Valueshore Spain, the Government-backed group of IT outsourcing consultancies, has today announced the launch of its outsourcing partner selection service which will help businesses identify the right partner to enable them to take advantage of the innovation and cost-savings available as a result of outsourcing IT projects to Spain. The service, which has been developed by a combination of both global and local IT consultancies, includes organising site visits, providing legal support and offering independent quality control during the course of the outsourcing project. 

Spain is fast becoming a leading IT outsourcing hub. Wage costs are approximately half those of the UK, and it has a number of key advantages over other nearshore and farshore destinations. The region’s geographical affinity to the UK means companies do not experience the problems of cross-timezone business, which can make communication and management impossible and travel expensive and slow. Furthermore, as EU protectionism increases outsourcing within the EU is sometimes the only option if companies do not want to contravene certain legislation in areas such as data protection.  In addition, there are no delays waiting for visas if staff need to work in both the UK and in Spain. Staff can also travel back and forth in the same day at a moments notice because of the excellent travel connections. Furthermore, the region has a long history of business and IT excellence. The top three business schools in Spain are listed as top ten worldwide by many sources. There is also no skills shortage with almost 20% of Spanish graduates aged 25-64 holding IT degrees, compared to 10% or less in any other European outsourcing destination. Furthermore, with all of these graduates having studied for their degrees using English language textbooks the standards of English are high. 

Euan Davis, principal analyst at Forrester Research, who compiled a recent report on nearshoring to Spain, said: “Our interviews when compiling the report revealed the attractiveness of Spain as a destination for IT service delivery. Firms rate Spain highly for the skill of its people, the strength of its technology infrastructure, its nearshore location, and its ability to scale. Although firms hire companies rather than countries, our interviews show that Spain offers the ingredients to make a nearshore strategy a success with competitive differentiators around its large skilled IT labour pool, industrialized software factories and domain expertise – particular in financial services, retail and utilities.”

Daniel Naoum, co-founder of Valueshore Spain, added: “If a business is outsourcing IT, it’s vital that the chosen region can offer something others cannot. There is little point outsourcing to a country with no proven track record in IT innovation.  Spain’s IT is ahead of other regions in many ways – for example government services have been online for over two years whereas most countries are only in the early stages of projects like these. On top of this, Spain isn’t saddled with legacy systems which enabled the country to leapfrog many others in Europe.  Particularly in areas such as banking – Spain is home four of the top five European banks in terms of cost income efficiency ratios and this is  largely down to our approach to IT. Spanish IT staff have a proven record in delivering innovative, successful IT projects on time and on budget. The likes of IBM, Accenture and Barclays are already taking advantage with IT hubs in the region. Our goal is to make this kind of success available to everyone.”

Infosys Technologies Limited said that it will design and implement the Research Informatics System (RISe) at Elan Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a leading biotechnology company, to accelerate discovery research using a path-breaking co-creation engagement model that leverages Infosys’ existing intellectual property in this field.

"We are confident that partnering and collaborating with Infosys will create a comprehensive informatics platform for our discovery research needs," said Ajay Shah, Director – Research Informatics, Elan Pharmaceuticals. "We selected Infosys after a competitive Proof-of-Concept phase during which they fully established their credentials and investments in this changing field of discovery research, and demonstrated flexibility and maturity in terms of rapid application development using Agile and Scrum methodologies. With Infosys’ solution and engagement model, Elan will be able to lower costs for scientific operation and facilitate innovation.

As Elan’s informatics system, RISe will leverage Infosys’ Scientific Innovation Solution for knowledge collaboration. Novel ways to unlock disparate data spread across in-house research labs and other commercial or public sources will be presented to scientists in context of their research needs. This will result in, among other things, a customized registry, and inventory and a workflow management system for biological entities.

Elan and its research partners could realize significant gains in research productivity by focused and efficient selection of candidate drugs or biologics with the new RISe. Linking silos of heterogeneous data will not only contribute to a more effective selection process of biologics but could also reduce time to validate them clinically. Furthermore, the new system will reduce time spent on registering and experimenting with bio-entities, increase collaboration, and reduce chances of downstream failure.

Future versions of the software may enable integration of RISe with electronic lab notebook and analytical dashboards which will enable more efficient research knowledge management.

