Costa Rica Technology Conference Is Excellent

Software development is thriving in Costa Rica, so much so that their annual technology conference is definitely worth attending. Let me tell you about my experiences this year so you can understand why I feel this way.

I intended the international technology conference Costa Rica Insight 2008 this year. The conference is sponsored by the Costa Rican government agency Procomer which helps to bridge gaps between Costa Rica and technology companies around the world.

This was an amazing experience! Speakers from Costa Rica, the US and other countries shared information about the world landscape, technology and commerce. Many countries that attended were definitely on pace with US technology adoption rates. The Internet revolution is truly a global movement (maybe no big surprise there).

Costa Rica has become a tipping point for companies wishing to interact with Central and South America. I can corroborate this through my own experience. A few years ago, I would have to talk about the government and educational system of Costa Rica as part of closing a deal that used near shore engineering resources. Now, this is no longer the case, thanks in part to pieces like this that explain the benefits of near sourcing. Many companies I spoke with plan to expand first into Costa Rica and then look to Costa Ricans to help guide movement to other countries.

Some of my favorite personal experiences:

• Discussing mobile e-learning with a company from Columbia that demoed mobile content and a mobile LMS.
• Brainstorming with an Indian CEO about open source platforms and Software-as-a-Service businesses.
• Speaking with a Mexican company about cost effective out-sourced co-location.
• Seeing a friend from Costa Rica who is building a very similar practice as mine but focused on his native country of Spain.
• Discussing multiple topics with representatives from the Jamaican government about what works for expanding in Jamaica.

There is so much to share and learn from a conference like this that it is hard to draw a finite set of lessons or conclusions. If I had too…

Near shore and off shore companies are technologically astute and therefore a viable choice to expand operations in a cost effective manor. You can reasonably expect to find knowledge and experience with the teams you hire. Experience is key to successful out-sourced development.

Market opportunities exist in many countries throughout the world. For example, personal finance online services in the US may be saturated but perhaps not so much in say Argentina. Similarly, much of the Software-as-a-Service market in the US is wide open to companies that are nimble and can find good local subject matter experts.

And most importantly, as with so many other aspects of life, thinking, working and collaborating with a global perspective is eye-opening to say the least and exciting to say the most.

I have created photo albums in facebook to share my experiences with all of you. I took a few images from the conference, of the beautiful country, and of my weekend get-a-way to Arenal to see an active volcano.

For myself, I actually attended as a speaker talking about Software-as-a-Service. I created an online version of my presentation. Please excuse the voice over as I was trying to keep the time down. I will add an online video of my talk when one becomes available.

I recommend a trip to Costa Rica in any event. It’s a beautiful country filled with interesting people. Best of all, you can learn a lot about the global technology movement if you plan your trip around this conference.