COUNTDOWN.

IF YOU WATCH THE U.S. STOCK MARKET, THE SIGNS ARE NOT good. PC makers, chip firms and all the rest are downshifting fast. Not so in Mexico, or so say those looking to capitalize on corporate demand for everything more, better, cheaper, faster--through the Web. Alterbrain, a Mexico City-based consultancy has jumped up to 250 employees in six months and could double that by year end if business meets expectations. The dot-coms are mostly gone, but Latin America's blue chips need IT services now to stay competitive. "Last year was the year of 'let's do something' in Latin America, but I don't think a lot of companies got things done. Maybe, they did an intranet," says Raul Rivera, executive chairman of Alterbrain. "Now they are focusing on doing something." Meanwhile, Grupo Carso has launched Eficentrum, a horizontal marketplace designed to smooth the Mexican supply chain. The Web allows the owner of telephone giant Telmex and the Sanborns retail outlets to offer its buying strength to millions of ordinary Mexic an businesses. Eventually, every business in Mexico will be an e-business, say Eficentrum's chiefs. That could drive a regional tech boom just as the U.S. cools down. "It's going to happen," says Eficentrum project leader Fernando Carrillo. "As soon as someone has the initiative and everyone in Latin America sees it is working, they will react. They will react to this and join in." La Nueva Economia at last? Latin America's banks, governments and trade leaders would love to see that happen. And it just might, if everyone pulls together.