The modern working office of Global Cyber Soft in Quang Trung Software City in HCM City. Software City seeks to be among the top 10 software parks in Asia in IT outsourcing, software development and digital content. — VNA/VNS Photo The Anh

HCM CITY (Biz Hub) — Quang Trung Software City in HCM City hopes to help Viet Nam's IT outsourcing and software industries acquire a prestigious brand name in regional and global markets, its director has said.

It also seeks to be among the top 10 software parks in Asia in IT outsourcing, software development and digital content, Lam Nguyen Hai Long told a ceremony held yesterday to mark its 15th anniversary.

Other targets include attracting two or three more of the world's leading IT firms and having six to eight companies with at least 1,000 engineers and experts each by 2020, he said.

In the 2016-17 period QTSC in collaboration with software outsourcing and export firms would carry out promotions to attract more investors and foreign partners to Viet Nam, especially from the US and Japan, he said.

Nguyen Thien Nhan, chairman of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front's Central Committee, hailed QTSC's achievements over the past 15 years, when it grew from 21 small companies and 250 people to 120 IT companies now, including four global leaders, and more than 7,700 engineers.

They have created more than 250 products and services and exported to more than 20 countries, with the US, Japan and the EU being the biggest markets, he said.

"In its first year of establishment, revenues were just VND25 billion (US$1.12 million) and tax payments, VND1.4 billion, but the figures reached VND5 trillion ($224.2 million) and VND470 billion last year."

Nguyen Thi Thu, deputy chairwoman of the city People's Committee, said in the past 15 years the software city has grown into a supplier of IT infrastructure and services of international standards for research and development, manufacturing and exports.

It has been a venue promoting the establishment of new software firms, providing training for human resources in software and business management for domestic and foreign firms and exporting quality software professionals, she said.

IT is one of the key services the city has prioritised for development, and to develop the industry, many efforts are required, including building IT and software parks, she said.

QTSC would play a leading role in building QTSC 2 and share its experience with other software parks in its chain, whose establishment the Government has greenlighted, she said.

"The city would instruct relevant authorities to resolve the difficulties faced by QTSC and its tenants to enable them develop and help the city attract more multinationals and quality human resources," she said.

She hoped QTSC would increase its software export earnings from over $220 million last year to $1 billion.

The city is set to approve incentives for firms supplying software products domestically, she revealed.

Le Manh Ha, deputy chairman of the Government Office, said QTSC should develop software for use in agriculture, transport and public services in the city and southern provinces.

He said the city should earmark the best locations for scientific research and building another QTSC.

At the ceremony, the park was awarded the Labour Order, First Class, by the Government for its contributions.

A gala dinner was organised on the same day to honour "the Top Enterprises of the Year 2015" and launch the Vietnam IT Outsourcing Alliance to promote the Vietnamese outsourcing and software industries. — VNS