This study describes the current partnering strategies that are currently in place or being adopted by the major BPO players.

In the BPO market there are still many vendors that operate within their own territory and their own customer segments, so they can hold onto their intellectual property and partner only on an opportunistic basis. "Though opportunistic partners bring immediate revenues, it is absolutely necessary to create a long-term partner strategy; first of all, to support the internal strategy and to help funnel the efforts you are making in the right direction; and secondly, because it diminishes the chance of creating partner agreements that will not work in the future, or upsetting partners so they are not willing to work with you in the future," said Simone de Bruin, program manager, European Services at IDC.