Looking back at the past often helps predict the future… or at least gives hints about the next day’s trends. According to Gartner approximately $730 billion was spent on IT services in the world in 2007 which was by 8.7% more than in the previous year. The following segments showed robust growth: IT management, custom software development and maintenance, and IT consulting. About 10% of the world volume of IT services is provided by outsourcing companies with cost competitive workforce: China, India, Russia, and Ukraine.

In Russia and other CEE countries the growth of IT services is even more impressive. Younger but no less mature and credible than the mainstream offshore outsourcing destinations, this region’s ITO industry has already caught up with the ITO pioneers in terms of delivery quality in line with international standards. It has been forecast by IDC that the volume of Russian IT services market will reach $7.8 billion in 2011 in comparison with only $3.0 billion in 2006. At present IT outsourcing services are in great demand not only with foreign customers but with local companies as well.

Moreover, according to IDC, US recession will make leading providers have a closer look at emerging markets. In Brazil, Russia, India and China the growth of IT in 2008 will be twice or thrice as much as of the global one and will constitute 16%, and the total volume of the markets will be $115 billion. And as the experts suggest this may fuel further consolidation trends in the IT market.

Although some still find outsourcing risky, others, making the majority, get engaged into outsourcing relationship to access specific skill, optimize their business process through advanced technologies or cut costs of keeping IT work in-house. Besides, according to a recent survey jointly conducted by Bernstein Research and Everest Research Institute, if the business environment of IT services customers were to substantially weaken, most individuals believe that there will be a slowdown in onshore budgets and the buyers will look to move work offshore as it has always been one of the most effective savings levers.