Analysis: Reporting and Expertise for Digital Decision-Makers

Argentina’s deepening economic crisis is pushing millions into poverty, with the latest government data revealing a stark reality: more than half of the country’s 45 million citizens are now living below the poverty line. The poverty rate jumped from 41.7%… Read More »

Guyana did not live up to the expectations of itel CX’s leadership. It was reported that BPO firm itel CX will shut down its Guyanese operations by the end of this year. Although the company has yet to provide details… Read More »

Anyone doing business globally should learn as much as they can about the countries or regions they’re engaging with, and there are fewer (and faster) ways to gain deep insights into a particular geography than a good documentary. In a… Read More »

BPO firm Ibex Global saw its nearshore revenue shrinking over the past year as its clients in the US mull over an increasingly complicated macroeconomic landscape. Ibex reported a 7.8% loss in its nearshore revenues between June of 2023 and… Read More »

Contracts and long-term business relationships are hard to come by in today’s economy, and many nearshore service providers are willing to endure too much in order to secure them. We recently wrote about how often providers of BPO and tech… Read More »

It is an unfortunate reality, but some of the nearshore’s most popular locations are infamous for their rush hour traffic. Dropping the names of Latin America’s top cities can conjure visions of interminable and virtually immovable strings of vehicles in… Read More »

Chile was ranked, once more, as the most prosperous country in Latin America. Chile was the best-performing Latin American country in the Legatum Institute’s latest Prosperity Index, ranking 36th in a list of 167 nations. While the Prosperity Index takes… Read More »

It’s round two for the “Bukele Experiment” in El Salvador, and while its results are coming in bit by bit, a clear answer has yet to emerge on whether it has been successful or not for foreign investors. Available data… Read More »

—First Impressions— What Executives See When Landing in the Nearshore First impressions can be definitive for decision makers in business. Consequently, they can also determine the economic fortunes of whole cities, countries or even regions. We reached out to a… Read More »

Panama emerged as the most productive country in the Latin America/Caribbean region over the past two decades.  Although the country has a very positive reputation among global investors, new data adds to its credentials. What does it mean, however, for… Read More »

Guyana’s economy is still booming. The gross domestic product (GDP) of Guyana saw a 49.7% jump during the first half of 2024, according to the country’s president, Irfaan Ali. “In the first half of this year, our overall real GDP… Read More »

What’s the magic ratio for on-site and remote operations in a hybrid BPO setup?  As the remote vs on-site debate rages on, business leaders continue to experiment with recipes for  functional hybrid operations that satisfy all parties involved. Although BPO… Read More »

The decision was a difficult one to make for Allan De Camps Melendez. As an HR professional himself, he was well acquainted with his employer’s policies when it came to workplace romances. Those were a big no-no, to say the… Read More »

JP Morgan issued a cautionary forecast for Latin America’s two largest economies: Brazil and Mexico. The US investment bank predicted that depreciating currencies could fuel inflationary pressures for Mexico and Brazil in the coming months. While inflation in both countries… Read More »

All you need to understand about digitalization and technological advancement in Latin America can be learned by tracing the evolution of a single cultural phenomenon in the region: Internet cafés. Internet cafés arrived in Latin America –like in many other… Read More »

No company in the services sector wishes to find its client sitting on the opposite side of a lawsuit. But as much as industry lawyers advise against it, sometimes, going to court is the only option available to survive the… Read More »

A lot can be learned from a region’s history, economy and socio-politics by taking a closer look at its billionaire class.  We decided to track Latin America’s richest people over the past decade –using Forbes’ World Billionaires lists– to get… Read More »

Argentina is filling the honeypot for big foreign money. The administration of President Javier Milei recently unveiled the details of a major tax cut program, known as the Regime of Incentives for Large Investments (RIGI), aimed at drawing the attention… Read More »

Reading about Latin America in the news can be hard to stomach. From economic crises and political shocks to environmental disasters and violent crime, the region is seen by media outlets as a plentiful source for the outrageous, the saddening… Read More »

Much has been said and written about how business culture in Latin American countries differs from that of the US. Corporate etiquette, manners at the negotiating table, signs of friendliness and agression; these and other interactions have been studied by… Read More »

Remittances to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras —known collectively as the Northern Triangle— soared to a record US$18.95 billion in the first half of 2024, marking a 4.2% increase over the previous year. Remittances are money sent by migrants to… Read More »

The past 20 years have been a nightmare for the Caribbean when it comes to extreme weather events. Since the early 2000s, the region has been devastated by literally hundreds of floods and tropical storms, and the material costs have… Read More »

Software development is all about creativity, so it should surprise no one that psychedelics have been part of the industry almost since their inception. Magic mushrooms (also known as psilocybin), LSD and substances with similar mind-altering effects can be as… Read More »

You’re traveling to Mexico to do business. What should you read to get a better grasp on the country? At NSAM, we believe in the usefulness of great business writing. Nevertheless, we are also aware that a country is much… Read More »

Mexico’s president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum is slowly providing a portrait of what her administration will look like. One of her more eye-catching designations has been Altagracia Gómez, a 32 year-old entrepreneur chosen to lead Sheinbaum’s Business Counsel. This young millennial will… Read More »

Javier Salazar has been deported twice in his life. The first time it happened, he was 11-years old.   The memory is depicted in one of his paintings: a child squats in the middle of the desert, carrying a blue backpack… Read More »

Dealing with bureaucracy can be bad enough as it is in one’s home country. In a foreign land, where the laws, language and social cues can be incomprehensible at first, bureaucratic processes can feel like an experience crafted by a… Read More »

Arise Virtual Solutions, owner and operator of a popular gig-CX platform, will have to pay US$13 million following a triad of lawsuits issued by the Department of Labor (DOL), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Office of the DC… Read More »

The sudden rise of US Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the Democratic national ticket has made the possibility of a US President with Caribbean roots a very real one. Kamala Harris’ father, economist and Stanford professor emeritus… Read More »

The nearshoring model has been chugging along for decades now, and like any machine, it requires a checkup every now and then. Many questions arise among nearshore market players as the landscape twists and turns, challenging them to renew their… Read More »

“The client didn’t renew the contract with the consulting firm I work at, and now I’m on hold,” the forum post begins.  “I don’t know for how long I’ll stick around before they cut me loose, but I want to… Read More »

Tech enthusiasts often say that anyone can learn coding. Anyone with a wide enough English lexicon, that is. For aspiring programmers in non-English speaking countries, learning to code can require double the work that it would for native English speakers.… Read More »

One of the leading pet retailers in North America, PetSmart, opened a new technology center in Costa Rica recently. Located in the Heredia Free Trade Zone, PetSmart’s new facility will provide tech support to the company’s operations across the US,… Read More »

Google managed to avoid a major blow to its reputation and CCaaS business. A lawsuit which alleged the tech giant had used its AI-powered cloud CX platform to eavesdrop on customer conversations was dismissed by a California court. This resolution… Read More »

Do politics matter to foreign investors? The short answer is: of course. Nevertheless, we’ve seen too many instances in which foreign businesses stick to their guns even as red flags wave furiously around them. There is a deeper conversation to… Read More »

Things are about to get heated for call center operators in Colombia. Colombia’s Labor Minister Gloria Inés Ramírez has explicitly put call centers on notice, announcing inspections meant to scrutinize the facilities. “We’re coming after call centers now,” Minister Ramírez… Read More »

The Caribbean is much more than sun, sand and ocean breeze. A handful of global investors know it, and they’re happy with that knowledge. The Caribbean, however, hopes for something more. It hopes for an upgrade. The dream of “Caribbean… Read More »

What is even the meaning of value in the Nearshore?  The Nexus 2024 conference closed addressing one of the more relevant questions for the region. As geopolitical, economic and technological shifts transform the global landscape, market players try their best… Read More »

“I remember being at an offsite with some of my peers at Google, just talking, giving personal details.” Bismarck Lepe –Founder, former CEO and Executive Chairman at Wizeline– tells the anecdote as he casually paces back and forth in front… Read More »

As is generally the case, innovation can be too fast for its own good.  Global staffing is here to stay. And yet, it seems as if much of the infrastructure that sustains international business operations is dragging its feet, becoming… Read More »

Brain drain has for decades choked Latin America’s economic and technological flourishing. The region is generating enough interest in global business to speak of a change in its fortunes in the mid to long term. However, Latin American luminaries keep… Read More »

Are the evangelists right? Is the latest iteration of AI here to kill the contact center? Or are those warnings nothing but sound and fury, part of the hype cycle for another shiny new toy in tech? “Where do we… Read More »

Captive centers have made a comeback, but the market won’t settle for the old model. The plan has changed. “It was all about cost optimization. The industry was dormant when it comes to captive centers. It was about outsourcing,” said… Read More »

There’s something in the Caribbean air besides the smell of sand and sea breeze. The nearshoring trend in the Americas has given the whole region a chance to step up and diversify its credentials as a destination for foreign investment.… Read More »

A set of tax reforms and enhancements to logistics infrastructure have put Panama in an ascending path to nearshore investment success. Nearshore Americas’ latest white paper highlights Panama’s credentials as a destination for investment, detailing recent public policy changes and… Read More »

It took decades of technological advances and adjustments to leadership mindsets, but the labor market is finally grasping the true meaning of the word “global”. And yet, much of what sustains international business operations is still dragging behind. Payment methods,… Read More »

Colombia’s tech sector is sounding the alarm over President Gusvato Petro’s latest attempt at a labor reform. Industry leaders warned that the changes proposed in Petro’s reform could cripple the sector’s growth and hinder its ability to fill a significant… Read More »

As unsavory as the topic might be, politics eventually comes up in any location analysis. Regardless of the political conflicts existing in almost all jurisdictions, the question that really matters in the end is: can government leaders work together despite… Read More »

AI-powered voice solutions are amongst the most promising and threatening tools in the CX market at the moment. There are plenty of businesses out there piloting such solutions, raising questions about the viability of the current paths for delivery. Perhaps… Read More »

Indian tech providers are having a rough time scoring big time projects, being forced to settle for smaller, less profitable ones. It is common for tech projects in Bangalore —a business hub regarded by many as India’s “Silicon Valley”— to… Read More »

