Customer relationship management (CRM) strategies, from operational point solutions to high-level corporate initiatives, continue to evolve. These developments affect many aspects of the services provider's business, including sales cycles, project schedules, buyer criteria, client expectations, success criteria and metrics, and partner participation. IDC's Contact Center Services research equips services firms with the market insight needed to compete in this next generation of the CRM services market. 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, and more.

This service covers the following segments of the contact center services market:

• Customer care business process outsourcing (BPO)
• Transformational CRM outsourcing
• Technical support and help desk BPO
• CRM analytical services
• CRM consulting and implementation services
• CRM training and CRM support services

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

• Home-based call center agents ("homeshoring")
• Emerging regions in customer care, such as Latin America
• Improving the customer experience
• Managing, analyzing, and optimizing customer data across multiple customer touch points
• The role and value of transformational outsourcing
• Managing value across the customer life cycle
• Changing demands and purchasing behavior for CRM services
• Customer interaction via multiple touch points
• Blended sales and support efforts in customer interactions
• Interactive voice response and self-service help
• Fulfillment services via the contact center

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

1. How large is the worldwide contact center services market opportunity, and what will it be in 2011?
2. What role do CRM analytical services play in ensuring the success of CRM?
3. How can CRM application vendors effectively compete in the CRM services market?
4. What is the forecast and outlook for the contact center BPO market based on vertical industry, company size, and geographic segmentation?
5. What is the competitive market positioning and perception of contact center services firms?
6. How well are BPO firms meeting clients' near- and offshore CRM service needs?

IDC's Contact Center Services research examines strategies, market positioning, and overall future direction of several types of CRM and customer care services providers, including:

• CRM consulting and implementation service providers (e.g., Accenture, Capgemini, and IBM Global Services)
• Customer care BPO, technical support and help desk BPO providers (e.g., Atento, Convergys, CSC, EDS, IBM, Sitel, StarTek, Stream, Sykes, Teleperformance Group, TeleTech, Telvista, and West)
• Home-based agent providers (e.g., Alpine Access, Arise, VIPDesk, and Working Solutions)
• CRM and call center software application providers (e.g., Oracle and SAP)
• Customer care training and support services providers
• CRM analytical services providers
• Communications and broadband services providers

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.

Sizes the worldwide customer care BPO market and offers a five-year market forecast, along with forecasts of consulting and outsourcing service activities.

Provides an overview of the CRM services competitive landscape and profiles players in the CRM services market.

Competitive Landscape of Contact Center BPO Leaders Provides an overview of the customer care BPO competitive landscape and profiles players in the market.

Sizes the worldwide CRM services market and provides a five-year forecast. It includes forecasts of consulting, implementation, operations, training, and support services.

Provides an analysis of the market for technical support outsourcing (ISVs and OEMs) and help desk outsourcing. The study also provides insight for vendors and end users considering engaging outsourcers to assume support responsibility.

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.