Peru is in 16th place in the export ranking according to data from the Uruguayan Chamber of Information Technology (Cuti), but it has become the second destination for Pyxis' foreign sales, with its line of e-commerce solutions for large corporations. Pyxis is convinced that this is a market with great potential for the industry, with all the characteristics to become an outstanding business partner.
The Uruguayan company decided to open a new office in Lima, in addition to its offices in Montevideo, Santiago de Chile, Medellin and New York (which it opened a year ago).
Founded in 2009, the firm's 300 employees work across 10 business units at its five locations. It works for 80 companies and organisations in the United States, Latin America and Europe. Its director, Diego Sastre, spoke to Café y Negocios about this new step and his vision of the Uruguayan technology sector.
How has the internationalisation of Pyxis been taking place?
It was for different reasons. We needed more critical mass of work and we went looking for it in other countries. That led us to Colombia, which became a complementary venue for building teams. Another way is what happened in New York, USA, and Santiago, Chile. We started working with clients there, and they demanded a local presence. We set up in order to serve them better, to be closer, and to look for other niches. In the US, we have been working for years with a niche, which is systems integrators who subcontract us. Now we are looking to go directly to the final corporate client. Peru was a bit different. Our experience in different businesses in the US made us known and some large corporations looking for quality e-commerce providers found our reference. The Peruvian market discovered us. We were surprised: it has a very interesting economy.
Do you see the need for Uruguayans to be in charge or working in the headquarters abroad?
In each place there is a different reality. For example, for the Medellín office, one of the founding partners went to live in Colombia with his family, and then other Uruguayans left, because there are young people who want to gain experience outside the country. In Chile, we opened with a Uruguayan who has been living there for many years. In New York, we integrated another Uruguayan who had been living there since the 90s. You need a mix of local people. People from here went to Peru, but there are also Peruvians. In Mexico there is no office but there is business, and people moved from here. In each place the situation has generated different strategies. There is not just one way of doing things. It has been hard for us to learn it, because you want to replicate it. You have to realise what the formula is for each situation.
How do you see the Uruguayan technology industry?
It is very active and very united. We form alliances abroad. You don't just do business abroad, but with colleagues. There are very interesting things going on in software that other industries are not used to. Maybe ten years ago you didn't see it so much, but now alliances, consortiums, synergies are permanent. Outside, we are not competitors, we are collaborators, because the demand is so great that there is room for everyone. The more we specialise and the more we grow in knowledge, the more we gain access to better things abroad, and the more people get infected. There is not only collaboration, but contagion.
Do you have to be very open-minded to work like this?
It is a different profile. It's not that we are better but that reality leads us to that. You learn that this is the path, that if you cut yourself alone you won't make it, you'll be left with little muscle, or you don't have the experience. So when we unite we are much better.
What is the industry's biggest challenge?
Capacity building, getting more people to work, training more people. At the Cuti we work a lot on this. We collaborate with all the universities.
Do you think it is necessary for the state to take up this banner more forcefully?
I think we have worked well with agencies such as Uruguay XXI, or the National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII) and the Cuti. Work is being done. Obviously there is always more that can be done. But the sector also has this trait of not waiting for others to do it. We go out and do it ourselves.
Connect