This study is an analysis of the organization of the software industry in some countries of the world. Framing the results offered by large consultancies on the subject worldwide.
In addition, a characterization of said industry in Latin American countries is made, based on the strategies, policies and forms of development that many countries in this region promote to achieve competitive positions.
Cuba, within the Latin American region, is characterized in this work and data on the matter are offered from the official sources of the nation, showing its development in this industry.
The new scientific-technical advances in the branches of communication, electronics and computers have revolutionized the world in all aspects.
The powerful rise of ICT has changed the paradigms and strategies recognized and established for many years as valid. Within ICT, the software industry achieves a relevant position, due to its characteristic of controlling or making electronic advances accessible, in most cases. For one example, we can analyze the modern GPS systems installed in cars that allow oriented navigation within large cities. These devices require software that provides the interface that people need to understand the data offered by the system.
Many are the applications of the software industry and it is increasingly applicable to any other branch of science or the economy of any country.
CHAPTER I.
The software industry.
There is no defined global organization form for the software industry that governs its development or implementation. Each country, according to its characteristics and possibilities, adopts the path that it considers most favorable in this regard. The information and communication technology industry is strongly subject to the economic development of each nation. Therefore the software industry as an appendix to the new technologies industry is under the same conditions. The fundamental content of this chapter lies in a description of the current situation of this renewing industry in the world in general and in Latin America and Cuba in particular.
1.1. Organization of the software industry in the world.
Today is marked by a strong global crisis that began in the real estate sphere in the United States of America and has spread to the entire planet with consequences for all countries. The ICT industry is not immune to the crisis and according to the World Economic Forum (2009) the industry will grow 2.9 percent in 2009, below the estimated 4.9 percent.
Developed countries continue to lead in the development of new technologies and as can be seen in the ranking of availability of new technologies released by the World Economic Forum (2009) for the year from 2008 to 2009, the top ten places, out of 134 countries included, they are occupied by first world economies (Table 1).
Table 1. Availability of new technologies 2008-2009
Source: Global Information Technologies Report 2008-2009. World Economic Forum.
At the end of the first decade of the 21st century, it is clear that high-speed networks must be an integral part of the basic infrastructure of any country. In fact these constitute the foundations of the knowledge economy. Not only in the most advanced economies, connectivity strengthens productivity, creates jobs and improves health care.
The knowledge and use of the Internet is one of the most used aspects to know in what state the connectivity and network infrastructure is. Due to the rapid growth of the population, the markers obtained give an assessment of the use of the large network by citizens worldwide (Graph 1). As can be seen, there is a notable increase in the percentage of citizens who use the Internet regularly, while that of those who use it irregularly decreases.
Figure 1.
Source: Rueda-Sabater and Lemus, 2008, taken from the International Economic Forum (2009).
Europe as a region, according to data from the World Economic Forum, continues to occupy a relevant position in the rankings in the network of availability of new technologies and specifically of infrastructures for the development of new technologies. Of the top 20 positions, 12 are occupied by countries from the European region, as well as Switzerland (5th), Finland (6th), Iceland (7th), Norway (8th), Holland (9th), United Kingdom (15th), Austria (16th), Estonia (18th), France (19th) and Germany (20th). North America continues to rank first in terms of penetration rate, while Africa remains in last place with an extremely low rate (Graph 2).
Graph 2. Internet penetration rate by geographical areas.
Source: Internet World Stats. - www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm Penetration rates are based on a population of 6,710,029,070 and an estimated Internet users of 1,596,270,108 as of March, 2009.
The Nordic countries are the first in Europe as well as in the world, in the availability of new technologies, positioning themselves in the first ten places in the last eight years, according to what was expressed in the World Economic Forum.
All indicators of availability, use and development in new technologies mark the developed countries in the lead, specifically the European region and North America. The Asian zone points to a slight increase in this regard, but due to its high population, the indicators show that the results obtained are not yet sufficient.
India has been emerging as a great power in software production in recent times. Already in 2005, for concepts of outsourcing of services and exports of the software and information industry, the amount was 17,200 million dollars, a figure that could rise to 60 billion annually by 2010 according to forecasts by Nasscom and McKinsey cited. in El Economista de Cuba (2009).
