Project Document

The TELESINERGIA Project:

Development of a Virtual Space for Dissemination of the Newer Information and Communication Technologies, NICT.

Proposed by the Network & Development Foundation, FUNREDES, to the MECANISMO ENLACE of the PROGRAMA BOLIVAR

  Caracas, 9/22/94
Final Version. Corrected

INDEX

  1. PROJECT TITLE 1

  2. OBJECTIVES 1

  3. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 3

  4. TECHOLOGICAL AND BUSINES INNOVATIVE ASCPECTS OF THE PROPOSAL 4

  5. MARKET DESCRIPTION 4

  6. PROJECT ADVANCE 6

  7. REQUIRED CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PARTNERS 6

  8. TIME REQUIRED OR ESTIMATED SINCE THE FORMALIZATION OF THE IDEA UNTIL THE ACTUAL MARKETING OF GOODS/SERVICES 8

  9. MAXIMAL TIME NEEDED TO FIND THE PARTNERS 8

ENCLOSURE 1:  THE PROPONENT                                  1

    1. IDENTIFICATION                                  1

    2. ACTIVITY                                        1

    3. PERTINENT INFORMATION ABOUT QUALIFICATION       1

         Bibliographic References:                     2

         Curriculum  vitae of the responsibles         3

         Curriculum vitae of the consultants           3

    4.CONTACTS:                                        3



ENCLOSURE 2: THE PARTNERS THE TELESINERGIA PROJECT

IS LOOKING FOR                                             1

    1.IDENTIFICATION                                   1

    2.ACTIVITY                                         2

    3.PERTINENT INFORMATION ABOUT QUALIFICATION        3

    4.CONTACTS                                         3

1.

PROJECT TITLE

The TELESINERIA Project:

Development of a Virtual Space for Dissemination of the Newer Information and Communication Technologies, NICT.

The TELESINERGIA Project aims to constitute a virtual space for dissemination of the Newer Information and Communication Technologies, NICT, (computer mediated communication, electronic library, multimedia), in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region, through dynamic associations of several entities.

  1. OBJECTIVES
The Networks & Development Foundation, FUNREDES, intends to coordinate the dynamic regrouping of human and institutional competencies (virtual holdings) within the field of the so called Newer Information and Communication Technologies, NICT. Under the slogan "TELESINERGIA" a virtual space is created in order to provide a range of services easing and supporting the dissemination of the NICT within the Region. The TELESINERGIA Project acts as expertise and assessment center, human resources training center and pilot services center. Each one of the space activities are offered through the blending of actors with complementary competencies, under FUNREDES coordination.

The priorities of the TELESINERGIA Project are:

The initial services foreseen as part of the offering put forward by the TELESINERGIA Project are the following:

The NICT are going to become one of the key markets by the beginning of next millennium. The speed and dynamics of the making up of this new market justify an immediate of the Region. Al faces of this market are not "ripe" yet, and in some cases the degree of uncertainty is such that a Business Plan could not be presented responsibly. It is for this reason that in this market one can not consider am investment return on the short term. Facing this reality and the imperious need to prepare the entrepreneur and academic actors of the Region, the TELESINERGIA Project proposes that the initial marketing phase of its services be strongly framed within the International Cooperation.

The commercialization of services by the TELESINERGIA Project will proceed progressively and with no delay as the new markets open up, as a result of the development of telematic networks such as the Internet, and multimedia. In fact, it is contemplated that by the end of the 24 months lapse, TELESINERGIA becomes an original offer, being a technologic innovation able to fully compete in the private market, respecting the own character of each partner (university, private enterprise, IO or NGO) in terms of the relation each one has to profit making.

From the economic point of view, the initial investment in this project should be considered as an indirect contribution to a Latin-American entrepreneurial presence, able to compete in the world market of the NICT.

  1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
FUNREDES proposes itself to dynamically complement its own resources (employees and consultants), with entities especially competent in the field, within the framework of multilateral agreements. Such agreements generate virtual enterprises able to tackle with excellence the provision of each type of services offered. In order to act as catalyzer and coordinator of this "virtual holding", FUNREDES initiates the creation of a Technological Pilot Center for handling the NICT. This pilot center, that offers all the capabilities of an Internet server node, supports the offer of services of the TELESINERGIA Project and allows the marketing of the products from the group of virtual enterprises.

The planning of the initial activities (2 years) and its schedule is shown in the graph.

