VietNamNet Bridge - More than 60 percent startups have been using information technology (IT) in their business. Small and medium enterprises now tend to use IT to create their competitiveness, but the IT application index still remains modest.

A survey conducted by the Hanoi Information and Communication Department in 2015 showed that even in Hanoi, a fast growing city, the achievements in IT application by 117,000 small and medium enterprises also remain modest.

It is estimated that businesses reserve 0.15-0.3 percent of their total revenue only for IT application.

About 50 percent of businesses use devices to store data, including removable hard drive or disc. However, most of them store information staff’s client computers and not in one area. Seventy percent of businesses don’t have IT staff.

The IT application index in HCM City is better than Hanoi, in all the general indices, hardware, software and internet. However, the efficiency remains unsatisfactory.

“Most businesses just pay attention to accounting software,” said Tran Viet Tien, director Gia Long Company. However, in Tien’s eyes, this means that there are still many opportunities for software firms in the domestic market.

According to Nguyen Tuan Anh from TTSOFT, a firm specializing in business administration and accounting software, Vietnam now has all necessary conditions to develop IT application in businesses, including modern infrastructure, low fees, the state’s administration reform, especially in tax payment and customs procedures, a large e-payment network, and the popularity of smartphones and development of computing services.

“The changes in the behavior and quality of information transmission has led to changes in the demand for administration software,” he explained.

“Vietnamese businesses have quickly adapted to new technologies. Being aware of the IT benefits, they tend to spend more money on management software,” he commented.

Khoa Hoc & Phat Trien, a website of the Ministry of Science & Technology, reported that Vietnamese technology firms now hold advantages in providing sales technologies to Vietnamese small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Tens of firms now provide solutions to manage sales, namely Citigo, Suno, Ecount, Sapo, Nhanh and May ban hang.

According to Vu Nguyen Thuy Van from Citigo, there are three factors that determine success and failure of a sales management software product: convenience, suitability and competitive prices.

Meanwhile, the solutions provided by Vietnamese firms can satisfy all the requirements.

Nguyen Manh Tuong, business director of GetFly, specializing in business administration solutions, also thinks that Vietnam’s sales management solutions are in no way inferior to that in the world, especially the CRM (customer relationship management) products for small and tiny businesses.

The 2014 report of Garner showed that Vietnam ranked in the top 10 in Asia Pacific and top 30 worldwide in software outsourcing.

DNSG