Antigua and Barbuda
With a small population of 80,000, these twin islands largely have English-speaking people. Literacy level is about 86% (estimated in 2003). There is also a government owned state college in Antigua as well as the Antigua and Barbuda Institute of Information Technology (ABIIT). It's a tertiary level institution offering numerous diploma and associate degree programs in the field of information, communication, technology and business. It also has some medical and health-sciences institutes.
There are direct flights available from North America . Two cruise ship ports are located at St. John's Harbor and Heritage Quay. Rented taxis are easily available on the island. Antigua is on Atlantic Standard Time year-round, which is suitable for U.S. companies.
These islands have attractive investment conditions to facilitate mutually beneficial corporate partnerships. A Free Trade and Processing Zone was established in 1997 to eliminate tariffs and quotas and to encourage companies to set up bases in the country. The government is actively courting high-tech, information-based industries, light manufacturing and import/export companies to add to the diversification of the country's economy. It was aimed to encourage offshore gaming sector.
These benefits have attracted several MNCs to operate here. For instance, IBM World Trade Corporation continues to be the industry leader in Antigua and Barbuda in providing IT services to the local marketplace. It is a position held today with much pride, and can be traced back to over fifty years of doing business here.
U.S. companies are outsourcing voice-based services and back-office processes to these twins. For example, BPM Outsourcing, a Canada-based business process and bookkeeping process-management company, has a set up a nearshore Caribbean back-office facility designed to provide tax data processing outsourcing service using industry tested tax software and/or a client software of choice. NCO Group also has a contact center in Antigua.
A drawback of the location is its small population.
Jamaica
Jamaica has become one of the most attractive outsourcing destinations in the region, and has the maximum number of call centers in the Caribbean . At present Jamaica has the maximum number of contact centers in the Caribbean , with more than 8,000 agents at of the end of 2004.
Companies like ACS and West Corporation have their offshore call-center facilities in Jamaica . Most recently, ACS established a new, 65,000 square-foot office and call-center facility in Jamaica . The company is also hiring 600 additional employees to staff the new facility. At present it employs 1,300 people (mainly call-center agents, finance and accounting specialists, human resources benefits processors and data processors), and is one of the largest information communication and technology services providers in Jamaica.
Other IT-services and call-center organizations in the country include Indusa Global, Sitel Caribbean, ACS, Teleservices Direct, Westcom Jamaica , and Alliance One/Outsourcing Management International.
However, the labor cost per agent in the country is roughly $14–$18, compared with $9–$11 in India and $12–$13 in Mexico.
The country is also facing criminal issues. The crime rate in Jamaica is much higher than any other country in the Caribbean . A recent report by the World Bank revealed that 39% of business managers were “less likely to expand their business because of crime.”
