New Sourcing is Closer than You Think

The next time you unwittingly contact a call center don’t be surprised if there’s a Brazilian accent on the other side of the line. As companies respond to market forces, they are finding that South American countries can offer better rates and closer proximity.

In Latin America there will be 730,000 call center work stations in 2008, more than double the 336,000 in 2004, according to Datamonitor. ProNicaragua, a Nicaraguan promotional business, expects the county to get 3,000 jobs. Dell already employs 2,000 in Panama.

A mere five hour flight from the US coast, the Latin American region is in two American time zones. Costa Rica has a strong, well-educated workforce. A social security system ensures background checks can be done easily. The country sells itself as “green and smart”.

Brazil is suspending its export tax on IT hardware and software until 2010, to the benefit of companies such as Citibank and IBM.

If you outsource your business to places where you’re liable to see the greatest return on your investment, you’ll build a stronger business.