machine learning
How does facial recognition work?
Last week, Forbes quoted me in their article 12 Things You Need To Know About Facial Recognition Technology. I am a member of the Forbes Technology...
As we round the bend into Fall (which officially starts September 22), we are reminded of the changing season by things that are familiar to us: getting kids back to school, a welcome cooling of th
As we round the bend into Fall (which officially starts September 22), we are reminded of the changing season by things that are familiar to us: getting kids back to school, a welcome cooling of the air, the changing of the leaves (and for some people, most importantly, the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks). For us this year at Metal Toad, September 22 will usher in something beyond the Fall season. For some of us, it will be the start of Spring.
I am proud to announce the opening of our Brazil office!
Heart of the City
Located in the heart of São Paulo (the fifth most populous city in the world), our new office is located at Rua Funchal, 411 - Vila Olímpia, São Paulo - SP 04551-060 — just a four-minute walk away from Amazon Web Services' Brazilian headquarters.
We couldn't be more excited, and we hope you will be too!
Why Brazil?
Many of you who know me know that selecting Brazil as our first international office is not a coincidence. My wife of twenty years hails from Brazil originally, our children are both dual citizens, I have an uncle, a cousin, and many friends in Brazil...and if you dig around the internet long enough, you'll probably find a video or two of me practicing the Brazilian Martial Art of Capoeira.
My cousin, myself, and my long time Brazilian friend, Antonio, back in 2014 at a bar in Brazil. Ah — the days we didn't have to worry about social distancing!
Beyond personal roots, the people of Brazil are hard-working, smart, creative, highly educated, and a lot of fun to work with! Many people don't realize just how big Brazil is: with a population of over 200 million people, Brazil is 50% of the population of South America — four times larger than the next closest country.
What does it mean?
Tapping into the talent pool in Brazil does not mean Metal Toad is going to reduce staff in the United States or step away from the high quality and radical accountability that our customers have come to know. Instead, talent in Brazil will help us expand our offering through:
- Better timezone coverage: Great for our customers in Europe and for the sleep cycles of our 24/7 support team
- Lower blended rates: Currency exchange rates that benefit U.S. customers mean that we can offer lower rates, especially for specialty work or long-term maintenance contracts
- Diversified customer base: Being in Brazil allows us to explore serving the Brazilian market
Behind the scenes
The opening of our office in Brazil was not a small undertaking. There were a number of people working behind the scenes to make it happen, and it was the result of a lot of support and personal recommendations by family, friends, and our extended network. All of that said, I would be remiss if I did not recognize our shining star: Operations Manager, Marilia Bedoya. A Brazilian native and resident, Marilia has been with Metal Toad for over two years and has worked tirelessly to get things off the ground. An example of the highly educated, hard-working people I mentioned, Marilia not only speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese fluently, but comes to us with a degree in Chemical Engineering, a Masters in Business Administration (MBA), and has more certifications than she can post on LinkedIn.
Marilia, this thumbs up is for you!
Have questions about our Brazilian office — or looking to get a tour when travel restrictions lift? 😉 Contact us today.