Microsoft’s Gates Sees Vietnam Outsourcing Potential

Vietnam’s economic growth, combined with a young population and high literacy rate, lures potential investors including the richest man in the world, Bill Gates. However, intellectual-property piracy also tends to run rampant in Vietnam and other nations with young impoverished populations. During a visit to the Communist country that eagerly seeks WTO membership, Gates suggested that Vietnam expand its economic plan beyond manufacturing goods to information-technology services. The nation has a per capita income of less than $600 per year, reports the US State Department. Gates met with the president, prime minister and toured the Hanoi University of Technology – and told one crowd that Vietnam could soon join the “list of miracles.” Gates’ own personal wealth could remind emerging IT centers like China and Vietnam that ignoring intellectual property rights is not in their best interest as they diversify their economies and pursue more services and technology. – YaleGlobal