How to ensure your business better manages the potential risks of cyber-attacks and outages

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In today’s business world, the only sure thing is change. In the last five years, we have experienced a succession of disruptive events: pandemics, geopolitical conflicts, natural disasters, economic crises and cyber-attacks. This volatile environment has shown that having geographically concentrated call center locations is neither sustainable nor competitive over time.

At Xtendo, since 2008, many years before the pandemic, we have envisioned and implemented a “Talent without borders” strategy, which enables our teams to work remotely from various regions of the world. This model not only enriches human resource diversity and capability, but also mitigates operational risks, enhances business continuity, crisis resilience and protects business profitability.

An interconnected and ever-changing world

Globalization and digitization have profoundly transformed the way businesses operate. But this interdependence has also exposed organizations to multiple vulnerabilities:

  • Political and regulatory risks: Changes in government policies can affect your operations and supply chain.
  • Climate risks and natural disasters: Hurricanes, earthquakes and floods disrupt key activities.
  • Infrastructure risks: Power outages and connectivity failures can bring your services to a complete standstill.
  • Security and conflict risks: War or social scenarios can put your staff at risk and severely affect continuity.
  • Talent risks: Concentrating your teams in one region limits your access to skills and capabilities, and can also reduce productivity, increase turnover and hinder recruitment times.
  • Health risks: The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how a health crisis can disrupt operations globally.

Geographic concentration as an operational vulnerability

Many companies still operate under a centralized model, without taking into account the risks involved. This geographic concentration represents a serious threat when faced with unpredictable contexts:

  • Operational disruptions due to technical, infrastructure or cybersecurity problems: a single adverse event can bring operations to a complete halt. On April 28, 2025, a massive blackout affected Spain, Portugal and parts of southern France, leaving more than 50 million people without electricity.

The power outage disabled telecommunications networks, paralyzed transportation systems and affected essential services such as hospitals and emergency services. The recovery of the power supply was gradual, extending until the early morning of April 29. (CNN en Español)

  • Limitations in access to diversity and talent capacity: The lack of diversity in work teams can limit the innovation and adaptability of companies. According to a McKinsey study, companies with greater ethnic and cultural diversity in their teams are 36% more likely to outperform their competitors in profitability. (Vorecol Recruiting)
  • Staffing issues: Strikes and work stoppages in contact centers reflect significant staff management tensions. For example, in April 2025, a large majority of Jazzplat’s 1,100-strong workforce supported the CCOO’s work stoppages, highlighting the extent of labor unrest.(DCLM.ES)
  • High costs: Interruptions in critical services can have a significant cost. In the telecommunications sector, more than a third of companies reported that outages in critical business applications cost more than $500,000 per hour, and nearly a quarter estimated losses in excess of $1 million per hour.(Yahoo News)

Adapt and diversify: from strategy to urgency

Companies that fail to adapt risk losing competitiveness, reputation and money. Diversification of talent and decentralization of operations are not a fad, but a strategic necessity:

  • Loss of competitiveness: your more agile competitors build customer loyalty and adapt quickly. A poor customer experience can translate into a significant loss of customers and thus market share. Recent studies reveal that up to 74% of consumers are willing to switch providers after a poor customer service experience. In addition, 86% of consumers will abandon a brand they trusted after just two bad experiences. (cxscoop + emplifi)
  • Financial impact: Every minute of disruption has a considerable economic cost. The latest ITIC study shows that the cost per hour of downtime exceeds $300,000 for 91% of SMEs and large companies. (ITIC Corp)
  • Demotivation of talent: The abrupt elimination of teleworking can generate a deep demotivation among employees, affecting their commitment and productivity. An illustrative case is that of the Spanish company Holaluz, which in February 2025 decided to eliminate remote work and return to a 100% face-to-face model. This measure led to the resignation of more than 25% of its workforce, i.e. more than 50 employees, and triggered an indefinite strike led by the trade unions UGT and CGT. The company’s lack of communication and clear justification intensified the unrest, demonstrating how rigid labor policies can deteriorate team morale and compromise operational stability (Infobae).

Xtendo and the “Talent without borders” model

At Xtendo, we developed an operating model based on globally distributed remote teams, offering real solutions to our clients’ most pressing challenges.

What do we achieve with this strategy?

  • Access to global talent: We choose the best professionals without geographical limitations.
  • Extended time coverage: By operating in multiple time zones, we ensure continuous attention and availability, both in nearshore and offshore schemes.
  • Greater operational resilience: geographic diversification protects against local disruptions, and mitigates the risks of customer service outages.
  • Flexibility and team satisfaction: We create adaptable work environments, with higher engagement and talent retention.
  1. Xtendo has an average of 17.5% less staff turnover than the industry, being only 4.95% monthly.
  2. And 40% of staff have an average tenure of +2 years.
  • Reduced operating costs: We significantly reduced fixed expenses in physical offices.
  • Rapid scalability: We adjust the teams with flexibility and agility according to the client’s demands.

Measurable results:

Projects implemented by Xtendo BPO applying the telework model in Customer Experience and Contact Center services for companies such as Microsoft, PedidosYa, and Supermercados Tottus, have shown the following:

  • PedidosYa contracts Xtendo for Customer Service, logistics tracking and content moderation solutions, covering around 36 lines of business. Staff turnover has been stable for years at values below 5% per month, directly and positively impacting operational indicators
  • With Tottus we not only trained and activated the initial team in 3 days, but also substantially improved response times and optimized Call Center hourly costs, reducing them by 24% in Chile, directly impacting customer loyalty in just 3 months.
  • Microsoft, by outsourcing with Xtendo, achieved an increase of 56.25% in the annual turnover of the campaign oriented to SMEs, +20 times return on marketing investment, generating 1904 Leads in 12 months with a closing rate of 22%.

In addition to our BPO solutions, we also have a model that combines Generative Artificial Intelligence with human warmth: 2X Agent. This Xtendo solution integrates human agents with generative AI-powered virtual assistants, offering 24/7 customer service that is efficient and empathetic. With 2X Agent, companies can respond to each customer in real time, increasing lead conversion rate by up to 21 times, without compromising service quality. This combination of technology and human touch not only improves operational efficiency, but also elevates customer satisfaction, positioning companies at the forefront of customer experience.

  • +550,000 cases handled per month at Interbank, with the 24×7 availability of our omnichannel solution.
  • 59% reduction in Caixa Federal’s customer service costs, with Xtendo’s Generative Artificial Intelligence Agents solution.

Global Presence: Real Coverage

We develop teams strategically distributed in different countries around the world:

  • America: Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala, USA, Canada.
  • Europe: Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Norway, Eastern Europe.
  • Asia and Oceania: Philippines, India, Australia.
  • Africa: Angola, Cape Verde, Madagascar, South Africa, Morocco.

This geographical distribution guarantees a resilient, continuous and flexible operation, adapted to the specific needs of each customer.

In conclusion: To Diversify and Distribute is to Win

In an environment where the only constant is uncertainty, diversifying your talent and adopting distributed operating models is not an option, it is a key competitive advantage.

Xtendo’s “Talent Without Borders” model not only solves today’s challenges, but prepares your company to anticipate and thrive in the face of future disruptions, and gain substantial advantages over your competition.

The recent widespread outage in Spain, Portugal and southern France made this clear. The question is no longer if you should diversify, but when. And the answer is: Now.

Jackie Palma, Growth Marketing Manager – Xtendo BPO

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