Analysis: Reporting and Expertise for Digital Decision-Makers
Barbados is the best bet for digital nomads who dream of working under the ever-lasting tropical sun of the Caribbean, according to one of the latest surveys conducted by British real estate agency… Read More »
Softserve looks set to make a full-speed entry into Latin America, with the Ukrainian IT outsourcing firm unveiling two delivery centers in the region, in addition to its plans to launch an office… Read More »
The bottom line is always a consideration when seeking a nearshore partner. However, a lot of value can be lost – particularly concerning long term ROI – if the exclusive focus is near… Read More »
Remember the time when we used to wake up at least two hours in advance to get ready for the day and commute to work? We can’t anymore. In the aftermath of the… Read More »
Throughout my career, I have had many opportunities to see how individuals, teams and entire companies can benefit from best practices. However, I have also seen some examples where there have been missed… Read More »
GlowTouch, one of the few business process outsourcing (BPO) empires built and led by a female, is doubling down on its bet on the Dominican Republic, where the company sees jobs as just… Read More »
Colombia’s dramatic rise as an ICT super-nation didn’t happen by accident. For the last twelve years, the country’s federal government pushed hard to expand Internet access, especially in rural areas and low-income communities… Read More »
India’s IT services giant Infosys has been accused of barring its employees from joining rival firms amid the rising rate of attrition in the country’s technology market. A non-profit called Nascent Information Technology… Read More »
The world is moving on from the Covid-19 pandemic as the main factor affecting the narrative of global economic performance. As vaccines increase in availability and the strength of more recent strains of… Read More »
Nearshore’s tech industry is, like the rest of the globe, undergoing a period of serious pressure. A lack of talent during a glut of demand is pushing companies to dives deeper into previously… Read More »
Just over a decade ago, Guatemalan export services were rising on a wave of government support and intense expansion. When Nearshore Americas spoke with then president of the Guatemala Exporters Association (AGEXPORT) Carlos… Read More »
For the last several years, Colombia has been among the best performing Nearshore markets in terms of BPO and call center attraction. The country, which last year made its desire to attract more… Read More »
How do organizations know that their employees are really working if those employees cannot be seen beavering away at their office desks, wearing looks of concern and glancing at the clock as the… Read More »
A few years ago, I began an ambitious mission of exploring ways to help reduce the numbers of talented tech graduates that leave Guyana each and every year. I worked with many of… Read More »
The CX industry has a perception problem. Even in the Americas, where the industry has generated hundreds of thousands of jobs, the problem of attracting quality talent, who see the industry as a… Read More »
Don Berryman, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for North America at Transcom has enjoyed a long and storied career in the customer service industry. From Berryman’s beginnings as a phone agent… Read More »
Just as instant messaging replacing postcards, streaming platforms replacing cassettes and emails replacing faxes signalled a technology overhaul globally, the smart screen projector replacing chalkboards in the traditional classrooms is the harbinger of… Read More »
In the minds of the average North American or European consumer, the Caribbean represents tourism: sandy white beaches, mojitos and music. But for Nearshore leaders, the Caribbean is also a place of significant… Read More »
The Costa Rican capital of San Jose is a long way from the snow-capped mountains of Japan from which US IT services company Hakkoda takes its name. That hasn’t stopped the company, founded… Read More »
Software developers constantly face the challenge of combining regulated, planned, and managed processes with dynamic methods that allow for rapid development. Fortunately for developers, Agile methodology exactly addresses these issues. But mastering the… Read More »
Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic is a vital hub of BPO service provision in the Nearshore region. The presence of major companies marks this fact; Teleperformance, Acquire BPO, Convergys, and Concentrix are… Read More »
If most Americans or Europeans tourists were asked to point out the capital of Honduras on a map, or even name it, few would be successful. But for Nearshore stakeholders, Tegucigalpa is steadily… Read More »
The Nearshore model for the delivery of IT services has gone through some remarkable technological, demographic, and macro-economic changes that have taken the industry far beyond labor arbitrage. One of the best examples… Read More »
In the minds of most, the concept of digital twins conjures up visions of heavy industry; mile-long manufacturing plants full of large one-armed robots piecing together chassis, or a gas refinery and its… Read More »
Back in 2011, Nearshore Americas chatted to Avelino Miguelez, vice president at Costa Rican IT integrator company, Grupo CESA. During our interview, Miguelez spoke of the cloud and how it would change computing… Read More »
As demand for faster and more efficient talent acquisition, recruitment and onboarding processes continues to increase, the drive to employ existing and emerging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) solutions will follow.… Read More »
The Nearshore world is, to a large extent, still based on labor arbitrage. Though the industry argues that outsourcing provides access to larger talent pools, enables companies to diversify geographically and to capture… Read More »
The first day of March saw China enact a law that intends to curtail the practice of “algorithmic discrimination” by companies in the e-commerce, ride hailing, online streaming and social media sectors. It’s… Read More »
Latin America and the Caribbean’s 300 million digital consumers are set to grow over 20% by 2025. The potential for the region, as digital transformation continues unabated, is huge. But how can organizations… Read More »
The US, the world’s foremost country for tech innovation, has seen a distinct reshaping of tech hubs over the last two years. Sky-high house prices in the Bay Area, and other established tech… Read More »
From the beginnings of the Nearshore industry more than twenty years ago, the debate about whether it is better to buy, build or partner in Nearshore markets has raged. Context, meaning the size… Read More »
Nearshore Americas is proud to announce the official launch of the 2022 Nexus Illuminate Awards, celebrating the very best in Nearshore services. The Nexus Illuminate Awards exist for for one vitally important reason: if… Read More »
It can take up to 90 days to hire a software engineer with skills in the top 5% of the talent pool. Lengthy processes like this can cripple a project or even an… Read More »
Tech recruiters in Brazil are having a hard time. The talent market is a no-holds-barred contest of wages, benefits, and work-from-home offers. The country’s vast internal market is pitting national rivals against one… Read More »
Countries of the Caribbean have developed a robust global professional services sector in recent years, spurred by growing expertise in Finance and Accounting and general Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) operations. Jamaica, with its… Read More »
In 2011, there were only 500 companies specializing in IT services in Ecuador. Today, according to the data from the Ecuadorian Chamber of Innovation and Technology (CITEC), there are around 3,000. Of these,… Read More »
Following a two-year battering by Covid-19, economies around the world are suffering from high inflation rates. In the US, 2021 saw inflation of 7.5%, the highest year-over-year growth in 40 years. The Nearshore,… Read More »
When international organizations look to South America for business opportunities, one of the most alluring countries to investigate further is Chile. It’s digital-first approach, coupled with the general political and economic continuity offers… Read More »
In 2014, the renowned tech entrepreneur and Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School Vivek Wadhwa opened the Nexus conference with a keynote address that served as a call to arms for Latin America… Read More »
Global IT services’ consultancy Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is getting something right in Latin America. The region was TCS’ highest market of growth in Q3 for the financial year 2022 report against the… Read More »
The most influential conference in the Nearshore services industry, Nexus 2022, will return to New York City for both in-person and virtual attendance on June 8-9th. Registration opens today on the Nexus 2022… Read More »
Sandwiched between two of Nearshore’s major names in Costa Rica and Colombia, Panama does not always get the credit nor coverage it perhaps deserves. Home to one of the world’s busiest man-made waterways, Panama… Read More »
Covid-19 cases are dropping steadily in many countries of the Americas after a Christmas jump driven by the omicron variant and high levels of social mixing. As the drop continues, companies across the… Read More »
The wrecking ball pandemic that drove even the strongest outsourcing markets to suffer drastic drops in business provision has reconfigured the needs and requirements of every player along the industry’s value chain. At… Read More »
So far, Nearshore Americas has looked at Costa Rica, Colombia and Mexico in its ‘hiring and firing’ series. This instalment lands in Argentina, one of the Nearshore’s major stakeholders and provider of serious… Read More »
With more than 130,000 engineers graduating annually and over 700,000 developers in the talent pool, Mexico is a hotbed of top software engineering talent in Latin America. The pivot to increased remote working… Read More »
Those investors looking for opportunities during high Nearshore demand are eyeing Peru with interest. As competition in both the business outsourcing operations and IT services industries heats up in key Nearshore markets, interested… Read More »
Argentina-born technology entrepreneur Agustina Fainguersch has been appointed regional director of Meta, the parent company of social media giant Facebook. Fainguersch, the 2019 winner of the Nearshore Executive Award, will take charge of… Read More »
For people from Latin America, Argentina has a strong reputation for being a country passionate about psychoanalysis. This reputation is well deserved, as Argentina has more psychoanalysts per citizen than any other nation… Read More »
Argentina’s renown as a leading Latin American market for English-proficient, highly-educated Nearshore market has, in the past, revolved around the capital, Buenos Aires. The country has produced more unicorns than anywhere else in… Read More »
The first few weeks of 2022 have felt like an unwelcome déjà vu for Ukrainians. As Russian forces build up on the country’s eastern border, US President Joe Biden has repeatedly voiced his… Read More »
If the last two years in business has taught us anything, it’s that best laid plans can often go awry. The IT services’ high-degree of technicality and the integral position of IT infrastructure… Read More »
Colombia’s efforts to pull in US$11.5 billion in foreign investment, centered around its “Friendshoring” initiative, offer clear signs that efforts to strengthen the country’s knowledge export services industry are generating great returns for… Read More »
