Director of Viettel Software: 'Not being the first is also an advantage!'

On August 30, 2023, Viettel Software officially separated into an independent unit under Viettel Group. Looking back on the past year, Mr. Bui Trinh, Director of Viettel Software, shared new perspectives on difficulties, challenges and opportunities.

With 10 years of experience accumulated in the Viettel ecosystem, Mr. Bui Trinh has played a key role in developing many strategic projects such as Mytel - the leading telecommunications network in Myanmar, and ePass - the advanced non-stop toll collection system in Vietnam. Thanks to his extensive knowledge and understanding of the market, Mr. Bui Trinh was entrusted by the Group to lead Viettel Software in the challenging early stages.

Is Viettel Software being a "latecomer" a big challenge for an Information Technology (IT) company?

Although Viettel Software is a new name in this field, Viettel Group has a wealth of experience in software development through IT centers at many corporations. Thanks to that, we have accumulated a treasure trove of valuable knowledge and experience in software development, serving the operation, exploitation of telecommunications networks and business expansion.

However, in my opinion, not being the first mover can bring its own advantages. Viettel Software has chosen a more cautious path, based on the experience of its predecessors to develop optimal software solutions for customers. We learn from their steps, identify potential risks and opportunities, and thereby create high-quality products with outstanding reliability. Instead of chasing short-term trends, we focus on creating real value for customers through proven and optimized products.

What are the difficulties and challenges that Viettel Software encountered in the early stages?

It can be said that the difficulties we are facing are mainly common challenges in the IT industry. One of the major challenges is attracting and retaining talented employees. This makes companies in the industry have to make constant efforts to maintain employee engagement, from creating an attractive working environment to providing career development opportunities. To address this issue, Viettel Software is building a positive working environment where employees feel recognized, have the opportunity to learn and grow. We organize regular training programs, provide professional certificates and support young people to develop soft skills.

What support does Viettel Software receive from Viettel Group?

Realizing that the trend of software outsourcing and IT outsourcing in the international market is increasing, the Group decided to establish Viettel Software. The establishment process took place quickly under the close guidance of the board of directors. We have a great advantage when the parent group owns a diverse ecosystem, including technology products and services such as telecommunications, Cloud, AI, network security, digital finance, etc. This is a solid foundation that helps Viettel Software take advantage of valuable knowledge and experience to effectively deploy work, not only serving Viettel's internal units but also meeting the needs of large external customers.

What achievements has Viettel Software achieved in the past year?

It is a matter of pride that Viettel Software has achieved important goals set for each stage. In the last 4 months of 2023, we have completed the organizational model, evaluated and improved the quality of our human resources, along with improving production indicators. By the first quarter of 2024, we will focus on developing application products to meet the specific needs of each customer such as OCR, eKYC, SMOS, and Automation Test.
Although still young, Viettel Software has attracted the attention of many large domestic and foreign customers (Australia, Singapore, Japan, Korea), and has been honored to receive "orders" to develop specialized software for fields such as aviation, insurance, and finance. Notably, revenue in the first 7 months of the year increased by 40.5% over the same period last year. The size of the human resources team increased from 1,000 to more than 1,500 after one year. These are telling numbers, demonstrating the tireless efforts of all Viettel Software employees on the path to reaching out to the ocean.

What is Viettel Software's strategic development goal in the next 5 years?

In the next 5 years, Viettel Software aims to become one of the Top 5 leading software development companies in Vietnam. To achieve this, we invest heavily in R&D, while expanding international cooperation and building a high-quality workforce. Viettel Software always puts customers at the center of every development strategy. We believe that sustainable development can only be achieved when we deeply understand the needs of our customers and constantly strive to meet, even exceed, their expectations.