Business: Microsoft plans to invest millions to train Mexican software developers The Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (August 23, 2001 8:47 p.m. EDT) - Microsoft Corp. announced Thursday that it plans to invest $60 million to train 20,000 software developers in Mexico.

After meeting with President Vicente Fox, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said 3,000 computer and technology professors are participating in the Microsoft program and will help Mexico develop a software industry that it can export elsewhere.

The Redmond, Wash.-based computer giant's investment supports e-Mexico, a government initiative to help more Mexicans become computer literate, Ballmer told a news conference.

"I'm very optimistic about what is happening here in Mexico with the economy and the potential for improving technology," said Ballmer, who said Microsoft has had Mexican holdings since 1986. "We want to cooperate with the government to utilize and make good use of the infrastructure and capability."

I would have never believed it but there it is in print. We can export our manufacturing jobs and a lot of our white collar work as well. We'll never see 3.9% unemployment again.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley1@netzero.net), August 24, 2001

Answers

20,000 trainees seems like a huge number. Hiow many does Microsoft have here now?

Will they stay in Mexico or immigrate here? (I remember the techies from India who had to go home when the .com market went south.)

-- John Littmann (johntl@mtn.org), August 24, 2001.

Remember the y2k firm training welfare receipents to code? Don't hear much about that ruse any more.

I know that there are some top programmers in Mexico, but 20k?

-- (perry@ofuzzy1.com), August 24, 2001.

In a country like Mexico, they'd be far better off using their resources to expand Linux usage.

-- a programmer (a@programmer.com), August 26, 2001.

Too bad they don't want to invest it in training American workers. We're expected to pay for it ourselves. First India, now Mexico. Oh well, at least it could help slow the cross-border invasion. Se Habla Espanol?

-- Code Jockey (see@Argentine.article), August 27, 2001.