VietNamNet Bridge – Ho Chi Minh City Information and Communications Department, Microsoft Vietnam and Microsoft Asia Pacific leaders today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to foster cooperation, especially in the field of e-government development, towards realising the city’s vision of a smart city.

Under this MOU, both parties will focus on implementing key areas including: General IT infrastructure and IT infrastructure for smart city, information security, cloud apps development, training for IT resources, E-government, high-tech and electronic information technology industries and IPR implementation.

Attending the ceremony were Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Le Manh Ha; director of Ho Chi Minh City Information and Communications Department Le Thai Hy; Asia Time Zone SMS&P at Microsoft public sector director Rodrigo Becerra Mizuno; general manager of Microsoft Vietnam Vu Minh Tri and media representatives.

“In the comparison with Microsoft Smart City, the IT services offered by traditional cities cannot respond quickly to the context of such a rapidly changing world. Through the MOU signed today, Microsoft is committed to support Ho Chi Minh City to build Smart city model successfully, which will bring great changes to its machinery of government and citizens’ life,” said Vu Minh Tri, general manager of Microsoft Vietnam.

“In addition, we highly appreciate the city leaders’ vision for transforming education and we are committed, through this MOU, to contribute to its education transformation that provides more opportunities for its next generation of dynamic citizens to promote their fullest potential. We believe that this is the foundation for the great transformation of Ho Chi Minh City in the future,” he added.

It is expected that a half of the Vietnamese population would live in urban areas by 2040, and the total urban area would be ten folds bigger than now with more 20 million people moving to live in the cities.

Ho Chi Minh City currently has the highest population density in the country. Along with the high pace of economic growth, the city leaders are facing serious challenges on the back of rapid urbanisation. The  dramatically increase in population in Ho Chi Minh City is putting huge pressure on its infrastructure providing essential services including transport, health, education and public safety.

To bring the new vitality helping its infrastructure system operate more efficiently to constantly improve quality of life for all citizens, the city leaders are focusing on the qualitative change during its urbanisation process by applying the modern science and technology to change the way of urban management as well as putting more efforts to create a better living environment for citizens.

Smart city model, in this context, will be considered as the best answer to fully meet these requirements of the city.

Therefore, the MOU signing today between Ho Chi Minh City Information and Communications Department and Microsoft has a very significant meaning in creating a solid foundation helping the city to overcome their existing challenges in urbanisation, while working for its long-term vision of sustainable development.

As a strategically important partner in consulting, designing, building and supporting IT infrastructure development for global customers, Microsoft is gradually approaching and helping city governments to realise their smart city models, especially for large cities like Ho Chi Minh City. Thanks to Microsoft’s optimal technology solutions and its global best practices on successfully building smart city model, the challenges of urbanisation facing many major cities in Vietnam are expected to be solved. It is also expected to promote the high-tech development that will pave the way for the breakthrough development for cities in the future.

The IT infrastructure for Ho Chi Minh City’s e-government is expected to be built on cloud-based software by 2020. Besides the master plan on smart city model development, through this MOU, both parties also agreed to focus on cloud apps and E-government development that contribute to higher levels of citizen satisfaction.

This MOU also focuses on raising awareness on the value of intellectual property rights as well as boosting health and education sectors towards the comprehensive development in Ho Chi Minh City. In particular, both parties will cooperate in implementing cloud computing solutions (Microsoft Office 365) and increase the use of ICT for education by leveraging the worldwide initiative of Microsoft Shape the Future project for education sector in Ho Chi Minh City.

“Microsoft Smart City is a global people-first initiative. At Microsoft, technology is considered not only as the platform to operate a smart city, but also a great momentum to foster creativity and brighter future for all citizens that are the most important resources of each city,” said Rodrigo Becerra Mizuno, public sector director Asia Time Zone SMS&P at Microsoft.

VIR/VNN