By Narayan Ammachchi
The Brazilian Ministry of Science & Technology is offering funding to overseas technology companies interested in developing innovative software and IT services inside Brazil – a move reminiscent of CORFO’s (Chile) creation of StartUp Chile launch several years ago.
The government has allocated 25 slots for foreign tech start-ups in its “Start-Up Brasil” accelerator program designed to foster innovation in Brazil’s software and information technology services industry.
“Shortlisted enterprises will be eligible for up to US$ 596,000 in funds,” said the Ministry in a statement.
‘Start-Up Brasil’ has a budget of US$ 19.8 million and aims to support 75 domestic companies besides their foreign counterparts.
“We want to encourage entrepreneurs in the area of information technology. This area is strategically important for us to develop new business for Brazil,” said Brazil’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Marco Antonio Raupp.
Participating companies are required to have been operational since the past three years and to develop …
Brazil IT spending to reach US$11.8 Billion in 2013
May 8th, 2013By Narayan Ammachchi
Analyst firm Fast Market Research has predicted that Brazil’s domestic IT spending will increase by 10 percent to reach US$ 11.80 billion by the end of 2013.
The key drivers of this growth are the international sporting events, FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games, which the Latin American country is hosting in 2014 and 2016 respectively.
The sporting events will ‘drive billions of dollars of IT spending’, noted the research firm.
“Despite a slowdown in PC sales in 2012 and forecasts of a deceleration of economic growth in 2013, we believe a number of factors will converge to stimulate faster growth in the IT market in 2013,” said the analyst firm in a press release.
In the hardware market, the launch of Windows 8 and the arrival of higher performance price competitive tablets are expected to boost sales.
Interestingly, the analyst …
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Fortaleza: Another Brazilian Coast City Makes Waves as IT Hub
April 4th, 2013
By Filipe Pacheco
As Brazil’s information technology (IT) sector expands, one city in the northeastern state of Ceará is starting to steal some of the limelight. The place is Fortaleza, the beautiful city in the northeastern corner of Brazil, home to over two million people and a place that has some surprising things going for it, include a disproportionate number of young professionals.
BY STAFF REPORT
As the Brazilian government sets out to prepare the nation for widely heralded sporting events, some of the country’s top IT executives are being openly courted by leading India-based IT consultancies to help improve the country’s IT readiness.
A delegation of Brazil IT leaders are holding business meetings at ‘Indiasoft -2013’ scheduled to begin in the Eastern city of Kolkota, starting from March 21.
The Brazilian government has set aside a staggering $180 billion to bolster the country’s IT infrastructure, and the Indian IT companies are seeing it as an opportunity to offset the decreasing demand for their services in the United States.
“It is natural for Indian IT companies to eye a sizable business from the two sporting events,” DK Sareen, executive director of ESC, told to reporters in India recently.
Indian IT companies with offices in Brazil have better chances of winning …
Triple Point Opens Latin America Office in Rio
February 22nd, 2013BY STAFF REPORT
Commodity management software vendor Triple Point Technology has opened an office in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Triple Point already has several customers in the region and most of them are industry giants. Its clientele includes Petrobras (Brazil), Vale (Brazil), NORSUL (Brazil), Navieras Ultragas Limitada (Chile), Anglo American PLC (Brazil), Mercon Coffee Group (Guatemala), Peñoles (Mexico), and Samarco (Brazil).
“Latin America has always been an important market to Triple Point, with Petrobras first becoming a customer back in 2000,” said Peter F. Armstrong, chief executive officer of the software company.
The vendor’s arrival in Latin America was overdue, as the region has become a major supplier of commodities to China.
“More and more companies across Latin America are realizing that today’s volatile business environment can only be managed effectively with an advanced commodity management solution,”Armstrong said.
Triple Point stated in a press release that its solutions help companies manage …
Mahindra Satyam Buys Majority Stake in Brazilian IT Firm
February 19th, 2013BY STAFF REPORT
India’s IT services firm Mahindra Satyam has made its first foray into Brazil’s information technology market by acquiring a controlling stake in Sao Palo -based IT consultancy firm Complex IT.
The Indian firm has not disclosed the financial details of the deal. But, according to the India’s Economic Times, Satyam has made an initial payment of $6.5 million and would pay the remaining $20-23 million over the course of the next two years.
The acquisition helps Satyam get a foothold in Latin America’s growing IT and outsourcing market.
There are reports that Satyam may ultimately purchase the remaining 49 percent stake in Complex IT in the days ahead.
Complex IT has more than 120 active clients, including L’Oréal and Petrobras, a workforce of over 500, and the company earns over $82 million annually.
Following the acquisition, Satyam and Complex IT will jointly sell their products and services in Brazilian market, …
Capgemini to Offer Cloud-based Services to Brazilian Firms
February 13th, 2013BY STAFF REPORT
French technology giant Capgemini has teamed up with EMC to offer next-generation cloud solutions to enterprises in Brazil.
The two companies will deliver a portfolio of end-to-end As-a-Service cloud offerings designed for specific vertical market segments.
For businesses, cloud solutions offer an opportunity to decrease capital investment and increase the alignment of IT costs to consumption.
“The As-a-Service solutions will be aimed at delivering more agile and cost-efficient cloud IT solutions, designed to meet customers’ unique business challenges and requirements,” the French company stated in a press release.
The integrated solutions, Capgemini said, will help IT organizations gain business agility without sacrificing trust and control in their cloud computing.
IDC noted recently that IT spending in risingly rapidly in LATAM, with increasingly high demand for cloud-based solutions and infrastructure services.
Moreover, state-run companies in Brazil are likely to make a huge investment …
Brazil’s Porto Digital Aims to Turn Recife into a Software Exporter
February 11th, 2013
By Filipe Pacheco
Recife, the port city in the northeastern coast of Brazil, is taking steps to compete with the likes of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Curitiba and build an argument that Recife too can become an mecca for international tech investment. But does Recife have what it takes?
LatAm Creative: SapientNitro Acquires Brazil’s iThink
January 16th, 2013BY STAFF REPORT
Digital marketing firm SapientNitro has purchased a controlling stake in iThink, an independent digital agency in Brazil.
The acquisition helps SapientNitro expand its footprint into the Latin American market, where social networking sites have signed up a huge number of users.
Analysts say the acquisition is a shrewd move given the Brazil’s hosting of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympics.
Sao Paulo-based iThink, founded in 2002, is a digital pioneer and has grown into one of the largest independent, digital agencies in Brazil. Moreover, its customers include global business such as Castrol, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft, Google, and Samsung.
“As the changing consumer continues to disrupt the way companies and brands interact with their consumers, we see more and more clients looking for better ROI and more innovative experiences around brand, digital and commerce that can be leveraged globally,” …
