It is common knowledge that you should choose Colombia if you are looking for the best coffee in the world, but have you ever considered why Medellin could be a great place to outsource your software development needs?

These are our top 5 reasons to choose the “city of eternal spring”:

1. Favorable business environment

A stable economy and reliable political environment are two very important factors to consider when choosing a place to outsource your software initiatives.

With a population of 48 million and growing, we have seen Colombia scaling in outsourcing rankings over the past 5 years, currently listed in the top 50 locations by Tholons and top 30 by Gartner, and leading within latest doing business reports. Medellin is currently among the first 17 of the Tholons ‘s Top 100 (2014) best places in the world for providing BPO and ITO services.

Several factors influenced this nice business climate, such as the slow inflation rate, which is half or less compared to other countries in Latin America (4,5% in 2015). Another factor are strategic trade alliances, such as the Pacific Alliance, that boostered economy growth at an average of 4.8% between 2010 and 2015. Also, political stability and a strict control on capitals played an important role, while creating new incentives for foreign investment, and gaining investment grade by international agencies.

Medellin’s IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook of 2014 (4,80) was way higher than others in the region.

2. Real time collaboration

 A close timezone improves communication and collaboration. Response times are reduced between teams, therefore, the project output tends to increase. Medellin’s CST timezone is ideal for daily scrum meetings and weekly planning, without disturbing your team’s schedules. Also,  travelling within similar time zones is easier for both developers and clients. When working with developers in Montevideo and/or Medellin, a quick chat via Slack or a call through Skype can be easily made whenever the need arises.

Being close and connected is a huge benefit since face to face communication is very important for a business to run with excellence. With 935 international frequencies connecting Colombia with the rest of the world, direct daily flights to Medellin can only take 3.5 hours from Miami, 5.5 hours from Dallas, and 8 hours from San Francisco. Also, the tickets are at a very reasonable price, therefore, you can easily  budget at least a couple of onsite visits per year.

Not only for the induction, but also to discuss any important project milestone,  face to face meetings have been working extraordinary for our distributed developer teams and clients.

3. Safety and enjoyable environment

This has been the #1 concern when speaking about outsourcing to Medellin with partners and prospective clients. However, once you visit Medellin, you will be able to experience a different reality. Over the past 20 years, the city has undergone a remarkable transformation. This development has been achieved thanks to bold leadership, long-term plans and social innovation.  The city’s leaders have responsibly addressed the most urgent issues and improved the economy, as well as its citizens’ employability and quality of life. Recently, the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2016 has been granted to Medellin as a recognition to such transformation. This international award honors outstanding achievements, as well as contributions to the foundation of habitable, vibrant and sustainable urban communities around the globe.

According to Forbes, Medellín appears to be in the top 7 ranking of best places to live after retirement given the nice weather, infrastructure and public spaces. Normal temperatures are between 70F and 85F all year long. The city offers open spaces everywhere, including fine restaurants, bars, and premium malls. Quality of life is among the best in Latin America, and very well suited for all IT talent to relocate from other crowded cities. Huge plus:  The paradisiac Caribbean beaches are only a 1-hour flight away.

4. High potential Tech pool

There is a young and fast growing tech talent pool in Medellin. Two of the best universities, the EAFIT and Universidad of Antioquia, offer a 5-year career in Computer Science...

CONTINUE READING...