Posts Tagged ‘IT’

Of expectations and legal battles in outsourcing

July 30th, 2010

In recent weeks, IBM has been in the news the other side of the Atlantic as it tries to respond to two legal cases brought against it.
It is interesting to note how, despite the maturity of the outsourcing sector – particularly in the US – it seems as though the issue of managing relationships and expectations is a skill that has not yet been perfected by the industry.

Although legal action is always considered a ‘last resort’ option, the public sector is under pressure to deliver savings and efficiencies. When multi-million contracts have ‘gone wrong’ or are ‘significantly delayed’ somebody – usually, it seems, the vendor – has to be responsible.

But it’s much more complicated than that. More often than not, vendors and suppliers deliver what they were asked to deliver. Where they seem to fail is to meet the untold or unclarified expectations that buyers and end-users have in mind for the venture.

A recent example is IBM, who has been facing two recent legal disputes in the US.
The first of these relates to the state of Texas and a seven-page letter the Texas Department of Information Resources sent detailing what it calls “chronic failures” of agreed service levels.

In the letter Texas expresses to IBM it remains discontented with services provided, indicating that IBM is in breach of its contract.

This is not a new problem. Indeed, it has been ongoing since 2008, when the state first suspended the $863m, seven-year outsourcing contract.
IBM obviously contests the claims. Meanwhile, Texas IT officials are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst after giving IBM 30 days to fix alleged problems with the state’s $863 million data centre outsourcing contract.

The second incident involves the state of Indiana and sees both parties suing each other since May. The heart of the problem: Indiana’s 10-year, $1.6bn outsourcing contract with IBM to streamline welfare eligibility in the state, which the state governor cancelled in October last year.

According to reports, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) is trying to recover $437.6m it paid IBM until 31 January. The lawsuit also includes costs incurred for any third-party lawsuits, federal penalties and employee overtime, plus triple damages worth more than $1.3bn.
As for IBM, it has counter-sued Indiana for $52.8m reportedly for hardware, software and automated processes Indiana IBM left there and is still using.

In both cases, each side disputes the other’s claims. We’ll just have to stay tuned to see how the saga unfolds; only then will we get sight of what the possible repercussions for the outsourcing industry will be.

Source:http://www.sourcingfocus.com/index.php/site/newsanalysisitem/2471/

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IT suppliers back coalition government’s IT strategy

July 30th, 2010

The IT industry largely supports the new coalition government’s IT strategy – including cost cutting, claims a report by analyst firm TechMarketView.

Based on discussions with 19 key IT suppliers in the UK, TechMarketView’s report found 82% of respondents agreed with the coalition’s IT plans, while 100% of respondents backed the reform of government IT procurement, outsourcing back-office functions and reduced consultancy spend.

TechMarketView’s research director and author of the report, Georgina O’Toole, said, “If implemented appropriately, respondents strongly indicated that cost savings could be made in future while protecting front-line public services.

“With recent news of the £1m cap on IT project spend, ICT suppliers are increasingly trying to demonstrate that their services are not just ‘another cost to be cut’ but that ICT should play a central role in supporting government-wide reform.”

Although suppliers generally support the plans, some areas of the strategy are causing concern, particularly wide-scale outsourcing, the reduction in use of consultants and the involvement of more small businesses.

“The government must go further to clarify its position before the key ICT suppliers will fully rubber stamp these proposals, especially on topics such as contract size limit, open source software and the creation of a government ’skunkworks’,” O’Toole said.

Source:http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2010/07/30/242181/IT-suppliers-back-coalition-governments-IT-strategy.htm

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RSA using green IT through outsourcers

July 30th, 2010

Insurance giant RSA is working alongside its IT outsourcing providers to reduce its carbon footprint, it has been reported.

The company, which has invested in green IT on a large scale, achieved a 20 per cent reduction in carbon emissions last year but is not resting on its laurels.

RSA’s head of corporate responsibility Paul Pritchard told Computer Weekly that the firm is relying upon its suppliers’ expertise in low-carbon technology.

“Many technology companies are already engaged in their green and sustainability agendas, but that is certainly a very important factor when it comes to choosing our IT partners,” he commented.

Mr Pritchard said that when releasing IT tenders, RSA judges applicants against a range of criteria, aiming to assess their green attributes.

He said the company was looking to partner with IT outsourcing firms which are able to come up with ideas to do things differently.

Source:http://www.ihotdesk.com/article/800007901/RSA-using-green-IT-through-outsourcers

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Complex it infrastructures makes it outsourcing in london more important

July 30th, 2010

The continuing evolution of IT infrastructures has highlighted the importance of IT outsourcing in London.

Paul Winters, an industry expert, has highlighted the fact that many companies find that this situation makes it difficult for them to keep track of their IT assets and the status of these.

“Enriching asset data with content and context is essential for making informed business decisions,” he explained.