In a couple years, when nearshore investors think of captive centers, they might not be envisioning an office building or campus anymore. The traditional definition of a captive conjures pictures of logo-specific offices where foreign workers learn the ins and… Read More »

A year after Nearshore America’s first Nearshore Value Index (NVI), some things hold true, while others have seen important changes. Deciding where to invest is still a difficult exercise which requires careful research, thoughtful consideration and, paradoxically, the readiness to… Read More »

“I think there’s a lot more opportunity. Whether or not countries, individuals  [in the nearshore] take this opportunity is still waiting to be seen,” commented Bismarck Lepe, Wizeline’s Founder & Executive Chairman, who delivered the keynote address at Nexus 2024 … Read More »

Nexus 2024 has officially kicked off.  Attendees of the nearshore industry’s premier event gathered during the evening of June 12th for Nexus 2024’s Opening Night. Hosted at Jersey City’s Hyatt Regency, overlooking the Hudson River and with the Manhattan skyline… Read More »

H1B visas aren’t as solicited as before. Once a highly sought permit in the US for the importation of highly skilled foreign workers, H1B visas (and their beneficiaries) seem embroilled in a losing battle against the popularity of remote work… Read More »

Julio Calderón is a man, a husband, a father. He’s also Peruvian, and latino, and American. But, for the purpose of this article, Mr. Calderon can be regarded as a bridge between Latin America and Silicon Valley. Julio Calderón is… Read More »

The Nearshore Americas’ team is really excited about the speakers at this year’s Nexus conference; particularly the female segment of the lineup.  Nexus 2024 will host a group of accomplished women professionals: an impact sourcing specialist, a master of FDI… Read More »

AI technology might be too powerful –and appealing– to be contained. That doesn’t mean that government regulators aren’t trying. Even since the explosion of generative AI (GenAI) into the mainstream, regulators the world over have tried to set up guardrails… Read More »

Mexican-American tech entrepreneur Bismarck Lepe will deliver the keynote speech of Nexus 2024, which will take place June 12th-13th, in Jersey City, New Jersey. The son of Mexican immigrants who moved to the US in search of a better life,… Read More »

Infosys claims that no layoffs will happen at the organization due to generative AI (GenAI), even when the technology has lead to more efficient and productive business operations. CEO Salil Parekh conveyed this assurance to CNBC-TV18, emphasizing that, while new… Read More »

The White House officially issued a recommendation to private companies and government agencies when it comes to hiring for cybersecurity.  In short, they should widen their hunt to include people with the skills needed instead of sticking to those with… Read More »

Amazon’s history in business has been one of utter dominance wherever it goes. Whether in the US, Europe, APAC or Latin America, the consequences of Amazon’s arrival run deep in every market it has set foot on, transforming not only… Read More »

Argentinean software company Globant is experiencing a steep decline in its share price, mirroring a broader trend in the IT services sector. Globant’s stock has fallen 25% since the year began, generating concern among Wall Street investors. This downward spiral… Read More »

Compliance –whether environmental, labor, data privacy or other– is now an issue of tremendous importance to businesses, and a core part of their day-to-day operations. Remaining compliant is so important that more and more companies are turning to software to… Read More »

China is about to move its tremendous economic and bureaucratic machinery to compete more effectively in the global, increasingly accelerated tech market. Chinese authorities recently announced a three-year plan which aims to upgrade its digital and non-digital workforces, training them… Read More »

Increasing demand for software services of any kind, combined with a relatively short supply of workers capable of delivering them, has put low-code platforms in a very promising position. But the landscape has changed dramatically since low-code became popular among… Read More »

The availability of remote jobs is waning in Latin America, leading to shrinking salaries for workers in the region. A Bloomberg report shows a significant shift in hiring practices across Latin America as companies call employees back to the office.… Read More »

Like many other developing nations, Mexico is no stranger to brain drain. Some of the country’s most promising, young minds find themselves trapped in a landscape that offers very little opportunities for them to take off and fly as high… Read More »

A glance at the conversation around AI would lead anyone to believe that businesses are throwing bag after bag –and, when available, truckload after truckload– of money towards the technology, hoping their investments pay handsomely sometime in the short-to-mid term.… Read More »

German AI startup Parloa, which established its US presence just a few months ago, secured US$66 million in funding. Parloa’s specializes in contact center automation through an innovative AI speech application that enables natural language interactions between customers and AI. Founded… Read More »

There’s no AI without data, a reality which many business leaders have yet to grasp in its entirety as they ride the AI hype train towards an unknown but very promising destination. A recent study by consulting firm Carruthers+Jackson put… Read More »

The radical economic policies of Argentinian President Javier Milei, while controversial and even scary in the eyes of some experts, seem to be appealing to the sense of hope among entrepreneurs in the country’s services sector. A recent survey by… Read More »

Atento, one of the largest call center operators in Latin America, finds itself in the middle of a labor dispute between Mexico and the US. The US Trade Representative (USTR) requested a review panel under the US- Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)… Read More »

Over the past decade, Belize has been quietly building a reputation among BPO industry experts.  In spite of demographic numbers that barely pass the 400,000 people, Belize stands out among other Central American nations due to its population of native… Read More »

Two years into the war with Russia, Ukrainian IT firms fear little for the integrity and continuity of their business operations. True concern comes from better-known, comparatively mundane sources: global economic headwinds, customers who remain extra-cautious and a dwindling flow… Read More »

Mexican labor authorities are getting more serious about worksite inspections, particularly those aimed at making sure that no gender discrimination is happening in the workplace. Mexico’s Labor Ministry recently published a new protocol for gender-focused worksite inspections. The point of… Read More »

The market seems to be growing partial to captive and build-operate-transfer (BOT) setups following the post-COVID digital explosion and the global drive for market-relevant skills. Captive centers and BOTs are attractive models for companies that wish to leverage the advantages… Read More »

Data expertise is amongst the most in-demand tech skills in the market today. In spite of the many options available for hiring engineers globally –from freelancing and EOR arrangements, to the use of staffing agencies and tech consultancies– companies remain… Read More »

Nexus 2024, the flagship event for the Nearshore industry, is shaping up to be one of the most meaningful Nexus programs since its launch in 2011. The Americas’ Nearshore is entering a new period of globalization. Business leaders in the… Read More »

Nearshore recruitment agency CodersLink has filed for bankruptcy, blaming the so-called “super peso” for its financial woes. San Antonio-based CodersLink filed the voluntary petition under chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code on March 12, 2024.  According to the filing,… Read More »

Bismarck Lepe is stepping down from his CEO role at Wizeline, ending a ten-year run as the company’s top executive. Former Softvision and Globant executive Andres Angelani was appointed as Wizeline’s new CEO, with Bismarck Lepe moving into the role… Read More »

Decision makers in the CX space are almost entirely sold on generative AI (GenAI). Nevertheless, many can’t shake off the nightmare scenarios that the technology could bring in matters of data security and compliance. The big spooks: Data security and… Read More »

Years of global economic strain have made workers more fearful for their bottom line. For businesses, this means that they’ll need more than an attractive paycheck to stay competitive in the job market. A recent survey by risk analysis firm… Read More »

Google’s AI-powered, cloud CX platform has put the company on the wrong side of a lawsuit once more. This time, though, the tech giant isn’t alone. Home Depot, a user of Google’s platform, is feeling the heat too. What’s happening?:… Read More »

What do the stock market and weather forecasting have in common? Here’s a clue: stocks are valued based on trend projections, whereas changes in weather are tracked using prevailing atmospheric conditions and meteorological data.  If you guessed “forecasting”, congratulations! Planning… Read More »

You can always learn a new trick or two, even when you’ve spent several years at the top of the corporate ladder. That’s the philosophy behind a group of entrepreneurs and academics in the tech ecosystem of Guadalajara who have… Read More »

Peru’s often overlooked in conversations about nearshore IT. While the Latin American landscape has for decades been dominated by giants like Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina, Peru managed to carve a space of its own in the market for nearshore… Read More »

The appeal of Trinidad & Tobago traveled across the Atlantic and caught the eye of a BPO executive all the way in Scotland.  It’s been less than a year since Scottish BPO firm Ascensos began its incursion into the American… Read More »

Many of us are busy finding areas and ways to implement automation. This article focuses on the contrary.  Although automation gives us an edge over traditional ways of resolving issues and achieving accelerated results, it’s also necessary to identify processes… Read More »

An IBM security researcher proved how frighteningly simple it would be for a hacker to hijack phone conversations using readily available AI tools. Security researcher Chenta Lee posted a report detailing how he and a group of colleagues built a… Read More »

Business leaders in the US are feeling optimistic about the economy in a way they haven’t in years, feeding the hopes of tech service providers who’ve spent most of that time dealing with client uncertainty and considerable slowdown in their… Read More »

The vast expanse of space, once thought to be an infinite and untouched frontier, is now cluttered with a growing menace: space debris.  As humanity’s presence in space expands, so does the risks associated with orbiting fragments of defunct satellites,… Read More »

Mexico registered exceptionally low unemployment numbers for 2023, culminating in an almost two-decade low point by the end of the year.  While the unemployment data itself is very relevant to understanding the state of the Mexican labor market, it is… Read More »

Guadalajara, the so-called “Mexican Silicon Valley”, has left the troubles of the pandemic behind and is undergoing a recovery of its office market, enabled mostly by the tech industry.  Though small when compared with the likes of Mexico City and… Read More »

The hype and fears surrounding AI have caught-up with Teleperformance and Concentrix, the two largest call center operators in the world. Teleperformance and Concentrix shares are in free fall as spooked investors dump their stocks amid growing fears of AI’s… Read More »

Data is currently at the center of everything we do. No business can thrive without it. Outcomes depend on the quantity and quality of data you can access and leverage to improve timelines and operations.  Data seems to be available… Read More »

Guyana is making a big push to attract foreign contact centers to its territory.  Guyana’s government is gearing up to build two massive BPO campuses with an investment of US$2.8 million in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice). These new facilities will house… Read More »

