Last year, our team [...]]]> If there’s one thing that we keep from our childhood as we grow up, it’s that we learn better when we play. It is the reason why gamification is one of the most important trend. It is also why we like to play game to illustrate agile and lean principles.

Last year, our team already played a few games: the tangled mess and back-to-back lego.

In this ball point game, our team learns about the “flow”: how to feel it, and then improve it, how to reach a sustainable rhythm and also why eliminate waste.

Water Bottle Game – a lean game to understand the “flow”

Thanks to Agile Vietnam, some of us also had the chance to learn more about lean concepts at the Lean Mindset Workshop, presented by Mary and Tom Poppendieck.

Since then, lean concepts are spreading through the company with lean coffees. A trend which I hope will continue to spread!

- It applies Agile and Lean principles

- It is [...]]]> Lean Coffee is the event that was organized for the first time at Officience on April 2013. After joining it, I did a Google search to know more about it. I took a glance only at the first result page, below are what I googled out:

- It applies Agile and Lean principles

- It is structured and agenda-less

- A meeting where a specific issue/topic is defined to be discussed by participants

Honestly, I was a bit reluctant to participate in this event. The lack of understanding about the concept “Lean Coffee” didn’t help finding the motivation to join. I did not have a clear idea on the activities and what I should come up with to contribute to it. The only reason I went is that it was organized by a person : she doesn’t merely organize thing only for fun.

It was a discovery journey

The event was casual with do-it-yourself drinks and people around the table. Thanks to this approach, I felt comfortable and related to the people around. I discovered new faces and was curious to get to know them. I was motivated for active participation and openness.

With the creative format of a brainstorming session, the facilitator drove us through a discovery journey about the power of collective intelligence. At this session, we centered our thinking around the topic “Sharing economy”.

Our table had 7 people. We all submitted the topics we wanted to discuss, then we prioritized them by giving points. In around 40 minutes, we managed to cover 3 questions about ”Sharing Economy”:

- What are the goods and bads of the Sharing Economy?

- Can we share everything in the Sharing Economy?

- What would be the core values of the Sharing Economy?

This process of collective intelligence allowed us to sketch out a picture of how the sharing economy looks like. The picture was developed in 3 dimensions: the benefits of the sharing economy and its dark side; its openness (examine boundaries of the sharing); and its core values (identify the cultural disciplines that support the sharing in an economy). Then the team shaped it with going deeper in each dimension.

Regarding to the benefits, the group quickly pointed out a lot of obvious benefits of the sharing economy. However, we spent most of the time on discussing its dark side: the quality of the shared information and the necessity to have a mechanism to screen the information. The group came to the following point : the key to the information-screening mechanism is that it has to be made up by the members of the community where the information is being shared.

In the second topic, the group discussed mainly of the limitations of sharing within a company. We came up with 2 important points. The first one is that, professionally, we should not share all the knowledge we have to the public, especially the knowledge that makes up our competitive advantages. The second one is that on the contrary, we must share with all the key stakeholders in our value chain (including supply chain) to enable vertical collaboration, which is a necessity to all businesses.

In the third topic, to define what are the core values in sharing economy, the group sparkled more than 20 values in different aspects: qualities of human, culture, education,… After voting, we agreed on the 5 most important values that are critical to support the sharing in an economy: Long-term thinking, Trust, High Education, Willing to Share, Open-minded.

Unexpected valuable take-aways

I was greatly surprised by all the things I learned in this “Lean Coffee” session.

- Lessons to be learned everywhere (not only topic-related): how the activity was run, what others were thinking, how the ideas were presented to all participants

- Power of collective intelligence: I discovered many dimensions about the subject within 40 mins brainstorming and discussion. We sketch a powerful picture of the subject in 40 mins. Amazing.

- Belief. I saw a lot of potential in the new people I met: the way they think, the way they present ideas to others, the way they speak during the discussion

- Connectedness: I shared ideas with other Offies, especially in other departments. This made me feel more connected with the whole company.

- Bring self-confidence to a further level: I had the chance to orally share the ideas to all the participants. Being able to present an idea in 1 minute is a good exercise for any future and longer presentations….

- Last but not least, of course, relating to the main subject being discussed: understand the “Sharing Economy” from different perspectives

March 2013 marked the 2-year anniversary of b-process – Officience’s successful partnership.

In March 2011, b-process, a leading European service provider of e-invoicing, selected Officience to develop an offshore support center solution available 24/7 in order to respond to the challenging demands of their new international clients. The decision [...]]]> Ho Chi Minh, 19^th March 2013

March 2013 marked the 2-year anniversary of b-process – Officience’s successful partnership.

In March 2011, b-process, a leading European service provider of e-invoicing, selected Officience to develop an offshore support center solution available 24/7 in order to respond to the challenging demands of their new international clients. The decision was mainly based on Officience’s international management culture, reliable and flexible teams as well as its strong focus on security and confidentiality.

After two years of operation, Officience is now fully in charge of b-process network monitoring and first-level customer ticketing. In 2013, b-process also expects to leverage on this partnership to expand Officience’s scope beyond the initial requirements and hand over part of the level 2 and 3 support activities.

“We are proud to have been selected by b-process as their service provider in APAC. Their no-compromise and very demanding working culture matches ours in every way, and we look forward to delivering more advanced support and services for them in the near future.”

Sylvain Pierre, Associate Director – Process Services at Officience

“Excellent service provider! The best one I know in the APAC region, perfect fit with our team in France.”

Stéphane Jeanne, Director of IT Operation – Support & Hosting at Ariba

About Officience, ltd.

Officience is a French-Vietnamese pioneer in the global outsourcing industry. Guided by the Shared Value principle, Officience aims to sustainably develop Vietnam to the benefit of our clients, by designing and implementing tailor-made outsourcing solutions leveraging upon our four core competencies: Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Process , IT Outsourcing (ITO), Content Management, and Consulting. Founded in 2005, headquartered in Paris (France) and Ho-Chi-Minh-City (Vietnam) Officience counts 250 employees and services clients from startup to Fortune 1000 MNCs all over the world.

For more information, visit website: www.officience.com

About b-process

b-process is a leading electronic invoicing service provider. With a forward-looking innovation strategy, b-process stands out. It offers the possibility to do tax compliant e-invoicing and to process the financial flows generated by the business with all of your partners, whatever their size or technical knowledge. By setting up a single link with the web-based billManager™ ASP platform — a true and easy way to handle your accounting needs — you can offer collaborative services to all of your business partners. Day in and day out, the company supports 3,500 French and international companies of all sizes and in all sectors by optimizing their invoicing and payment/collection processes.

For more information, visit website: www.b-process.com

Now I may need to introduce Clayton M. [...]]]> I am just done reading The Innovator’s Dilemma, which by the way is a good basis for anyone questioning himself about how to innovate, and I am convinced there is a compelling case to be made about innovation through outsourcing.

Now I may need to introduce Clayton M. Christensen’s point to illustrate where this idea is coming from. You can skip that part if you’ve read it!

Failure to disrupt

In his book, Christensen’s first defines disruptive innovations (as opposed to sustaining ones), and shows that the main reason why large companies fail while facing disruptive innovations is that they do not follow the right framework to properly develop it.

In short, these large companies lack flexibility, focus and financial incentive (why target a 10m market when you need 10b to ensure a 10% growth ?), and their resources, processes and values are in fact not designed to tackle such innovations.

The flaws of these resources, processes and values are very well covered in the brilliant chapter eight (which I strongly recommend reading), and Christensen then proposes three solutions to create the right innovation framework: acquisiton, internal refocus or spin-out.

Innovation through Outsourcing

That’s where outsourcing comes in line.  I believe that it offers a fourth alternative to solve the dilemma, as it addresses by construction the three main flaws previously highlighted : flexibility, focus and financial incentive.

Flexibility brought by outsourcing allows companies to commit just enough for developing innovations, and can even turn non-profitable ventures into profitable ones.

From a financial viewpoint, disruptive innovations can be considered as non-core (since it does not contribute to the company’s main objectives), and non-core activities are the primary targets of any outsourcing business. More than that, they become the outsourcing supplier’s core activities, ensuring the first condition: focus.

The financial incentive is quite obvious here, without even needing to mention outsourcing’s most worn off argument : the cost logic.

A fourth alternative

The main critics to this idea will argue that outsourcing is by definition targeting well established processes or technologies, and that we can’t achieve innovation through it. Others will point out that disruptive is core (since it can precipitate a company’s fall), hence outsourcing is here again not applicable.

But be it to penetrate the online market, take the digitization turn or propose a 3.0 customer experience, I believe that outsourcing is well positioned as a fourth option to choose from when tackling the Dilemma.

I first touched on the topic of women and agility at the [...]]]> This question may sound controversial and even aggressive coming from the female agilist that I am. However, it only reflects two trends that I witnessed in the recent years:

1. The rise of agility in the workplace
2. The rise of women in the workforce

I first touched on the topic of women and agility at the first edition of Girl Geek Dinner in Vietnam. Initially intended as an introduction to agile software development for this very new group, my presentation ended with the following message: agility was actually a great attractor and motivator for female students to take on an IT job, and for women working in IT to persevere in their career.

As much as this seemed obvious to me through my own professional experience, I couldn’t work out then whether there was any good justification to it.

Open session at the Agile Tour

At the Agile Tour HCMC 2012, I had the opportunity to raise this topic again in an open session: “Are women more agile?”. With the help from Joe Justice we adopted the following approach:

• Step 1. Define what are the characteristics of Agility?
• Step 2. How do women vs. men rank against each of these characteristics?

This approach would not provide any scientific proof or justification. The answers may be subjective and may vary depending on cultural factors, especially what is perceived as being masculine or feminine. But the perception is a good indicator of behaviour and how they affect the workplace and career choices. It was a pity that on the day, there were not enough participants to collect data, so I put an equivalent survey online (*) to continue my investigations.

The open session at the Agile Tour ended with a 2 minutes presentation that was recorded in this short video.

The bottom line was: the point is not so much whether women are more agile or less, but that they do bring agility to a team, they contribute to collective intelligence (as shown in this very nice infographic from Women who tech). Furthermore, because the criteria to succeed in IT have shifted in the past decade to agile criteria, women are more likely to be successful, and be attracted to embrace such careers.

The rise of women

Encouraging more women in technology is not only a matter of gender equality. Only with the female workforce will there be have enough skilled people.

As Hanna Rosin explains in her TED talk on The rise of women, the workforce balance is shifting.

“For every two men who get a college degree, three women will do the same [...] 50 percent of managers are women these days,  and in the 15 professions projected to grow  the most in the next decade, all but two of them are dominated by women”

I suspect that the 2 professions that are expected to grow and that will not be dominated by women are IT related…

“What the economy requires now is a whole different set of skills. Intelligence, ability to sit still and focus, to communicate openly, to be able to listen to people and to operate in the workplace that is much more fluid than  it used to be, those are things that women do extremely well.”

In software development, the profession has gone from “nerd developers” who can barely express any emotions to developers who can pair-program, communicate, understand the “business value” and put themselves in user’s shoes. These are things women do extremely well.

Vietnamese women

I believe that the fact that women may possess better skills for the current society is even more true in Vietnam where jobs are in garment or electronic manufacturing or in the service industry, including outsourcing services like Officience.

Vietnamese women are often praised because they are “nhanh nhen” (quick and fast): they know how to make themselves useful in any situations in a very discreet way. At home, with a bit of washing up here, helping for the cooking there, washing a few vegetables here, playing with the kids there, serving food to the elders here, taking part in a conversation there. All that without anyone having to ask them to do so.

In a development team, they are just the same, with a bit of coding here, writing some missing documentation there, organizing a team event here, asking for conversational news there, all this without anyone ever telling. Don’t think that they are anything near being office moms. On the contrary, they naturally understand the concept of servant leadership, which relates closely to agile leadership.

Vietnamese families prefer first-born girls for these reasons. Companies would be crazy not to seek to have women in their team, and even their leadership team, for the same reasons.

International women’s day

On this international women’s day, I would like to celebrate in particular all the chi em (sisters) working in IT in Vietnam. May they find an agile environment that will make the most of their abilities and allow them to thrive!

Girl Geek Dinners: From England spreading all over the world

The [...]]]> Last December 20th (2012), plenty of girls and ladies who are interested in working in engineering as well as in technology had a chance to join the 2nd event of Vietnam Girl Geek Dinners, which was organized and sponsored by Officience Vietnam.

Girl Geek Dinners: From England spreading all over the world

The first “Girl Geek Dinners” community was founded in August 2005 in London as a result of one geek girl who wanted to change people’s opinion towards women in IT, which had been negative for too long. Since its creation, Girl Geek Dinners have spread to over 24 countries and there are now more than 67 communities established all over the world, like for instance Oxford Girl Geek Dinners (England), Strasbourg Girl Geek Dinners (France), etc., where most of the attendees are female.

Vietnam Girl Geek Dinners: the second edition

With the aim of bringing confidence to Vietnamese IT women in their professional but also personal life, being influenced by the aforementioned worldwide movement, on June 2012 people witnessed the birth of Vietnam Girl Geek Dinners. This first edition was a warm dinner organized at Tango Juice, in the center of Ho Chi Minh City, where 10 attendees shared with each other their ambition and experience in IT, made contacts,etc.

With the leadership of Hoang-Anh PHAN ( IT Department Director at Officience), geek girls from many companies and universities in Ho Chi Minh City collaborated to organize the 2nd event on December 20th 2012, which gathered more than 30 attendees in Officience Phu Nhuan District premises.

The program included 2 speeches: Work – Life Balance and Introduction to SEO (Search Engine Optimization), and of course, a dinner.

Thanh Tam, Head of IT projects at Mekong Bank, was a speaker at both events. She brought to the audience new inspirations and ideas for life and work in the first one, and this time again she gave the ladies not only a larger view of the field that they’re studying or working in, but also more confidence regarding the career they chose.

Vietnam Girl Geek Dinners: newly established community but promising for a  bright future

Given the growth of the Technology and Engineering fields among Vietnamese women, with an organizing plan of 1 event per month and the skillful contribution of speakers and organizers, the Vietnam Girl Geek Dinners community could really grow fast becoming an ideal environment for all geek girls to feel confident in sharing their thoughts about IT, work, and life in general. And this is very important in times when people start to realize that more and more geek girls are needed  to contribute to the development of IT in Vietnam, but in the rest of the world as well.

Do more with less

Despite the basics of macroeconomy [...]]]> When I tell people I head a software outsourcing department in Vietnam, I often get 2 questions. The first is how the macroeconomic situation in Vietnam is affecting my business and the second is whether I find skilled people to work on the projects we deliver.

Do more with less

Despite the basics of macroeconomy that I was taught in university – I’m definitely more of a tech person, I was quite uncomfortable with the first point raised. But not so much anymore, thanks to the luncheon organized by the EuroCham specifically on that subject. According to the 2 speakers, Mr. Pincus (Academic Dean of the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program in Vietnam,) and Mr. Quang A (President of Enterprise Association Vietnam – Hungary, former Director of the Institute of Development Studies IDS), the bottom line is quite depressing: Vietnam is 10 years late and didn’t make good use of all the Foreign Direct Investment that was poured in the country since early 2006. Especially the banking system and the real estates promoters, which by the way the government shouldn’t try to rescue.

The cumulated bad debt will have to be paid eventually, and that is very bad news for whoever is trying to make a living in Vietnam. Taxes will likely increase, for citizens, but also for businesses.

As I was listening to the speakers, I recalled my mother saying  this Vietnamese proverb “Phí của giời, mười đời không có” – “Don’t waste God’s gifts, you don’t have 10 lives”. Lean management still has a long way to go. And this is exactly the next battle that we need to fight here: do more with less. With the slow US recovery, the Eurozone debt crisis, don’t count on FDI.

Despite the gloom image that was painted, there are positive signs from industries like agriculture and garments and shoes manufacturing. They do “real economic activities” and work on their competitiveness, by investing in production equipment or  in IT Tools, such as ERP systems. With that, the IT industry is definitely part of the positive picture.

So the macroeconomic situation is rather bad, but for the IT industry, the growth is expected to be 4 times the growth of Vietnam: 25-35% against 5-6%. According to the consulting company ATKearney , Vietnam holds the 8th position among the 50 most attractive countries for outsourcing. The government has recently launched an ICT committee (Ủy ban quốc gia về CNTT-TT) and fully acknowledge the key role that ICT will play in the country’s next phases of development. So, we’re not going to be out of business anytime soon.

