Once again, technology is a factor that change economic relations in the world. It opens new possibilities for communication and interconnection that generate new ways of doing business. The digital economy emerges from expanding the opportunities for companies and consumers.

Information Technology (IT) eliminates frontiers by offering contacts to companies, suppliers and clients worldwide, with a single "click." The development of this concept allows product information, market characteristics, sales terms and transactions to be spread immediately and at a increasingly lower cost. This situation generates new conditions for competitiveness.

The challenge is to incorporate companies from each country in the international market in this new trend and have them take advantage of the opportunities that IT offers, in order to be more competitive.

This challenge is particularly important for those companies that already have a presence in the international market and for those that want to participate. And there is a pertinent role for institutions that support and promote commercial trends.

The activities and support of the institutions are directly linked to the characteristics of their economic situation and the timeframe needed to incorporate companies in this new trend.

The Mexican Bank of Foreign Trade (Bancomext), as the institution in charge of commercial promotion and investment in Mexico, should facilitate instruments and support for Mexican companies, which will allow them to reduce time, costs and risks in carrying out their foreign trade operations.

In this framework, Bancomext, whose mission is to develop exporters, and aware of the importance of IT, has established four activities in order to integrate Mexican companies in this new way of doing business.

1. Link exporting companies with IT, so they can increase their productivity using this tool.
2. Integrate the IT suppliers as indirect exporters
3. Train the human resources from the exporting companies in the new concepts of digital economy, with special emphasis on Competitive Intelligence
4. Use IT to broaden the coverage of their products and services

1. IT and exporters

IT has developed tools to facilitate operations in companies, from production to promotion and sales of products. Therefore, productivity can be increased.

It is important for Mexican exporting companies to know about the IT possibilities as well as suppliers that can satisfy their needs, at competitive costs, with adequate solutions depending on the characteristics and conditions of the company.

The integration of exporting companies using IT requires a coordinated effort between the public and private sectors. In our country there is a limited informatics culture, which is evident in the lack of computer equipment, little presence on the Internet and the infrequent use of systems to optimize operations.

Regarding IT, one of the aspects with the most impact is the possibility of companies to take advantage of the Internet, in terms of communication (e-mail) and promotion of products worldwide (Web sites and on-line catalogs), as well as the possibility to carry out transactions on-line (different models of e-commerce).

Keeping in mind the aspects mentioned, Bancomext’s strategy to broaden the use of IT in exporting companies includes the following:

1. Form alliances with IT suppliers in order to offer exporting companies a range of possibilities for access to digital economy. These suppliers offer computer equipment at competitive prices, e-mail accounts, design Web pages and catalogs on Internet, e-commerce and support systems for production processes and management. Agreements are signed with two professional organizations, whose members include the main IT suppliers.
2. Financial support for the 400 exporting companies which use IT for their pages and catalogs on the Web, as well as tools for on-line transactions. Support will be available during this year.

It is important to note that there is a sector plan for companies to be included, which considers characteristics and opportunities for each in IT, as well as modes of e-commerce that allow them to have the best advantages, b2c, b2b and marketplaces.

2. Indirect exporters

IT is a growing market which offers new challenges and opportunities for companies that generate and develop tools in this area. In order to take advantage of these, it is necessary to create a link between suppliers and clients.

Bancomext’s clients, companies that participate in international markets, must be in the vanguard to compete successfully. The institution, as part of its promotion strategy, has created mechanisms like those mentioned previously, to propitiate the link between companies that develop IT and Mexican exporters.

These actions also integrate IT companies as indirect exporters, since they provide solutions to Mexican exporters, which will allow them, in the next stage, to export their products and services directly using Bancomext’s promotional programs.

3. IT training

The possibility of interconnection worldwide permits a new scheme of competition, since a great deal of information is available through the network. The challenge is to select the most adequate according to the business, based on making timely decisions at the least cost. This applies to external information as well as internal.

A company can be more competitive by using IT tools to retrieve information, transform it into knowledge, and then use it, Information and knowledge are the thermonuclear competitive weapons of our time.

The process of Competitive Intelligence (CI) is directly linked with the company’s operation, and will necessarily have an impact on its productivity and profits. Nevertheless, this concept implies a change in the business culture, as it refers to training and raising consciousness, as well as to financial resources that should be allocated for it. This is particularly important for small and medium-sized companies.

In order to accomplish this, Bancomext has taken steps to train people who are involved in international commerce in the Competitive Intelligence process.

These activities include:

1. Instructor training in Competitive Intelligence, with special emphasis on information retrieval via Internet
2. Production of didactic material for the courses, focused on 10 specific areas (fresh and processed foods, footwear, textiles, furniture, and gifts, among others). The material, available on CD-ROM, includes topics that allow the user to develop and carry out an export plan, as well as Internet addresses that are relevant to each sector.
3. Courses to prepare those involved with foreign trade (companies, universities, chambers of commerce and promoters) in the selection, retrieval and processing of commercial information on the Internet. This permits decision-making based on particular needs.
4. 1,000 sites on the Internet related with foreign trade have been selected and organized, with a summary, and are available on the Bancomext Portal and as a printed edition.

The activities have helped the to familiarize the businessman with IT concepts, including Internet, e-commerce and support tools. They also provide new options for analyzing and monitoring markets and competitors.

4. IT to broaden coverage

Promotion organizations in the world consider IT an important means to provide services to clients, in particular information generated, for companies to analyze markets and promote their products.

To have tools in order to reach remote clients, and reducing operating costs for them and exporting companies, provides an element of competitiveness for both.

Bancomext developed a page on the Internet in 1996, and established a Call center. Through these services, clients can learn about the products and services of the institution, as well as purchase them. These tools have allowed Bancomext to broaden its client base and provide options to new companies wanting to export.

With the objective of improving its services to companies by giving them better alternatives, personalizing their needs and taking advantage of IT advances, Bancomext developed a Portal on the Internet, this year.

Through this new tool, Bancomext is interested in having Mexican companies expand their use of e-commerce, by providing them with a space to promote their products and carry out transactions on-line, with the most advanced technology.

Today the key word is "opportunity", so as Bancomext achieves a greater number of companies to consider IT as an element for competitiveness in the short term, the impact of these actions will be reflected in a greater and more successful participation of Mexican companies in the international market.