Delegates attend a digital transformation for technical infrastructure conference in HCM City last week. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Digital transformation has become a critical need for technical infrastructure companies to recover quickly, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, a seminar heard in HCM City on Friday.

The challenges brought by the pandemic fostered the need for digital transformation, which was widely and quickly adopted across ministries, other official agencies and businesses across the country.

Vietnamese enterprises took a pioneering role in research, development and innovation, mastering technologies and making important contributions to developing a digital economy.

Nguyễn Văn Đắng, director of the Gia Định Water Supply Joint-Stock Company belonging to the Saigon Water Corporation, said digital technologies have improved administration and production activities, helping better serve customers.

Water supply companies, for example, use GIS (Geographic Information System) technology for data sharing among units, he said.

This helps reduce leaks and improves management, he said.

The GIS technology also uses virtual assistants to handle repetitive questions and collect data from customers.

It provides information on mangrove forecasting to farmers via telephone, and analyses water levels to help scientists assess the water situation during various times of the year.

“To successfully implement digital transformation, enterprises must improve the quality of human resources, which will help productivity and thus enhance competitiveness,” Đắng said.

Experts said to promote digital transformation, it is necessary to synchronise digital institutions, infrastructure, production and management tools, human resources, markets, and legal management to create a healthy environment and manage risks in cyberspace.

Delegates also compared notes on their experiences in digital transformation and discussed the resources needed to develop information and communications technology and ways to develop digital transformation.

They also considered ways to deal with barriers like affordability of telecom services, policies and measures to minimise costs.

In 2020 Việt Nam began its national digital transformation programme focused on “a digital government, digital economy and digital society”.

Under the programme, by 2030, the country will adopt new technologies and models, completely overhaul the way the Government operates, update business operations, change the working style of citizens, and create a safe, secure and humane digital environment.

The digital economy is projected to produce 20 per cent of the country’s GDP in the near future, with at least 10 per cent of each economic sector being part of the digital economy, while annual labour productivity is likely to grow by at least 7 per cent.

Experts said the country is set to be among the top 50 countries in the information and communication technology development index within the next five years. — VNS