Nurture talents

If not out of business, is there a risk that we are out of talents? It’s true that competition is fierce among IT recruiters.

There are currently 120.000 IT services and software workers. Vietnam has more than 250 IT universities and colleges across the country that train 169.000 students. That is roughly 7% of all students. The concern is not only in the number of available fresh graduated students, but also whether they are well prepared and ready to work. According to a recent statistic of Center of Forecasting Manpower Needs and Labour Market Information (FALMI), 72% of students in this field do not have practical experience, 42% lack of teamwork, 70% can’t speak fluently foreign languages. It can take up to 3 months to train them in these skills. And once a company has invested in training juniors, it often struggles to retain them. No wonder companies fight to retain good staff.

Each company have their own tactics to address this challenge. At Officience, we focus on 2 main aspects:

• Skills for life: we welcome students and we arrange 10% training time with initiatives such as Launch Your Career, 6 months individual development plans. We develop soft skills through the training of our corporate values (COSMIC LOVER)
• Sharing the value: we give meaning to the work, everyone in the company see how they contribute to not only a company, but to the society they live in: how to reach sustainability, avoid waste and develop Vietnam.

More specifically in my department,  I put an emphasis in training the team to be agile. With agility, there are many aspects that actually affects our recruitment:

• Close proximity to customers: team members get to train their foreign language skills.
• Stabilized and sustainable teams: teams gain efficiency as they learn how to work together over time, they “self-organize” and enjoy seeing the progress they make.
• Daily communication: team members learn to share information effectively with adult-to-adult conversations.
• Ownership and accountability: every member of the team is important, their opinions are taken into account and they are encouraged to speak out.
• Definition of Done: teams agree with the product stakeholders on what it means to complete the each piece of work, so that they fully deliver what is expected.
• Lean: the basics learnt at school are put into practice to produce code that can be refactored, with automated unit tests and just good enough documentation, within or outside of their code .
• Pair-programming: although not very common yet, this spreads excellent coding practices among the developers
• Business value: team go further than just the technical solution, they actually understand the business value of what they deliver, and can innovate. 

Candidates who can’t  switch their mind to work this way don’t often stay long in our team. But most of our newcomers can and will succeed. And being successful in this kind of environment can only encourage them to seek a similar working environment. All this makes me confident to answer: “Yes, I have the skilled people to work on our projects”.

Every month, individuals and organizations who are interested in environmental subjects gather for Green Drinks around the globe. In Ho Chi Minh City, people have also participated in some “Green”  networkings of which the latest 12th edition took place on Tuesday October 23rd, at Zest Bistro & Café in District 1. Members [...]]]>

Every month, individuals and organizations who are interested in environmental subjects gather for Green Drinks around the globe. In Ho Chi Minh City, people have also participated in some “Green”  networkings of which the latest 12th edition took place on Tuesday October 23rd, at Zest Bistro & Café in District 1. Members of Officience Green Team of course attended this meaningful event organized by Holcim VietNam.

Green Drinks: a worldwide organization

The “Green Drinks” concept was founded in 1990 by a British man named Edwin Datschefski, who’s now the International Coordinator of this organization. From a small group in North London, Green Drinks has expanded to more than 50 countries in the world including VietNam in 2010. There are over 600 Green Drinks multiple cities of  theses countries, each with a typical name: Green Drinks Saigon (VietNam), Green Drinks Paris (France), etc.

“Can a cement and concrete producer be Green?” A question for Green Drinks Saigon Oct 2012

On October 23, numerous individuals and organizations who are interested in environmental subjects gathered for an interesting evening, looking for answers to the question “Can a cement and concrete producer be Green?”.

Speakers were Mr Bao Nguyen – Holcim Vietnam’s Sustainable Development Director and also Co-Chairman of Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD), Pieter Keppers – Technical Marketing Manager at Holcim Vietnam, and Melissa Merryweather – consultant at Green Consult Asia. Together, they shared Holcim’s initiatives in the manufacturing field, their available solutions for Green Construction and different initiatives they lead and support to create awareness on Sustainable Development, an attractive subject to many entrepreneurs today. Also, people had a chance to swap cards, swap stories, swap ideas, make contacts and enjoy the “green drinks”.

Officience Green Team: attending Green Drinks, but also organizing a yearly Green Day

First organized in Jun 30th 2012 in the garden of Officience, Green Day Officience aimed to promote topics of key importance: the Environment and Sustainable Development.

The programme included a workshop on making objects from recycled materials, a photography exhibition with the theme “Water, the source of life”, a presentation of a software simulation of a hotel’s carbon footprint by the ENERTEAM association, a Green Quiz and a screening of the film Home, by Yann Arthus Bertrand.

Organized by the 30 members of Officience Green Team in association with ENERTEAM and the HCMC Waste Recycling Fund, this first edition raised up the awareness of environment for all the Offies and people outside the company who joined the event that day, that we call the principle objective for a green event.

Thanks to the enthusiastic encouragement of Offies, Green Team is also planning for Green Day 2 on April 19th 2013, hope this project will bring much more success to Green Team and Officience in the upcoming time.

The short answer is not quite. Otherwise, why would Microsoft also develop Dynamics, their ERP product? However, until a company gets an ERP solution or when the existing ERP solution lacks [...]]]> We often get this question from customers who are new to SharePoint whether SharePoint can be an ERP solution.

The short answer is not quite. Otherwise, why would Microsoft also develop Dynamics, their ERP product? However, until a company gets an ERP solution or when the existing ERP solution lacks flexibility, then SharePoint is really something to consider. As you will see below SharePoint and ERP solutions have a lot in common and are yet still often complementary.

IT tools critical to business growth

The need for an ERP arises from the more advanced stages of development of the company. In the early stages of “Existence” and “Survival”, Excel spreadsheets are often the most common choice to deal with financials, reporting, tracking, orders and sales. However, as a business moves on to the “Success” and especially “Take-Off” phases, the spreadsheets require more collaboration, access control, workflow, history revision, SharePoint comes naturally as the next step. In the “Resources maturity” stage, more businesses will invest in a fully featured ERP solution.

Compared to a fully featured ERP solution, SharePoint present several benefits:

• Content and document management
• Flexibility, ease of deployment
• Portal and Enterprise search
• Familiar User Interface

On the other hand, an ERP system will have the following strengths compared to SharePoint:

• Plant floor connectivity
• Industry best practices
• Automated data
• Financial integration

ERP and SharePoint: common challenges

Because both ERP and SharePoint deal with functional areas such as access control, business process and collaboration, they often share common challenges:

• Strong project governance
• Cross-department projects
• Business process reviewed
• User training and tool adoption

It is also remarkable to see that ERP products tend to develop flexibility while SharePoint tends to develop verticality, as if the 2 were converging.

Furthermore, both Microsoft and ERP solutions provider are also actively working on cloud readiness. What is at stake on the cloud is actually the early stages of development of a business market. Because the cloud removes the entry barriers with a pay-for-what-you-use model, businesses might skip the Excel tooling phase.

Best of both worlds

Because of the commonalities and the strength of each player, using SharePoint Business Connectivity Services (BCS) to integrate one with the other makes therefore a lot of sense. The ERP provides advanced automated data which visibility, accessibility and presentation are enhanced thanks to SharePoint.

Like almost everything with SharePoint, there are simple configuration with out-of-the-box connectors. As one needs to lift the limitations and deal with more advanced integration, such as data aggregation, custom connectors can be developed on top of .NET and leverage all existing .NET libraries such as SAP or Siebel connectors.

With SharePoint 2013, Microsoft has even developed further the BCS to facilitate this type of integration on the cloud, with the concept of SharePoint App and better support on the Client Side Object Model (CSOM) API.

At the core, SharePoint addresses the need to communicate, produce familiar reports and presentations, organize knowledge, collaborate and being social within the company. SharePoint builds up from the middle or upper management who now master Office Excel and Powerpoint, and whom next challenge should be to master SharePoint, if Microsoft succeeds in their strategy.

You can find more in these 2 SharePoint case studies by Officience (links to be updated soon).

Also check the online prezi which I presented at SharePoint Saturday Vietnam.

We are even more enthusiastic when we [...]]]> At Officience, we are agile enthusiasts, we believe that agile is the only way to develop good software. The transition isn’t easy, but is worth every effort. And the progress is very rewarding (see a previous post on Raising Agile awareness with games).

A dynamic Agile community

We are even more enthusiastic when we see that this is a confirmed trend in Vietnam. The agile community here is quite inspiring: the Agile Forum is a great initiative. The monthly events contribute massively to not only the awareness, but also to show that Agile is possible, that other companies have gone through this transition or on the way to it.

A session at the Agile Forum Vietnam

With the upcoming Agile Tour Ho Chi Minh City (8th and 9th of Nov.), the community is going one step further. By bringing this unique event in South East Asia, we show Vietnam’s maturity and even capability to lead in this matter.

Officience is very happy and proud to announce that we will be a Gold Sponsor at the Agile Tour Ho Chi Minh City.

Agile Tour HCMC Program

With 4 parallel lanes and renowned international speakers, the Agile Tour will offer unique insights on agile and lean methods from the design, manufacturing and business process perspectives.

Four lanes:

• Lane 1: Management & Leadership
• Lane 2: Manufacturing in the 21st century
• Lane 3: Academia & Industry
• Lane 4: Technology

Confirmed speakers:

• Ken Schwaber, Scrum Co-Founder
• Joe Justice, WIKISPEED CEO
• Kiro Harada, Lean and Toyota Production System Expert (TPS)
• Daniel Teng, Agile Coach Expert
• Peter Stevens, Scrum Coach, Trainer and Mentor
• Brindusa Gabur, Agile Practitioner Expert
• Alexandre Cuva, Agile Coach and Trainer
• Duong Trong Tan, Academic Head, FPT University

Fees:

• Diamond: 1,000,000 VND – Meet some of the speakers the evening before the conference and attend both days
• Regular: 500,000 VND – Regular 2-day conference ticket
• Student: 27,000 VND – Please bring your valid student pass with you to the conference.

More details on the program on the Agile Tour official website.

Although the subject can be a little too technical [...]]]> The CCIFV organizes a monthly SME Corner, an event targeted to SMEs in Ho Chi Minh City. At the last event, we had the pleasure of giving a presentation on cloud computing, as well as a short demo on how we use it at Officience.

Although the subject can be a little too technical at times, we wanted to present the cloud’s different uses as well as the opportunities that it offers. Whether for an SME, a VSE or a CAC40 company, cloud computing can help you, on any budget, to quickly implement productivity-boosting IT tools.

Different definitions depending on who you talk to

The cloud. Everyone talks about it and everyone uses it, often without even knowing it. In fact, it’s everywhere nowadays and we forget how we even got there. It came quite naturally because unlike many other technologies, individuals started using it long before companies did.

For end users, the cloud stores information online: emails, photos, music etc. The cloud ensures that your data is both permanently stored and accessible from anywhere, and even from any device.

For an Information Systems Manager, the cloud reduces infrastructure costs with a pay-as-you-go model which limits the need for initial investment.

For professional software developers, the cloud offers a new way to develop and rapidly deploy on-line applications.

Indeed, the cloud is all this at once and it offers 3 different types of service:

• Infrastructure as a service (Iaas) for IS Managers
• Platform as a service (Paas) for software developers
• Software as a service (Saas) for end users

Moving from offshore to cloudshore

Basically, the cloud consists of moving information storage and processing, which would traditionally be found on local servers or the user’s workstation, to remote servers. Therefore, as SME Corner attendees were quick to point out – no internet connection means no cloud!

In addition to storage and processing, even rights have been ‘deported’ to the cloud. So, when music is stored on iTunes, it doesn’t belong to you in the same way as it does on a CD or when converted into an audio file. This dematerialisation and disappropriation is the cause of much legal debate in terms of data security and protection.

Users are putting more and more trust into cloud service suppliers. We use Gmail for our email because we think that Google won’t lose the data. People buy songs on iTunes because they think that Apple has legally acquired the necessary rights to use and distribute. By doing so, the cloud’s players now act as trusted third parties that other businesses can rely on to sell new services. They enrich the cloud’s ecosystem and push its use even further.

That is in fact how Officience started to develop BPO as a Service: by making use of trusted cloud application suppliers who recognise the expertise of Officience’s teams to provide any necessary support.

Cloud demo at the CCIFV’s SME corner event

The cloud for businesses

Today, users expect the same flexibility within a business as the cloud provides for personal usage. Web 2.0 tools are accessible everywhere and are collaborative as well as social. It has been well promoted that ‘weak ties’ leverage productivity. Formal or informal information is better distributed; exchanges are more targeted and are grouped based on real shared interests. This environment is more favourable for creating original content and launching innovative ideas.

Lastly, thanks to Saas, the entry barriers for these new tools are removed. Businesses only pay for what they use. This is, for example, Salesforce’s proposal for deploying a business sales force. Other solutions such as SharePoint capitalise on Microsoft tools such as Microsoft Excel, which businesses have alreadymastered.

How we use the Google cloud at Officience

At Officience,we use Google’s SME solution. Initially chosen to keep email management simple, it offers numerous advantages which we have now been integrated into our daily work.

At this SME Corner presentation, Eric Llouquet gave a short demonstration:

• A shared spreadsheet is a powerful collaborative tool: managing history, access rights and the possibility of seeing and interacting with those who are working on the document in real time.
• Linked to graph plugins and a Google site it enables you to publish project dashboards in real time, for increased transparency
• Finally, for communicating company news, such as Officience’s attendance at this SME Corner, nothing as lively as a photo posted on our corporate social network, i.e. Google+.

These things never go as fast as [...]]]> Our software development team has started transitioning to agile for more than a year now. The motivation behind this move is better delivery and more satisfaction for our customers but also for ourselves as a team. I explain it quickly in this video.

These things never go as fast as we’d like, and there are still a lot of things to improve. But one thing we’ve managed well over the last year is to raise agile awareness and interest. Here are 2 games we played in order to do so.

Tangled mess – Self Organized teams

The move to self organizing teams was triggered by a talk I attended to back in April, at the Vietnam Agile Forum, a talk by Ken Schwaber. He might remember me as the girl asking way too many questions! After this talk I was even more convinced that self-organizing teams was the way to go.

A team trying to untangle themselves

The below game illustrates how self-organizing teams can get better results, as long as:

• everyone is involved
• everyone understand what is at stake
• team members talk to each other and cooperate

Material

No specific material.

How to play

Form teams of 8 to 10 people. Ask each team to select a manager. Other players should form a circle. Ask each player to hold the hand of 2 other people that are not adjacent to them. Their left hand should hold the right hand of another person and their left hand should hold the right hand of another person.

The team plays to untangle themselves into a nice circle while still holding their hands.

First round : the team strictly follows the instructions of the manager

Second round: remove the manager, the team members collaborate by themselves

Outcome

We didn’t measure precisely the performance time, and this is no scientific research. Some players prefer it with a manager, some without. In any case, the purpose was well illustrated, because indirectly, the following questions were raised.

• how good are the manager’s instructions?
• does the manager bottleneck by giving only one instruction at a time?
• in which round is the team members more involved?
• how to deal with communication involving all team members (better than shouting!)

Back-to-back Lego – Agile Programming

Agile programming is a must-have to further implement agile. We can have amazing teams, have an excellent understanding of the business value, eventually we need to be able to get over any technical debt.

Agile programming means:

• continuous integration
• automated unit testing
• pair-programming

A team playing lego to practice pair programming

Whereas the 2 first are purely technical, pair-programming requires soft skills that are too often less cared about. The game below illustrates these soft skills.

Material

A box of first age lego blocks (e.g. duplo).

How to play

Form pairs. Each pair sit back-to-back. One player have a model from the catalog that the other can’t see. He/she needs to give instructions to his teammate to build according to the model.

Outcome

Apart from the challenge in communication, there are many similarities between building with lego blocks and software development.

