A Closer Look at Capgemini’s Guatemala Operation
March 29th, 2012Young professionals explain why ethics and innovation are key motivators.
Guatemalan President to Take Hard Line Against Crime
January 16th, 2012Source: Merco Press
Retired army Gen. Otto Perez Molina was sworn in as Guatemala’s president Saturday, pledging to take a tough stand on crime amid growing insecurity in the Central American nation.
“We have a country in crisis … a nation very close to an economic and moral breakdown,” he said. “Today, there is an air of hope.”
Concerns about violence in Guatemala, which has worsened as Mexican drug cartels have stepped up operations in parts of the country, dominated last year’s vote.
In a Vox Latina national survey in July, more than two-thirds of Guatemalans said violence was what concerned them most far outpacing the combined totals for the economy, unemployment, poverty and lack of education.
The 61-year-old retired general pledged to bring a “mano dura” — firm hand — to Guatemala’s highest office.
In a debate co-hosted by CNN last year, Perez Molina called for “elite units of the army” to …
Price War Looming for Guatemala’s Bilingual BPO Market?
September 30th, 2011By Luke Bujarski
“More English, more English, and more English,” exclaimed VP Kapil Rajvanshi from 24/7 Customer during a presentation at this week’s Global Services Summit in Guatemala City. The market here is indeed showing some concerning signs of overheating, as we quickly discovered during talks with the heads of Guatemala’s six BPO families. While saturation and wage inflation is nothing new in Central America, what has Guatemala’s BPO Commission president Herman Lopez deeply worried is the prospect of a race-to-the-bottom price war between the very people put in charge of coordinating a sustainable strategy for the country’s booming BPO cluster.
Can Latin America’s Captives Pitch like Third-Party Providers?
August 11th, 2011
Oshri: Captives Must Evolve
By Luke Bujarski
It’s time for captive centers across Latin America to grow up. While recent data published by Everest Research officially took the captive center model off the endangered species list, changing tides in management and increasing global competition suggest that it will be far from smooth sailing for LatAm’s captives industry.
Five Things That Might Scare You About Nearshore Real Estate
August 5th, 2011
By Patrick Haller
Nearshore countries say they want the IT and BPO jobs, but some are apparently not willing or able to provide the office space those jobs require. Dynamics vary from location to location, but finding the right facilities for your business is not typically going to be simple. Here are five risks you should be aware of when sourcing real estate in the region.
8 Razones Por Qué Guatemala es un Competidor Fuerte Nearshore
June 15th, 2011
By Claudia del Aguila
En los últimos 10 años, Guatemala ha dado pasos trascendentales hacia la Industria del Outsourcing con miras a ser uno de los oferentes nearshore más competitivos y atractivos de la región.
Esto se ha visto reflejado en el establecimiento de importantes empresas como los son 24/7 Customer, Capgemini, Transactel, NCO, Genpact, Atento, Allied Contact Center & BPO, Asistencia Global, ACS Xerox, Tellamo, Digitex, Intelenet entre otras que han invertido en nuestro país.
Guatemala Gets Serious About Software
March 14th, 2011 
Country starts to rally around a “digital industry” centered on software developers and mobile apps
By Dennis Barker
Guatemala has been ascendant as a BPO destination in the past year — “an impressive comeback,” as we reported here a few months ago. But the country has its eyes on higher ground: software development. After all, why should regional giants like Brazil and Mexico get all the splashy and really interesting work? This past week the Digital GT Committee, a young wing of the Guatemalan Exporters Association, launched its campaign to boost awareness of the country’s “digital industry” and the companies developing products ranging from iPhone games to mobile business solutions.
COUNTRY PROFILE: Guatemala Ramps Up BPO Services, But Can it Meet Skilled Labor Demands?
November 17th, 2010Finding out if you still get the same bang for your Quetzal in Guat City
By Tarun George
When Guatemala arrived on the outsourcing stage a decade ago, it was pegged as the new destination of choice in Central America. But after the first two big fish Capgemini and ACS jumped in, it quickly became evident that Guatemala did not have a well thought-out plan of action to ramp up and ride the outsourcing wave. The perception in following years was of a saturated labor market and a country that had missed its peak.
Recently however, Guatemala is pulling off an impressive comeback in BPO and contact center services, buoyed by promo agency Invest in Guatemala working to replenish the labor supply and provide quality talent to meet firms’ demand. That’s an ambitious goal, and it remains to be seen whether the country can throw off the old image and deliver.
