Software certification programme
Software Park Thailand has kicked off the SPI@ease programme, whose goal is to encourage local firms to achieve the international standard for software process improvement, the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI).
The programme aims to create 15 companies as newly CMMI-certified Level 2 to Level 5 in the next three years. They will get financial support from Software Park Thailand to the tune of 70 per cent of the cost of CMMI certification. Chamaiporn Pornpruethianan, deputy director of Software Park Thailand, said the park aimed to help seven or eight local software firms become certified CMMI Level 2, four certified Level 3, and three or four certified Levels 4 and 5. The number of CMMI-certified companies is a crucial factor for the Thai software industry, as the standard is accepted globally. Certification creates more confidence among potential customers. The programme started this month with a recruitment stage until August, by which time the park aims to have selected 15 companies. CMMI Level 2 usually needs 12 months, Level 3 requires 18 months, and Levels 4 and 5 need two years. "We have committees to first select the software companies which will join the SPI@ease programme. After we choose 15 companies, the process improvement will take off. We divide grants into two payments for CMMI Levels 2 and 3, and three payments for CMMI Levels 4 and 5 as these take longer," said Chamaiporn. The park will support each company with 70 per cent of the CMMI certification cost with a ceiling of Bt800,000 for CMMI Level 2, Bt1.2 million for Level 3, and Bt1.5 million for Levels 4 and 5. The last chunk will be paid after certification is complete. Thai CMMI service providers include IT Professional Consulting, Mensa Software & Consulting, VL Business Consulting, and ISEM. International providers include TUV Nord (Thailand), Satyam Computer Services, QAI India, and GPI Asia. Manoo Ordeedolchest, board committee member of the National Science and Technology Develop-ment Agency, said the number of CMMI-certified companies was very important. If the number is small, Thai firms will lose competitiveness. "We have started now, so it is not too late. The programme is supported by NSTDA budgets with Bt20 million," he said. Rom Hiranpruk, assistant NSTDA president, said Thailand now had only two companies certified CMMI Level 2, and another 19 companies with any CMMI standard.
Asina Pornwasin The Nation
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