In
Eastern Europe, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Russia are
among the countries to watch and, despite India’s current
prominence, Gartner recommends that organisations seeking an
offshore provider consider multiple country options around the
world.
Ian Marriott, research vice president at Gartner, pointed out
that any outsourcing contract brings risks that have to be
managed.
"When using offshore service providers, these common risks
become more prominent, and some uncommon risks appear," he said.
"Although infrastructure, process, project management and security
risks are normal in any [external service provider] relationship,
human capital consistency, sociopolitical bias or legal
jurisdiction are not typically included in the due diligence
process for vendor selection. Organisations must understand the
various types of risks when using global software teams or offshore
outsourcing, and assess each through a more rigorous due diligence
of the short listed offshore firms.”
Gartner said that interest in nearshore (geographically close)
options for IT services and BPO is strong, particularly in Western
Europe, largely due to language requirements.
For Europe, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Spain are mature
locations. Eastern Europe is attracting offshore investment whilst
parts of Africa are also positioned for growth. For the US, Canada
and Mexico are the most likely nearshore options.