The co-creation engagement model enables Infosys to retain ownership of co-developed IP as part of the implementation. Relevant components of this reference implementation can be reused or repurposed by Infosys to deliver faster business benefits at other Life Sciences organizations.

"Elan’s vision to create a scalable research informatics system for scientists to collaborate better, dovetails perfectly with our investments in solutions that improve scientific innovation and our efforts to streamline discovery research," said R Arun Kumar, head of Infosys’ Global Life Sciences Practice, Infosys Technologies.

Wipro Technologies, the global IT services business of Wipro Limited, announced that it has been awarded the Most Outstanding Alliance Partner of the Year Award from the Software and Solutions group at HP during HP’s annual Asia-Pacific & Japan Partners @World Cup, held recently in Guangzhou City, China.

The HP Software and Solutions Most Outstanding Alliance Partner of the Year award for Asia-Pacific and Japan recognizes one partner for its success in helping HP’s customers optimize the business outcomes of IT. Wipro has delivered strong performance in the Asia-Pacific and Japan region. Wipro’s delivery capability and close collaboration with HP has helped them bag the largest Quality Control software deal in Japan and the largest Software as a Service (SaaS) deal in the Asia-Pacific and Japan region.

This is the third time in the last five years that Wipro Technologies has been recognized by HP Software and Solutions.

Speaking on this occasion, Sr. Vice President and Global head for Wipro Testing services Gangadharaiah C.P said, “We are excited to receive this award from HP Software and Solutions for 2009. This award validates the fact that alliance with HP is successfully delivering collaborative innovation through best-of-breed solutions and addressing the evolving customer’s needs by positioning new SaaS Models in the Industry today.”

“Customers benefit from faster time to market as a result of the HP and Wipro combination,” said Brad Kern, vice president, Worldwide Alliances, Software and Solutions, HP. “Wipro’s vast number of trained testing services professionals combined with HP applications testing products helps deliver this advantage.”

Wipro and HP Software & Solutions are global partners for more than 5 years now. Wipro Testing Services has been working strategically with HP around its entire portfolio of Test Lifecycle Management Tools, which also includes developing new Solutions for Joint Go-To-Market and delivering enhanced customer value through newer business models like SaaS. HP’s testing tools have further strengthened Wipro’s Testing-As-A-Service (TaaS) offering.

Wipro Technologies, the global IT services business of Wipro Limited, has joined the Open Handset Alliance, extending its device development and service Integration expertise around Android – an open mobile phone software stack.
 
The Open Handset Alliance (OHA) is a partnership of more than 60 global mobile industry leaders working together to accelerate innovation and offer consumers an enhanced mobile experience. Wipro will now enable its customers in conceptualizing and creating devices on the Android platform along with providing differentiating solutions and applications translating to faster time-to-market for the clients.

Wipro is currently engaged with a number of Handset Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Telecom Carriers, Semiconductor companies, Consumer Electronics and Automotive companies on multiple Android based product developments. “Joining the Open Handset Alliance will help us turn around Android based products and solutions faster with rich feature-sets,” said Nagamani Murthy, Vice President of the Mobile, Automotive and Consumer Electronics Group, Wipro Technologies. “With most device vendors now releasing Android based phones, we foresee an impressive growth on this platform. The Open Handset Alliance membership will enable us to satisfy the strong customer demand,” she added.

Wipro has been focusing on developing differentiated applications on the Android platform along with testing frameworks. The IT major has had a strong Linux background augmented by robust in-house training and proof-of-concepts. These investments have enabled Wipro to help its customers in releasing Android based products in the market.

Wipro offers wide spectrum of mobile platform expertise ranging from development on industry standards and customer proprietary platforms, device engineering to Application/UI development expertise. Wipro works closely with leading mobile semiconductor players and has also supported many leading Tier 1 OEMs across the world in building complete phone software.

Wipro is the world’s largest third party product engineering services provider and was recently rated as the #1 R&D Service Provider globally by leading analyst firm, Zinnov based on an overall rating spanning across factors like financial strength, business models, innovation & expertise, people strength and operations.

As companies prepare for the economic recovery, many are poised to enter 2010 with renewed interest in improving their HR technology systems, processes and organizational structures, according to experts at Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm.

“In the current economy, organizations will keep a watchful eye on their spending as they analyze their investments in HR technology,” said Steve Hitzeman, national leader for technology and administration solutions consulting at Watson Wyatt. “Employers are likely to continue or even increase their cost-savings initiatives by taking steps to globalize and streamline the HR function, scrutinize their vendor relationships and strengthen their service levels.” 