The Colombian government has big plans for AI at a national level. Plans which at the moment have the classic features of vaporware.  Colombia’s Ministry for Information Technologies and Communications (MinTIC) announced in January its plan to build what it… Read More »

Companies are having a hard time meeting the rules and regulations required to be considered ESG compliant, and traditional consultants are not cutting it. That’s why decision makers are turning to a solution which has proven effective in many other… Read More »

The use of online resources for conducting business has multiplied, leading to an increase in the opportunities for hackers to attack. Implementation of cloud-based software exploded thanks to remote work models, and companies were left unprepared, lacking adequate cybersecurity protection. … Read More »

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a heavy swing at phone scammers by effectively outlawing the use of AI-generated voices in telemarketing campaigns and all sorts of spam calls. While the FCC’s decision was widely applauded, questions remain about its… Read More »

An unforseen yet happy coincidence has put Anguilla, a small island in the Caribbean, in a position that is allowing it to benefit in unique ways from the recent AI explosion. By solely managing the issuance of web domain names… Read More »

Montego Bay is one of Jamaica’s premiere locations for the global services industry. The so-called “Second City” is known worldwide as a great vacationing spot, but Jamaican business strategists have been working to maintain momentum as the destination seeks recognition… Read More »

Not even the almighty Apple is safe from the wits of hackers and the vulnerabilities of its own third party providers. The company is among the latest victims of a hack made possible by exploitable routes in the systems shared… Read More »

Chile’s investment promotion agency, InvestChile, received investment commitments worth US$33.5 billion in 2023, with global services ranking among the top draws for foreign capital. The foreign inflow already created nearly 6,000 jobs, with more expected in the coming months as… Read More »

A data breach at Infosys McCamish Systems (IMS), a US-based subsidiary of Infosys BPM, exposed sensitive information of over 57,000 Bank of America (BOA) customers. BOA advised customers to monitor their accounts for suspicious activity, warning of potential identity theft… Read More »

Globant’s been hungering for Brazilian firms for a while, but a recent spree of acquisitions underscores the company’s interest in Latin America’s largest economy and one of the region’s true tech powerhouses. What’s new: Globant recently acquired Iteris Holding, a… Read More »

How near is the nearshore? Nearer than most think, actually. One of the most powerful pillars of Nearshore knowledge services is proximity. Seeing your teams, your partners and your allies is a critical part of the overall recipe for success… Read More »

An anthropologist can be a QA tester. And a QA tester can be an anthropologist. Tech companies find themselves increasingly pressured to find enough people to meet the needs of the industry. Demand climbs higher, and the traditional sources of… Read More »

Europe has its own nearshore, which it has cultivated for a while as a source for remote workers. Nevertheless, it seems like some of the strongest European economies recently picked an interest in Latin American talent. What’s new?: Argentina, Colombia… Read More »

Last year was one of bonanza for Colombia’s Atlantico Department, where the city of Barranquilla is located, thanks to dozens of BPOs setting up shop there and creating nearly a thousand jobs. Foundever, Sagality, Solvo Globa and Hinduja Global Services (HGS)… Read More »

A lot has been said about the forces pushing for return-to-the-office mandates. For Teleperformance, it came down to a simple fact: the client said so. Teleperformance launched a remote operation in Trinidad & Tobago in April of 2022. Less than… Read More »

Accenture’s not exactly a stranger to dealing with unsavory topics that reach the masses. But the company’s recent engagement with the Canadian Government has put it on the defensive.  A series of press reports revealed details of a previously undisclosed… Read More »

Everise has practically made it in its journey to a US$1 billion valuation, feeding high hopes for the future of global services in the healthcare vertical.  Everise announced in late December of 2023 that it had finally clinched capital from… Read More »

For service providers operating outside of US soil, managing data properly and securely can be the defining factor for even being considered as an option for third-party partnerships.  The regulatory landscape has grown more difficult to traverse in the US.… Read More »

Pedro Benzina would be considered one lucky man in Argentina. His profession –software development– ranks amongst the highest paid in the country. If positioned correctly, he could work for transnational companies, earn double the salary of most Argentineans and, fortune… Read More »

Atento’s Mexican subsidiary is being probed by both labor and trade authorities in Mexico and the US over allegations of union busting.  If the accusations hold water, Atento could find itself in a unique and unflattering position as the first… Read More »

It’s clear that the role of culture in business is growing. As companies go for a location-agnostic approach to workforces and jump into an international market, cultural cohesion within the organization and affinity with customers becomes a must.  To achieve… Read More »

Once a promising player in the Nearshore IT services game, AgileThought spent a good portion of 2023 entangled in a battle with former employees in Mexico who publicly accused the company of neglecting its obligations as an employer. The accusations… Read More »

The latest AI explosion has led to the emergence of a new member of the C-suite: the Chief AI Officer, or CAIO.  Faced with the increasing relevance of AI, organizations of all sorts have rushed to appoint someone in charge… Read More »

Digicel owner Denis O’Brien recently put Caribbean nations on notice  that, at the moment, there’s no business case for 5G deployment in the region. Digicel’s big boss stated that neither Digicel nor the rest of the major telecom operators in… Read More »

Google’s strongest asset –its technology– has put the company in hot water once more. The tech giant finds itself on the wrong side of a lawsuit involving alleged customer privacy violations via its own AI-powered, cloud-based contact center platform, known… Read More »

For business process outsourcing (BPO) firms, there’s little solace once they’ve been effectively hit by a phishing attempt. Though law enforcement in the United States and other countries take cybercrime seriously, companies feel that they have no hopes for justice… Read More »

It’s been over a year since Teleperformance signed a major agreement with union federation UNI Global Union. The document has yet to show its impact, but it promises to define the path of how global service providers handle worker’s rights… Read More »

From industry consolidation to the looming possibilities of generative AI, 2023 proved to be a defining year for the global services sector, which is still coming to terms with the transformations forced by several years of “permacrisis”. Last year was… Read More »

Enterprise customers don’t care much about the nuances of a hybrid model in their outsourced operations. For service providers, though, it’s the small, barely visible things which determine the quality of service. Auxis has been cruising through the changes in… Read More »

This year was marked by groundbreaking developments for the CX industry, but few promise to be as impactful as the Department of Labor’s (DOL) lawsuit against gig-CX firm Arise Virtual Solutions. The DOL has characterized the lawsuit as perhaps the… Read More »

AI is expected to be a game changer for white collar jobs, with professional services being one of the sectors which is already seeing the potential for major transformation. Thomson Reuters is keeping track on how professionals themselves perceive AI’s… Read More »

The debate around shorter workweeks is gaining traction, and businesses which depend on offshore/nearshore workforces to keep operations running 24/7 are paying attention. While the prediction of 2023 being the year of the shortened workweek did not come to be,… Read More »

Argentina is days aways from kick-starting the administration of President-elect Javier Milei, which promises to be –at the very least– exceedingly interesting for political, economic and market analysts.  Milei caught international headlines thanks to its highly confrontational, upsetting and unorthodox… Read More »

“By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it”  –Elizier Yudkowsky– By now, most of us have been bombarded with multiple views on Generative AI (GenAI) and how ChatGPT will do… Read More »

Forex volatility, while always a concern among global businesses, developed into quite the headache during 2023, causing major pains to companies operating in offshore and nearshore regions.  From the infamous “super peso” in Mexico to the continuation of Argentina’s inflation… Read More »

OpenAI launched GPTs, a tool which allows users to build chatbots of their own. The company hopes that these custom chatbots will be game changers in business, education, entertainment and daily life in general, bringing the long-running fantasies of virtual… Read More »

E-commerce has emerged as an indispensable component for businesses globally. In the US, e-commerce transactions account for a whopping 26.9% of total revenue generated, as per a recent IBIS World report. While the projected growth for the US is 12.1%,… Read More »

Freelancing and employer of record (EOR) platforms are becoming increasingly popular among HR heads, CTOs and business leaders in general who find themselves in a hurry to hire AI talent.  EOR firm Deel recently reported a Y-o-Y 60% increase in… Read More »

The White House issued an executive order which aims to set the groundwork for the “safe, secure and trustworthy development and use of AI”.  With privacy and consumer protections being two of its driving principles, the question arises: how will… Read More »

Broader interest in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption is one of the defining trends of the global business landscape in 2023. From an innovation perspective, the rise of tools such as ChatGPT and its subsequent integration into Microsoft search engine is… Read More »

The US Department of Labor (DOL) is dragging gig-CX firm Arise Virtual Solutions to court in what the Department itself has characterized as probably ” the largest misclassification case in its history.” The lawsuit, launched by the DOL in late… Read More »

A lot of text has been dedicated to chronicling and analyzing Instacart’s boom in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but little is told about how the company’s back office handled skyrocketing demand. Instacart –a grocery delivery platform– was one… Read More »

Alorica is months away from launching operations in Ciudad del Este, a relatively small town in the eastern border of Paraguay.  Alorica’s footprint in Latin America is huge, but not all-encompassing. There are several other more popular sites where the… Read More »

The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped how industry leaders understand business continuity policies. Information and communications technologies (ICT) became even more relevant for daily work activities. In many cases, these technologies were the only way to conduct business. Most companies that were… Read More »

IT in Ukraine is alive and kicking, and some investors hope the local tech business landscape to develop further even amidst a horizon darkened by war. One of such investors is Vitalii Gorovyi, Founder of Kyiv-based holding InSoft Partners.  The… Read More »

Jamaica is positioning itself to become a launchpad for the growth and thriving of the global digital services industry. The country’s growing strenght in digital services is explored and assessed in Nearshore America’s latest white paper: Jamaica’s Digital Advantage. The… Read More »

Meta’s legal troubles in Kenya and a series of media firestorms have put the claims of “ethical sourcing” trumpeted by several BPOs and data labeling firms under scrutiny.  Questions keep being raised about the fairness, sustainability and actual impact of… Read More »

Expanding a business into Mexico demands a thorough analysis of potential sites for setting up shop. While Mexico’s major cities (Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Mexico City) remain the most popular options for expansion in the tech sector, smaller cities are gaining… Read More »

El Salvador has recently introduced a policy that requires Indian nationals to pay US$1,000 to enter the country by air. The fee, announced by El Salvador’s port authority (CEPA) on October 20, will be applied also to passengers from over… Read More »

