This year Brazil IT is hosting a presentation about offshore software development in Brazil. Dell Inc. will explain why it decided to start a major software development center there and how it has been expanding it since then. Dell's presentation will cover what it perceives are Brazil's strengths and weaknesses in this area and how its IT team there fits into the company's global workforce planning.

Brazil IT's participation in the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2007 is part of a combined effort of the public and private sectors to promote the country as the next stop for companies interested in outsourcing their IT operations. Today, it is estimated that Brazil exports only 4% of its IT industry's output, equal to $700 million. The aim is to exceed $5 billion in exports of products and services by 2010.

To help reach this goal, the Brazilian government has passed a law granting close to US$500 million in tax reductions and exemptions for IT companies by 2014. These tax incentives are intended to boost investment and generate greater revenues. On the companies' side, the efforts include investment in R&D, pursuit of quality certifications, participation in international trade shows and opening of offices abroad, mainly in the United States.

"The Brazilian domestic IT market is mature and ready to export. We are a highly technological country, with more than 20 IT clusters developing cutting-edge innovations in a wide range of sectors, notably healthcare, banking and e-government," said Jose Antonio Antonioni – General Manager at SOFTEX. "In the past few years, U.S. companies have been looking to Brazil as an attractive IT outsourcing hub due to the similarity between the American and the Brazilian business culture, on top of cost advantages, a modern infrastructure and a skilled and creative labor force."

Brazil IT is an initiative sponsored by APEX-Brasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) and SOFTEX (Association for Promoting Brazilian Software Excellence) to promote Brazilian IT companies in the United States. The leading Brazilian IT companies participating in the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo this year include Actminds, Light Infocon, Modulo, Politec and Stefanini.

Brazil IT Booth 103

Presentation: "DELL Software Development Center: Why Brazil"
Date: Thursday, October 11, 2007
Time: 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Location: Dolphin / Oceanic 5

For more information, visit www.brazil-it.com. To schedule interviews with Brazilian IT executives participating in the Gartner Symposium/ITXpo 2007, contact Christine Studart at Brazil Information Center (202) 471-4020.