This IDC study answers the following questions:

• How is the model of offshore evolving?
• What is the opportunity for offshore providers by geographic region?
• What are IDC's predictions and assumptions relating to market forces impacting the offshore IT services market, and what impact will they have on the market forecasts?
• Which assumptions are of sufficient importance that a change in the assumption would result in a change in the market forecasts?
• What impact will developments in this market have on the players in the market?
• What are the not-to-be-missed opportunities?

"The offshore IT services market has grown from a leading edge, innovative way to access low-cost labor to a well-developed and accepted business model," said David Tapper, vice president for Outsourcing Services at IDC. "As the legitimacy of offshore vendors as IT service providers has gained ground, offshore providers are moving up the value chain from providing lower level, tactical services, such as application maintenance, to more strategic transformative engagements."