Almost one in three (30%) Latin American tech leaders reported that their current systems perform 'poorly' or 'very poorly' during high-traffic seasonal events, according to Galileo’s inaugural Technical Inclusion Index. With Black Friday — Latin America’s largest online shopping event — fast approaching, guaranteeing system performance has gone beyond a simple tech question and has become an essential sales strategy.

Here are three data-backed tips from the Galileo Index that help consumer-facing companies — especially those in Fintech and payments — ensure their systems deliver the speed, security, and resilience customers demand precisely when they need it most.

Key Takeaways

• Stop Back-End Crashes: Implement cloud auto-scaling and mandatory load testing (to 2-3 times expected traffic) to replace rigid, outdated back-end infrastructure that is Latin America’s primary technical weak spot.

• Unify Customer Data: Break down data silos by deploying a Customer Data Platform (CDP) to create a single, real-time customer view, essential for delivering personalized and high-value experiences.

• Modernize Interoperability: Use an API-First strategy to ensure seamless, resilient communication between your legacy systems and new infrastructure, resolving network incompatibility issues and boosting transaction speed.

• Security Must Be Invisible: Protect against the high rate of cyberattacks in LatAm with edge security (WAF/DDoS) while boosting conversion rates by replacing friction-heavy authentication with social, biometric, or passwordless login options.

Why is Back-End Infrastructure LatAm's Biggest Black Friday Risk?

According to the Galileo Technical Inclusion Index, nearly 60% of Latin American tech leaders identify back-end infrastructure — not the user-facing front-end — as their primary source of vulnerability. Galileo also found that leaders believe an outdated back-end translates directly into lost revenue, poor customer experience, and a lack of system resilience – precisely what’s needed during the busiest shopping season. Leaders cited outdated systems limiting functionality and scalability as their biggest vulnerability, followed by just over a quarter (28%) who thought that fragmented data architecture caused them the most problems.

Galileo Insight: The perception of a successful Black Friday hinges on a customer’s ability to complete a purchase quickly and securely. A back-end crash destroys customer trust and negates any competitive pricing advantage.

To guarantee your systems deliver peak speed and resilience during massive traffic spikes, consider transferring core, high-traffic financial processes (like payment authorization, fraud checks, and inventory updates) to scalable cloud-native services. This approach enables auto-scaling, where the system automatically adds or removes server resources in real-time. It can also eliminate system overload, guaranteeing your processing infrastructure can handle 2-3 times expected traffic, turning a potential breakdown into a dependable, high-conversion machine.

How Do Data Silos Hurt Personalization and Service Delivery?

An astounding 87% of LatAm tech leaders believe fragmented data hinders their ability to deliver relevant, personalized experiences to diverse customer segments. Customers today expect seamless journeys — they want to see the right offers, access consistent pricing across mobile and desktop, and experience personalized interactions that make them feel valued. When data is siloed (stuck in separate CRM, marketing, and web analytics systems), it may be impossible to deliver on customer expectations for value and convenience.

The top pain points identified by the Technical Inclusion Index were:

• Data silos and lack of interoperability between systems (54%).

• Network incompatibilities between legacy and new infrastructure (50%).

• Balancing multi-device access with security requirements (43%).

To unify fragmented customer data and deliver the relevant experiences customers expect, tech leaders might consider deploying a Customer Data Platform (CDP). A CDP acts as a central hub that collects, cleans, and unifies customer data from every source into a single, comprehensive, and real-time profile. This unified profile is essential for powering personalized, high-value offers and ensuring a seamless, consistent multi-channel experience, thereby building immediate customer trust.

How Can You Balance Robust Security with a Seamless Customer Experience?

Three-quarters (74%) of Latin American tech leaders agreed that concerns over security vulnerabilities may slow down their efforts to make services more accessible and inclusive—compared to 60% of their US counterparts. With Latin America seeing a 39% surge in cyberattacks, security is paramount. However, overly stringent security measures — like complex CAPTCHAs and required password changes — could also be creating friction, increasing shopping cart abandonment and negatively impacting conversion.

This Black Friday, your goal is invisible security that supports speed and convenience.

To protect against the high rate of cyberattacks while ensuring a seamless, high-conversion shopping experience:

1. Harden the Core: Use edge security solutions like Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) and DDoS protection to filter malicious traffic and bots before they ever reach your core payment and e-commerce infrastructure. This protects system resilience.

2. Simplify Authentication: Replace friction-heavy login processes with modern, simplified authentication methods. Options like social login, biometric authentication, or passwordless login offer a faster, more secure path to purchase, reducing drop-offs and reinforcing customer trust through solid security protocols.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is the biggest technical challenge for LatAm e-commerce during Black Friday?

The biggest challenge, according to the Galileo Technical Inclusion Index, is back-end infrastructure performance. 59% of Latin American tech leaders cite outdated systems limiting scalability and functionality as their primary concern, directly leading to system crashes and lost sales during peak traffic events. This lack of resilience destroys customer trust when it matters most.

2. How does a Customer Data Platform (CDP) solve data silos?

A CDP solves data silos by acting as a central hub that collects, cleans, and unifies customer data from every fragmented system (CRM, marketing, web analytics, etc.) into a single, master customer profile. This unified, real-time profile eliminates conflicting data, enabling consistent service delivery and accurate personalization, which boosts customer value perception.

3. What is "edge security" and why is it important for Black Friday?

Edge security involves positioning security tools, such as Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) and DDoS protection, at the network's perimeter, closest to the user. This is critical for Black Friday because it allows malicious traffic to be filtered and blocked before it reaches the core e-commerce servers, protecting systems from being overwhelmed by a cyberattack or bot traffic while maintaining a fast, seamless experience for real customers.

4. What are the primary Black Friday purchase drivers for LatAm customers?

LatAm customer purchase decisions are highly driven by trust and convenience. They demand reliable systems (trust that the high-value payment will process), fast, simple transactions (convenience via social/passwordless login), and relevant, personalized offers (value). Technical resilience directly supports these emotional drivers.

5. How does an API-First strategy increase system resilience and speed?

An API-First strategy (Application Programming Interface) ensures that all your new services and existing legacy systems can communicate seamlessly and rapidly. It creates a standardized "language" for data exchange, eliminating the network incompatibility issues cited by 50% of leaders. This directly improves system speed and resilience by allowing rapid scaling of individual components (like payment microservices) without needing to overhaul the entire infrastructure.

6. Why should FinTech companies prioritize "invisible security" during peak sales events?

FinTech companies must balance their obligation for fraud prevention and security (like adhering to PCI compliance) with delivering a seamless user experience. Overly complex security creates friction and increases drop-off rates, negatively impacting conversion. Invisible security (WAFs, DDoS protection at the edge) protects the core system, while simplified customer-facing methods (biometric/passwordless login) maintain high speed and convenience, improving conversion and customer trust.

7. How does Galileo support financial institutions in Latin America?

Galileo Financial Technologies provides comprehensive platform solutions for financial institutions across Latin America, including banks in Uruguay, Panama, and other countries throughout the region. The platform enables institutions to launch digital banking products, payment processing services, and innovative financial solutions through modern APIs and cloud-native architecture.

Galileo's partnerships with regional banks demonstrate the platform's capability to support diverse market needs while maintaining local market understanding and regulatory compliance.