Story Filed: Wednesday, February 14, 2001 5:28 PM EST

MEXICO CITY, Feb 14, 2001 (Reforma/Infolatina via COMTEX) -- U.S.-owned Grupo Financiero Citibank when it acquired government-intervened Mexican bank Confia in August 1998 assumed control of a "technological nightmare" comprising 25 dilapidated computer services centers, an obsolete telecommunications system and a complete absence of preparation for Y2K problems, Citibank Mexico head of Retail Banking Rodolfo E. Maldonado said. "It was a technological nightmare that we first had to address in order to get through year 2000 and, later, became the focus of the integration of our overall systems in four stages," Maldonado said. He said the integration process, launched in September 2000, has been arduous and complicated, but likely will be completed in June or July.

Northern Light

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2001