European companies are dramatically increasing their reliance on IT and business process outsourcing (BPO), according to new research from Gartner that predicts 50 percent spending growth on these categories every year. U.S. IT and BPO offshore spending, by comparison, will grow by 30 percent a year.
Gartner's survey found, not surprisingly, that the top destination for European IT/BPO offshore spending is India. China and Brazil were close to each other in second place. But there are plenty of "nearshore" opportunities as well, especially given that European languages other than English are not as commonly spoken in India and China.
Of nearshore destinations, perhaps the most relevant are Ireland, Northern Ireland and Spain, all of which are longtime members of the European Union (EU) and consequently enjoy advantages of infrastructure, unrestricted travel, and shared business standards.
