The Hanoitmes - Optimising technology infrastructure and diversifying banking services are the focus of the two-day Banking Vietnam Conference 2011. 

The conference would look at information technology solutions in the finance and banking sector as well as concrete solutions to optimise technology infrastructure and improve banks' capacity in dealing with risks, said State Bank of Vietnam Governor Nguyen Van Giau. 

This year's conference, which is organised by the SBV's IT Department and the International Data Group (IDG), will also address the issues of human resources, product streamlining and improving service quality. 

The annual Banking Vietnam information technology event updates industry players o­n communication applications in all fields of banking activities with the aim of helping construct Vietnam's modern, integral banking system using the schedule set by Government and the sector.  

Le Manh Hung, director of the department, said the bank would focus o­n optimising infrastructure and promoting IT applications for the State Bank from 2011-15.  

Hung added the bank would develop IT and communications by working toward concentration, multi-services and users. 

The department would also reorganise the central bank's professionalism by working toward concentration and unification from central to local levels. 

Nguyen Trong Duong, director of the IT Application Department of the Ministry of Information and Communications, gave participants background information o­n the country's plan to make the country strong in ICT. Duong said the country now needed to focus o­n developing human resources in ICT to meet international standards. By 2015, 30 per cent of graduate students would be qualified for the international labour market and the number of internet users should reach 50 per cent of the country's population, he said. 

By 2020, the ICT sector hoped to have 80 per cent of graduate students qualified for international labour market and about 1 million ICT workers would be capable of working domestically and internationally.  

Meanwhile, the number of internet users would reach more than 70 per cent of the country's population. 

The country would develop ICT into an area of key economic activity, and focus o­n software, digital content and services. The ICT sector targeted a contribution of 8 to 10 per cent of the country's GDP by 2020. 

According to latest statistics from the central bank, credit indices/GDP and deposits/GDP increased from 17.7 per cent and 13.6 per cent in 1991 to 115 per cent and 130 per cent in 2010, respectively. 

The number of ATM machines and citizens' banking accounts had also increased. By the end of last year, the number of cards in the country reached 28.5 million. There were more than 11,000 ATMs and nearly 50,000 acceptance devices (POS).  

Bank cards were becoming an increasingly popular way to pay in Vietnam and commercial banks were focused o­n quick development o­n this front. 

Participating at the Banking Vietnam 2011 Expo are banks, credit institutions and international organisations with expertise in POS payments, mobile banking, internet banking and kiosk banking.