Complex Interactions Define Next Wave of Latin America IT Services
December 14th, 2011By Dan Berthiaume
Raul Rivera, Chairman, Foro Innovacion
While Latin America has always existed as the southern neighbor of the US, according to Raul Rivera, Founding Chairman of Chilean innovation consulting firm Foro Innovacion, it has only been in recent years that the US has discovered the region’s potential as a provider of IT services.
“The US discovered Latin America exists in the last ten years and is capitalizing on it,” said Rivera. “Latin America offers incredible advantages (in providing IT services) over other options such as Russia as the product becomes more complex and sophisticated.”
Europe’s Economic Woes Push Spain’s Everis Deeper into the Americas
November 30th, 2011By Luke Bujarski
Patricia García of Everis Chile
The gloomy economic situation in Europe has not stopped Spain’s Everis from turning obstacles into opportunities, both overseas as well as on the European continent. However, with clear operational and cultural ties to Latin America, Nearshore Americas predicts that this IT consulting and services giant will be making big strategic moves to expand its regional presence here, particularly as it finds the path of least resistance in serving markets in Mexico, Brazil and the US from its Chilean center. We sat down with Patricia García, General Managing Partner with Everis Chile to understand how a Spanish-born player is scaling up, despite Europe’s mounting economic turmoil.
Chile Has Most Competitive IT Industry in Latin America
October 17th, 2011
In regional ranking, Mexico and Peru receive mixed reviews
By Dan Berthiaume
Chile is the overall top performer among Latin American countries on the Business Software Alliance (BSA) 2011 IT Industry Competitiveness Index, even though it fell back from 27th place in 2009 to 32nd place among 66 countries ranked this year. Despite this middling rating, Chile actually ranks number one worldwide in terms of government technology neutrality, thanks to its avoidance of what BSA terms “picking winners” among industry players or technologies.
Sonda Still Has Money to Spend, But Where?
October 6th, 2011
In Chile, Sonda plots its next move.
By D. Barker
If you had a couple hundred million to buy a company that would expand the reach and depth of your IT services firm, what company would you buy?
More specifically, if you were Chile-based technology giant Sonda, what would you buy? The largest IT services company in Latin America has not hidden its intentions to become even larger. Company executives have stated this publicly, although not with any details. “We have our foot on the accelerator, focusing on acquisitions that add value to Sonda,” one financial officer said.
Chile IT: How One Agency Acts as an Engine for Exports
October 4th, 2011
By Patrick Haller
When a country such as Chile is known worldwide for traditional products such as copper, fish, wine and fruit, introducing a new industry can be challenging. Established in 2009, Chile IT grew from a public policy to move away from natural resources, and develop knowledge-based industries. Branding strategies are integral to marketing success, and without this key element companies hardly find success, especially in the international market.
Chile’s Service Sector is on Fire: A Classic Success Building a Knowledge Economy
September 27th, 2011
By Patrick Haller
SANTIAGO: The Chilean services sector accounted for $13 billion during 2009-2010, and it is projected it will reach $13 billion during the 2011-2012 period. This robust figure shows a growth rate that will outpace that of goods, the country´s traditional stronghold. Copper continues to be Chile´s main export, and the price of that high-valued commodity has a direct, and sometimes damaging, effect on other exports such as fruit, wine, fish and more recently software.
Valparaíso, Chile: A Solid Choice or Too Unstable?
August 26th, 2011By Patrick Haller
On June 28 hundreds of university students committed “Mass Suicide by Education” in Valparaíso, Chile. The symbolic demonstration was just one of a series of vociferous acts being played out over the country since May by students, teachers and their supporters. With such internal conflicts, is one of the country’s strongest centers of higher education (Valparaiso), going to become less appealing as a sourcing destination?
Start-Up Chile: Wadhwa is “Blown Away” by Entrepreneurial Energy
August 22nd, 2011
Wadhwa on Chile: "Huge long-term advantage”
By Patrick Haller
Is it plausible to change the impression of a country’s entrepreneurial spirit in a period of just three months? Looking at what is happening in the Chilean tech sector from the point of view of one of its advisors, this is not as impossible as it seems. By all accounts Start-Up Chile (SUP), an ambitious initiative launched in 2010 to stimulate the global ambitions of Chilean developers by attracting foreign entrepreneurs to the country, has exceeded initial expectations.
Serial Entreprenuer Sees Payoff of North-South Hybrid Model
August 19th, 2011
Barreto: Go global over local
By Dan Berthiaume
An increasing number of innovative global IT companies are launching in Latin America using a hybrid model where some employees and resources are located in Latin America and some are located in the US. Serial entrepreneur and Colombian native Andres Barreto, who at 24 has already launched three successful global technology firms, knows first-hand about the benefits the hybrid model offers.
Sitel Names Raul Navarro General Manager for South America
July 6th, 2011Call-center outsourcing provider Sitel has appointed Raul Navarro as general manager for South America. In his new position, Navarro holds the responsibility for operational delivery as well as human resources and financial functions as they relate to the business of Sitel in Colombia, Chile and Brazil. Navarro will report directly to Don Berryman, general manager of Sitel Americas.
The decision to appoint Navarro was part of the new growth strategies implemented by the call center outsourcing provider in the Americas region as a result of strong growth in 2011, and the push towards continuously improving the company at every level in the important South American market.
“Raul brings to the team a wealth of knowledge and experience of growing and selling BPO business operations in the US and South America,” Berryman said. “We are excited to leverage his in-depth understanding of the BPO business.”
Navarro brings to Sitel over 20 …
