I was not really surprised to learn Montevideo Uruguay has set in motion the process to claim the title “Silicon Valley 3.0” — Okay that’s too much to ask for, but they have established a foothold nevertheless.
Yes, that’s Montevideo Uruguay. That’s right…Uruguay. You may not be thinking Uruguay and high tech belong in the same sentence, but you would be very wrong today thanks to globalization.
No doubt about Tom Friedman’s article (subscription required) Wednesday in the NYTimes regarding Uruguay tapping into the highly successful outsourcing mix in India (the country holding the title Silicon Valley 2.0)…hey those Indian engineers have to sleep sometime! But just as the original Silicon Valley looked to India for Y2K solutions, now India’s largest consulting service has found a new source in South America.
It may raise an eyebrow that some very large American companies have their back-room operations and computing networks managed in this little South American country. American Express along with Proctor & Gamble have solidified operations in Montevideo…and Friedman’s article also pointed at major U.S. banks who have also migrated operations (and people) south of the equator.
Friedman illustrated again in a flat world you can build a successful business anywhere with access to educated people, technology and the internet. A solid business plan never hurts. If big U.S. firms are even considering moving to Uruguay…they have to be setting up shop the right way, for the right price and with the right types of resources in-place.
Technorati Tags: Tom Friedman, Uruguay, outsourcing, American Express, Proctor & Gamble, India