The Industry Ministry is promoting cloud computing in this second year of ECIT, the campaign to encourage SMEs to embrace advanced information technology.
A wide range of Internet-based software is available with the support of the new technology, Arthit Wuthikaro director-general of the Industrial Works Department, said yesterday.
Last year, the programme attracted nine software companies. It is expected to grow to 16 companies this year, involved in enterprise resource planning (ERP) and specific-purpose software.
The application was distributed to the 78 small and medium-sized enterprises in various industries that participated in ECIT last year.
"While SMEs can come to us for both ERP and other software, software developers can also showcase their products. Promoting both developers and users is our policy this year," he said.
By using the local software screened by the department, SMEs can save an average of Bt400,000 in software, server and IT labour costs.
All member SMEs can enjoy free use of any software for the first year and then pay monthly and maintenance fees starting in the second year.
The SMEs will also benefit from up to half off the advisory fee, up Bt200,000 off the ERP programme and Bt30,000 off specific-purpose software.
Besides efficiency enhancement, the department also plans to complete an E-marketplace to promote business-to-business transactions among more than 1,000 SMEs this year, up from 600 last year.
Member SMEs receive training from Software Park, while TOT is improving its data centre to cope with the surging demand for cloud computing.
ECIT - short for Enhancing SMEs' Competitiveness through IT - will be funded with Bt38.25 million from the budget of Bt1.18 billion for 26 projects to promote SMEs during this fiscal year.