The last two years have seen a blurring of boundaries between home life and the workplace, the personal and professional and time logged on or logged off. Understandably, as borders between these traditionally… Read More »
In February 2021, Brazil and most of Latin America was going through another round of rising Covid-19 infections. At that time, the South American nation had surpassed 250,000 Covid-19 deaths and had the… Read More »
As the last year drew to a close, Nearshore Americas spoke to Nearshore expert and Principal and Chief Analyst at Ryan Strategic Advisory, Peter Ryan, to hear his views on the trends that… Read More »
With a professional career a quarter of a century long, Guadalupe Torres has been there and done that in Mexico’s tech world. As the Guadalajara Center Head for Persistent Systems Mexico, a subsidiary… Read More »
Every year, January brings an avalanche of reports from leading organizations and analysts that warn us about the risks and trends for the next 12 months. From AT Kearney’s Year-Ahead Predictions, to Fitch… Read More »
Costa Rica has long been spearheading Latin America’s tech service outsourcing. With a population of just over 5 million, it punches well above its weight in the Nearshore, with IBM, Accenture, Hewlett Packard… Read More »
Despite the influence the country has regionally, Chile hasn’t often featured in the Nearshore conversation. Though geographically large, stretching half the length of South America, the country is home to less than 20… Read More »
For most of us, the metaverse, a digital world where reality and virtual reality fuse, is a novel concept. But it’s been gaining a lot of traction recently. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is… Read More »
By 2025, 75% of the global workforce will be millennials. I have come across this statistic several times in the past few years. First published in 2011 by the Business Professional Women (BPW)… Read More »
Team management is a thankless task. If it is well done few people will notice but the headaches of a poorly-run team will stick in minds for a long time. This is perhaps… Read More »
Just when we were cautiously optimistic about leaving the last 20 months of pandemic-filled difficulty behind, the Nearshore industry has, along with the rest of the world, been pulled right back into the… Read More »
Sense. Feel. Respond. This is sentience and this is how living organisms sustain and grow themselves. We may have never noticed this, but it is hardwired into our lives. Now think of our professional… Read More »
Next year, the Nearshore is going to be different. The past year was one of huge change in the region, as Covid-19 forced a reshaping of the global outsourcing hierarchy and the push… Read More »
Unlike the steel or car manufacturing industries, it isn’t immediately obvious that outsourcing pollutes. There are no billowing smoke stacks nor churning heavy machinery to point at. No heavy material needs to be… Read More »
Reputation is everything. In the business world, how a company is perceived can have a dramatic impact on its performance. The erosion of consumer trust, a dampening of investor desire to provide financial… Read More »
Seasonal ramp-ups are part and parcel of providing customer experience at a BPO. Getting them right and addressing the needs of the client requires a multi-faceted approach that taps into existing talent pools,… Read More »
Despite a BPO market approaching 25 years in business, Guatemala, and its capital, still remain a mystery for many Nearshore industry stakeholders. “Most prospects don’t really know much about Central America, it just… Read More »
Recruitment is in the spotlight globally. Issues like the ‘Great Resignation’ and the tech talent gap mean the question of worker recruitment rarely leave the headlines, but will that change moving into next… Read More »
An analytical approach to problem-solving posits that breaking the problem down into smaller chunks is the best way to deal with it. When a problem seems so massive as to be impossible to… Read More »
Organizations looking to expand into the Nearshore region often come up against labor law regulation that is entirely different from their home country. Without specialist, country-specific knowledge, companies run the risk of making… Read More »
“The real theme of vendor management is not negotiation, nor saving money. It’s not all your contracts and transactional pieces, though these are all important. The real theme is the relationship,” Tim Norton,… Read More »
For years, Chile has been at the forefront of Latin America’s data center industry. The digital-first mindset of successive governments, coupled with investment into a national digital highway and expansive connectivity has produced… Read More »
Bolivia doesn’t often make the headlines in the Nearshore news roundup. Until recently, there’s been good reason for US companies to overlook it. An inactive investment promotion scene, mixed English abilities and an… Read More »
Buyers of business process outsourcing have historically prioritized efficiencies and effectiveness as key outcomes of these services. The drivers for internal shared-service centers, or captives, were similar —deliver on business metrics, improve processes,… Read More »
When organizations look for feedback on how their customers feel about the products and services they offer, the Net Promoter Score (NPS) is often the first port of call. NPS is an indicator… Read More »
Most recent talk of Guyana has revolved around its oil and gas boom, which, having turned the country’s fortunes on its head, also provided the thrust behind this small slice of South America… Read More »
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has loaned U$45 million to QMC Telecom, reinforcing the carrier’s plan to boost wireless broadband infrastructure in Mexico, Colombia and Peru. Deepening broadband penetration is the need of… Read More »
The best workers are highly motivated. However, to understand what drives employees, and specifically software developers in Nearshore environments, it’s crucial to know what sets them apart. “In today’s environment, it’s important to… Read More »
Is the news that the real estate market is in free fall hyperbole or should commercial landlords begin to fear for the future of their office blocks? José Ignacio González, director of marketing… Read More »
Trust is the foundation of any relationship. Whether personal or business, without trust a relationship can’t flourish. This is particularly true of an outsourced business relationship where parties are separated by thousands of… Read More »
With four decades of experience working in software services and global outsourcing, Steve Mezak knows his way around Silicon Valley as well as many other tech hubs in The Americas. As chief “Software Services Deal-Maker”… Read More »
The recurrent image of celebrities vacationing in Jamaica, frolicking on the beach, is part of what has come to shape perceptions of the country in the minds of many US consumers. Jamaica offers… Read More »
As a medium-sized BPO, Collective Solution has approached its strategy to scaling up in and across geographies in the Nearshore by focusing on its existing footprint and moving into new countries where demand… Read More »
Argentina has long been a safe bet for companies in the Nearshore market. “The knowledge services industry is the third largest export industry in Argentina, generating around US$6 billion annually. Around 60% of… Read More »
The severe drought of IT talent the Nearshore is experiencing means that companies are casting their nets ever wider as they search out professional profiles. Social enterprises, like Mexico City’s Hola Code, are… Read More »
As Covid-19 upended lives across the globe, the world was forced to shrink behind four walls. Mounting exhaustion from frequent video calls, combined with family commitments and the disorienting effect of working hours… Read More »
For decades, India has shouldered the bulk of global IT services, relying on the world’s largest and most equipped talent pool in a single nation. The country, home to over 6,000 engineering and… Read More »
With digital technologies now being found in all areas of business operation and structure, the role of the digital leader is now fundamental to the health and competitivity of an organization. The trend… Read More »
Charly Cardeño is the CEO and founder of Elemento 43, a Cartagena-based software services company. Motivated by opportunities to expand to the US market, he has been planning a trip to the US. … Read More »
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has chosen Guatemala as its new Latin American location, breaking into Central America for the first time. The last time TCS expanded in Latin America was with its move… Read More »
Not so many years ago, Colombia’s status as a Nearshore destination was on rocky ground. Despite its population – now around 50 million – the country’s bilingual talent was sorely lacking, Nearshore Americas… Read More »
Followers of news coverage on Latin America & Caribbean in US and international media may be aware of the profound pessimism about the region. Endless cases of corruption, the effects of the pandemic,… Read More »
Colombia’s post-pandemic economic reactivation began in earnest this week at the Colombia Investment Summit 2021, as a host of ministers and private business leaders, including President Iván Duque, asserted the safety, prosperity and… Read More »
After some false starts and questions of access to vaccinations, the growth in vaccination rates across The Americas has elevated the optimism about the region’s economic recovery. Recently, Carissa F. Etienne, Director of… Read More »
Sharing a border with the United States means that Mexico will always be in the minds of business customers looking to participate in the remarkable advantages of Nearshore services. But in recent years,… Read More »
Advances in cloud-based platforms, and structural shifts brought on by the pandemic, have increased the importance of best practices when it comes to managing remote developer teams. In many ways, remote and in-house… Read More »
Global IT and software development company, Globant, has acquired Blockchain experts, Atix Labs, founded in 2013, in a move that will strengthen Globant’s position in the trailblazing blockchain solutions market, expected to grow… Read More »
As outsourcing growth continues apace following the global impact of the pandemic, the Nearshore region is enjoying a serious uptick in demand. But in one small Central American country in the news for… Read More »
For most contact centers managers, a significant amount of organizational effort is put into hiring qualified employees. But there can sometimes be less emphasis on retention. This might be because a job is… Read More »
Although Covid-19 cases are declining considerably elsewhere in Latin America, some countries in the Caribbean are seeing a sudden surge in the number of new infections. Barbados is seeing such a spike in… Read More »
Nearshore’s ascendency within the global outsourcing industry has taken a huge leap forward in light of the pandemic. For US-headquartered companies, the global travel restrictions and ongoing safety concerns meant the world’s major… Read More »
Business journalism often exclusively focuses on the numbers, the cold, hard figures that are essential factors for decision makers. This is particularly true when it comes to Nearshore issues and internationalization strategies. From… Read More »
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has forced BPO companies to rethink the way they deliver services. Businesses that thrived during the period quickly understood the need to evaluate and rethink the tools… Read More »
Nearshore Americas will host a webinar on the challenges that financial technology firms are facing following the intense demand that has grown for their services over the last 18 months. Scheduled for October… Read More »
