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Published on September 25, 2007

The agreement was made among software park operators during the Regional Software Park Forum 2007 held in Thailand last week. Software Park Thailand is one of the 15 countries to join the alliance.

Software Park Thailand's director Suwipa Wanasathop said the alliance would help software park operators in each country to create networks and help one another to expand markets to other countries.

"The main purpose of this alliance is to create partnerships and this will be a key mechanism to help software businesses in each country expand to international markets with the assistance of software park operators in each country," she said.

Members will share information related to software technology and businesses so all park operators can utilise resources to improve their software industries and move forward. The alliance will be a foundation for the members to expand their software businesses to regional markets.

Suwipa said if software companies in one country would like to penetrate the markets of others in the alliance they would receive assistance from the software park in that country to find local partners, set up a company or even get advice on business matching.

"We see the alliance as a mechanism for local software companies to expand their businesses internationally. We believe creating software products to sell aboard should start from penetrating neighbouring countries which have similar requirements and environments," she added.

She hopes this partnership will offer new opportunities for Thai software companies to bring local software products to penetrate markets in Asia and Oceania.

The alliance also includes the sharing of experience among software park operators when it comes to operating the parks. As the alliance will have fibre-optic or WiMax links among the park members, they can share information with one another.

Suwipa said since the evolution of the software parks in each country had been different, the park operators, especially those who had just started, could learn from other operators.

"Thailand can also use this alliance to assist the development of provincial software parks as well," she added.

The formation of the alliance is a part of an initiative from the Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organisation during its annual conference, which resolved to set up collaboration among the members to develop the software industry.

To make the initiative a reality, Software Park Thailand, in cooperation with the Association of Thai Computer Industry (ATCI), was assigned to be a host to operate the Regional Software Park Forum and form of the alliance.

In addition to the multi-partnership, Software Park Thailand and ATCI have signed a preliminary agreement with Bangladesh Computer Samity to share software business and marketing information and transfer knowledge.

The park also worked with Hangzhou Software Park under a bilateral agreement on business collaboration for market penetration between the two countries.

Pongpen Sutharoj

The Nation