Mexico has everything to become a key supplier to the world's Information Technology (IT) market.

The advantages the country offers have enabled the market value of Information Technology services (including business process outsourcing or BPOs) to reach US$4.2 billion in 2008, whereas the software market amounted to US$2.4 billion in the same period, according to Business Monitor.

Qualified labor

According to estimates by MexicoIT, our country has almost 600,000 professionals in the IT industry, including about 400,000 professionals specializing in software. Furthermore, 65,000 new professionals graduate in the sector each year.

The Ministry of Economy announced the MEXICO FIRST initiative, which seeks to develop sufficient specialized human capital in the IT sector. US$40 million will be invested in this program over the next five years to certify around 12,000 people a year.

Currently 121 universities are linked to Prosoft, a government program.

Clusters and technology parks

•The academic and private sector, along with the government, have coordinated efforts for the development of 24 technology parks throughout the country.

•Mexico has 23 IT clusters distributed in 20 states. Over 60 percent of the states have productive capacity in IT.

•Mexico's large size makes it possible for various cities to become service provision centers, which gives Mexico an advantage over the countries that depend on workforce availability in only one city.

Sector performance

The Mexican IT and Software Services market has registered sustained growth in recent years. Business Monitor estimates that the sector's market will reach US$10.2 billion in 2013.

Exports

A.T. Kearney estimates that Mexican exports of IT services reached a value of US$3.16 billion in 2008, which meant annual growth of 26 percent.

Forecast

Mexico's growth in the coming years is promising: Business Monitor estimates that the IT services and BPOs market will grow 10 percent annually during the period 2009-2013, while the software market will grow 9 percent in the same period.

Among this industry’s most important companies in the country are:

IBM, HP, Red Uno, Neoris, Unisys, Hidebrando, Softtek, Bursatek y Mexis

Success Stories

Infosys

India-based Infosys, one of the largest IT and BPO services companies, established its first Latin American operating center in Monterrey, Mexico. Inaugurated in February, 2008, it will provide nearshoring services to the United States, Latin America and Europe. Infosys expects that its Monterrey center will employ over 1,000 professionals by its third year of operations.

Neoris

A subsidiary of Mexico-based Cemex, the world’s largest building materials supply firm, Neoris is Mexico’s largest IT consulting and systems integrations firm and the second largest in Latin America, according to IDC. In 2008, Neoris was ranked among the Top 10 Best Performing IT Service Providers in the Global Services 100 list. It is present in nine countries in Latin America, the U.S., Europe and the Middle East.

Last Updated: Friday May 29th 2009 by Fernanda Luna