VinSmart has made a footprint for Vietnam tech industry

TS. Liem Truc Mai, former Deputy Minister of Post and Telecommunications (the Ministry of Information and Communications), shared in advance that VinSmart was preparing to export nearly 2 million smartphones to the US market.

Brave and wise steps

As an expert accompanying the telecommunications industry and the electronics industry in Vietnam from the first days up to now, how do you evaluate the information that VinSmart is about to export smartphones to the US?

It is too early to fully evaluate this event. However, I have visited the factory and can confirm that the technological capacity and production lines of VinSmart are not inferior to any manufacturer in the world in terms of modernity. And in fact, in just over a year, from zero, they broke up to occupy the top 3 positions in the Vietnamese market.

Regarding their choice of partner AT&T, the world's second-biggest brand in electronics and telecommunications, I'm not surprised. From the beginning, they have targeted and always choose big partners to calculate the problem beyond the sales story. A partnership with America's leading chipset company, Qualcomm, for example. Going along with such big names will be a very good basis for VinSmart to enter the US market.

This is the most important point, showing that the strength of Vietnamese producers lies not only in finance and technology but also in aspirations and visions. Without ambition and vision, it would be difficult to only produce a commercial phone, let alone set foot in the US. 

America is famous for being the most difficult market in the world. In your opinion, why did Vingroup decide to choose this market to export industrial products and technology?

The US has the most attractive but challenging high-tech market in the world. Not only that, but the US is also the cradle of science, technology, inventions and inventions, and a market with fierce competition from leading names like Apple or Samsung ... Choose the US for that. Not only is it the best test for the quality of Vietnamese smartphone products, but also an opportunity for the Vietnamese brand to compare with the world's technology giants. Entering the US also means having a "passport" to go around the world.
A young company that dares to conquer this thorny market not only shows great bravery but also shows the wise vision of VinSmart.

According to information, VinSmart entered the US this time as an ODM (designer and manufacturer of original equipment), not an independent brand. Does this make sense for the "expedition" trip of the Vietnamese telephone company?

On the contrary, we need to understand that, if merely exporting phones to the US, the product only needs to meet the common international standards as well as that of the host country to be licensed. When entering the US under the brand name of a carrier, especially the largest telecommunications corporation in the world, it must meet the "survival" standard of the brand. That is, the reputable carrier standard is even higher and harder than the international or host country's standards in general.  
 

The world will change their mindset about Vietnam technology

In your opinion, what are the prospects of VinSmart after entering the US market?

Americans tend to look for something new and creative, not conservative, and that will also be an opportunity for VinSmart. Why don't we dare to dream a bigger dream: one day, world consumers will also eagerly wait for VinSmart to launch a new phone model? VinSmart has enough bases for us to hope on this.
I am also very interested in 5G equipment when it recently introduced the first 5G phone line. If this product can be brought into the US, it is entirely feasible for Vietnamese brands to be in the top 5 of the world. 

From the VinSmart story to the broader view of the Vietnamese industry, according to him, where have we been progressed when before, Vietnam's export industrial products were mainly garments, shoes ... .?

Vietnam once had a reputation as a snail that could not do it. Although we have exported a number of electronic devices, it is mainly from a foreign-invested enterprise, under foreign brands. 

In contrast, a smartphone costs insignificant iron, steel, and plastic materials. The reason it costs hundreds, even thousands of dollars, is thanks to the integrated technologies and intelligence. Therefore, the move of VinSmart can be seen as opening a new page, marking a new beginning for the Vietnamese industry, an intellectual industry. 

In terms of wisdom, we are not inferior to any nation. But it takes businesses and people to guide them to use that intelligence in research, development, and production to make world-class products. Here, VinSmart helps affirm the intelligence of Vietnamese people as well as the stature and growing production capacity of Vietnamese technology enterprises.

According to Dr., when Vietnamese industrial and technology enterprises have a strong foothold in high standard markets, how will the world's outlook on Vietnam change?

Will definitely change, big change. For decades, people have only talked about the Vietnam War. But now, Vietnam will be known as technology, even high technology, based on intelligence. 

A country's brand is made up of brands of businesses and products. Japan is Toyota, Korea is Samsung… Therefore, the success of the VinSmart brand name in the international market is also the success of the Vietnamese brand.  

It only took Korea about 30 years to compete with the US and have the top technology brands in the world. Having excellent, powerful, and visionary businesses also give us the right to hope Vietnam can become Asia's new miracle.

Thank you!