Companies across a range of industries are showing increased interest in business process outsourcing (BPO) as a strategic approach to managing their business processes. At the same time, vendors from a range of backgrounds have been expanding into BPO, and many are tying their company's future growth to the expansion of their BPO services. IDC's Worldwide BPO Services: Market Opportunities by Key Business Processes service offers service providers valuable insight at global and regional levels into the dynamics, size, and scope of BPO market opportunities from both a horizontal and a core-industry standpoint. Supported by a virtual team of analysts based in all regions of the world, this service will look at macro trends and developments in BPO markets, including customer care, human resources, finance and accounting, R&D/product engineering, procurement services, and training services. It will also analyze new directions in cross-functional BPO (e.g., procure to pay) as well as shifts to new delivery models for BPO (e.g., platforms, software as a service).

This service provides a view of the development of global and regional BPO services markets at the macro level, and it covers these markets from a pan-BPO perspective, including trends, forecasts, and market developments as related to key segments of this market.

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

• Global and regional BPO competitive landscape, including vendor strategies, positioning, and offerings
• Market forecasts for horizontal BPO services such as customer care, human resources, finance and accounting, procurement, logistics, sales and marketing, and training services
• Shift toward platform-centric BPO delivery
• Impact of emerging models of delivery (e.g., software as a service [SaaS], utility computing) on BPO
• The evolution of BPO deal activity

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

1. How has the BPO services market changed over the past year? Where are the best opportunities, and how are they developing?
2. How are buyer needs evolving, and what are their expectations of vendors?
3. Who are the leading providers of BPO services, and how are their BPO strategies unfolding?
4. How is BPO deal activity evolving, and what are the key characteristics and composition of BPO deals being signed?

IDC's Worldwide BPO Services: Market Opportunities by Key Business Processes service examines how both IT services and function-specific providers are positioning themselves to compete in the BPO market. This service reviews the strategies, market positioning, and future direction of several providers in the BPO space, including:

Business and technology services providers such as Accenture, ACS, Capgemini, CGI, CSC, Digital Insight, EDS, Genpact, HP, IBM, Infosys, TCS, Trizetto, salesforce.com, Unisys, and Wipro.

BPO process specialists such as ADP, Ariba, Ceridian, Convergys, DSSI, Fidelity, Hewitt, ICG Commerce, NewlineNoosh, Prosero, Provade, Sitel, TeleTech, ThreeCore, West, and Xerox.

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 document provides IDC's updated five-year worldwide, regional, and U.S. BPO market forecast. It is broken down along key horizontal segments such as human resources, customer care, procurement, finance and accounting, logistics, sales and marketing, and training, as well as regional views.

This study analyzes how customers are adopting transformational technologies (e.g., virtualization, SOA) and new business models (e.g., SaaS) and processes (e.g., hosted contact centers) as part of BPO engagements.

With changes in technologies and delivery models, this document examines the increasing shift of providing BPO services via platforms and newer delivery models involving utility computing and SaaS, with a focus on mapping specific BPO areas that are being impacted by these newer models.

This study updates IDC's previously published competitive analysis work, with a special focus on how the BPO strategies of major service providers are unfolding and progressing. An IDC Leadership Grid and a listing of major BPO vendors by revenue are also provided.

This study is an annual update to IDC's BPO deal activity analysis.

In addition to the core studies described above, this report series will be supplemented by additional documents, including analyses of vendor announcements, buyer case studies, and survey results of buyer demand patterns and expectations.

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.