The last 12 months is an important transitional period in 5-year plan for ICT development in Viet Nam - between the end of 5-year plan (2001-2006) and the beginning of 2006-2010 plan.

Growth rate of world ICT market still increases at higher speed than that of last year. In such context, although Viet Nam ICT market cannot keep the growth pace of 2004, growth rate of 2005 still reaches 20.9%, compared to 9% of Asia and 7.1% of the world. Growth rate of software/service and hardware market is 41.4% and 15.6% respectively – with total market value of 828 billions USD. 2005 is the year when Viet Nam ICT import and export turnover was above the threshold of 1 billion USD in which is a great contribution of some 100% foreign-owned enterprises. ICT industry continues to grow at high speed: 49.6%/year, in which software outsourcing increases 55.5%, making a turnover of 70 millions USD and total value of software/service industry of 250 millions USD. Growth rate of Vietnamese brand computers stops short.

At the growth rate of 86% per year – the percentage of Internet users in Viet Nam is the same as that of the world. Last year also witnessed the boom of ADSL service and the break- through of Viettel & EVN in Internet service providing field. Policies of 2005-2006 focuses on making plan for 2006-2010 relating to ICT – along with the passing and implementing of some basic legislations, making a premise for ICT development in a new period, which includes the preparation for WTO entry at the end of 2006.

In ICT training field, many policies have been promulgated to make a premise for sustainable growth; however, the implementation is slow and the situation that supply is failing to keep up with demand is still continuing. In general, it can be said that ICT training outlook in Viet Nam is quite chaotic before heading for some basic changes. Position of Viet Nam on World ICT map has not been improved. Only the rank of E- commerce field rises. The ranks of other fields go down. An interesting point is that growth rate of fixed telephones in Vietnam is among the highest in the world.