• give an overview (“the big picture”) first: “Why didn’t you tell me it was a boat to start with?”
• did we pass quality check? : “You had 10 min to do it, you did it in 5 and didn’t take time to check!“
• pay attention to details such as the color of a block: “I couldn’t find the yellow piece, so I took the orange one”
• some people are team “helpers”: they go from one group to the another, give advice, help with pictures
• some people are product “finishers”: even after the game is finished, they continue to complete the model

This event will be an excellent opportunity for networking and meeting the major actors in the French community based in HCMC: Consulate, AFV (Amicale [...]]]> The French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (CCIFV) will host its annual Welcoming Seminar next Thursday 13th of September 2012 at the Company’s Ho Chi Minh City premises.

This event will be an excellent opportunity for networking and meeting the major actors in the French community based in HCMC: Consulate, AFV (Amicale des Francophones au Vietnam), Ubifrance and the CCIFV.  The seminar is free of charge for the CCIFV’ members.

Please contact Mrs. Cendrine Nazos at cendrine.nazos@ccifv.org to register.

Many clients come to us with fixed ideas for their projects and an almost systematic quote request for a basic website. This medium has become a necessity in a [...]]]> What is the first means of communication you think of when you want to start a project? Inevitably, it’s the website!

Many clients come to us with fixed ideas for their projects and an almost systematic quote request for a basic website. This medium has become a necessity in a world where digital is king and online sales are developing at high speed.

However, is it really the best strategy to follow when we know that there are many other free solutions available to help create buzz and test a product or service with an audience?

Using social networks such as Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook these days is essential and is a must for spreading ideas and creating a first circle of networkers who will later become your best marketers. Each business project should begin with a period where information is transmitted on the internet via these sites.

However, we often find that our clients naturally want to avoid sharing ideas and/or their company names too early ; partly out of fear of being copied and also because they want to create an ‘event’, these entrepreneurs are sure that hundreds, if not thousands of people will be present when the digital scissors cut the red ribbon at the opening of their site.

Being afraid that someone will steal your idea is an understandable and legitimate fear. However, generally you don’t risk much by talking about your project unless you have invented an extremely simple, revolutionary system for turning water into gold. The initial barriers are often too big when you want to start a company and that reduces to zero the desires of even the most kleptomaniac among us.

On the other hand, talking about your idea enables you to get initial feedback from the market, professionals and friends – who are often not afraid of playing devil’s advocate. This feedback will help you to structure and consolidate your idea or allow you to see any flaws that you hadn’t noticed before.This is where professional or personal social networks come in. Creating a website, in itself, should only come after. Why create a basic site at a cost of 2,500 to 4000 euros when you can have a similar if not greater impact using free methods?

Many entrepreneurs ask consultants for quotes to create websites when they do not even have a web presence yet. Twitter or Facebook are not just optional for young companies but should be a requirement. It would be wrong to think that by launching several means of communication at the same time (internet site and social sites), the whole world will have been waiting impatiently for that moment.

In summary, start spreading information early on social networks and certain people will catch it and run with it. And these will be the same people who, later, when your website is launched, will pass your ideas on to their own networks. And you will have thus created your closely linked circle, the heart of your future clientele from which the major part of your first opportunities will spring from.

The evolution of Information technology, particularly in the area of cloud computing, leads us to profoundly change the way in which we perceive and manage businesses. In [...]]]> How to take advantage of data profusion, according to  Eric Llouquet, Head of BU Content  at Officience.

Cloud computing & the digital age

The evolution of Information technology, particularly in the area of cloud computing, leads us to profoundly change the way in which we perceive and manage businesses. In 2012, managers are constantly connected to the cloud and are overwhelmed by the amount of information, of which they have to take advantage. Our world is becoming digital. Taking a look at the main actors in the sector is enough to convince us of this.

How to benefit from these evolutions?

Within this context of information overload, the future belongs to those who know how to make use of this profusion of data, those who are able to sort, organize and exploit digital information. How can we make the most of this major change? This question lies at the heart of our mission at Content. By generating, optimizing and organizing digital information, we help our clients to get the most out of their data and generate competitive advantages from them – determining factors for the success of their business.

A flexible structure

Solutions to this change are never the same. Each organization has their own challenges so we tailor our services to them: All is flexible: size of the team, from 1 pooled employee to more than 100 staffs with a dedicated team of managers.
With or without the development of IT tools, provided by our in-house IT team.Profiles in French or English, depending on client needs.

Just one thing stays the same: the environmental impact of our solutions is carefully measured and conformed to a sustainable development approach.

In Vietnam there are more than 64,000 people trained in IT. They are young, dynamic and have a hunger for learning. I have interviewed many candidates and they are [...]]]> How to work nowadays in offshore, according to  Hoang Anh Phan, Head of BU IT Development at Officience.

Capitalizing on potential

In Vietnam there are more than 64,000 people trained in IT. They are young, dynamic and have a hunger for learning. I have interviewed many candidates and they are all looking for a professional working environment. They want well-defined processes and tools which will enable them to succeed.

A necessary assimilation of the client’s issues

However, one of the most important things they learn at Officience is that to succeed in IT, particularly in the Offshore context, they need more than that. It’s not a lack of know-how that causes projects to fail but a lack of understanding of the client’s context and challenges.

At Officience we have developed working methods and a corporate culture designed to minimise this gap. This includes daily contact, weekly progress reports, frequent releases, continuous feedback, transparent communication and an open and entrepreneurial spirit.

Giving projects meaning

When we start working on a project, I don’t simply explain to what to do and how to my team, I take the time to tell them why. This means they are on-board with the long term vision and have a more global vision of our clients. When my teams understand the keys to our clients’ success, they are pro-active. Their work takes on meaning and higher quality deliverables are produced.

(*) http://www.francemondexpress.fr/IMG/pdf/reussir_vietnam.pdf

According to legend, Au Co, the mother of the Vietnamese people, carried [...]]]> Last Saturday Vietnam celebrated the Hung Vuong Kings Festival. The 10^th day of the third lunar month marks the anniversary of the death of the 6^th Hung King and became a national holiday in 2000.

A legendary dynasty

According to legend, Au Co, the mother of the Vietnamese people, carried 100 eggs which hatched into 100 children and the eldest of these became the Hung King. He was the first king of theVăn Lang country, the first nation of current Vietnam. The Hung King dynasty lasted for 18 generations, from 2879 to 235 AD. The 6^th Hung King taught the mountain and rice spirits how to worship in the superior temple of edifices, which today lies in ruins.

These ruins dedicated to the Hung Kings are found on Nghia Linh Mountain, in Phu Tho province. On this day,several hundred pilgrims and government representatives flock there to celebrate and worship the founders of the country. In memory of the kings different kinds of rice are offered by the area’s ethnic groups to the sound of bronze drums. Xoan chants, which have been recognised by UNESCO as part of the cultural heritage since 24 November 2011, accompany the sound of the drums.

UNESCO delegates in Vietnam also attended the ceremonies. This could lead to the worship of the Hung Kings in Phu Tho becoming part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Vietnam is trying to make this place, which is so full of cultural and spiritual traditions, a permanent site of reunion and celebration for the Vietnamese.

Vietnamese people in communion

However, this event isn’t just the prerogative of people living in Vietnam. It is also, because of its origins and what it symbolises, an emblem of the union of Vietnamese people. Thereforethe Viet kieu – Vietnamese people living abroad, also celebrate the founding kings of the country. This year, a delegation of 50 Viet kieu went to burn incense in the many temples at the historical site in memory of their sovereign ancestors and by doing so demonstrated solidarity with Vietnamese people all over the world.

Sources :

http://lecourrier.vnanet.vn/lecourrier/fr-fr/details/28/culture/45774/fete-des-rois-hung-rendez-vous-culturel-et-spirituel-des-vietnamiens.aspx

http://fr.vietnamplus.vn/Home/Fete-des-rois-Hung-a-Phu-Tho/20123/22009.vnplus

http://indochine-autrement.com/vietnam-le-guide-culturel/les-fetes-au-vietnam/fete-du-temple-des-rois-hung.html

http://httnparis.over-blog.com/article-fete-des-roi-hung-ngay-quoc-to-hung-vuong-2012-101878611.html

http://lecourrier.vnanet.vn/lecourrier/fr-fr/details/10/diaspora/45787/ces-viet-kieu-qui-glorifient-les-rois-fondateurs.aspx

The IT sector in Vietnam experienced a crisis in 2009 but today it seems to be booming. The sector is expected to see growth of 17% in 2012. Nationally, the IT products and services market is expected to represent 4.9 billion dollars by 2016.

Vietnam’s membership [...]]]>  

The IT sector in Vietnam experienced a crisis in 2009 but today it seems to be booming. The sector is expected to see growth of 17% in 2012. Nationally, the IT products and services market is expected to represent 4.9 billion dollars by 2016.

The right environment

Vietnam’s membership in ASEAN and the WTO has led to higher levels of IT imports at more competitive prices. The market is therefore becoming increasingly competitive with a greaternumbers of multinational IT suppliers. These are investing en masse in Vietnam where the demand for digital infrastructure is growing. The telecoms sector is the most affected, as well as the banking and energy sectors.

In addition, the government has implemented an IT facilities development policy, with subsequent investment in the production of electronic services and software.

FPT, the largest Vietnamese software-producing companyhas embarked on a plan to develop state-of-the-art technologies and even announced a cloud computing partnership with Microsoft in May last year.

On cloud nine

More and more  companies are following in FPT’s footsteps, such as IBM which has created a cloud computing facility in Vietnam and has also won a contract to provide the cloud computing platform for the Ho Chi Minh City government.

Along similar lines, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET)has instructed education services to make use of the cloud computing concept. In addition, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MONRE) has, since 2011, emphasised the use of cloud computing in its IT applications.

Cloud computing is thereby growing in size and is becoming a hot topic, as demonstrated by the conference ‘Cloud computing, modernity vs security’ which is being held from 21^st to 23^rd March in Hanoi.

Sources:

http://www.marketresearch.com/Business-Monitor-International-v304/Vietnam-Information-Technology-Q1-6820671/

http://www.security.org.vn/hn2012/

http://vietnamplus.com

http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/Economy/219459/cloud-computing-to-boom.html

Le secteur de l’IT au Vietnam qui a souffert de la crise en 2009 semble être aujourd’hui en plein essor.  Il devrait enregistrer une croissance de 17% en 2012. Au niveau national, le marché de produits et services IT devrait représenter 4,9 milliards de dollars d’ici 2016.

Un contexte favorable

La présence du Viêtnam au sein de l’ASEAN et de l’OMC a permis de renforcer les importations IT, à des prix plus compétitifs. Le marché est en effet de plus en plus concurrentiel avec la présence accrue de fournisseurs multinationaux d’IT. Ceux-ci investissent en masse au Viêtnam, où la demande en infrastructures digitales est croissante. Le secteur des télécoms est le plus concerné ainsi que ceux de la banque et de l’énergie.

De plus, le gouvernement a mis en place une politique de développement des équipements IT, avec des investissements conséquents dans la production de services électroniques et de logiciels.

FPT, la plus importante entreprise vietnamienne de production de logiciels, a entamé un plan de développement des technologies de pointe et a même annoncé en mai dernier un partenariat cloud computing avec Microsoft.

Le cloud en plein essor

De plus en plus d’entreprises  suivent l’exemple de FPT, comme IBM qui opère un déploiement du cloud computing au Viêtnam et s’est même érigé comme le fournisseur de plateformes cloud officiel du gouvernement à Ho Chi Minh Ville.

Dans la lignée de ces initiatives, le Ministère de l’Education et de la Formation (MOET) a demandé aux services d’éducation de se tourner vers ce concept. De même, le Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de l’Environnement a mis l’accent depuis 2011 sur  l’utilisation du cloud computing dans ses applications IT.

L’informatique en nuage prend ainsi de l’ampleur et devient une véritable problématique d’actualité, comme l’en atteste la conférence/exposition « Cloud computing, modernity vs security » du 21 au 23 mars prochain à Hanoi.

Sources :

http://www.marketresearch.com/Business-Monitor-International-v304/Vietnam-Information-Technology-Q1-6820671/

http://www.security.org.vn/hn2012/

http://vietnamplus.com

http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/Economy/219459/cloud-computing-to-boom.html

Until the 25thFebruary, the Quai Branly museum in Paris is showcasing the art of Vietnamese water puppets.

In Asia the art of puppetry dates back more than 2000 years. It’s a real ‘people’s tradition’ which can take place in both villages and royal palaces. They’re not just for entertainment; puppets [...]]]>

Until the 25^thFebruary, the Quai Branly museum in Paris is showcasing the art of Vietnamese water puppets.

An age-old tradition

In Asia the art of puppetry dates back more than 2000 years. It’s a real ‘people’s tradition’ which can take place in both villages and royal palaces. They’re not just for entertainment; puppets were initially related to religion. They symbolise sacred and supernatural elements, and are a way of passing on folk legends.

In Vietnam, puppets first appeared in the eleventh century under the Ly dynasty (1009-1225) and were passed on due to the Chinese influence. They are strongly linked with the spirit world which livens up the retelling of legends or scenes from daily life. In the rice paddies, puppetry adapted to its setting as the Múarốinước originated in the Red River Delta. These are the ‘puppets which dance on water’.

A festive atmosphere

The puppeteers are hidden in the shade or behind a wooden panel, up to their waists in water. They make the characters move using a long bamboo stick under the water. The orchestra, which is made up of percussion and flutes, and chèo opera singers tell the story while puppets act it out, gliding on the water. The singers don’t hesitate to shout out to the puppets if they’re in danger!

Each puppet represents a particular character with a specific meaning. The most common puppets are dragons, phoenix, animals from the countryside and the rice paddies, village people and genies. And we can’t forgetthe famous ‘Chu Teu’, a good natured joker who kicks off the story and links the events together.

These shows are synonymous with celebration – firecrackers explode at the beginning and they often take place during Tet.

The National Water Puppetry Theatre of Vietnam and the Lévi-Strauss Quai Branly Theatre wanted to jointly showcase the technical skill of the puppeteers who so poetically recreate their country’s ancestral stories and celebrate this art which UNESCO has declared to be part of humanity’s intangible cultural heritage.

Video – Water puppets

Sources:

http://lci.tf1.fr/culture/spectacles/le-maitre-des-marionnettes-le-visage-immuable-de-l-eau-6987422.html

http://www.vietnamguide.fr/les-marionnettes-sur-leau-vietnamiennes/

http://theatre.civilization.ca/narratives/details.php?lvl2=4811&lvl3=4823&language=french

http://www.amica-travel.com/vietnam-le-guide-culturel/la-culture/marionnettes-sur-l-eau-hanoi

Born in Vietnam during the war, Ea Sola arrived in France in 1978 with her Vietnamese father and French mother. She was involved in music, contemporary dance and theatre as part of the Grotowski group and also worked [...]]]> The French-Vietnamese choreographer and dancer is on tour in France from 29 March to 10 April!

Born in Vietnam during the war, Ea Sola arrived in France in 1978 with her Vietnamese father and French mother. She was involved in music, contemporary dance and theatre as part of the Grotowski group and also worked with the Japanese choreographer Min Tanaka. The one-time artist in residence at the Villa Medici, she also studied Tai Tu music from the Mekong Delta.

In 1990 she decided to return to Vietnam with a very specific idea in mind: to both look into traditional music and dance, and research memories of the war. She undertook a real exploration of her birth country, looking closely at every detail, human and spiritual.

An artist of many talents

Her favourite book, Discourse on voluntary servitude by Etienne de La Boétieis the inspiration for Ea’s compositions and is what makes her works unique.She even integrated this text into her show The White Body at the Hong Kong Arts Festival in 2009 when it was recited in French during the dance.

She is therefore able to create her own path, avoiding both the beaten track and established principles. Ea wants to confront thecontemporary ‘tyrants’ of advertising, fashion and money by placing a non-industrialised body against them. In her choreography, each gesture is refined and portrays a meaning. They are not automatic gestures but are considered, thought-out movements.

Drought and Rain

Drought and rain was her first composition, in 1995. To add to its originality, Vietnamese women farmers aged 50 – 76 performed on stage. They only knew how to dance their traditional village dances, several centuries old! However, they stopped dancing after the war. Ea thereby adds value to age-old body movements which are both very simple yet also tell the story of a country that is still in recovery.

In 2005, Sola created the second instalment of Drought and rain, with young professional dancers from the Vietnam Opera Ballet of Hanoi at the Municipal Theatre. She makes much of the memories of war, of resistance and its survivors with a minimalist almost ceremonial staging, against a black and white setting.