Watson Wyatt HR technology experts identify these emerging themes for 2010:

Scrutinizing vendor relationships and sourcing options. Employers with vendor contracts that are up for renewal will evaluate whether they have received optimal value from those relationships. For example, employers that aren’t satisfied with their HR business process outsourcing might decide whether to stay in their contracts next year, or revert to outsourcing to multiple vendors with specialized services.

“Rather than place all of their eggs in one basket, many companies will migrate to a blended, co-sourced service delivery model,” said Dan Vander Hey, senior technology consultant at Watson Wyatt.

As disenchantment with the time requirement and expense of platform hosting and technology upgrades grows, Watson Wyatt experts also expect many employers will continue to embrace software-as-a-service (SaaS) options. These options help reduce costs by providing access to software via an external provider.

Globalizing the HR function. A growing number of multinational organizations are expected to focus on standardizing their HR processes, organizational structure and systems, such as payroll, across borders. 

“In an increasingly global workplace, employers will be challenged to strike a balance between having consistent standards for their HR technology and processes across the different countries they operate in, while not losing sight of region-specific issues,” Hitzeman said.

Investing in a consumer-grade experience for workers. Companies will grow more comfortable with Web-based, consumer-oriented applications that convey HR information through interactive and self-service tools. Many will look to technology to boost employee collaboration and lower costs by expanding the use of social media or leveraging their portals.

“The recession spurred many employers to assess their technology capabilities and priorities,” said Hitzeman. “In the coming year, tight budgets and cautious spending will compel many companies to look for a strong business case that justifies taking action.”

Atos Origin, an international IT services company, has been certified by SAP AG as a provider of solution implementation based on the Run SAP methodology, the company said. Atos Origin is among the first Global SAP partners to be certified in the Run SAP methodology and will incorporate the methodology into its implementation standards.

“By adopting the Run SAP methodology into our own implementation standards, we are going beyond the vision of implementing the solutions required by our customers,” said Paul Bray, senior vice president and global head of SAP solutions at Atos Origin. “We are now providing our customers the proven methodology for managing their SAP applications through end-to-end solution operations standards. This will empower our customers to manage their SAP applications more efficiently and at a lower cost.”

Run SAP methodology is a phased methodology based on world-class knowledge. It provides best-practice procedures, content, services, training and tools for end-to-end solution operations, along with a standardized and proven implementation method. The Run SAP methodology focuses on application management, business process operations, and administration of SAP solutions. The methodology describes how support should be implemented across the lifecycle design, set-up, operations and optimization. In addition, with its best-practice documents for solution operations, it describes how to implement end-to-end solution operations for different SAP software-based business processes.

“We applaud Atos Origin’s achievement as a global SAP services partner certified in the Run SAP methodology,” said Dr. Uwe Hommel, executive vice president of Active Global Support at SAP AG. “By adopting the end-to-end solution operations standards provided by the Run SAP methodology, Atos Origin will deliver to its customers a higher level of effectiveness and efficiency.”

Run SAP is an integral part of SAP Enterprise Support services, a holistic support model designed to enable continuous improvement and successful solution operations at lower risk and cost.

SAP customers will realize the benefits of operating with the end-to-end standards. SAP standards for solution operations are a prerequisite for the continuous improvement of SAP solution operations. Not only do they enable automation, reducing the cost of operations, but also improved traceability and an audit trail, helping companies to achieve cost efficiency, quality assurance and compliance enablement.

IT Europa announced today that it will stage the European IT Excellence Awards 2010 in London on 25 February 2010. The IT Excellence Awards have been designed to recognise and reward excellence in solutions provided by European IT and Telecoms Channels. The awards will bring together leading ISVs, Solution Providers and Systems Integrators from across Europe to demonstrate their ability to provide IT solutions for their customers.

The awards are split into three sections. The first set of awards are exclusively for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) highlighting the crucial role that applications play in the development of customer solutions. The second set of awards recognise the vital role played by Value Added Resellers (VARs), Solution Providers and Systems Integrators in providing solutions for both the SME and Large Enterprise sectors. The third set of awards is for vendors and suppliers who best support channel partners in delivering excellence.

