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Monday, January 18, 2010
Today's News Headlines
* Remote access points leaving companies more vulnerable to IT attacks - Novared - Chile
* GUEST COLUMN: The competitive advantage of information - Brazil, Regional
* TCS sees Q3 profits rise 38.9% on higher sales - Regional
* Roundup: Informat, HBSi, technology consortium, SAP - Regional
* Colombia tops in Latin America for e-government, says UN - Regional
* Intel's Americas revenues increase 34.2% in Q4 - Regional
* Semp Toshiba looks to invest US$85mn in expansion - Brazil
* T-Systems opens new facility in Paraná state - Brazil
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* Remote access points leaving companies more vulnerable to IT attacks - Novared - Chile
Chilean companies are facing growing IT security threats from different points on their remote access networks, the new business manager for local IT security solutions provider Novared, Jorge Rojas, told BNamericas.
Local companies have allowed their business to become more disperse without regulating information flows over those growing networks.
Rojas warned that hackers are consistently looking for the weakest link in a company's business, which is oftentimes outside their main offices.
"Instead of trying to hack a company, it's easier to try and hack an executive's home laptop and then connect to the company through that laptop," he said. "That is another focal point where companies have to protect themselves."
Data loss prevention represents another top concern for companies that have employees working remotely.
Telecommunications and technology companies are leading the trend towards the use of remote access in general, Rojas said. Publicly traded firms, together with companies in highly regulated industries such as finances, are most aware of the IT threats.
Larger companies tend to adopt data loss prevention and encryption solutions as well as reinforce mobile devices such as laptops in order to safeguard themselves against remote access threats. Meanwhile, SMEs focus their efforts solely on device protection, which includes data backup.
"If you lose your laptop, you get the back-up, get another laptop and then keep on working," he said. "That's what interests SMEs."
Headquartered in Santiago, Novared also has offices in Argentina and Peru, and it most recently entered the US market through an office established by Chile's IT industry association Acti in alliance with several local firms.
By Matthew Malinowski
Business News Americas
* GUEST COLUMN: The competitive advantage of information - Brazil, Regional
by Valdeni Novaes, channels manager at Informatica Corporation
Faced with so many risks and changes beyond their control, companies are facing a range of new challenges and must improve organization in order to become more agile and competitive. As a part of this process, companies must also learn how to analyze information in a way that allows for quick and assertive decision-making.
Indeed, understanding the new way the market works is a major challenge. The company that has more and better information about their clients and the market in which it works will see the most benefits in its decision making process. Such a company will be more agile and assertive and as a result, more competitive.
A delay in receiving data creates serious setbacks for decision-making. Only a few minutes can make the difference between success and failure; imagine the impact that days or weeks of delays could have due to the lack of information structuring.
Furthermore, how can information be analyzed if each company's system provides different data? The answer lies in data integration, whose solutions can be used to retrieve data from the systems, platforms and formats of different areas. By using a unified and simple process of transforming data into cohesive information, it is quite possible to provide the answers to business' doubts.
Executives should consider information a company's primary resource. If information is available within a determined time period and in suitable business language, it will provide the competitive advantage that companies so need, and answer crucial questions such as who are the best clients, which markets are the most active, what products the most lucrative, etc.
With new opportunities and new markets on the horizon, the companies that most quickly adapt to these new demands will have the best chance of growth and success. Today, the success of a business strategy depends exclusively on assertiveness, but without fast, correct and safe information, success is hard to come by.
DISCLAIMER: The content of this piece is entirely the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Business News Americas. We encourage Guest Column pieces, and those interested in submitting one for possible publication should contact the editor at cmolinari@bnamericas.com
* TCS sees Q3 profits rise 38.9% on higher sales - Regional
Indian IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) saw profits increase 38.9% to US$384mn during its fiscal third quarter, ended December 31, driven by sales advances.
Quarterly sales increased 10.3% to US$1.64bn, the company said in a statement.
Operating and net margins improved 103 and 164 basis points, respectively, during the quarter-over-quarter period.
Tata noted that sales increases in the financial sector have become "more broad-based, with telecom and technology also posting healthy growth. Strong client additions supported above-average revenue growth in the energy and utilities space."
The company also recorded net hirings of 7,692 employees.
MEXICO AND CHILE SLUMP
TCS Ibero-American VP Mario Tucci told BNamericas that Latin America represented 4.9% of the company's overall third quarter revenues, up from 4.7% at the start of the fiscal year.
Within Latin America, Tata is seeing activity from telecommunications companies looking to outsource operations to slash costs. Meanwhile, manufacturers are looking to maximize existing IT investments such as those made in ERPs from Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) and SAP (NYSE: SAP).
Other important verticals for Tata include the financial and airline sectors.
Geographically, Tata saw third quarter growth in countries such Colombia and Argentina.
Meanwhile, dour economic conditions have continued to slow growth in Mexico and Chile. Tucci previously told BNamericas that the company expects its Latin America revenues to increase 30% this fiscal year, but now noted that slumping sales in those two countries are hampering efforts to reach that goal.
By Matthew Malinowski
Business News Americas
* Roundup: Informat, HBSi, technology consortium, SAP - Regional
Chilean IT firm Informat has nominated Cristián Parot Urcelay as Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) business division manager, online news source Revista Gerencia reported.