Video – Drought and Rain

Sources :

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/aug/25/ea-sola-drought-and-rain-vietnam-war

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ea_Sola

http://blog.vietnam-aujourdhui.info/post/2009/06/09/Ea-Sola-:-le-coprs-blanc

http://www.liberation.fr/theatre/0101573391-ea-sola-donne-corps-a-la-boetie

http://www.lefigaro.fr/musique/2011/01/17/03006-20110117ARTFIG00765-ea-sola.php

Greg always wanted to create a start-up but was worried by the thought of investing all his [...]]]> In 2011 Officience welcomed two young entrepreneurs to its incubator: Grégory Schlomoff for his BetterInbox project and Nathanaël Lamellière for Worketer. Why did they choose Vietnam and Officience?

Grégory: geographic arbitrage

Greg always wanted to create a start-up but was worried by the thought of investing all his savings and so much time in a project which risked failure.

However everything worked out when he decided to meet up with a friend in Vietnam – a country which then turned out to be the ideal place to launch a start-up:

• Cost of living: rent, food, travel – everything is cheaper here than in Paris. Grégory worked out that over 5 months he would spend 2 to 2.5 times less money than in Paris which, with the same budget left him significantly more time to work on his project.
• The happiness of living in a hot country, discovering new things every day andnew scenery every weekend.
• Limited time in the country created a real deadline and led to the making of clear plans.
• Chance encounters are more common and people are more open to supporting a project.
• Being based in the tropics adds a nice dimension to the project and makes it stand out from the crowd.

3 months later, Greg was in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s economic capital. He has been in Officience’s incubator for 8 months and from there he has been able to launch his intelligent mail box project: BetterInbox.

Nathanaël: discovering an emergent market

The Worketer start-up was created in 2008 by Nathanaël and his brother Simon. Dedicated to bringing IT skills and employment opportunities together, the service works like a social web app with an approach inspired by social networks.

For Nathanaël, it was a matter of following the adventure to Vietnam for a few months, for very specific reasons.

• To both discover the country with his French-Vietnamese girlfriend and gain international professional experience.
• To benefit from a shared work space as he did in Paris at Lawomatic. It was there that Nathanaël heard about Officience and contacted Duc HA DUONG who replied enthusiastically and was delighted to welcome him to our offices in Saigon.
• To get to know an emerging market: Nathanaël took part in a seminar on French IT know-how with Ubifrance which enabled him to showcase his services and meet many French and Vietnamese professionals. At Officience he was able to present his project to potential users and receive valuable advice and ideas.
• To observe how Officience works, a start-up which has grown up: interesting when you’re a small start-up with 2 members of staff!

Want to join us?

Officience has just opened new locations and we would be delighted to welcome you to them. Everything will come together for your project to succeed.

Don’t wait any longer, contact us on: contact@officience.com

September 2011: back to school

The Academic year opening ceremony of PNV has welcomed 60 new students, along with 30 students of second year. To be able to take care and provide the training to 90 students, PNV invited new [...]]]> Report from Thanh Huong – an Offy in Da Nang:

September 2011: back to school

The Academic year opening ceremony of PNV has welcomed 60 new students, along with 30 students of second year. To be able to take care and provide the training to 90 students, PNV invited new teachers, prepared new classrooms, rent new boarding houses, etc… Everybody was really busy.

October 2011: training at PNV

This year PNV offers 2 different training courses: System and Network Administration, and Programming. PNV also welcomes 4 volunteers to teach English, soft skills and IT subjects.

November 2011: visits in Danang

The President of Passerelles numériques (PN), Mr. Benoît Genuini went visit PN Office in Da Nang. Coming along with Monsieur le Président (that’s how PN staffs call him) – were Ms. Virginie Legrand, global coordinator of PN, and visitors from France, Singapore and US. PNV had a whole exciting week. Visitors saw classrooms, talked with students, had dinner at students’ boarding houses, etc. It was an unforgettable week for everybody: visitors, staffs and students.

December 2011: PNV in HCM city

The General Manager of PNV, Ms. Dieu Phuc, and the Training Manager , Ms. Viet Ha, met with Ms. Ngoc Thu, HR director at Officience. We are a partner of PNV: donated to PNV hardware devices for the program “second life for PCs”, we gave 30 Gymglish accounts to PNV students and finally sent 1 staff to PN’s office in Danang. Officience and Passerelles numériques will continue to be a solid partner to each other.

Just over a month after the Bitexco Tower Race, Officience took part in the 2011 Angkor Half-Marathon on 4th December. Three of us represented the company in this charity race. Officience runs in 2011!

For the last 16 years, runners from all over the [...]]]>

Just over a month after the Bitexco Tower Race, Officience took part in the 2011 Angkor Half-Marathon on 4th December. Three of us represented the company in this charity race. Officience runs in 2011!

A race in a mythical place

For the last 16 years, runners from all over the world have been coming to take on the challenge of this race through different temples at the site which is almost 9 centuries old. More than 21 kilometres long, the course takes you past famous temples such as Ta Phrom, Bayon, and Angkor Thom for a stunning finale in front of the marvellous Angkor Wat.

In addition to the half-marathon, other races were also organised so there was something to satisfy each of the 5,200 participants. You could choose from a 10km challenge, another of 3km, a cycling race and also a half-marathon for people in wheel chairs.

A special race for more than one reason

The real benefit of this race lies in its charitable side. This event began as part of the fight against anti-personnel mines, still present in some areas of the country. There is no prize or payment for taking part, quite the opposite; the purpose is to raise money for charity. This has enabled more than $250,000 to be raised since it began in 1996, of which $14,500 were raised at this year’s event. Since 2007, donations have been made to the Japanese-Cambodian NGO ‘Hearts of Gold‘, which bases its projects around sporting events. In partnership with other associations such as the Cambodian Red Cross or Handicap International, the Angkor Wat half marathon is part of the Millenium Development Goals set out by the United Nations.

The French Association against Myopathy (AFM) kicked off their 25th Telethon on Friday 2nd December. 30 hours of viewing was broadcast on the six French public TV channels in addition to many simulcasts, all to launch the biggest charity marathon in France. The aim: raising money to finance research into rare genetic diseases. [...]]]>

The French Association against Myopathy (AFM) kicked off their 25^th Telethon on Friday 2^nd December. 30 hours of viewing was broadcast on the six French public TV channels in addition to many simulcasts, all to launch the biggest charity marathon in France. The aim: raising money to finance research into rare genetic diseases. This year donation pledges have reached 86 million euros, an increase of 2 million compared to 2010. Could this be down to the Gad Elmaleh effect?

Arriving in Plaine St-Denis on Saturday at 5 pm we were struck by the logistics of it all: a mass of presenters, sponsors and organisations, all scheduled down to the second. It was a very eclectic mix! Nagui rubbing shoulders with the researchers, firemen interviewed by Sophie Davant and Gad was quite simply fantastic in his role as host for the evening.

In terms of the show, French music stars such as Christophe Willem and Chimène Badi took turns to perform while being interrupted by the up and coming stars: Shy’m or Colonel Reyel (“Celui” (this one), “Dis-moi oui” (tell me yes), “Aurélie”). But the real star was 3637, the number to call to make a donation.

During the break we made a quick visit to where the Orange Labs team was taking care of the technical side: text message statistics, 3D visuals etc all perfectly in sync with the directors. They were also in charge of broadcasting “fireworks map”, a blank map of France combined with a particle system to show the volume of donations in the form of fireworks… An innovative solution for real time, regional updates.

Here in Ho Chi Minh City we were also following the prime time entertainment. Officience’s Content team were especially proud to watch their beautiful 3D creation… and proud of having made a modest contribution to the Telethon. We left the evening with stars in our eyes and the glow of a good cause in our hearts.

Linh Dan Pham made a big impression with her role in the wonderful film by Jacques Audiard “The beat my heart skipped”. Remember, [...]]]> A portrait of Linh-Dan Pham, a French actress of Vietnamese origin.
From Saigon to London, via Paris, Singapore, New York and more, we discover a woman of many talents.

Linh Dan Pham made a big impression with her role in the wonderful film by Jacques Audiard “The beat my heart skipped”. Remember, she was the lady who gave piano lessons to Romain Duris. Deeply moving, even though she barely said a word, she gradually helped him find his way back to humanity. For this role she received a César award for most promising female actress in 2006: pretty successful for a come-back! Here is a clip from the film…

Vietnam HR Day is the largest annual human resources forum in Vietnam for entrepreneurs, business leaders, economic experts and HR specialists. Each year, [...]]]> Dieu Huyen NGO CAO, member of Officience HR team, went to the last Vietnam HR day, which was hold in HCM 10 days ago. Here are her impressions!

Vietnam HR Day is the largest annual human resources forum in Vietnam for entrepreneurs, business leaders, economic experts and HR specialists. Each year, around 2,000 people gather to attend the event, divided between 2 locations: Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. During the forum, they not only share their experiences of management and personnel administration, but also discover opportunities for collaboration and networking.

Following the success of the Vietnam HR Days in 2009 and 2010, the forum was held again in 2011; on 06/11/2011 in Hanoi and on 13/11/2011 in Ho Chi Minh City. This year the theme was “The quality of Human Resources in Vietnamese businesses”.

The current HR management situation

Following a welcome speech from Vietnam’s 2011 Chairman of Human Resources forum, the Director of the HR forum’s Organizational Board shared the results of a survey about the current HR management situation in Vietnam. Below are some interesting figures collected from 437 businesses across the country :

• 70% of businesses have an independent HR Department whereas30% do not.
• 43% of businesses invest in HR management and HR departments while 25% are considering the option but have not yet implemented it. 30.86% say that HR is just administration.
• The average resignation rate is 15.7%. The figure is highest among the unskilled worker group at 23.36%, then skilled workers at 17.35% and managers at 12.4%.
• The salary budget takes up 4.75% of revenue, which shows that companies have significant capacity to increase employee salaries.

In brief, Vietnam needs a strategy to improve the quality of HR; otherwise it will not be possible to maintain the average 20% annual salary increase for low quality resources. Furthermore, Vietnam should start to implement more employees training as a first step towards staff development and retention.

Hot topics in HR management

During the CEO exchange forum, leaders of some well-known companies shared their own experience in staff recruitment and training. They talked about how to adapt the resource needs when necessary and how to retain people. The CEO of “Pho 24” spoke about the lack of high level management in Vietnam as many people tend to open their own business.

8 forums were held in the afternoon. These offered the chance to discuss some of the hot topics in human resource management.

• At the “psychology management in Human Resources” forum, we learnt how to find out more about someone’s personality using geometric tests. Understanding someone’s personality is key to finding the best way to communicate with them.
• The “HR Business Partners” forum was about the different aspects of business and responsibilities that HR specialists need to deal with. HR can develop strategies to promote business development.

The Vietnam HR Day enabled us to discover more about the importance of the HR Department and its impact on company strategies. However, it’s worth remembering that staff development is not only up to HR, it’s also up to the business leaders.

Some snapshots of the day

The first ever Bitexco Vertical Run took place in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday 30 October. The race brought together almost 500 runners who were committed to climbing the 1002 steps between them and the finish line.

The [...]]]>

The first ever Bitexco Vertical Run took place in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday 30 October. The race brought together almost 500 runners who were committed to climbing the 1002 steps between them and the finish line.

Sunday evening, Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. France miss out by one point on being crowned world cup winners against New Zealand, the favourites to win the competition. A penalty would have given the advantage to the French but [...]]]>

Portrait of François Trinh-Duc, fly half of the French Team.

Sunday evening, Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. France miss out by one point on being crowned world cup winners against New Zealand, the favourites to win the competition. A penalty would have given the advantage to the French but François Trinh-Duc’s attempt from the middle of the pitch goes slightly off to the side. Despite this, Trinh-Duc is a major player in the French team and is fast becoming a star.

Launched in 2006, PN aims to improve access to information and communication technology (ICT) for disadvantaged communities, mainly via education. It helps young people to find a skilled job in computing which [...]]]>

We’re taking a look at ‘Digital Gateways’ (‘Passerelles Numériques’ or PN), an organisation represented in Cambodia, the Philippines and in Vietnam!

Launched in 2006, PN aims to improve access to information and communication technology (ICT) for disadvantaged communities, mainly via education. It helps young people to find a skilled job in computing which means they can really fulfil their potential.

PN is supported by the Accenture foundation. Created in 1996 by Benoit Génuini while he was CEO of Accenture France, the foundation is dedicated to cultural sponsorship and supporting charitable projects in the areas of education and access to employment.

The success of the Cambodian project, launched in 2005, (446 students completed and 300 students in training) and in the Philippines in 2009 (45 students), led to the launch of Passerelles Numériques Vietnam (PNV) in 2010. A study into the needs of and opportunities for development in the ICT sector showed the country’s potential. Vietnam’s central region was chosen because 80% of the population live in rural areas, 60% are younger than 30 and 30% live below the poverty line. And although the region’s economic capital Da Nang is experiencing strong growth and boasts some quality educational establishments, it is difficult for these people to access the courses which lead to qualifications.

As part of the “2nd life for PCs” project, Officience has supported PNV by sending Thao, Officience’s IT specialist, as a volunteer to Da Nang. He helped students to reconfigure and install material on the PCs to help open new ICT studios in 2 colleges in the centre of Vietnam.

Students in Da Nang

Thao in the middle, with some PN students

What a pleasure to visit the centre of Da Nang last August: the students were still in training, but all the teaching staffs were already fully occupied with preparations for star of the school year.

Visit at the Da Nang centre last August

On September 27, PN invited his friends and sponsors at the exhibition ‘Chinese Artists in Paris’ at the Cernuschi museum, which tells the 20th century cultural exchanges between East and West.

 

Exhibition “Chinese Artists in Paris”

Sources:

http://passerellesnumeriques.org/en/

http://wishes.officience.com/en/

Yes, just like you, we are fan of him. Here at Officience, we want everybody to truly live their life, live their dream.
The speech transcription here: http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

- 2256 members on the site
- 515 TED Talks already subtitled in Vietnamese – of which 41 were done this [...]]]> A month ago we published an article on the TEDxMekong event that took place in Ho Chi Minh City. But how prevalent is TED in Vietnam?

TED in Vietnam – some numbers

- 2256 members on the site
- 515 TED Talks already subtitled in Vietnamese – of which 41 were done this month
- 1 recent event in Hanoi: TEDxYouth @Hanoi on the 14th August 2011
- 3 events already organised in Saigon:

• TEDxSaigon 1st event the 14th August 2010
• TEDxSaigon 2nd event focussing on women, on the 12th January 2011
• TEDxMekong event on entrepreneurship inVietnam on the 18th August 2011

The last event was organised by Quynh Tuong, economics student and active member of the TED community. Last August, a group of students in Ho Chi Minh City launched a blog that provides a new TED video every day, subtitled in Vietnamese with easily readable subtitles on a white background.

In short, the community is increasingly active!

Spreading the culture to Vietnam!

This week, Officience launched a project to translate TED videos into Vietnamese. The TED translators are normally volunteers but we plan to offer some payment to the first 10 volunteers to give them an incentive to subscribe and join the community. Above all we hope that this will help the spread of global culture in Vietnam.

Ngoc Thu Tran Thi, Head of HR at Officience, attended the TEDxMekong 2011 Conference in Ho Chi Minh City on August 18. She gives us her impressions on the this forum for young Vietnamese people who want to exchange ideas and views on entrepreneurship.

Ngoc Thu Tran Thi, Head of HR at Officience, attended the TEDxMekong 2011 Conference in Ho Chi Minh City on August 18. She gives us her impressions on the this forum for young Vietnamese people who want to exchange ideas and views on entrepreneurship.

“Dream of Ngan, a fresh graduate student who was driven by the idea of bringing Circle Painting, a very successful non-profit movement originated by an American Vietkieu, as a life skill training to young Vietnamese students & professionals. The conference room was filled with more than a hundred of young people, and almost every one of them had a dream like her: dreams to set up their own business, dreams to do something good for the society.