According to El Economista de Cuba, growth in Indian IT exports is expected to come from the software market and traditional IT outsourcing, such as remote management of complete systems, which is currently a market dominated by the big IT consulting firms. It is estimated that this line will rise from 8 percent of the country's sales to 30 percent in 2010, while the percentage of software development will fall from 55 percent to 39 percent.
However, according to El Economista:
“… The supply of talent is the main constraint on the growth of the country's industry. According to the latest projections, the number of people working in IT exports and business processes will increase from 700,000 today to 2,300,000 in 2010. But, according to current estimates, only one million appropriately qualified people are they will graduate between now and then, so there will be a deficit of about 500 thousand, which will affect business processes more. "
Each nation carries out important actions around new technologies because this is the industry that sets and determines the guidelines for future development. The main economies are at the forefront in this regard, increasingly widening the existing technological gap and consuming the possibilities of the less favored countries. Not only the great economic difference determines the technological difference, international policies such as the exploitation of cheap labor and the theft of highly trained professionals is still a daily phenomenon that threatens the nations of third world countries or emerging economies that strongly push for develop your own solutions and alternatives. Large companies that consolidate power in New Technologies are expanding more and more,occupying market niches that are still available and with their heavy investments in research and development, they leave nations trying to position themselves in this industry in an increasingly less advantageous position.
2.2. The software industry in Latin America.
The countries of Latin America have not had state policies made public with a view to knowing their pronouncements on social computerization, except for Mexico, which has presented a consistent work since the 1990s. However, today is marked by numerous agreements and alliances for the development of new technologies in the continent.
According to studies carried out by Compatia (2004), there is an established correlation between economic development and the investment made by countries in Information Technology and Software. The countries allocate an average of 7.5 percent of their investment to Information technology, while in Latin American countries that average is less than 2 percent.
The software industry in Latin America has a share of 2.9 percent of the total expenditure on Information Technology in the world, with Brazil being the one with the largest share in this regard (Table 2).
Table 2. Latin America. Share of expenditures made in each country in total spending in all countries.
Source: Witsa 2005 (www.witsa.com)
As can be seen in the table, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina account for three-quarters of the region's spending.
The software industry in Latin America also has cooperative associations through different integration initiatives. These associations aim to promote policies, improve markets and distribution chains, help their associates to improve their competitive capacities and seek alternatives for the development of joint programs based on mutual benefit. One of these examples is the Federation of Latin American, Caribbean and Spanish Associations of Information Technology Entities, which associates numerous companies in Latin America and the Iberian country (Table 3). The following is a brief characterization of the development of the industry in a group of selected countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (Marcelo, 2007).
BRAZIL
In Latin America, Brazil stands out as one of the countries with the greatest efforts towards the development of the software industry, with results that place it among the first places in this regard. It has more than 3,600 software development companies.
Table 3. Entities associated with the Federation of Latin American, Caribbean and Spanish Associations of Information Technology Entities (ALETI).
Since 1997, as one of the first steps, the federal government of that country allocated 100 million dollars in support to the software industry for a period of four years. It also created 20 training centers, Quality Certification Consulting and had 25 ISO 9001 certified companies. As of September 2006, Brazil had 39 CMMI evaluations, according to Marcelo (2007).
The Associação das Empresas Brasileiras de Tecnologia da Informação (ASSESPRO) is an association founded in 1976 that, since 2007, has encompassed more than 1200 Information Technology companies.
Another of the actions carried out indicates the National Software for Export Program (SOFTEX) started in 1993, which established a software export goal for 2006 of 2000 million dollars.
Another of the programs developed in Brazil is the Program for the development of the National Software and Related Services Industry (PROSOFT), which establishes three main components: PROSOFT Company (investment), PROSOFT Commercialization (marketing and sales) and PROSOFT Exportation (sales abroad). One of the main objectives of this program is to improve the quality of the products and services of the Brazilian software industry.
The Brazilian government, in its efforts to develop the software industry, is negotiating with foreign software and IT firms possible investments for the future.
MEXICO
Mexico has the Mexican Association of the Information Technology Industry (AMITI) created in 1997 and has more than 180 associated companies.
Until September 2006, Mexico had fewer than 10 CMMI evaluations.
Another of the Mexican alternatives is the Mexican Association for Quality in Software Engineering (AMCIS), formally established in 1999 in order to guarantee the quality of computer science processes in general that would allow it to ensure its international competitiveness and adjust to the international quality standards in software production. This association offers a Diploma in Software Quality since 2002
Mexico also developed the Process Model for the Software Industry in Mexico (MoProsoft) in 2003, which constitutes the Mexican Standard for the software development and maintenance industry for small and medium-sized companies. This model is compliant with CMMI, ISO 9000: 2000 and ISO 15504.