I took the opportunity last week to visit Tbilisi, Georgia, as part of a business mission organized by Peter Ryan, founder of Ryan Strategic Advisory, as well an ally and partner of Nearshore Americas. Virtually every delegate, traveling in from… Read More »

The pot is slowly cooking in Guanacaste, Costa Rica’s smallest province and a growing source of interest among tech businesses in search of unexplored horizons in the country. Costa Rica is Central America’s most popular destination for IT outsourcing, and… Read More »

What is Qualcomm planning for the next couple years?  San Diego-based Qualcomm is known mostly for its hardware. From microchips to wireless equipment, the company has carved a name for itself as a provider for some of the biggest names… Read More »

Jamaica-based itel has firmly established itself as a prominent player in the nearshore industry. Founded in 2012 in Montego Bay, itel embarked on a remarkable journey of growth, expanding its operations not only throughout the Caribbean but also across the… Read More »

What has been termed Latin America’s first generative AI Lab is being built in Guadalajara. And Wizeline will be a key architect.  Wizeline and Tec de Monterrey will build a generative AI lab in Guadalajara, a city regarded as Mexico’s… Read More »

For years now, the sheer number of Latin American tech startups and the volumes of VC funds flowing into them have been used as the go-to argument to position the region as the next big thing in tech.  That argument… Read More »

El Salvador set up the terrain for Google’s arrival, a development which feeds into the country’s hopes of becoming one of Central America’s major tech hubs. Google announced in late August that it will set up a legal entity and… Read More »

A month ago, several news outlets from Argentina made a big deal about growth in the country’s tech talent pool over the past couple years, portraying Argentina as a leader in the regional tech race. We decided to dig deeper. Turns… Read More »

The labyrinths of legalese have gone multinational. Cross-border transactions are now a staple of the tech services sector, forcing clients and vendors to traverse territory that is potentially treacherous from a legal standpoint. From issues of compliance and property rights… Read More »

Buyside executives are still treading carefully when it comes to their spend on digital transformation. In spite of the expectations of several Nearshore tech vendors, businesses have yet to shake their concerns over a potential macroeconomic downturn, leading to a… Read More »

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the coolest game in town. Everyone is excited about it. Multimillion-dollar investment announcements in the sector are now a regular occurrence. From the big dominant tech players such as Google, Microsoft and Meta, to Elon Musk’s… Read More »

Vietnamese IT vendor FPT is venturing further into Latin America.  Following its acquisition of Arizona-based Intertec in February of 2023, FPT officially launched operations as a  provider  of Nearshore tech services for customers in North and South America, bringing a… Read More »

There are several ways to measure the hunger for tech workers among US businesses over recent years. One of those ways is to trace the flow of money. Over the past decade, compensation for H-1B visa holders who do computer-related… Read More »

Nearshoring is now an undeniable trend of the current geopolitical and business landscapes, with policymakers and industry leaders paying more attention to it. Amid an intensifying great-power competition between the US and China, American decision makers are promoting what they… Read More »

A month removed from the announcement of a billion dollar investment in Costa Rica, Intel has yet to provide even the slightest detail on what the money will be used for. On August 30, Intel announced that it would invest… Read More »

When speaking of the CALA (Caribbean & Latin America) region, the Caribbean side of the equation tends to be overlooked. Latin America keeps being featured in headlines heralding it as one of the next frontiers in tech and a destination… Read More »

Salesforce is getting more serious with its plays within the market of customer experience (CX) services powered by generative AI (GenAI). Salesforce recently acquired Airkit.AI, a Silicon Valley-based startup which develops virtual customer service agents using generative AI. Airkit’s technology… Read More »

When it comes to global BPO leadership,  South Africa and the Philippines have cultivated a rivalry that is not only interesting to watch but also a harbinger of why the race for global services supremacy is based on a widening… Read More »

Mexico’s credentials for CX keep growing, consolidating the country even further as one of the top options for service delivery in the Americas. Mexico’s unique qualities for CX are explored in Nearshore Americas’ latest white paper, “Evaluating Mexico’s Credentials for… Read More »

Things look a tiny bit cloudy on the cloud services horizon. Undoubtedly, the adoption of cloud services is rising at a constant pace, but most IT professionals agree that cloud services are getting increasingly complex and that managing privacy and… Read More »

Despite all of the hype (or perhaps because of it), CFOs have yet to jump into the generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) bandwagon. A recent survey by Deloitte, as well as comments by IT vendors and software development firms, show that… Read More »

Various jurisdictions in the Caribbean are very well known for their financial sectors. Countries such as The Bahamas, Dominica and The Cayman Islands have well-established offshore banking services. However, as offshore banking receives more scrutiny from organizations like the European… Read More »

A stormy macroeconomic landscape has led to a downsizing of nearshore/offshore delivery center setups in the Americas. While the trend is far from spelling certain doom for the region’s future as a hub for the delivery of BPO/ITO services, it… Read More »

R&D investment has been identified as a major factor in the success of the tech industry’s innovation ecosystems. With several Latin American cities claiming to be the region’s equivalent of Silicon Valley, one would assume that R&D investment holds an… Read More »

Jamaica keeps gaining ground over other geos in the race to become a top player in the global services sector (GSS), thanks in great part to its population’s inherent soft skills. Nearshore Americas’ latest white paper dives deep into the… Read More »

The sudden changes in working and sourcing models spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic promised to transform the global services industry. With a couple years of hindsight, it can be stated that the shift hasn’t been as radical as expected. Sourcing… Read More »

Costa Rica has effectively excluded Chinese companies from bidding on local 5G network contracts, citing concerns about cybersecurity and following a meeting between President Rodrigo Chaves and President Joe Biden in Washington. President Chaves signed a decree which establishes that… Read More »

Historic change is underway in the IT consulting field. The latest wave of tech innovation –spearheaded by ML/AI, cloud computing and IoT, among other trends– has pushed businesses into a mad scramble towards the transformation of their processes, operations and,… Read More »

Uruguay has formally laid the groundwork to attract foreign tech talent. The country’s parliament enacted a law to provide tax incentives to foreign IT workers who settle in its territory. Uruguay, whose IT services industry generated US$1.95 billion in revenue… Read More »

Atento, one of Latin America’s largest providers of CRM and BPO services, announced its delisting from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in late July 2023, after its market capitalization fell below US$15 million over a 30-day period. Atento’s delisting… Read More »

Chile stands out as one of the most politically stable and socially developed countries in Latin America. It tends to perform strongly within the Americas in global indexes which rank government transparency, tech development and R&D.  Many of Chile’s qualities… Read More »

Caribbean nations are doubling their efforts to attract foreign investment. One of the keys to achieve this goal is to successfully prepare and upskill the local workforce. However, attracting foreign talent is also a natural next step for any country… Read More »

Attracting and retaining talent remains a key challenge for BPO companies as the industry continues to face high levels of attrition. This problem affects the operational core of a business as it makes it incapable to develop robust institutional memory,… Read More »

Automation seems to have taken hold of the imaginations of most people in the business world. Thanks to the advent of generative AI, this year has been dominated by fantasies of how automation technologies will revolutionize the ways in which… Read More »

The Mexican peso (MXN) has been gaining ground in the currency markets over the past couple months, eating into the profits of service exporters who tend to negotiate cross-border contracts in US dollars. The Mexican peso began the year being… Read More »

As part of his plan to turn El Salvador into Central America’s next hot destination for tech, President Nayib Bukele promulgated a law which provides handsome tax exemptions for new IT investments.  The new law has made a lot of… Read More »

In IT, change occurs much faster than in other industries. Since the 1950s, when the first commercial general-purpose digital computer was built, the speed and power of central processing units (CPUs) have been doubling approximately every two years. These increases… Read More »

Over the past couple years, something big has been cooking between India and Mexico; something that might lead to stronger trade ties between both economies and fan the flames of Mexico’s growth in IT services exports.  Mexico and India are… Read More »

Compliance has turned into an increasingly relevant yet complicated issue in the services sector. As  business operations become more interconnected, carving a truly global marketplace, governments the world over pay more attention to what’s happening beyond their territories. Compliance has… Read More »

Brazil is Latin America’s biggest tech market, and São Paulo remains the most popular and vibrant hub of IT activity in the country. And yet, macroeconomic pressures, plus São Paulo’s high price tag, are turning smaller, less-solicited Brazilian cities into… Read More »

There’s an awakening taking place in the tech sector of Central America. Historically regarded in the US mainly as a source of migrants, the region is gaining traction as a spot where companies can shop for IT services and find… Read More »

As the demand for IT and global services continues to surge, companies are being pressured to compete in a challenging battle for talent and operational efficiency to survive in a fierce and always-changing market. The concept of nearshoring has emerged… Read More »

Teleperformance is making larger bets on India, pointing to a plan to turn the country into one of the company’s certpieces in its global operations. Company leadership confirmed big plans for expansion in India, where it aims to add 60,000… Read More »

Lately, Nearshore custom software partners are having a tough time keeping their software engineers away from “the bench”.  A host of macroeconomic pressures have resulted in a downturn in business for several providers of IT services, both Onshore and Nearshore.… Read More »

Keeping pace with advances in healthcare is no cakewalk. Healthcare providers throughout the world try to use the best technologies and drugs available to heal their patients. However, hospital administrators and medical professionals spend a lot of time also on… Read More »

With compliance becoming more present in corporate discourse, companies should be on the lookout for inappropriate or outright corrupt business practices when operating in any territory, including the Nearshore. Yet, it must be underscored that business integrity is a two-way… Read More »

Like several other players in the BPO space, TELUS International (a Nexus Illuminate Award winner) is going through a period of change that has the potential to transform not only the company, but the industry as a whole. Nearshore Americas… Read More »

CX providers keep trying to balance attempts at offering the best value for their clients while remaining nimble and creative enough to be adaptable in the industry’s ever-changing terrain.  Though the relationship between CX vendors and the Nearshore has been… Read More »

The Nearshore is rich in resources, both natural and human. US companies have known this for years, and their awareness of the fact has resulted in a steady flow of talent (both temporary and potentially permanent) from Latin America and… Read More »

