VietNamNet – The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has just released the results of a survey of IT experts in a number of Asian countries, including Vietnam, on the development of the software industry in 2005.

This survey attracted the participation of 800 IT experts in eight countries, including China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. The opinions of 100 Vietnamese experts shed some light on the difficulties of the domestic IT sector.

According to Seow Hiong Goh, the director in charge of BSA’s software policy in Asia, 100% of Vietnamese IT experts who took part in the survey said that the software industry is very important to the IT industry, in general, and 95% of respondents believe that the software industry has strong significance for the economy.

Only 50% agreed that the software industry is helping to increase competitiveness and reduce dependence on foreign software. Everyone agreed that with astounding choice and high prices, it can be very difficult for Vietnamese firms to choose the proper software products.

Respondents unanimously agreed that the government must play a leading role in the development of the software industry, especially in education and training. Legislators must encourage the industry and promote a fair and competitive environment for all.

Through this survey, the BSA hopes to highlight useful parameters for policy makers in eight Asian countries, including Vietnam, to help them draft domestic policies and strategies that support their software industries.

The BSA is the foremost organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world. The organization is the leading voice for the world's commercial software industry and its hardware-producing partners. The BSA educates consumers on software management and copyright protection, cyber security, trade, e-commerce and other Internet-related issues. BSA members include Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Avid, Bentley Systems, Borland, Cadence, Cisco Systems, CNC Software/Mastercam, Dell, Entrust, HP, IBM, Intel, Internet Security Systems, McAfee, Microsoft, PTC, RSA Security, SAP, SolidWorks, Sybase, Symantec, Synopsys, MathWorks, and UGS. 

Thuy Nguyen