Category Archives: Current Affairs

If you were too hungover to join our predictions webcast, here’s the replay and the deck

December 18th, 2011
View-our-predictions-replay

In case you missed our joint webcast with Ed Caso of Wells Fargo Securities on Friday, fear no more, as here’s the replay

Leave a comment

IBM embellishes its B2B commerce empire… by acquiring Emptoris

December 15th, 2011
wedding-dress

Emptoris’ well-regarded user interface and strong brand recognition among the procurement crowd make it an idea mate for IBM’s technology-driven focus and market leading procurement BPO capability. While the integration of Sterling, DemandTec, and Emptoris will take some time to become “smarter commerce”, there will be some immediate upsides.

Leave a comment

Announcing the HfS 50 Sourcing Blueprint Sessions

December 13th, 2011
HfSBlueprintSessions

This is going to be a defining two-day working session for power-brokers of the outsourcing industry, where leading buyers of both ITO and BPO services will confront today’s critical issues impacting outsourcing, to establish a Blueprint for the industry in 2015. And this time, we will have a vendor/buyer face-off session where leaders from six of the major service providers will join the debate.

2 Comments

Congratulations to Tony “Governator” Filippone, HfS’ new Head of Research

December 12th, 2011
Tony Filippone

Our core mantra at HfS has always been to tackle the issues and complexities of global sourcing through the eyes of the buyer. One analyst who has spent nine years of his life doing just that, leading BPO governance for the $62 Billion healthcare payor, WellPoint, is our Governator himself, Tony Filippone. No single person in 2011 has written to – or talked with – more buyers about their governance challenges, and we are delighted to reveal to the world today his elevation to Executive Vice President of HfS’ research team.

8 Comments

Join us next Friday for some perfect hangover fodder

December 10th, 2011
2011-review

We’ve teamed with our esteemed industry colleague Ed Caso, Managing Director and Senior Analyst for the IT/BPO Services Equity Research Team at Wells Fargo Securities, to review the world of outsourcing in 2011… and take a peek at what’s in store for 2012

Leave a comment

It may be for life, but will there be innovation, as TCS inks the mother of all insurance BPO deals

December 9th, 2011
For better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, until many missed SLAs do us part.

TCS’ insurance services delivery subsidiary, Diligenta, has become wedded to in a 15-year, $2.2bn, 1900 employee life and pensions BPO engagement with the UK’s Friends Life. This represents the largest life and pensions BPO engagement by a considerable margin, eclipsing the $1.1bn Prudential contract awarded to Capita in 2007. We believe this move from TCS signals a sea-change in the industry with regards to the growth strategies and ambitions of the leading BPO providers.

Leave a comment

SAP + SuccessFactors = Great for SAP, but could restrict growth potential for the HR services industry

December 4th, 2011
"I'll show you how I feel about your license model..."

With SAP’s move to “Cloudify” its software portfolio with the $3.4bn acquisition of the darling of HR software, SuccessFactors, we do not believe this is particularly good news for BPO service providers and services clients

23 Comments

Too late to compete with the Sourcing Raj? (Part I)

November 26th, 2011

HfS Research Fellow and Sourcing Change protagonist Deborah Kops investigates whether India has bowled an unplayable delivery to the rest of the world’s ambitious outsourcing businesses, or if there’s still a chance to nick it over the slips and get on the scoreboard… Let’s give Indian-legacy providers their due—they arguably initiated, then accelerated acceptance of  [...]

19 Comments

As InfosysBPO reaches the $500m mark, is it ready for the big-time?

November 20th, 2011

InfosysBPO is now a major BPO contender in the global marketplace, having quietly gone about building its BPO business streams since its inception via the buyout of FAO provider Progeon, exactly five years’ ago and expects to reach the landmark of $500m in revenues this year. HfS has always been encouraged by the firm’s approach to developing both horizontal and vertical BPO services, and its focus on leveraging its IT heritage to augment its value proposition. Infy is by no means the biggest player in the BPO business nor does it want to be, but it has been able to establish itself as a smart and very respected player in the BPO business.

8 Comments

Capgemini collects Vengroff Williams to slip into third spot for global Finance & Accounting BPO

November 15th, 2011

Capgemini has made a major move towards strengthening its position in the global F&A BPO market by today acquiring Vengroff Williams and Associates – and leaping to third in the market share spot for F&A globally

8 Comments

Why outsourcing professionals must stay in touch with the 99%

November 6th, 2011

Governments are very capable of passing measures very quickly to restrict outsourcing if things get really bad – and they won’t have any choice if the 99% demand it. All outsourcing stakeholders – buyers, providers and advisors – need to focus, more than ever, on helping organizations approach outsourcing as one supporting component of a holistic solution.

11 Comments

Double-Dip Dynamics, Part II: The new tenets of outsourcing – process standardization, global flexibility and better technology

October 29th, 2011

What is motivating buyers to outsource in this current climate? While eliminating cost is still is a huge fundamental, buyers are even more focused on achieving greater flexibility to scale their global operations as a prime motivating factor. Clearly, many executives are getting more experienced and skilled at driving an sourcing initiative, and are confident they can use the endeavor as a change agent to promote and implement much-needed change in their businesses.

12 Comments

It’s Meg Mitt-man as HP does a 180 with its Band-Aid plan

October 27th, 2011

One can ask many questions as to why HP’s new CEO made such a dramatic reversal of Léo Apotheker’s decision barely two months’ ago. There’s nothing wrong with making “180′s” with product and strategy decisions – the very best businesses in the world have been quick to admit bad decisions and correct them.

4 Comments

HfS is awarded IIAR Analyst of the Year for second year in succession

October 21st, 2011

The International Institute of Analyst Relations (IIAR) 2012 analyst awards: HfS Research wins the individual award for “Analyst of the Year” for a second year in succession in addition to Outsourcing Analyst Firm of the Year.

21 Comments

A big cat for a big job: meet Tiger (Part II)

October 20th, 2011

Part II of Phil Fersht’s interview with Tiger Tyagarajan discussed the Genpact-specific opportunities and challenges that Tiger will be tackling in his new role as President and CEO

3 Comments

A big cat for a big job: meet Tiger (Part I)

October 19th, 2011

Having survived a tough recession for the BPO industry, successfully fending off larger competitors baying for its blood, Genpact has recently taken a new direction – appointing NV “Tiger” Tyagarajan to take the helm from the irrepressible Pramod Bhasin

4 Comments

Where the boys are…

October 17th, 2011

Deborah Kops bemoans why today’s service providers are so male-dominated

5 Comments

ADP jumps head-first into RPO with The RightThing acquisition, but will this be enough to take on the big players?

October 11th, 2011

ADP has added another tool to its HR BPO toolbox with the acquisition of RPO provider The RightThing. The acquisition of the twenty-year old privately held firm is ADP’s first foray into the RPO market.

Leave a comment

Curious about Kurien? TK talks to HfS about his plans for Wipro

October 10th, 2011

Wipro’s CEO T. K. Kurien talks to HfS about his plans for Wipro

2 Comments

As Wipro drops out of the “offshore big three”, high-time to offload Infocrossing?

October 8th, 2011

Several leading service providers have been taking a long hard look at themselves in recent months as they come to terms with a new breed of competitor, increasing demands – and pricing requirements – from clients. There include the likes of CSC, HP and, more recently, leading Indian HQed provider Wipro. HfS analyst Robert McNeill takes a further look at Wipro’s current predicament and poses the question: Is it Time for Wipro to sell Infocrossing?

4 Comments