Top 15 Key IT Events of 2021

In 2021, the tech world was taken by surprise when the digital collage of 5,000 artworks titled Everydays: The First 5000 Days was sold for a record-breaking $69 million at Christie's auction house. This piece by artist Beeple was linked to an NFT (non-fungible token), a unique digital token encrypted with identity data, stored and traded on the blockchain.

NFTs have been attached to everything from Twitter's first tweet, an ape avatar, doodles, to images of a rock, selling for anywhere between thousands to millions of dollars. Particularly, with the rise of the metaverse – considered the next frontier of the Internet – many began investing heavily in virtual real estate as NFTs.

The NFT craze soared to such heights that data from the Collins Dictionary revealed a staggering 11,000% increase in the usage of the term compared to the previous year, surpassing other hot topics like Covid-19, Crypto, and Metaverse to become the 'Word of the Year.'

However, earlier this month, Gou Wenjun, Director of the Anti-Money Laundering Analysis and Monitoring Center at the People's Bank of China, warned that the decentralization and anonymity of NFTs could make them tools for crime and terrorism.

After revolutions in AI, Big Data, and 5G, quantum technology is seen as the new frontier in the global race this year. More and more computing systems with superior power are emerging to gain quantum advantage.

In March, Valuenex data showed that China is leading in the quantum technology race, with the U.S. investing heavily to close the gap. China holds over 3,000 patents in this field, double that of the U.S. and three times that of Japan.

In July, China set a quantum computing record with its Zuchongzhi machine achieving 66 qubits (though it only used 56 qubits). By October, they declared the successful development of Jiuzhang 2.0 with 66 qubits, surpassing Google's Sycamore, which had 54 qubits in 2019.

In November, IBM introduced Eagle, the world's most powerful quantum chip with 127 qubits. Meanwhile, U.S. tech startup QuEra built a system with 256 qubits, the strongest ever. The QuEra team consists of experts from Harvard University and MIT.

Quantum computers are expected to surpass the limits of traditional computers. With their immense computational power, scientists hope they will aid in research, such as mapping complex molecular structures or simulating chemical reactions.

In just over a year, with a sense of urgency, and through three stages with specific steps, the Ministry of Public Security successfully completed two projects before July 1, 2021. Despite being independent projects, the Ministry coordinated them to maximize efficiency, avoid waste, and reduce the original budget by more than 1,000 billion VND.

To date, over 98 million citizens have been collected and integrated into the system. On June 18, 2021, a nationwide rollout of national identification numbers was carried out, marking a key step in establishing citizens' digital identities and contributing to the national digital transformation.

From March 1, 2021, over 54 million applications were processed to issue identity cards, surpassing the initial target one month ahead of schedule. Security measures, ensuring information safety at level 4, have been implemented nationwide, from central to local levels.

The Ministry has also tested service integration with various ministries, local authorities, and services on the National Public Service Portal.

Currently, the National Population Database is fully operational and ready to share and connect, meeting the requirements for the construction of an e-government.

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has granted licenses for three telecom companies—Viettel, VNPT, and Mobifone—to pilot the Mobile Money service. Viettel is the third company after VNPT and Mobifone to receive approval to roll out Mobile Money.

The Mobile Money service allows customers to use their telecom accounts to perform various transactions such as paying for small-value goods and services, transferring money, or depositing/withdrawing funds directly at retail outlets, without the need for a bank account, smartphone, or internet connection.

In recent years, the payment infrastructure, including the interbank electronic payment system, electronic switching, and clearing systems, has been prioritized for investment, upgrades, and expansion. The system operates securely, stably, and seamlessly across all provinces and cities nationwide, meeting the increasing demand for payments from individuals and businesses, especially during the social distancing measures imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This initiative, directed by the Prime Minister, aims to create a unified national app for combating the COVID-19 pandemic, minimizing the challenges and inconveniences faced by citizens, optimizing the efforts in disease control, and saving resources while leveraging the best technological solutions.

