Da Nang City: Most tech-savvy city in Vietnam with Microsoft cloud

By Sangita Jayaraman

Topic
Cloud

“With our datacenter system deployed on the Microsoft cloud platform, we are able to seamlessly integrate with open source software. The system has become more diverse, being able to provide for a wider range of customers with different needs.” – Nguyen Quang Thanh, Deputy Director, Da Nang Department of Information and Communications

Da Nang officials were determined to maximize the port city’s economic and social growth, and did so by investing in its IT infrastructure. Their goal was to integrate the services of more than 20 government agencies under one IT umbrella. The resulting cloud-based solution enables Da Nang citizens to easily access all the government services they need.
The local government is now much more responsive to the needs of its citizens, and Da Nang is considered one of the most desirable cities to live in. The city has also held the top spot in Vietnam’s ICT Index for six consecutive years (2009 to 2014).
Da Nang City Business Need: Regional authorities were committed to developing a modern platform for people to efficiently access a wide range of government services; they also wanted to empower their staff to responsively, and responsibly, serve the populace. Indeed, these goals were a cornerstone of the officials’ vision to make Da Nang a modern, desirable place to live in. However, the Data Center of Da Nang—the “brain” of the entire IT system—was based on a traditional, physical model, with very few integrated services. Regional authorities faced a huge challenge: how could they transform the center’s inefficient infrastructure and diversified IT platform into a unified entity that would offer individuals a “one-stop shop” approach?
Solution: Da Nang officials deployed a cloud datacenter solution with Windows Server 2012 R2 and Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 included in the core platform. Windows Server 2012 R2 ensured an enterprise-class cloud and datacenter platform that is scalable, and is able to both deploy, and expand upon, the government’s varied applications and websites. System Center was chosen to manage the city’s Windows and Linux systems, allowing for robust cross-platform monitoring support.
Benefits: Da Nang is meeting its objectives and has succeeded in developing a modern, powerful, and effective cloud datacenter by using Microsoft’s open platform.

Seamless integration with open source software. Unlike solutions that require replacement of legacy IT infrastructure, Microsoft’s open platform integrates effortlessly with Da Nang’s current systems—including applications developed using open source software such as Java and PHP.
Improved worker efficiency to offset implementation costs. The efficiency gains with the open platform means that government staff are now available to offer more targeted services for the population—and with much fewer interruptions. As a result, the costs saved in improved performance promise to more than offset the price of the entire implementation.
State-of-the art, efficient service to the public. Windows Server 2012 R2 and Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 have enabled Da Nang to consolidate its IT resources by packing them into services and then uploading them into its portal. This allows all the products to be accessed 24 x 7, thus delivering state-of-the-art, efficient service to the public.