For current information please refer to
http://foss-bridge.org/

Supporting Vietnam to Generate Business out of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)

This EU/BMZ project supports cooperation between European and Vietnamese enterprises on Open Source Software. Until 2009 the twinning project will train Vietnamese software enterprises and developers and initiate joint software development projects in FOSS with European IT companies. It thereby aims at an affordable and sustainable ICT model for developing countries and the strengthening of the local ICT service sector.

Project Outline

This EU/BMZ project supports cooperation between European and Vietnamese enterprises on Open Source Software. The partner consortium from Germany, Vietnam and France officially launched the project at the LinuxForum of the German CeBIT computer trade fair in March 2007. Until 2009 the twinning project will train Vietnamese software enterprises and developers and initiate joint software development projects in FOSS with European IT companies. It thereby aims at an affordable and sustainable ICT model for developing countries and the strengthening of the local ICT service sector.

The project is implemented by InWEnt - Capacity Building International, Germany, the Vietnamese "Institute of Information Technology" (IOIT) and the French "Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique" (INRIA).

The initiative offers the following services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe and Vietnam as well as Vietnamese Software associations:

1. Qualification of selected Vietnamese SMEs through twinning with European FOSS companies and joint software development projects
2. Training and qualification of Vietnamese Software associations and SMEs on the field of international software standards, procedures and directives (inter alia copyright)
3. Set up of FOSS Networks in Asia and Europe

Wanted: Companies for FOSS cooperation with Asia

The program opens up innovative business and development perspectives for the Vietnamese partners as well as European enterprises, experts and initiatives on the field of Free and Open Source Software. Interested companies are cordially invited to contact Mr. Balthas Seibold (balthas.seibold_at_inwent.org). The project is part of the InWEnt initiative "it@foss - Promoting Free and Open Source Software in Southeast Asia".

The project is financed by the European Union's Asia Invest Programme and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

InWEnt – Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung (Capacity Building International, Germany) gGmbH is synonymous with human resources and organisational development in international cooperation. The courses offered by InWEnt address specialists, executives and decision-makers in industry, politics, administration and civil society. InWEnt works with partners in developing countries, transition states and industrialised nations and reaches about 55.000 participants every year.

The Asia-Invest Programme is a European Union initiative that aims to promote and support business co-operation between the EU and Asia, for increased trade and investment flows between the two regions. This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of InWEnt and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.

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