The client-vendor relationship is the foundation of the Nearshore industry. It’s the motor that drives borderless business in The Americas, and the route to companies receiving quality outsourcing services from a larger talent… Read More »
In a Nearshore environment, there is a significant need for bilingual contact center agents. The strongest demand is for those individuals who are fluent in the region’s dominant three languages – English, Spanish,… Read More »
As the reality dawned upon us that Covid-19 will be around for a lot longer than we’d expected or hoped, the future of the workplace became a huge topic of conversation. For Nearshore… Read More »
The heralding of AI within the CX sector promoted predictions of an all-robotic workforce, where human customers and artificial intelligence would communicate seamlessly, and contact center agents would be required for only the… Read More »
Safety and security are ever-present concerns for companies looking to expand outside of their home market. The Nearshore region, and Latin America in particular, has a reputation for trouble. Media coverage of Latin… Read More »
Talk of the “Great Resignation” as the return to the office draws closer in much of the world has shone a light on organisation’s strategies for the onboarding of new talent. If mass… Read More »
A few weeks ago, Deodat Maharaj, Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA), published an op-ed calling for greater support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the region. The… Read More »
Late Wednesday evening, Mexico City’s vast Zocalo stood empty as Mexican President López Obrador gave the Grito de Independencia to mark the country’s independence. For the second year running, the Covid-19 pandemic had… Read More »
Many businesses, as well as the service providers that support them, speak of the importance of core competencies. But what is a core competency? And how can an enterprise separate a core competency… Read More »
While recognition of the importance of diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) is growing, transformation initiatives need to do more than just pay lip service to the idea. For many organizations, diversity and inclusion… Read More »
The global tech talent shortage has begun to take its toll, with the scarcity of qualified professionals forcing businesses to delay the adoption of new technologies like automation. IT executives now regard the… Read More »
Earlier this year over 130 countries signed up for a global corporate tax reform agreement, spearheaded by the OECD, aimed at forcing international organizations to pay their fair share of tax, to be… Read More »
Despite the distance, the Nearshore has – or had, depending on how Covid-19 progresses – relied on vendor and client representatives meeting in person before working together. The logic was clear: if a… Read More »
Cuba is not a great example of a model based on knowledge and intellectual assets as sources of competitiveness and long-term economic growth. The island’s centralized economic planning and overreliance on tourism, remittances… Read More »
The global economy, hurtling towards into digital totality, is seeing a serious dearth of professionals, and the preparedness of education systems in distinct nations are being questioned. In Latin America, universities are playing… Read More »
The pandemic has presented call center agents with possibilities that were uncommon before offices were shuttered on mass and employees forced to retreat into their own homes. The Work From Home model has… Read More »
Schools across South America, an area hit particularly hard by the pandemic, are being reopened after a dramatic drop in Covid-19 cases have spurred hope of a return to normalcy sooner than expected.… Read More »
Wizeline, the global services technology provider founded by Mexican-American entrepreneur Bismarck Lepe, has taken a giant step towards its expansion goals after Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) purchased a majority… Read More »
For more than a year, dust has gathered on the empty desks at offices across the Nearshore region. Commercial real estate locations from Buenos Aires to Bogotá are bereft of their usual bustle and… Read More »
Shares in technical support services provider Support.com have jumped more than 300% in the past 10 days as retail investors mass purchase shares and force a ‘short squeeze’ that will drive stock prices higher… Read More »
Nearshore Americas has published a white paper that shines a light on Jamaica’s rising digital services sector. With an annual revenue of more than US$700 million, Jamaica’s digital services industry is already supporting… Read More »
As the cycles of the pandemic continue to pose problems to ideas of returning to the office in the Nearshore, risk exposure is a topic on the mind of all business leaders. Linda… Read More »
Never has Human Resources (HR) been as integral a part of an organization’s success as it is today. From a support function to having a seat at the decision-making table, HR has evolved… Read More »
Inspired by discussions with over 70 global business leaders, Javier Peña Capobianco is helping construct a clearer understanding of the future of the global services industry. In his new book, The New Era… Read More »
Over the last decade or so, soft skills have moved from the periphery of a business leaders’ recruitment strategy to sit firmly at its center. So important have soft skills become that they’re… Read More »
The efforts of most organizations in the business world center on improving efficiencies to increase competitivity and productivity in a highly competitive market. But some, like non-profit groups, aim beyond achieving immediate benefits… Read More »
Having happier employees at work should be a top priority for any company. After all, happy and engaged employees are more productive. They make the workplace more upbeat and fun, strive to achieve… Read More »
Surging cyberattack figures, including threat detection levels that grew by a reported 240% in Q3 of 2020 and 208% in Q4 according to anti-virus platform. McAfee, place global business practices in peril. In… Read More »
Imagine this scenario: A skilled call center agent surpasses all the hiring requirements and is brought on board. They are highly motivated and eager to start their new job. Three months later, performance… Read More »
Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) have had a busy pandemic. Charged with keeping their organizations afloat during the ‘black swan’ event of the recent global economic meltdown, they’ve had their backs to the wall… Read More »
Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, academics, policy think tanks and government officials have proposed a new wave of strategies to advance digital performance and facilitate economic recovery. This is particularly true for Latin… Read More »
Just over 18 months ago, business as we knew it came to a shuddering halt. Gone were the office check-ins, coffee meet-ups and the ability to walk across the corridor to chat with… Read More »
US IT consultant EPAM Systems has expanded its footprints further in Latin America with the acquisition of Colombian software maker S4N. EPAM, based in Newtown, Pennsylvania and which already has presence in Mexico… Read More »
The suspension of M&A activity in the global customer care sector seen during the unpredictability of the pandemic’s peak has come to a sudden and definite end. Large-scale acquisitions, such as Sitel’s acquisition… Read More »
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is driving innovation around world. In 2020, the global AI market was valued at over US$62 billion, with an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 40.2% from 2021 to… Read More »
Though Latin America and the Caribbean consist of 33 countries, many nations sit outside of the core Nearshore industry view. While countries like Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia continue to see their knowledge… Read More »
Last week, Jamaica’s itel announced its acquisition of Guyana’s Emerge BPO. The move gives itel a presence in Guyana and Honduras, and the ability to leverage a handful of at-home agents in the… Read More »
One necessary characteristic of delivering on an ideal customer experience (CX) is adaptability. A big reason for this isn’t only the diversity of a customer base, but also the frequent changes in regulatory… Read More »
Brad Cleveland, customer service expert, consultant and author, has seen many major shifts in the customer experience industry during his 30 years’ involvement. But nothing like the last 18 months. “I felt customer… Read More »
Recruiting is a demanding industry. The financial perks of placing a candidate are high, but the pressure to do so is intense. And while demand is rising, recruiters are being pushed to bring… Read More »
Putting top talent into customer-facing roles is the key to achieving high customer satisfaction, yet the current labor crunch makes it all but impossible for companies to keep their call centers staffed with… Read More »
The era of borderless working is in full swing. Despite a global pandemic, or maybe because of it, the surge of interest in migrating to new digitally-powered geographies is a trend that has… Read More »
The Nearshore is buzzing. M&A activity is rising as companies make decisive actions to push on with long-term strategies following the last 18 months. Meanwhile, cross-industry digital transformation is pressuring recruitment in Nearshore… Read More »
Think local, act global, is the new mantra of globalization. Believed to be an antithesis of regionalization for the longest time, globalization is now being touted as a sum total of several regional… Read More »
Automation and technological advancements have made growth an easier proposition for companies, and more companies are growing. But this rapid growth can cause some growing pains. With this rapid growth, the need for… Read More »
The world faces a tech talent shortage that has been exacerbated by the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. Last year, global recruitment company ManpowerGroup published a report that said a stunning 54% of companies worldwide… Read More »
Cybersecurity has always been a relevant topic to outsourcers and the Nearshore at large. By its nature, companies in the industry employ the services of a wide network of third party providers, stretched… Read More »
French outsourcing giant Webhelp has acquired Latin America’s OneLink in a deal that will push each companies’ global ambitions forward amid intensifying contact center industry consolidation. In an exclusive interview with Nearshore Americas,… Read More »
Nearshore Americas will unveil a new Ebook illustrating how US companies can address the talent shortage at home by building a strong IT engineering team in Mexico under build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. Titled “Build… Read More »
Outsourcing contact center work from a Nearshore location has given many providers an edge, but it comes with a major challenge: for most agents, English is a second language. A contact center employing… Read More »
For decades, Miami has been the main entry point for migrants arriving from Latin American & the Caribbean into the United States. The connection between the South Floridian city and the region runs… Read More »
For Brazil-based Alelo, a financial services company specialised in the management of corporate in benefits, incentives expenses for SMEs, leveraging the cloud and using a data-driven methodology to develop digital products proved essential… Read More »
Dave Palmer, president of global BPO Everise, believes that the many cries of the demise of the Philippines’ as the globe’s outright BPO champion (described as a ‘meltdown’ on these very pages) were… Read More »