SoftServe’s 30th anniversary is a landmark achievement, to be sure. But as the company celebrates three decades since its launch in Lviv (Ukraine), it also looks back at the first 365 days of its most recent venture: Latin America. SoftServe… Read More »

A shortage of traditional higher-education institutions and the opportunities presented by the IT industry seem to be pushing Mexican students towards online universities —which are smaller and less known— to get computer science degrees. What’s happening?: In Mexico, the two… Read More »

Central America is making taller and taller waves in the global business stage. Historically passed over in favor of more popular regions, Central America has been garnering more credibility as a source for high quality service delivery, sophisticated tech talent… Read More »

Remote work is here to stay, but not in the ways predicted a couple years ago. As the COVID-19 pandemic fades into bitter memory, many of the changes that it brought to the labor market have had enough time either… Read More »

Competition in the Mexican market among CX firms and tech services providers is becoming brutal.  In the last two years, Mexico has emerged as a star within nearshore markets, with firms like Concentrix, Globant, Syras and Webhelp recently expanding operations… Read More »

Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to revolutionize workflows in most industries, with software development being one of the activities in which the technology’s prospects are already taking shape.  Faced with the threat of labor shortages, coding factories have spent the past… Read More »

Nevermind the exorbitant salaries. The IT industry’s fast pace and high stress environment is taking a heavy toll on the mental health of many tech executives, pushing a significant portion of them into subtance abuse as a coping mechanism. A… Read More »

The abduction and grueling assassination of a group of call center agents in Mexico has put the country under the international spotlight once more, reviving the conversation around Mexico’s high levels of insecurity and its faulty implementation of rule of… Read More »

After decades of speculation in scientific journals, laboratories and science fiction yarns, it seems like AI has finally arrived. Yet, are businesses ready to harness the power of those “self-taught” and “self-thinking” solutions? To close Nexus 2023, NSAM gathered a… Read More »

Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) have revolutionized the way businesses operate across various industries. This article dives deep into the best practices, challenges and solutions for ML projects, sharing expertise and experience to help your business thrive.  These… Read More »

BPO pricing for domestic services from the US seems to have hit a wall. Meanwhile, Nearshore rates have been steadily climbing since the start of the Covid-19 period. With rumblings of saturation encircling the most popular and tried Nearshore locations,… Read More »

Compliance. Social responsibility. Impact sourcing. ESG. The business world seems to have grown a more concerned conscience over the past decade, resulting in global efforts to turn companies into something more benevolent than mere money-making machines. In spite of those… Read More »

The mad race to capitalize on the potential of generative AI has been going on for months. In the Nearshore, service providers have been experimenting with the technology’s capabilities to provide value to their customers as well as to improve… Read More »

The term “usability” qualifies the ease of use of a product or a system. It is measured by factors such as learnability, efficiency, error rate and utility for the intended job functions. If products or systems do not check all… Read More »

The Mexico-US border has for decades been a hot button issue which catalyzes some of the most passionate discussions about politics, economics and culture. Yet, as the debate rages on, the inhabitants of Monterrey (Nuevo Leon, Mexico) and Austin (Texas)… Read More »

Much has been said about artificial intelligence’s (AI) potential to catalyze the next “great leap forward” in humanity’s technological and productive capabilities. Yet, not enough has been discussed about what the technology could do for regions like Latin America and… Read More »

Nearshore Americas’ is proud to present the first-ever Nearshore Value Index (NVI), a tool designed to calibrate Nearshore destinations according to the value those locations deliver. The NVI was officially unveiled during Nexus 2023 and, going forward, will be updated… Read More »

Artificial intelligence (AI) is once again making a mark on the global stage following the release of OpenAI’s GPT-4, a particularly advanced chatbot, late last year. Its arrival generated mixed opinions. While some celebrated the milestone in the evolution of… Read More »

“For AI, we’re all in from day one, baby. That’s what’s different; it’s an equalizer.” Such were the words of Richie Etwaru, CEO and Founder of spatial AI firm Mobeus, who kick-started Nexus 2023’s conference cycle with a keynote speech… Read More »

In the sound and fury that spurs from the conversations about the futures that could be enabled by AI, a thought stands out for its optimism about the technology: what if AI turns out to be the great equalizer at… Read More »

In the midst of a business landscape that turns more challenging and surprising by the day, the Nearshore remains resilient not only in its value offering, but in its disruptive power.  In that context, NSAM proudly honored the winners of… Read More »

Cloud computing has revolutionized how the world does business. With distributed data storage and shared resources in multiple data centers, organizations and end users now enjoy immense capabilities. Businesses can scale affordably and powerfully, accessing applications and resources globally through… Read More »

Guyana-born innovator and tech entrepreneur, Richie Etwaru, will serve as keynote speaker at Nexus 2023, taking place June 14-15th, just outside New York City. A self-described “humble technology enthusiast”, Richie Etwaru has made groundbreaking contributions to the fields of Immersive… Read More »

In the face of talent shortages, several IT providers have opted to build a university of their own. The strategy allows for direct access to a fresh crop of tech graduates, while ensuring that their skill set is market-relevant out… Read More »

A digital buzz is growing louder in Monterrey, Mexico’s premier manufacturing town. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) opened its first office in Monterrey, the capital city of Mexico’s northern state of Nuevo Leon. Though this is TCS’s ninth office in the… Read More »

Providers of nearshore services, as well as regional governments, have been suddenly pushed into an upskilling race with AI.  With the technology being integrated into more service portfolios, portions of the workforce in the region will find themselves not only… Read More »

The AI train is gaining momentum, and the pressure to jump on board grows more intense by the day. Unfortunately, the urgency of the situation might lead some companies to fall flat on their faces as they race against the… Read More »

At the very core of decision-making and business performance, lies data quality.  When a company’s fundamental data is unreliable, of poor quality or just plain incorrect, even the best technologies and most accomplished professionals will struggle, potentially making catastrophic errors.… Read More »

You’ve been successfully hit by a ransomware attack. What do you do? Assuming you decide to pay ransom –a choice that, at least in the Americas, remains covered in shades of gray–,  it’s likely that you’ll call a ransomware negotiator.… Read More »

For companies, tax codes can be one of the most intimidating factors when assessing whether to jump into the Latin American market. The diversity of tax systems in the region, plus language and cultural barriers, can turn a process which… Read More »

Tech expertise is gaining luster in the eyes of companies interested in outsourcing IT operations to nearshore/offshore territories, changing the dynamics of a market driven for decades by lower labor costs. The numbers: 60% of companies surveyed by Bain &… Read More »

After years of turmoil, the office real estate market in Colombia is undergoing unavoidable changes. Once remote work trends took hold in the country, office real estate had to react fast. Company (and employee) preferences changed quickly, heralding a transformation… Read More »

The resources of the planet are being stretched beyond all limits despite the focus on sustainable business practices. The climate crisis continues to loom large, and resources are getting scarcer. It’s no longer considered enough to practice sustainability, which is… Read More »

The team at Nearshore Americas is proud to announce the launch of the Nearshore Location Value Index, the industry’s first robust analysis of technology services’ destinations in the Nearshore specifically crafted to measure cost vs. value. The top 20 locations… Read More »

The Costa Rican government has taken the shocking step of halting funding for CINDE –the country’s national investment promotion agency – in a move that deliberately signals the government’s growing uneasiness with relying on FDI from the United States to… Read More »

BPO providers find themselves in a mad scramble to properly understand and implement the latest AI tools, with generative AI being at the forefront of their priorities.  The state of things: For months, BPO vendors have been experimenting with the… Read More »

There’s a lot of noise surrounding generative AI, and few are the voices out there attempting to bring nuance to the many conversations about the technology’s role in human activity.  One of those few voices belongs to Joe Procopio, a… Read More »

Acquisitions are nothing new to the global CX industry, but two mega mergers announced over the past month have triggered an unusual amount of indigestion.  Four of the biggest fish in the CX pond agreed to pair their businesses and… Read More »

Technology has been advantageous to organizations in many ways, but few compare to the transformative power that data presents.  Big data that allows businesses to turn numbers into actionable insights is a veritable game changer. It is no surprise that… Read More »

It’s been a couple months since Elon Musk confirmed his plans for a Tesla mega-factory in Monterrey, but the announcement is still making waves in the Mexican city, located a couple hours away from the Texas border. Expectations are flying… Read More »

Colombia and Chile have officially taken an axe to their respective work weeks, following a trend that seems to be taking hold in some European territories and showing signs of a groundswell in Latin America. On April 11, the Chilean… Read More »

Managing tail spend is usually compared to searching for a needle in a chaotic haystack. Nevertheless, the openings that tail spend management offers for procurement opportunities lend themselves to a more positive comparison: a gold mine which, if worked properly,… Read More »

The global inflation crisis placed additional strain on supply chain networks. Rising input costs have exerted significant pressure on margins; supply chains are breaking down, increasing inefficiencies, thereby increasing costs. As a result, business leaders need to plan their strategies… Read More »

The heart of El Salvador’s entrepreneurial community weighs heavy with grief due to the sudden loss of Darwin Romero, Co-Founder of Applaudo Studios and one of the country’s most promising young businessmen.  Romero, 40, died in a car crash last… Read More »

Content moderation has grown into such a hot button issue over the last several years that some BPOs have decided to abandon ship before the flames catch up to them. Given the size of the investments and the levels of… Read More »

While politicians squabble over hot-button issues surrounding the Mexico-US border, business keeps booming in the so-called “Cali-Baja” mega region, blurring the dividing line between the states of California and Baja California. Few places embody the Nearshore mentality like the Cali-Baja… Read More »

Mexico keeps making waves internationally. The COVID-19 pandemic-related disruptions as well as geopolitical tensions are pushing for a “Made in Mexico” label at the center of global supply chains. During 2022, foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country increased by… Read More »

Something’s cooking in the Caribbean. Something big and difficult to ignore. With years of economic turmoil on its back and, apparently, a couple more ahead, the global services sector (GSS) is still reconfiguring its delivery strategies. Big and mid-sized companies… Read More »

