Business Mundi Foundation

Business Mundi Foundation (AKA bMundi) is an international independent non-profit foundation. It was officially formed under the auspices of the Protectorate of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce (MITYC) of the Government of Spain, in February 2008. bMundi Foundation is dedicated to the research and development (R&D)of the Global Economy by promoting a more efficient and fair market model by implementing "Programs of Information and Communication Technology for Development" (ICT4D). This kind of programs has already been set as a priority to reduce poverty by the United Nations and; they are concurrently being promoted by bMundi Foundation as a Web business model or eCommerce for the New Economy

The Foundation

Business Mundi Foundation is an international non-profit-making organization, located at 42, Europa Ave., Local A-314, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain. It was formed on January 15 2008, with the Public Deed 142 by Eduardo González Oviedo, Notary of Madrid. It was registered in the Registry of Foundations of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Government of Spain by Ministerial Order on February 12 2008, with registry chronological number 1025. Business Mundi Foundation is under the Protectorate of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce (MITYC) of the Government of Spain, and its President-Founder is Gonzalo Ricardo ALEGRIA VARONA, as stated in the corresponding ministerial order, published in the official Gazette of Spain (BOE 64, 3/14/2008, 15527-15527, Reference 2008/04979). If you want more information about this International Foundation, go to bMundi.org or write to: [info@bMundi.org]

Business Mundi Foundation is committed to improve the management of the information and knowledge within an open society and world economy, its main aim is to facilitate the access of information, for everyone, through a development model based on the use of Expert Systems (computing programs whose coding have been specifically developed to implement algorithms, providing the up-to-date and on-demand information needed by the users to achieve their objectives by themselves.)

The use of the Foundation's Expert Systems are free, or more precisely Libre to everyone within the boundaries and policies imposed for the communities form by bMundi Foundation's "Local Partners" (which consists of one “Community of Economic Knowledge” per each Local Platform). The Foundation (which ensures the correct implementation of the Standard for B2B and its corresponding Multi-platform Expert System of CyberCompany) is mainly financed by public support and by the contributions of its Protectors and Sponsors: Official governmental organizations, institutions, financial entities, universities and corporations.

Small and medium businesses, concentration and distribution in the Global Market

The Foundation thinks a great part of the current economic problems are due to the market concentration (likeoligopoly and oligopsony) in distribution, rather than to strictly productive factors (scale economies). Entrepreneurs and micro, small and medium businesses are the main victims of the concentration (grouping) in logistics, distribution and commercialization, as these weaken them when negotiating in the “Chain of Value“ of their own products and reduce greatly their possibilities of exporting, being thus unable to benefit from the globalization process. In all the market economies -both in developed and developing countries-, the percentage of the final sale price the entrepreneurs and/or micro, small and medium businesses get, is ridiculous: 15-20% for the producer and 20-25% for the retailer. In other words, the great administrative and commercial intermediaries get 55-65% of the wealth created by the whole society, just by doing simple intermediation and speculation tasks. The anarchic growth of the eBusiness hasn't solved this problem, just repeating these same effects, but on electronic support. This is why the predominance of the MRO (eMarkets of Maintenance, Repair and Operations) over the total of existing electronic markets for B2B (eMarkets).

Foundation's objectives

The foundation's motto is: “an opportunity for everyone”. The Foundation main aimed is to create a “[Knowledge_society]” in which citizens can exercise their rights and duties through “Expert Systems” which make their administrative, contractual or formal tasks easier. For example, the principle that ignoring the law doesn't exempt us from upholding it, wouldn't be so harmful for the individuals, as the tool designed to accomplish the steps would be an “Expert System”, able to efficiently reason and apply the legal knowledge applicable to each concrete case. Specially important for us, our objective of the “New Economy” being in "Knowledge-based Business Systems”, able to integrate people socially and economically, as it ensures the correct realization of most of their work tasks (especially those concerning public and private documentary steps). To create the New Economy, we promote the “Network Work”, which should include the participation of Public Organizations, Universities, Financial Entities and Professionals, apart from the small and medium businesses.

