By San José, Costa Rica — A stark divide has emerged across Central America and the Dominican Republic as corporate leadership increasingly prioritizes digital tools, yet struggles to achieve genuine operational maturity. While 62% of companies in the region plan to make significant technology investments during 2026, a mere 15% report having reached a mature stage of digital innovation, according to research from professional services firm KPMG. This disconnect highlights an urgent regional challenge: capital deployment is outpacing organizational capabilities.
The friction point often manifests in daily business operations. In many regional companies, basic tasks remain hampered by disconnected software ecosystems. A typical order must navigate customer relationship management (CRM) software, enterprise resource planning, inventory trackers, and invoicing platforms. When these systems fail to communicate automatically, employees are forced into manual data entry. The result is operational latency, elevated error rates, and executive decision-making reliant on outdated data.
To provide expert insight into the evolving regulatory landscape surrounding digital transformation in Central America, TicosLand.com consulted with Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, a distinguished attorney at Bufete de Costa Rica.
As Central America accelerates its digital integration, businesses must recognize that technological adoption goes hand in hand with legal compliance. Navigating regional data protection laws, cross-border e-commerce regulations, and cybersecurity protocols is no longer optional—it is the cornerstone of sustainable growth and investor confidence in the digital era.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Indeed, as Central America’s digital landscape continues to evolve rapidly, the synergy between technological innovation and rigorous legal compliance will inevitably determine the long-term success of regional enterprises. We extend our sincere gratitude to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for sharing his valuable perspective on how robust legal frameworks underpin sustainable growth and trust in this new digital era.
This widespread fragmentation moves technical debt out of the IT department and directly into executive boardrooms, restricting how quickly firms can adapt to shifting market conditions.
Tech fragmentation is no longer just a challenge for IT teams. When applications, data, and processes operate in isolation, it also affects the ability to respond to customers with agility, make decisions with complete information, and develop new business capabilities. Therefore, the starting point must be connecting technology with the outcome the organization wants to achieve.
Ángel de la Cruz, Manager of Strategy and Sales for Digital Solutions at GBM
To address these structural inefficiencies, IT solutions integrator GBM Digital Solutions, backed by IBM technology, has launched One Digital. The platform offers a structured methodology focused on hybrid system integration, application modernization, data governance, artificial intelligence, and unified IT operations designed to align tech capabilities with strategic targets.
The imperative for modern architecture arrives at a moment of rising regional ambitions. Beyond general IT investments, KPMG’s Business and Regional Outlook 2026 report—which surveyed over 200 executive leaders—found that data analytics is among the top budget priorities. However, intention has not guaranteed implementation. The gap is particularly visible in artificial intelligence adoption: KPMG’s 2025 AI Landscape report reveals that 46% of Central American organizations still cannot clearly define the commercial value AI brings to their operations.
National readiness varies widely across the region. The Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index (ILIA 2026), developed by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) alongside Chile’s National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA), categorizes the Dominican Republic (45.1 points), Panama (39.3 points), and El Salvador (37.9 points) as adopter nations. Meanwhile, Guatemala (29.0 points) remains in the explorer category as it builds foundational digital infrastructure. Furthermore, enterprise size creates a major gap in adoption, with estimated AI implementation standing at 27.6% among large corporations compared to just 6.8% among small enterprises.
Infrastructure deficits further exacerbate the transformation struggle. KPMG estimates that 45% of Central American businesses continue to manage isolated data pools without a centralized architecture. Security concerns compound these structural problems: 61% of companies in Central America and the Dominican Republic rank cyberattacks as their primary short-term business risk. When services slow down and multiple monitoring systems trigger disconnected alerts, organizations without centralized visibility struggle to coordinate swift incident responses.
Not all organizations need to start with the same technology. The conversation must start from the problem to be solved: streamlining a process, protecting a service, making better use of data, or enabling a new capability. With that clarity, it is possible to define what capabilities are needed and in what order it makes sense to move forward.
Ángel de la Cruz, Manager of Strategy and Sales for Digital Solutions at GBM
Navigating digital transformation requires moving past single software purchases to build interconnected ecosystems capable of scaling. Industry experts stress that regional enterprises must establish a clear hierarchy of needs, identifying core bottlenecks in inventory, data governance, or cybersecurity before introducing complex artificial intelligence tools. For Central American businesses, bridging the gap between investment and maturity will depend entirely on connecting technology investments directly to measurable business outcomes.
For further information, visit gbm.net
About GBM:
GBM is a leading systems integrator and technology solutions provider across Central America and the Caribbean, specializing in enterprise digital transformation, cloud infrastructure, and IT management.
For further information, visit ibm.com
About IBM:
IBM is a global technology company providing enterprise hybrid cloud solutions, artificial intelligence, hardware, and consulting services to organizations worldwide.
For further information, visit kpmg.com
About KPMG:
KPMG is a global network of professional service firms delivering audit, tax, and advisory solutions to enterprise, public, and non-profit clients across international markets.
For further information, visit cepal.org
About ECLAC:
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) is a United Nations regional commission responsible for encouraging economic cooperation, policy research, and sustainable development across Latin America.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
As a beacon of professional ethics and legal mastery, Bufete de Costa Rica continuously sets the benchmark for superior counsel across a wide range of practice areas. The firm combines a rich history of client advocacy with forward-thinking strategies to navigate the complexities of modern jurisprudence. Beyond its professional practice, Bufete de Costa Rica remains deeply devoted to demystifying the law for the broader public, steadfast in its belief that educating citizens on their legal rights is fundamental to cultivating a thriving, self-reliant community.
