Top Near Shore IT Locations for the United States
When most executives think of outsourcing, they immediately consider offshore locations. There are many near shore outsource service providers that offer the same benefits of offshore vendors. Many IT departments, including those from Fortune 500 companies, have numerous reasons for sending work to near shore IT providers. Outsourcing to a near shore IT supplier is thought to lower risk, increase productivity and reduce hidden costs associated with outsourcing.
What are the top near shore locations for IT outsourcing? Mexico, Canada, Brazil and the Caribbean region offer great outsourcing opportunities for U.S. based companies and some of these areas were even listed on Gartner’s list, Top 30 Countries for Offshore Services.
Canada
Since Canada borders the United States, travel to this country is similar to Mexico in its convenience. The country covers four U.S. time zones, which allows for real time communication. There is strong support of IT services within Canada and the government has been known to offer tax breaks and incentives. This country also has stringent intellectual property protection and privacy laws. The Canadian workforce is considered to be highly educated and skilled in IT-related fields. Plus, the cost of labor is lower than the United States. The language and culture are very similar between Canada and the United States, which helps eliminate cultural and communication barriers.
Caribbean Region
The Caribbean region is a convenient location for help desk support, call centers, bookkeeping and tax data processing support. English is commonly spoken in some Caribbean countries and many of the employees located in this area have attended colleges and universities within the United States and Canada. Cost of labor is cheap in comparison to the salaries paid to U.S. employees. The close proximity to the United States and the similar time zone make it an attractive outsourcing option for U.S. buyers. Just like some of the other near shore locations, there are many cultural similarities between some of the Caribbean countries and the United States.
Brazil
Brazil has one of the largest economies in the world, as it is ranked 11th based on 2007 GDP figures in the CIA World Factbook. The population in Brazil is significantly large and continues to grow at an impressive rate each year. Brazil has a well developed IT sector and is only one time zone away from the Eastern Standard time zone, aiding in the communication and coordination of projects. The country also boasts cultural and demographic similarities to western countries. The native language in Brazil is Portuguese, but there are a lot of IT professionals who are proficient in English.
Mexico
Mexico’s proximity to the United States makes it easy for quick and inexpensive trips to the IT supplier. Most of Mexico is on the Central Standard Time zone, making it simple to coordinate meetings and project deadlines. The Mexican government has taken steps to increase the size of the IT industry within Mexico. There is a large labor pool of IT professionals and it is estimated that the country has hundreds of thousands of students studying IT related subjects in universities and technical schools. Many of the workers speak fluent English and the Mexican culture is very compatible with that of the United States. The cost of labor is lower than the United States.
There are many near shore locations to choose from when it comes to outsourcing. A&E Consulting will help you determine if near shore outsourcing is right for you. We will assist you in choosing an outsource service provider and establishing the business relationship. In addition, we will manage the first outsourced project.
Tags: near shore it locations, near shore outsourcing, near shore provider, Top 30 Countries for offshore services
August 3rd, 2008 at 9:53 am
Very nice!!