On the other hand, ESICenter México, headquarters of the European Software Institute (ESI) in Guadalajara and Monterrey offers training, consulting and evaluation in CMMI, ISO 9000, ISO 15504 and offers a Diploma in Software Quality.
One of the most daring programs launched in Mexico. Without a doubt, it is the Program for the Development of the Software Industry (PROSOFT) that covers: investments, exports, legal framework, human capital, internal market, financing, incubators, government purchases, quality and business groups. This program, since its creation in 2003, established specific goals for 2013, such as exporting 5,000 million dollars, increasing IT spending from the current 1.4% to the average 4.3% in the first world and being the Latin American leader in support and development of information technology-based services.
CHILE
For its part, Chile highlights within its efforts the Chilean Association of Information Technology Companies (ACTI) with more than 100 associated companies.
In this South American country, the average size of software companies is 26 employees, 86% companies have fewer than 50 employees and 43% companies participate in process improvement. For him, sales were 850 million dollars and Information Technology represents 1.2% of GDP.
Another of the ideas developed is the Chilean Society of Software and Services (GECHS) grouping 60 software companies.
In addition, SPIN-Chile brings together more than 50 Chilean software organizations.
Chile, until September 2006, had less than 10 CMMI evaluations.
In 1997, the development of a SPRIME standard was started, based on the SW-CMM, appropriate for small companies, which was used in 6 companies in 29 projects.
12 GECHS companies began their international certification process ISO 9001-2000 and CMM (level 2) through the Associative Development Project CORFO, completed in 18 months.
Chile prepares the 3rd Diagnostic Study of the Software and Services Sector that will allow to know the reality of Chilean companies in terms of sales, management, quality, R&D, investment, and others.
The University of Chile offers a Diploma in Software Quality through a 12-month specialization program.
PERU
In Peru, the creation of the Peruvian Association of Software Producers (APESOFT), founded in 2000, which associates more than 150 software companies with an average size of 23 employees, stands out. In 2003, it generated $ 69 million in sales and $ 7.3 million in exports.
However, as of September 2006, Peru does not report CMMI evaluations. On January 20, 2004, draft Law No. 5297 was presented, declaring the development of information and communication technologies of public necessity and national interest.
As an impetus for the development of the software industry, the project for the construction of the technological business center “La Ciudad del Software” and the creation of a technology park for software companies was conceived. Furthermore, the holding of a SOFTWARE BUSINESS CONGRESS is established, which will give an annual conference.
Another of the established alternatives is the presentation of the Software Industry Competitiveness Support Program (PACIS) that involves as sponsors the Lima Chamber of Commerce, the Peruvian Association of Software Producers (APESOFT), the Commission for the Promotion of Exports (PROMPEX) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
This project requested a budget of one million dollars to be executed in 40 months, with the specific objective of executing a technical assistance program for the improvement of software processes based on the CMMI model and training specialized consultants in software process improvement based on the model. CMMI.
COSTA RICA
In Costa Rica, Information Technologies represent 1.3% of GDP. It has the Chamber of Software Producers (CAPROSOFT), a non-profit Consortium founded in 1998. In 2004 CAPROSOFT became CAMTIC bringing together more than 120 information technology companies that in that same year reported 70 million dollars in exports. They directly employ more than 3,000 engineers and all of their members are small organizations (less than 100 engineers). With the particular characteristic that few of its companies implement software process improvement projects.
Until the end of September 2006, Costa Rica does not report CMMI evaluations but has 2 SW-CMM evaluations since July 2004 and 2 software companies certified with the ISO 9000 standard.
Another ethical alternative is CENFOTEC, which offers a software quality certification course taught by 13 engineers certified CSQE by the ASQ.
Among the initiatives to support the software industry in Costa Rica, the PRO-SOFTWARE project has been one of the most successful. This collaborative project that involved the software industry, academia, and the government with the objectives of helping software companies improve their processes, create a group of properly trained local consultants and create a culture of quality in the industry. of the software. The project was started in August 1999 with a budget of 2.5 million dollars and an initial duration of 39 months, which was later extended until November 2004. Thanks to this successful project, two companies have been evaluated SW-CMM level 3, two companies achieved ISO 9000: 2000 certification,the country now has a group of 7 trained consultants and a culture of quality that is rewarding the local software industry. This is a project example that shows that a lot can be achieved with few resources.
