Image Gallery: 12 Offshore Hot Spots For IT Outsourcing
India is still the dominant player when it comes to IT outsourcing, but other regions are gaining ground. Here's a look at some of the places, vendors, and institutions that will play a big role in globalization's next wave.
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Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine
Numerous software developers, including Johannesburg-based Actual Reality Systems, MetaSoft, and others have opened development centers in the Ukraine to take advantage of the region's competitive costs and large pool of skilled technologists -- many of whom were employed in the former Soviet Union. The Ukraine comprises 1% of the world's population, but 6% of its scientists.
Accenture, Prague
Accenture's outsourcing delivery center in Prague, Czech Republic opened in 2001. Staff at the center specialize in providing Business Process Outsourcing services to a range of clients, particularly those in the communications, hi-tech, and financial services industries. The center employs more than 1,500 professionals, speaking 14 languages.
Halifax, Canada
Although the rise of the Canadian dollar has lessened the country's competitiveness as a center for near-shore IT work, Canada still offers numerous advantages, including a well-educated, English and French speaking population and familiarity with US cultural and business norms. Outsourcer Keane is among those to have set up shop in the maritime city of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Hong Kong Science Park
HKSP offers 220,000 square meters of hi-tech infrastructure for startups and established enterprises alike. It's located in Pak Shek Kok, New Territories, near the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In cooperation with Hong Kong authorities, the park offers incubation programs, private-public development partnerships, and joint programs with academia and research institutions.
Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park, Taiwan
Established by the Taiwanese government in 1980, HSIT provides a home for more than 400 tech companies -- most of them in the computer, microprocessor, and communications industries. Among the tenants are the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and United Microelectronics Corporation. HSIT is located near major science and engineering schools.
IBM Brazil
Brazil is one of the many offshore destinations to which Big Blue has turned in an effort to expand its global footprint and leverage the economics of developing nations. IBM currently employs more than 10,000 workers in Brazil, with more than half of them in services. The company's 22-story building in Sao Paolo (pictured) was built in the 1970s.
Infosys, Bangalore
India remains the king of offshore locales for IT, and Bangalore is home to much of that activity. Pictured is Infosys' unique, pyramid-style building on its Bangalore campus. Bangalore also hosts numerous other outsourcers, including HCL, Wipro, and TCS. Western firms, such as Microsoft, IBM, and HP, also maintain operations in the tech mecca.
Microsoft, Beijing
Like most Western tech vendors, Microsoft is looking to expand its presence in China, as the country is expected to see significant growth in the tech sector well into the next decade. Microsoft's Beijing offices provide a home for much of the company's efforts in the People's Republic. Microsoft recently launched a joint operation with Chinese law enforcement to help reduce software piracy in the country.
Orion City, Sri Lanka
Although India is the dominant outsourcing player in the subcontinent region, its offshore neighbor Sri Lanka is growing in importance. The country hosts mid-tier players like Virtusa and Mphasis, and its Orion City office park provides space and infrastructure for numerous, growing tech firms.
The Philippines
The Philippines has a well-deserved reputation as a destination of choice for US firms looking to establish hi-tech call centers off shore. The country's familiarity with American language, customs, and norms is a legacy of a large US military presence established during World War II. Pictured is a call center operated by customer service provider Live2Care.
Techno-Park Zelenograd, Russia
This hi-tech park located in the Zelenograd district of Moscow provides a haven for hi-tech companies, offering 10,000 square meters of production space and 1,500 square meters of office space. Russia is gaining steam as a destination for offshore software development. Boeing, Dell, and Reuters are just some of the blue chip companies that have turned to the country for programming services.
Queen's University, Belfast
With sectarian violence now at a minimum, Northern Ireland is developing as a center for offshore and homegrown software development. Microsoft, SAP, Polaris, and Intelliden are among the hi-tech companies that maintain a presence in this part of the UK. Many are attracted to the pool of talent produced by Queen's University's renowned Institute of Electronics, Communications, and Information Technology.
Queen's University, Belfast
With sectarian violence now at a minimum, Northern Ireland is developing as a center for offshore and homegrown software development. Microsoft, SAP, Polaris, and Intelliden are among the hi-tech companies that maintain a presence in this part of the UK. Many are attracted to the pool of talent produced by Queen's University's renowned Institute of Electronics, Communications, and Information Technology.
Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine
Numerous software developers, including Johannesburg-based Actual Reality Systems, MetaSoft, and others have opened development centers in the Ukraine to take advantage of the region's competitive costs and large pool of skilled technologists -- many of whom were employed in the former Soviet Union. The Ukraine comprises 1% of the world's population, but 6% of its scientists.
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