Trendsetter in work: Microsoft’s plans for Vietnam

Vu Minh Tri

Microsoft closed 2015 with heaps of success. As the CEO of Microsoft Vietnam, could you tell us what Microsoft’s next step will be to further penetrate the Vietnamese market in the most prominent areas of information technology like mobile, cloud, and social media?

The Vietnamese government, businesses, and individuals are all familiar with Microsoft’s products and services, such as Windows, Office, Exchange, Sharepoint, Skype, OneDrive, among others. The popularity of Microsoft’s technologies in Vietnam testifies to the firm relationship between the corporation and Vietnamese customers.

There has been a big shift in Microsoft’s focus: remarkably increasing efficiency and productivity through Mobile First and Cloud First products, equipment, and services. This focus helps Microsoft become the leader in the four prominent trends, namely mobile, cloud, social and big data-trends on which organisations’ survival is contingent. Should a company fail to take advantage of these in order to grow and become more competitive, they will be left far behind.

As a pioneer of information technology (IT) in Vietnam, we help build a strong and secure IT infrastructure for the government as well as businesses. Equipped with our products, businesses can help employees, customers, and users develop and use cloud applications. Next Microsoft aims to help small and medium businesses increase their competitiveness to be ready for bigger opportunities and challenges, as well as help Vietnam train a strong base of human resources in IT.

What specific benefits and opportunities is cloud computing going to bring to Vietnamese businesses?

Microsoft is the first and only company that offers customers and partners a full range of cloud capabilities and the flexibility to deploy these services wherever and however they wish—whether with Microsoft, a service provider, in a customer datacenter, or a combination of all three, Microsoft can offer the most proper solution.

Microsoft’s cloud services enable users and businesses to increase productivity, work more efficiently and intelligently, as well as reduce costs. Whether small or big, organisations and businesses should deploy cloud computing in the near future.

Microsoft’s cloud services are under trustworthy management, offering individuals and organisations more security regarding their information. In order to gain our customers’ trust and ensure that the system works smoothly, we have invested billions of VND in our data centres, which more than meet international and regional regulations as well as Microsoft’s privacy policy.

Vietnam recently joined the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), which means that skilled workforce will have improved mobility within the Community. What do you think are the implications for Vietnamese workers? Does Microsoft help to train the country’s human resources?

Vietnam is a market holding great growth potential with its young, proactive population that is numerous and talented. When Vietnam joins the AEC, Vietnamese workers are going to have more opportunities abroad, but will also meet new challenges. Programmes of vocational training, skill training, uncovering people’s capacities, and giving them knowledge are going to benefit Vietnamese workers the most.

As the world’s leading technology corporation and having been present in Vietnam for more than 20 years, Microsoft is always willing to consult and join hands with related parties in building and developing the country’s human resources. Not only a trusted consultant on best technological solutions, Microsoft also provides support in different ways, such as flexible programmes and projects that help the young cope with challenges and gain success.

One example of the many activities that Microsoft has been carrying out in this respect is Microsoft YouthSpark programme, where disadvantaged youths are given access to technology, build new capacities, and explore new career opportunities.

The programme includes training courses, internship and scholarship opportunities, as well as training students in coding and computer science. It also has a portal for learners to access digital resources and online training courses. Digital resources are estimated to enable millions of the Vietnamese youth to access IT and transform their future in the most positive way.

On the other hand, we also have programmes that train and support startups. Successful startups are the key element in contributing to the increasingly strong entrepreneur community, bringing vitality to the economy. These successes will further strengthen and enhance the sustainable economic ecosystem. New businesses also become satellites to support large multinational enterprises. The growth of enterprises, large corporations, together with a sustainable ecosystem of small and medium-sized businesses, private enterprises, and startups will make the sustainable foundation of a strong economy.

It is undeniable that Microsoft has contributed to changing the world for over 40 years now. How do you suppose Microsoft will continue to enrich humanity in the next 40 years?

As I shared with you in previous answers, whether globally or in Vietnam, Microsoft is an IT pioneer, delivering solutions, services, and devices to help businesses and clients gain value and produce results beyong expectation.

Microsoft will continually cooperate with partners to create a diversified technological ecosystem, which is the most suitable for all users on the world, to support work and entertainment, connect users on a people-centered basis, promote humanity’s potential in an optimum way.

As the information technology sector is teeming with more and more new businesses, competition is getting harsher. In this context, what is Microsoft doing in order to remain the trendsetter?

On both the global scale and in Vietnam, Microsoft is making an impressive transition. Not only being a software solution leader, Microsoft has become a strong corporation, providing a diverse ecosystem for Windows and non-Windows devices, offering cloud services with comprehensive features and flexibility to deploy on businesses’ tailor-made demands.

2015 was an impressive year for Microsoft, with a series of outstanding devices, solutions, and products launched on the global and Vietnamese markets, especially Windows 10, Office 2016, and Lumia 950.

Being confident as a leader and a setter of IT trends, Microsoft has accessed the device and cloud markets with its best products to optimally meet the ‘Mobile First, Cloud First’ trend. Microsoft will continue to develop in the proper directions so that we can always provide the best support to users and businesses.