The Information Technology Journalist’s Club has picked up the top tendomestic information and communication technology (ICT) events for 2014.
The list of events is as follows:
1. Flappy Bird, the Vietnamese-made mobile game created a globalfever: Appearing in late January in applications for Android and iPhone,iPad, the game, created by Nguyen Ha Dong, an independent young gamedeveloper, became a world phenomenon. Though the creator later removedthe smash-hit game from the mobile applications worldwide saying that itfailed to bring excitement to players as he had expected, “Flappy Bird”was listed among the top ten keywords searched on Google in 2014. Itscreator was also named in the list of top ten Internet Millionaireselected by the US entertainment website The Richest.
2. The Vietnam Communications Joint Stock Corporation (VC Corp)’ssystem was hacked, causing losses of 20-30 billion VND (1.41 millionUSD): On October 13, many online newspapers and websites managed andoperated by VC Corp stopped working due to hackers’ attack.
3. Mobifone was split from the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications(VNPT) to become a joint stock company: On June 10, the Prime Ministersigned Decision No. 888/QD-TTg approving a plan for restructuring VNPTin 2014-2015, transferring the major mobile network operator Mobifone tothe management of the Ministry of Information and Communications. Themovement is significant in restructuring VNPT, contributing to improvingefficiency of the corporation’s operation.
4.Samsung became the largest foreign investor in Vietnam: In November,2014, the northern province of Thai Nguyen officially granted aninvestment certificate to the Samsung Electronics Vietnam (SEVT) forconstructing a telephone-manufacturing and assembling plant worth 3billion USD. The project lifted Samsung group’s total investment inVietnam to 11.2 billion USD.
5. The Politburoissued Resolution No.36-NQ-TW replacing Directive No.58-CT/TW on ITapplication: The Resolution rolled out specific orientations for thecountry’s ICT development to 2030, considering the field as an effectivetool and important driving force to spur the development of theknowledge-based economy and to improve national competitiveness in theprocess of international integration.
6.The website Haivl.com was shut down permanently: On October 24, theMinistry of Information and Communications permanently closed thewebsite, and imposed a fine of 205 million VND (9,700 USD) on APPVLVietnam, the website’s managing company for several violations includingunlicensed operation and provision of unlicensed online games andhistorical distortions.
7. Viet HongCompany was discovered to have sold spy mobile softwares to thousands ofcustomers: Investigations by Hanoi police and municipal inspectors inJune found Viet Hong Company supplied its customers with two spysoftwares - the Ptracker app for individuals and PtrackerERP app forbusinesses - since June 2013 for the purposes of collecting personalinformation. The company installed the software for more than 14,000mobile subscribers.
8. PrimeMinister Nguyen Tan Dung allowed State agencies to use outsourced ITservices: At the first plenary meeting of the National Committee on ITApplication in June, the PM gave the nod to State-run agencies to useoutsourced IT services, creating a healthy competition in the sector,while helping State-agencies cut expenses and save time.
9. Uber Taxi service arrived in Vietnam, arousing widespreadcontroversy: Uber network launched its service in Ho Chi Minh City inJuly and started operating in Hanoi in October this year, whichtriggered public debate. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has instructedthe Transport Ministry to work with Ho Chi Minh City authorities todetermine Uber's legal status in Vietnam.
10. The Asian-American Gateway (AAG) sub-sea cable broken many times:Vietnam’s international Internet traffic was seriously affected dueto disruptions in the operation of the Asia-America Gateway (AAG) cableline. The line stopped working for one week in March for maintenance,then in July a section was damaged off the coast of Vung Tau southerncity. The cable was broken again in September. The breakdowns hadreduced internet traffic in Vietnam by between 40-70 percent.-VNA
The list of events is as follows:
1. Flappy Bird, the Vietnamese-made mobile game created a globalfever: Appearing in late January in applications for Android and iPhone,iPad, the game, created by Nguyen Ha Dong, an independent young gamedeveloper, became a world phenomenon. Though the creator later removedthe smash-hit game from the mobile applications worldwide saying that itfailed to bring excitement to players as he had expected, “Flappy Bird”was listed among the top ten keywords searched on Google in 2014. Itscreator was also named in the list of top ten Internet Millionaireselected by the US entertainment website The Richest.
2. The Vietnam Communications Joint Stock Corporation (VC Corp)’ssystem was hacked, causing losses of 20-30 billion VND (1.41 millionUSD): On October 13, many online newspapers and websites managed andoperated by VC Corp stopped working due to hackers’ attack.
3. Mobifone was split from the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications(VNPT) to become a joint stock company: On June 10, the Prime Ministersigned Decision No. 888/QD-TTg approving a plan for restructuring VNPTin 2014-2015, transferring the major mobile network operator Mobifone tothe management of the Ministry of Information and Communications. Themovement is significant in restructuring VNPT, contributing to improvingefficiency of the corporation’s operation.
4.Samsung became the largest foreign investor in Vietnam: In November,2014, the northern province of Thai Nguyen officially granted aninvestment certificate to the Samsung Electronics Vietnam (SEVT) forconstructing a telephone-manufacturing and assembling plant worth 3billion USD. The project lifted Samsung group’s total investment inVietnam to 11.2 billion USD.
5. The Politburoissued Resolution No.36-NQ-TW replacing Directive No.58-CT/TW on ITapplication: The Resolution rolled out specific orientations for thecountry’s ICT development to 2030, considering the field as an effectivetool and important driving force to spur the development of theknowledge-based economy and to improve national competitiveness in theprocess of international integration.
6.The website Haivl.com was shut down permanently: On October 24, theMinistry of Information and Communications permanently closed thewebsite, and imposed a fine of 205 million VND (9,700 USD) on APPVLVietnam, the website’s managing company for several violations includingunlicensed operation and provision of unlicensed online games andhistorical distortions.
7. Viet HongCompany was discovered to have sold spy mobile softwares to thousands ofcustomers: Investigations by Hanoi police and municipal inspectors inJune found Viet Hong Company supplied its customers with two spysoftwares - the Ptracker app for individuals and PtrackerERP app forbusinesses - since June 2013 for the purposes of collecting personalinformation. The company installed the software for more than 14,000mobile subscribers.
8. PrimeMinister Nguyen Tan Dung allowed State agencies to use outsourced ITservices: At the first plenary meeting of the National Committee on ITApplication in June, the PM gave the nod to State-run agencies to useoutsourced IT services, creating a healthy competition in the sector,while helping State-agencies cut expenses and save time.
9. Uber Taxi service arrived in Vietnam, arousing widespreadcontroversy: Uber network launched its service in Ho Chi Minh City inJuly and started operating in Hanoi in October this year, whichtriggered public debate. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has instructedthe Transport Ministry to work with Ho Chi Minh City authorities todetermine Uber's legal status in Vietnam.
10. The Asian-American Gateway (AAG) sub-sea cable broken many times:Vietnam’s international Internet traffic was seriously affected dueto disruptions in the operation of the Asia-America Gateway (AAG) cableline. The line stopped working for one week in March for maintenance,then in July a section was damaged off the coast of Vung Tau southerncity. The cable was broken again in September. The breakdowns hadreduced internet traffic in Vietnam by between 40-70 percent.-VNA
