The total revenue of the 174 products, services and solutions from 113 companies receiving Sao Khue Awards this year reached VND16 trillion (US$696 million).

The information was announced at the award ceremony organised by the Viet Nam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA) held in Ha Noi on Saturday.

This year's revenue is higher than the total revenue of the entire country's software industry in 2008. Around 80 per cent of the awarded products and solutions used new and advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) blockchain and robotic process automation (RPA). Of which, products and solutions are bringing high economic efficiency to users.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said that the information and communication technology (ICT) community has made very practical, effective and indispensable contributions to pandemic prevention and control. The COVID-19 pandemic also created opportunities and promoted the development of the ICT industry.

Dam said he had just signed the PM's decision to make October 10th every year the National Digital Transformation Day.

"This is the time when we have a lot of work to continue to arouse the spirit and aspiration to transform," he said.

"We must not stagnate, moving only forward not backward, then we can realise the goal of a fast developed and more sustainable country. Like a person who has to carry two full buckets of water, go quickly without letting the water go out," he said, adding that the information technology industry should ignite the fire of aspiration, breakthrough and creativity that can’t pause.

At the same time, the Deputy PM proposed that the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Viet Nam Federation of Trade and Industry, organisations and information technology industry associations have a joint action plan to respond to the national digital transformation strategy more strongly.

Nguyen Van Khoa, VINASA’s chairman, said: “Viet Nam has quickly approached new technologies, focused investment, researched platforms and integrated solutions between technology businesses. Digital ecosystems are gradually forming for industries and sectors of the economy.”

The Sao Khue Awards in the past two years have set the mission of "Promoting the digital solution platform - Pioneering the development of digital ecosystems".

The award this year received 314 nominations and selected 174 typical digital platforms, services and solutions. In which, 10 services and solutions were honoured with Top 10 Sao Khue and 19 services and solutions were rated 5 stars.

Since launching in 2003, the Sao Khue Awards, sponsored by the Ministry of Information and Communications, has become the most prestigious IT field in the country. It has delivered awards to 1,343 best domestic products and services, contributing to guiding the IT market and customers and being an effective channel to link businesses.

Over two decades of development, Viet Nam's software and information technology services industry has had a strong development. It is now worthy to become one of the spearhead economies of Viet Nam with nearly 300,000 employees, revenue in 2021 reaching more than $13 billion, solving many problems of IT application of domestic organisations and enterprises. The country has always been in the top 10 most attractive countries for software outsourcing. — VNS