The total amount estimated to accomplish the initial consolidation of the TELESINERGIA Project varies between US Dol. 1.535.000 and US Dol.1.845.000, depending on the results of the looking for complementary partners, out of which some US.Dol. 545.000 should come from the already contacted partners and from the selling of services. The remnant (between US Dol. 990.000 and US Dol. 1.280.000) is expected to be raised through the efforts taken by the ENLACE Mechanism of the Bol�var Program. One part comes from the investment of newer partners, located by the ENLACE Mechanism and willing to participate in this initiative. The other part comes as a donation from some entity suggested by the above mentioned Program. At the end of the initial 24 months, the group is able to prolong its activities without external subvention thus showing its autosustainability. In a side document is presented further information related with the financing of the TELESINERGIA Project, to a grater degree of detail.

The justification for soliciting funds for this initiative under the modality of donation is done in regard to:

  1. the participation of non-for-profit entities within the Project, preceding the list the same Networks & Development Foundation, FUNREDES, as the "proponent";

  2. the fostering of cooperation actions of interest for the Region, which directly contribute to the creation of the NICT market;

  3. the contribution of a mechanism where the private actors do not receive subventions but services contracts, which allow them to experiment their capabilities side by side with enterprises of developed countries benefiting out of the technology transfer for their full development, and to grow at the NICT market speed in order to be in optimal position when it fully matures;

  4. the pedagogical effect of the "joint ventures among micro-enterprises" concept, to serve a market characterized by sustained instability, and also the appearing/disappearing of market holes, hardly reachable by the big companies in the field.

  1. DESCRIPTION OF TECHNOLOGICAL OR BUSINESS INNOVATIVE OF THE PROPOSAL
  2. .

The recent evolution of the Internet, projected to the public as a consequence of the so called "Information Superhighway" by the current Administration of United States, turned on the signal for the imminent opening of a great information market.

This new market is driven by two decentralized technologies: the interactive multimedia and the telematic networks. It rest upon a substrate created by industries rather centralized: the information transport systems and the informatic infrastructure. The proximity of the opening of this market is provoking some very strong centrifuge forces among the telecommunication and informatic enterprises, with the increasing participation of the Media giants. The nature of this new market and its play rules are still to be defined. Nevertheless, the majority of specialists of the field coincide with the opinion that the Internet, despite a history far from business considerations, is evolving towards a model where the commercial factor is going to play a very important role. The model that will dominate is not clearly perceived yet. In spite of that, the same experts highlight the imperious need to immediately participate in this evolution, in a way such that each actor may orient it in accordance with its own interest. Another coincidence point among the experts, proven by the latest hits in information navigational software, is the confidence in that the impact of micro-enterprises initiatives can be as determinant as the one from the concentration of the greater groups.

The TELESINERGIA Project defines a way to accelerate the presence of the Region in this area of vital importance for its development. The strategic guideline is the dynamic regrouping of micro-enterprises, in order to be able of integral offerings capable of orienting and interesting the market.

Within this strategy, the range of services from the TELESINERGIA Project allows to respond in a way both immediate and concrete to the first business opportunities that are appearing, while the partners set gets adapted to this market dynamics.

Analogous to the role played by the access ramps to the vial Highways, the ENLACE Mechanism allows the partners of the TELESINERGIA Project to reach the speed needed to merge in the best position with the "Information Super Highway" market

  1. MARKET DESCRIPTION
At institutional level, the whole marked to be constituted can be perceived as concentric circles. The is conformed by central actors from the Science & Technology sector (National Science & Technology Organisms), Universities, Research Centers, International Organisms). The second circle is conformed by enterprises whose activities have (or require) a strong Science & Technology component. The third circle is conformed by actors (private enterprises or "non-for-profit") with a strong communal component (education, health, city management, etc). Then comes the circle of enterprises in general (both from the service sector and the industrial one). And finally the last circle englobes the citizen in his/her domestic activities, representing the "Bulls Eye" of the telematic market. Beside France, that has known an original development of the telematic market, although somewhat autharquic, the world market has limited itself to the two inner circles until a few years ago. During the last 3 years, we are watching signs of a world market speeding up, and the beginning of opening of newer market holes, coming progressively from the center to the periphery of this model.

If one take the figures for Internet users (including connected networks like Bitnet, UUCP and Fidonet) and the amount of new services that appear in this world community, as indexes of this phenomenon, it looks clearly that the market is in its crystallization phase, and that its maturation is a matter of just a few years.

The TELESINERGIA Project is thought as an enterprise incubator mechanism, allowing them to respond properly and timely depending on the anticipated market needs. In its initial phase of 24 months, the TELESINERGIA Project dedicates principally to clients within the Science & Technology sector (inner circle of the model) and permeates, when opportunity arises, the other market layers. It is for this that the TELESINERGIA Project works initially under International Cooperation. After the incubating period, TELESINERGIA will be able to respond immediately to clients from the three inner circles and will be ready to follow the evolution of the market opening towards the outer circles.

