The leadership role of chief information officers (CIO) in Southeast Asia was highlighted at the eighth CIO Summit and Awards in the capital city on July 19.

The event, themed "Build versus Buy and Scalability versus Capability," was co-organised by the International Data Group (IDG), the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

In his opening speech, general director of IDG ASEAN, Le Thanh Tam, said the summit aims to maintain its position as a pioneering and prestigious forum to help organisations and enterprises better understand the role and responsibility of CIOs.

"This year's summit also hopes to take a comprehensive look at infrastructure for modern technology in the context of the current IT boom," he said.

This was a concern among leaders and experts from State agencies and social organisations as well as the banking, transportation and communications sectors.

Participants at the summit held in-depth discussions to share practical experience from information technology projects and make analysis of the impact of technological development on companies' products and services, especially in the banking and finance industry.

They emphasised the effective use of new technologies to improve the quality of products and services, especially in the banking and finance sectors.

Pham Cong An, director of the Credit Information Centre of the State Bank of Vietnam, said the summit is considered an important forum for organisations and enterprises to gain new perspectives and compare notes on the role and responsibility of CIOs.

An said CIOs needed to be extremely skilful during this complicated economic period, and they also needed to thoroughly understand information management while building development strategies at the national level.

Chu Tien Dung, chairman of HCM City-based Quang Trung Software Park , said CIOs should pay great attention to improving their company's administrative performance while reviewing the effectiveness of their company's information technology system.

CIOs play a key role in advising their companies and they must be fully aware of their responsibilities in renovating their companies, said Nguyen Ngoc Binh, President of University of Engineering and Technology.

In the morning session, five important presentations by leading experts and outstanding entrepreneurs from Southeast Asia focused on the latest IT trends in the region and around the world.

An awards ceremony also took place in the afternoon to honour outstanding CIOs from around Southeast Asia , with the award's judging panel featuring respected IT professionals and representatives from various Government authorities.

The evaluation criteria took into account a CIO's competences, strategic vision, organisational skills, leadership, innovation and creativity as well as the outcomes of individual projects.-VNA