Ngoc Thu Tran Thi, Head of HR at Officience

While their secretary general Hamadoun Touré was visiting Vietnam, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) stated that Vietnam is eighth in the world in terms of mobile phones and penetration rates of subscriptions. So now is a good time to look at the development of the IT sector in Vietnam as well as [...]]]>

While their secretary general Hamadoun Touré was visiting Vietnam, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) stated that Vietnam is eighth in the world in terms of mobile phones and penetration rates of subscriptions. So now is a good time to look at the development of the IT sector in Vietnam as well as prospects for the future.

The IT boom in Vietnam over the last 10 years

Vietnam’s mobile phone penetration rate of 175% means that there are almost two mobile phone subscriptions for each person in Vietnam. This figure is a good indicator of Vietnam’s development in information and communication technology (ICT) over the last ten years.

Although Vietnam was only connected to the internet in 1997, the country has seen the number of internet users rise a hundred-fold in 10 years: 31.1% of Vietnamese were connected in December 2010 compared to 3.8% in December 2003! In addition, 3G technology has been particularly successful: 8 million subscriptions have been registered in Vietnam since the network launched in August 2009 with a coverage rate of between 55% and 95%, depending on the region.

While these advances have allowed the Vietnamese to increase communication with foreign countries, it also means that the national telecommunications sector has been able to integrate more rapidly with global telecommunications. According to the White book on information and communication technologies in Vietnam 2011, the ICT sector’s turnover rose in 2010 to almost 17 billion dollars, 19 times more than in 2000.

Current successes and future ambitions

The Vietnamese authorities have announced that ICT will be key to achieving the ‘Millennium Development Goals’ set by the United Nations.

The ITU secretary general’s visit highlights the development of IT in Vietnam and its future. Thanks to infrastructure improvements, the Vietnamese government hopes to make information technologies the country’s driving force over the next 10 years. Via the launch of the satellites Vinasat-1 and Vinasat-2 (planned), the Vietnamese government wanted to show Hamadoun Touré that Vietnam has made great strides in terms of ICT.

Projects to promote ICT are focussing their efforts on high speed internet and network security. Vietnam also thinks that this development should take place via private enterprise, in particular from foreign companies. Among the different measures taken to place IT at the heart of the Vietnamese economy, the opening up of investment to the private sector and reinforcement of  international cooperation seem to be two positive signals for Officience.

Sources :

http://www.dztimes.net/post/sci-tech/pm-it-an-important-tool-for-national-development.aspx

http://lecourrier.vnanet.vn/default.asp?page=newsdetail&newsid=74018

http://fr.vietnamplus.vn/Home/Plus-de-8-millions-dabonnements-au-reseau-3G-au-Vietnam/20117/17158.vnplus

In terms of politics, the Vietnamese government implemented an economic reform in 1986 [...]]]> With a population almost 15 times smaller, our initial response would be no. However there are certain noticeable similarities between the two countries. Vietnam is comparable to the China of 10 years ago.

Political measures and economic indicators

In terms of politics, the Vietnamese government implemented an economic reform in 1986 called  đổi mới ‘new (mới) change (đổi)’, similar to China’s policy of opening up which began in 1978 (gaige kaifang). Vietnam joined the WTO in January 2007, just 5 years after China, who became a member in December 2001. More recently, measures were put in place by the Vietnamese government to stimulate demand and encourage construction projects, just as the Chinese government had done previously.

Now to compare the economic indicators: GDP per person and the rate of urbanisation. In 2010, income per person in Vietnam was $1,180 which corresponds to China’s level in 2000, 10 years ago. The same applies to the rate of urbanisation: in 2009 12% of Vietnamese lived in cities of more than 1 million residents; the same rate achieved by China 11 years earlier.

However, if we look at rates of consumption, comparison is no longer possible: in 2010, consumption represented 64% of Vietnamese GDP, a figure never reached in China! Vietnamese consumers are therefore in some ways ahead of their time. The regular opening of new hypermarkets (and above all hypermarkets which are always crowded!) and a mobile penetration rate of 175% are strong indicators of this.

This frenetic consumption is offset by a very high rate of inflation: 9.2% in 2010, 13.5% in 2011 and a predicted rate of 6.7% for 2012. This could, in the medium term, harm the country.

What is the potential for Vietnam?

Nevertheless, according to the Atradius study and The Economist newspaper, Vietnam is the emerging country which offers by far the greatest investment potential, followed by Mexico, Poland and Indonesia. Despite a high rate of inflation and a trade deficit, Vietnam has many of the characteristics which gave China success (highly attractive to foreign investors, a young and hardworking population etc.) which should guarantee the country several more years of growth. Vietnamese people therefore have every reason to keep on smiling!

Source: The Economist

http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2011/05/reflections_hanoi_iii

http://www.vnpt.vn/en/News/NewsEvents/View/tabid/219/newsid/14627/seo/ITU-Vietnam-ranks-8th-globally-in-terms-of-mobile-penetration/Default.aspx

http://www.graphiline.com/article/8807/le-Vietnam-sera-t-il-la-prochaine-Chine–

http://www.uncommonwisdomdaily.com/good-morning-vietnam-9976

One of the [...]]]> In June 2011, international consulting firm AT Kearney published the ‘Global Services Location Index’, a classification of the best destinations for offshoring. Unsurprisingly, India and China took 1st and second place respectively. Vietnam held its own despite the economic crisis and is now 8th in the world.

One of the criteria used is ‘financial attractiveness’ and in this category Vietnam saw off the competition to take first place. This means that Vietnam is, financially, the most attractive place in the world for service offshoring in 2011.

Political stability and economic strength are two other criteria which should be mentioned in relation to Vietnam: Vietnam benefits from political stability which has lasted more than 30 years (no conflict since 1998) and solid economic growth with an average growth rate of 7.4% in the last six years.

Other interesting information from the Kearney report is that the offshoring of IT services will need to evolve rapidly. In the new model, subcontractors will have to supply standardised software based on  ‘pay as you go’ billing and combining BPO and cloud services. This will allow clients to offshore entire work processes and pay only for what they use.

Click here to read the full report.

On Tuesday 14 June 2011, at the Ho Chi Minh City Palace Hotel, a « breakfast conference » on social networks and their use by marketing managers took place. It was organized by the CFVG and there were two main speakers: Mr Marc Diviné, associate professor from [...]]]> “How do marketing managers use social media? “

On Tuesday 14 June 2011, at the Ho Chi Minh City Palace Hotel, a « breakfast conference » on social networks and their use by marketing managers took place. It was organized by the CFVG and there were two main speakers: Mr Marc Diviné, associate professor from the “Institut of Business Administration” of Paris-Sorbonne and Mr Nguyen Dan Duy Nhat, president of the CMO Council Worldwide in Vietnam.

Of course, Officience’s reporters attended the conference. Here is a summary of the main ideas and figures from the event.

A few figures

First, Mr Diviné presented some results from a survey of 200 companies: 54% of which were B2B companies and 47% with more than 1000 employees.

• 54% of the companies studied use social networks daily.
• 3.4 of these social network are used in an interconnected way.

A survey of 3 300 managers with marketing positions shows the following results:

• 90% think that social networks are very important
• 58% believe that social networks are time consuming
• 77% think that video marketing is booming
• 70% would like to have training on or improve their knowledge of social networks

How to use them?

It’s not just about having a web presence, social networks are of a real interest for marketing and communications. Still according to the survey, companies mostly use them to:

• « Push information » : brand communication, corporate information, buzz generation, website traffic generation
• « Watch» : collect testimonials, listen to clients, study the brand reputation
• « Animation » : product information, usage advice, visitors generated content, entertaining content
• « Employ »: social networks for 51% of future employees

Thanks to social networks, you can improve your image, raise awareness and improve customers and users interactions. You can also improve your product definition, your ROI on campaigns and therefore also your revenue.

How to successfully launch social media?

Although social networks are generally profitable to companies, it is important to consider the following before using social networks

• You need  people to be satisfied with your product.
• You should have a story to tell and a message to get across.
• Community members should have stories to exchange as well.
• You should have a strategy and specific people to manage it.

On top of that, you should have a good knowledge of your product and of your company to avoid bad buzz or a worsening of the company brand, feared by 60% of marketing managers.

Vietnam and social networks

Vietnam is a young country moving quickly. The market isn’t « branded » yet, brands are not as well known as in Europe thus brands can taste new things more easily, there are no big consequences. On top of that, social media are cheap and quick to implement which make them perfectly adapted for Vietnam.

Social networks have many advantages. Easy to use, simple to manage, they allow companies to target their campaigns and measure their results. This is why companies are increasingly seduced by this way of communicating.

However, keep in mind that these tools evolve really quickly which means regular updates and training will be needed. That takes a lot of time. So, to be able to focus on their core business without neglecting their “web image”, 28% of businesses are already outsourcing some or all of their social media marketing.

A special category has been introduced: reserved for foreigners living in Vietnam or those who have visited the country, the theme is ‘Vietnam through [...]]]> Today marked the start of the photography contest organised by the Vietnamese Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA), with support from the International Federation of Photographic Art.

A special category has been introduced: reserved for foreigners living in Vietnam or those who have visited the country, the theme is ‘Vietnam through your lens’. The president of the association said that by including this category he hoped to encourage knowledge sharing between Vietnamese and foreign photographers and enable the Vietnamese to become more professional and improve their photographic skills.

This is just one more area where knowledge sharing between developed and developing countries makes sense! So, if you live in Vietnam or you are one of the 1.5 million tourists who has visited Vietnam since the beginning of 2011 (+10% compared to 2010), what are you waiting for? Join in and share your snaps!

To take part in the 6th international contest of photographic art, you can submit your photos, from today, in colour or black and white by email contestvn2011@gmail.com, via the web site www.contestvn2011.com or by handing your photographs in to the Hanoi office at 51 Tran Hung Dao, Hanoi. You have until 31 August 2011 to take part and the award ceremony will take place in Hanoi in November.

Ready, set, take photos!

The second SharePoint Saturday (SPS) Vietnam was held in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday 21st May. Like the first SPS Vietnam event in January, it was a resounding success. Again organised by Officience, the event brought together Microsoft SharePoint practitioners – developers, architects, managers – to [...]]]>  

The second SharePoint Saturday (SPS) Vietnam was held in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday 21st May. Like the first SPS Vietnam event in January, it was a resounding success. Again organised by Officience, the event brought together Microsoft SharePoint practitioners – developers, architects, managers – to discuss their favourite subject for the second time.

2nd SharePoint Saturday Vietnam

This second edition of SPS Vietnam brought together 100 SharePointers who participated in four sessions over the course of the day:

- How to get formatted data from SharePoint which belongs to the regional setting?

- SharePoint Branding Projects

- Designing service applications in SharePoint Server 2010

- Introduction to Windows PowerShell in SharePoint 2010

In terms of news, two other sponsors joined Officience: Bamboo Solutions and KMS Technologies.  Participants were able to share their experiences, discover new functionalities, exchange tips and tricks and, of course, expand their networks.

If you have any questions about this event, please do not hesitate to email spsvietnam@live.com

The SharePoint Community

This Microsoft product has a very large community around the world. There are many sites, blogs and forums led by developers, architects, managers or just fans, and which are dedicated to discussing SharePoint and where users can share information on the latest product functionalities and developments.

In Vietnam the SharePoint community is booming. The two first blogs on this collaborative tool began in 2010: http://www.sharepointvn.net/ and http://sharepointvietnam.net/. The First SharePoint Saturday Vietnam, organised by Officience in Ho Chi Minh City in January 2011, was also a success.

Businesses’ growing interest in collaborative tools and the development of a real community within Vietnam proves once again that this country is not to be outdone when it comes to information technology.

SharePoint Saturday:

For info: SharePoint is a tool developed by Microsoft which enables the creation of collaborative webpages on the Internet or for a company’s Intranet. This web platform has many functionalities such as content management or the ability to work on documents as a group. It allows both small and large companies to improve data management. The first version of SharePoint is now 10 years old; the most recent version – SharePoint 2010 – was released last year.

Cette année, les arbitrages budgétaires de l’État français ont joué en faveur du numérique et notamment en celle du Cloud Computing. Une enveloppe de 4,25 milliards d’euros sera consacrée au financement de [...]]]> ou comment un enjeu national se doit de trouver des appuis hors des frontières.

La France investit dans le Cloud

Cette année, les arbitrages budgétaires de l’État français ont joué en faveur du numérique et notamment en celle du Cloud Computing. Une enveloppe de 4,25 milliards d’euros sera consacrée au financement de l’économie numérique française dont 2 milliards d’euros pour le développement des réseaux Très Haut Débit et 2,25 milliards d’euros pour le financement des usages, des services et des contenus numériques innovants. Il s’agit là notamment de financer l’évolution du métier des éditeurs de logiciels vers le mode Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Cela aura un impact fort pour les PME : grâce au Cloud Computing, celles-ci pourront rapidement se doter de puissants systèmes d’informations qui étaient jusqu’alors  réservés aux grandes entreprises.

Un enjeu national

« Aujourd’hui force est de constater que les Nord-américains dominent ce marché [le marché du Cloud Computing], qui constitue pourtant un enjeu absolument majeur pour la compétitivité de nos économies, pour le développement durable et même, j’ose le dire, pour la souveraineté de nos pays.[…] Il faut absolument que nous soyons capables de développer une alternative française et européenne dans ce domaine qui connaît un développement exponentiel. » François Fillon, 19 janvier 2010.

De la même manière que le Plan Calcul lancé en 1966 par De Gaulle et qui visait à assurer l’indépendance du pays en matière d’informatique (création de l’INRIA, développement des circuits intégrés, effort de formation à l’informatique, etc.), ce « plan Cloud » revêt un enjeu national. A l’heure de l’économie de l’information, la question de la localisation des données et de leur accessibilité a une importance cruciale. Héberger des données numériques dans les « nuages français » constitue donc un choix stratégique et relève de la souveraineté étatique.

Un appui  hors des frontières

Finie la stratégie « made in France » du plan Calcul, il faut désormais s’appuyer sur des partenaires internationaux pour réussir des projets de telle envergure.

La mise en œuvre et la gestion de ces nouveaux systèmes d’information nécessiteront, en effet,  un support humain (déploiement du Cloud, migration des données, maintenance etc.) qui a tout intérêt à être réalisée offshore. Le Vietnam avec une population jeune, ayant grandi avec Internet, possède justement les atouts pour participer au développement d’un secteur aussi porteur. Il existe d’ailleurs un fort engouement pour les métiers de l’IT dans la capitale économique du pays et de nombreux efforts sont faits pour la formation de ces ingénieurs du futur.

Il faudra bien sûr garantir la sécurité du Cloud en analysant soigneusement les questions de propriété intellectuelle de manière à établir une relation de confiance sur le long terme et encourager les partenariats. Néanmoins, on peut dès aujourd’hui prédire un bel avenir aux relations franco-vietnamiennes à travers le Cloud car les deux parties en tireront des bénéfices significatifs. Au Vietnam, le Cloud va créer des emplois et accélérer le développement du pays. En France, il permettra aux entreprises de se décharger des tâches de vérification – mises à jour – enrichissement des données, qui seront dorénavant effectuées à distance via le Cloud. Les employés pourront ainsi se concentrer sur leur cœur de métier et des tâches à haute valeur ajoutée.

Source : http://technologies.lesechos.fr/technologie-accelerateur-de-croissance/le-cloud-un-investissement-strategique-pour-la-france_a-2-375.html

Après Google StreetView, UrbanDive de Pages Jaunes, itowns de l’institut Géographique National ou encore MapQuest; Bing StreetSide rejoint [...]]]> Microsoft, le concurrent majeur de Google, vient de déclarer la guerre en lançant en Europe son service intitulé Bing Street Side après un premier essai aux Etats-Unis.

Microsoft dans les starting-blocks en Europe!

Après Google StreetView, UrbanDive de Pages Jaunes, itowns de l’institut Géographique National ou encore MapQuest; Bing StreetSide rejoint le monde des images 3D, mais avec prudence afin d’éviter les erreurs qui ont porté préjudice à Google : la confidentialité des données personnelles.

Après la mise en service aux Etats Unis de 56 villes, Bing StreetSide ouvre en Europe dans les prochains mois : des Bing Cars vont scanner les rues de Paris, Londres et Barcelone dans un premier temps. Pourtant il n’a pas encore prévu un passage en Asie en 2011. Pour les utilisateurs au Vietnam, Diadiem (“emplacement”) est toujours en tête dans le marché du street map.

