Atento's Innovation Hub Launches Startup Accelerator Program and Open Innovation Platform

NEW YORK, Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Atento S.A. (NYSE: ATTO) ("Atento" or the "Company"), the largest customer relationship management and business process outsourcing services provider in Latin America, and among the top five companies globally, announced today the launch of two programs within the Company's Innovation Hub that are intended to accelerate the search for innovative ideas, one a startup accelerator and the other an open innovation platform. Both programs stem from the ISO 56002 certification for innovation management that Atento was awarded in 2020.

As part of the startup accelerator program, called Atento Next, the Company has established a partnership with Liga Ventures ("Liga"), a pioneer accelerator dedicated to connecting large corporates with startups, with more than 250 accelerated startups and more than 450 projects launched during the last five years. The Atento Next program is currently searching for startups that are pursuing disruptive technologies focused on improving the Customer Experience (CX), while also driving performance and results for its corporate clients. Under the program, projects must be related to CXM (Customer Experience Management) ecosystems, automation, new technologies related to customer interaction, artificial intelligence, cognitive technologies and data science. Initially, four startups will be selected for Atento Next. A Pitch Day will happen in December 2020 and the program is scheduled to start in January 2021.

Atento's open innovation platform utilizes a gaming model to engage employees in contributing ideas. From idea generation to evaluation and implementation, employees receive points at every stage that can be exchanged for awards. The initial launch involved 500 employees and generated 38 ideas during the first 15 days.

Carlos López-Abadía, Atento's Chief Executive Officer, said, "Under our Three Horizon Plan, we have been successfully accelerating Atento's digital transformation. This year alone, over 10% of sales have come from completely new services developed by our Innovation Hub. We have always emphasized that innovation is not a linear process, that it requires a certain form of thinking and approaches and must remain integral to our company's culture. The launch of the two innovation programs will allow Atento to source and integrate external and internal ideas that can strengthen our ability to lead innovation in the Customer Experience market."

Mauricio Castro, Atento's Director of Innovation, added, "Innovation is not about technology alone. In the CX market, it's also about the challenge of humanizing the digital. With that in mind, we have leveraged Atento's ISO 56002 certification and launched the startup accelerator and open innovation platform to optimize our ability to capture the best ideas and more effectively develop them into new services and technologies, be it from employees or collaborating entrepreneurs, to deliver the most valuable experiences to our clients' customers. We believe that integrating different viewpoints, ideas and approaches and getting the best out of each is what drives market-leading innovation and differentiated CX solutions."

About Atento

Atento is the largest provider of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing (CRM BPO) services in Latin America, and among the top five providers globally, based on revenues. Atento is also a leading provider of nearshoring CRM/BPO services to companies that carry out their activities in the United States. Since 1999, the company has developed its business model in 13 countries where it employs 150,000 people. Atento has over 400 clients to whom it offers a wide range of CRM/BPO services through multiple channels. Atento's clients are mostly leading multinational corporations in sectors such as telecommunications, banking and financial services, health, retail and public administrations, among others. In 2019, Atento was named one of the World's 25 Best Multinational Workplaces and one of the Best Multinationals to Work for in Latin America by Great Place to Work®. Atento is also the world's first CRM company to be ISO 56002 certified in Innovation Management. Atento's shares trade under the symbol ATTO on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). For more information visit www.atento.com 

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "intends," "continue" or similar terminology. These statements reflect only Atento's current expectations and are not guarantees of future performance or results. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic, and governments' extraordinary measures to limit the spread of the virus, are disrupting the global economy and Atento's industry, and consequently adversely affecting the Company's business, results of operation and cash flows and, as conditions are recent, uncertain and changing rapidly, it is difficult to predict the full extent of the impact that the pandemic will have.  Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, competition in Atento's highly competitive industries; increases in the cost of voice and data services or significant interruptions in these services; Atento's ability to keep pace with its clients' needs for rapid technological change and systems availability; the continued deployment and adoption of emerging technologies; the loss, financial difficulties or bankruptcy of any key clients; the effects of global economic trends on the businesses of Atento's clients; the non-exclusive nature of Atento's client contracts and the absence of revenue commitments; security and privacy breaches of the systems Atento uses to protect personal data; the cost of pending and future litigation; the cost of defending Atento against intellectual property infringement claims; extensive regulation affecting many of Atento's businesses; Atento's ability to protect its proprietary information or technology; service interruptions to Atento's data and operation centers; Atento's ability to retain key personnel and attract a sufficient number of qualified employees; increases in labor costs and turnover rates; the political, economic and other conditions in the countries where Atento operates; changes in foreign exchange rates; Atento's ability to complete future acquisitions and integrate or achieve the objectives of its recent and future acquisitions; future impairments of our substantial goodwill, intangible assets, or other long-lived assets; and Atento's ability to recover consumer receivables on behalf of its clients. In addition, Atento is subject to risks related to its level of indebtedness. Such risks include Atento's ability to generate sufficient cash to service its indebtedness and fund its other liquidity needs; Atento's ability to comply with covenants contained in its debt instruments; the ability to obtain additional financing; the incurrence of significant additional indebtedness by Atento and its subsidiaries; and the ability of Atento's lenders to fulfill their lending commitments. Atento is also subject to other risk factors described in documents filed by the company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. 

These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which the statements were made. Atento undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Atento S.A.

Related Links

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