Kick-off
for the "Argentina Digital" Project
The biggest state-owned bank of the Argentine Republic, Banco de la Nación Argentina, signed an agreement with Acer Inc. subsidiary, Acer Argentina S.A., in order to push ahead the "Argentina Digital" project. This project grants loans to ordinary people, through businesses or labor unions, for purchasing personal computers for home use.
The Argentine government is backing the deal
through the Secretariat for Technology, Science and Productive Innovation and
the Banco de la Nación provides the financing. [See "
Argentina to Finance 1 Million Home PCs", May 30, 2000]
This deal entitles to
computer vendors to deploy exhibition stands for their products in the bank's
631 branch offices throughout the country.
"The
Banco de la Nación Argentina is offering all its branch offices so that vendors
can show their offers. Because it is certainly not the same to buy a computer
in the city of Buenos Aires than in Charata, a remote town in the Chaco
province", said the bank chairman, Chrystian Colombo [CQ]. The deal also
includes a plan for offering basic computer training to the purchasers.
The Banco
de la Nación is striving to reach similar agreements with the greatest number
of organizations, as a way to reach a larger number of potential buyers. The
signing entities agree to using a "salary deduction code", that
allows employers and labor unions to automatically deduct the installments for
paying some products and services from their employees or member's salaries.
Up to now,
the Bank has signed-in the University of Buenos Aires, the teachers' labor
unions, and the Argentine Armed Forces.
The Bank
will also try to make deals with the credit card companies in order to offer
loans to students. There will also a credit line for independent workers and
they are about to sign an agreement with the Confederation of Municipal Labor
Unions.
According
to Colombo, the Bank has already received more than 10,000 loan applications
and they have granted 6,000 loans, since the plan was officially lauched in
July. The loan is for 850 Argentine pesos (US$850), to be paid in installments
of $33 each.
The
computer that Acer is promoting for this plan includes a 500 MHz Intel Celeron
microprocessor, 64M-bytes of random access memory (RAM), a 48-X CD-ROM drive,
sound card, 56k-bps (kilobits per second) modem-fax, Windows 98 and the full
version of Lotus Smart Suite software. This computer sells for US$999,
including taxes. The extra $149 must be paid cash or with a credit card when
buying the product.
An
additional $79 will buy a 1200 dpi Lexmark Z12 inkjet printer.
Besides
Acer, other vendors can promote their offers, with several price tags.
The deal
includes the Argentine ISP Ciudad Internet that will offer Internet dial-up
access, and the printer vendor Lexmark, said the Bank president. Ciudad
Internet will offer full access free for a month, including five POP mailboxes
per account.
Acer plans
selling more than 200,000 units in about two years. This is a 20 percent share
of the total sales estimated by the Government.
Acer
Argentina invested US$800,000 for this project, and for hiring the sales staff
for their stands to be deployed in the bank branches, according to Acer
representatives.
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