The practice of outsourcing software development has remained one of the top trends in the world of information technology over the last decade. However, the last 2 years created a virtual boom in the industry as companies continue to search for ways to reduce costs while improving productivity in a virtual working environment. Many even partnered with an outsourcing provider for the first time ever.
However, some businesses find themselves hesitant to turn to outsourcing companies outside of their own countries or in countries where English is not the first spoken language. Over the last 2 decades, the interest in outsourcing moved away from countries in Asia, such as Vietnam, India, and China, to Latin American software outsourcing companies. In fact, it’s become the top outsourcing destination for software development and IT-based projects.
Many companies choose offshore software development teams in countries such as Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Costa Rica, and Colombia due to a variety of benefits offered to the hiring companies. Many of the universities in Latin America feature robust information technology programs and career paths, which produce highly skilled and trained developers and engineers for the modern tech workforce.
Why Choose to Outsource Software Development Projects to Latin America?
In addition to the incredible universities and training programs in Latin American countries, there are several benefits that hiring companies must consider when weighing their options for outsourcing providers. These benefits include:
- Most countries in Latin America are within the same time zone(s) as the United States. – One of the biggest cited challenges of companies who choose to work with outsourcing providers in offshoring locations is the major difference in time zones. While it’s sometimes beneficial to almost have a team working 24-hours a day because of those time zone differences, it also creates many challenges for the in-house and outsourced teams.
Countries located in Central and South America share the same time zones as the United States. Colombia, for example, is on Eastern Time, while Argentina is only 1 to 2 hours ahead of Eastern Time (depending on Daylight Savings Time). This nonexistent or minimal time difference means that in-house teams have the ability to synchronously communicate with the outsourced teams to solve problems or workshop new ideas in real-time. This reduces development timelines and helps ensure that everyone stays on track to get projects launched on schedule. - They are proficient in English. – According to recent research, countries located in Latin America surpassed China’s level of English proficiency, which is quite a feat to accomplish. Countries such as Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, and Mexico are all home to many English speakers due to the ever-growing importance of the English language in the world – especially tech.
This helps companies not only communicate on a daily basis but also ensures that everyone on every team involved in a software development project fully understands the requirements. Speaking the same language reduces the risk of miscommunications, which could lead to extra costs, extended timelines, and overall frustration from both sides of the project. - Countries in Latin America are typically a good cultural fit for partnering with teams based in the United States and Canada. – While there are, of course, still strong cultural differences between North, South, and Central American peoples, there are many similarities between them when it comes to working styles, business approaches, and office culture. This makes collaboration much easier.
These similar cultures of more assertive and creative natures make it easier for outsourced teams to speak up when project aspects, due dates, or general ideas aren’t in the best interest of the client, timelines are too tight, or other issues that may hinder a project. Teams located in other countries may find it difficult to voice important concerns and helpful different perspectives to the hiring businesses.
As neighboring continents, North and Latin Americans also share quite a bit in terms of aesthetics, movies, music, and art. This translates into similar views and ideas when it comes to user experience and graphic design in the world of IT and software development.
Companies looking to outsource software and information technology-related projects can look to their neighbors in the south for all of their needs. Latin America proves time and time again that it’s a hub for talented, educated, and reliable professionals that have the ability to work with English-speaking teams in their native language without timezone-related issues.
South and Central American provide North America (and beyond) with high-quality support for in-house teams on-demand with a wide variety of tasks. As cost-effective extensions of in-house teams, Latin America offers incredible talent for a much lower cost than working with an onshoring partner, ensuring mutual success on all development endeavors.