Diverse approaches to data aggregation
Today’s popular applications like Zalo, Messenger, and Viber have made significant investments in Big Data – the accumulation of massive, diverse datasets that grow in real-time – to personalize content and deliver an increasingly relevant user experience.
With tens of millions of people active daily, these apps process billions of data points related to messaging habits, interaction patterns, post engagement, friend and group searches, and even user behavior with business accounts. They also analyze geographical locations, access times, and device types. It’s through this process that they refine raw information into valuable “clean data” to understand users and serve them content that truly matters.
These platforms don’t just rely on phone numbers to suggest new connections. They delve into behavioral data. “For instance”, an IT expert explains, “if a user searches for beauty products or watches skincare videos, the system automatically populates their feed with compatible content. This is how mobile apps transform everyday usage into a clean, actionable dataset.”
MoMo, a widely-used digital wallet, leverages its data to anticipate customer needs, sometimes even before they fully form. The moment a customer opens the app, MoMo’s systems are already predicting their intent, preparing the platform to ensure the smoothest possible experience.
Depending on their goals and investment capacity, businesses can build their own data mining technologies or leverage platforms from major Vietnamese tech giants like FPT, VNPT, and Viettel. A notable example is the Viettel Data Platform (VDP), which offers a complete suite of modern Big Data technologies like Hadoop, Spark, and Kafka. It's a comprehensive platform that enables companies to rapidly deploy a Big Data system geared towards developing data-driven products.
“To create value from data, businesses must have clear objectives”, MoMo's Chief Technology Officer Thai Tri Hung advised. “When you have data, better analysis leads to better products. Better products attract new users. New users generate more data. That’s what we call the Data Flywheel.”
Towards sustainable data source
Data has become a critical resource driving economic and social development, making the establishment of the National Data Association (NDA) a pivotal event. The NDA has been actively deploying data application scenarios in key sectors like industry, agriculture, commerce, logistics, finance, health, tourism, and urban management, all with the goal of fostering a sustainable data ecosystem.
At a recent National Data Association meeting, industry leaders highlighted the urgent need for better data. CMC Technology Group’s Chairman Nguyen Trung Chinh noted that only 50 percent of national data is ready for use. He stressed that data must be accurate, complete, and clean to ensure interoperability and urged the upgrade of 116 specialized datasets.
From the agricultural sector, Thanh Thanh Cong – Bien Hoa JSC. (TTC AgriS) Chairwoman Dang Huynh Uc My discussed her company’s challenges in using data for international product traceability. “We are still facing difficulties in this area and propose continued collaboration with the association to develop data services and boost the competitiveness of Vietnamese produce”, she stressed.
The NDA currently boasts 750 members, including 225 organizations and 525 individuals. Technology firms are the dominant force, with 129 members, alongside 94 application-focused enterprises and 82 entities that own vast data reserves, such as VinGroup, Viettel, Vietjet, Vietcombank, and Masan Group. Their data, concentrated in strategic sectors, is set to become the core resource for data-related services, policymaking, and the construction of a digital government, society, and economy, while also ensuring national defense and security.
Inevitable need for data exchange
The establishment of the National Data Center by the Ministry of Public Security, followed by the birth of the NDA, represents a significant move toward centralizing fragmented data and facilitating the use of Big Data and AI. In this context, building a national data exchange is seen as an inevitable and necessary next step.
A data exchange would serve as a vital resource, enabling businesses and organizations to legally and transparently access data for research and the development of new technologies. Its operation would unlock immense opportunities for advancements in AI, big data analytics, automation, and other cutting-edge fields.
Head Vu Ngoc Son of the Research, Consulting, Technology Development and International Cooperation Department under the National Cybersecurity Association shared that effectively harnessing data’s potential while protecting citizens’ rights requires tight coordination between regulators, businesses, and stakeholders. The most immediate obstacle is a legal framework that hasn't kept pace with technology.
Vietnam’s core cybersecurity laws are now a decade old and largely obsolete due to the rapid advancement of AI. While a new Data Law took effect on July 1, 2025, its practical application now hinges on the urgent development of detailed guiding decrees to establish technical standards, data contracts, and insurance mechanisms.
“Data Literacy” program launches its first class
On August 13, in Hung Yen Province’s Nghia Tru Commune, the National Data Association launched its first training class on “Applying AI and Digital Transformation in Teaching”. This course marks the beginning of the “Data Literacy” program, a key initiative proposed by the NDA to enhance data and digital technology skills for all segments of the population.
The inaugural participants were teachers from junior high schools in Nghia Tru. They were equipped with the strategic thinking and practical skills to apply AI and digital transformation in their work, from designing visually engaging lessons using data to leveraging digital platforms for management and assessment.
In his speech at the opening ceremony, Major General Nguyen Ngoc Cuong, Director of the National Data Center, emphasized the program’s potential. “We expect that from this class, seeds of innovation will sprout”, he said. “The teachers will become people who understand technology and know how to apply it to transform their own teaching methods. They will step out of their comfort zones, embrace what is new, and ensure they are not left behind in this digital age.”
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