The PC-COVID national app will include various functions, such as displaying the "COVID-19 pass" based on conditions set by the Ministry of Health; domestic travel declaration; COVID-19 vaccination information and test results lookup; reporting visited locations for health tracking; contact tracing support; displaying movement density, risk maps, and infection trends; and providing information on overall pandemic prevention strategies.

This app also integrates with four major databases, namely the National Population Database (managed by the Ministry of Public Security), the National Health Insurance Database (managed by Vietnam Social Security), the National COVID-19 Vaccination Database (managed by the Ministry of Health), and the COVID-19 Testing Database.

On August 29, 2021, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention, led an online meeting with 1,060 communes, wards, and towns across 20 provinces and cities.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister tasked the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) to coordinate with Viettel and VNPT to immediately implement an online conferencing system connecting all communes, wards, and towns nationwide. The MIC instructed both companies to rapidly deploy the infrastructure and equipment to ensure connectivity for 2,594 local points across 19 southern provinces and cities. Within just three days, Viettel and VNPT managed to set up the network, distribute devices, and train local authorities on usage. Despite several challenges, the MIC and the companies worked tirelessly to meet the deadline set by the Prime Minister.

By September 5, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a nationwide online meeting with local governments. The meeting was successfully connected to all 63 provinces and cities, 705 districts, and 9,043 communes, wards, and towns to assess the situation and discuss key strategies for combating the pandemic.

In early July 2021, the National COVID-19 Vaccination Management Platform was officially launched to support the largest vaccination campaign in history, with the capacity to administer 5 million doses per day.

The platform, developed by Viettel, consists of four main systems: the Electronic Health Book application, the COVID-19 Vaccination Portal, the National Vaccination Support System, and the Response Center (MCC). The platform's database is centrally managed, ensuring synchronization, transparency, and data integrity from citizens to governmental agencies.

The platform is now operational in all 63 provinces and cities across the country. It provides a convenient, user-friendly way for citizens to actively participate in the vaccination campaign. From registration to viewing vaccination history and results, everything can be done through the Electronic Health Book app or the COVID-19 Vaccination Portal.

On September 24, the National E-Government Committee was restructured and renamed the National Digital Transformation Committee. The committee now consists of 16 members, with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh serving as the Chairman.

This committee has been formally established by the Prime Minister, with the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of overseeing and directing the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) as the Vice Chairman. The committee includes ministers from key government departments, including the Ministry of Public Security, the Government Office, the Ministry of Science and Technology, Finance, Planning and Investment, Home Affairs, Health, Education, Industry and Trade, Construction, Agriculture and Rural Development, the State Bank of Vietnam, and the Deputy Minister of MIC.

The National Digital Transformation Committee is tasked with advising the Government and Prime Minister on strategies, policies, and legal frameworks to accelerate the national digital transformation process. It aims to drive the development of e-government, digital government, the digital economy, digital society, and smart cities, aligning closely with administrative reforms. Additionally, it supports the implementation of Industry 4.0 in Vietnam.

On September 12, 2021, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh officially launched the 'Wave and Computers for Children' program, aimed at helping millions of underprivileged children access online education in regions under social distancing due to COVID-19. The program, a collaboration between the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Education and Training, aims to provide children in these areas with the necessary tools to continue their education remotely while promoting the development of a digital society.

The program's key activities include building infrastructure to support online teaching and learning, mobilizing the provision of computers and technology devices, offering technological platforms, and ensuring telecommunications services for disadvantaged students in lockdown areas under Directive 16. The program also encourages societal involvement to ensure 100% of schools, teachers, and students are fully equipped with infrastructure, devices, and platforms necessary for online education.

In 2021, investment in startups in Vietnam saw an unprecedented growth, reaching over $1.35 billion despite the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic. Key sectors drawing substantial investments include fintech, blockchain gaming, edtech, health and pharmaceutical startups, and e-commerce.

Vietnam now boasts approximately 3,800 startups, with three unicorns—VNG, VNLife, and MoMo—along with 11 other startups valued at over $100 million, such as Tiki and Topica Edtech. Notable funding rounds include MoMo raising $300 million, Tiki securing $258 million, VNLife obtaining $250 million, Sky Mavis raising $152 million, and Equest securing $100 million.

