E-government and smart cities are no longer distant concepts but essential directions for national development, including in Vietnam. The common denominator of these models is data. From citizen records, vehicle registrations, public healthcare systems to urban management applications, all operate on centralized data platforms processed within national data centers (DCs)
If e-government and smart cities are considered a “living organism,” then data centers serve as the “brain,” receiving, storing, analyzing, and distributing all information flows. Without robust and secure data centers, ambitions for digital government or smart cities would remain merely ideas.
NATIONAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE FOR E-GOVERNMENT
E-government aims to deliver all public services in a digital environment, allowing citizens and businesses to interact conveniently, transparently, and efficiently. To achieve this, an enormous data platform is required, tightly integrated across government agencies.
In Vietnam, national databases on citizens, vehicle registrations, land management, and health insurance have been deployed and continue to expand. Every day, millions of digital transactions occur: citizens apply for passports online, businesses file taxes electronically, hospitals access electronic medical records. All these processes are handled by national data centers, which ensure service continuity, system reliability, and cybersecurity resilience.
Beyond data management, data centers enable the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics to support policy-making. For example, by analyzing demographic and labor data, governments can anticipate social welfare needs; by leveraging health records, they can detect early signs of epidemics and allocate medical resources more effectively.
SMART CITIES – URBAN LIFE POWERED BY DATA
The concept of smart cities has emerged to enhance quality of life through technology. In major Vietnamese cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang, pilot smart city initiatives are underway, with data centers at their core.
Smart surveillance cameras are a typical example. This system collects real-time image data, transmits it to the data center for analysis using AI: detects traffic violations, warns of crimes, monitors vehicle density on the road. From there, authorities can flexibly adjust traffic light signals, limit congestion and quickly handle security situations.
Smart cities also include intelligent energy management. Smart meters continuously send electricity consumption data to data centers, enabling utilities to forecast demand and adjust supply accordingly. This not only reduces costs but also cuts greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to sustainable and green urban development.
Other urban systems such as water supply, waste management, and public safety also rely heavily on data. With a large-scale data center, local governments can integrate all these systems into a unified digital map, providing comprehensive oversight for city operations.
THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF DATA CENTERS
A critical factor for both e-government and smart cities is the need for real-time data processing with absolute security. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for Vietnam to invest in international-standard data infrastructure.
Modern data centers offer far more than storage capacity. They provide redundancy, stable power supply, flexible scalability, and advanced security technologies. With the integration of AI, cloud computing, and 5G, data centers are becoming the digital backbone for both government operations and urban management.
Vietnam’s digital economy strategy identifies data centers as strategic infrastructure, on par with electricity, water, and transportation. Without data centers, there can be no effective digital government, nor can large-scale smart cities be sustainably operated.
VIETNAM’S FUTURE WITH DIGITAL GOVERNMENT AND SMART CITIES
Globally, nations are investing heavily in digital infrastructure, particularly data centers. Countries such as Singapore, South Korea, and Estonia have successfully developed e-government and smart cities powered by advanced DC systems. Vietnam, with a population of nearly 100 million, rapid urbanization, and increasing demand for public services, cannot stand outside this trend.
As national and regional data centers expand, citizens will increasingly experience convenience: completing administrative procedures with a few clicks instead of waiting in long queues; traveling with less congestion thanks to intelligent traffic systems; enjoying cleaner living environments through data-driven energy and waste management.