goods in 2016 reached $118 billion, up 10.2 percent over 2015. Mobile Vietnam, a report released in April 2017 by Appota, the provider of smartphone-based platforms, said that 72 percent of Vietnamese had used smartphones by 2016 (the figure was 20 percent in 2013). By the end of June 2017, Vietnam had 48 million broadband mobile subscribers. Bank cards and smartphones are increasingly popular in Vietnam. The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) reported that more than 110 million bank cards had been issued in Vietnam by the end of the … [Read more...] about Non-cash payment programs encounter barriers
Social News 11/12
"Danish Week - Sustainable City Solutions" about to beginA series of events on sustainable city solutions will be held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from December 12 to 17 within an initiative of the Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam and co-organized by the National University of Civil Engineering in Hanoi (NUCE) and the University of Architecture Ho Chi Minh City (UAH), with support from local authorities, organizations, and enterprises from Vietnam and Denmark.“Denmark is among the world leaders in green technology, and Green Growth is an important area of Vietnam and Denmark’s Comprehensive Partnership Agreement,” said Danish Ambassador H.E. Charlotte Laursen. “With this campaign we hope to create opportunities to exchange inspiration and knowledge with Vietnam on how to build green and sustainable cities.”With the theme “Danish Week - Sustainable City Solutions”, the campaign includes exhibitions, seminars, film screenings, masterclasses, and a … [Read more...] about Social News 11/12
CONSUMER FINANCE BOOST CENTERED ON TECHNOLOGY
CONSUMER FINANCE BOOST CENTERED ON TECHNOLOGYReported by Thu Nguyet Home Credit Vietnam has hardened its resolve in recent years in order to keep pace with the fast-changing need on the financial market. The consumer finance company last week launched a new logo in the Vietnamese market as a crucial part of its transformation. Dmitry Mosolov, CEO of Home Credit Vietnam, gives more details in the following interview. Q.: Redesigning the company logo often signifies innovative meaning and purpose behind the decision. How about the new logo of Home Credit? A.: The entire Home Credit group has been gone through the brand transformation, starting at the end of 2016 in the Czech Republic, and spreading to other markets. Our previous rectangular logo included the company’s name and a white refrigerator, symbolizing the availability and ease of purchases of home appliances by credit from the company. As consumers are nowadays shoppers with a positive, can-do outlook in life, they believe … [Read more...] about CONSUMER FINANCE BOOST CENTERED ON TECHNOLOGY