The ICT in Guatemala: Overview and Companies Data

Guatemala is the home of over 7 million people and no access to oceans or seas. Not that this counts so much for the IT, but still it could attract at least visitors. By far, the country’s main industries do not include tech or IT, but, this doesn’t mean that the other industries are not using technology or software to ease the burden of processing goods.

Guatemala is mostly an agricultural country, with a long tradition of soybeans cultivation - now the 2nd largest exporter in the world of the same soybeans. However, Agrotech is what makes other industries closer to the digital revolution, the countries around have already approached and adopted. 

So, if there is not much to talk about IT, why you should work with Guatemalan IT companies?

Why Working with Guatemalan IT companies

First, the not-many IT companies and software agencies that exist in Guatemala, are mostly focused on BPO. With the government that struggles to support the digitalization of other industries, these companies, and especially the experience of the workforce are extremely valuable for the country. 

The tax rates for all companies have been for a long time now only at 10%. This means that the low prices the IT companies ask for can be even lower due to this reason. Of course, in the neighborhood, you can see already a lot of digital parks and communities where the IT sector is spared from paying taxes, but for the country’s economy - 10% is good enough. 

What you should be aware of when working with Guatemalan IT companies

With all the advantages and disadvantages, even if you choose to work with Guatemalan IT companies, there are several things you should consider. 

First of all, it’s about language barriers. You may meet many tech workers, skilled professionals, project managers working for local companies that may have several issues with talking in other languages than Spanish. In other words, English may be a challenging option for communication. 

Time differences - Consider the time zones you and the partner IT company are located in. It may be challenging as well to sync the work process and establish effective cooperation, while both of you are in different parts of the globe. 

Professionalism - like in any other country, there are companies that perform well, better, and the best. You can meet all of them in Guatemala. However, finding the best one requires paying attention to several key points such as experience, number of employees, portfolio, hourly rates, and several others. 

How reliable are Guatemalan IT companies

In terms of reliability, Guatemala doesn’t rank in any way. It may vary from company to company and project to project since there is no standard for the country’s profile. We suggest studying each company individually and check the reviews for detailed information about this one. 

How does the Guatemalan IT industry relate to the neighboring countries?

Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina have some of the most developed IT industries in LatAm. This means that the entire region can and could impact Guatemala’s IT infrastructure and local companies’ performance overall.  However, Guatemala never focused too much on developing the IT industry and remains to be an Agricultural country. In the long-term perspective, Guatemala could reach a certain level of development that would attract the client’s attention to the country from another point of view. But so far, the country’s IT industry serves as a BPO, and in the near future is much likely to remain in this position.