A digital mapping service developed by Vietnamese engineers, called Vmap, has been launched, promising details from both large cities and remote regions.
According to news reports, currently, the service has data on 23.4 million addresses and offers basic features such as location search and directions.
It is the result of a collaboration between the Vietnam Post, the Ho Chi Minh Youth Union, and the Vietnam National University in Hanoi, as part of the national digital knowledge system.
Map data was collected for more than three months by 120,000 postal workers and youth union members who visited every neighbourhood and hamlet to gather information.
They used a mobile app to take photos and collect coordinates, detailed addresses, and information about other points of interest, such as hospitals, schools, restaurants, hotels, banks, and markets.
VMAP mapping services can also display different map layers for different uses and show addresses as detailed as house numbers, whether it is in a city, or a rural or mountainous area.
The map data is expected to be further updated in the future with the help of postal carriers across the country.
The Chairman of the Vietnam E-commerce Association, Le Thanh Hung, said that e-commerce enterprises need digital mapping services but most services that are available are provided by foreign companies and lack local information.
He expects that Vmap will provide rich data and features to benefit enterprises, especially those operating in e-commerce and logistics.
The service was unveiled at a ceremony earlier this month, in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister, Vu Duc Dam.
To adapt to the changes the fourth industrial revolution will bring, Vietnam, like many other countries, has issued strategies and action plans to encourage tech adoption and digital transformation.
Earlier this year, the government released its National Digital Transformation Project. It explained how digital transformation deeply impacts structure and relationships in the global economy. Replacing manual labour with automation, capital with knowledge and data, and changing consumption habits as well as the behaviour of society.
The project sets specific objectives. They are:
- By 2030, Vietnam’s digital economy should grow 20% per year.
- It should be one of the top 20 countries in the world and the top three in ASEAN in the global and regional competitiveness index, respectively.
- It should be on the list of top 50 e-government countries.
- Labour productivity should increase by 8-10% per year.
The country has built a relatively synchronous telecommunication infrastructure with mobile coverage currently reaching 99.7% of the population, of which 3G and 4G coverage areas at a low-cost reach 98%.
5G networks have been granted licenses for pilots and the service is expected to be commercially deployed in the market by 2020.
There has also been an emergence of digital and internet-based business models and services that have generated jobs, increased income, and improved the overall quality of life for residents. The developments in the creation of an e-government have also been implemented effectively and have had positive outcomes.
However, at present, there are no legal mechanisms in place for a digital economy, or the pilot implementation of new Industry 4.0 products, business models, or services. The country has yet to develop a national standard system for the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies.
