VietNamNet Bridge – Developing embedded systems and
embedded software has become the national policy of many countries in the
world. Experts believe that Vietnam
has major potential for embedded software outsourcing.

Currently,
most embedded software is integrated in communication products and consumer
electronics. Besides, they are also used in automobile products and other means
of transport, healthcare equipments, energy equipments, alarm equipments and
measurement and monitoring products.

According
to OESF (Open Embedded Software Foundation), the global embedded systems market
along with  embedded software is
estimated to be worth 112.5 billion dollars.

Japan is now the biggest embedded
software market in the world.  Since Vietnam is Japan’s
third largest partner in software outsourcing, Vietnamese enterprises have major
opportunities to do embedded software outsourcing for Japan.

Android-based
creations encouraged

Unlike
computers which mostly run on operating systems like Windows or UNIX, embedded
systems and embedded software have their own embedded operating systems. The
current most popular operation systems used for embedded systems include Embedded
Linux, VxWorks, Win CE, Lynyos, BSD, Green Hills, QNX and DOS. Recently,
embedded systems and embedded software are being  developed based on the Android operation
system.

A report by
Nielsen shows that using Google’s Android operation system is considered an
emerging trend as the operating system now accounts for 30 percent of the
market share.

On March 4
at Android Blast Off 2011, a workshop on developing embedded software held in
HCM City, Tan Quang Sang, Head of OESF Lab in Vietnam said that in the last few
years, Android has become a popular mobile foundation with the backing of
Google.

Masataka
Muira, Chair of OESF Japan, said that more and more embedded software have been
used in making consumer products, including VoIP equipments, mobile phones,
digital TV, cameras, GPS systems, music players or healthcare equipments. He
said that Japanese technology firms are developing many products that utilize
Android-based embedded software.

According
to him, Android has great potentials to develop and it has been used for both mobile
phones and other electronics manufacturers as an advanced foundation for
embedded products.

“Vietnam should
not be the outsider of the trend if it wants to develop embedded technology,”
he said.

He went on
to say that Japan now has
high demands for outsourcing embedded software to other countries and many
Japanese enterprises came to Vietnam
to seek partners. Therefore, Vietnam
needs to well prepare to seize the opportunity.

Vietnamese
FPT Software (FSoft) has signed a record of cooperation with OESF on developing
embedded software based on Android. This could be seen as an opportunity for
FSoft to become more deeply involved with the embedded software market and
commercialize its products.

Labor force
is the key

It is clear
that the demand for outsourcing embedded software is very high in the world.
However, the number of companies such as FSoft remains very modest.

Experts have
pointed out that the biggest problem for Vietnam to grab the opportunity
lies in its labor force. As for normal software, a newly graduated engineer has
to spend 3-6 months on training courses to fulfill the duties of his job, and
he needs 6-12 months more to do embedded software.

According
to Phi Anh Tuan, Deputy Chair of the HCM City Informatics Association,
Vietnamese companies are now doing the outsourcing for foreign partners in
accordance with contracts signed with their partners. Meanwhile, the state has
not made any policies relating to the training of a labor force for embedded
software. Meanwhile, embedded software has not been taught proficiently at
universities and junior colleges.

Agreeing
with Tuan, other experts also believe that Vietnam needs to invest in training
a qualified labor force for embedded software and pay more attention to
research and development (R&D).

Source:
Thoi bao Vi Tinh Saigon