TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND PARTNERING POSSIBILITIES
THROUGH THE SOFTWARE APPROACH -
THE CASE OF THE RHONE ALPES REGION IN FRANCE:
A SUMMARY NOTE

by
François Ullmann
Director of International Projects
Training Unit, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Grenoble

Developing countries can enhance their assets by being host areas to European enterprises working in the high technology services to further harmonious regional complementarity.  This paper briefly examines motivation and forms of partnership possible with firms from the Rhone Alpes Region in France, as well as related information technology aspects.

 The Rhône Alpes region ranks among the leading regions in Europe on account of its dynamic role in the computer and related services sector, mainly because it is the home ground of more than 500 specialized enterprises of renown, it is the headquarters of more than 20 prestigious companies that are world leaders (such as Cap, Gemini, Sopra, I.T.M.I., Merlin Gerin, Schneider Group, Hewlett Packard, O.S.F.) it hosts and supports more than fifteen engineering schools, it is backed by several specialized training centres in the  field of computer science, it helps this professional network to export its know-how, it participates in the flourishing of research centres that are recognized worldwide and it promotes the establishment of related infrastructure (information highways, high-performance tools, fourth generation languagues - 4GL).

1. MOTIVATION AND FORMS OF PARTNERING WITH ENTERPRISES FROM THE RHONE-ALPES REGION




Most of the companies offering computer services devise and develop specific software or packages of programmes for several hundred applications covering a vast array of professions.  The majority of these enterprises export their expertise mainly to the OECD countries and face rather brisk international competition.  The presence of these enterprises on the international market is vital for ensuring the continuity of the large investments that such specialization requires. Further expansion into a geographical area that is not already covered represents a massive incentive to take advantage of new potentials.
The African market is a prime target as the continent has immense needs.  In order to ensure its development, Africa should be able to rely on modern technology to optimize and reduce the costs that any desire for economic advancement entails.  It appears that the specificity of the African market can only be dealt with in a sustainable manner in Africa by Africans, with the assistance of Western cooperation.  The main line of cooperation between counterpart enterprises based on a balanced partnership respecting local professional sensibilities will enable the design of projects that responds to the African market.
The economic conditions offered by partnership with enterprises in the developing countries represent an important criterion.  Such a partnership may be productive if it is based on a macroeconomic foundation that favours its growth.

              A) The enterprise approach

A partnership with enterprises in the developing countries would assume different forms depending on the technical nature of the partnership.  For example, some of the possibilities that would lead to technology transfer in developing countries would include: joint contracting, association of groups of enterprises, the creation of an agency for a French enterprise, the creation of a decentralized service by a French company, the creation of a company held jointly by the French and African partners, delocalization of a computer service by a French enterprise, the concept of multi-enterprises.

We shall leave it up to the partner enterprises to negotiate among themselves the best status that would facilitate the implementation of their joint project.  Let us point out, for the sake of information, that the possibility of creating a private or a public company, as done in France, is perfectly realistic.  Indeed, Francophone African business law is largely inspired by French business law.  The partner enterprises will therefore increase their prospects in this administrative challenge to be able to create the wisest set-up, both from the point of view of technical problems to be overcome as well as of the legal and administrative aspects to be settled.

       B) The product approach

Some of the French service companies would wish to adapt their product to African needs because, to date, customization is still minor by comparison with the potential volume of business involved.  In fact, the professional software solutions are often devised to be finalized in relation to the markets or particular regions.  In this scenario, the adaptation cost and additional revenue ratio is preponderant in defining the policy to be pursued.
It is evident that the targeting of products merits advance study.  For example, there are applications in fields such as: equipment maintenance C.A.M., C.A.D., C.A.I.; the management of services linked to international trade; the development of communications software (to simplify the transmission of data from terminals in a local network to the telephone network, a software that allows each of the terminals of this local network, using Windows, to share a single modem, "numéris" (digital) adapter or X25 card to communicate with the outside world.   Another example of this may be illustrated with software that allows terminals to access SNA servers with X25 cards.

      C) The services approach

The consequence of this type of product is that the services derived   from them can be related to each other.  For example: "facilities management"; "l'info-gérance" (outsourcing) through telecommunication

D) The market/product partnership

The relationship between the identifiable needs of the market and the solutions offered by these products to be customized would make it possible to envisage, for example, the following symbioses on a given territory in the region: the appropriate management of an installed base of materials and, thus, through its maintenance, the achievement of considerable savings to the beneficiaries; the optimization of production (agricultural or otherwise) while furthering export promotion; the streamlining of professional resources as a result of the processing of commercial or technical data, therefore providing all enterprises with access to technology.

2. POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTION OF ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TWO REGIONS: INTEREST OF THE PARTIES AND RELATED TRAINING ASPECTS
   

 Enterprises from the Rhône-Alpes Region make their growth in computer science available in developing countries through their assistance, which should take place on the ground, in the following fields: localization/translation (project philosophy and formulation); integration of packages; adaptation to local uses; personalization of software according to professional "customs"; interfacing according to the possible existing applications; updating of versions and current procedures; software maintenance of equipped sites; training linked to the evolution of the users' needs; small specific developments.

 Without the complementarity of the enterprises in the two regions involved in a common project, the strengthening of software services would be problematic to implement.  Being able to "associate" with locally recognized professionals and to keep abreast of changing needs are essential elements for the project's viability.  In this way, the African users can progressively benefit from a modern computing tool adapted to their own needs at lower cost.  Developing countries in Africa are the preferred base for this type of professional partnership because the conditions necessary for both the economic and technological aspects are unique on the continent.  Existing infrastructure combined with the international opening up of the region to receive this springboard to technological access, makes it commercially viable to match development needs and the research findings of the business community.

Several categories of training action and involvement are necessary to implement this phase of a project.

 - Training for information systems
Involves: their design by the users through bread-boarding and prototyping tools; their implementation in open or proprietary systems; and their administration; then later on,  their evolution in  to projects which are centralized or spread out over different geographic sites in customer/server technology.
These different points raised will allow the use of the latest, the fastest, the most profitable techniques covering the various facets of the subject while conserving material and human investments.

- Training in operating systems
This includes training in:  the OS, DOS, Windows, Windows NT systems outfitting microcomputers;  the IBM, DEC, H.P., BULL proprietary systems on small or large-scale electronics;  UNIX running on material platforms by different manufacturers;
Also study adapted to the following is required: local telecommunications networks; and resource servers and application servers, meet current needs of enterprises more exactly (various sizes and geographic locations mixed together).

- Training in software application (for programming or adaptation)
Training in this area requires the following to be studied: third generation languages, the most famous of which is COBOL;  the 4GL (fourth generation languages);  and fifth generation languages (the name is more commercial than technical) specifying the use of class techniques and "object-oriented" programmes ("OO") guaranteeing enrichment through the heritage of objects, programmes and structures developed (the enrichment of an element is extended to the family of the object of which these elements form a part).

- Training for software maintenance and computing services:
Training would include: top-down analytical methods; methods of analysis by example, through bread-boarding and prototyping; and the use of CASE tools which embrace all the stages of the life of a computer application that primes the feasibility study, goes through problem specifications, design, conclusion, implementation, maintenance and re-engineering that mainly authorizes the retrofitting of older applications with today's technologies.