Macromedia sees 5-10% growth, pushes new markets

US software developer Macromedia (Nasdaq: MACR) expects revenue growth in Latin America to match global projections of 5-10% for the financial year which ends March 2004, on gains in the corporate and e-learning markets, regional sales manager Luis Murguia told BNamericas. Macromedia reported worldwide sales of US$173mn for the first half of its fiscal 2004 year ended September 30, compared to US$170mn billed for 1H03. Murguia did not give regional figures but said they were in line with the industry averages. Traditional web development tools for individuals and small business are the most important market in Latin America, accounting for about 40% of revenues, Murguia said. By contrast, sales to large corporate customers bring in only 15% of revenues in the region today, and this market has growth potential, he said. Since mid-2002 the company has been concentrating investments on buffering its regional partner program to provide corporate customers with customized care, Murguia said. The company wants partners, generally Internet multimedia companies, to hire more technicians to manage Macromedia accounts, he said. Macromedia's local staff will focus on marketing initiatives and partner relationship building efforts, he added. Macromedia also foresees new growth to arise from its e-learning technology, which today brings in about 15% of revenues, he said. The company's key e-learning solution, Breeze, lets businesspeople and academics develop e-learning programs through Microsoft PowerPoint, bypassing any need to learn Web programming, he said. Universities are the company's other key market, accounting for about 30% of sales in the region, he added. Looking toward the future, the company sees new markets in multimedia applications for mobile phones and PDAs, Murguia said. Macromedia launched its first mobile applications this year, and these solutions will begin to make their way into Latin America starting in 2004, he said.