Vmap is the newest addition to the cohort of new made-in-Vietnam digital products, including social networks like Lotus, Hahalolo and Gapo.

On October 1, a new online map developed by the Vietnam Post Office was launched, Zing reports. The new map is among the projects that are part of an initiative titled “Developing a Vietnamese Digitized Knowledge System,” proposed by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Vmap is the result of an effort to build a comprehensive database of addresses in Vietnam. About 120,000 post office staff and members of the youth union went from house to house for three months to record 23.4 million data points for the map. Vmap currently has a web version and plans for mobile apps are underway.

A screenshot of Vmap's user interface.

Besides basic functions such as navigation or the ability to search addresses, developers said Vmap will be able to pinpoint house addresses with meticulous detail, which could aid navigation in Vietnam’s confusing network of alleys.

The map and its database will also be utilized for another project titled iNhanDao, developed under the same initiative by Red Cross Vietnam with an aim to help sponsors and humanitarian aids visit the right people in the right place using the already-established database on Vmap.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, joining the opening ceremony for these projects, said that although the initiative still has a long way to go, he’s glad that it’s been welcomed by the public.

Users can access Vmap here or here.

[Photo via Trai Nghiem So]