As a new year begins, it's time to take a look at who were some of the big names in the global outsourcing industry in the year 2007. Summarising and comparing various outsourcing surveys from sources such as
"The Black Book of Outsourcing" and the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP), we can get an over-all view of the companies who are considered to be top players in outsourcing.

Ranking Factors
The IAOP cites four important factors for judging a service provider: Size and growth, Client referrals, Competencies and Management.
The Black Book of Outsourcing survey decides the best-managed 50 outsourcing vendors, in addition to the sector-wise rankings. Some factors for judging companies include: Leadership excellence Business transformation practices

The Magnificent Ten The companies that find a mention in the top five positions in the Black Book of Outsourcing (BBO) Best-Managed Global Outsourcing Vendors or the IAOP rankings in Global 100 Outsourcing are:

Company Name	Sectoral Ranking - Among Top Ten Outsourcing Vendors in:
EDS	Global BPO IT CRM Transaction Processing
Capgemini	IT Finance and Accounting BPO CRM Financial Management
WNS Global Services	Finance and Accounting BPO CRM
ACS	IT HRO Transaction Processing Vendors providing for healthcare industry
Satyam	IT Providers for automotive industry Product Research, development and manufacturing
IBM	IT Providers for Financial Services (Banking) Providers for Automotive industry Providers for Telecommunication industry CRM
Hewlett-Packard	IT Finance and Accounting Outsourcing Vendors Providers for Telecommunication industry
Sodexho Alliance	Healthcare Real Estate/Facility Services
Accenture	Global BPO Financial Services (Banking) Telecommunication
Wipro Technologies	BPO Financial Services (Banking) Telecommunication Product research, development and manufacturing IT outsourcing Transaction processing

The above table provides a glimpse into the top five in each of the mentioned surveys. Several well-known vendors are ranked further in the general list as well as by sectors. Click on the following links to view the detailed survey reports.

Black Book of Outsourcing International Association for Outsourcing Professionals

Outsourcing Competition Trends for 2008

According to IAOP, some of the outsourcing trends we may see in 2008 may include: An increase in competition, Emphasis on value-proposition - While outsourcing providers strive to offer better value-propositions, the emphasis will shift from mere cost-cutting to aspects which bring value such as 'socially responsible outsourcing'. 'Socially responsible outsourcing' would involve giving importance to aspects such as business ethics,contributing to the environment (green-sourcing) and society. An increase in talent wars and Rise of smaller players competing globally.

Conclusion

In retrospect, the trends predicted for 2008 seem similar to the trends predicted for 2007 by analysts. This perhaps shows that the global outsourcing industry is growing steadily, with healthy competition globally.

The Indian outsourcing industry is going great guns as India is said to be emerging as a favoured outsourcing destination. The most exciting instance of this is the multi-billion pound contract signed by Satyam with FIFA for IT services, for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Olè Indian Outsourcing!