At this very moment, the Nearshore is living in a ‘golden age’, says Nearshore Americas’ founder and chief analyst, Kirk Laughlin, in a recent podcast interview with Michele Marius, publisher and editor of ICT Pulse, a Caribbean-based online blog and… Read More »

There’s much to know about Mexico’s tech capabilities and the country’s potential to progress further in its role as an IT powerhouse in Latin America. Nearshore Americas’ most recent special report showcases the bona fides of Mexico’s IT services and… Read More »

When assessing Latin America’s tech labor market, Mexico and Brazil stand head and shoulders above the rest of the region due to the sheer size of their workforces. Both countries have been able to leverage their positions as the two… Read More »

Data is driving everything. Although HR departments have yet to catch up entirely, the emergence of people analytics is pushing recruitment towards more tech and data-driven practices, allowing companies to chip away at the biases embedded in their hiring processes.… Read More »

Beyond the hassle and the unwanted media attention, cyberattacks can be quite costly for BPOs. Cybersecurity is a growing concern for practically all industries. BPOs, though, find themselves among the most vulnerable targets. A report by cybersec vendor SentinelOne pointed… Read More »

All businesses have one primary concern. Irrespective of whether you own the business or are a key stakeholder, you will be focused on revenue generation and all it entails. When all attention is given to bringing in new customers and… Read More »

Monterrey’s been visited recently by some of the biggesst companies in the tech business. Heavy players such as Google and Meta are frequenting the city (located in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon), leaving with bagfuls of freshly graduated programmers… Read More »

Wizeline has been sending its software engineers back to school to participate in a different kind of learning. The tech services vendor recently opened a new in-premises office within the Monterrey (one of Mexico’s top tech cities) campus of Tec… Read More »

For foreign investors, it seems like criminality comes with the territory when operating in Latin America. In spite of the region’s heavily publicized shortcomings when it comes to managing crime and corruption, investment from all corners of the world continues… Read More »

Coaching is a term usually associated with sports. The role of a sports coach is straightforward; it is to enable athletes to reach their full potential. This concept can be adapted for the corporate world with leaders playing the role… Read More »

Sooner or later, the so-called “Amazon Effect” had to make its way into the BPO industry.  Amazon has been using its big dog status to strong-arm offshore and nearshore BPO partners into using LanguaTest, an English proficiency testing tool from… Read More »

The tsunami of layoffs in the United States’ tech industry has altered the job market once more. Whether the changes are for better or worse depends on who you’re asking, but the fact remains: the sands keep shifting, and all… Read More »

A decade ago, Carlos Vela-Treviño stepped into a legal firm, about to start a job as a young IT lawyer in Mexico. His colleagues were welcoming, yet ill-informed.  “They thought I was a computer technician; someone who does repairs”, Vela-Treviño,… Read More »

It’s widely accepted that Agile software development can deliver significant customer value while providing an engaging and rewarding experience for the team. Twenty plus years after its implementation, the questions remain: what is Agile, really, and where do Agile frameworks… Read More »

A robust workforce with solid English fluency is a core requirement of all non-native English speaking destinations. Companies and governments in the region know this and have spent years scrambling to upskill local populations in that direction. The results, unfortunately,… Read More »

It finally happened. CrossConnect Forum is in the books, and new paths are already opening for the trade of tech services between Europe and the Caribbean and Latin America region (CALA). With the participation of over 20 industry experts and… Read More »

The global services industry is no stranger to witnessing the social and economic impacts of client operations in major delivery hotspots. India, the Philippines, Costa Rica and other countries have seen entire communities given a shot at upward mobility thanks… Read More »

A new vision and a day for transatlantic global business connections emerged yesterday at CrossConnect Forum, a conference launched by the Nearshore Americas team that highlighted the vast opportunities for digital business partnerships.  Over 20 industry experts painted a bullish… Read More »

Pressures keep mounting for CIOs and other C-suite executives as they try to maintain a balance between in-house development of technological capabilities and organizational needs for third-party expertise. The winds of technological change blow with increasing fury, giving businesses no… Read More »

Have you ever had an experience with a business where everything just seemed to click? Perhaps a restaurant with delicious food and friendly staff, or a store with helpful employees and tailor-made products that made your shopping experience a breeze? … Read More »

A lot has been said about the Nearshore’s appeal as a provider of IT services for the US market, but details are often lost in those general statements. The Nearshore is a vast and diverse region, a fact that is… Read More »

We’ve only glimpsed the potential business and societal applications of blockchain. Though some of blockchain’s most wide-spread implementations have yet to get regulators and the general public on board, enthusiasts of this technology won’t give up on its promises. Innovative… Read More »

Automation is inching its way into Jamaica. With it come hopes for the economic future of the island, but also the urgency to upskill its workforce, particularly the women, before the impact of technology is felt too severely in the… Read More »

The Sutherland v Sitel trial is no more, officially putting to rest years of a courtroom battle between two of the biggest names in the BPO industry. All parties involved in Sutherland Global Services Inc. v Sengupta et al agreed… Read More »

It’s been over six months since part-time jobs were effectively outlawed in Honduras. Although short, the time has been rough for BPOs, which to this day find themselves scrambling for ways to stay afloat. “We had to get creative”, said… Read More »

A rumbling can be heard across the Atlantic.  In the midst of the so-called “permacrisis”, businesses have grown aware of the need to diversify operations. Relying on a single or even a handful of locations to support business operations proved… Read More »

When the CEO of a unicorn mortgage lender startup fired 900 of his employees over a zoom call with several trailing expletives, the corporate world united in deriding his methods. Amidst the upheaval caused and the media glare, the distanced… Read More »

The legal fees and paperwork keep piling up for BPOs, which seem to be having a rough time shielding their systems from cybercriminals.  Over the past couple years, several BPO vendors have found themselves embroiled in PR firestorms and lawsuits… Read More »

It’s no secret that tech wages across the Americas vary considerably. But how wide is that gap? The following infographic means to illustrate how much average tech salaries differ throughout the US, Canada and several Latin American countries. Built on… Read More »

Roughly ten years ago, there was a widely held belief that the authority wielded by the Chief Information Officer was starting to shrink. Much of this was a result of the ascendancy of the Chief Digital Officer, idealized at the… Read More »

It all began innocently enough; with an infographic. A small corner of social media bubbled with controversy after data visualizer Latinometrics published a graph which illustrates the relationship between English proficiency among Latin American countries and their nearness to the US. … Read More »

After five years of honeymooning, Amazon and Costa Rica have finally reached a rough patch. Amazon was forced to hit the brakes in its aggressive expansion campaign in Costa Rica, which had resulted in a constant flow of foreign investment… Read More »

The road to green software is no highway; it’s long, bumpy and easy to abandon. Nevertheless, those who champion sustainable business practices see it as a necessary path to take if private enterprise is truly committed to bring positive change,… Read More »

A recent reform in Mexico’s labor law granted employees a considerable increase in their guaranteed paid vacation time, providing a much needed victory for workers’ rights in the country. For employers, unfortunately, that triumph will most probably increase their labor… Read More »

Managing a global payroll is no easy task, but someone has to do it.  In the age of remote work and the internationalization of the hunt for talent, companies that provide employer of record (EOR) services have to find their… Read More »

“The reality is that we are not being honest as a society.” Such were the words of Nana Baffour –Chairman, CEO and Chief Culture Officer of Qintess– when asked about the dynamics of positive social change and profit-driven enterprise.   “There’s… Read More »

Foreign investors are so dead set on their Mexican bets that not even explosions of cartel violence are enough to scare them into running away from the table, chips in hand.   Mexico began 2023 under the international spotlight when Culiacan,… Read More »

The clear blue skies once shining on Colombia’s tech industry have disappeared. In spite of the optimism generated by a post-COVID acceleration in the sector’s exports and overall revenue, a combination of economic fears for 2023 and the arrival of… Read More »

Brazilian President Lula da Silva has effectively blocked segments of the country’s upcoming digital education policy in what’s been seen as an attempt to free federal funds for his government’s expensive social welfare programs. Lula signed Brazil’s latest digital education… Read More »

Nearshore Americas, in tandem with IT solutions firm Zigatta, has released a new white paper which offers an in-depth look at the wealth of tech talent across Latin America. Titled “The State of Nearshore Digital Talent,” the document provides details… Read More »

The tech industry is one of accelerated and never-ending growth, where anyone who owns a company of any sort could be in need of IT talent. According to a McKinsey study published last year, significant skill gaps in seven IT… Read More »

Firms from the UK and other European countries seem to be unaware of the tech explosion that’s been happening on LATAM and the Caribbean. That unawareness could cost them dearly.

During Jampro’s Invest Jamaica 2022 event, a panel of finance industry representatives and Jamaican government officials discussed the state of Jamaica’s financial sector

Another fruitful year has gone by for the Nearshore. In spite of the so-called “permacrisis” that stretched throughout 2022 –or maybe because of it–  investors kept betting on the region, which managed to hold on to its reputation as a… Read More »

The year 2023 is already here. What can the Nearshore expect from it? Economic headwinds, a shifting political culture in Latin America and the continuing evolution of work-from-home represent some of the more obvious trends. But in this case, our… Read More »

IDB Invest (the private sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank) put Jamaica on the map of green investors in an attempt to push the island to new heights.  James Scriven, CEO of IDB Invest, sang Jamaica’s praises in a… Read More »

The year 2022 was one of tough lessons.  As the world around the Nearshore shifts drastically, the region grows more popular as a destination for investment and as a source of top talent. All that change brings with itself new… Read More »

The industry of global digital services is one of the fastest growing in Jamaica. According to JamPro’s numbers, the industry achieved a local revenue of US$700 million in 2020 and boasts the highest growth in employment rate of any industry… Read More »

In a year of shake-ups for Latin America, Colombia stands out as one of the countries that felt most shaken. Following months of mass protests against former President Ivan Duque’s policies, the country elected Gustavo Petro as its next head… Read More »

Blind trust is rarely, if ever, good company policy. Especially when it comes to cybersecurity certifications. As the world grows technologically sophisticated, so does cybercrime. The post-COVID tidal wave of digitalization processes among companies, governments and other sorts of organizations… Read More »