ECUADOR
Ecuador recorded 62 million dollars in sales and 10.7 million dollars in exports in 2004. That country has more than 223 companies dedicated to the software industry, 11 of them international and 212 developers. The software sector offers around 6,588 jobs.
Ecuador does not report SW-CMM or CMMI evaluations as of March 2006. Three companies are ISO 9000: 2000 (2005) certified.
In 2005, AESOFT started a project to support software development companies on the dates: from July 2005 to April 2006 (9 months), financed by the Andean Development Corporation (CAF) offering training and implementation of level 2 of the CMMI in the 9 participating companies. His main focus was on quality assurance with CMMI.
ARGENTINA
Within Latin America, without a doubt, Argentina is consolidated as one of the greats in the software industry. This important industry has around 1,900 companies, of which 1,300 are considered micro-companies. It also offers 25,000 jobs for Argentines.
In 2004, the software industry entered 3.1 billion dollars in sales, which represented 0.68% of GDP. It also reported 180 million dollars in exports. Until September 2006, Argentina had 15 CMMI evaluations.
On the other hand, the Chamber of Information Technology Companies (CESSI) brings together more than 300 companies and the Chamber of Information Technology and Communications of the Argentine Republic (CICOMRA) brings together another 80 companies.
For a period of 10 years (2004–2014) the nation defined the Strategic Plan for Software and Computer Services with the primary objective of making Argentina a relevant player in the world market for computer software and services. The plan in question defines 30 concrete actions to achieve the following goals for 2007: Increase to 50,000 jobs or increase the number of jobs by 100%, increase sales by 60% that allows them to reach 5,000 million dollars and manage to increase exports by 94% to guarantee 350 million dollars in exports.
As another of the actions for the development of the software industry in Argentina in 2004, the SOFTWARE INDUSTRY PROMOTION LAW (Law 25.922) was enacted, creating a national software industry promotion regime, determining that the Companies that export or implement quality improvement programs will enjoy tax incentives such as 60% income tax relief, 70% exemption from employer contributions and fiscal stability for a period of 10 years.
Additionally, the Software Industry Promotion Trust Fund (Fonsoft) of $ 650,000 per year is created to finance research and development projects, tertiary or higher level programs for the training of human resources, programs for the improvement in the quality of software processes and entrepreneurship programs
Estimates of exports from the Argentine software sector, according to the Argentine Ministry of Economy (2007), continue to grow at a sustained rate from 35 million exported in 2000, mainly destined for Latin America and to a lesser extent for States. United.
Latin American countries represent a natural market for Argentina, due to the high specialization achieved by the national industry in certain vertical segments, such as banking, health, energy, manufacturing industry, etc.
Brazil, Mexico and Argentina stand out in Latin America as the countries with the most concrete actions and sustained activity for the development of new technologies and specifically the production and commercialization of computer software and services. With a solid significance, these nations show encouraging results and encouraging forecasts for the medium term. Integrative solutions and agreements between countries is undoubtedly one of the best alternatives for this underdeveloped region and with economic results that do not allow a large sustained annual investment in the field of ICTs.
GUATEMALA
The Software industry in Guatemala dates back to the 80s, when the first system developers emerged, using third-generation tools and making some custom-made developments for each company that saw systems automation as the way to streamline and do more. efficient operations. The idea of generating standard applications that could be used by different companies was not the general thought, the client companies were not in tune with this business vision either, because each one believed they had the magic formula to carry out their functions which they could not be automated by any predefined system, since they thought they would lose their added value. However, history has shown us that this was the longest way to get the desired results.
Data obtained from the Guatemalan Software Commission (www.export.com.gt) affirm that the software and applications development sector in Guatemala is made up of about 280 companies, which invest in the creation of products to serve the local market and make some exports to various countries in the world. About 5,000 people participate directly in the technology sector, performing various tasks in the software business in Guatemala. These software development companies offer services such as outsourcing, integration, custom development, ERP systems, CRM, BPM and various solutions for banking, retail, utilities, etc.
