The digital transformation of the Ministry of Economy will cost 390 million pesos

The Ministry of Economy hired Infoteca technology center Conacyt, to develop a series of “digital transformation” projects that privilege the use of free software for a value of 390 million pesos. The procurement began on September 22, 2022 and will end in 2024.

In the list of developments foreseen in the tender there is a little bit of everything, from the creation of platforms for interaction with end users, a digital file with information on physical documents with a search engine or the incorporation of means of payment for the “ registration of acts of a commercial nature. It’s a monster of work. It is very complex and the supply includes the cyber security.

There will be updates, improvements and creation of digital platforms for the National Registry of Foreign Investments System, the National Registry of Integrating Companies, the Comprehensive Registry Management System, the National Registry of Micro-industries, in the International Commercial Practices Unit and in the Comprehensive Registry Management System.

The general spirit of thisdigital transformation” is to move towards a computer environment that favors the “use of free software, with the purpose of stopping using licenses and being in possession of the necessary inputs that allow it to maintain and improve the operation of the different areas” of the Ministry of Economy, in accordance with the technical annex of the agreement CONV-007-2022.

It is about avoiding or reducing the use of software con private licensessuch as the one developed for sale by the big technology companies, in tune with the Republican Austerity Guidelines and the National Digital Strategy, which “presents a change of perspective in the actions and relationships between the government, private industry, the scientific and technological community, and society, favoring technological autonomy, sovereignty and independence from the Government from Mexico”.

The digital transformation of Ministry of Economy occurs two years after hack which disabled the dependency’s emails and file system. This cyber attack forced the suspension “for reasons of force majeure” of the procedures of the Secretariat and its decentralized administrative body Conamer (National Commission for Regulatory Improvement) between February 24 and March 9, 2020.

The information security incident occurred under the command of Graciela Marquez Colin. contracting with Infotec occurred in the last days of work Tatiana Clouthier Carrillo as Secretary of Economy (was awarded on September 21). The execution of this “digital transformation” will correspond to the team of Raquel Buenrostro Sancheznew owner of the office.

The award to Infotec coincides in time with the hack to the Secretary of National Defense (Sedena), which evidenced a lack of control in the update of security controls in the Zimbra free software used by the Mexican Army and the Air Force in its paid version.

Infotec (the acronym for the Center for Research and Innovation in Information and Communication Technologies) is a service provider for federal offices. Its portfolio of services includes software development, design, software in the cloud (software as a service) and the internet of things.

It won’t be easy riding the monster that awarded you the Ministry of Economy: There are 10 projects that include back end and front end developments (software and user experience), with artificial intelligence, data mining, digital capture of information and even the creation of videos, animations and texts (copies). And —let us not forget— cybersecurity, an annoying Achilles heel.