What is the relationship between Microsoft and the OAS?
Eugenio Beaufrand: Years ago, both organizations realized that our missions are very similar. At Microsoft, we believe that technology gives people, governments and companies the opportunity to develop their full potential. The OAS, through the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (IADC), is continuously working to provide better training and technical cooperation to areas with few financial resources and to marginalized communities in the Americas, via the application of communications and information technologies. Therefore, we decided to join efforts. We have been working for two years on strategies to help Latin America countries in their government and educational development through the use of technology. An example of the results of this effort is a portal Website called Educational Portal of the Americas (www.educoea.org), which has been operating for 19 months now, and provides online courses for teachers and links to the academic offerings of the institutions
