Roundup: HDS, Microsoft, Cisco, Sonda

Japanese storage services and hardware provider Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) has appointed Claudia Flores as the new marketing manager for Mexico, Central America, Caribbean and North of Latin America regions, T&N magazine reported. Flores has a degree in international relations from Mexican university UNAM and graduate degree in marketing communications from California university UCLA. Prior to joining HDS she worked for several IT companies including Philips, Borland and IBM (NYSE: IBM). *** The Latin American unit of Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), along with DirecTV, Discovery Channel and the World Bank, have launched in Argentina its Escuela + project, to bring more digital access to school students and teachers, Microsoft said in a statement. The selected school was Escuela Presidente Julio Argentino Roca in Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost school in the world. Under the Escuela + program, DirecTV provides satellite digital TV through DirecTV Plus, Discovery Channel contributes with its segment "Discovery at School," the World Bank prepares the projects, logistics and coordinates participants, while Microsoft, through its Alliance for Education Program, provides training. The same program was launched in neighboring Chile in September. *** Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) has appointed José Manuel Berruecos as the new director for the Central America, north of South America and Caribbean region (Cansac), replacing Rodrigo Abreu, who has been named general manager for Cisco Brasil, the company said in a statement. Prior to joining Cisco, Berruecos was the Latin American general manager for the multi country area at EDS, now part of HP (NYSE: HPQ). He has also worked in key positions in Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq: JAVA), Informix Software and HP. *** Chilean IT services provider Sonda has won the tender to implement the new IT platform for the Panama's state procurement portal, Sonda said in a statement. The company plans to use its technology called Simetria, which includes electronic signature for purchasing orders and online proposals, as well as other e-commerce tools. Sonda, along with its partner I-Construye, has gained experience in this area by having run the Chilean state procurement portal, ChileCompra, for four years and winning a similar project in Colombia.