MoF, Microsoft roll out '1Vendor' training program

• Microsoft ‘re-investing’ US$631,000 in the training and certification initiative
• 1VDP certification will not be a requirement for govt tenders, say program managers

MALAYSIA’S Ministry of Finance (MoF) has launched its “1Vendor Development Program” (1VDP) in collaboration with Microsoft, which will see the US technology giant providing certification and training courses to qualified ICT vendors registered with the ministry.
 
Microsoft will “re-invest” RM2 million (US$631,000) in the program, which would be conducted by Prestariang Systems Sdn Bhd, a Microsoft partner since 2003 and its only Large Account Reseller and Certified Partner for Learning Solutions, said Prestariang chairman Dato Ramli Abbas.
 
MoF has 3,500 ICT vendors registered with it, a requirement for any company bidding for a government project. Ramli was quick to discount any concern that this training would be an MoF requirement for government tenders going forward.
 
“This is just a skilling program,” he told a media conference at the July 3 official launch of 1VDP at Prestariang’s office and training facility in Cyberjaya.
 
He however did acknowledge earlier that MoF is the second largest shareholder in Prestariang System’s holding company Prestariang Bhd, via the ministry’s venture capital arm Kumpulan Modal Perdana. The company listed on the Bursa Malaysia last July.
 
“Other major shareholders include Permodalan Nasional Bhd, Tabung Haji and the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF),” Ramli said in his speech at the launch.
 
Under the 1VDP initiative, Microsoft will provide its certification courses at 50% off from now until December this year. If those who participate in the courses score or do well enough, they will be refunded this fee, making it essentially free for them.
 
“We are targeting 475 vendors by December,” said Microsoft Malaysia managing director Ananth Lazarus (pic). “This is just the first phase.”
 
Depending on the take-up and effectiveness of this phase, subsequent phases would be rolled out to potentially all 3,500 ICT vendors registered with MoF, he ambitiously added.
 
Minister of Finance II Dato’ Seri Haji Ahmad Husni, who officially launched the program but left before the media conference, described 1VDP as private-public partnership that would elevate the global competitiveness of Malaysian ICT vendors.
 
“It is our hope that vendors will use this program to further upgrade their ICT skills and competencies in delivering projects awarded to them according to the required specifications, on time and within budget,” he said in his speech.
 
Ahmad also commended the Microsoft Malaysia for taking up the word of the US company’s founder Bill Gates, who spoke about “creative capitalism” at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2008.
 
“Governments, businesses and non-profit organizations should work together to improve the quality of life of the people,” Ahmad said.