In 2005, a group of entrepreneurs from the Software industry of Guatemala, with the desire to take advantage of the opportunity to make Guatemala an exporting country of specialized services, formed SOFEX, the Export Software Commission, attached to the Association Guatemalan Exporters. SOFEX is made up of 22 companies, according to data from its own official website (www.export.com.gt) that cover various Areas of the business environment, such as Customer Service, Electronic Commerce, Services, among others.
2.3. The software industry in Cuba.
A universe of possibilities opens up satellite communications, wireless telephony, Internet, digital television, computing, to a country like Cuba, despite the economic, commercial and financial blockade with which the United States prevents access to the Island. to its market and forces it to invest several times more resources by having to resort to very distant markets. Despite this, based above all on its human resources and optimizing its material and financial resources, Cuba advances in its computerization, prioritizing the social and collective use of ICTs, which gives the country a differentiated connotation from the rest of the countries in the world. world as far as Information Technology is concerned.
In Cuba, once the appeal was made by the State to all sectors of the economy, through the "Strategic Guidelines for the computerization of Cuban society", defined by the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers (1997), the guidelines for a comprehensive approach that materialize its essential elements: communication networks, computers, information, services and people, within the framework of greater security, protection, legality and also guarantee clear rules for the computer development of the State and avoid applying incompatible, obsolete and unsustainable products that will not allow a harmonious and integrated development of society, which may lead to inefficiency in the processes.
In January 2000, the decision-making capacity, resources related to information technologies and the execution of state policy, and guidance to the Central Administration Bodies of the State were transferred to the new Ministry of Informatics and Communications (MIC). State (OACE) for the development of its particular strategies that allow an integral insertion to the state strategies.
As a historical antecedent, Vidal Ledo (2003), a first approximation of the Cuban strategy, was presented to the Organism in charge of governing the Social Informatization process in 1999, which places us among the first countries to organize coherent work in this regard. Working from 5 master strategies:
- Training, preparation and improvement of Human Resources. Health Telematics Network. Computer Security. Territorial Computer Development. Sectorial and Intersectoral Projects External alliances for development.
As can be seen, the objective is to incorporate the different social sectors into the ICT revolution, a process that we Cubans call the "computerization of society". The then Vice Minister and current Rector of the University of Informatics Sciences (UCI), Melchor Gil, He summarized the work to be done in this way: "We are going to socialize computing."
One of the first steps taken by our country in this regard is the creation of the Young Computer and Electronics Club, at the idea of comrade Fidel. Today, there are 602 of these centers, present in all the municipalities of the island and since their creation in 1987 they have trained more than a million people in computer science and electronics, highlighting that the enrollment of the courses taught includes children, young people, the elderly, housewives, ex-prisoners, the disabled and workers in general, emphasizing the conception of the social use of new technologies.
According to Mas Robaina (2000), an experienced telecentre researcher in Latin America, has written that “no other network in the region has the depth of experience, the reach as a network, and the ongoing research of Cuban JCs.
According to Dotres (1997), as one of the first steps in computerization on a national scale, since 1997 the top management of the Ministry of Public Health, proposed:
«… Develop in the National Health System a single policy with a comprehensive computerization model at its different levels, as well as access to information as a process that decisively supports and enhances medical care, teaching, research, hygiene and epidemiology, the medical-pharmaceutical industry, the economy and health administration, which is comprehensively extended to all the country's institutions to achieve an Integrated Management System that will be a basic tool in the materialization of Health strategies and programs ».
Ten years later (2007), according to the statistics provided (www.one.cu), the 726 health centers in Cuba have 13,140 computers at their disposal, and 38.5 percent of them are connected to the Internet. It also stands out that most of the computers are located in polyclinics, increasing their social use, which allows 128,794 workers in the sector to make use of them.
In order to achieve the proposed purposes in terms of computerization, it is worth highlighting the need to strengthen the infrastructure of sectoral and territorial networks that allow the adequate use of specialized information and an efficient use of the services available on the Internet. In this sense, the process of Digitization, as an essential aspect, in 2007 was 94.9 percent, according to the latest report offered by the National Statistical Office (www.one.cu).
To promote the task of computerization of Cuban society, there are 642 public access centers for new technologies (www.one.cu), of which 602 (93.7 percent) are free, with more than 6,400 computers available.