Jamaica’s on the road to becoming a regional business process outsourcing (BPO) hub. But there’s still work to be done before the Caribbean island can claim that achievement. The case was put forth by Jaime Granados, Chief of the Trade… Read More »

Sometimes bizarre regulatory requirements and complicated socio-political terrain has failed to slow down Nearshore landings over the last year. Some of the Nearshore’s most popular locations found themselves ranked atop TMF Group’s latest Global Business Complexity Index, a report that… Read More »

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is celebrating 20 years of operations in Latin America. The company landed in the southernmost corner of the region, launching in Uruguay back in 2002. Today, it has offices in 16 Latin American cities throughout nine… Read More »

The Hispanic market is one of the fastest and strongest-growing in the US, and its momentum is expected to continue over the coming decades. Nevertheless,the same can’t be said about one of its defining characteristics: speaking Spanish. As of 2020,… Read More »

What’s in a job title? Apparently, less than those who hold them would like to believe. Job titles are a staple of business and corporate culture. They are used to identify someone’s place and responsibilities within an organization, while also… Read More »

Costa Rica added another name in the growing list of US companies who have chosen the Central American country as its home for Nearshore tech and business operations. The motivation to chose Costa Rica is not typical however.  Fashion clothing… Read More »

The outlook for economic growth in Latin America has darkened, and unease around global economic turmoil is strangling investment in the region’s startup ecosystem. Yet, nearshore investment hasn’t lost any of its shine in the eyes of foreign investors. Regional… Read More »

The Merida sun shines strong and bright against the crystal structure of Torre Indico, Webhelp’s latest project in the city and the first step in what aims to be an agressive plan of expansión in the Mexican market. Opened in… Read More »

With rich history and culture, exceptional food, pristine beaches and majestic mountains, Puerto Rico’s a quintessential Caribbean paradise. But looking closer you will find a different side to this paradise: a robust, modern entrepreneurial and IT services ecosystem burgeoning as… Read More »

After a couple years of pandemic-related pressures, will US-based call centers finally catch a break? The customer service industry has not been exempt from the constant poundings provided by inflation over the past few years. In a business where wages… Read More »

Government is not exempt from the wave of digital transformation sweeping the world, and tech entrepreneurs like Paola Santana have taken notice. Santana is the CEO and Co-Founder of Glass, a digital marketplace for government purchases that aims to transform… Read More »

Nearshore tech outsourcing is a people-driven business, and one of the most uncomfortable realities of the industry is that customers can be nasty people too.  For Nearshore staffing firms and providers of IT talent, servicing a customer that is being… Read More »

Former diplomat Carmen Cecilia Caballero Villa was named President of ProColombia, Colombia’s federal investment promotion agency (IPA) and a key player in the country’s FDI strategy. Caballero, who previously worked as Consul General in Spain, takes over as the country… Read More »

As big as it is, not even The Walt Disney Company can ignore the mounting pressures that have been pushing businesses worldwide towards digital transformation. Such was the message delivered by Bob Iger, Disney’s former CEO and one of the… Read More »

Though hybrid and work-from-home (WFH) delivery models are seen increasingly as the “new normal” of the CX industry, they are driving a wedge between buyers and providers. Both sides of the negotiating table are clashing over the actual costs of… Read More »

The Nearshore industry has grown rapidly in the last few years. With the pandemic and the dramatic expansion of digitally-driven industries, demand for outsourced customer services has only increased. We’ve seen the value of the global outsourcing industry climb and companies… Read More »

Buyers of customer experience (CX) services find their backs inching closer to the wall. After the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic, they now face the pressures of increasing demand for customer support, rising inflation and the tough waters of a… Read More »

The past decade has been one of bonanza for India’s exports of outsourced software and business services.  The country’s export revenue from IT/BPO services grew almost three-fold over the pat 10 years, jumping from US$62 billion in 2012 to US$156… Read More »

The court ruling against Uber’s former security chief over the cover-up of a 2016 data breach is the talk of town in cybersecurity circles. In Latin America’s corner of the cybersec world, though, the conversation has been more reflexive and… Read More »

It is increasingly evident that fatter paychecks won’t solve the alarmingly high churn rates in the global customer experience (CX) industry.  As demand keeps climbing and the market pushes towards improved performance at the same or lower costs, CX vendors… Read More »

Promoting foreign investment requires more than getting investors to open their wallets. The process demands ongoing care, transparency and a constant flow of pertinent, useful information. NSAM had the opportunity to speak with Vanessa Gibson, Director of Investment Climate at… Read More »

Panama is getting a renewed shot at becoming a hotspot in the Nearshore business process outsourcing (BPO) ecosystem.  Panama is known today among BPO operators as one of the most mature markets in the region. The Central American country garnered… Read More »

At the Clinton Global Initiative September 2022 meeting, former President Bill Clinton recognized research firm Everest Group’s pledge to grow the global impact sourcing market from its current level of 350,000 full time employees (FTEs) to half a million in… Read More »

When Unilever launched a dishwashing brand that used a water-conserving technique to develop it, total sales of its entire “eco-friendly” category outpaced other brands in its portfolio. In the same vein, Finland’s leading petroleum-refining company, Neste, changed tracks to renewable… Read More »

Libertad Digital, one of the main promoters of digital skills programs in the Dominican Republic, is gearing up to add much needed fresh talent to the country’s tech workforce over the next couple years. But several questions surround the program’s… Read More »

The Europeans are coming, and with them, an acceleration in the CALA-Euro sourcing connection. Though already attractive to potential clients hailing from the Old Continent, Latin American and Caribbean (CALA) countries are glowing with even brighter light in the eyes… Read More »

In August of this year, the US-based fintech firm American First Finance opened a new site in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The move was not unique. As Jamaica keeps experiencing sustained growth in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector, announcements of… Read More »

India’s tech capital is drowning. After being hit by flooding rainfall, the city of Bangalore –which houses local offices of tech giants such as Google, Wipro, Cisco, SAP and Infosys– turned into a watery disaster zone, underlining the rising risk… Read More »

Recent studies have suggested that labor inflation for tech talent is only going to get worse, with demand far outstripping supply in the coming years. But is this a reasonable assumption, given that we may be looking down the barrel… Read More »

The odds might not favor Sitel Group in the next chapter of its legal battle with Sutherland Global Services, which accused the former of allegedly stealing confidential company information and using it to obtain business with at least one major… Read More »

Beauty and comfort can go a long way in many contexts, including the hunt for qualified workers. Pfizer’s aware of this and has made it part of its workforce strategy to fill-up its newest Costa Rican facilities.  The pharmaceutical giant… Read More »

Worldwide, automation use cases are spreading rapidly across various industries and sectors, with sensor-based technologies playing a fundamental role in enhancing the reach of automation. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is one of the most promising sensor-based technologies for the… Read More »

Even though the world is walking deeper into its own digital creations, the fact remains: the real world is out there too, and it still holds a strong influence over its virtual counterpart. David R. Bell (international bestselling author, former… Read More »

Sutherland Global Services and Sitel Operating Corporation –two of the biggest players in the global BPO industry– are gearing up for a trial over alleged claims of stolen trade secrets and the loss of at least one major client potentially worth… Read More »

Uruguay might be a relatively small player in a land of giants, but the country is gaining fame and momentum in Latin America’s technology landscape. Nearshore Americas had the opportunity to chat with Carlos Acle, President of Uruguay’s Tech Industry… Read More »

The years keep piling up, and the tech world hasn’t been able to escape the stranglehold of its talent crisis. At Nexus 2022, a group of tech executives discussed what their respective companies have been doing to tackle the issue… Read More »

“We’ve never had an expat run a country operation. We’ve never relocated somebody from the US”, said Raul Vega, Co-Founder, President and CEO of Auxis, a Nearshore outsourcing and consulting firm that has been gaining more and more traction with… Read More »

What can be said about the risk of investment in the Nearshore? Economist and tech specialist Anthony Porter spoke to NSAM at Nexus 2022 about risk and opportunity for investors in the Nearshore: from the availability of talent to the… Read More »

BPO and ITO service providers are now spoiled for choices when it comes to their delivery options. From a traditional office setup, to full-on remote and a wealth of hybrid models, companies face more diversity than ever when deciding how… Read More »

The age of the digital nomads is upon us, and governments throughout the world are jumping at the opportunity of attracting working, travel-starved foreigners with disposable income into their shores. Latin American and Caribbean countries are now involved in a… Read More »

Things are moving fast in the CX space. With the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic apparently behind us, the world is still adapting to new, and more flexible work models, catching up with the impact of tech transformation and dealing… Read More »

What’s the value of college degrees, really? For many IT employers, the answer is “less than we initially thought”. In an attempt to deal with an increasingly tight job market, and realizing that they can find skilled software engineers outside… Read More »

How well are Nearshore partners positioned to propel the digital transformation of their clients? NSAM had a one-on-one at Nexus 2022 with Rajeev Gupta, Nearshore LATAM Head and Mexico Country Head at TCS, on topics such as software and language… Read More »

Scope creep is one of the many realities faced by development teams working in the Nearshore. Whether it is avoidable or not can be debated, but the fact remains: your feet will be stuck in the muck of it if… Read More »

As the landscape changes, site location becomes even more relevant for Nearshore operations. At Nexus 2022, a panel of experts conformed by Jeff Pappas (Managing Director at Mohr Partners), Sakshi Garg (VP at Everest Group) and Kaye Greenidge (CEO at… Read More »

Each year, the international education company Education First EF (EF) publishes its English Proficiency Index, which ranks more than 100 countries based on the English skills of their populations. Several leading organizations such as Statista constantly use and replicate this… Read More »

Nowports is a supply chain-oriented Latin American startup which only recently achieved Unicorn status. The company has found itself in the midst of a media cyclone over its fundraising success. In a context of high inflation, dovish venture capital firms,… Read More »

In late June, Google announced a US$2 million investment that aims to develop female tech talent in Mexico’s southeast, a region that has been historically marginalized, lagging behind in economic growth. The investment –implemented through the Google Career Certificate program… Read More »