Latin America and Caribbean was among the most impacted regions of the world by the arrival of Covid-19, with Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Colombia suffering some of the highest death rates in the… Read More »
A few weeks ago, a faulty update to the content delivery network (CDN) of edge cloud platform provider Fastly brought down the websites of some of the world’s most recognizable brands. Amazon, Spotify… Read More »
Latin American economies have long expressed interest in the advantages of cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies. Now that El Salvador announced that it would be adopting Bitcoin as an official currency alongside the US… Read More »
As the Nearshore industry and global outsourcing continue growing, many companies new to the outsourcing process are entering the space. These companies have many questions they want answered. Among them are concerns over… Read More »
The Philippines has long had appeal as an outsourcing destination. Cost effective, with an abundant workforce and reliable infrastructure, the Asian nation enables providers to deliver an excellent service to customers in North… Read More »
The last year has been rough for everyone. But for those just starting out their careers, the pandemic delivered particularly obstructive effects. The junior software developer position is all about absorbing and learning. … Read More »
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on approaches to digital transformation is set to be significant. As Forrester Research’s 30 Predictions Report points out: “2021 will be the year that every company —… Read More »
Nearshore Americas is to release a new Ebook titled “The Digital Transformation of Nearshore CX”, illustrating how organizations can leverage the power of new digital technologies to enhance their customer experience (CX) service.… Read More »
Tropical getaways for tech professionals eager to escape their own concrete jungles have been big news over the pandemic. But Próspera, a new ‘prosperity hub’ off the coast of Honduras, is taking that… Read More »
Read the news from Latin America lately? Doesn’t matter where you turn, it’s the same old story: the region – via corruption, violence and authoritarianism – is descending into a new level of… Read More »
Lisa Stoner is the Global Head of Support Operations at Uber, meaning she is responsible for six main pillars within Uber’s global customer care and community care environment. She deals with one-on-one customer… Read More »
In the 1980s, Japanese carmakers faced a unique dilemma. They wanted to automate, but in a manner that would not alienate their workforce. The approach they adopted is what we now call human-ware… Read More »
As countries closed their borders and travel restrictions were put in place around the globe last year, the aviation industry came to a shuddering standstill. Millions of customers, having their flights cancelled last minute,… Read More »
The pandemic shook the foundations of global outsourcing. Market giants like the Philippines saw their total dominance falter, while minnows were given the opportunity to grow. Saint Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet believes… Read More »
When Service Central found itself growing exponentially as customer demand increased, it needed to look at ways to maintain its agile processes while working collaboratively with their nearshore partner, Cinq Technologies. Jeff Foster,… Read More »
In 2020, tens of thousands of Jamaican workers — in industries as diverse as BPO, media and the public sector — were thrust into a sudden, mass experiment in new ways of working.… Read More »
Learning Management Systems (LMS) have been a growing force within the BPO space for a number of years, but since the pandemic, their value has jumped. Rather than relying on traditional in-classroom training,… Read More »
President Iván Duque’s proposed tax hike triggered national protests in Colombia at the end of April this year. According to Human Rights Watch, over 60 people have now been killed during clashes between… Read More »
During the last five years, American policy makers, voters and even some business leaders have called for the reshoring of manufacturing. This trend has been accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic-induced need to guarantee… Read More »
When the pandemic hit, healthcare services in the US went into overdrive. One major US health insurance firm, that sits in the top ten list of Fortune 500 companies, grew their outsourced agent… Read More »
Since March 2020, Jamaica, like every country in the world, has been battling with the Covid-19 pandemic. As authorities implemented various lockdowns, Jamaicans moved dramatically toward online channels. Companies and industries responded with… Read More »
Of all the changes that the world has undergone over the past 15 months, the abandonment of the traditional office and the mass adoption of work from home is among the most consequential.… Read More »
The source of the Nearshore industry’s work stream begins of course with the customer. Understanding their goals and objectives, as a result, is incredibly important to the suppliers trying to win their favor.… Read More »
The Master Service Agreement (MSA) is an integral piece of the Nearshore jigsaw. It’s a contract that governs the expectations of a relationship between a buyer and a vendor, spelling out the rules… Read More »
When the pandemic arrived to the region’s shores, the overnight adaption that BPOs forced to make underlined the reality of power and internet infrastructure for millions in Latin America: it is badly lacking.… Read More »
Some Nearshore providers speak of the importance of culture but lack the ability to fully comprehend how it can improve outcomes for their clients. The key is to commit to full engagement with… Read More »
Just over a year ago, a health crisis unlike anything seen in a century gripped the globe. Covid-19 caused borders to close, supply chains to lock up and offices to be abandoned as… Read More »
Demand peaks and troughs are a natural part of the annual business cycle and companies across industries prepare for them each and every year. But Covid-19 has thrown a curve ball that tested… Read More »
Digital infrastructure has been pushed into the limelight by the pandemic and is the undisputed priority of businesses and governments today. For the BPO industry, which has made a rapid transition to virtual… Read More »
Breaking ground is never easy, even in the fertile soil of Costa Rica’s northwestern province, Guanacaste. Flanked by the Gulf of Nicoya to the west and the Guanacaste mountain range to the east,… Read More »
Costa Rica is often considered to be the poster child for the Nearshore sector. Strong infrastructure and long-term governmental thinking have laid the foundations for the country’s in success in attracting major multinationals… Read More »
The White House is reportedly under tremendous pressure to send vaccines to the Latin American countries hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. And the Joe Biden administration is also increasingly realizing that sending… Read More »
The idea that the world is undergoing a great change at the hands of Covid-19 may sound glib. The idea of ‘great change’ has been trotted out numerous times across numerous publications over… Read More »
The USMCA is a free trade agreement between the US, Mexico, and Canada that eliminates tariffs on most imported and exported goods. The agreement, which was ratified in 2020, is also unofficially known… Read More »
Sangram Sahoo, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Peru country manager for almost 18 years and regional VP for over nine, has seen huge changes under his watch, but nothing like the events of the… Read More »
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a greater impact on tourism and travel than any other disease outbreak in recent history. For the Caribbean, where tourism represents an important share of the region’s GDP,… Read More »
This month Mexico passed a law prohibiting Mexico-based businesses from outsourcing any of their services deemed to be “core business activities” to a third party. They can, however, outsource auxiliary services. In other… Read More »
Venezuela’s socio-economic implosion has caused an estimated five million people to flee their home country, with many crossing the western border into Colombia. As the Colombian government takes steps to integrate migrants into… Read More »
In this fourth article in our review of tech salaries across Latin America we focus on Argentina. The previous article on Colombia can be found here. Hiring quality tech talent has never been… Read More »
A veteran software developer and commercial tech and intellectual property lawyer, Chris Murphy now leads the North America office the global tech development company ThoughtWorks, guiding clients in areas including enterprise modernisation, data… Read More »
In March 2021, Eon Reality, a California-based augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) leading company, announced a partnership with the University of West Indies (UWI) Open Campus in Trinidad and Tobago. The… Read More »
For an agile approach to succeed, it must always be connected to the complete cycle of business value generation from the digital product perspective. Technology and product teams need to collaborate and focus… Read More »
Covid-19 could have knocked out Free Trade Zones (FTZs) in Latin America had it not been for the fast reaction of the region’s governments. Intent on protecting these points of vital economic activity,… Read More »
The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 brought most economic activities, as well as local and international travel, to a standstill. As tourism accounts for half of all service exports in Latin… Read More »
In this third article in our review of tech salaries across Latin America we focus on Colombia. The previous article on Chile can be found here. Booming Nearshore demand and the expansion of… Read More »
In late 2017, the European Union (EU) began publishing a list of countries that it claimed did not do enough to curb international tax evasion and profit shifting. The list of “non-cooperative jurisdictions… Read More »
As Softtek, one of Latin America’s most recognized IT services brands, approaches in 40th birthday next year, the company continues on a gradual path of expansion highlighted by growing its operations in Costa… Read More »
The path of a software services firm growing in the Nearshore region is almost never straightforward. The challenges of achieving growth and scaling a workforce are complicated by the specific skillset and English-language… Read More »
Jamaica has begun imposing weekend curfews, as the Caribbean country does everything it can to contain the new cases of Covid-19 in a worrying turn for the country’s BPO industry. Around 40,000 people… Read More »
The pandemic’s disruptive force has opened rich veins of opportunity for Latin American recruiters with the digital capabilities and agility to mine them. Digital recruitment, a fledgling sector in the region, is one… Read More »
In this second article in our review of tech salaries across Latin America we focus on Chile. The first article on Mexico can be found here. Chile’s thriving digital economy has not protected… Read More »
The pandemic accelerated the move towards a digitized global economy that was already well underway. The demand for tech talent, oversubscribed prior to COVID-19’s arrival, has been exacerbated further. Companies are battling to… Read More »
Like any business executive, Dominic Leide, President of BPO provider The Office Gurus, wants his company to deliver services at a consistently high level of performance. For a BPO dealing with payment processing… Read More »
