Chiang Mai Software Dreams…….

[PlaShadow]

Are these folks for real? The read is comical…………………… http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/09/02...gy_30082409.php

Northen IT Cluster aims to trun the north become software development centre

By Asina Pornwasin

The Nation

Published on September 2, 2008

Collaboration among Software Park Thailand, Association of Thai ICT Industry, and Soft Square (1999)

Software Park Thailand and Association of Thai Information and Communication Technology Industry (ATCI) have teamed up with the Soft Square 1999 to establish a Northern IT Cluster with an aim to train about 10,000 software developers in the eight provinces of the Northern region within the next five years.

The move is to transform the northern part of Thailand into a software development centre to serve the local industry.

Software Park Thailand director Suwipa Wanasathop said the concept involves setting up a cluster that will operate a software incubation centres linked to the provinces' universities.

The incubation centres will not only offer facilities and tools for software development, but will also provide software and business training.

The move is the first step in the Software Park's five-year nationwide expansion plan and will begin with the North-Chiang Mai University.

"Chiang Mai is the starting point for us. We will use it as a pilot site for testing the Northern IT Cluster concept before expanding to the other provinces," Suwipa said.

She said it is possibe that the next Software Park branch would be Mae Hong Son as the park plans to set up a software park in the National Electronic Computer and Technology Centre (Nectec)'s IT Valley .

"We will bring encourage collaborations between foreign software companies and the provincial software park in order to promote technology transfer and software-development jobs in rural areas," Suwipa said.

Under the collaboration, Software Park Thailand will provide training courses and business-incubation services, ATCI will act as a link between local ICT companies from Bangkok and the cluster, and Soft Square 1999 will offer on-the-job training and software-outsourcing jobs to the local people.

Soft Square 1999 managing director Ramade Silapapom and ATCI's Software and Service Chapter director said that under the plan, the cluster will establish about eight software incubation centres in the region and will have the capability to develop about 10,000 software developers within the next five years.

"The collaboration between the private and government sectors is designed to promote indigenous software development in order to help students and other residents of the North earn a living without having to move to big cities, such as Bangkok," Ramade said.

The 240-square-metres incubation centre at the North-Chiang Mai University is scheduled to begin operation in October.

Software Park Thailand board chairman Manoo Ordeedolchest said the Northern IT Cluster will serve as a model for local software outsourcing. If this model works, it will be expanded to other parts of the country.

"Instead of investing in infrastructure, the park has chosen to expand virtually. Private companies and the universities will take care of the facilities and we will provide soft skills and our expertise to develop incubation centres in accordance with the park's standards. The park also plans to support local companies to eventually get software outsourcing jobs from overseas," Manoo said.

[Artey]

IT Valley? How about a decent internet connection first, one step at a time.

[OlRedEyes]

Another day another dream.

Whatever happened to Phuket being the IT hub that was dreamt about a few years ago?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Software Park is a long established government sponsored organization, Soft Square a local software development business. These are both serious entities.

Personally I applaud ANY development / education AWAY from Bangkok.