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ICT Companies in Latin America Deploy Sustainable Development Initiatives to Raise the Bar on Economic Growth, Notes Frost & Sullivan

Posted on: Thursday, 20 August 2009, 05:00 CDT

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Ecological concerns have added a new dimension to business dynamics in the Latin American information and communication technologies (ICT) market. To foster sustainable growth, ICT companies are devising internal and external development initiatives. Internally, the companies are envisioning a greener future, blazing a path toward greater operational efficiency. Externally, service providers are involved in social inclusion initiatives in addition to launching "green" portfolios of products and services. These strategies will help inculcate greater consciousness of the environment and underline the importance of preservation of natural resources to foster sustainable, long-term economic growth for years to come.

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New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.ipcommunications.frost.com), Green Answers for a Green Century - Latin America's ICT Market Ready for Sustainable Development thoroughly examines the following markets from a sustainable development standpoint: fixed telephony, mobile telephony, Internet, and pay TV.

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides a brief synopsis of the research and a table of contents, then send an e-mail to Catalina Rossini, Corporate Communications, at catalina.rossini@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, a brochure will be sent to you by e-mail.

Thus far, firms in Latin America have neither been energy wise nor green friendly. Economic expansion too is constricted by issues surrounding resource availability, energy prices and the size of the addressable market.

"Now, Latin American companies are striving to improve the ecological and socio-economic fabric of the region, and ecological strategies are looking to achieve technological renovation with the use of clean energy, optimization of resources, and waste recycling," says Frost & Sullivan Industry Manager Jose Roberto Mavignier. "The onus is on ICT companies to expedite operational efficiency, not only by saving natural resources, but also money. Besides, they will need to include less-favored social classes into the addressable markets to enlarge potential revenues."

Large companies will continue to pursue social and educational endeavors to help needy communities obtain professional qualification in order to expand the addressable market by including these communities into the local economy, thus projecting a higher stock value. Programs are conducted to help underprivileged communities with education, health, justice, culture, sports, human development, and natural catastrophe issues.

However, the lack of customer awareness, media attention, long-time return on social inclusion investments, and specific regulations are curtailing further investments and green product development.

"These factors generate a difficult scenario for the creation of corporate and population awareness of the ramifications of the depletion of natural resources and emissions," says Mavignier. "In addition, social and educational abysms among different social strata make the situation tougher with regards to encouraging more frugality in consumption and integrating people into the mainstream."

Some countries in the region offer fiscal benefits to be redirected into social and environmental initiatives. ICT companies must cooperate and consolidate investments to facilitate the launch of bolder and more comprehensive projects.

For now, the future looks bright for eco efficient services in Latin America. Remote working, audio and videoconferencing, e-learning, ecommerce, mobile information consultation, and caller ID will be increasingly utilized by firms to reduce their environmental footprint. Though the results of the combined efforts of governments and NGOs will be evident only in the long term, it is certainly a step in the right direction.

"ICT companies can shorten the timeframe within which real changes are realized if efforts are coordinated to leverage investments with governments, NGOs, and even competitors," adds Mavignier. "In this win-win situation, the whole segment will benefit along with emerging societies and Mother Nature."

Green Answers for a Green Century - Latin America's ICT Market Ready for Sustainable Development is part of the Communication Services Growth Partnership Service program, which also includes research in the following markets: Brazil Total Telecommunications Services Markets, Colombia Total Telecommunications Services Markets, and Mexico Total Telecommunications Services Markets. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best in class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 35 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com.

Green Answers for a Green Century - Latin America's ICT Market Ready for Sustainable Development

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Contact: Catalina Rossini Corporate Communications - Latin America P: + 54-11-4777-4777 F: + 54-11-4777-0071 E: catalina.rossini@frost.com http://www.frost.com

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

Source: PR Newswire

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