From 90 nominees, the Sao Khue Awards board has decided to present the award to 47 individuals and organizations.

Sao Khue 2009 Awards Ceremony

The board set up 11 working groups to evaluate submitted works. The government’s information portal at chinhphu.vn and the Vietnamese search engine – Xalo.vn - by Tinh Van Company were presented grand prizes.

The only award for an individual who greatly contributed to the IT sector belongs to Dr. Vu Duc Dam, Party Secretary and Chair of Quang Ninh province. Dam was the former Deputy Minister of Information and Communication.

The three awards for software and IT application went to the Vietnam Industrial and Commercial Bank (VietinBank), Lien Viet Bank and the French-invested NeoPost Company.

The awards ceremony will take place at the Hanoi Opera House on April 21 and will be aired live on VTV2.

In East Asian and Vietnamese culture, Sao Khue is the symbol of literature and learning. Famous scholars in Vietnamese history are compared to Sao Khue.

The Sao Khue Awards was initiated by the Vietnam Software Association (VINASA) in 2003 to praise organisations and individuals who make great contributions to the development of the IT and software industry in Vietnam.

PV