Parot has more than 10 years' experience in the IT industry, having previously worked in SAP (NYSE: SAP) and Spanish IT consultancy Crystalis Consulting.
The executive has a business degree from Chile's Universidad Gabriela Mistral.
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Mexican hotel company Grupo Posada has tapped US middleware provider HBSi for channel management and connectivity solutions, the latter company said in a statement.
The value of the deal was not disclosed.
Grupo Posada has more than 20,000 guest rooms in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Chile.
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Costa Rica's IT chamber Camtic, foreign trade promotion agency Procomer and business promotion initiative Programa Link have come together to form an IT consortium, local newspaper El Financiero reported.
The consortium, which is called IT Innovation Group, will investigate, develop and sell software services based on new technologies. The organization currently has 110 employees.
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The Mexico and Central America division of SAP (NYSE: SAP) has released a new version of its business all-in-one solution, the company said in a statement.
The new edition will allow companies to receive a hosted version of the solution. The software, called SAP Fast Start Hosting, is tailored for medium-sized firms.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Colombia tops in Latin America for e-government, says UN - Regional
Colombia has been ranked first in Latin America and the Caribbean in terms of overall e-government use, according to a global study by the United Nations (UN).
Between 2008 and 2010, Colombia jumped from seventh to first position in the region and from 52nd to 31st globally, surpassing more technologically advanced countries in Latin America such as Mexico, Brazil and Chile.
Colombia's online service, infrastructure, human capital and e-participation indices were higher than the global average, the study found.
Chile finished behind Colombia in the region and 34th overall, followed by Uruguay (36 overall) and Barbados (40).
To see the full study results, use this link (http://www2.unpan.org/egovkb/) and click on the "Americas" region.
Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) managing director of e-government in the worldwide public sector, Rodrigo Becerra Mizuno, previously told BNamericas that development of e-government projects in Latin America hinges greatly on financing from international organizations.
Unlike other parts of the world, many Latin American e-government projects are implemented with financing from institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank. Becerra said governments' self-financing efforts have been hit by the global economic slowdown.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Intel's Americas revenues increase 34.2% in Q4 - Regional
US chip manufacturer Intel (NYSE: INTC) saw fourth quarter revenues in its Americas division increase 34.2% to US$2.09bn, the company said in a statement.
The Americas division includes the US, Canada and all of Latin America.
Global revenues increased 28% to US$10.6bn, which was higher than previous sales projections of US$10.1bn. PC client group sales inched up 1% to US$7.76bn, while data center group revenues rose 35.7% to US$2.02bn.
Quarterly net profits surged 875% to US$2.3bn over the year-ago period, when Intel was hit by a US$1bn charge for investments in wireless networking company Clearwire. Still, in 4Q09 the company's bottom line was hit by a US$1.25bn lawsuit settlement with fellow chipmaker AMD (NYSE: AMD).
Meanwhile, Intel's yearlong revenues slid 6.5% to US$35.1bn, while profits fell 17.4% to US$4.37bn.
Intel expects first quarter revenues of US$9.3bn-10.1bn.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Semp Toshiba looks to invest US$85mn in expansion - Brazil
Brazilian PC and electronics manufacturer Semp Toshiba has disclosed plans to invest 150mn reais (US$85mn) this year, local newspaper O Estado de São Paulo quoted the company's CEO, Affonso Antonio Hennel, as saying.
The funds will be channeled to the construction of a new PC plant in Salvador as well as the expansion of an existing electronics factory in Manaus, the hiring of new employees and marketing activities.
Antonio said the company is looking to improve its brand recognition in the lead-up to the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games, both of which will be held in Rio de Janeiro.
Semp Toshiba invested 65mn reais last year, the executive said, noting the effects of the global economic slowdown.
Aside from PCs, the company also produces articles such as printers, telephones and televisions.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* T-Systems opens new facility in Paraná state - Brazil
The Brazilian unit of German IT services provider T-Systems has opened a new business unit in the city of Curitiba in Paraná state, local IT news service Baguete reported.
Apart from this new office, the company has another 12 units across the country including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Porto Alegre and Campinas.
From the new facility, T-Systems expects to provide support to local and international clients of the company's consulting services, according to the report.
The new unit will be operational next month and will initially employ 30 people.
T-Systems started operations in Brazil in 2001, targeting companies in the automotive, manufacturing, banking, insurance, health, utilities, retail and telecommunications sectors.
According to previous reports, T-Systems' biggest bulk of revenues comes from IT infrastructure services which include data center and storage services.
T-System is part of German telecoms operator Deutsche Telekom.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
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In-deph interview
* Software exports to continue expanding despite crisis
Alvaro Lamé
President
Cámara Uruguaya de Tecnologías de la Información (Cuti)
Uruguay
http://www.bnamericas.com/interviews/technology/Alvaro_Lame_,Camara_Uruguaya_de_Tecnologias_de_la_Informacion_,Cuti,,/170324076
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Main companies covered in today's news
* Microsoft Corporation
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Microsoft_Corporation-Microsoft/170324076
* Centrais Elétricas Brasileiras S.A.
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Centrais_Eletricas_Brasileiras_S,A,-Eletrobras/170324076
* McAfee, Inc.
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/McAfee,_Inc,-McAfee/170324076
* Intel Corp.
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Intel_Corp,-Intel/170324076
* Tata Consultancy Services
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Tata_Consultancy_Services-TCS/170324076
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