Taking Code into the Comunas of Medellin
May 15th, 2013
By Michael Puscar
Medellin – blessed with a beautiful natural landscape, friendly people and green parks – has seen incredible growth over the past two years. This city in Colombia is today one of the most innovative cities in the world. With abundant human talent and conducive business climate, Medellin is fast becoming a perfect destination for enterprises seeking to establish high-tech operations. The city has, over the years, transformed from the center of Latin American drug trade to a growing high-tech hub.
My firm, Yuxi Pacific Group, set up a satellite office in Medellin in early 2011. Over the past two years, we have recruited more than 80 employees and more than doubled our revenue.
Despite recent success, Medellin does have some problems. Country’s growing economy has benefitted the educated middle-class community, but people residing in hillside neighborhoods (called comunas) have …
Some of the best moments of Nearshore Nexus ’13 happened on the fly – during networking breaks, on the way to sessions, in hallways, at lunch or during our closing “Nexus After Dark” reception. Our team has gathered the best photos from those moments here in one album on our Facebook page – take a look and recall the great memories!
View Slideshow: Business Networking at Nearshore Nexus
By Peter Ryan
Ovum analysts were recently afforded a first-hand view of one of Colombia’s emerging secondary locations for contact center outsourcing, the city of Barranquilla. With investments by both local and global vendors in the city continuing at a strong pace, it is clear that the Colombian CRM sector has room to grow beyond Bogota. However, it is also clear that Barranquilla’s existing vendor base needs to work closely with local authorities to ensure a manageable level of expansion to prevent short-term industry saturation.
Opertti of IDB: “Tremendous” benefits for CALA nations
By Tarun George
Earlier this month in New York City, a panel of Jamaican trade officials and ambassadors came together to once again make the case for increased investment in the Caribbean island nation. What was different was their audience. Instead of focusing on American executives as usual, this time they targeted the Jamaican business elite, living and working in the US. In other words, they were leveraging potentially their greatest asset outside their own country: the national diaspora.
Report: IT infrastructure Outsourcing Rises in Colombia and Mexico
April 17th, 2013By Narayan Ammachchi
Market research firm Frost and Sullivan says the Colombia’s IT infrastructure outsourcing services market is on pace to reach $309 million by 2017.
“The Colombian market, especially big centers like Bogota or Medellin, are more likely to invest in outsourcing,” noted Frost & Sullivan ICT Research Analyst Bruno Tasco. “Large enterprises are beginning to understand the benefits of these business models and to trust service provider capabilities in guaranteeing availability.”
The rising demand for outsourcing is prompting data centers to add dedicated storage and disaster recovery services to their offerings.
The research firm predicts that Mexico’s IT infrastructure services market might grow to $899 million by 2017. A stable economy and the willingness to outsource non-core IT activities is boosting market prospects.
“The need for companies to find trustworthy datacenters to store their information and applications will drive the market positively in the next years,” remarked Tasco. “The Mexican …
Tracing Shakira’s Roots to Back to Barranquilla
April 17th, 2013
By Patrick Haller
Fame didn’t exactly greet Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll at her family doorstep in the middle class neighborhood of Barranquilla where she was raised. Born in 1977 to a Lebanese father and Colombian mother in Barranquilla, Shakira discovered her talent when she started writing poetry at age four. By the time she was eight Shakira wrote her first song, “Tus gafas oscuras” (“Your Dark Glasses”) inspired by her beloved father who wore dark lenses for years after one of his sons, Shakira’s older half-brother, was killed in a motorcycle accident.
Disappointment and Determination
After being rejected by a local choir director because her voice “sounded like a goat,” Shakira continued to write her music and sing; never giving up on her determination to become an international star. “I knew I had to work real hard to conquer my dreams …
Keynoter: Joe Nocera of the New York Times
We’re extremely proud to be putting the final touches on the Third Annual Nearshore Nexus conference – where more than two dozen carefully selected speakers, an all-star collection of 18 sponsors (we’re at capacity on sponsorship) and business representatives from some of the biggest names in the Fortune 1000 will join us for robust debates on the most important trends in services, innovation and Latin America market expansion.
Announcing the Power 50 2013: The Real Operators
March 25th, 2013
Members of the third annual Nearshore Americas Power 50 Ranking – announced here today – demonstrate the real character of this emerging, chaotic and scrappy young industry. The ranking, which is the result of a five-month nomination and review process, strives to bring to light the spark and inspiration that powers the Nearshore business community. The list is remarkable for several reasons.
Level 3 Begins Construction New Data Center in Bogota
March 20th, 2013BY STAFF REPORT
Level 3 Communications Inc has announced that it had begun building a new data center in the Colombian capital Bogota to meet growing demands for IT services and storage in the region.
The new 500 square-meter data center is likely to be operational sometime in the second half of this year.
“The Colombian market shows a growing demand for colocation, housing, hosting and value-added services,” said Luis Carlos Guerrero, senior vice president for Level 3′s Andean region. “The trend to outsource these services to a trusted business partner – one that will support the customer in its expansion strategy – is crucial for companies today so they can focus on their core business.”
The company stated that it might build more data centers in Latin America and elsewhere in the world as part of a ‘strategy to meet the burgeoning worldwide demand for …
The Best Beers of Latin America: Imperial, Polar, Cristal, El Aguila or Something Else?
March 15th, 2013
By Marnely Rodriguez-Murray
When it comes to beers, Latin America and its surrounding regions know a thing or two about it. Whether they’re drinking the beers at home with family around a homemade meal or they’re chugging it while watching the latest soccer game, it’s one of the preferred beverages and below we’re showcasing some of the most popular beers of the region.
Argentina: Quilmes
One of South America’s most popular beers, if not THE most popular, Quilmes is brewed in Buenos Aires and is the official sponsor to Argentina’s football team, the Albicelestes (sky blue and whites). If you’ve seen a bottle of Quilmes, you’ll know the beer’s colors are sky blue and white as well. Founded in 1888 by Otto Bemberg, a German immigrant. Their …