It is also crucial that companies maximise the value of initiatives such as virtualisation, software license compliance, green IT and data centre consolidation, Mr Winters claimed, which could include through IT outsourcing in London.

He stated that the growing complexity of businesses makes IT more chaotic, costly and complicated to administer, making it even more important to use IT support.

The Financial News recently reported that Citi Global Transaction Services’ global head of client executives, Jervis Smith, had suggested that companies outsource functions to an IT consultancy in order to boost their access to the latest systems.

Source:http://www.ihotdesk.com/article/800008402/Complex-IT-infrastructures-makes-IT-outsourcing-in-London-more-important

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IT outsourcing london: cloud computing to drive server revenue

July 30th, 2010

The continued growth in cloud computing will lead to additional spending on server hardware over the next five years, it has been reported.

Research company IDC said server hardware revenue for public cloud computing will grow from $582 million (£373 million) in 2009 to $718 million in 2014.

The larger private cloud market is predicted to grow from $2.6 billion to $5.7 billion over the same time period, IT outsourcing providers have been told.

“Many IT decision makers are seriously considering cloud computing as a way to dramatically simplify their sprawling virtual and physical infrastructure,” said IDC research analyst Katherine Broderick.

“However, there is still some lingering apprehension over issues like integration, availability, security, and costs.”

She said these concerns, and how they are addressed by IT vendors, will continue to guide the adoption of cloud computing over the next few years.

Earlier this month, research conducted by Brocade indicated that 60 per cent of European enterprises expect to move to a cloud computing model within the next two years.

Source:http://www.ihotdesk.com/article/800008994/IT-outsourcing-London:-Cloud-computing-to-drive-server-revenue

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Webmaster & freelancer ,outsourcing benefits

July 30th, 2010

Increasing numbers of webmasters view outsourcing as their advantage in the business game,” and, it must be considered as organizations develop competitive strategies. The benefits of outsourcing to freelancers are real and significant. As webmasters around the world realize, outsourcing has become an essential change mechanism for their business success. In addition, it’s critical that companies choose the right outsourcing freelance provider to deliver the advantages they seek.

BENEFITS

* Outsourcing overwhelmingly delivers promised benefits. Studies have shown that webmasters get real value from outsourcing to freelancers. Almost three quarters of those able to measure the value of their outsourcing said they met or exceeded their expectations.

* Most companies plan to outsource business processes and functions in the future. In fact, 2/3’s of respondents to a recent study stated they want to outsource anything from a select, specific project to everything that’s not proprietary.

* Outsourcing cuts costs, in addition it fuels growth and innovation. The ultimate goal of outsourcing is evolving as organizations acknowledge it offers powerful tools to transform their business strategies. Certainly, webmasters want to reduce costs. In addition, they also recognize the greater business benefits of outsourcing – such as integrating new ideas and infusing innovative collaboration.

* Contrary to previous thinking, outsourcing doesn’t relinquish project control. Effective outsourcing requires good governance. Webmasters that enjoy the greatest results from outsourcing apply the same management practices to their outsourcing arrangements as they do to everything else they manage. The most important practice is adequate source management, requiring a collaborative relationship with the freelance provider.

* Webmasters require flexible outsourcing solutions not, necessarily, the lowest bid freelancers. Webmasters want options and survey responses indicate that the popular outsourcing destinations are not, predominantly, to freelancers working in countries with economies that support the lowest bids. The quality of the freelance experience and skills ultimately outweighs the costs.

Outsourcing enables organizations to focus resources, introduce innovation and promote collaboration. The benefits of outsourcing takes advantage of all that outsourcing offers; or, risks the loss to those who do.

Source:http://twinsizeairmattress.org/?p=13914

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Outsourcing to india,the challenges ahead

July 30th, 2010

Software Outsourcing to India has grown tremendously in the last few years. India boasts of the one the finest software professionals on the earth and world-class IT infrastructure. There are many Indian software development companies who have left their mark on the global IT platform. India today has 65% of the total software companies in the world, which have earned CMM level 5. This in itself speaks about the capacity of India software industry to deliver outstanding software development solutions to global clientele.

Presently India is leading provider of the software solutions in the world. The exceptionally skilled work force, high proficiency in English language and low development rates make outsourcing to India very attractive for countries like USA, UK and Australia. The bulk of software outsourcing comes from USA and Indian companies have aligned themselves professionally to get a competitive edge over China and Philippines.

Inspite of its strengths, Indian IT industry stands to loose its, number one spot to China if it does not address the underlying problems. The smaller emerging economies like Philippines, Vietnam, Latin America, etc will certainly bite into the global software outsourcing pie and reduce the India’s share. The Indian software Industry needs to seriously review its shortcomings and take necessary steps to eradicate them. There are many challenges that Indian software industry faces today and major ones are mentioned below:

1)Terrorism- The present day security scenario in India looks grim. Terrorism is spreading fast and it can downgrade the image of India in the eyes of the foreign clients. The outsourcing clients want smooth continuity in their outsourced business operations and will closely look into security environment of India, in near future.

