Why Use Costa Rica for Nearshore Software Development?
Since joining Gorilla Logic in 2014, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with a number of IT leaders who want agile, cost-competitive software development expertise to help them achieve their business transformation goals. Many of them ask why Gorilla Logic’s nearshore software development center in Costa Rica has attracted such an impressive clientele. Quite honestly, there is no single reason why Gorilla Logic has become a widely recognized and respected Agile/DevOps solutions provider. It is actually a combination of different factors. Setting the stage is Costa Rica’s longstanding commitment to peace. Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948, freeing up resources that enabled the government to provide free and obligatory education to its citizens. Costa Rica’s highly educated population combined with the “tico’s” work ethic and passion for learning, allow Gorilla Logic to deliver high-stakes, sophisticated software solutions in a globally competitive environment.
A Concentration of Technology Talent
While Costa Rica isn’t geographically expansive, it boasts a high concentration of technology professionals. This has attracted numerous multinational companies who have established satellite offices here – Costa Rica is a strategic location for 24% of the Fortune 100!
Intel was the first to enter Costa Rica in 2008, employing more than 4,000 workers at one point, it helped establish Costa Rica as a highly-regarded provider of technology solutions. Subsequently, other multinational corporations have tapped Costa Rica’s talent pool, realizing significant cost and operational efficiencies. Costa Rica’s foreign-trade minister Alexander Mora estimates that approximately 27,000 Costa Ricans work in corporate services related to the U.S. market.1 This can be attributed in part to strong links with the United States. Equally as important, Costa Rica offers skills in short supply in the U.S. labor market, including software development.
Rooted in the Culture of Costa Rica
It took Costa Rica less than 25 years to evolve from a predominantly agrarian economy to a service-driven one. Unlike other Latin American countries, Costa Rica had the opportunity to focus on education, rather than be mired in the guerrilla and dictatorial chaos that engulfed most of the Americas for prolonged periods during the last century. With a culture that encourages freedom of speech, Costa Ricans can communicate and collaborate freely while engaging in entrepreneurial and business pursuits. As a result, the country has been able to leverage its highly educated population to carve out a profitable niche in the world economy. Costa Rica continues to serve as a strong agriculture partner to many countries – including the U.S. Costa Ricans are also keen to showcase their country’s cultural and natural beauty which has resulted in a thriving tourism industry.
Costa Rica as an Epicenter for Nearshore Software Development
The “tico” business culture flourishes with open communication and ready collaboration. In addition, ticos have an incredible work ethic and passion for learning new technologies. As a result, an increasing number of companies including Amazon, Citibank and Procter & Gamble are choosing Costa Rica for their strategic, nearshore settings – taking advantage of a highly educated workforce and business-optimized environment. Here are some of the reasons why Costa Rica has become a strategic location for many enterprises.
- Time zone – Costa Rica operates in Mountain Standard time. This means that our US-based clients have access to Gorilla Logic’s Agile/DevOps expertise during normal working hours.
- Access – There are more than 1,000 flights from the US to Costa Rica weekly.
- English fluency – English is the second language in Costa Rica.
- Cultural alignment – Costa Rica has a strong developer community, similar to what exists in the Silicon Valley. This community offers meetups, hackathons, and programs such as MenTe designed to involve women in science and technology endeavors. Costa Rica has also aligned itself with Silicon Valley and other tech hubs through the pursuit of certifications such as PMP, Six Sigma, ITIL and more.
- Infrastructure – Costa Rica boasts 100% telecom infrastructure redundancy.
Customized Engagement Models
Since establishing a nearshore software development center in Costa Rica, Gorilla Logic has adopted a business philosophy and approach that is firmly rooted in the tico culture. Our Gorillas operate from a “customer-first” mindset while remaining open and eager to collaborate with their clients and team members. By identifying and hiring Costa Rica’s most talented developers who share these values, we can offer our clients a variety of nearshore and blended engagement models to meet their individual needs.
- Nearshore Agile Teams
- Nearshore Scaled Agile Teams
- Nearshore Staff Augmentation
- Onshore Leaders and Nearshore Implementers
Regardless of the engagement model, Gorilla Logic’s Costa Rica development center enables us to build high-quality, English-fluent teams for our clients that will integrate and collaborate in real time – ensuring that even the most complex software projects are delivered successfully.
