Vietnam's biggest internet provider is opening an office in the heart of the computing world, in California's Silicon Valley.

The state-run Corporation for Financing and Promoting Technology, FPT, says it will provide a range of telecommunications services as part of its global expansion plans.

Software is already big business in Vietnam - but the country is widely known for rampant software piracy rather than technological development.

Nevertheless, Vietnam prides itself on having strong computing skills and has been working to upgrade its telecommunications sector.

Going global

FTP has embarked on a five-year plan to go global with 14 offices in the US, Japan and Europe.

Last year, the software firm, which is Vietnam's largest internet provider, opened for business in India.

Company officials say the new office in Silicon Valley will offer services in banking technology, telecommunications, the internet, e-commerce and business solutions.

It will be followed by another office in the United States and one in Canada, employing a total of about 160 Vietnamese programmers.

Vietnam keeps tight control of its telecommunications sector and of public access to services like the internet, which has relatively low usage among the country's 79-million population.

But, while overseas investors may be impressed by FPT's expansion plans and Vietnam's ability to develop software, they still need to be convinced the government is tackling the high costs and bureaucratic difficulties of doing business there.