Service companies are competing in a market full of opportunities yet fraught with challenges, including an intensifying competitive landscape, global sourcing, new pricing and delivery models, and convergence of software and services. In addition, as integration of business and IT is being pushed to the forefront, service providers are required to deploy new technologies (e.g., Web 2.0, SOA, mobility, and on-demand computing) and innovative solutions while controlling cost to maintain profitability. IDC's Worldwide Services research leverages the collective wisdom of 120 analysts in 43 countries to help service vendors adapt to these shifting industry forces. This research sizes and forecasts the global services market and provides strategic advice that product, marketing, and planning professionals, as well as top executives across the services industry, need to succeed in the various markets. Subscribers to this service receive direct access to IDC's top industry experts, who can supply competitive analysis and positioning advice, identify strategic partnering opportunities, assist with speaking to the investment community, provide press quotes, and more.

• Consulting
• Systems integration
• Outsourcing
• Support and training

Throughout the year, this service will address the following topics:

• Current and future market trends of services in major regions of the world, including top 10 predictions for the coming year
• Competitive analysis of top 10 service vendors
• How enterprises buy services and evaluate service providers
• Global sourcing strategies
• Impact of emerging service players
• Green IT strategy and practices among service vendors
• Competitive strategies and market perception of service vendors

Our research addresses the following issues that are critical to your success:

1. What are the most significant global and regional trends shaping the services industry?
2. What are the size and growth rates of the worldwide services industry by service segment and geographic region?
3. How can service firms successfully partner with other service firms and with IT product vendors?
4. Who are the top service players in the world and why?
5. Which service firms are rebalancing their service portfolios and geographic footprints to respond to new market needs?
6. How can an IT product company successfully compete in the services market?
7. What strategies are being adopted by service vendors to address the growing need for green IT services?
8. What upcoming business models do we expect will emerge in the evolving services industry?

IDC's Worldwide Services research examines how worldwide service providers are positioning themselves to compete in the worldwide services market. This service reviews strategies and future direction of providers in this market. Examples of companies covered include:

Accenture, ACS, AT&T Solutions, Atos Origin, BearingPoint, BT Global Services, Capgemini, CGI Group, Cisco, Cognizant, Convergys, CSC, Dell Services, Deloitte, Dimension Data, EDS, Fujitsu, Getronics, HCL, Hitachi, HP, IBM, Infosys, Keane, Lockheed Martin, LogicaCMG, Microsoft, NEC, Nortel Networks, Northrop Grumman, Novell, NTT, Oracle, Perot Systems, SAIC, SAP, Satvam, Siemens Business Services, Sun Microsystems, Tata, T-Systems, Unisys, and Wipro.

This service focuses on the following core research. In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct additional research on specific topics, or emerging market segments, via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.

This study is IDC's flagship document on the global services industry. It looks at the key trends and players that shape all 14 foundation services markets, from business consulting to hardware support. The document provides a market sizing and forecast by major geographic region and across market segments.

Consolidation, price pressure, new entrants, and new delivery models all impact established service firms. To succeed, vendors must understand the strategies of their competitors and know which firms are successful and why. These profiles analyze the growth strategies of the top 10 services firms and ranks them according to regional and market segment success.

Service companies face greater challenges with regard to business risk, new competition, changing demographics, energy consumption, and the increased demands of their own employees. Some of the topics to be addressed in this document include:

• What services offerings will appeal most to customers in this more challenging environment?
• How must service providers deliver services differently to both grab a bigger piece of the pie and increase profitability?
• Which service vendors are positioned most strongly in this highly competitive environment?

IDC profiles emerging service providers that might pose a threat to the incumbents in a particular market. How serious a threat do these new entrants pose? Are there any lessons learned from these firms that other service providers could benefit from?

IDC offers a complete market intelligence solution customized to meet your business requirements. The array of products and services available to you includes:

• The opportunity to have your specific questions answered through personal interaction with industry experts who cover the topics and markets in your service
• Around-the-clock access to our market intelligence on idc.com, IDC's personalized Web experience
• A view of the market's future with 12 months of continuous intelligence about its direction and the reasons behind it, along with actionable advice for taking advantage of existing and emerging opportunities
• Special client discount pricing on purchases of research from other services
• Complimentary admission to IDC's annual Directions conference, where you'll hear our latest forecasts and network with IDC analysts and other industry professionals
• Complimentary invitations to monthly executive telebriefings, interactive forums designed to provide you with insights about research and strategies directly from IDC analysts

To find out how our flexible packaging options can meet your specific business needs, please contact your IDC sales executive.

As a privately held company, IDC believes that our customers are our primary constituency. A large percentage of every revenue dollar is reinvested back into our products, including more analysts, more geographic coverage, and extensive primary research.

Our steady growth over the past 10-plus years reflects our commitment to investing in our customers.