Nous n’allons pas analyser ni comparer les fonctionnalités et les qualités visuelles respectives des applications, que nous verrons lorsque Bing StreetSide débarquera en Europe. Google Maps a toujours une longueur d’avance côté innovation mais  Microsoft essaie de le talonner.

Des services pour qui?

Dans la guerre des applications « Street View », qui bénéficiera de ces services ? Les internautes tout d’abord, qui pourront expérimenter plusieurs applications en même temps et choisir leur favorite. Les clients ensuite, qui ont besoin de solutions cartographiques; les partenaires et enfin les revendeurs divers.

Le problème de la confidentialité

Pour protéger les données personnelles lors du passage des « caméras cars » dans la rue, un logiciel de traitement des images a été mis en place pour flouter  automatiquement  les visages des passants et les plaques d’immatriculation. De plus, les utilisateurs peuvent signaler des images suspectes et en demander la révision ou le retrait. Microsoft s’engage à examiner soigneusement les demandes afin d’éviter des procès  comme Google, mais dans le domaine des données sensibles, il reste encore beaucoup à faire.

Des opportunités d’externalisation

Bref, un avenir ouvert pour les services d’externalisation d’images cartographiques 3D ! Révision de chaque photo signalée, retouche manuelle ou semi-automatique  des images, etc. Autant d’opportunités potentielles pour les sociétés compétentes. Suivez mon regard…

Officience attended a seminar organised by CCIFV in partnership with AFD(French Development Agency) entitled: “Acquiring international management methods in the Vietnamese sociocultural context”. At the event Professor Jean-Pierre Segal delivered the results from research he has been carrying out over the last two years.

The aim of the event was doubly interesting for those Officiencestaff who were present and who are already experienced in this area. Firstly, because it confirmed and formalised their knowledge and understanding of the work environment that has developed over the years and also because Officiencehad contributed to the study when Professor Segal came to Vietnam.

International businesses: successful integration…

One thing is certain, international businesses have an excellent reputation in Vietnam. They offer a more modern, transparent and efficient environment, controlled by the employees.

Local managers also discussed employees’ optimism (see article: When Vietnamese Optimism Comes Up Against French Pessimism) and were very pragmatic. For them, success is achieved by careful development, using proven strategies,the necessity of winning over their staff and above all by a close, loyal team, convinced of the company’s values.

… but also some disillusionment

For expatriates, the situation is more nuanced. The language barrier still exists and some practices such as poor reporting of problems or dependence on authority make adaptation quite tricky.

International businesses attract young graduates who see an opportunity to continue their development. The employee rate of replacement, an indicator of the dynamism of an economy and the employment market, is a real problem for managers. It can be explained by the following factors, among others: a lack of qualified and experienced workers, which leads to fierce competition to recruit the best. Employees are also quick to take on second jobs in the evenings or weekends, reducing the link with their main employer. Lastly, even if international businesses are managedby employees, some discomfort with the management style can lead to resignations.

Besides turnover, the relative youth of the workforce is another difficult factor to manage. The education system is struggling to transform itself and continues to offer training far removed from the reality of life –few traineeships, highly theory-based and with little student participation, it doesn’t prepare young graduates for working in business.

Which management model?

Although it is very training-oriented, the French model, defined as ‘an association of autonomous people who do their work, led by a competent and open manager’ does appear to have certain limits. Unclear delegation and significant autonomy are the current areas of debate.

On the other hand, the regional model (Asian countries, particularly Japan and Korea) is built around strict management with compulsory and controlled rituals and is encouraged by Vietnamese managers as they feel it is the most appropriate for them.

Finally the anglo-saxon contractual model, with negotiated objectives and agreed performance indicators, seems to be appreciated by young employees thanks to its transparency and the freedom it gives. But here again, managers collide with a lack of individual autonomy and team culture and the difficulty of applying the principal of differentiation between employees.

These open observations concluded Jean-Pierre Segal’s presentation and opened the debate to the audience, visibly involved in these issues.

Yes to the team but what about the individual?

It is clear that, on a day-to-day basis, the art of management is still poorly understood and implemented. Often legitimised by age or experience within the company, ‘managers’ in Vietnam adopt a consensual and short-term style, aiming to manage daily activities and ensure team cohesion: abandoning their role as  leaders, they turn into baby sitters.

If we believe the questions raised during the discussion, the issue is far from being resolved. You could feel the frustration from the managers present, and the discussion kept returning to the issues of taking responsibility and turnover.

Creating a close-knit team oriented towards a common goal seems to be an initial response, but this leads to other challenges: how to avoid group departures? How to pull an individual out of this ‘microcosm’…?

Fin 2010, environ un quart de la population mondiale équipée de téléphones [...]]]> Si cela fait déjà plusieurs années que l’on entend parler des Smartphones et de leur future domination dans le monde de la communication et de l’informatique, leur consécration pourrait bien être pour cette année 2011.

Quelques chiffres

Fin 2010, environ un quart de la population mondiale équipée de téléphones portables possédait un Smartphone, soit environ un milliard d’appareils en utilisation.  Avec plus de 300 millions d’unités vendues à travers le monde cette année, cela représente une augmentation de presque 75%  par rapport à 2009.

D’après le cabinet d’étude Deloitte, les ventes de Smartphones et de Tablettes vont dépasser celles des ordinateurs avec 425 millions d’unités en prévision de ventes pour 2011 (dont 375 millions de Smartphones), une première historique dans le monde de l’informatique.

Un autre indicateur ? La croissance du Web mobile ces deux dernières années est plus rapide que celle d’Internet il y a 12 ans (2000 % de 2008 à 2010 pour les sites web pour mobiles contre 1300 % de 1996 à 1998 pour les sites web classiques). D’ailleurs, les connexions Internet via mobiles devraient dépasser celles provenant des ordinateurs d’ici 2015.

Les raisons de l’adoption

En France, le prix des Smartphones diminue et devient peu à peu accessible à la majorité de la population, les prix ont d’ailleurs baissé de 20% en un an. D’ici la fin de l’année, la moitié des propriétaires de portable devraient posséder un téléphone intelligent.

Parallèlement, la majorité des forfaits proposent maintenant l’« Internet illimité » et le budget mensuel est également de plus en plus accessible et flexible.

Un Smartphone permet généralement d’écouter de la musique, de se tenir au courant des news, d’envoyer des e-mails, consulter la météo, prendre des photos, et de se repérer où que nous soyons… Ah oui… il sert  aussi à téléphoner! Et tout ça tient dans la poche…

Bien plus qu’un phénomène de mode

Le Smartphone n’est pas qu’un simple phénomène de mode.  Toujours à portée de main, son ergonomie et la quantité d’outils auxquels il donne accès sont en train de le rendre indispensable à une grande partie de la population.

Pour s’en convaincre, il suffit peut-être de regarder du côté des deux géants américains de l’informatique Apple et Microsoft, qui sont en train d’adapter les interfaces de leurs nouveaux OS (Operating system ou Système d’exploitation) aux Tablettes et aux Smartphones.

Le nouvel OS d’Apple, le Mac OS X Lion, dont la sortie est prévue pour l’été 2011 (et disponible depuis 3 semaines en version Beta pour les développeurs) nous a déjà révélé quelques-unes de ses nouveautés :

-          des applications en format plein écran,

-          un scroll qui fait défiler l’image à l’envers (comme sur l’iPhone),

-          une application Mail adaptée au format des écrans tactiles.

Ces nouveautés consistent apparemment surtout à rapprocher l’expérience utilisateur de celle des iPad. Ce nouvel OS serait donc plus une convergence vers iOS (iPhone, iPad) qu’une réelle révolution.

Les plus grands CMS (Content Management System) comme WordPress, Joomla, Drupal ou Magento proposent également des solutions compatibles avec les mobiles. Ces évolutions laissent entrevoir que le mobile à fait ses preuves au point de bientôt prendre le pas sur l’ordinateur.

Les impacts marketing et commerciaux

Si le marketing mobile – surtout connu pour ses campagnes de SMS – existe déjà, nous allons prochainement assister à une (r)évolution du marketing vers le mobile . En effet, le web mobile est un nouvel outil pour la relation client et les  canaux de communication qui en découlent offrent de nombreuses opportunités pour les annonceurs.

Le e-Commerce va progressivement évoluer vers le m-Commerce. Si actuellement les transactions sur mobiles se limitent dans la plupart des cas à quelques centimes d’euros, le marché du commerce mobile est énorme et ses opportunités considérables.

eBay compte déjà 13 millions d’applications mobiles téléchargées et prévoit que cette année les transactions payées par mobiles vont passer de 600 millions à 1.5 milliards de dollars. Aux Etats Unis, les transactions via mobiles devraient être multipliées par 10 d’ici 2015, avec 15 milliards de dollars échangés grâce aux téléphones portables.

Compte tenu des avancées technologiques et de l’engouement croissant de la population mondiale, les Smartphones pourraient donc bien dominer le monde d’ici quelques années! Si vous n’avez pas encore de Smartphone dans votre vie, combien de temps encore pensez-vous pouvoir résister  ?

Aides financières, programmes internationaux, sensibilisation de la population… Depuis la fin des années 90, le Vietnam considère l’éducation comme l’une de ses priorités.  En une dizaine d’années, nous avons pu assister à une évolution impressionnante du secteur.

Le développement de l’enseignement à l’école primaire et secondaire

Le Vietnam à réalisé avant terme plusieurs Objectifs du Millénaire pour le Développement (OMD). Parmi ces performances reconnues par l’ONU, la généralisation de l’éducation du primaire en 2000 et de l’enseignement secondaire en 2010. Des écoles primaires ont été construites dans des villages reculés, des collèges dans les communes et la scolarisation est encouragée. Aujourd’hui, toutes les villes et provinces du Vietnam répondent aux normes nationales sur la généralisation de l’enseignement primaire.

Une collaboration internationale

Des projets internationaux, comme le projet MAHEVA visant à renforcer la coopération Euro-Asiatiques dans les domaines tels que les technologies, les sciences, l’économie, la culture et l’éducation, ainsi qu’à améliorer la qualité de la formation universitaire et post-universitaire vont également se mettre progressivement en place.

Des prêts à très faible taux

L’accès à l’éducation aux  populations les plus pauvres reste difficile, comme dans beaucoup d’autres pays, mais petit à petit des projets d’aides voient le jour.
Il y a 3 ans, un programme gouvernemental de prêt en faveur des étudiants a été mis en place.  Le taux de 0,5% par mois est plus bas que celui des prêts destinés aux familles pauvres. Un bilan a été effectué le 10 mars dernier à Hanoi et fait le point sur la mise en œuvre et l’efficacité de ce projet : le montant des sommes allouées s’élève à plus de 26.000 milliards de dôngs (soit environ 900 millions d’euros ) et a permis d’aider près de deux millions d’étudiants et d’élèves à poursuivre leurs études.
Parallèlement, un programme d’ordinateurs à prix bas à destination des élèves et étudiants sera mis en place et l’information de la population, notamment grâce aux médias, sera renforcée.

Vers l’égalité des sexes dans le secteur de l’éducation

Un autre Objectif du Millénaire pour le Développement est celui de la parité Homme/Femme. Depuis 2006, de nombreuses actions ont été réalisées dans ce sens. Dans le secteur de l’éducation, on observe de plus en plus d’enseignantes mais aussi de postes à responsabilités occupés par des femmes, comme la direction par exemple. La scolarisation des filles a également été facilitée. Les prochaines mesures mises en place seront: l’augmentation la communication sur la Loi pour l’égalité des sexes, la sensibilisation des adultes, ainsi que la protection des enfants contre les préjugés. Il est important de leur inculquer que l’éducation va de paire avec la vie de famille.

C’est ce qu’a [...]]]> Dave Evans, « futurologue » chez Cisco, prédisait en mars 2010 que la masse des données mondiales serait multipliée par 6 tous les deux ans, et par 50 dans le cas des données d’entreprise. Ses 25 prédictions sur le futur de la technologie donnent le tournis!

“Trop d’information tue l’information.”

C’est ce qu’a déclaré Thierry Breton lors d’une interview radio début février. Pour lutter contre cela, le PDG d’Atos Origin entend supprimer les emails en interne dans son entreprise d’ici à trois ans. Il estime que l’email n’est plus un outil approprié et que de son mauvais usage résulte une perte de temps considérable pour les employés. D’après une étude réalisée en interne, les managers de l’entreprise passeraient 5 à 20 heures par semaine à lire leurs emails avec une moyenne de 200 emails reçus par jour et par personne. Cela soulève le problème de l’échange d’informations dans les grandes entreprises.

Aux origines de cette profusion d’emails

La sur-information se définit par le fait pour un individu de recevoir plus d’informations qu’il ne lui est possible d’en traiter sans porter préjudice à son activité. Depuis les années 1980, la production d’information s’est développée de manière exponentielle. Déjà en 1997, P. Aron et C. Petit écrivaient dans un article du magazine Le monde informatique : «L’humanité a produit au cours des 30 dernières années plus d’informations qu’en 2000 ans d’histoire et ce volume d’informations double tous les 4 ans ».

Or en dix ans, l’email s’est imposé comme l’outil d’échange dominant en entreprise, avant les réunions. Il accélère la vitesse de circulation de l’information et induit une disponibilité permanente, réduisant le temps de traitement. Parmi les 1000 salariés interrogés dans le cadre d’une étude Salesforce réalisée fin 2010, plus de 67 % des employés d’entreprises de toutes tailles s’agacent de devoir consacrer une part plus ou moins grande de leur temps de travail à la lecture vaine d’informations imprécises.

Réagir face à la sur-information

Les employés ne sont pas formés à gérer un tel volume d’échanges avec tant d’interlocuteurs. Ainsi le vrai problème n’est pas tant l’email que l’utilisation qui en est faite. Quelques pistes d’amélioration pour la gestion des emails en entreprise sont à mettre en perspective :

• Voir les messages comme une discussion, tel que le fait Gmail, pour éviter les redites inutiles.
• Définir une charte d’écriture des messages internes, avec des normes sur  les titres et contenus importants, pour s’y retrouver plus facilement.
• Créer des passerelles entre les différents moyens de communication, pour aider les collaborateurs à utiliser les outils les plus adaptés à chaque besoin. On pourrait imaginer une adaptation à l’entreprise de la nouvelle version de Facebook message, qui réunit en une seule conversation SMS, chat et emails.
• L’utilisation de “Tags” permettant l’identification de contenus comme appartenant à un projet, et ainsi de pouvoir retrouver l’information plus facilement, de façon sémantique.
• Principe de hashtag sur Twitter: mots clés, précédés d’un #, pour suivre toutes les interventions Twitter sur un sujet précis.

La réaction de Canon France face à cette sur-information donne également des idées: reprenant le concept inventé aux Etats-Unis par Intel, Canon France a lancé la journée sans mail. L’usage des emails a diminué de 20% lors de cette journée ! Devant un tel succès, quatre nouvelles dates, réparties sur l’année, sont prévues en 2011.

Vers de nouveaux outils de communication…

L’enquête Salesforce démontre également que les réseaux sociaux ont un impact sur les méthodes de travail collaboratif. Les réseaux sociaux d’entreprise, messageries instantanées, plate-formes collaboratives et autres outils 2.0 peuvent aider à gérer ce flux d’informations. On peut donc espérer que ces nouveaux outils, bien utilisés, apporteront transparence et gain de temps au sein de l’entreprise.

Sources:

http://www.synchro-blogue.com/synchro/2010/03/le-futur-de-la-technologie-selon-cisco.html

http://www.lemondeinformatique.fr/actualites/lire-tribune-de-caroline-sauvajol-rialland-objectif-zero-email-thierry-breton-precurseur-32952.html

http://pensermanagement.blogsome.com/2011/02/12/la-fin-du-mail-thierry-breton-et-atos-fr-2/

http://www.silicon.fr/thierry-breton-atos-origin-le-mail-nest-plus-un-outil-approprie-desormais-44716.html

« Tant pour les paysages que pour la découverte des populations, ce voyage à la frontière de la Chine me laisse une impression [...]]]> Franz Jourdan, directeur Sales & Marketing à Officience, nous relate son séjour dans la province la plus septentrionale du Vietnam, où vivent des minorités ethniques :

La Province de Ha Giang

« Tant pour les paysages que pour la découverte des populations, ce voyage à la frontière de la Chine me laisse une impression inoubliable. Située à l’ouest de la province de Cao Bang, la province de Ha Giang au nord du Vietnam présente un décor fabuleux de petites montagnes de calcaire qui font immédiatement penser à la baie d’Ha Long dans une version terrestre (et aux décors du film Avatar qui en sont inspirés).