“With more than 80% of sales now going through some form of channel and the complexity of technology continuing to increase, recognition of the crucial role that channels play in the delivery of real solutions to end customers is probably overdue,” said Alan Norman, Managing Director of IT Europa. “The European IT Excellence Awards are the first pan-European awards to recognise excellence in the delivery of real solutions and are intended to encourage the development of partnerships between vendors and solution providers across the IT and Telecoms industries.”

IT Excellence Awards winners will be presented with their awards at the European IT Excellence Awards Dinner on 25 February 2010 at The Tower, a Guoman Hotel, London. The Awards Dinner has been timed to coincide with the European ISV Convention 2010 which is being staged at the same venue on the same day.

Organisations wishing to enter the European IT Excellence Awards or interested in sponsorship opportunities can find further information at www.iteawards.com . The closing date for entries is 16 January 2010. Further information about the European ISV Convention can be found at www.isvconvention.com

Leading aid and development agency CARE International is looking for teams of intrepid colleagues from across the IT industry to take part in the third CARE 3 Peaks Challenge, on 12-13 June 2010.

The challenge will see teams from the sector tackling the three highest peaks in Scotland (Ben Nevis, 1,334m), England (Scafell Pike, 978m) and Wales (Snowdon, 1,085m) all in the target time of 24 hours.

In 2009, QA completed the challenge in the fastest time of 23 hours and 18 minutes, and the gauntlet is down for any team who thinks they can beat them! Better still, last year’s event raised £50,000 to support CARE’s poverty-fighting work.

Head of CARE Challenge Neil Munro said, “The funds raised by teams on previous challenges are already achieving fantastic things around the world. The IT sector is one of the most fun and enthusiastic sectors we work with. It would be wonderful to top last year’s fundraising total and we’re confident the IT sector is up to it!”

The CARE 3 Peaks Challenge offers corporate teams a fantastic teambuilding and networking opportunity, with a well deserved dinner and awards following the challenge. Experienced CARE Challenge staff will be available from the day teams sign up, to offer advice and support with fundraising and training.

A third of UK jobs at risk of being sent overseas, according to a new report from strategy consulting firm Roland Berger.

Roland Berger consultants polled senior executives at 200 multinational firms based in the UK and the responses show that operating costs in the UK will prompt companies to move core functions abroad. Around 29 percent of the workforce in the companies included in the survey could be replaced by lower-cost labour by 2015. More than 50 percent of the executives polled have either begun the process or are considering to do so.

Information technology was cited by most as the most suitable function to offshore, with 69 percent of the executives saying that they are considering the move. Other than IT, jobs most likely to be offshored are in customer services (64 percent), research and development (61 percent) and sales management (59 percent).

As many as 81 percent of the executives surveyed said they planned to offshore key business areas within the next six years.

David Stern, UK managing partner at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, says: “This trend towards offshoring is markedly different from the international outsourcing we have seen to date, with both knowledge economy jobs and core business functions now being exported to economies which are more competitive in the global environment. These are unlikely to return once the economy picks up, a trend which threatens a permanent rise in UK unemployment, leading to falling revenues and ultimately a decline in GDP.”

“The government must help UK companies and employees become more competitive in the global market place, otherwise the trickle of jobs moving offshore will become a torrent,” he added. “This will require reducing bureaucracy, enhancing the skills of the labour pool and alleviating the cost burden on business, but this will present a huge challenge in the current economic climate.”

Failing companies, the financial and housing crisis, rising unemployment rates and inflation have everyone wondering what’s next. “What’s in store for me, my company, my employer, my career?” Some thought the worst was over when the housing crisis led to the federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But then, global titans like Lehman Brothers began to fall. It was soon clear that many more stumbling blocks lie ahead. Who will be next? What other industries will be affected? When do we hit bottom?

While no industry will go unscathed in this historic downturn, there are pockets that appear to be more resilient than others, the IT sector is one. Due to a lean IT workforce and a technology skill shortage, many IT professionals have not yet been exposed to the job market hardships of this downturn. Demand is still high for your knowledge and skills but it’s important to not get complacent, over confident or too comfortable. Now is the time to take active steps to strengthen your value as an employee and promote your skills and assets. Previous downturns offer many lessons into what may lie ahead for the technology sector and its talent base. Take note of recent history lessons and discover what you can do now to remain employable and in-demand despite economic challenges.

