Vietnamese and international thought leaders met at the 11th edition of Asia IoT Business Platform to discuss opportunities and ways to develop the Internet of Things (IoT) in the country.

The conference, endorsed by the country’s Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Information and Communications, highlighted the value of the Internet of Things (IoT), including improving private and public enterprise productivity, harnessing the ICT to alleviate problems in cities and powering smart cities in the country.

“Asia IoT Business Platform is an important industry event that serves as a platform in bridging local and international enterprises and companies to network, find new partners, grow market share, increase business opportunities, and strengthen international competitiveness,” Pham Dai Duong, deputy minister of science and technology, said.

Zaf Coelho, project director of Asia IoT Business Platform is optimistic of the IoT growth in Viet Nam, citing the gaps in the market as areas the IoT players can fill.

“The fragmentation of IoT in Viet Nam, coupled with the lack of standardisation presents an opportunity for international IoT players to convene and interact with local enterprises to help them truly reap the benefits of IoT,” Coelho said.

Commenting on Vietnamese IoT development, Duong Ton Bao, head of Enterprise IT Application, Authority of Information Technology Application under the Ministry of Information and Communications, said that as the IoT was still a new technology in Viet Nam, and the country should decide what its area of priorities are in order to avoid waste.

Transportation, agriculture and hospital are the fields that Viet Nam should focus on first, he said.

As Viet Nam was integrating further into the global economy, the country should improve the quality and efficiency of ICT investment, he added.

Pham Anh Tuan, vice president of VNPT Vinaphone, said that telecom network broadband is important.

“To boost the development of the IoT, network operators play an important role. The two factors to ensure its development include firm telecommunication network infrastructure and a strong ICT network infrastructure,” he added.

Telecom providers should also be a platform to ensure business policies and support policies for enterprises to supply the best IoT services, as well as growing together. — VNS