Atento sells Spain unit to ABAI, doubles down on AI in Americas
MADRID, SPAIN — Global customer experience firm Atento has announced the sale of its traditional services subsidiary in Spain to a customer management solutions company, ABAI.
The move allows Atento to redirect its resources and focus exclusively on its core markets in the United States and Latin America, intensifying its development of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven customer experience (CX) solutions.
Atento streamlines as ABAI takes over Spain operations
Atento is a global provider of customer experience management and business transformation outsourcing (BTO) services. Its advanced solutions portfolio is built around artificial intelligence, process automation, and advanced analytics.
On the other hand, ABAI leverages a team of more than 10,000 professionals to master complex digital environments through a blend of analytics and human-centered design. This deep expertise across 20 international markets allows the company to architect smart, customized solutions that reliably generate tangible business value.
This realignment of strategy enables key market participants in the outsourcing business to rationalize and dominate a high-value, technology-intensive segment of the market, while leaving traditional service delivery to regional players.
The sale of Atento’s Spain unit is an operational outcome of the strategic transformation blueprint the company set during its 2023 financial restructuring. That restructuring pivoted Atento’s strategy toward technology-led BTO and geographic focus, stabilizing its balance sheet with over $113 million in new capital.
Atento exits Spain unit to focus on U.S., Latin America
The fact that Atento sells its traditional services business in Spain to ABAI is a strategic retreat from a non-core geography to strengthen its presence in strategically critical markets.
This will enable Atento to focus on more aggressive, technology-oriented expansion in other markets by giving ABAI control over the local Spanish business and allowing the company to continue serving its current clients.
This geographic narrowing reflects a larger corporate strategy of focusing on depth rather than breadth in a competitive global market.
As the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Atento, Dimitrius Oliveira, notes, “The transaction strengthens our position to respond to the demands of a dynamic and highly competitive market, while maintaining our focus on providing value to our customers.”
The shift is not an exit from Europe but a reallocation of capital and focus toward regions and service lines deemed central to Atento’s future as a leader in business transformation outsourcing.
Betting on AI as the new CX foundation
The company is increasing its investment in what it refers to as purposeful technological invention, namely AI, robotic process automation (RPA), and predictive analytics.
The operationalization of this focus is through proprietary platforms, including its AI Studio, to democratize advanced technology and maximize customer and employee interactions across various locations worldwide.
Atento’s portfolio highlights tools with substantial real-world application, demonstrating a move beyond theory to measurable impact.
Its “Atento Conversations” tool has managed over 32 million interactions, while ‘Advanced Insights’ has analyzed more than 125,000 hours of processes, delivering documented gains in efficiency and personalization across sectors such as energy and finance.
“This strategic transition will allow Atento to continue to lead the digital transformation of CX, with a clear focus on technological solutions based on artificial intelligence and advanced analytics,” Oliveira said.
