Texting Cuba from Maryland

A Boost for Piramideo

Tracey Eaton   (alongthemalecon.com)

HAVANA TIMES — The U.S. government in June awarded an additional $400,000 to the Maryland company that designed and operates Piramideo, a social network aimed at sending millions of text messages to Cuba.

The Office of Cuba Broadcasting signed the one-year contract with Washington Software Inc. on June 20th. Records show the $400,000 will go toward “other computer services.” No other details are given except a government code: IGF::CL::IGF.

IGF stands for “Inherently Governmental Functions.” CL indicates “Closely Associated Functions.”

My guess is that the $400,000 will go toward Piramideo, although the contract doesn’t specify. The contract brings to $4,321,173 the total amount paid to Washington Software since June 2011.

Most of the money has gone toward developing and running the short message system. Costs include $451,796 aimed at preventing the Cuban government from jamming the electronic messages.

The Office of Cuba Broadcasting runs Radio and TV Martí. Agency director Carlos García Pérez said in a statement earlier this year: “Piramideo is one more communication tool, like radio, television, DVDs, flash drives, e-mail and text messages, which Martí media offers its audience.”