Paving the way for a creative economy

       Despite the software market expecting zero growth this year compared to last year's growth of 11 percent, innovative advanced technologies and a white ocean strategy will open new opportunities for software developers and pave the way for Thailand to enter the creative economy, according to Patama Chantaruck, managing director, Microsoft (Thailand).
       Moreover, the new Windows 7 operating systemwhich will be launched in October will open business opportunities for a new variety of applications that support multi-touch technology.
       For example, restaurants and hotels may develop food ordering by allowing guests to touch or press the menu on the display on more than one point at the same time.
       In addition, Microsoft also has a new Microsoft Partner Network which helps to connect and match businesses for different partners in each country in the region.
       This will help Thai software developers, especially small sized companies,to leverage their expertise and expand outside the country with lower costs or bring in external partners to fulfill or support the customer base.
       Jirawit Maeprasart, Intel Microelectronics (Thailand), Strategist-Emerging Market Enabling Software Solution group, said powerful hardware from multi-core processors and graphics processing units (GPU) and virtualisation technology are driving high performance computing (HPC) and cloud computing.
       Most existing software used sequential programs which are more appropriate for single core CPUs but if developers would like to leverage multicore technology they should use parallel programming or multi-threaded programming.
       There is evidence to show that after Intel has introduced selective software companies can learn new technological trends.
       For example, financial specialists Wealth Management System changed some part of its code to support parallel programming. After this, the company increased its software performance from supporting 10 concurrent users to 2,000 concurrent users.
       The new programming also helped to utilise CPU power from the average 40 percent up to 95 percent.
       Jirawit added that cloud computing is opening new opportunities for independent software vendors to create business models such as building applications and offering software as a service model (SaaS).
       However, Thai software developers need to strengthen their English communication skills and shift their focus from the domestic market because technology like web 2.0 and cloud computing can help them to expand their international market at a lower cost.
       Sunicha Eckachai, IBM Thailand,business development manager, IBM Academic Initiative, added that software quality management is critical for developers to audit the quality of software and reduce the cost of development.
       Prinya Hom-Anek, president of ACIS Professional Centre, said many emerging security standards will affect IT companies such as information security ISMS, IT Service Management System (ITSMS) and Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) for IT service business and CMMI for software processing.
       There is a coming trend called "Information Security Governance" or ISG which is a subset of corporate governance focused on information security systems and their performance and risk management.
       ISG helps IT bridge the gap between IT and businesses and align or embed IT with business strategy.
       Software the key to a creative economy
       Software Park Thailand director Suwipa Wanasathop sees that there are a lot of opportunities in the world market and that Thailand can make software one of the creative industries to support the government's policy to make Thailand a creative economy.
       The country can enable software to boost other sectors, especially healthcare, tourism and food which are core business concerns for Thailand.
       The country has hospital management systems for healthcare, food traceability software for the food industry and hotel management systems for hospitality industry.
       White ocean with niche expertise
       Suwipa suggests that under this dynamic environment the important thing for software houses to keep in mind is the quality of software and services which are comprised of project management, good architecture, security and testing to help improve the quality.
       Moreover, innovation of products and services is the key to differentiating from competitors and companies have to use their expertise to find niche markets.
       Software Park Thailand is currently linked with other software park operators in Asia and Oceania to form the Asia Oceania Software Park Alliance to help other member countries to pave the way in the target market.
       Moreover, the member may join hands to go pursue "third country markets". For instance, Thailand has food traceability software which supports halal food standards, while Brunei has a strong relationship with the Middle Eastern halal food market. So Thailand and Brunei can join hands in the Middle East.
       Software Park also incorporates selected local software companies that support in some specific sectors like food, healthcare and hospitality to bring them to work together and offer total solutions to the target customers in that sector.
       Ramade Sillapaprom, president of the Soft Square group which has 12 subsidiary companies employing a total of 400 people, said software businesses are mainly small companies with a small number of staff so the best way to survive in business would be to find a niche and use a white ocean strategy.
       In his company model, employees can start their own businesses or joint ventures and work together if they have a big project or can combine expertise to meet the requirements of customers.
       "You have to find your niche in design, architecture, even in programming. When you get a key project, you just find other companies who have a missing component to deliver the project together. This helps small companies not to handle a lot of head counts," Ramede explained.
       Business exchange: bridge social network
       Dr Chachanat Thebtaranonth, vice president of NSTDA and director of the Technology Management Centre,said advanced technologies like social networks help to connect business partners but there is still a need to meet and exchange ideas in the physical world to accelerate business opportunities and collaboration.
       However, the economic recession has caused the number of ICT events to be postponed or cut due to budgetary concerns and this in turn has reduced the social dimension of the IT industry.
       So Software Park Thailand under the TMC has teamed up with IT partners to organise the "Software Park Annual Conference 2009". Among the event's highlights are panel discussions on white ocean strategy for a creative society and other topics and exhibition booths by leading IT vendors as well as a showcase of new technology.
       The event will take place at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre on August 26 under the theme business opportunities with IT in the creative economy. The event will help to bring physical social network with all stakeholders for IT people.