Sao Khue Award winners at the ceremony. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Software and Information Technology Services Association (VINASA) on April 28 held a ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of Sao Khue Awards and announce 182 award winners this year.

The winners selected from 331 nominations from 215 businesses include 15 digital platforms, 22 pioneering technology solution services, two digital startups, 38 digital services, and 105 digital solutions. In 2023, there are 11 nominations rated five stars and 10 nominations awarded the Top 10 Sao Khue Awards 2023.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung urged that Sao Khue Awards must continue to innovate and become more prestigious as the prestige of the award is also the prestige of Vietnam's information technology, software, and service industries.

Truong Gia Binh, Chairman of VINASA’s Founding Council said that Vietnam's software and information technology services industry is more and more mature with products and services meeting the needs of domestic and international markets. Therefore, Sao Khue needs to show a strong linking role in the country's digital transformation.

Over the past 20 years, more than 1,500 Sao Khue awards and titles have been awarded to Vietnamese enterprises, information technology products and services. The Awards has been associated with hundreds of prestigious products, software applications, solutions, and services such as AMIS, Sapo, Kiot Viet, Base.vn, Bravo, Zalo, Vietinbank efast and PamAir, he said.

It has witnessed the growth of information technology enterprises and the maturity of products and applications; closely followed the guidelines of the Party and Government; and accelerated information technology application and digital transformation of organisations, businesses, and communities.

The Awards was first held in 2003 with the goal of honouring persons, businesses, organisations with information technology application, as well as outstanding software products and technology services.

In 2003, Vietnam's software and information technology industry was in the first stage of development with revenue of just over 500 million USD and about 5,000 IT workers.

After 20 years, the industry has become one of the most important driving forces of the economy with revenue reaching 148 billion USD and over 1.2 million IT workers in 2022, representing respective 300-fold and 240-fold increases.

At the ceremony, former Deputy Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Mai Liem Truc was given a special devotion award for his contributions to creating a growing Vietnamese information technology industry.