Despite the restrictions of an economic blockade, of more than fifty years, arbitrarily imposed on our country by the governments of the United States of America, progress has been made in the investment process in favor of the development of new technologies. In 2001, Cuba invested 144.9 million pesos in the Ministry of Informatics and Communications alone, broken down into construction and assembly, equipment and others. In 2007 the figure, for the same concepts in the Ministry, amounted to 155.8 million pesos. In this period, according to (www.one.cu), the average investment figure is 127.9 million pesos.
According to the latest report offered in 2007 (www.one.cu), the education sector in our country has 58 centers specialized in ICT (0.4 percent of the total), of which 32 are university students and 26 are from the technical and professional education. It also has 125,171 computers, of which 14.6 percent have Internet access, distributed equally throughout the system, which allows 2 million 685 thousand 530 students to use it, highlighting that in Cuban universities there is one computer each 4 students. Of the total students, 54 thousand 701 are enrolled in ICT careers. The education system also uses a total of 57 educational software.
Within the sector of new technologies, currently, the national software industry shows modest results. The specialists have issued their opinion on the conception that the level of results obtained in the export does not correspond to the high level of dedication, promotion, economic resources, participation in missions, fairs and events that have been based on this activity.
As one of the internal factors causing these results, it is worth highlighting the monetary duality, due to its corresponding measures, still established in our country.
Internationally, Cuba has a poor image as a software producer country. According to Riera (2004) it was not until the 10th International Informatics Convention and Fair 2004, with the attendance of around 1,600 delegates from 37 countries, that a certain image began to be created for the foreign market, through the international presentation of Incusoft (Cuban Software Industry). Incusoft was created with the objective of combining the individual efforts that various institutions in the country have been making in this field to achieve a strength that allows it to enter foreign markets more effectively. Some of the companies in the software sector in Cuba are listed below (Table 3).
Table 3 Some companies in the software sector in Cuba
Source: Prepared by the author with data collected from www.MIC.cu
It is recognized that the companies that have been successful in exporting matters are associated, for the most part, to sectors with significant external recognition, linked to the areas of health, education and sports.
As another alternative to promote the export of software, according to Hernández (2005), the Business Agency for the Export of Software (AVANTE) was created in 2003 and was presented at the beginning of the 11th International Informatics Convention and Fair 2005. Among the main lines of business of this agency are:
- Remote development Comprehensive IT solutions and integrated services, project execution and management Sector solutions in medicine, education, sports, tourism and telecommunications Web and Intranet projects Consulting services Representation and distribution of associated products and services Automation and energy efficiency.Software locations.
For that year Dalia Napoles del Toro, director of AVANTE, commented on the progress of the effective steps of the Ministry of Informatics and Communications, to accelerate the development of the Cuban software industry and enhance its location in the international market. AVANTE in two years of work had carried out the search of around a hundred important projects, related to thematic lines such as E-Learning educational software, integral automation, intelligent buildings, bioinformatics software and the pharmaceutical industry, production of medical equipment, simulation of simulating processes and equipment for learning and all business management informatics, in addition to verifying the existence of markets to study and exploit in which Cuban companies could be inserted.
Although great efforts have been made, the results are discreet, but with some stability to the increase in software exports. But it is valid to note that although software exports increased in this period by 52.6 percent, the value of software exports in relation to total exports by ICT trade decreased to 35 percent in 2007, less than 47, 2 percent in 2005 and less than 97.4 percent in 2006.
As can be seen (Table 4), software in Cuba has had an increase in the period 2005-2007, but even showing small values that do not allow this industry to be classified as having considerable weight in the country's exports and even within ICT exports in our nation.
Table 4 Software exports in Cuba. Period 2005-2007
Source: Author's calculations from data obtained at www.one.cu
The foregoing allows us to deduce that from the export activities within ICTs, the export of software does not yet play an outstanding role.
It is important to note that national software production has increased in this period 2005-2007 and is considered as a growing industry but it still maintains very low values.
Graph 3. National software production. Period 2005-2007.
Source: Author's calculations from data obtained from the National Statistics Office (www.one.cu).
Cuba still does not show outstanding results in Latin America despite having a highly recognized educational infrastructure in the region. In our country, this industry is relatively new and its development has been slowed down by the consequences of an economic blockade, which is increasingly tighter. But despite external setbacks, many things still need to be done, such as determining a general strategy that covers not only the computerization of the country, but also considers the entire industry as a key factor for the development of the nation. Some steps have been taken in this sense, but still too timid to promote the rapid development of the industry.
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