Among the client institutions, the main consumers of services from the TELESINERGIA Project are:

  1. PROJECT ADVANCE
Two feasible business scenarios have been established, which are presented in a side document. FUNREDES has advanced a whole series of actions in order to directly locate a set of potential partners (see side document). The identification of possible complementary private partners interested in participating in the financing of the operations of the TELESINERGIA Project, will determined which one is going to be the final scenario.

REQUIRED CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PARTNERS

  1. REQUIRED CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PARTNERS
The nature of the TELESINERGIA Project calls for participating partners with profiles complementary among themselves. Giver its cooperative character, it requires a balanced blending between academic entities, International Organisms, Non Governmental Organisms, public sector entities and private enterprises. The geographic distribution of the partners is to have its gravitational center in The Caribbean, where the FUNREDES Headquarters is based, with representation from other regions. The specific competencies to integrate are the followings:

TRAINING:

TECHNOLOGICAL WATCH (in the field of the NICT):

TELECOMMUNICATIONS:

TELEMATICS:

MULTIMEDIA:

INFORMATION:

COMMUNICATION:

MARKETING:

RESEARCH

TRANSDISCIPLINARIES CRITERIA:

The extent of the categories and profiles presented implies a number of partners somehow important. It can be considered, depending on the programming, an initial number of some five partners, and a progressive and harmonious growth. It is to be noted that the functioning mechanism of the TELESINERGIA Project does not presents any kind of inconvenience for the later integration of new partners. Nevertheless, the mechanism needs a progressive programming gives its own complexity.

The concept of Technological Watch is the key factor to keep a synergetic liaison among the partners, even when there is no running operation where all of them participate.

  1. TIME REQUIRED OR ESTIMATED SINCE THE FORMALIZATION OF THE IDEA UNTIL THE ACTUAL MARKETING OF GOODS/SERVICES
The activities should begin by January 1995, under the cooperation figure. The full placing in the market will occur after a lapse no longer than two years counted from the Project very beginning.

  1. MAXIMAL TIME NEEDED TO FIND THE PARTNERS
The financing partners have to be located before September 1994, which would allow to immediately proceed with the corresponding negotiation aiming to define the final scenario over which to establish a definitive business plan.

So, it is expected to identify the donating entity(es) during October 1994 and to be able to finish the needed negotiations during November and December 1994.

ENCLOSURE 1: THE PROPONENT

  1. IDENTIFICATION
 Networks & Development Foundation
(Fundaci�n Redes y Desarrollo, FUNREDES).
 Alma Mater
 P.O. Box 2792
 Santo Domingo,
 Dominican Republic
 Tel: (1 809) 535 2422
 Fax: (1 809) 535 6646
 E-mail: [email protected]
         [email protected]

  1. ACTIVITY
Non Governmental Organism with Headquarters in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and Offices in Caracas, Venezuela, and Nice, France. Its mission is to promote and facilitate the use of the Newer Information and Communication Technologies, NICT, in the Developing Countries in general and in Latin America and The Caribbean in particular. This in collaboration with the International Organisms, the States, the Administrations and the interested institutions.

  1. INFORMATIONS PERTINENT TO THE QUALIFICATION
FUNREDES was founded in September 1993 willing to extend and expand the activities being conducted by the REDALC Office of the Union Latina, between January 1988 and August 1993; some with support from the EEC, and in collaboration with the UNESCO and the Latin American Academy of Sciences. The FUNREDES team is the same that worked in the REDALC Office. The listing of achieving made by this group includes:

Research Network for Latin America and The Caribbean Project (Proyecto Red de Investigaci�n para Am�rica Latina y El Caribe, REDALC: a great regional project supporting the telematic research networks, financed by the EEC and conducted in collaboration between Union Latina, UNESCO/Regional Center for Higher Education in Latin America and The Caribbean ("Centro Regional para la Educaci�n Superior en Am�rica Latina y El Caribe, CRESALC"), Latin American Academy of Sciences and FUNREDES.

Note: FUNREDES continues to be the technical responsible for the REDALC Project, through a contract with the Union Latina.

Union Latina Messaging for the Benefit of Research Networks Project ("Proyecto Mensajer�a Uni�n Latina para Beneficio de las Redes de Investigaci�n, MULBRI"): a multilingual PC based software, serving as interface to the telematic networks.

Note: FUNREDES continues to be the responsible for this project.

REDALC Electronic Conference Coordination: a international reference about research networks in the Region.

Note: FUNREDES continues to be the responsible for this project and is coordinating three other public electronic conferences: SALSA, for The Caribbean; KISKEYA, for the Dominican Republic and HAITI-L for Haiti. In addition, FUNREDES maintains the coordination of three private electronic conferences that act respectively as liaison tool among the group, among the participants in the REDALC Project and with some other people and entities interested in the activities of FUNREDES (some of which are nominated as potential partners for the TELESINERGIA Project (see side document).