Foundation's Technology

The Foundation has an operating version of “Expert Network of Business to Business (B2B)”, focused on the “Network Commercial Work”, which is being applied to the RINE Program (Red Iberoamericana para la Nueva Economía = Latinamerican Network for the New Economy). Our commercial “Double Expert Network for B2B” is shared by two networks:

2.1. CyberEnterprise Expert System: It is an Expert System which reasons with a consecutive “Commercial Cycle”, based on the following steps: Organization-> Research -> Promotion -> Negotiation -> Formalization -> Management -> Planning -> Organization 2. For each step of the “Commercial Cycle” the Expert System has tailor-made tools to help you solve all your routines and implementation needs. There is a brochure available on the Internet, which shows all the steps and tools of the Expert System: (Please, select the English Version clicking on “EN”) In short, you tell the Expert System what you want to do, and the Expert System uses the available tools. The advantages of the System are: B2B System 100% Safe and Legal.Leaflet The CyberEnterprise Expert System generates properly blocked documents, and allows you to sign them with a Company Digital Signature, as well as giving it 100% legal value (“time stamping”, simultaneous signature, etc.). B2B System 100% Efficient and Multilingual.Leaflet . Your CyberEnterprise gathers three tool families. Those for Security (bStandard), those to automate information (bTools) and those which automate your Communications (bConn). B2B System 100% Integrated.Leaflet Your CyberEnterprise integrates information and communication to help you plan and check the realization of such plans, thus linking Organization and Planning tools. For example, you can communicate with Agents or Commercial Representatives abroad, each working in their own language.

2.2. Business Network: Simplicity and Safety: Any small entrepreneur legally constituted with a broadband connection can create their CyberEnterprise in just five simple steps through a Local Platform of bMundi's Business Network:

:::* 2.2.1) Register: Provide your personal and business information.

:::* 2.2.2) Catalog: Describe your products.

:::* 2.2.3) Offer Model: With the guidance of the Expert System, create Commercial Offer Models for three kinds of possible customers: Basic, Superior and Preferential.

:::* 2.2.4) Advertise your products: Choose what products of your catalog you want to promote and how to do so.

:::* 2.2.5) Integrated Company: You are sent an email appointing you to go to your nearest bank affiliated to bMundi's Network with your personal and business documents. There, you are given your Company Digital Signature (bSignature) and your bPay (Safe Payment Gateway for B2B. By doing this, your company is fully integrated in bMundi (it offers full legal guarantees) for the other companies and the remaining National and International Platforms. 2.3. Socioeconomic Network and Microstatistics: Our Socioeconomic Netis formed by “Local Partners”. Specifically each Business Local Platform applies its own local data (legal, fiscal, administrative, et al.) to bMundi's CyberEnterprise Expert System by the integration of its Local “Partners”, i.e., Financial Entities, Customs Agents, Road Hauliers, or Universities, to the “Net Work” with the small and medium businesses of its corresponding Business Network. This net isn't multilingual, as its field, or "catchment area", is the geographic region of the Local Platform. For more information please watch the: Socioeconomic Network's demo

Each Local Platform has fourth kind of Entities which help us to manage and adapt it to its local reality:

:::* 2.3.1) Public Organization: It validates the models of electronic documents for its region and supports its use.

:::* 2.3.2) Financial Entity: It manages the Platform's safety, as it provides each Integrated Company with a Company Digital Signature (bSignature) and a Safe Payment Gateway (bPay).

:::* 2.3.3) University: It updates the local information applicable to the Platform, because either the professionals who work on line suggest changes in each specific case (Case-Based Reasoning Program), or the entrepreneurs suggest broadening the used trade codes to describe goods or the Public Organization or the University Teachers are informed of changes in the law or usual practices.

:::* 2.3.3) Professionals Associations: On the other hand, the professionals, Customs Agents, Road Haulers, suppliers, etc., that provide his logistic, supply, management and consultancy support to the Integrated Companies in each Local Platform, they do so on www.bMundi.biz These fourth kinds of entities form one “Community of Economic Knowledge” per Platform, who only cooperate with the Foundation straight away, through their platform: bMundi.net

Our “Double Expert Network” is a great intelligent data base, we have created a restricted area for “Partners” (local collaborators, like Financial Entities, Public Organizations and Universities, on *bMundi.net), which enhances the creation of a broad range of primary statistics (the source is the electronic market). They are reliable statistics about practices, tools and solvency of the Integrated Companies of the Business Network, which the Expert System allows to be analyzed by branch, sector, product, region, etc. In this way, bMundi becomes the first “Business System Based on Knowledge” founding the basis for a “New Economy” as an “Economy based on knowledge”. In our case, the knowledge about the market is a solid strategic variable, differently from the current partial “Field Studies”(biased) on which we base our microeconomic studies of markets, products and business practices.

Foundation's Programs

Current Programs: RINE (B2B), ProPeru (B2C)

::*The Program “Latin-American Network for the New Economy” is the first Network of Business Local Platforms to use our technology. The Program is to be accepted as an Assigned Project by the Summit of Latin-American Heads of State and Government, which will be in Estoril, Portugal, November 27-29, 2009. The Summit, which will be named “Summit of the Technology” hopes to promote the “New Economy” (R+D+i, electronic markets, etc.), as an alternative option to overcome the current situation of “International Economic Crisis”.

