Capgemini to Establish Colombia Operations
May 17th, 2012Capgemini, one of the largest multinational IT companies in the world with presence in 40 countries and more than 50 years of experience, will open a subsidiary in Bogotá to offer its services to local clients and subsequently to clients based in other Latin American countries while using Colombia as its regional base of operations.
“Colombia is a key country in our regional expansion strategy; it’s a country experiencing strong growth that has a very capable workforce and a very competitive cost structure. For that reason we decided to open offices here,” said Peter Kroll, Senior Vice President of Capegemini North Latam.
Proexport Colombia facilitated Capgemini’s landing in Colombia; the company will generate 400 jobs in the next two years. “’We look for computer scientists that have graduated from Colombian universities and we train them to provide Capegemini services to national clients and to other clients in the region,” explained Kroll.
“More and …
Medellin Slideshow: A City Blooming for BPO
May 16th, 2012Medellin is one of those cities that you never want to leave. Blessed with mountains on all sides, a Mediterranean climate and some of the best beef dishes anywhere in Colombia (especially when over a barbeque), Medellin is shaking loose from the shackles of its past and putting a remarkable amount of focus on global services. We spent a few days there last week – and got to know how the Paisas people see Colombia’s second biggest city evolving as a hub for innovation and global engagement.
A Traumatic Past Sets Medellin Ablaze with Global Ambitions
May 16th, 2012
By Kirk Laughlin
Seemingly out of nowhere, Medellin is sweeping onto Latin America outsourcing’s center stage in a dramatic flourish, winning deal after deal and – by beckoning to the world – totally reshaping what the city stands for by openly confronting the wreckage of its darkest days. Medellin’s dramatic transformation is easily one of the most captivating stories in all of Latin America IT.
Uribe and CNN: On Stage at Nearshore Nexus
March 28th, 2012
In what is shaping up to be one of the more historic moments in Latin America outsourcing, Nearshore Nexus (April 19 in New York City) will feature a dialogue between the former President of Colombia Alvaro Uribe and Senior Latin America Affairs Correspondent for CNN, Rafael Romo.
Romo will facilitate a dialogue with Uribe during the morning Keynote portion of the Nexus program. The discussion will focus on the current economic attractiveness of Latin America; an examination of the conditions necessary to drive services exports; and analysis of how to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurialism within the region.
Uribe is, without question, one of the most knowledgeable political leaders in fully grasping the wide range of economic benefits driven from business process outsourcing. In a briefing with Nearshore Americas last week, Uribe cited the work he performed in collaboration with his …
By Luke Bujarski
‘Green’ is something of a new paradigm in the global contact center industry, but its potential as a competitive differentiator has become unmistakable. This was a key takeaway during last week’s visit to Teleperformance Bogota, and their soon-to-be LEED Gold certified facility near the El Dorado International Airport. Aside from slashing operations costs, green building initiatives have potential to improve call center agent productivity, reduce turnover, and help operators align their overall business proposition with their clients’ values.
Who is Maria Clara Choucair and How Did She Rock the World of Colombia IT?
February 7th, 2012
Choucair: People said software testing is something users do.
Testing firm’s founder overcomes skeptics and machismo with a ‘humanist’ operating philosophy
By James Bargent
When Maria Clara Choucair founded Choucair Testing in 1999, it was the first software testing company in Colombia and one of only a handful in Latin America. The company started with a workforce of one – Maria Clara Choucair. Thirteen years later, Choucair Testing has 450 employees, branches in Medellin and Bogota and Lima, Peru, and a host of big-name clients.
Colombian Peso Loses Value, But For How Long?
February 6th, 2012Source: Bloomberg
Colombia’s peso fell for the first time in a week after the central bank said it will resume dollar purchases in a bid to ease a rally in the local currency and shore up exports.
Banco de la Republica will buy a minimum of $20 million a day in auctions for at least three months starting today in a bid to boost international reserves, according to a statement issued Feb. 3 after markets closed. The peso fell 0.2 percent to 1,787.30 per dollar from 1,784.50 on Feb. 3.
The peso has advanced 8.5 percent this year and touched a five-month high on Feb. 3 as central bankers raised thebenchmark interest rate, luring investment to the country’s fixed-income market, to cool growth and keep inflation in check. While the three-month dollar buying program may slow the peso’s gains, it’s unlikely to reverse the currency’s rally, said Juan Nicolas Garcia, a …
Pereira’s Perils on the Way to Call Center ‘Promised Land’
January 23rd, 2012By Patrick Haller
Positioned in Colombia’s lush Coffee Triangle region, the city of Pereira has been called “Paradise.” However, it has probably not seemed that way to some of the local population. In 2009 the city was hit by the highest unemployment in the nation at 24%, despite being home to a Suzuki motorbike plant, Busscor (the main manufacturer of vehicles for Colombian mass transit systems), textile plants and, of course, coffee production. As a possible remedy to that situation, the government of Pereira – like that of its smaller sister-city Manizales – has created a stream of incentives to attract IT companies and call centers.
Foreign Direct Investment Surges in Colombia
January 17th, 2012Source: Bloomberg
Colombia’s peso rose to an almost four-month high after foreign-direct investment in the South American country surged and global demand for higher-yielding assets rebounded.
The peso climbed 0.5 percent to 1,837.40 per U.S. dollar from 1,846 yesterday. It touched 1,832.31 on Jan. 13, its strongest intraday level since Sept. 19. The peso has jumped 5.5 percent so far this year, the best performance among world currencies tracked by Bloomberg.
Foreign-direct investment jumped 56 percent to $14.8 billion in 2011 from a year earlier, with 82 percent going into oil and mining, according to preliminary trade balance data from the central bank released on Jan. 13. Gains in global stocks also helped boost the peso, said Julian Marquez, an analyst at Interbolsa SA, Colombia’s biggest brokerage. U.S. and European stocks rose as slowing Chinese growth added to speculation that monetary policy at the world’s second-largest economy will ease.
“Investment flows continue …
MIF to Help Consolidate Venture Capital Financing in Colombia
January 5th, 2012Source: Inter-American Development Bank
$1.5 million project to improve SME access to equity financing
The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), in partnership with Banco de Comercio Exterior de Colombia, S.A. (Bancóldex), will help strengthen the venture capital industry in Colombia to pave the way for increased access to finance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country.
The $1.5 million project will provide training to local fund managers and institutional investors as well as facilitate interaction and networking between SMEs and venture and private equity funds to improve access to equity financing and create a suitable public policy framework for investment to flourish in Colombia.
“We expect that business initiatives in Colombia will not wither on the vine, but rather blossom into viable companies through the timely influx of funding,’’ said Susana García-Robles, the MIF team leader. “In order to further the industry, the project includes two innovative components: the …