Technology and innovation have become crucial tools to navigate a world that moves faster than ever and is more connected than ever on several levels. Two tech experts –Rajeev Gupta, Head of the Nearshore/Latin America region and Mexico Country Head… Read More »

In a mood to change the curtains? Remembered an important birthday a tad too late? Or simply forgot to order groceries? Nth-hour shopping panic has never been so peaceful thanks to the convenient next-day and 10-minute deliveries. The real action,… Read More »

While some of the biggest names in tech are freezing hirings, slowing them down or outright laying off part of their engineering teams, firms in Latin America are gearing up for a battle of open wallets in an attempt to… Read More »

Everyone’s dealing with the IT talent crisis, but there are options available to deal with it. At Nexus 2022, Ashish Patel, Founder and CEO at Simpat Tech, shared his outlook for the IT talent landscape in the Nearshore in the… Read More »

As the corporate world seems to grow more careful about its social and environmental impacts, several companies are going the extra mile to align themselves with the ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria of potential investors. In the business process… Read More »

These are times of high risk, and investors are understandably extra careful when approaching new territories in search of investment prospects. During Nexus 2022, Felipe Brito, Partner at CI&T, spoke openly about the challenges faced by the Nearshore and delivered… Read More »

Coders and showbiz may sound like a strange match, but that’s one of the latest bets in Latin America to promote software development and drive the topic of global demand for tech talent into the living rooms of television viewers.… Read More »

Less than a 150 mile drive from Guadalajara –one of Mexico’s most well known and successful tech hubs– there’s Colima, a small state with big hopes for its future as the country’s next technological sensation. Colima, with a population of… Read More »

A new generation of entrepreneurs is making its way and leaving its mark in the business ecosystem, bringing to the table fresh ideas on what being a successful company (and person) actually means. A trio of top tech executives (Andrea… Read More »

Guadalajara’s top tech executives are going back to school. Jalisco’s Institute of Information Technologies (known as Ijalti) launched this year a PhD program designed for the top executives in one of Mexico’s most successful and prolific tech clusters. The program… Read More »

As the IT services industry grows more competitive by the day, top players have managed to differentiate themselves and rise above the rest through a combination of their capability to innovate with their products and business approaches, keeping a focus… Read More »

As more eyes look to the Nearshore, potential partners in the region need to step-up their game in order to become more attractive and gain advantages over the competition, which grows fiercer every day. Peter Ryan (President and Principal Analyst… Read More »

The Mexican government has big plans in mind for nearshoring in the country, but they could run afoul due to a poor performance in English skills. Mexico’s Ministry of Finance and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced in early July… Read More »

Although it’s already a source of quality partners and IT talent, the Nearshore region is still evolving. During a Q&A session at Nexus 2022, Issam Gharios (VP of Software at Highres Biosolutions) provided his thoughts on the continued development of… Read More »

Artificial intelligence (AI) arrived on the scene with a promise of radical change for a wide array of industries. CX is not the exception. Speaking to NSAM during Nexus 2022, Yoni Epstein –Founder and CEO at itel– shared his views… Read More »

The popularity of global outsourcing has grown over the past couple years, and it seems that it will grow even further thanks in part to the darkening economic horizon. Nevertheless, many companies still have trouble getting the hang of it,… Read More »

There’s a steady flow of businesses migrating data and processes to the cloud, while many others are being born with cloud-native strategies already adopted into their model. Nevertheless, there’s still much to do and many questions remain unanswered. What’s the… Read More »

Even when they consider it to be a crucial tool for optimization and even radical change in their processes and business model, the truth is that companies still have a tough time figuring out the true weight and relevance of… Read More »

The effects of a recent cyberattack on the government of Costa Rica have already reached the country’s private companies, adding pressure to federal authorities and underlining the ever-growing risks of vulnerable government systems. Several companies operating in Costa Rica were… Read More »

Timing is crucial for investment anywhere, but waiting for the exact moment to make a perfect shot might actually kill your possibilities for making the best out of your bet. Same logic applies for Nearshore investment. Latin America and the… Read More »

From 2005 to 2020, Luis Alberto Moreno led the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the largest source of development financing to Latin American and Caribbean countries. With that wealth of experience under his belt —plus several years as Minister of Economic… Read More »

In the midst of heavier capital expenditures, rising demand, a mad race to hire tech talent in low supply and the alarm bells of economic turmoil going off in the United States, companies have grown interested in low-code and no-code… Read More »

Over the last couple years, artificial intelligence (AI) has grown more and more relevant in the agendas and the budgets of companies on the verge of digital transformation. In a recent survey done by Baker McKenzie, 43% of responding firms… Read More »

Things are heating up in the mad scramble for software engineers in the Nearshore. Lately, recruiters and staff-augmentation firms that operate in Latin America and the Caribbean have noticed a new competitor making bolder incursions into their home turf, snatching… Read More »

Latin America experienced a particularly turbulent 2021. The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic were still causing serious damage, and sectors as diverse as education, social security and job creation were facing a major crisis as well. While this reality grabbed headlines… Read More »

Accent translation software is the shiny new tool in the contact center industry, and hopes are high for what it could mean for markets where accent-related friction is a common issue among CX agents. Speech technology company Sanas launched its… Read More »

Trade hubs have popped up throughout history, connecting precious resources in rare pockets of the world to those who are willing to buy. Cut to present times and the evidence of the formation of a new age trade hub can… Read More »

Tata Consultancy Services Latin America (TCS) has big plans for Ecuador. The global IT consultancy’s operations in Ecuador is being positioned to turn the South American country into one of the very few exporters in its portfolio of territories in… Read More »

Colombia took a sudden turn left this year. The country, which has been dominated by right-of-center politics throughout all of its modern history, recently elected Gustavo Petro, a former guerrilla member with a left-leaning agenda, as president. Though the headlines… Read More »

Under the triple threat of higher capital expenses, the worsening of talent shortages and a looming economic downturn in the US, tech firms are getting more aggressive in their cost-cutting measures. This has turned Latin America into a preferred hunting… Read More »

If IT talent recruiters think that 2022 is turning out to be a difficult year for staffing, they might want to take a deep breath before 2023 comes crashing down on them. Team builders are well aware of the worldwide… Read More »

CX provider ITEL was in high spirits in late May, when the company officially launched its second site in the Jamaican capital of Kingston just a month ahead of its 10th year anniversary celebration. The opening of the site —located… Read More »

The word of the day for many business process outsourcing (BPO) and technology services companies is growth. This is particularly true for firms operating in nearshore markets. The outsourcing industry in Latin America and the Caribbean is booming with more… Read More »

A storm is building in the horizon for the US economy, enlivening the fears of a recession that could reach the farthest corners of Latin America and the Caribbean. In spite of the alarm bells, experts and executives in the… Read More »

Last week, the Biden administration hosted the IX Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. The event usually convenes leaders from government, private sector and civil society to discuss pressing regional challenges. This year’s summit was a bit particular, to… Read More »

Latin American and Caribbean shores might soon witness an invasion of European firms in search of customer experience (CX) partners. A panel of entrepreneurs and IT executives from Europe and the Americas discussed the state and near future of CX… Read More »

Location remains at the core of Nearshore operations. Nevertheless, in their search for the best points of delivery in a region, outsourcing companies are showing more and more interest in people over places. IT and BPO firms are keeping a… Read More »

No crisis lasts forever, and company executives in the Nearshore information technology outsourcing (ITO) industry already sense an easing in the tech talent shortage that has been strangling the IT ecosystem at a global level for months. Though the tech… Read More »

Nexus 2022 is officially in the books, but there’s still much to talk about as we look back at those two days in which a who’s who of the BPO/IT services industry gathered among the skyscrapers of Midtown Manhattan. After… Read More »

While the talent shortage problem grows, countries with significant untapped human capital increase their competitive advantage. As Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) -a country that is a bit late to the growth of the BPO industry- advances its economic diversification, the… Read More »

When Maritza Díaz  –ITjuana’s CEO– travels from San Diego (California, USA) to Tijuana (Baja California, Mexico) to do business, the sign’s always there, right where the soil rushing under her automobile can start to be called Mexican. It reads: “Aquí… Read More »

The Internet keeps making waves in the consumer space. Companies and consumers continue exploring what can be done with an ever-evolving kit of digital tools, feeding into each other and pushing marketing forward in a way not seen before. Few… Read More »

Costa Rica is at a war. A cyber war. Such were the words of the country’s newly elected president, Rodrigo Chaves, who faces a tough choice during his first month in office after the cybersecurity breach: pay a US$20 million… Read More »

The outlook is pretty dim for doctors working in Mexico. The job market offers limited opportunities for health professionals in the country, who believe that only through policy support from the federal government, things will then turn positive. Mexican president… Read More »

During the last few years, Latin America and the Caribbean have been producing good news in the technology sector. From record-breaking amounts of venture capital investment in the region’s startups and multiple new unicorns, to a dramatic increase in nearshore… Read More »

The trend has been clear for a few years now: North American companies’ demand for nearshoring services continues to increase at accelerated rates. In this context, Latin American and Caribbean providers and economies are set to benefit. Some countries are… Read More »

Today’s fast-paced corporate world has people juggling strict deadlines and pending assignments. The only way they can survive the ever-increasing workload is multitasking; operating on autopilot mode and applying themselves minimally to each task. Can implementing a more mindful leadership… Read More »

A group of virtual cashiers from Nicaragua were at the center of the public relations firestorm that hit Canadian retail chain Freshii in the past weeks. The debacle pulled the general public into a debate over the potentially dark aspects… Read More »

A new dawn is rising for unionization in Mexico, and the heat could make its way into call centers throughout the country. Though far from the monster numbers boasted by other sectors in the Mexican economy, the contact center industry… Read More »

Latin America is a vast region that covers every country below the US southern border, formed by 20 developing economies led by Brazil and Mexico, both with a GDP of over a trillion dollars. Most of these countries share the… Read More »

In my experience, enhanced teams can deliver significant value to clients, but only if a nearshore provider has a clear understanding of how the teams are built and deployed. To do that, it is critical to have a deep understanding… Read More »

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 Savills plc. Barbados ranked first amongst Caribbean… Read More »