HispanicBusiness

HB: What strategies do you think will lead more Hispanics to become part of the IT industry?
OA: There are at least 150,000 IT jobs in the United States that are open. And the real problem with that is that curriculums are not bringing to the marketplace people fully prepared to deal with all these jobs. So we need a long-term strategy that specifically introduces technology and software into curriculums early on so we prepare people to be productive at the time they leave school.

HB: Does that mean Microsoft would like to see a higher cap on H1-B visas?
OA: Absolutely. I can tell you that there are thousands of people from Latin America with great development skills, with great sales and marketing skills, who would be of use to this country. Now other people will tell you that’s going be a brain drain out of this country. I don’t believe that. I believe that if the opportunity is wide enough, if we work in the education systems in an aggressive way, there will be plenty.

HB: Does Microsoft plan to make any investments in U.S. Hispanic IT companies or even Latin American IT companies?
OA: Absolutely. We have done some already. We just cut a very important business deal with TelMex in Mexico. The idea is that they are going to have coverage on the Latin American portal. It’s MSN for Hispanics, and that’s been very successful so far. It’s targeted 100 percent to the Hispanic market both here in the United States and in Latin America.

HB: What about developing a Hispanic supplier base to Microsoft? Is there anything you’re doing to help that along?
OA: Among the objectives I have in the short term is tapping into the right pools – not only for Hispanics, but for black Americans and also for women in high-level positions. That is one of the highest priorities I have right now.

HB: Where do you envision the computer industry in five to 10 years, and where do you see Microsoft?
OA: We recently announced a very important strategy called the DOT.NET strategy. I’m not going to elaborate a lot about the name, but let me try to explain what I mean. We believe we are right on the verge of a new generation of applications that are going to be very Internet-centric. They are going to be based on services. How will people will use computers 10 years from now? It will be a service for which you can sign up and pay a certain amount per month. You are not necessarily going to own software, but you’ll pay, let’s say, $30 a month. With that, you’ll be able to do a huge number of things, all personalized to you as a consumer. For example, if I want to go and visit my mother in New York, this thing buys a ticket for me. It also immediately updates my mother’s calendar and tells me if she’s going to be available.

HB: Where do you find the richest areas both in the United States and in Latin America for recruiting Hispanics or finding Hispanics to fill open positions?
OA: I really try to connect with our recruiting teams in those places. In general, of course, the southern border is very active – California and the Miami area. There is a venture capital community in the Miami area that is very active now. It targets not only the United States but also the South American market and the rest of Latin America.

HB: Is there anything in particular you would like U.S. Hispanic businesspeople to know about Microsoft?
OA: My message is this: Every time you are given an opportunity, you have a responsibility to give back. And the best way to give back is to maximize resources for your company so you can create opportunities for other people coming through the pipeline. Second, I would tell Latino leaders that you need to get as close as you can to technology, especially to software. That’s a very important skill you need to develop, not just because it’s technology but because there’s so much potential for Hispanics to get better jobs. I’m not a technologist myself, but I am totally clear that those close to technology have better job opportunities. And from there they can influence others in the community.

HB: Finally, can Hispanic-owned startup companies count on Microsoft to do business with them?
OA: Absolutely. We are ready to listen to any great ideas for new opportunities.

Jonathan J. Higuera is business writer for the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson, Arizona