Colombia is now a strategic center when it comes to the outsourcing of IT and business services, with international investors attracted by the skills and size of its workforce, its favorable business climate, and its geographic location.

The sector has shown impressive growth, with Colombia receiving 387 new investment projects in the BPO, KPO, software, and IT services sector in the past seven years, according to fDi Markets and PRO COLOMBIA reports.

Why you should work with Colombia-based IT companies

One of the biggest draws for investors is the breadth and diversity of Colombian talent. Colombia has the second most qualified workforce in South America, according to the IMD World Talent Report 2016, ahead of countries such as Brazil, Peru, Chile and Venezuela.

Colombia's Ministry of Information Technology and Communications (MinTIC) certified more than 37,000 Colombians in digital skills in the third quarter of 2017, adding to the field of innovative developers in the software development sector.

Figures suggest there are more than 4,000 software and IT service companies across Colombia. About 3% of those are large companies, 80% of which are based in the central region of the country with four percent in the north, six percent in the west, four percent in the east, and the rest distributed across the country.

What you should be aware of when working with Colombian-bassed IT companies

South America tends to be a more attractive destination for the IT market, and Colombian IT companies and web agencies are taking advantage of this opportunity. However, there are several aspects that need to pay attention to when working with companies based in Colombia. Lack of experience, underdeveloped IT infrastructure and the incapacity of competing with the US and Europe IT companies create challenges and doubts for potential clients in whether to choose a Colombian IT company as a partner for their next web project, despite the cheap hourly rate it has to offer compared to the international global market. 

How reliable are Colombian-based IT companies

Gartner Inc, an international consultancy company ranked Colombia as one of five destinations in Latin America to offer Business Process and Information Technology Outsourcing highlighting the country’s bilingual labor force and salary competitiveness within the sector. In addition, Everest Group the global consulting firm mentioned Colombia as an optimal market for finance and accounting outsourcing (FAO), legal process outsourcing (LPO), and business process outsourcing (BPO). Likewise, the company asserted the country’s strengths for its commerce. 

How does Colombian IT infrastructure relate to the neighboring countries?

As the third-largest provider of IT services in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico with US$ 2.579 million (According to the International Data Corporation – IDC), Colombia is rising to the top due to its skilled workforce of more than 1.2 million professionals in the financial and services industry, incentives provided by the government, a continuous free trade agreement platform, competitive free trade zone regime, proximity, and connectivity to North America. These features and benefits have created an ideal business environment for venture capital firms and angel investors looking to invest in innovative and attractive opportunities.