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Mass. technology firm wins Chile contract

   InterSystems Corp., a Massachusetts-based software company specializing in healthcare technology, beat three foreign competitors to win a $37 million contract with the Chilean Ministry of Health.
   This bid was supported by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Advocacy Center, which coordinates federal resources to help “level the playing field” on behalf of U.S. businesses as they compete against overseas firms for specific international contracts or other U.S. export opportunities.
   “Helping U.S. companies like InterSystems Corp. successfully compete for business opportunities abroad means more jobs for American workers and increased exporting opportunities for American businesses,” said Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez in a statement. “In this particular case, Advocacy Center staff in Washington, D.C., and U.S. Commercial Service staff in Santiago, Chile, gave InterSystems advice and guidance on strategy and also coordinated advocacy efforts with the Embassy.”
   As a result of InterSystems and the Advocacy Center’s efforts, the company extended its current contract with the Chilean government, which is valued at $37 million with about $18.5 million from U.S. content.
   The company has received contract extensions from five regional healthcare organizations in Chile and has provided its TrakCare healthcare information system and related services to these organizations since 2008.
   Since its creation in 1993, the Advocacy Center has helped hundreds of U.S. companies of all sizes in various industries win government contracts overseas. In fiscal year 2012, which was the Advocacy Center’s best year to date, client companies reported 53 wins with a total estimated value of $87.1 billion and U.S. export content of $73.9 billion. The U.S. export content supports an estimated 369,500 U.S. jobs, Commerce said.

Chris Gillis

Located in the Washington, D.C. area, Chris Gillis primarily reports on regulatory and legislative topics that impact cross-border trade. He joined American Shipper in 1994, shortly after graduating from Mount St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Md., with a degree in international business and economics.