Study on The REDALC Project Impact upon the French Antilles.

Development of the REDALC Methodology: an appropriate methodology to set in place networks in Developing Countries.

National Academic and Scientific Telematic Networks: key participation in the creation of the national peruvian network, RCP; the notional dominican network, REDID; and the national haitian network, REHRED.

Note: FUNREDES continues being the principal assessor of REDID and the promoter of the REHRED Project.

Training seminars for user of telematic networks.

Note: The REDALC Office and the FUNREDES were the promoters of several innovative actions in this field.

Study on the Tariff Policies in Telecommunications in Developing Countries.

Study on Higher Education in Dominican Republic.

Bibliographic References: (see enclosed Brochure).

Curriculum vitae of the responsibles

  Daniel Pimienta

  Senaida Jansen

  Pablo Liendo

  Yacine Khelladi

(see enclosed).

Curriculum vitae of the consultants

  Michel Perdreau

  Marc Boisseau

  Jean Cloutier

  Didier Dupuy D'Angeac

(see enclosed).

4.CONTACTS:

  Daniel Pimienta

  FUNREDES, Head

  

  Senaida Jansen

  FUNREDES, Adjunt Director

  

  Pablo Liendo

  FUNREDES, Regional Director.

ENCLOSURE-2: THE PARTNERS THE TELESINERGIA PROJECT IS LOOKING FOR

  1. IDENTIFICATION
The proponent identifies the following four characterizing parameters of the potential partners to be contacted, aiming at their affiliation to the TELESINERGIA Project:

  1. Geographic Location:

    1. the Caribbean (in its widest sense)
    2. latin America
    3. industrialized countries (North).

  2. sectorial Location:

    1. International Organism, IO
    2. Academic Institution
    3. Non Governmental Organism
    4. Public sector
    5. Private enterprise.

  3. Field of Competence:

  4. Role to Play:

"Operational" Partner refers to the one that participates more directly in the coordination of activities of the TELESINERGIA Project. As a Rule of Thumb, it is contemplated the participation of International Organisms, Governmental or not and academic entities with express wiliness for cooperation. This group provides the prestige and international support to the FUNREDES initiative.

The "Technology Tranferent" partners will be private enterprises or Non Governmental Organism operating within industrialized countries.

The "Technology Assimilator" partners will be private micro- enterprises, located in Latin America and The Caribbean, prone to indirectly benefiting as a result of their participation in the TELESINERGIA Project.

"Financing" Partner refers to those international entities that contribute through donations for the Project, or private enterprises willing to invest in the TELESINERGA Project waiting for benefits on the median or long term.

"Client" Partners refer to those Non-for-Profit entities, from the science and technology sector, which will benefit from the services of the TELESINERGIA Project, as a share of the cooperation action in terms of their participation to cover the expenses.

  1. ACTIVITY
Taking into account that THE PROPONENT already has conducted a series of actions to get an idea of the interest of some institutions as to their participation as partners in the TELESINERGIA Project, under the frame of the present proposal it is solicited to the ENLACE Mechanism of the Bolivar Program, to look for partners yet to be identified by FUNREDES and whose profiles correspond to the followings:

Private enterprise able to transfer technology in the field of the production of multimedia, particularly if it is located within an industrialized country (North America or Europe).

Academic institution, Non Governmental Organism or private enterprise willing to assimilate technology related to the production of multimedia, particularly if it is located within The Caribbean or, as second priority within some Latin American country.

Academic institution, Non Governmental Organism or private enterprise willing to assimilate communication technologies with emphasis on Mediatics, particularly if it is located in some country within The Caribbean or Latin America.

Academic institution, Non Governmental Organism or private enterprise with capability and experience in training decision makers, policy makers, information providers or end users, in topics related with telematics, Mediatics, multimedia and information systems, particularly if it is located in a Latin American country or, as a second priority, in some industrialized country (North America or Europe).

Non Governmental Organism with experience on system information marketing, particularly if it is located in some industrialized country (North America or Europe).

Entities willing to get incorporated as "financing" partners, with available resources to be assigned to the activities of multimedia production, information systems, communication and training activities addressed to decision makers, policy makers, information providers or end users; on topics related to telematics, Mediatics, multimedia and information systems, particularly if it is located in some industrialized country (North America, Europe or Japan).

Entities with infrastructure and experience in the field of marketing of products or services based on the NICT. Particular interest is assigned to the commercialization of such products and services within industrialized countries.

  1. PERTINENT INFORMATION ABOUT THE QUALIFICATION
It is to be defined as a result of actions conducted by the ENLACE Mechanism of the Bolivar Program.

  1. CONTACTS
It is to be defined as a result of actions conducted by the ENLACE Mechanism of the Bolivar Program.