Paraguay-based Digital Agency Dreams Big in a Small Market
November 18th, 2011By Patrick Haller
Landlocked between heavy-hitters Argentina, Brazil and capped by Peru, Paraguay is not yet a viable Nearshore destination. Yet, with over 80% of the population below 30 and an appealing tax regime – Paraguay is not the backwater many people might assume. To get a real world perspective, we checked in with a fast-growing digital media agency with A-list US clients, that belies the typical stereotype of this often overlooked South American nation.
Uruguay Sourcing Gets Stronger, While IT Woes Become More Apparent
October 10th, 2011
By Patrick Haller
Is Uruguay really the paradise-like destination the country’s trade group, Uruguay XXI, sells it as? The combination of a well educated population, political stability, a solid infrastructure and attractive incentives paints an attractive picture, but other nations in the region, Chile for example, tout the same attributes.
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.
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.
IBM Mexico’s Role as “Hinge” for Complex Global Services
September 26th, 2011The head of the IBM campus in Guadalajara sees increasing sophistication and sourcing mastery emerging from the region.
Aegis Builds Latin America Strategy By Targeting Tier Two Locations
September 20th, 2011
Sandip Sen: Argentina inflation a problem
By Patrick Haller
Making 18 acquisitions in five years poses several challenges, not the least of which is how to integrate the companies into an existing corporate fabric. Following a comprehensive acquisition model that includes keeping as many of the existing employees as possible, Aegis, a subsidiary of Essar Global Limited, has been expanding steadily into new markets over its thirty years of operation. Aegis acquired the Costa Rican company People Support in 2005, and Action Line in Argentina in 2010.
Nearshore Outsourcing Customers Tell Peers: “Look Beyond the Surface”
September 19th, 2011
By Patrick Haller
Jumping into a large project with an unproven Nearshore sourcing provider could prove to be fatal for buyers. That’s according to two senior sourcing executives, from
AMD and Welch Allyn, who talked about their successful engagement with Neoris, during last week’s Gartner Outsourcing Summit. Both executive made something crystal clear: Nearshore is quite capable of out-performing farshore in higher-value outsourcing programs.
At Panama Summit, A Second Look at Buy vs. Build
August 29th, 2011
Shared services showdown: Panama City
By Luke Bujarski
At last week’s IQPC’s Shared Service and Outsourcing Summit in Panama City, Panama, the most popular people at the conference were the corporate buyers weighing in on BPO vs. owned centers and whether to take established captives and merge them with third-party providers.
The big question we came away with: who is closing whom?
Thinking Lean to Achieve Nearshore Success (Part 1)
August 19th, 2011In any economic climate, a company’s most important objective is ensuring that the cost of doing business does not overshadow any returns it derives as a result. When margins are robust, companies can afford to invest heavily in technologies that may not immediately produce visible returns, but can be counted on to reap benefits several years down the line.
However, when these margins become razor thin and the future looks uncertain, companies must quickly adapt their strategies and invest in only the projects that can provide an immediate return on investment. With companies seeking new IT approaches for achieving faster (almost immediate) ROI, many have begun looking for partners that can incorporate Lean thinking in their Nearshore development projects.
Based on the manufacturing model Toyota successfully leveraged as it achieved market dominance, Lean IT provides a systematic approach to simultaneously improving cost, quality, speed and agility.
Experience shows that it is …
By Pablo Velasco
With so much focus on service delivery locations within Latin America, it can be easy to overlook what is happening on the buy side for services. Outsourcing by domestic Latin American companies reached the highest level TPI has ever recorded in 2010, and our data and experiences with clients this year suggests the momentum will continue through 2011. We are seeing outsourcing by types of companies that do not fit the traditional Latin American client profile, and we are also seeing new fundamental drivers that are leading companies to outsource.
