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Who Uses IT? |
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IT Impacts On the Business |
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Legal Environment |
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IT Strengths and weaknesses |
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Transborder Data Flow |
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Government Policies |
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About the Authors |
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Sources and Links |
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Overview At the moment, the most important IT incentive in Venezuela is the oil and petrochemical industries. A significant number of international companies are starting operations in Venezuela in order to take advantage of their natural resources (more than 500 million dollars are expected to be invested in the oil industry in the next six months). In addition, and as a part of the support given to the oil industry growth, the telecommunications and the banking industry are both important players that are shaping the Venezuelan IT infrastructure. Major IT Users Banking and finance sector: Venezuelan Banking sector has one of the most advanced IT platforms in Latin-American. The first bank to introduce Internet banking platform was the Banco Mercantil, which is considered one of the most important banks of the country. Insurance: The insurance companies (very related to the banking sector) have implemented CRMs in order to enhance their operations. Internet has also changed the way the relation company-client is been performed. Telecommunications: The telecomm sector is not only a user of IT, but also a historical and current stimulus for growth in the Venezuela IT industry. Currently, the telecomm sector is building the wireless and broadband platforms that will allow a better transmission of data. Government and Customs: Historically the government institutions were known for the most unsophisticated IT platform. However, this year the Venezuelan government prepared a document in association with the private sector in order to introduce an e-government platform. This would reduce costs and would improve the transparency of many transactions. Customs are soon to be modernized, in order to have a better control over important data. Manufacturing and Industrial Sector: The incipient manufacturing sector in Venezuela (FDI has played an important roll) is using more technology every day. For example, the auto-assemblers in Venezuela are using cutting-edge technology in their processes. In addition, the rising cost of labor has pushed the companies to reduce personnel and switch to technology (management systems, robotics, etc.). |