Last year, consumers picked up their smart phones and opened their wallets to e-commerce. Under lockdown and with brick-and-mortar stores temporarily shuttered, millions stepped into the world of online retail for the very… Read More »
The historic normalization of relations between the U.S. and Cuba during the Obama administration gave many American firms the opportunity to explore the potential of the Caribbean island as a Nearshore software sourcing… Read More »
In Part One of our interview, IDB President Mauricio Claver-Carone explained his personal interest in the Nearshore industry. Here, he offers more insights on how Latin America can grow its regional proposition as… Read More »
Mauricio Claver-Carone was elected President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in September 2020, during a tumultuous moment both for the IDB and the nations the organization serves. Claver-Carone has, in his short… Read More »
Wherever digital nomads roam, red-tape almost assuredly will follow. The Covid-19 pandemic, and the prior increase of co-working and co-living spaces, have accelerated the use of remote work as a leading trend across… Read More »
The post-pandemic marketplace is offering Latin American countries Nearshore opportunities that simply weren’t available this time last year. Stronger Nearshore markets are jostling to capture business from the pandemic’s fallout – particularly from… Read More »
Historically, the trade relationship between the United States and Latin America – and specifically Mexico – has focused on manufactured goods. However, over the past few decades, there has been a shift, with… Read More »
Establishing residency in Panama or Costa Rica could offer many advantages for international entrepreneurs. But selecting a country that meets personal needs and understanding the regulation surrounding the residency process can be a… Read More »
As the pandemic tore through the Americas in March and April of 2020, some Nearshore providers were accused of being caught flat-footed. In particular, Alorica found itself on the defensive amid heavy criticism,… Read More »
The restrictions on movement that the fight against COVID-19 necessitated brought the in-person events industry to a sudden and shuddering stop. In Latin America where the personal touch is so valued in business,… Read More »
Recruiting and retaining the right talent is crucial to maintaining a competitive advantage in business. As with most processes during the pandemic, companies have had to adapt their recruitment procedures and to use… Read More »
Five years after exiting Colombia, Transcom is returning. With a new delivery operation spread across two floors – which may grow to four – in Bogota’s Chapinero district, Transcom is stepping back into… Read More »
When Caribbean nations began rolling out so-called digital nomad visas last year, the possibility of remote working in the sun, sea and sand of the paradise islands generated headlines worldwide. Fast-acting governments from… Read More »
The small South American country of Uruguay represents a modest BPO market with a unique set of advantages and challenges. These have been brought into sharp relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, as has… Read More »
The dislocation experienced by digital workforces suddenly thrown into the Work-from-Home model has opened the door for rapid adoption of conversational AI across business environments. Companies looking to upgrade their customer acquisition process… Read More »
As the world has changed, so has the way we work. Ensuring that companies have the right tools in place for both employees and customers is crucial. Part of this is having one in… Read More »
When evaluating Nearshore destinations, decision-makers will often gravitate to ‘name brand’ locations, for reasons that are not as obvious as you might think. In recent years, those destinations, capable of supporting the entire… Read More »
The pandemic has changed the way the world does business, and Canada is no exception. More people in Canada are working from home, with the big cities seeing a modesty exodus to smaller… Read More »
According to the UN’s World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2021 report, Latin America and the Caribbean experienced a devastating contraction of 8% for 2020 and is expected to face moderate growth of… Read More »
Today’s businesses are in deep trouble if they can’t get their foundational applications to perform at their peak. Both internal and customer-facing software systems must run smoothly, without developing bugs or incurring high… Read More »
The Nearshore process requires high-level cooperation. Both clients and service providers should aim for agility, which means an openness to feedback and innovation. A recent survey conducted by the software company Slack found… Read More »
Spurred on by the global pandemic, the demand for cloud continues to grow. Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud have been the big winners, with AWS even crossing the $10… Read More »
Early debates about work-from-home (WFH) arrangements tended to assume companies would save money on rental costs through their implementation. But in practice, many firms – including Nearshore IT and BPO providers – have… Read More »
In a recent interview, an online content moderator told Nearshore Americas that she spends between eight and ten hours each day sifting through social media comments and classified ads in search of offensive… Read More »
We all know that loyalty and trust have to be earned. But it is also true that some individuals and cultures are more inclined to value these qualities. This is certainly true in… Read More »
When it comes to the topic of business continuity, Puerto Rican executives have some valuable insights. In September 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated the U.S. territory – claiming more than 4,600 lives and leaving… Read More »
Creating a unique and positive image in the marketplace should be at the top of the list of priorities for all Nearshore providers this year. The concept of “brand building” is as relevant… Read More »
The wealth of English-speaking talent in Trinidad and Tobago is working to its favor, alongside its prime location outside of the hurricane belt and sustained government support. The country is enjoying increased interest… Read More »
Most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are making preparations to immunize their citizens against coronavirus, but analysts say the region may take more than a year to achieve “herd immunity”. Latin… Read More »
Through automation, the BPO company Alorica was able to lower its investment, while still increasing candidate satisfaction and shifting towards a seamless online application process. Covid-19 has changed the way most companies operate.… Read More »
As the global pandemic continues to transform the way we do business, it is also making customers look differently at the Nearshore and recognise the cost savings and agile approaches that the Nearshore… Read More »
Fintech companies have grown exponentially across Latin America in recent years, leveraging technology to undercut and outperform banks. Uruguay has emerged as a surprise contender on this front. Earlier this year, the fintech… Read More »
Too many providers in Latin America are heavily focused on the Nearshore business model, without understanding the larger implications of delivering services to the United States. However, when it comes to software development,… Read More »
Despite Brazil’s sluggish economy, the country still attracts robust IT spending, with clients and investors attracted by its excellent software talent and thriving startup scene. Much of this activity is centered around the… Read More »
The surge of remote work in 2020 has transformed the Nearshore labor market, so much so that talent acquisition professionals need a drastically different approach to evaluating the suitability of potential candidates. Before… Read More »
User experience is now at the forefront of most organizations’ software development strategies. Service outages or system failures that disrupt users can quickly damage brand reputation, leading companies to find high availability solutions… Read More »
Benito Abraham credits the freelance platform Upwork with giving him and his career a new lease of life. After 12 years in a senior role at a traditional tech outsourcing company, he made… Read More »
Benchmarking has long been a source of strain for the relationship between customers and service providers. The potential for disagreements over price comparisons and contractual obligations is huge, and market price analysis can… Read More »
There has been some blockbuster news regarding a possible Covid-19 vaccine – first from Pfizer-BioNTech, then from Moderna. These ands other vaccine developments could have profound implications for Nearshore providers. The initial Pfizer-BioNTech… Read More »
The United States is enduring a period of intense internal struggle. As these battles wage on, one naturally questions the level of engagement the new Biden Administration will have with the English-speaking Caribbean… Read More »
IT contracts can have a lot of pitfalls. Deciding to renegotiate is a big step but for many clients the last few months have exposed partner weaknesses that are too large to ignore.… Read More »
The pandemic has accelerated the push to digital transformation, with corporate venture capital (CVC) on the move. This global phenomenon includes Latin America, where CVCs are extending their reach. “CVC thrives when there… Read More »
The Covid-19 lockdowns that began earlier this year threw the BPO sector into disarray. International media outlets have reported extrensively on the delays and disruptions to service as contact centers across the world… Read More »
When the full force of the global pandemic hit, many client organizations suddenly recognized that the quality of their customer relationships needed to be understood at a much deeper level. This realization led… Read More »
Nubank, the fast-growing Brazilian neo bank, has announced that it plans to invest more than US$150 million in the next eight years in Bogotá, Colombia, as part of a new technology hub focusing… Read More »
As we inch closer to another uncertain year, organizations can rely on one thing and one thing only: long-term survival depends on bulletproof risk mitigation strategies. When it comes to mitigating risk in… Read More »
With remote work dominating the business world, the availability of international resources with technical expertise and English proficiency has exploded, making Nearshore software development one of the most attractive options available to US… Read More »
With the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic set to continue well into 2021, employers in most industries are facing tough decisions on how to cut costs and survive with strained budgets. But… Read More »
One of the most immediate ways to access the Nearshore business conversation is through social media. It is where truths are revealed, theories are questioned, and provocative ideas grow into powerful mechanisms of… Read More »
US organizations have been outsourcing product support to offshore locations for many years, but as Nearshore’s reputation continues to rise, North American companies are growing more curious about the region’s viability as an… Read More »
With financial technologies – fintech in current parlance – the need for customer service that can provide knowledgeable, timely interactions, should be front and center. Given that fintech platforms pose unique risks to… Read More »
Complicated checkout procedures, hidden shipping costs and software that fails to remember personal details across platforms all contribute to low conversion rates in e-commerce. Nearly 70% of online shoppers abandon their cart before… Read More »