Agrémentés de forêts, de lacs, de rivières et de terrasses de cultures très variées (surtout riz et maïs), ces paysages n’ont rien à envier aux très célèbres parcs de l’ouest américain comme le Yosemite en Californie. Les populations locales en plus ! Cette province est en effet habitée, au sein de petits villages reculés, souvent perchés dans les montagnes, par des ethnies minoritaires (nombreuses au Vietnam, qui en compte 54 au total).

L’Association Coup de Pouce Vietnam

Mais revenons quelques lignes à l’origine de ce voyage… En septembre dernier, mon épouse Stéphanie revient d’une semaine de voyage dans l’extrême nord avec son ami Uy (qui est guide dans tout le Vietnam) à la rencontre des ethnies de la province de Ha Giang. Elle a vu des paysages magnifiques et ramène de superbes photos. Nous décidons d’y retourner pour les vacances du Têt en février, et de parcourir en moto les petites routes qui sillonnent la province, avec nos deux enfants et des amis saïgonnais. Nous en profiterons pour  amener des vêtements dans les villages pauvres les plus reculés, où des familles que Uy a rencontrées vivent dans le plus grand dénuement. Seule interrogation : ne va-t-il pas faire trop froid en plein hiver, jusqu’ à 1600 mètres d’altitude ?

Malgré notre inquiétude, Uy s’occupe de réserver les 6 motos et la mini-camionnette qui transportera les paquets et les bagages, et surtout nous obtient les autorisations indispensables pour nous rendre auprès de ces ethnies politiquement sensibles. Pendant ce temps là, l’association Coup de Pouce Vietnam organise pour nous à Hanoï la collecte des dons de vêtements et de chaussures. Nous quittons enfin la chaleur de Saigon le 30 janvier et débarquons dans la capitale (où le temps est nettement plus froid) en ayant subi quelques menus tracas… La compagnie Jetstar a en effet oublié les valises de la moitié des passagers à Saigon, dont les nôtres, et quand les bagages arrivent finalement le lendemain à Hanoï, certains ont été soulagés de plusieurs objets de valeur, dont une des deux bouteilles de whisky sur lesquelles nous comptions pour nous réchauffer dans la montagne! Nous compenserons plus tard cette disparition par une consommation accrue d’alcool de riz… Nécessité fait loi !

Ayant chargé la douzaine de cartons de dons que Coup de Pouce a préparée pour nous (encore merci !), nous partons enfin pour les 6 heures de route qui relient Hanoï à notre première destination : un resort champêtre au bord de la rivière à l’extérieur de la petite ville de Ha Giang, près de la frontière chinoise, où nous passons notre dernière nuit de confort avant les choses sérieuses.

Un trek moto à la rencontre des Ethnies du Nord

S’en suivront 3 journées formidables pendant lesquelles nous parcourrons une boucle de 330 kms au total, à raison de 5 à 6 heures de moto par jour. Nous traversons des vallées et des plateaux (un jour dans une brume très épaisse, l’autre sous une bruine glaciale), nous grimpons à flanc de montage sur des routes étroites au bord de pentes vertigineuses et nous passons des cols avec du verglas sous nos roues. Nous roulons doucement mais le froid humide nous glace tellement que les enfants ne peuvent rester sur les motos qu’une heure le matin et une heure l’après-midi au maximum. Le reste du temps, ils se tassent à l’avant de la camionnette. Nous faisons halte le midi dans les petites bourgades en altitude de Quan Ba et Dong Van, et nous dormons le soir à Yen Minh puis Meo Vac, à chaque fois sans pouvoir nous réchauffer car il n’y a aucune chaleur dans les maisons et toujours beaucoup d’humidité. Malgré l’adversité de ces conditions météo hivernales, nous sommes fascinés par les paysages que nous traversons.

Dans cette province, nous rencontrons des représentants des minorités Tay, Dao, H’mong et Co Lao. Nous renonçons à monter jusqu’au village des Pu Peo car l’altitude est trop élevée sous cette météo (plus de 1600 m). Sur la route, nous croisons des familles entières qui parcourent dans leurs tenues traditionnelles colorées  des kilomètres à pied (parfois nus !) dans la montagne. Notre programme de distribution de vêtements, de chaussures et d’un peu de nourriture nous amène dans des villages isolés où la vie des habitants est pratiquement médiévale, au milieu des animaux de la ferme ; poules, cochons et buffles.

Ici nous voyons des enfants indigents, parfois les pieds nus dans la boue, dont le visage s’illumine quand Stéphanie leur tend une paire de basket ou un pull qu’elle vient de piocher dans le carton de dons. Par timidité, ils osent à peine les saisir. Nos enfants assistent à ces distributions avec un mélange de joie et de perplexité. Ce sont des moments de très forte émotion, immédiate et irrépressible. Nous sommes invités à l’intérieur des maisons pour boire le thé ou l’alcool de riz, autour d’un petit feu qui brûle au milieu de la pièce, et nous tentons de communiquer avec les habitants.

Ce n’est pas facile mais nous sommes l’objet de beaucoup de gentillesse et de curiosité. Nous vivrons ces moments intenses dans plusieurs villages différents.

Le voyage se termine à notre retour à Ha Giang, où nous passons la nuit chez l’habitant (des Tays), avant de redescendre le lendemain sur Hanoï puis Saigon.»

Si vous aussi vous avez déjà réalisé ou prévoyez d’effectuer ce genre de projets, au Vietnam ou ailleurs, n’hésitez pas à nous contacter et à poster un commentaire.

Enfin, pour retrouver l’association Coup de Pouce Vietnam,
rendez-vous sur http://www.coupdepoucevn.org/.

Cet engouement autour des services sociaux entraine la naissance d’initiatives régionales et communautaires. Le Vietnam [...]]]> Le succès mondial du réseau social Facebook, le géant américain, et son charismatique patron Mark Zuckerberg (voir photo), qui ont récemment fait l’objet d’un long-métrage si tant était nécessaire d’asseoir sa notoriété, provoque son lot d’envieux.

Cet engouement autour des services sociaux entraine la naissance d’initiatives régionales et communautaires. Le Vietnam n’échappe pas à la règle.

Une bulle sociale ?

L’économie online actuelle fait face à une nouvelle bulle spéculative autour des services sociaux. Facebook, qui tarde à réaliser son introduction boursière, est actuellement valorisé à hauteur de 50 milliards de dollars (vous avez bien lu). Son cadet au sein du web social, mais qui réalise un buzz conséquent, Twitter, serait quant à lui estimé à près de 10 milliards de dollars. Viennent ensuite le géant du jeu social (éditeur de Farmville, Mafia Wars, etc), le dénommé Zynga, serait quant à lui estimé à 7 milliards US. Mais la liste est longue !

Alors où va t-on ? Et surtout comment faire partie du jeu ? Doit-on encore parler d’une bulle, sociale cette fois ? Et, quelle est la situation au Vietnam ?

Tout d’abord, autour de la bulle, les avis divergent. Certains soutiennent le fait qu’une bulle est belle et bien présente, en regard des valorisations excessives actuelles. D’autres à l’inverse soulignent le fait qu’à la différence avec la bulle de 2000, l’un des moteurs de la “bulle”, Facebook, dégage déjà des bénéfices, et que si vous ajoutez à cela la base de connaissance – ultra-qualifiée – associée à 600 millions de membres de part le monde, la situation n’a rien à voir avec celle de 2000 qui spéculait sur des valeurs et des technologies encore trop nouvelles.

Avec sa régie publicitaire interne, FaceAds, Facebook a réussi a rassurer ses investisseurs et à retarder son introduction boursière. FaceAds, le système de gestion publicitaire online, permet un ciblage publicitaire sans pareil.
(note : Officience conçoit et gère des campagnes publicitaires online sur FaceAds)

L’existence de réseaux sociaux régionaux et communautaires

L’accès à Facebook a pour longtemps (et encore actuellement par moment) été bloqué depuis le Vietnam par le gouvernement. Le réseau reste néanmoins consulté très largement car les parades pour y accéder ne manquent pas. Il est par ailleurs disponible en Tieng Viet (langue Viet)…

En parallèle, et aussi profitant probablement de cette censure gouvernementale autour de Facebook, de nombreux acteurs ont développé des « facebook like » à destination des Vietnamiens, et exclusivement en Tieng Viet. Parmi eux, nous pouvons citer le principal acteur, Zing Me (http://me.zing.vn/), qui mélange MySpace sur l’approche contenu & news avec Facebook sur l’aspect social, mais aussi Go Online (http://www.goonline.vn/), initiative du gouvernement Vietnamien, ainsi que plus récemment Banbe (http://www.banbe.net), de FPT.

Sans révolutionner le genre, ces réseaux sociaux qui proposent bien souvent des fonctionnalités très similaires à Facebook s’adressent exclusivement à la communauté Vietnamienne (pas de traduction anglaise proposée…). Une logique et un positionnement qui fait sens lorsque l’on connaît par exemple l’existence de Kiltr.com, le réseau social des mecs en kilt, auprès de la diaspora Ecossaise, ou bien les réseaux sociaux Chinois Renren.com, Kaixin.com, ou encore le Russe Vkotakte.ru.

Le marché des réseaux sociaux au Vietnam en 2011

S’il y a fort à parier que Facebook empochera la mise grâce à son écrasante notoriété et sa main mise sur la toile via sa solution Facebook Connect, toutes ces initiatives concurrentielles pourraient donner naissance à un concurrent local sérieux et durable (à la manière de Yandex en Russie et Baidu en Chine sur le marché de la recherche, qui dominent Google dans leurs pays respectifs).

Le leader actuel au Vietnam, Zing, se voit fortement rattrapé par le géant américain qui attire. Un effet boule de neige que Zing aura surement probablement bien du mal à contenir, même si ce dernier reste leader pour l’heure.

Yahoo, et sa plateforme Y!360, qui avait connu un énorme succès au Vietnam (il fallait bien un pays…), voit sa cote de popularité diminuer fortement et se recentre comme ailleurs sur une approche contenu et media. Néanmoins, cette réussite (certes temporaire) pour Y !360 au Vietnam, alors que le projet était un échec partout ailleurs, pourrait traduire une réelle exception culturelle, et un sens communautaire et identitaire fort.

Alors, « il ne pourra en rester qu’un » ?

Difficile à dire pour l’heure. Un ou deux réseaux sociaux locaux forts, exclusivement vietnamiens devraient parvenir à survivre, en complément de Facebook, synonyme aussi d’ouverture et d’internationalisation et dont la pérennité n’est plus à remettre en question.

En revanche, 2011 sera, avec la démocratisation de l’internet mobile, une année décisive aussi au Vietnam sur le marché des réseaux sociaux et des applications mobiles géolocalisées. Et sur ce point, le géant américain est déjà loin devant…

De votre coté, avez-vous un pronostic, aussi bien local pour les vietnamiens francophones, qu’international, quant à l’avenir des réseaux sociaux régionaux, communautaires ou de niche ?

Sources :

• http://lecourrier.vnagency.com.vn/default.asp?xt=XT73&page=newsdetail&newsid=69723
• http://www.lesechos.fr/entreprises-secteurs/tech-medias/actu/0201141854417-twitter-valorise-entre-8-et-10-milliards-de-dollars-fait-planer-le-spectre-de-la-bulle.htm

Pour fêter 2011 et l’entrée dans l’année du Chat, synonyme de sérénité, Officience vous offre de son temps et de ses compétences : Officience vous propose d’

Chúc mừng năm mới , năm con mèo ! (Bonne année du chat, en Vietnamien).

Pour fêter 2011 et l’entrée dans l’année du Chat, synonyme de sérénité, Officience vous offre de son temps et de ses compétences : Officience vous propose d’externaliser au Vietnam gratuitement pour une durée déterminée. Pour cela, c’est très simple : vous avez jusqu’au 28 Février 2011 pour nous formuler un voeu.

Trois personnes seront sélectionnées et leurs vœux seront exaucés. Les gagnants bénéficieront gratuitement pendant plusieurs semaines du savoir-faire d’Officience dans un de ses nombreux cœurs de métier, selon les voeux qu’ils auront formulés.

En lançant cette initiative, Officience espère mieux vous connaitre et comprendre les problématiques auxquelles vous êtes confrontés. Nous sommes soucieux de vous aider à améliorer l’efficacité de votre organisation en trouvant des solutions personnalisées à vos besoins. Pour ceux qui ne connaissent pas Officience, c’est une opportunité pour découvrir nos services et éventuellement envisager une collaboration dans le futur.

Donc n’attendez pas une seconde de plus et faites un voeu !

Notre entreprise Officience, vue par Yann Le Galès, rédacteur en chef adjoint au service économie du Figaro.

Le lien : Externaliser au Vietnam – Figaro Blog

]]> Créer des emplois intelligents, qui favorisent le développement du tissu économique vietnamien, sans nuire à l’emploi en France.

Notre entreprise Officience, vue par Yann Le Galès, rédacteur en chef adjoint au service économie du Figaro.

Le lien : Externaliser au Vietnam – Figaro Blog

]]> http://blog.officience.com/en/externaliser-au-vietnam-par-yann-le-gales-le-figaro/feed/ 0 http://blog.officience.com/en/officience-organise-le-1er-sharepoint-saturday-vietnam/ http://blog.officience.com/en/officience-organise-le-1er-sharepoint-saturday-vietnam/#comments Mon, 31 Jan 2011 09:28:24 +0000 Minh-Anh http://blog.officience.com/?p=208 Une centaine de SharePointers rassemblant des experts Microsoft SharePoint du Vietnam (développeurs, architectes, administrateurs, designers) se sont réunis le 22 Janvier 2011 dans l’enceinte d’Alov-Center à Ho Chi Minh Ville pour participer à la 1ère édition du SharePoint Saturday Vietnam sponsorisée exclusivement par Officience.

En organisant cet évènement, Officience espère développer [...]]]> Une centaine de SharePointers rassemblant des experts Microsoft SharePoint du Vietnam (développeurs, architectes, administrateurs, designers) se sont réunis le 22 Janvier 2011 dans l’enceinte d’Alov-Center à Ho Chi Minh Ville pour participer à la 1^ère édition du SharePoint Saturday Vietnam sponsorisée exclusivement par Officience.

En organisant cet évènement, Officience espère développer la communauté SharePoint au Vietnam. Cette journée dont l’entrée était libre et gratuite a été un véritable succès : une salle comble dès 9h et qui a fait état d’une présence assidue l’après-midi.

Microsoft Vietnam inaugure le 1^er SharePoint Saturday Vietnam

Le Directeur du Développement de Microsoft Vietnam, Mr Le Thanh Hai, a ouvert les présentations le matin. Au programme ensuite, 5 sessions d’une heure relatives à MS SharePoint et présentées par des Experts SharePoint, plus communément appelés dans le milieu « SharePoint Evangelists », suivies par des questions/réponses.

La 1^ère session a été réalisée par Michael Noel, un expert SharePoint et auteur de plusieurs livres sur le sujet. Nous le saluons et le remercions pour son passage, lui qui parcours actuellement le monde pour participer à des conférences sur la technologie leader de Microsoft.

A l’occasion de son passage ici à Ho Chi Minh Ville, il a partagé avec les experts SharePoint vietnamiens ses connaissances avancées en architecture, abordant le thème de la Virtualisation de Serveur SharePoint. Les 4 autres sessions ont traité d’aspects fonctionnels et techniques du développement d’applications SharePoint.  L’ensemble des slides est disponible en ligne sur http://www.slideshare.net/officience.

Officience organisera le prochain SharePoint Saturday Vietnam en Avril 2011

SharePoint Saturday Vietnam a été organisé par deux “Offys” qui avaient à cœur de développer SharePoint au Vietnam et de rassembler la communauté SharePoint vietnamienne. Tout au long de la journée les participants ont pu partager leur expérience, découvrir de nouvelles fonctionnalités, parler de produits complémentaires et networker.

