Tata Consultancy Services has consolidated its operations in Uruguay and Argentina into a single unit focused on providing nearshore services to other Latin America countries as well as the United States and Europe.

Vice president, business development, Mario Tucci, previously the head of TCS'' Andean country operations, has been appointed country manager of this new unit, which comprises a global delivery centre and regional training center in Montevideo (Uruguay), and an extension centre in Buenos Aires (Argentina). TCS has plans for a major expansion of this unit in the future, which currently employs over 850 professionals.

"This region has very highly trained human resources, English language skills and an attractive cost structure, which makes it a natural base for exporting services to other countries. Leveraging these conditions, we intend to grow to 1200 employees this year and double our employee and client base over the next two - three years," said Tucci.

The regional training centre, which the firm had set up in Montevideo in January 2007, is now operating at full capacity to train human resources, most coming from non technology backgrounds, towards building a constant stream of recruits for the firm.

TCS will expand its infrastructure by setting up a new world-class building for over 400 professionals to be inaugurated in Montevideo this November.

"We have already trained over 200 professionals and expect to train over 3000 professionals at the centre in Montevideo in the next four years, initiating them into TCS'' successful high quality and process methodologies, said Gabriel Rozman, president, TCS Iberoamerica.

"This will be the fuel for our growth both in local Latin American markets and as a major nearshore provider to clients in the United States. This consolidation in Uruguay is another major step in TCS'' strategy to build a strong global network delivery model," Rozman added.

The global delivery centre in Montevideo exported services worth over $30 million to clients across the world including Colombia, Spain, Mexico, Chile, the US and parts of Europe, making it the primary IT services exporter in Uruguay in April 2006 - March ''07.

The Chamber of Commerce and Services of Uruguay (CNCS) recognised TCS with its first national export services award For IT companies, which was granted by the Services Exporters Committee in association with the International Trade Centre of UNCTAD and the WTO and in the presence of the vice president of the Uruguayan Republic, Rodolfo Nin Novoa and the minister of economy, Danilo Astori.

The company recently announced other moves towards expanding its global network delivery model in Iberoamerica including a 100-per cent buyout of the joint venture it operated in Brazil with local partner TBA and the opening of a new global delivery center in Mexico.

TCS Iberoamerica (TCSI) is the business arm of Tata Consultancy Services that operates across the Spanish and Portuguese speaking region of the world. Over 5.000 local consultants provide IT services, business solutions and outsourcing to over 150 regional and global clients across 14 countries in Mexico, Central America, South America, Spain and Portugal. TCSI operates Global Delivery centers (GDC) in Brazil, Mexico & Uruguay at CMMI Level 5, the highest quality standard for the industry, and maintains a Global BPO Services centre in Chile.