Tivit turning to Argentina as a new hub for regional tech services

Technology company Tivit announced that it is investing in Argentina to increase its staff by 250 people and set up a shared services center in capital Buenos Aires to support international operations and assist in the development of artificial intelligence capabilities.

“Argentina is a very important market for any company,” Sergio Díaz, CEO of TIVIT Argentina, tells BNamericas in this interview.

He believes there is a huge opportunity in the country and hopes that a new wave of incoming investments will boost the local market.

The Brazilian company plans to invest US$50mn by 2025, primarily to acquire companies across the region. It also plans to invest 300mn reais (US$60mn) this year to improve and modernize the private cloud offering from its datacenters.

In this interview, Díaz talks about the firm's commitment to Argentina and its plans for the country.

BNamericas: Why the decision to open a center in Argentina?

Díaz: It's a bet on the country first and foremost, and it's also partly due to the capacity [of human] resources and also supported by the growth of the office in Argentina, with new business.

So, all these points came together in the board's decision to create a service center in Argentina for all of Latin America.

I think there are very good professionals and today they're already working in other countries and we want to continue exploiting this and create more jobs in the country.

BNamericas: Which countries do you hope to serve from Argentina?

Díaz: We're targeting the entire region. We're present in 10 countries, from Mexico to Argentina, and we’ve been operating in each one for many years. We want to provide services to all the countries where we’re present.

We also have business outside the Americas, but this center will be targeting all of the countries in the region.

BNamericas: What stage is the project at?

Díaz: It’s already starting. Although we’re announcing it now, we had already started. We have a significant amount of resources in Argentina providing services to local and regional clients and the goal is to grow the office, adding at least 250 people.

We plan to complete the project in November-December. The selection and search teams are already working and we’ve already incorporated a large number of resources.

BNamericas: You commented before about the growth of the local business. What opportunities do you see in the country?

Díaz: We see opportunities in all business lines. We have the entire digital line, which is deeply embedded in development and artificial intelligence – one of the objectives of this growth is to have more people with these profiles, cybersecurity, which is another of the company’s important lines and which has grown a lot in recent years…. Then we also have platform lines, datacenters. There are opportunities in all of the business lines.

The digital and cybersecurity lines are the ones that have grown the most in the last two years.

Seven of the top 10 companies at a regional level choose us to provide services. From Argentina we serve multinationals in Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Paraguay, etc. Argentina has very great importance.

BNamericas: In which areas do you see the most opportunities for development in artificial intelligence?

Díaz: We apply artificial intelligence in every process, product or automation system in which companies need to be much more efficient, to be able to reduce costs and compete better in the market.

Demand is growing, but the problem is how to get down to the ground, how you can apply [artificial intelligence] to the problems of each company. And that’s where we have to have professional and trained people with an understanding of this type of solutions. That’s the big secret.

BNamericas: What can you say about the investments you’re making?

Díaz: We make investments on two fronts. First and most important is the investment in [human] capital. That’s where we make a very large investment in our resources and aim for professionalization, excellence, training and certification.

The second is that we’re constantly looking for or acquiring companies at a regional level. This helps us a lot to gain more market share or to acquire more companies specialized in certain areas or with certain knowledge. This allows us to adapt quickly to the market.

It’s a very important strategy of purchasing companies that will be followed.

BNamericas: Regulations were recently published for the Rigi incentive regime for large investments, which includes technology. What do you expect for the sector?

Díaz: Today the market is very attentive to all the changes that are happening. It’s a new government with a very different way of handling things. I think everyone is very expectant that investments coming to Argentina will surely drive very large growth. In fact, large companies are already in Argentina to a greater or lesser extent.

This year has been very difficult, but companies don’t want to be left behind in terms of technological advances or new applications. So, we’re doing things. Are we doing them in the volumes we’d like? No, because investment is still restricted.

Argentina is a very important market for any company, so if there’s an opening and new investments come, there will surely be an explosion again.