Toward an outsource heaven
Poland looks set to become one of the world's major outsourcing destinations, grabbing a significant share of the $143 billion European market in 2005.
Figures from Forrester Research suggest the European information and communication technology outsourcing market will grow to $117 billion this year, a jump of 23 percent on 2003.
While the majority of the outsourcing orders are still being awarded to India, China, Malaysia and the Czech Republic, two other new EU countries are well-placed to increase their share of the action.
After a slow start, Poland and Hungary are also bagging outsourcing contracts. Figures from the A.T. Kearney consulting company reveal Poland won contracts worth $106.46 million last year.
And with growth estimates for next year in business process outsourcing of around 11 percent worldwide and 20 percent in Europe, Poland's players are keen to grab an even bigger slice of the action.
Managing director of IDC Poland Andrzej Jarosz says: "Central and Eastern European countries are becoming a major outsourcing destination. For the whole CEE region we have and intend to continue doubling our turnover in the region year on year."
Analysts calculate that banks spend up to $220 million a year in Poland on computer systems maintenance. The biggest local IT company, Prokom, earned $85 million from contracts in the banking sector last year alone.
A relative new player in the Polish market is the UK's British Telecoms (BT). The company's Head of CEE Solutions Sales Andrew Lund says BT plans to profile themselves mainly in governmental institutions. Cooperation with authorities in IT outsourcing is part of BT's global strategy. The company has already gained considerable experience in Spain and Germany.
"Today 95% of our business in Poland is coming from private sector companies. In 12 months time we would like to see that completely turn on its head," says Lund.
Experts say both the private and public sector stand to gain considerably from outsourcing.
A senior advisor with the US-based Outsourcing Institute, Marty McCaffrey, says: "Poland is 5 maybe 10 years behind Western Europe and the United States. To some extent it is an opportunity to catch up in terms of IT and communications technology." B.K.
Figures from Forrester Research suggest the European information and communication technology outsourcing market will grow to $117 billion this year, a jump of 23 percent on 2003.
While the majority of the outsourcing orders are still being awarded to India, China, Malaysia and the Czech Republic, two other new EU countries are well-placed to increase their share of the action.
After a slow start, Poland and Hungary are also bagging outsourcing contracts. Figures from the A.T. Kearney consulting company reveal Poland won contracts worth $106.46 million last year.
And with growth estimates for next year in business process outsourcing of around 11 percent worldwide and 20 percent in Europe, Poland's players are keen to grab an even bigger slice of the action.
Managing director of IDC Poland Andrzej Jarosz says: "Central and Eastern European countries are becoming a major outsourcing destination. For the whole CEE region we have and intend to continue doubling our turnover in the region year on year."
Analysts calculate that banks spend up to $220 million a year in Poland on computer systems maintenance. The biggest local IT company, Prokom, earned $85 million from contracts in the banking sector last year alone.
A relative new player in the Polish market is the UK's British Telecoms (BT). The company's Head of CEE Solutions Sales Andrew Lund says BT plans to profile themselves mainly in governmental institutions. Cooperation with authorities in IT outsourcing is part of BT's global strategy. The company has already gained considerable experience in Spain and Germany.
"Today 95% of our business in Poland is coming from private sector companies. In 12 months time we would like to see that completely turn on its head," says Lund.
Experts say both the private and public sector stand to gain considerably from outsourcing.
A senior advisor with the US-based Outsourcing Institute, Marty McCaffrey, says: "Poland is 5 maybe 10 years behind Western Europe and the United States. To some extent it is an opportunity to catch up in terms of IT and communications technology." B.K.
