They were colleagues when U.S. computer giant Dell created a back-office operation in Central America. Then, they formed their own “nearshoring” venture offering tech services to U.S. companies, touting a location closer to the United States than service rivals in India, the Philippines or beyond.
Now, El Salvador-based Applaudo, with more than 800 employees in 20 countries, is shifting its U.S. base to South Florida to expand business, lured partly by Miami International Airport’s abundance of flights throughout the Americas. Chief Revenue Officer and co-founder Scott Kenyon is set to move soon to Miami from the Austin area of Texas, longtime headquarters for Dell, said CEO and co-founder Jose Giammattei.
“Miami has better air connectivity across the United States than Austin does,” Giammattei said during a recent Miami visit. “And with so many business conferences and events here, our clients often come through Miami, though they’re not based here. Many prefer Miami over Austin to meet with us.”
Applaudo CEO and co-founder Jose Giammattei
Applaudo launched 12 years ago, offering limited services such as tech support. Today, it provides a wide range of solutions for enterprises, from developing proprietary software and mobile platforms to meshing digital systems or adding AI functions. It works with U.S. companies in sectors as varied as hospitality (Ritz-Carlton), real estate (Keller Williams), retail (Walmart) and sports (Miami Heat.)
“We’re not your remote IT department,” Giammattei clarified. “We’re a solutions developer – to create a new platform, integrate systems or improve what you have.”
Giammattei sees growing opportunity in U.S. companies “nearshoring” tech services because of geopolitics, including rising tensions between the Trump administration, China and India. “Latin America is more aligned with the interests of the U.S. in issues like cybersecurity,” said the Salvadoran, who has worked with Dell, HP, IBM and other U.S. heavyweights during his career.
U.S. companies often develop software abroad, because it’s cheaper – sometimes 60 percent less in India than on U.S. shores. Costs in El Salvador are slightly higher, maybe 50 percent less than U.S. rates, but Latin America offers other benefits to help operations and profits, Giammattei said. For starters, the neighboring region is faster to reach by plane and shares more similar time-zones with the United States. El Salvador’s capital of San Salvador, for example, is roughly two hours from Miami by plane, with only one-hour time difference from Florida. What’s more, Latin Americans tend to speak more American-style English and often feel stronger cultural affinity with the U.S because of more ample media and travel links. “In the world of software development, communication is very important,” said Giammattei, who peppers his Spanish with business terms in English.
Giammattei visited Miami this month to attend two conferences: Sports Summit USA 2025 and Nearshore Americas’ Nexus 25. He also took part in an event with the Salvadoran Chamber of Commerce of Florida, held at the World Trade Center Miami. He sees sports as a prime growth opportunity, requiring diverse solutions. For the Miami Heat, for instance, Applaudo already worked on venue management, including software for goods inventory; fan engagement, including the mobile app; and team management, including software for real-time statistics to help coaches, said Giammattei.
Recently, Applaudo also has expanded into the public sector, collaborating with Google Cloud in Latin America. It’s helped the government of El Salvador digitize paperwork and processes in public schools and hospitals, reducing the need for citizens to travel to submit forms and helping cut government spending. “This transformation is very impactful,” Giammattei said, “and it can be replicated easily in other countries, because Google has all the infrastructure ready.”
Beyond moving its U.S. hub to Miami, Applaudo also aims to boost U.S. hiring, including fulfillment engineers, said Giammattei.
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