US group opens software centre

Hanoi Times — First Consulting Group (FCG) Vietnam is the latest software development center to be opened by the US-based Computer Science Corporation, an international leader in the information technology services industry.

Mary Jo Morris, president of CSC’s World Sourcing Services, said yesterday during the opening, attended by executives of CSC and FCG Vietnam, that a deal was struck last year to acquire FCG and that it was finalized in January.

"Our plans are to make strategic investments in the centre by adding more clients, developing the local market and expanding the suite of services delivered," she said. "The centre is an important piece of our strategy in Asia Pacific and will help CSC realize our goal of ‘delivery to the world from around the world’."

Ngo Hung Phuong, managing director of FCG Vietnam, a CSC company, said: "With a staff of excellent experts experienced in software development, FCG Vietnam would meet CSC’s hope to satisfy customers around the world."

FCG Vietnam aims to build an internationally standard software consulting and development service industry in Vietnam.

In addition to Intel and Microsoft representatives, the official presence of CSC makes Vietnam an attractive destination for the global IP industry.

"FCG’s integration with CSC will help position it as o­ne of the country’s leading software companies," according to Chu Tien Dung, chairman of the HCM City Computer Association.

"This accession will create opportunities for FCG Vietnam to further expand its market scale and make a greater contribution to the development of the domestic software industry," Dung said.

He said Vietnam had many advantages to develop the domestic software industry as well as India and the Philippines.

"Since 2000 the Government has issued many policies and also implemented many projects to intensify investment in the development of the IT industry, particularly software. As a result, domestic software companies’ markets have expanded overseas and IT application has become more and more popular in the country."

Dung said that the Government had set targets for the domestic software industry to grow between 35 and 40 per cent by 2010.

He expects the labor force to increase to between 35,000 and 60,000 people.

FCG merger with CSC will help the former become o­ne of the country’s 10 largest software companies and make contributions to realizing the Government’s targets.

CSC is o­ne of the world’s leading information technology services companies, with 89,000 employees in 92 countries.

It offers systems design and integration, IT and business process outsourcing, applications software development, web and application hosting and management consulting.