::*RINE involves two steps: Pre-Summit. Four regional Platforms will be under trial: Argentina, Brazil, Spain and Peru. Post-Summit: 71 Latin-American regions will be provided with their own Platforms, covering 19 Latin-American countries.

::*On the other hand, ProPeru hopes to apply a series of technological advances (virtual catalog, touch pad) to the modernization of the Peruvian “bodegas” (small shops) to promote their modernization (grouping a Purchase Center of Peruvian Industrial Products) and to foster the “Fair Trade” of handcraft products of Peruvian entrepreneurs, who will be able to sell safely through a network of small shops (Pro-Bodegas) of ProPeru. By this, we are trying to solve the clear and unfair imbalance of small producers and traders, to strengthen the inner market.

Future Programs

The Program “European Network for the New Economy” (RENE) would be launched as an idea in the first half of 2010, during the Spanish Presidency of the EU, and would be implemented during 2010 and 2011. RENE would be born with the advantage that RINE (the Latin-American Network) would be already working, with 19 countries affiliated to the Standard for B2B, which would make it easier to integrate the 27 countries of the EU. CEANE (Euro-American Center for the New Economy) is a Business and Study Center, which complements our networks. It works as the node of the Net, guaranteeing the quality of transmission and support (maintenance of the Net), contents (controlling Local information and “matching” it, to guarantee the compatibility between Platforms), Electronic Arbitration, Training, etc. At first, two CEANEs are planned: Madrid (Spain) and Lima (Peru).

Collaborate with the Foundation

The Foundation needs generous funding to reach its ambitious objectives of creating a “New Economy”, more equitable and efficient, in which small entrepreneurs can compete on “equal terms” in the Global Market (be GLOCAL) and in which handicapped people and groups prone to being excluded can be fully integrated.

You can help us create the New Economy in different ways: as entrepreneurs or professionals or university students, working on line; as governments, universities or financial entities, helping us make the Local Platform runs well.

Universities: Volunteers, Cyberstages, Grant holders

There are different kinds of studies, research and companies in which to participate, both teachers and students. The programs are different according to seniority, specialization, etc. Check them on our Net of R+D+i: www.bMundi.us and www.bMundi.net > Universities. There are voluntary jobs (not paid), granted jobs and paid jobs, according to whether they are part or full time, on our Net. The kind of “CyberStages” is specially interesting for Economics, Law and Company Management students, who can practice and help real small and medium businesses, being a Collaborator CyberDesk in a CyberEnterprise (local small and medium business).

Financial Entities

The Financial Entities that want to participate as Local “Partners” of a Business Platform can affiliate on: www.bMundi.net > Banks. Such entities get benefits for their own corporate image, as well as they gain and cultivate the loyalty of a great number of small and medium local businesses on each Platform. For this, they are usually required to pay an annual sponsorship fare for the Local Platform on which they operate.

Government Organizations (Regional, National and Multinational

Any kind of organization which supports small and medium businesses, commerce or development, either regional (from a Platform's region), national (their territory includes one or several Platforms) or even international organizations can support us institutionally or financially, both specific Foundation's Programs or their Platform(s) directly.

External links

Foundation Websites:

• Foundation's Official site
• It explains the tools of the “Business Network”, formed by Business Local Platforms compatible with each other to support small and medium businesses
• The “Socioeconomic Network” gathers the Communities of Economic Knowledge (CC€), which co-manage the knowledge and local practices applicable to each Local Platform of the Business Network
• It groups Customs Agents, Road Haulers and businesses which supply the Local Platforms' small and medium businesses
• Network of R+D+i for the New Economy. It gathers Universities and Investigation Centers which want to publish studies or create applications for the New Economy
• Future intelligent search engine for B2B
• BLOG of the Business Mundi Foundation in the most famous Spanish News Paper: “El País”, Madrid, Spain (in Spanish only)
• Official Registry of Foundations of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Government of Spain by Ministerial Order on February 12 2008 (in Spanish only)

Partner's Universities Websites:

• Latin-American Catholic Universities Organization.
• National University of La Plata, the first Public University in “R+D+I” in Argentina
• Ricardo Palma University, Lima, Peru
• Comillas University, Madrid, Spain

Partner's Financial Entities Websites:

• The Latin American Association of Development Financing Institutions (ALIDE) is the international organization that represents Latin American and Caribbean development banking
• Banco de Crédito del Perú (Credit Bank of Peru)
• Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Public Bank for the Buenos Aires Province

Partner's Public Organizations Websites:

• SELA: Latin-American and Caribbean Economic System.
• SEGIB: Summit of Latin-American Heads of State and Government
• Production Department, Gob. of Peru.Vice-Minister of SMB
• Production Department, Gob. of the Province of Buenos Aires (Argentina). Sub-Secretary of SMB

es:Fundación Business Mundi