2)Infrastructure- It is the next big problem because the big cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, etc, are getting saturated and do not offer any cost benefits. The living expenses are climbing and this will certainly increase the cost of software development in these big metro cities. The problem is further compounded by lack of pace in growth of tier-II cities, which can offer cheaper infrastructure to IT companies. This slow paced growth will certainly hit Indian software industry under belt in near future, if remedial actions are not taken now.

3)Education System- Though India at present has largest percentage of the young population in the world; it still lags behind developed countries in education. The entire education system needs to be revamped and made more industry oriented so that Indian IT workers can maintain their technical finesse for long time to come.

4)Competition- The competing countries from Latin America and Eastern Europe will provide lower cost software outsourcing services and induce Indian software development companies to cut their profit margins to stay competitive. China with its better governance and speedier economic reforms will overtake India within a decade.

5)Human Resources Training- The outsourcing needs of the foreign clients change with time. Presently BPO outsourcing occupies a center- stage but it will be replaced by Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) in near future. The Indian software industry, at present is unprepared to equip its youth with knowledge, of a global scale, needed for the KPO industry.

The Indian software industry should work with Indian government and root out the problems. The collective efforts will help Indian software industry to overcome these challenges and ensure that outsourcing to India remains very attractive to the foreign clients, for a very long time to come.

Tatvasoft offers software development expertise to it world-wide clientele and play its part in making Outsourcing to India very attractive to foreign clients.

Source:http://www.newsreelnetwork.com/index.php/2010/07/30/outsourcing-to-india-the-challenges-ahead/

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Worrying dependence on public sector for outsourcing suppliers

July 30th, 2010

Interesting survey from sourcing consultancy TPI. It found that businesses outsourced €2.2bn less in terms of value.

A total of €3bn was spent on outsourcing by UK businesses in the first half of this year compared to €5.2bn in the first half of 2009. Total spending was €12bn in the UK with a massive 75% of this in the public sector.

The UK public sector outsourcing spend is very important to the EMEA region as well. It accounts for 86% of EMEA public sector outsourcing.

This would appear worrying because the UK government is planning massive cuts.

But maybe not. I was talking to a contact of mine last week and he said he had meetings with government officials and the impression he got is that anything in he public sector that can be outsourced will.

And Francis Maude does to be clearing the way for massive outsourcing with prosed legislation to reduce civil service redundancy benefits as well as other changes to rules concerning outsourced workers in the public sector.

Source:http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/inside-outsourcing/2010/07/worrying-dependence-on-public-sector-for-outsourcing-suppliers.html

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Finding the right outsourcing vendor

July 30th, 2010

Outsourcing is never regarded as a an easy task especially for a new person in this field. it is really difficult to establish your name and fame when there are a million of high status competitors. selecting the right outsourcing partner is the most difficult task. some of the companies just select the outsource partner as a company with a top-level certification. in this case as far as India is concerned there you will find a number of companies with various levels of SEI CMM.

The problem while choosing companies on the basis of SEI COMM certificate is that in this case you are just left with the big name branded or large companies. however it is sometimes a good idea to choose or hire a small or medium company who is willing to travel that extra mile to deliver more than the customer has specified. the main problem here comes is that majority od small and medium companies are not having the SEI CMM certificate. As it takes huge investment, effort and experience to get SEI CMM certification this is the reason why majority of the small and medium companies do not have this certification.

While selecting an outsourcing partner, each and every factor connected with the company needs to be evaluated to assess the company’s capability. When the company is smaller, each and every part is important and needs to be checked out. S/M vendor with the experience, zeal, knowledge and business acumen to deliver value added service must be chosen carefully. An easy way is to hire a reliable consultant.

Look for value added service, timely delivery and quality work, at the best price. Before taking the final decision go and discuss with them the finer points at their office. Check out the company offices.

Source:http://www.diorgirl.com/finding-the-right-outsourcing-vendor/

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Complex IT infrastructures makes IT outsourcing in london more important

July 30th, 2010

The continuing evolution of IT infrastructures has highlighted the importance of IT outsourcing in London.

Paul Winters, an industry expert, has highlighted the fact that many companies find that this situation makes it difficult for them to keep track of their IT assets and the status of these.

“Enriching asset data with content and context is essential for making informed business decisions,” he explained.

It is also crucial that companies maximise the value of initiatives such as virtualisation, software license compliance, green IT and data centre consolidation, Mr Winters claimed, which could include through IT outsourcing in London.

He stated that the growing complexity of businesses makes IT more chaotic, costly and complicated to administer, making it even more important to use IT support.

The Financial News recently reported that Citi Global Transaction Services’ global head of client executives, Jervis Smith, had suggested that companies outsource functions to an IT consultancy in order to boost their access to the latest systems.

Source:http://www.ihotdesk.com/article/800008402/Complex-IT-infrastructures-makes-IT-outsourcing-in-London-more-important

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