COVID-19 deaths are declining steadily across South America since July. Brazil, the worst-hit country in the region, has seen a 40% decrease in both daily infections and deaths from the virus in the… Read More »
As smaller Nearshore outsourcers experience explosive growth, sometimes taking major contracts away from incumbents, the big players are challenged to change how they do business. However, the old guard’s culture may not be… Read More »
An acclaimed and alarming documentary, The Social Dilemma, was released on Netflix this month, prompting countless newspaper columns and online debates about the dark side of social media, big data and artificial intelligence. The… Read More »
When the pandemic arrived earlier this year, there was significant uncertainty within the real estate market in Guadalajara, Mexico. Global outsourcing providers pivoted to embrace more work-from-home agents, while also adopting social distancing… Read More »
Don’t let a rocky US economy or the shock and awfulness of a global pandemic fool you, 2020 is turning out to be the year when global contact center organizations brought the concept… Read More »
Successful technology firms have been using agile methodologies to streamline and energize their processes for the past two decades. Overall, these firms are engaging in a worthwhile endeavor. The latest Standish Group Chaos… Read More »
Clients need solutions. Aside from the obvious economic gap that Covid-19 created between growing technology needs and descending cash flow within companies, most businesses are still asking for different ways to involve digital… Read More »
Internet giants like Google and Facebook have taken a leading role in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and that is down to one thing: data. Owing to their billions of daily active… Read More »
The artificial intelligence revolution has arrived. McKinsey estimates the global impact of AI will deliver the equivalent of an additional $13 trillion into world economies by 2030. PricewaterhouseCoopers forecasts an additional $15.7 trillion… Read More »
When it comes to attracting talented staff and robust international investment in an increasingly competitive environment, quality of life can play a major role. According to the OECD Indicators of Talent Attractiveness, quality… Read More »
In recent years, executives across the Nearshore region have turned to agile methodologies to improve their business outcomes, and that trend has accelerated even further during the era of Covid-19. But with so… Read More »
A growing body of research demonstrates that great UX designers have a positive impact on customer satisfaction and profitability. Last year, data collected by the software developer UserZoom revealed that 70% of enterprise… Read More »
Early debates about work-from-home (WFH) tended to focus on the practical implications: the missed deadlines, the patchy internet infrastructure and the complex new hiring processes. But four months into the WFH transformation, the… Read More »
Running a pro basketball team and a top software development firm are very similar endeavors, says Darwin Romero, co-founder of Applaudo Studios, a tech company headquartered in El Salvador. Romero first noticed the… Read More »
Nearshore businesses with operations in Central America have been doing their best to protect workers amid the ongoing spike in Covid-19 cases across the region. Each country has responded to the pandemic is… Read More »
Businesses in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo León appear to have handled the pandemic reasonably well, compared to other parts of Latin America. The capital city, Monterrey, has proved resilient, even as… Read More »
Business process outsourcing (BPO) operators in the Caribbean are preparing for growth, while some are already in expansion mode, industry insiders revealed to Nearshore Americas. The outlook is positive for the global services… Read More »
If you’re keeping a list of exciting new Nearshore destinations, we recommend placing Villa Nueva, Guatemala at the top. The basis for this recommendation, and why Villa Nueva is unlike many newly emerging… Read More »
The InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) and Microsoft have cemented a new partnership with the InvestmentMap – a landmark initiative which aims to reduce corruption in the Latin American region. With spending at an all-time… Read More »
Entrepreneurs and investors looking to service Brazil will need to closely analyze where they source Portuguese language support. Not surprisingly, the most affordable options are found outside Latin America’s most populous country –… Read More »
The quest for well-educated, English-speaking talent is one of the most significant factors when deciding on BPO destinations. Trinidad and Tobago was highlighted as having “one of the largest pools of English-speaking talent… Read More »
For André Ferreira, a move to Canada was all about finding peace of mind. The Portuguese software engineer had been living in the United States since 2016. But with his visa expiring and… Read More »
While the value proposition of a global services provider is greater than ever before, changing economic conditions mean first time outsourcing buyers need to be even more vigilant in evaluating potential partnerships. “Buyers… Read More »
Contact center outsourcing clients want guaranteed business continuity and security that is out of reach for BPO providers that are either pure-play brick-and-mortar or work-from-home (WFH) providers. The only real solution is the… Read More »
Champion-challenger outsourcing involves multiple contact center providers competing for future work. Although that can lead to companies collaborating with the best known partners, it has also opened the door for intreprid and innovative… Read More »
As global services executives adjust to meet new demands and markets, they are more enthusiastic than ever about leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their business processes. But Chip Wagner, the CEO of ISG… Read More »
Industry experts argue that new immigration restrictions in the United States will not benefit jobseekers and could ultimately create opportunities for Latin American technology talent. Last month, President Donald Trump issued an executive… Read More »
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, customer experience leaders are trying to adapt – on the fly – to changes in customer behavior. On their radar for several years now have been chatbots – robots… Read More »
For many knowledge-services organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean, recruiting during the era of Covid-19 means taking a leap in the dark. However, there are many systems available to assist in the… Read More »
Nearshore contact centers with work-from-home (WFH) capabilities are more reliable than ever, giving brands the opportunity to protect their business continuity strategies well into the future. While WFH has been an option for… Read More »
Puerto Rico is making the most of Covid-19’s disruptive force by staying laser focused on feeding the development of a tech-services industry that has, for the longest time, been rich with potential but… Read More »
In recent weeks, confirmed coronavirus cases have surged across Latin America, leaving existing healthcare deficiencies and economic vulnerabilities exposed. Earlier this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) described the region as the new… Read More »
With its stable infrastructure, diverse and educated talent pool and excellent geographic location, Trinidad and Tobago has emerged as a serious contender in supporting the work-from-home (WFH) model for BPO. In a post-Covid… Read More »
Business process outsourcers are interpreting a labyrinth of new government regulations, across an assortment of geographies, as they come to grips with a rapidly-changing playing field. As challenging as work-from-home (WFH) has proven… Read More »
Nearshore America’s has added four new employees in a move driven to align with the recent upswing in global IT and BPO interest and activity, targeting Latin America and Caribbean. Stephen Woodman, a… Read More »
Business travel across the Americas has come to near standstill in the context of the coronavirus crisis. Lockdowns and mobility restrictions have kept employees grounded, with 96 percent of companies reporting that they… Read More »
Though the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a frenzied panic for businesses across Latin America – and the world – stakeholders in Bogotá’s outsourcing industry are brimming with optimism that the industry could come… Read More »
The economic pain that the pandemic is delivering to the global economy is having all sorts of ripple effects. One of them is the sudden prospect of major corporate customers selling off captive… Read More »
The norm across Latin America has been lockdowns, curfews, and mandatory quarantines to deal with the disruptions of COVID-19. Costa Rica has followed a different approach. Despite the lack of mandatory quarantines or… Read More »
Ignacio de La Vega is optimistic about the future. As a dean and professor at Mexico’s Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM), he believes the prestigious college has already laid the groundwork for the… Read More »
Sure, big hiring bonuses are alluring, fair and reliable paychecks are a necessity as is a safe work environment, but what else are contact center agents really looking for from their employer? In… Read More »
As competition increases in the Nearshore software development sector, countries will need to demonstrate how they provide additional value to the ecosystem and stand out from the crowd. The core selling points of… Read More »
The best premise in UX is creating apps that you would NOT be too lazy to use. How many times have you automatically pressed that “Skip” or “X” button even before reading what… Read More »
Developing an ethos of innovation as part of company culture in the context of a BPO can be a tricky goal. For many organizations, the focus is on a top-down strategic innovation approach… Read More »
The evolution of the BPO industry is being shaped by the cloud, with smaller, nimbler start-ups taking advantage of the lower barriers to entry that the cloud offers. While the last few years… Read More »
Thanks to the efforts of private companies and growing interest from its national government, Bolivia is showing increasingly positive signs of becoming a contender in the Nearshore software development market. With a population… Read More »
In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for nearshore providers to offer back-office support. At times, a client will first engage with traditional client-facing BPO before moving up the value chain.… Read More »
As larger BPO organizations continue to swallow up small and medium-sized BPO providers, the need for agile midmarket BPOs becomes ever more vital. In just four years, there has been a significant turn… Read More »
It’s no secret that software developers have become key assets to practically every industry in the world. This has led to a wider pool of opportunities for these professionals, which can make finding… Read More »
Have you ever called into a customer service line and known you were talking to someone 3,000 miles away? That distance is about more than physical separation; it can mean an inability to… Read More »
Latin America’s IT ecosystem is on the rise. Although no country in the region ranks among the world’s top 50 nations in innovation, some nations have done their homework on skilled labor training and continue to make important strides in fueling development of the lifeblood of the digital economy: Brain Power.