On November 9th, Vietnam's NanoDragon satellite successfully entered space from the Uchinoura launch site in Kagoshima, Japan, marking the beginning of its mission.

The satellite was launched from the Uchinoura Space Center, Kagoshima, Japan. At approximately 9:06:54 AM (Hanoi time), the NanoDragon satellite, ‘Made in Vietnam,’ successfully detached from Japan's Epsilon 5 rocket and entered orbit. The satellite is designed to monitor and track maritime vehicles, and it is expected to operate in a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of around 560 km. It was predicted to reach the Vietnamese sky around 9:30 AM.

According to the timeline, 52 minutes after the launch, the rocket began releasing the satellites it carried into orbit. The first satellite released was RAISE-2, followed by the NanoDragon satellite, which was the last to separate from the rocket, 1 hour, 11 minutes, and 38 seconds after lift-off.

The 7th edition of Techfest, themed 'Innovation – Shaping the Future,' will feature over 50 events running continuously until the end of the year.

Techfest 2021 will include 16 technology villages covering diverse sectors and approximately 300 booths. The primary goal of this year’s Techfest is to provide startups with opportunities to network, collaborate, and attract investment from venture capitalists.

A key highlight of Techfest 2021 will be investment connection, as emphasized by Pham Hong Quat, Director General of the Market Development and Enterprises Department under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

In addition to returning technology villages, this year’s Techfest introduces several new ones, reflecting emerging economic trends. Some of the new villages include: Cybersecurity Village, Entertainment & Media Technology Village, Smart City & Digital Real Estate Village, Healthcare & Creative Solutions Village, and the Agriculture, Food, and Tourism Technology Village.

On June 15, the Prime Minister of Vietnam issued Decision No. 942/QD-TTG approving the E-Government Development Strategy towards a Digital Government for the 2021-2025 period, with a vision to 2030. This marks a significant milestone in the digital transformation process and the development of a digital government in Vietnam.

The digital platform is identified as a breakthrough solution to accelerate the development of a digital government, reducing costs and increasing efficiency. Developed by leading digital technology enterprises, this platform enables agencies, organizations, and individuals to use services directly instead of investing in and managing their own systems.

Implementing this E-Government Strategy will transform the way citizens and businesses interact with government agencies, leading to cost reductions, increased productivity for businesses, and greater public satisfaction. It will encourage citizens and businesses to participate more actively in government activities, creating shared value, benefits, trust, and societal consensus. Additionally, it will change the way government organizations operate, fostering an environment where officials can best perform their duties.

In May, former Facebook employee Frances Haugen submitted her resignation. However, before leaving, she secretly copied thousands of internal documents and shared them with the media, later testifying before the US Congress in early October. This incident has been called the 'worst nightmare' for CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook.

The leaked documents revealed that Facebook, the world's largest social network, was fully aware of the negative impact Instagram had on teenagers, the existence of violent extremist groups, and how human traffickers were using Facebook as a tool for trade. Despite this knowledge, the company chose to ignore the problems or address them inadequately, prioritizing profit over addressing the harm. In addition to Haugen, several other former employees also came forward to criticize their former employer. Facebook's internal environment became chaotic as many employees voiced dissatisfaction on workplace forums and left the company, fearing that staying would tarnish their personal reputations.

Blockchain gaming, particularly the play-to-earn model, began a few years ago but remained relatively under the radar until Axie Infinity gained global attention in May.

Axie Infinity is a blockchain-based game developed by Sky Mavis, a company headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City. The in-game cryptocurrency surged more than 26 times in value this year, becoming the first Vietnamese-developed digital currency with a market capitalization exceeding $8 billion.

This year, a wide range of blockchain gaming projects have emerged globally. Many traditional gaming companies have declared blockchain as the 'next revolution' they don't want to miss. Unlike traditional gaming, this trend is decentralized, with assets distributed among players rather than controlled centrally by a server.

Blockchain gaming is now seen as transforming the lives of many, particularly in Southeast Asia, where it offers an additional source of income, even replacing full-time jobs for some individuals.