Aportia plays down expectations as it moves on business plan

The hype surrounding the launch of Mexican software consortium Aportia may be unrealistic given the company is still drawing up its business plan, Aportia chairman Eduardo Ramirez was quoted as saying by local daily Diario de Monterrey reported. The consortium was formally incorporated on October 16, bringing together 26 companies that specialize in developing embedded and administrative software, and website design. Ramirez admitted that Aportia's founding has created exuberant expectations and that the group still has to finish drafting its 10-year business plan. "Aportia is barely just a babe, but there is a history behind each one of its 26 companies that comprise it and all have the same vision; make Aportia a high return company with a well defined business plan," he said. Aportia is Mexico's second software consortium after Empeiria, which was founded on July 3 by eleven of Mexico's largest software firms. Member companies reported total sales of US$111mn in 2002 and employ about 2,000 software engineers. The administration of President Vicente Fox has identified the software industry as one of 12 strategic sectors that will receive government assistance. Federal software development program Prosoft has forecast the software industry growing to US$5bn in sales and over 300,000 jobs by the end of 2013, compared to sales of US$500mn and 17,500 positions today.