Microsoft Leading Platform in Latin America. But Data Shows Abundant Technology Opportunities in Region

Latin America is still a greenfield opportunity for technology vendors. Microsoft has the lead but with third party vendors selling the majority of systems and applications to these businesses others have huge opportunities. Brazil and Mexico show the greatest promise in planned applications.

(April 24, 2002 -- El Cajon, CA) The Windows operating system dominates the Latin American market, holding a 70 percent share according to recent surveys of IT managers and decision makers in the region carried out by Technology User Database, Latin America (TUDLA). According to the survey, Microsofts hold on application software is also strong but less dominant at 50 percent of the market share.

The numbers indicate that Microsoft has a strong foothold in Latin America, but this is a developing market and the opportunity exists for others to grab a piece of the pie," says Julie Gorton, President of TUDLA. The uptake of technology by small businesses is increasing at a rapid rate and our data indicates that no single vendor has a lock on the market."

TUDLAs recent survey of 25,000 IT managers and purchasing decision makers reveals that 60 percent of small businesses purchase their technology from third party vendors. As more vendors and service providers expand into Latin America TUDLA expects that purchasers will begin to diversify their application and service provider purchases. This expansion will increase the opportunities for vendors to gain on Microsofts early lead.

Brazil shows the most promise for vendors to increase their market share. TUDLAs data indicates that 59 percent of the businesses planning new application solutions were in Brazil. Mexico came in second (23 percent) followed by Puerto Rico, Guatemala and Panama. Additionally, the majority of application solution acquisitions were planned for enterprises with more than 100 employees.

TUDLA is a technology and communications market intelligence company that collects, qualifies and provides high-quality data and analysis across 18 Latin American countries and Puerto Rico. Based in El Cajon, California, TUDLA has clients in North and South America including technology and communications vendors and service providers; market research firms; telemarketers and direct mail agencies to name a few. Recently, TUDLA merged its database with the Mexico Business Directory, a leading publisher of Mexican business contacts and resources. Soon TUDLA and MBD will launch the Small Business Locator Service to help businesses tap this emerging Latin American market.

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