Ministries launch low-cost software

The project is also aimed at reducing the country's overall software piracy rate.

The low-cost programs under the scheme comprise Active Personal & Payroll Software (Active PPS) and Active Financial Accounting Software (Active FAS), both of which have been developed by local software house Senior Com.

Somkiat Ungaree, Senior Com's chief executive officer, said that from July 1 users would be able to buy Active PPS and Active FAS at SE-ED bookstores throughout the country.

The licensed programs plus manuals will each be available at just Bt90 per kit. After installation, users can make as many copies as they want free of charge.

The expiry date of the software is the end of next year. Users can continue to use the programs after the expiry date, but will be required to pay Bt1,000 per year per kit for the licence to do so.

"We aim that about 10 million kits, split roughly equally between Active PPS and Active FAS, will be sold from July 1 until December 31, 2010 in both the business and education sectors, for which the ratio will also be 50:50," said Somkiat.

He added that the company also planned to bring the low-cost programs to the education sector for student training in programming.

Science and Technology Minister Kalaya Sophonpanich said the ministry's move was to support the development of low-cost licensed software for Thai SMEs through the National Innovation Agency, which granted Bt350,000 to Senior Com to develop the project.

"We will promote these two software programs to the tourism industry, which comprises mostly SMEs that require tools to improve their competitiveness and efficiency," she said.

Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot said his ministry's role was to help bring the two programs to the attention of SMEs in its registration database of about 500,000 companies.

Of the total, about 80 per cent are SMEs and most of them need software to help them run their business, but they cannot afford expensive imported programs.

"This limitation leads them to use pirated software, which contributes to Thailand being one of the countries with the highest piracy rate for software.

"Currently, Thailand has around a 78-per-cent piracy rate for software, which is an improvement from 79 per cent in the previous year. This year, the piracy rate must be reduced, and this kind of project can be a driver in achieving this goal," said Alongkorn.

The ministry will ask the Business Development Department to promote the use of the low-cost licensed software among SMEs, especially in the retail, wholesale and logistics industries.