Truong Gia Binh, chairman of the Viet Nam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA), said that though the topic this year of IT's association with agriculture didn't sound right, it suited the country's current situation.— Photo VINASA

HA NOI (VNS) — The Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organisation (ASOCIO) ICT Summit 2014, the biggest ICT event in Asia and Oceania, is set to take place in Ha Noi from October 27 to 30.

The event, to be held in Viet Nam for the second time since 2003, would focus on restructuring agriculture and on a new rural development model. In addition, the summit would also discuss issues about creating intelligent nations and the Social, Mobile, Analytic and Cloud Services (SMAC)'s technology.

Speaking at the press meeting held in Ha Noi yesterday, Truong Gia Binh, chairman of the Viet Nam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA), said that though the topic this year of IT's association with agriculture didn't sound right, it suited the country's current situation.

Binh said Viet Nam is an agricultural country with more than 70 per cent of its population working in the sector. Agriculture faces difficulties in production, transport, processing, reserves and consumption.

"The application of ICT in agriculture would introduce new technologies as well as information on markets and prices, which would help farmers," he added.

He said that the summit would also help the Vietnamese enterprises in the ICT sector to learn from the experience of other countries. It would help the industry to make breakthroughs in socio-economic development.

David Chang, ASOCIO's general secretary, hailed the capacity of and prestige earned by Viet Nam's ICT industry in recent years.

"Viet Nam has a relatively good foundation in the sector. We believe that Viet Nam has suitable vision, policies and strategies. It would quickly catch up with the developed ICT countries in the world," Chang said.

The summit is expected to draw 700 international delegates, including 250 international leaders from ICT associations and leading groups in 30 countries.

The event would include conferences, special seminars, exhibitions and meetings among businesses.

The meeting of the ASOCIO Council and the Japanese ICT Day 2014 would also be held on the occasion.

This is the second time that Viet Nam is hosting an important event, and that too after 11 years. The normal time for an ASOCIO member to hold a summit again is 22 years.

The ASOCIO Summit 2003, which was held in Ha Noi with the theme "Digital Opportunities for Everyone," drew 265 delegates from 28 countries and 386 Vietnamese IT and telecommunication executives and representatives. It created a strong development move for the country's ICT sector.

The country's software and hardware technology industry entered a boom period with an annual growth rate of 30 to 40 per cent.

Over the past 11 years, Viet Nam has gained prestige in the global software industry. Ha Noi and HCM City have been continuously listed among the cities which are attractive for software processing and exports.

In 2012, Viet Nam surpassed India by becoming the second biggest partner of software processing for Japan.

ASOCIO was established in 1984 with the objective of promoting, encouraging and fostering relationships and trade between its members, and to develop the computing industry in the region. — VNS