Some experts allege that this system has reduced Internet access speeds from 30 to 300 percent. While public access to the Internet was introduced to Vietnam in 1997, electronic commerce is still slowly catching on although many cultural impediments remain in place. In the business sector, most companies use the Internet to send e-mail rather than to conduct business transactions. On the consumer side, most transactions are done in cash and credit cards are seldom used. In addition, there is no legal framework governing e-commerce transactions, and no laws that deal specifically with the protection of intellectual property protection over the Internet.
Software piracy is a serious concern among foreign businesses in the Vietnam market.
The Business Software Alliance estimates that nearly 97 percent of software used in Vietnam has been pirated. The Vietnamese Government acknowledges that electronic commerce and the widespread adoption of IT will be drivers in Vietnam's economic competitiveness in Asia, and are taking steps to address concerns that may hinder this development. In January 2000, an e-commerce development strategy for Vietnam was submitted to the government for approval. The Ministry of Trade will select forty enterprises to participate in e-commerce promotion throughout the country. The development of the telecommunications infrastructure in Vietnam is a national priority.