APICTA Awards Gold Cup

The Product “Sign Language Communication Dictionary for the Hearing Impaired” from Vietnam Wins Gold Cup at the Asia-Pacific Information and Communication Technology Awards (APICTA)

On the evening of February 19, 2006, the 5th Asia-Pacific Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Awards (APICTA) was held solemnly at the Khum Khantoke Hotel in the heart of Chiang Mai, Thailand. The ceremony was attended by Mr. Kanawat Vasinsungworn, Deputy Minister of Information Technology and Communication of Thailand. This annual award aims to evaluate the quality and results of ICT products in the region and internationally, with the official APICTA language being English. Participants in APICTA 2005 included: Vietnam, Singapore, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, Macau, Malaysia, Australia, and Brunei, with 164 competing products.

The Asia-Pacific ICT Awards were initiated by former Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Mahathir Mohamad in 2001, held in Malaysia in 2001 and 2002, Thailand in 2003, and Hong Kong in 2004, rotating annually among member countries.

APICTA plays a significant role in enhancing exchanges and promoting cooperation in the development of the ICT industry in the Asia-Pacific region. The nature of the award is competitive, not just among businesses but also representing a comprehensive competition among nations in terms of technology, science, research, training, and application of ICT. Through APICTA, the level of ICT development in various countries can be clearly observed. APICTA is indeed the most prestigious ICT award in the Asia-Pacific region today.

Due to the expansion of ICT application scope, this year’s award has increased from 14 to 15 categories for professional-level ICT products, including projects by students. Among them are 12 categories for professional-level ICT products applied in areas such as: Education and Training; Healthcare; Information Security; E-Government and public services; Application Tools and Infrastructure; Industry; Packaged Applications; Finance; Tourism; Telecommunications; Entertainment Industry; and Entrepreneurship; alongside three categories for research and development and student projects: R&D ICT projects; University Student ICT projects; and High School ICT projects.

Representing Vietnam at APICTA 2005 was a delegation of 25 members led by Dr. Nguyen Quy Son, Chairman of APICTA Vietnam, showcasing 9 products in the following categories:

– In the E-Government and Public Services category, Vietnam participated for the first time with the product “E-Office System” from the Department of Science and Technology of Dong Nai, and “The Business Information Management System (BIMS)” from FPT Corporation.

– In the Finance category, the product “Smart Bank” from FPT Corporation was presented.

– In the Packaged Applications category, the product “IRP Solution an ERP Packaged” from AZ Solution JSC was featured.

– In the Research and Development category, the product “Traffic Monitoring System by Computer Vision” from the Union of Scientific – Production – New Technology (NEWSTECPRO) was showcased.

– From university student projects, the product “Transparent Network and Transport Layer Nomilizer” from the Institute of Applied Informatics, and “Ubiquitous Healthcare Information System” from Hanoi Foreign Trade University were included.

– In the Education and Training category, the product “Sign Language Communication Dictionary for the Hearing Impaired” from Ho Chi Minh City University of Education was presented.

– In the Entrepreneurship category, the product “The online Portal – integrated News Providing Solution: mvnForum and mvnCMS” from Huu Ngoc Company (MVN Group) was showcased.

The overall assessment by the judges and experts indicated that this year’s competing products exhibited significantly higher levels of technology and professionalism compared to previous years.

After two days of competition organized with professionalism and fairness by the judges, on the evening of February 19, the organizing committee announced the awarding of 14 gold cups, 12 silver cups, and 02 bronze cups to various countries and economies:

The countries that did not win awards this time included Indonesia and Brunei.

Among the winners, Vietnam’s product “Sign Language Communication Dictionary for the Hearing Impaired” from Ho Chi Minh City University of Education received first prize in the Education – Training category, earning a gold cup. The “Sign Language Communication Dictionary for the Hearing Impaired” utilizes Dot Net programming technology to create an electronic dictionary with 3,900 illustrative examples for 2,000 common words, allowing users to self-learn sign language. With this dictionary, hearing-impaired students can use computers to enhance their knowledge of sign language outside of classroom hours with their teachers. Teachers of hearing-impaired children and students in special education also use this dictionary to improve their sign language skills to communicate effectively with their students, thus enhancing teaching effectiveness. Additionally, family members of hearing-impaired individuals can learn sign language from this dictionary to communicate with their loved ones, thereby bridging the communication gap between the hearing-impaired and their families, providing more opportunities for the hearing-impaired to integrate into the community.

A distinctive feature of this software is its open data capability, allowing users to update the dictionary according to their own language. Therefore, this dictionary can be applied not only in Vietnam but also in any country that seeks to build a dictionary for the hearing impaired.

Another notable aspect is that this dictionary has been and is being distributed for free to schools and parents in need. In the future, it will be open-sourced for public reference and customization according to individual requirements.

Although Dong Nai’s E-Office product did not win an award, it was highly regarded for its application in the field of e-government and public services.

The ceremony concluded with activities promoting solidarity and friendship among participating countries, featuring a warm exchange in the lobby of the Khum Khantoke Hotel.

Given the scale and significance of APICTA and the benefits to the hosting nation, such as knowledge, ideas, and new technologies in ICT applications being gathered for the organizing committee, promoting the country’s image, and creating markets, many countries are eager to host APICTA annually. It is suggested that Vietnam should also prepare plans to host APICTA to enhance exchanges, cooperation, and promote the development of Vietnam’s ICT industry in the future.

Report and film by Xuan Truong – Minh Hoa, Department of Science and Technology Dong Nai transmitted from Chiang Mai to Vietnam.

Image DSCF5292: Deputy Minister of ICT of Thailand speaks at the ceremony

Image DSC00985: Gold cup awarded to Vietnam’s product

The content of the article has been approved by Mr. Nguyen Quy Son – Head of the Vietnamese delegation.