Rendez-vous fin Avril pour le prochain SharePoint Saturday Vietnam qui devrait accueillir deux fois plus de monde.
Nos Offys d’IT Dev réfléchissent dès à présent à son organisation. Rendez-vous en Avril!

En attendant, n’hésitez pas à poser vos questions aux Experts SharePoint 2010 Officience.

Samedi 22 janvier dernier, à l’occasion du Têt du Chat 2011, une conférence sur le thème « Les Viêt Kiêus et l’intégration » s’est tenu au Palais de la Réunification à Ho Chi Minh Ville. Cet événement qui était organisé par l’Association de Liaison avec les Vietnamiens de [...]]]> C’est désormais une réalité : les Viêt Kiêus reviennent.

Samedi 22 janvier dernier, à l’occasion du Têt du Chat 2011, une conférence sur le thème « Les Viêt Kiêus et l’intégration » s’est tenu au Palais de la Réunification à Ho Chi Minh Ville. Cet événement qui était organisé par l’Association de Liaison avec les Vietnamiens de l’Etranger, dans le cadre du programme de Rencontres et d’Echanges, a rassemblé plus de 600 vietnamiens résidants à l’étranger (Viêt kiêus).

Un point sur la législation et les projets

Durant cette journée, de nombreux sujets tels que  les lois sur la nationalité, l’investissement et la propriété immobilière au Vietnam ont étés abordés. Des responsables des services municipaux ont présenté les projets d’aménagement urbains de la capitale jusqu’en 2025, le programme « Les Vietnamiens consomment Vietnamien » et d’autres projets portants sur des ouvrages de pointe ont également été abordés.

Les expériences des Viet kiêus

A l’occasion de cette réunion, cinq Viet kiêus qui contribuent à l’évolution économique et au développement de leur pays d’origine ont échangés avec le public sur leurs expériences respectives ainsi que sur leur vision du Vietnam.

Parmis eux, le co-fondateur et directeur d’Officience, une société d’externalisation de services ou “outsourcing”, Duc  Ha Duong est venu parler de son attachement et de la confiance qu’il a dans l’avenir de ce pays. En 2005, il a décidé d’y créer Officience,  avec son ami Cao Phong Duong, né, comme lui, en France.  A ses débuts, Officience employait  5 personnes et compte aujourd’hui 150 jeunes Vietnamiens salariés ainsi qu’une petite dizaine d’expatriés.

Lors de cet échange, sont également intervenus  le Dr. Nguyên Tri Dung, directeur de la compagnie Minh Trân, résidant au Japon, Dr. Dô Ngoc Quynh de l’université de Cân Tho, et le Dr. Nguyên Nhu Khuê, directeur général  de Lotus Chemical Technology domiciliés tous deux en Allemagne, ainsi que Mr. Nguyên Huu Thai Hoà, directeur Stratégie du groupe FPT Vietnam résidant au Canada.

Duc et Cao Phong comme beaucoup d’autres Viet kiêus, en revenant créer leurs entreprises au Vietnam, prouvent la confiance qu’ils ont dans l’avenir de leur pays et de sa population.

Mr. Nguyên Trong Hoà, directeur de l’Institut de Recherches en Developpement de Hô Chi Minh Ville souhaite que les Viêt kieûs participent d’avantage au développement socioéconomique du pays et a affirmé que leurs suggestions seront communiquées aux dirigeants de la ville.

Sources :

http://lecourrier.vnagency.com.vn/default.asp?xt=&page=newsdetail&newsid=69296

http://fr.vietnamplus.vn/Home/Tet–plus-600-Viet-Kieu-reunis-a-Ho-Chi-MinhVille/20111/13722.vnplus

Le 6 décembre 2010, une vente aux enchères regroupant une collection d’une dizaine d’œuvres d’art vietnamiennes a eu lieu dans le luxueux Park Hyatt de l’ancienne Saigon. Pour inaugurer les ventes, un [...]]]> Un flashmob rompt la monotonie d’une vente aux enchères au Park Hyatt de Ho Chi Minh Ville

Le 6 décembre 2010, une vente aux enchères regroupant une collection d’une dizaine d’œuvres d’art vietnamiennes a eu lieu dans le luxueux Park Hyatt de l’ancienne Saigon. Pour inaugurer les ventes, un flash mob dance a été réalisé dans le somptueux salon de l’hôtel à la plus grande surprise des invités. Cette danse éclair, préparée par la charmante et énergique chorégraphe du Dan Center, Rosie Pollard, a été pour le moins inattendue dans un lieu aussi chic que le Park Hyatt. Une trentaine de danseurs amateurs habillés en tenue de soirée s’étaient discrètement fondus dans la foule avant de prendre d’assaut le milieu de la salle pour danser sur un medley combinant des rythmes pop, classique et twist. Ce flash-mob a eu le mérite d’apporter un grain de folie à l’ambiance solennelle qui régnait lors de cette vente aux enchères. Les danseurs bénévoles étaient pour la plupart des expatriés dont Romeo, le Manager de l’entité General Services d’Officience, qui nous livre ici ses impressions (pour le moins lyriques) :

« Quand on m’a proposé de participer à un flashmob, je n’avais aucune idée de ce que c’était. Puis je suis allé voir sur Google et là, j’ai eu des frissons. Quand j’ai vu tous ces gens danser sur une même chorégraphie, dans un mouvement de foule unie, je trouvais cette osmose tellement belle que je n’ai pas hésité une seule seconde : je voulais en faire partie. Je me suis donc présenté à la première répétition. Deux séances nous ont suffit à acquérir les mouvements les plus simples et le jour J, la représentation a été des plus excitantes. Par vagues, les danseurs se sont retrouvés au milieu de la salle, une foule s’est formée autour. Puis la dernière vague, la mienne, a clôt ce merveilleux moment de synergie et d’union des corps. J’ai vraiment eu l’impression de faire partie d’un tout. C’est ce qui m’a le plus marqué.”

Participer à une bonne cause tout en s’amusant

J’ai également pris part à cette manifestation. Participer à ce flashmob était tout simplement génial. Qui plus est, c’était pour la bonne cause car l’argent issu des ventes bénéficiera à une œuvre de charité. L’ambiance au sein du groupe était bon enfant. Après la représentation, nos estomacs ont été récompensés par la présence d’un excellent buffet et nous avons échangé nos impressions autour d’un bon verre de vin blanc.

Environ 300 personnes ont assisté à cet événement. Organisé par la Galerie d’art Nguyen et la Benh Thanh Art & Frame, la vente aux enchères qui a suivi le flashmob a été prolifique puisqu’elle a permis de collecter 441 200 USD grâce aux achats et aux dons des participants, notamment celui de la fondation du groupe VinaCapital. Les fonds issus des ventes seront entièrement reversés à une œuvre de charité soutenant des enfants pauvres atteints de maladies du cœur, en finançant notamment la formation de personnel qualifié et l’acquisition de nouveaux équipements.

Created in 1991 by the Visual AIDS Artists Caucus in New York, Patrick O’Connell, founding director of Visual Aids and his friends wished to demonstrate compassion [...]]]> Let’s make the first step together!

Today, all over the world, people manifests for a very important fight: against HIV and AIDS. But what matters with the red ribbon?

Created in 1991 by the Visual AIDS Artists Caucus in New York, Patrick O’Connell, founding director of Visual Aids and his friends wished to demonstrate compassion for people living with AIDS and their caregivers. Inspired by the yellow ribbons honoring American soldiers serving in the Gulf war, the color red was chosen for its, “connection to blood and the idea of passion — not only anger, but love, like a valentine”, according to the Visual AIDS press release announcing The Ribbon Project. The ribbon’s form is an inverted ‘V’ without a bow and also an infinity non-completed . The letter will be returned to symbolize the victory when the cure will be found.

The Red Ribbon continues to be a powerful force in the fight to increase public awareness of HIV/AIDS and in the lobbying efforts to increase funding for AIDS services and research. Wearing a Red Ribbon is the first step that we would like to make with you. The next is to do something more.

A big thanks to our Officience red ribbon’s makers: Roméo and Tan Duc (GS), Anh Tu (IT Dev), Tuyet Anh (Content BU), Thanh Thuy (HR).

À l’heure actuelle, le service d’externalisation au Vietnam possède des avantages compétitives considérables, provenant notamment de son cout “relativement” bas ( cout de la main d’oeuvre, des infrastrutures,..). Cela profite aux 2 parties prenantes : les clients étrangers atteingnent leurs buts de minimisation des couts , et les entreprises vietnamiennes génèrent du [...]]]>

À l’heure actuelle, le service d’externalisation au Vietnam possède des avantages compétitives considérables, provenant notamment de son cout “relativement” bas ( cout de la main d’oeuvre, des infrastrutures,..). Cela profite aux 2 parties prenantes : les clients étrangers atteingnent leurs buts de minimisation des couts , et les entreprises vietnamiennes génèrent du chiffre d’affaire et font des profits. Pourtant, cet élément de cout n’est pas suffisant pour permettre un développement de la relation client/fournisseur durable dans le temps. C’est la qualité du produit et des services qui poussera les clients à rester avec leur fournisseur. Le seul moyen a’arriver à cette fin: investir dans les ressources humaines.

L’embauche d’experts, l’amélioration des compétences du personnel, la spécialisation dans le travail,… sont des points essentiels auxquelles les entreprises doivent faire attention dès maintenant. L’augmentation de la charge salariale est évidente, pourtant, c’est à ce prix que les sociétés d’externalisation vietnamiennes progresseront et gagneront des projets toujours plus demandeurs en compétences

Officience a bien reconnu cette demande de renouvellement : on s’engage à recruter des jeunes diplômés des meilleures universités du Vietnam, 90% titulaires d’un master, 10% du temps de travail est aussi dédié à la formation. En outre, l’entreprise offre aux salariés des opportunités de participer aux cours professionnels supplémentaires. Tout est construit pour but d’avoir des services de hautes-qualités pour nos clients.

Le Permis de Travail est obligatoire pour tous les étrangers qui travaillent au VietNam, pour une durée de plus de 3 [...]]]> Pour les étrangers qui souhaitent travailler au Vietnam, une des inquiétudes importantes est la demande de Permis de Travail. Pourtant, le procédure n’est pas aussi complexe qu’elle peut en avoir l’air au premier abord.

Le Permis de Travail est obligatoire pour tous les étrangers qui travaillent au VietNam, pour une durée de plus de 3 mois En embauchant un étranger, l’entreprise est responsable de demander un permis de travail pour le salarié. Le dossier doit comporter:

• 3 photos
• Traduction du contrat
• Traduction de l’extrait de casier judicaire
• Certificat de domicile
• Certificat de santé fait à l’hôpital vietnamien

Le Permis de Travail sera accepté dans un délai de 15 jours ouvrés après la réception du dossier complet (3 semaines vu que l’administration vietnamienne travaille 5 jours/semaine) Le renouvellement du Permis de Travail fait de facon analogue à la première demande. Les frais correspondants:

• Frais pour la première délivrance: 400,000VND (soit ~ 18 Euro)
• Frais pour le renouvellement : 200,000VND (soit ~ 9 Euro)
• Frais pour la re-délivrance (en cas de perte) : 300,000VND (soit ~14.5 Euro)

A lire, ne serait-ce que parce que « Le zen n’est pas un plat de nouilles pré-cuites ».

Il y a une semaine, le ministère des postes & télécoms (Bộ bưu chính – viễn thông) annonçait à Washington qu’il signerait en mai 2007 des contrats de licence Microsoft [...]]]> Après avoir investi le secteur gouvernemental, la firme de Bill Gates continue son offensive sur le public vietnamien avec une implantation dans le domaine éducatif.

Il y a une semaine, le ministère des postes & télécoms (Bộ bưu chính – viễn thông) annonçait à Washington qu’il signerait en mai 2007 des contrats de licence Microsoft pour équiper tous les organismes gouvernementaux. L’accord prévoit aussi que Microsoft aidera le ministère à construire sa “roadmap e-Governement” (lộ trình thực hiện chính phủ điện tử).
VN sẽ mua phần mềm của Microsoft (Tuổi Trẻ – 19.03.2007)

Aujourd’hui, l’université des technologies de l’information de HCMV (Trường ĐH Công nghệ thông tin) vient de conclure un contrat avec Microsoft pour créer un “Innovation center” (Trung tâm sáng tạo Microsoft). Objectif : former les enseignants et les étudiants aux nouvelles technos (Microsoft), développer la recherche et l’intégration de logiciels (Microsoft) dans les entreprises.
Thành lập Trung tâm sáng tạo Microsoft tại TP.HCM (Tuổi Trẻ – 24.03.2007)

Pendant ce temps, quelques pays d’Asie comme l’Indonésie ou le Cambodge résistent. Ces gouvernements ont déployé Open Office, Firefox et Thunderbird… Au Japon, 20 % des infrastructures informatiques sont basées sur du logiciel libre, d’après Katsuhiko Kaji, directeur de l’Industrie des services d’information.
Châu Á bắt đầu ứng dụng phần mềm nguồn mở (Tuổi Trẻ – 22.02.2007)

C’est ce que révèle Huynh Kim Tuoc, qui a su convaincre les plus sévères employeurs de Google. Réponse modeste d’un homme devenu conseiller au Vietnam du plus grand moteur de recherche mondial ; à force de détermination, d’audace… et d’un coup de pouce [...]]]>

« L’expérience que j’ai tiré de mes entretiens d’embauche, c’est que j’en manquais ! »

C’est ce que révèle Huynh Kim Tuoc, qui a su convaincre les plus sévères employeurs de Google. Réponse modeste d’un homme devenu conseiller au Vietnam du plus grand moteur de recherche mondial ; à force de détermination, d’audace… et d’un coup de pouce du destin.

À l’âge de 12 ans, Huynh Kim Tuoc part aux États-Unis avec sa famille. Une nouvelle vie commence : apprentissage de la langue, études, mode de vie… Tout est à réapprendre. Au début, Tuoc décide d’étudier la psychologie à l’université de San Antonio (Texas). Mais après 4 ans, un peu déçu, il change de voie et prend des cours d’administration publique. Une fois diplômé, il pose sa candidature pour participer à un programme de développement social, mis sur pied par Bill Clinton. Sa mission : jouer l’intermédiaire entre Blancs et Noirs pour régler des différends. Mais un jour, alors qu’il visite une communauté afro-américaine, quelqu’un lui lance : « Retourne dans ton pays d’origine ! » Des propos cinglants qui réveillent en lui l’idée de rentrer au Vietnam…

Retour au pays natal

Après 15 ans passés au pays de Bill Gates, Tuoc revient au Vietnam en 1996. Fait étonnant, le rhume qui le tenaillait depuis plusieurs années aux États-Unis disparaît subitement ! Utilisateur des services en ligne de Google, il détecte des problèmes techniques qu’il envoie au siège du groupe avec des idées pour les régler. Justement, Google cherche un conseiller au Vietnam. Tuoc dépose sa candidature, passe 5 entretiens téléphoniques, réalise une analyse du marché vietnamien… Finalement, il est embauché.

« Google Vietnam compte s’étendre sur l’ensemble de la péninsule indochinoise au cours de ces 5 prochaines années », a-t-il assuré lors de sa dernière interview aux États-Unis où on les questionnait sur les perspectives de développement du marché de l’Internet au Vietnam. La clé pour réussir chez Google selon lui ? « La débrouillardise, l’autonomie et l’amour du travail bien fait. »

D’après Khac Phuc / Le Courrier du Vietnam n° 4037 (11.03.2007)

IBM a un bureau au Vietnam depuis bien longtemps (rappelez-vous, la levée de l’embargo date de Clinton, en 95), mais jusqu’à présent c’était pour revendre du matériel [...]]]>

Ca y est, ca faisait bien une année qu’ont voit des ex-hommes en bleu aller et venir à l’aéroport de Tan Son Nhat, maintenant, c’est officiel.

IBM a un bureau au Vietnam depuis bien longtemps (rappelez-vous, la levée de l’embargo date de Clinton, en 95), mais jusqu’à présent c’était pour revendre du matériel sur le marché local. Depuis quelques années ils testaient les capacités des développeurs vietnamiens à travers quelques missions sous-traitées ici à des entreprises locales, on dirait bien qu’ils ont été convaincus !