On February 10, 2009, a unit of Police of Culture Management conducted an inspection on local web portal Timnhanh.com. Adult content had been found on its servers.
Timnhanh.com is a service provided by VON (Vietnam Online Network), a Vinacapital DFJ invested company founded by Paul Nguyen. In addition to Timnhanh, VON runs some high traffic websites such as: hrvietnam.com, kiemviec.com (job board)

This is a post from Harry Do. He would write some insightful articles on Vietnam Internet industry with Techlang soon.
A reader named Mike Nguyen just left a comment on my blog stating that FaceViet has just filed for a bankruptcy. I’ve contacted him to confirm the news but could not receive any feedback.
However, a check at FaceViet.com did result that the site was down, without any official announcement! I tried to reach Thanh Le, CEO of FaceViet, to ask about FaceViet bankruptcy rumors through his email address but could not receive any answer yet.
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The 7th licensed mobile operator in Vietnam has bought networking equipment from Alcatel Lucent after bidding process. Alcatel Lucent will provide training services to Gtel.
Ericsson and Huawei are negotiating in a deal to supply some equipment and services also.
Gtel is a joint venture between Vietnam’s Global Telecom Corporation (of Ministry of Police) and Russia’s second largest mobile operator Vimpelcom.
Hanoi Telecom (a venture with Hong Kong Hutchison Telecom) had the new license to change from CDMA to GSM last year.

Title: BarCampSingapore3
Location: Ngee Ann Polytechnic Blk 27, Level 2 (Teaching and Learning Centre), 535 Clementi Road, Singapore 599489
Link out: Click here
Description: To bring together Infocomm professionals and also key people working in the energy, media, bio-tech and other industries to collective think of ideas that can be developed amidst the sluggish market conditions.
Start Time: 10:00
Date: 2009-02-28
End Time: 18:00

The local leading mapping service provider Diadiem.com plans to launch the first 3D mapping on February 10, 2009. They claimed that their product is the first 3D mapping in Asia but we had seen some impressive 3D mapping services in China with some forms of virtual billboard advertising.
Diadiem.com is an IDG Ventures Vietnam portfolio company with multi platform support from web based to iPhone, touch screen booths for tourists.

Massively-multiplayer role-playing games portal operator MMO Life received yesterday €1 million ($1.3 million) round of initial funding led by investors Klaas Kersting and Alexander Roesner of gaming pioneer Gameforge, and ex-Endemol media ex-ecutive Pim Schmitz. The funding will allow MMO Life to accelerate deployment of its network of gaming portals, build its team and make strategic third-party investments.
MMO Life’s family of portals will deliver news, reviews and rich-media demos for MMOs and MMORPGs throughout Western Europe and North America, and in several local languages. MMOhub.org, the company’s first portal, launched in late 2008; other MMO Life-operated portals will go live in the coming months.
Press Release.

Microsoft has appointed Natasha Kwan as general manager for its mobile communications business (MCB) in Asia, including the Greater China region, South East Asia, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.
Kwan will assume the role immediately from her current base in Singapore and will report to Microsoft’s MCB general manager Tony Mestres. She will be responsible for driving overall sales and marketing for Microsoft’s Windows Mobile in Asia and will work with leading device makers, mobile operators, distributors and retailers in Asia to bring innovative software and services to consumers and businesses alike. More »

Singapore’s Group Eight has shifted Singapore-based Kelly Do Thai Bich Thuy to its Vietnam office as managing director.
Her return to Vietnam now sees her tasked with managing the day-to-day operations of Group Eight Vietnam and identifying business opportunities in the market. She reports to Group Eight CEO Watson Lee.
Group Eight Vietnam has also made clear it is looking at merger & acquisition opportunities to strengthen its offering as an integrated marketing group.
Group Eight Vietnam currently has four local agencies consisting of Vietmai Advertising, Curiosity Vietnam, IO Media and DDV Interactive.
Via Marketing Interactive

Vietnamese Government had granted license to CMC Telecom to provide fixed line telephone service in addition to its licensed Internet infrastructure, data, value added services.
Following IT companies such as FPT corporation, CMC Group had set up CMC Telecom to expand to telecom business. This is a next step to consolidate its ISP service since a large number of Vietnamese people still did not have Internet access.