Looking Back to Dot-com Troubles

The years leading up to Y2K and the dot-com bust were filled with aggressive IT hiring. Eager to take advantage of the gold-rush mentality of the early Internet days, many companies dismissed standard business models in lieu of a ‘get big fast’ plan. While the momentum was extraordinary, many companies became over-valued and suffered in what is now known as the dot-com bust.

After that bubble burst, organizations realized that IT spending needed to be reigned in and technology initiatives must be aligned to business strategy. Sprawling IT teams and budgets were cut back. ROI and business alignment took a central role in measuring success. The result for a great many businesses was a leaner, more efficient and business savvy IT operation.

IT Employment Now

Despite the many shocks of the market these days, IT employment has held strong. For example, September 2008 proved a dismal month for overall employment but not for the IT sector. September IT employment was up 4.7 percent over the previous year according to the National Association of Computer Consultant Businesses (NACCB). At the same time, unemployment rates for nearly all major sub-categories of IT labor force, as tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, are running at the low end of their past eight-year range.

However, there are also reports of less positive news on the IT front. Recent InformationWeek research shows that 72 percent of businesses plan to cut back on IT hiring. Additionally, 39 percent of companies say their technology budgets have dropped compared to last year, with another 28 percent saying it has stayed the same. So where does this leave you and your career plans when the IT sector anticipates little growth ahead? Let’s take a look.

Where IT Is Heading

The lessons learned from the late nineties will continue to influence the IT sector. As enterprises look for ways to streamline operations and run more efficiently, they will focus on projects that support strategic business initiatives and outsource ‘business-as-usual’ jobs. In addition, companies will increasingly turn to consultants to support critical projects. Instead of building massive in-house functions, many companies are turning to IT professional services firms to provide IT consultants with the skills and flexibility to support evolving needs. According to Staffing Industry Analysts, recent research shows that the industry projecting the greatest contingent workforce growth over the next two years is technology/telecom.

Additionally, IT candidates who possess strong business acumen are the most in demand in today’s economy and will remain so into the future. Organizations need talented professionals who not only have a solid technical understanding, but can also contribute to business initiatives and provide value-added services. Jobs that strictly support ‘business-as-usual’ applications (like regression testing, programmers, developers, etc.) are solely technical assets and the most likely to move offshore.

Career Moves You Can Make Now

The need for technology and innovation is not going anywhere, but IT employees must continue to evolve with the business landscape. To remain in-demand, you will need to make career adjustments that showcase and expand your capabilities. Here are some essential tips to position yourself for success in today’s and tomorrow’s uncertain market:

Build Your Value: As an IT professional, you need to be particularly aware of how the job you are doing ties into the overall company strategy. Not only are you able to offer greater value the more involved you are, but projects that are high-value and high-impact are more likely to survive cuts. Make the effort to market yourself and campaign for those positions to help alleviate the vulnerability of downsizing.

Grow Your Knowledge Base: It is also extremely important to have strong business and industry knowledge. The more you are aware of the IT industry as a whole, as well as the vertical industry you are working within, the more apt you are to offer insight, think outside the box and provide valuable input. Reading industry newsletters and participating in industry-focused associations can help you gain valuable information and also expand your network.

Expand Your Skill-set: Take every opportunity to grow your worth. Make sure you stay current with leading-edge technologies and pursue certifications or further education within a specific functional area.

Identify which vertical industries are doing well versus those that may be struggling in the economy. Retool your skills to match those industries with long-term growth and stability. Ask to get involved in other types of projects that will enhance your skills and be applicable across other industries.

Consider working as a Consultant: As a consultant, IT professionals have the unique opportunity to gain experience in a variety of business settings. They are exposed to various industries and technologies due to the flexibility of their careers and the wide number of industries that leverage IT consulting talent. Consider consulting work if you are looking for ways to continually expand your experience, skills and industry knowledge.

Your Career Is Your Job, Not the Economy’s

The best advice for job market worriers today is to stop wondering what the economy holds and start making the changes you need to remain in-demand and employable. In today’s market, you have to bring value to the table. Look past the technologies you know and the day-to-day tasks you do and focus on what you can achieve: ask questions, get involved, offer solutions, demonstrate your expertise and expand your skills. Certifications, education and knowledge are great, but the ability to translate that knowledge into bottom-line business value is what will bring you long-term career security.

Author: Mike Cleland, MDI Group