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Technology Stocks : How high will Microsoft fly? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Gary105 who wrote (5335)	3/4/1998 8:19:00 PM
From: DiViT	Respond to of 74651

Microsoft Latin America Sales Jump Reuters 03/04/98 ÿ MIAMI - Microsoft Corp.'s sales in Latin America are growing by 50 to 60 percent a year, the company's regional director said Wednesday. "We are seeing most dynamism in Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Brazil and Mexico. Things are really moving there," Mauricio Santillan, director of operations for Microsoft Latin America, said. While the world's leading computer software company is reluctant to divulge specific figures, Santillan said, "I can tell you the region is growing 50 to 60 per cent year on year for Microsoft." "Overall, the industry is growing 20 per cent in Latin America," he said. Microsoft is a partner in MSNBC. Santillan said the Redmond, Wash.-based company's main success in Latin America was with Microsoft Windows NT, the operating engine for computer networks and with the massive upgrades in Office 97 and Windows 95. "In general we are seeing a higher level of investment in technology in the education, health, oil and banking sectors," he said. "These are the main drivers at this point." There was also a rapid rise in home use. Sales of a Spanish-language version of its Encarta encyclopedia were growing at rate of 300 to 400 per cent a year, he said. Piracy was still a problem in the region, taking a large chunk of market share, but it was diminishing, Santillan said. He urged Latin American governments to enact and enforce legislation to combat the illegal trade in software. Addressing the Business Information and Technology Expo and Conference in Miami Beach, Fla., Santillan said the greatest potential for growth in the region lay in electronic commerce. Santillan estimated 950,000 people in Latin America now had Internet access. "For sure we will reach three million in the next 12 months," he said. "We see more and more local companies and local investors working with companies like Microsoft to invest in research and development but also in software development, circuit development in the region," he said. "That of course will trigger more and more business every day."