During this year, Colombia launched the National Plan for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) 2008-2019, which recognizes the impact that these have on the economic development of the country and on the level of competitiveness of the different productive sectors. However, thinking about reducing technological gaps may require significant investments of economic, human and scientific resources, among others. Facing these challenges guarantees economic growth, as can be seen in other countries that have advanced along this same path.
According to the Plan, one of the objectives to be achieved in the short term is to help the massification of ICTs in MSMEs to ensure a favorable insertion in the globalized economy; It is supported by a series of strategies that began this year as the Digital MiPyme, an announcement made official by the Minister of Communications, María del Rosario Guerra on October 23 in the city of Bogotá at the Colombia Global fair, held in Corferias. This strategy seeks to increase the use and appropriation of ICT to increase competitiveness and increase electronic commerce and e-business activities. The project will have flexible criteria for the granting of resources but will be very strict in the fulfillment and evaluation of the results.
In this first call, the program is aimed at micro, small and medium-sized companies in Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Antioquia, Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander and Valle. In 2009, the call will be extended to the entire national territory and it is expected that the beneficiaries of the program will be part of the productive chains considered as strategic in the regional internal agendas.
Aligned with the National Plan for Information and Communication Technologies is the National Competitiveness Policy, also presented during 2008, which clearly defines competitiveness as a complement to the environmental conditions for growth; where the State fulfills the function of facilitating the productive efforts of the different sectors. Based on an initial diagnosis, 12 problematic axes were established that prevent Colombia from being more competitive, of which three could be directly related to the ICT issue.. These are: The first, the low sophistication and low value addition in production processes, the fifth the low levels of innovation and absorption of technologies, and the tenth the lag in penetration of information technologies and connectivity.
The vision of the NC Policy states that: “ In 2032 Colombia will be one of the three most competitive countries in Latin America and will have a high level of income per person, equivalent to that of an upper-middle-income country, through an exporting economy. of goods and services with high added value and innovation, with a business environment that encourages local and foreign investment, fosters regional convergence, improves formal employment opportunities, increases the quality of life and substantially reduces poverty levels ”and presents as indicators related to ICT and business productivity (NRI Indicators):
Indicator: Ease of licensing foreign technology.
Goal 2010: Advance from position 84 to 69
Indicator: Level of absorption of technology in the company.
2010 Goal: Advance from position 94 to 75.
Indicator: Innovation capacity
2010 Goal: Advance from position 64 to 59.
Indicator: Internet use in business.
Goal 2010: Advance from position 74 to 58.
Source: Document Conpes 3527 (CNC, session of July 3, 2007).
With a better understanding of the current situation and by tracing a path, the Colombian State lays the foundations for the development that companies must achieve where the Internet is a medium that has generated in its almost 40 years a social revolution of information and knowledge that advances with quickly and closely linked to the advancement of other technologies. This will undoubtedly require for Colombia, in the short term, the development of an engineering industry specialized in the Internet, of unions and the consolidation of leading companies, as has been achieved in the Software industry.
Another change that has to take place in portal development services is to change its emphasis on the graphic concept of project proposals based on specific results at the competitiveness level, this in turn implies having specialized Internet providers, the use of applications on platforms focused on achieving greater efficiency and effectiveness of management processes, innovation, productivity, consolidation and growth of organizations.
We have as a starting point, a series of Policies, Plans and Projects that support the growth of the Internet as a tool with broad applications to production and marketing processes; However, for 2009 an important task for Internet service providers is to assume responsibilities measured in terms of economic results and benefits for companies.
For MSMEs, the time of having a presence website is over, entrepreneurs must project their business effectively on the Internet with services and added value in line with their strategic objectives, focused on achieving specific objectives that allow them to join the national plan.
