Govt, Condo plan website certification program

Venezuelan internet consultancy Condo Consulting is in talks with the science and technology ministry MCT to set up a certification program guaranteeing the quality of enterprises' websites, company president Marcos Condo told BNamericas. "There is no official certification in this area and this month we started talks with MTC to develop a certification program. This is not a project that will be defined in the short-term but we are taking our first steps," Condo said. "Nearly 18 months ago, we developed a new business area regarding training and noticed that users are not properly informed about the internet, which is delaying its growth in Venezuela," he added. Condo Consulting started operations four years ago, offering advice on internet usability and e-marketing. "We have a special methodology for each of our projects complemented by the appropriate professional background in the area of websites, for instance, " he said. The consultancy unit, as opposed to the training unit, manages about 12 projects a year and expects to increase its client base 50% during 2005. Some of Condo's clients include large national and multinational companies, mainly from the telecommunications, banking and food sectors. "Even though we are beginning to come closer to public institutions, we are focused on large private corporations since our knowledge and technology applies better to websites with specific sizes and features. Consequently it makes more sense to invest in this technology for large companies' websites," he added. Condo Consulting is in talks to expand to neighboring countries such as Colombia, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, and expects a final decision on the matter in the second quarter next year. Consultancy services represent 60% of revenues and the training unit accounts for the rest.