Honduras’s second-largest city, San Pedro Sula, has a lot to offer the BPO industry, with the city’s civic and business leaders working hard to make the location appealing to providers. “San Pedro Sula’s… Read More »
The level of compliance that companies meet when hiring job applicants and suppliers, especially when it comes to data protection and fraud prevention, is a critical differentiator for nearshore outsourcing. For companies that… Read More »
Central America’s most popular outsourcing destination has always been an attractive choice for businesses: close proximity to the U.S., no trouble finding agents with excellent English skills, educational standards higher than average for… Read More »
For nearshore providers, many factors go into country selection, with labor availability and quality being among the most critical. Both these factors are present in Honduras, which has a population of about 9.3… Read More »
Latin America’s innovation potential continues to be largely untapped as many countries in the region spend, comparatively, the least amount of money on education and research and development (R&D) activities, a report shows.… Read More »
Brazil’s new data protection regulation will come into force in August 2020. The General Data Protection Law (LGPD in Portuguese), which adopts best practices on transparency, legal certainty and efficiency, will make a… Read More »
Choosing the Caribbean to engage third parties for services and support often makes a lot of sense. The region is a great option because of inherent cultural similarities, wide availability of native English… Read More »
For Spanish contact center giant Atento, dominance in Spanish-speaking markets has come naturally – but gaining market share in the United States has been an entirely different game. “Atento hasn’t paid enough attention… Read More »
The alignment of business culture is a critical component for the success of any outsourcing engagement. As clients look around the world for an ideal fit, they can face cultural challenges that affect… Read More »
In is not an overstatement to say that the future of software delivery from Latin America rests on the ability of development teams to generate solutions that answer the demand for digital innovation.… Read More »
El Salvador was one of the first outsourcing destinations that would spring to mind in the BPO world back in the day – but how does it fare in 2019? “It’s not as… Read More »
Jamaica’s investment and trade promotions agency, Jamaica Promotions Corporation (Jampro), is looking to establish higher-end jobs in the knowledge-services industry and there is growing recognition that such an undertaking will required sustained commitment… Read More »
Colombia’s former conflict zones were a subject of significant focus during last week’s 2019 Investment Summit in Bogotá, which in addition to hosting President Iván Duque Márquez, brought new attention to the country’s… Read More »
In the results-driven world of BPO, employee happiness often seems to be in conflict with the notion of exceptional delivery for customers, but the reality is that these two aspects are not really… Read More »
Nicaragua went through some of its worst political turmoil in 40 years in 2018 when street protesters clashed with police. It hit BPOs hard. But now things are better than ever, CEOs tell Nearshore Americas.
Hiring software developers in a competitive market can be a difficult task. Nearshore Americas spoke to a number of experts to see what really is important when contracting in 2019.
Companies outsourcing may come across difficulties with the culture of background checks in Latin America. Here are some of those common challenges.
Nearshore Americas spoke with a number of experts to see if the Dominican Republic has still got it when it comes to BPO outsourcing – and what the U.S.’s tough immigration policy means for the island.
Brazil faces a shortage of IT professionals. But it’s not all doom and gloom – there are a number of things that can be done.
Software teams need to keep in contact more so than ever now when working on projects for big clients. What are the top tools they are using and how well do they fare?
This tiny Caribbean island which is part of the Netherlands is known for its beaches and oil refining operations. Could BPO outsourcing be the next big thing to arrive on its shores?
The development of Artificial Intelligence in Costa Rica is fast on the rise. What does this mean for the popular Nearshoring nation?
A big loan from the IDB and a number of success stories: the small wine-producing city of Mendoza is the talk of the town. But what else has this city got that other, bigger cities in Argentina haven’t?
Nearshore Americas spoke to call center workers – many who have never left the country – who got to grips with English alone and by listening to music.
Nearshore Americas took a look at how the U.S. State Department measures security in Latin American and Caribbean nations.
The money is 6.5 % more than what was allocated to the sector in 2019, according to Marivel Solís Barrera, President of the Congressional Committee on Science and Technology.
The fast-growing software solutions company is eying up other opportunities after rapid growth.
Panama this year elected a new President. Is English still on the agenda, as it was with the previous government? And how does the country fare in terms of English speakers generally?
But why Jamaica? What has an island that has long been seen as just a BPO destination rather than having lots of potential to outsource IT got for such a bold plan?
IT and software development giant Globant had humble beginnings in a Buenos Aires bar. It now has a reach as far as India. Here is how the company got started.
Industry veteran Steve Di Tirro believes that automation can play a critical role in customer support and experience, particularly if a company has known issues that have known resolutions. Nearshore Americas sat down to talk to him about language support, automation and the augmented experience.
The acquisition of the BPO unit will see them massively expand their presence in Colombia, where they will focus on expanding their portfolio – specifically managing information for major players in the financial services industry.
Nearshore Americas spoke to a number of experts to assess the mood surrounding Mexico’s new president and what it means for IT and BPO outsourcing in Latin America’s second largest economy.
Nearshore Americas sat down with TaskUs’ new VP of Operations in Latin America, Porfirio Diaz, to discuss his vision for TaskUs in LatAm, how the company is approaching expansion and the challenges of bringing the TaskUs culture to Mexico.
Tijuana, Mexico offers a number languages, including Portuguese and Mandarin, as a nearshore location because of the large number of immigrants. GGA Solutions looks at the depth of language capabilities in Tijuana.
Tony Saldanha, author and President of Transformant, believes that digital transformation is a great opportunity for the nearshore, but more needs to be done to position the nearshore in this way.
Impact sourcing is growing in many parts of the world, including Latin America and the Caribbean, and it is moving families and communities from poverty into the middle class. NSAM spoke to Samasource and Alorica about what’s happening and what still needs to be done.
Employers that operate in several countries, with a mobile workforce, need to apply global background screening standards for both their direct and contracted or outsourced employees. MultiLatin’s David Robillard explains the importance of localizing that process and the criteria to getting it right.
At present, only 17% of IT jobs in Colombia are occupied by women, yet the industry represents an impressive opportunity: in 2019, the 1,800 software development companies in Colombia are expected to add 39,000 jobs related to software development and programming, reaching a total of 351,000.
UruIT looks at what goes in to a product discovery phase and how customers can work with their nearshore partner to ensure this is successful, using eight simple steps.
Tijuana has an untapped developer resource that, historically, has been overshadowed somewhat by the city’s BPO industry, which boasts a workforce of about 13,000.
In addition to ensuring there is adequate English language skills in each country, OneLink BPO CEO Eduardo Salazar believes there is a need for greater flexibility in labor laws to allow for hiring hourly employees.
The Co-Manage model, designed by Colombian tech company, NativApps, allows companies to build, run and transfer white-label operations in the country.
Remote-first companies are organizations that were built under a specific mindset: work can be done from anywhere in the world and a 9 to 5 culture isn’t necessary to grow a successful business, promote collaboration, independence and a healthy work-life balance.
A nearshore services provider with more than 10 years’ experience in Foonkie Monkey leading Latin American teams offers his perspectives on taking a team to the next level.
Colombia is going deep as an internationally-recognized benchmark for creative and cultural Industries, and especially in tech-enabled sectors.
Increasing numbers of US developers are outsourcing machine learning, UX/UI design and discovery phase to the region.
Foonkie Monkey’s co-founder and CSO Camilo Paez looks at why nearshore outsourcers should ensure there is shared responsibility between the client and the outsourcer to ensure on-time, on-budget success.
Scalability, technology selection and managing team growth were core drivers for online IT training platform CBT Nuggets’ choice to move to microservices. In our webinar on microservices, CTO Sean Sullivan and Tiempo Development’s Mike Hahn and Angel Almada explained how to deploy microservices and reap the benefits.
Tiempo development’s COO Mike Hahn talks how to get the best out of microservices by aligning team structure, tools, and processes. For more on microservices and getting it right for your organization sign up for the webinar on April 3.
In this second of a two-part focus on how to make microservices really work for your organization, Tiempo development’s COO Mike Hahn talks best practices and how to develop a plan for deploying microservices. For more on microservices and getting it right for your organization sign up for the webinar on April 3.
In this first of a two-part focus on how to make microservices really work for your organization, Tiempo development’s COO Mike Hahn examines the decoupling process and looks at identifying pain points. For more on microservices and getting it right for your organization sign up for the webinar on April 3.
In the lead up to Nearshore Americas’s special webinar presentation on April 3rd at 2pm EDT, Mike Hahn, one of the webinar panel members, explores what you need to know about microservices and getting it right for your organisation in this series.
While microservices can offer significant benefits over monolithic and service-oriented architecture, it is not right for every situation. A thorough analysis of the organization’s needs as well as an examination of whether or not the application is a good fit is warranted.
Microservices has suffered from a reputation problem, partially as a result of the failure of implementation of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). Tiempo Development COO Mike Hahn clears up the confusion and looks at how microservices differs from SOA.
Robotic process automation can yield dividends not only for large corporates but also for mid-market organizations.
The momentum of Colombia’s IT and digital content industries as a Latin American contender on the global stage has been building for some time.
