Silicon Valley Execs Offer Up Guidance to Colombian Entrepreneurs
January 3rd, 2012By Patrick Haller
At the beginning of December, a group of 34 Colombian software designers, mobile app developers and gaming designers participated in an exploratory tour to Silicon Valley – meeting with executives at Google, Facebook, Pixar, Apple and Cisco.
The trip – which was organized by Proexport Colombia – featured several key takeaways, including alternative business management and process approaches, leading-edge ways to market and sell software and the need for Colombians to worry less about certifications and focus more on serving core business needs.
Landing a Call Center on an Exotic Island: What’s it Really Like?
December 23rd, 2011By Patrick Haller
San Andres, Colombia is a top vacation spot for Colombians and foreigners from around the world. Long-known for its relaxed vibe, coral reefs, snorkeling and similarities to Jamaica (including a vibrant Rasta culture and worshipful love of Bob Marley), it is perhaps one of the last places one would think of to open a contact center. Yet, that is exactly what Barranquilla, Colombia-based Transcom did a year ago.
So, what happens when the high-demands of a 21st century call center are put on the shoulders of a culture that is more familiar with sandals and sunshine than service-levels and client “sat”?
Quality, Crime and Economics: Mexico, Brazil and Colombia
October 26th, 2011Top industry advisor Tony Mataya talks about inflation, service quality and why we’re still in the early days of industry evolution.
Colombia’s Cali Takes Flight with DirecTV and Pan-American BPO
October 19th, 2011By Luke Bujarski
Affordable infrastructure, low wages, big labor pool, and a strong work culture were all good reasons why satellite television provider DirecTV (DTV) chose Cali, Colombia as its newest Pan-American contact center hub. That’s what Site Director Fabian Saavedra shared with us during an interview earlier this week. According to Saavedra, their decision to go with Cali in 2008 has proved decisive to DTV’s success in Latin America, which currently dominates the subscription TV market across Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Puerto Rico.
The Rules According to Rudderham
October 17th, 2011Capgemini’s Steve Rudderham on why media has to be more proactive telling the real Latin America story.
Exclusive: For Sykes, Colombia is the Future and Argentina, the Past
October 11th, 2011
Villa: Barranquilla is no longer a secret
By Kirk Laughlin
Sykes, one of the largest contact center providers in the world, has chosen Barranquilla, Colombia to launch its newest Latin America site – quietly putting the framework together for a 500-person center to open in the Spring of 2012.
Nearshore Americas met with Enrique Villa, Colombia Country Manager on the ground in Barranquilla last week, where he described why this easy-to-navigate city of a little over 1 million people has become a natural fit for Sykes. “We explored Bogota, Medellin and Barranquilla… and we quickly realized Barranquilla has a very good English pool and will ramp up well for our needs,” he said.
Genpact will operate out of the popular FT zone "Zona Franca'
By Patrick Haller
After scouring Latin America for a new hub, the global BPO company Genpact has decided that Bogota is where its future lies. Citing an impressive improvement in security, political stability and a high-quality talent pool, Genpact announced yesterday at a special press conference in Bogota, that it is in the process of building-out 750 square meters in one of the city’s Zona Franca facilities. With a long-term vision that anticipates the hiring of up to 1,500 employees (95% of whom will be Colombian) and an investment of up to $10 million over the next three to five years, Genpact is angling to plant its footprint solidly on the Latin American landscape.
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.
Teleperformance Scales Up in a Hurry in Colombia
August 16th, 2011
Hurtado will add 1,200 more agents by the end of the year.
By Patrick Haller
Successfully implementing bilingual operations in Colombia has remained the biggest challenge for Teleperformance since acquiring locally-grown Teledatos last year. However, the provider doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. With more than 2,500 employees in Bogota, Teleperformance appears to have arrived at the right place at the right time by expanding both domestic and international business channels. To find out what’s next, we checked in with Juan Rodrigo Hurtado, President of Teleperformance Colombia, who formerly ran the Teledatos operation.
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 …