The India IT offshoring model has been under stress for several years, but what are the real factors leading to Nearshore being a better alternative?
For Nearshore companies that want to establish teams in Mexico, it’s vital to accommodate the needs of Mexican workers on these special days.
The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) offers practical advice on launching new operations in Guyana, considering factors like talent development, customer training, and local perception.
Kevin Fox, EVP at Novopayment, breaks down why the payments and financial services sectors offer notable opportunities for more advanced API practices, especially in the Americas.
As digital marketing becomes more popular, US clients have been working with more partners in Mexico thanks to its cost, efficiency, and knowledge in the sector.
Mexican digital agency Ingenia provides tips on choosing the right mobile app development partner, and ensuring that your project will be a success.
APIs have quietly become key business drivers as companies seek out solutions to lagging interoperability, making now a great time to partner with fintech providers and outsourcing firms that can bridge that gap.
Accounting firm J.A. Del Río highlights the most common oversights that companies make when pursuing Nearshore presence, as well as giving advice on how to avoid them.
Mexican agency Ingenia weighs up the pros and cons of scrum, giving practical examples and advice for maximizing the benefits on a Nearshore level.
Eric Liebross from Auxis breaks down some of the lessons learned during RPA implementations and how to best capitalize on the cost and efficiency benefits.
With these tips we explain why some Nearshore vendors are struggling to close new business in the US, and how to course correct when veering off track.
E-Learning gives students the opportunity to learn technology skills at little to no cost, which could put a significant dent in the region’s talent crisis.
David Zhou, CEO and Co-founder of VXI Global, describes the status on the ground in Jamaica, as well as what the BPO industry needs for further development.
Costa Rica holds its average rank for English proficiency, but government initiatives and personal motivations are forging a different reality on the ground.
This case study highlighting Zventus’ extended team model proves that Mexico and Nearshore can provide the perfect environment to try out new teams and approaches.
Humberto Andrade from Accenture and Gordon White from The Social Client explain why chatbots have to be part of any serious solution, but are still lacking in adoption rates.
Argentinian software services company, Belatrix, has opened a new software delivery centre in Bogota, Colombia, shelving Costa Rica and Mexico as back-up options for expansion.
Despite being the closest neighbor to the US, Mexico is only average for English ability in Nearshore, with obvious skill variations across the country.
The Caribbean is well-positioned to capitalize on the unfulfilled demand of high-tech talent arising in the US, following Trump’s immigration shakeup.
Colombia has huge potential to gain traction in bilingualism, but a lack of grassroots English language adoption is holding it back.
Jerry Oversen, Vice President at Gogo, tells us about the company’s experience with Honduran BPO, as well as the value of human agents in text chat.
If Nearshore countries can follow Canada’s lead in its approach to FDI attraction, investor confidence will be boosted on a regional scale.
Colombia’s strengths typically included a highly educated workforce with bilingual skills, technical programming and consulting skills, and decent opportunities for firms to avoid saturation. We can now add affordability to that list.
In this series of articles, we speak with vendors in Nearshore hotspots to see how nations are evolving their availability and quality of English-speakers.
Mexican startup accelerators have become common, but not all of them offer enough support to incubate success. ITESM is looking to change that.
Organized by Nearshore Americas, the trade mission was designed to examine the country’s readiness in offering global services, particularly call center service.
When it comes to automation, vendors make unrealistic promises and clients are blindly falling for them, resulting in a tarnished reputation for the tech.
In this series of articles, we speak with vendors in Nearshore hotspots to see how nations are evolving their availability and quality of English-speakers.
Central American BPO is experiencing a mix of competition and collaboration, as some of the biggest firms in the region attempt to bolster the industry together, while each vying for the best available talent.
Regional cultures are driven by different motivations, but these client speakers at Nexus 2017 agree that Latin America’s motivations for technical excellence are hugely beneficial.
One Honduras startup is looking to conquer the world of augmented reality (AR) marketing in Central America, showing new promise in the country’s skillsets.
Steve Rudderham, VP of GBS at The Kellogg Company, offers fresh advice to services vendors on how to approach clients with automation proposals.
AI and RPA are here to stay, so as companies start working the tech into their business strategies, now is the time for legacy contracts to be re-written.
This photo slideshow shows off some of the key highlights from panels, presentations, and networking sessions at last week’s Nexus 2017 event.
Google’s Roy Geva Glasberg explains to the audience at Nexus 2017 his mission to give startups in emerging markets better opportunities to grow.
The winners of the second annual Illuminate Awards have been revealed, with UruIT taking home the prestigious Company of the Year award.
In collaboration with Mexico IT, this new report delves into the extent of the digital opportunities in Mexico, and asks whether the country is ready to fully embrace the digital age.
As long as there is chaos surrounding President Donald Trump, sound-minded IT professionals will continue to seek refuge on solid ground.
In a bold new deal, the Santiago Stock Exchange is adopting new blockchain technology from IBM to streamline the management of short sales, marking the first major implementation of the technology in the region.
Rajeev Gupta reveals the talent-building strategies that Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has succeeded with in the Latin American market.
Due to a complete lack of understanding, corporations are afraid and uncertain of the impacts that RPA might have on their outsourced customer services.
The Argentine Game Developers Association (ADVA) has big plans to work with nearby countries as they grow the region’s strength in this powerhouse industry.
While the Nearshore market desperately needs to be understood, chaos is winning out over clarity, and fear is causing many C-suite leaders in the U.S. to double-down on vows of silence. It’s time for a change.
Daniel Chavez, CEO of Dextra Technologies, describes how companies in Monterrey, Mexico, developed their direct, no-nonsense business culture.
At Nexus, Roy is planning to provide insights on Google’s increasing role in working with startup founders around the world, and why it is vital for these founders to succeed.
This new data, provided by Argentina’s Undersecretariat for Technological and Productive Services, offers a statistical look into the country’s KBS sector, adding weight to its vital role in the economy.
In the north of Mexico, companies and educational institutes are successfully developing talent for the next wave of digital technologies, but holding onto that talent is proving to be a challenge.
Carlos Diaz, Managing Director at Neoris, reveals that clients in the U.S., while concerned about potential regulatory speed-bumps, are still looking at nearshore ITO as a means to beat the competition.
Breaking the traditional approach of larger software development firms, Spark Digital’s transparent salary system has worked wonders for growth and camaraderie in a difficult economic environment.
Argentina has a new team of specialists that are tasked with seizing the window of opportunity to transform the country’s IT sector at a rapid pace, and they’re hungry for big results.
Argentina’s technological prowess is spreading across all sectors, but the agricultural industry is driving an upsurge of new agritech startups focused on innovating for the sector.
After recently stepping down as head of ProNicaragua, Javier Chamorro provides us with exclusive insight into the inner workings of Central American IPAs and the strategies they should be forming to attract more investment.
New changes to the H1B visa policy enacted just days before the application process began have caused uproar in the Indian IT services industry.
Anna Frazzetto from Harvey Nash and her client, Alfonso Perez from Shopperception, discuss the still-prevalent cultural differences of nearshore, as well as the slow growth of maturity holding the sourcing industry back.
Grupo Assa explains why the business conversation should be first on the digital transformation ticket and how to find talent for the process.
People in the tech community are pushing back, but not in a reactive manner – this is part of a larger trend toward deeper social and political engagement.
Site selection consultants and experts from key vendors explore how dialogues have changed in the process since Trump took office.
With Nexus 2018 just around the corner, we’ve dug into the archives to bring you the most valuable and engaging presentations from previous events.
More foreign startups are looking at Chile for their internal customer service operations, but, as we discovered, they prefer expats over local agents.
Jorge Aramburo, CEO and Founder of PSL, explains how the talent crisis in Colombia is still the biggest problem to overcome in software services.
A collection of photos from Sourcing Decisions 2017, our first BPO conference in Toronto, Canada.
Speaking at the IMT Contact Forum this week, Juan Manuel Gonzalez from Frost & Sullivan has some actionable recommendations for the digital transformation of the Latam contact center industry.
In this video interview, Omar Alikhan, IT Procurement Manager at Telus Communications, provides some insight into the Canadian telco’s approach to external IT resources.
AAJ Tech explains why nearshore outsourcing can be a great way to prevent your internal team from burnout, and compensate for the shortage of IT resources.
If you’re dealing with external resources, some form of vendor management is essential, but many companies are not doing it right, according to Tim Norton’s revelations at Sourcing Decisions 2017.
Attendees of the first Sourcing Decisions event in Toronto, Canada, have been taking to the Twitterverse to share their experiences with the world.
Sitting down with Nearshore Americas at Sourcing Decisions 2017, Chris Lord revealed HGS’s strategies for balancing cultural alignment and technology.
Automation was the word of the day at Sourcing Decisions 2017, our new event in Toronto. Check out some of the biggest takeaways of the morning sessions.
While the fate of NAFTA remains shrouded in uncertainty, experts on nearshore are starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Long-time IT professional Karl Rottmann has found success in his career by working more closely with the people around him and developing their strengths.