This IDC study provides an in-depth look at the offshore experiences of 30 U.S. enterprises. In addition to providing detailed information on the magnitude of current and future customer expenditures, as well as types of services procured from offshore locations and associated geographic preferences, this study provides insight into the best practices customers are looking to utilize in leveraging offshore as part of a service delivery model.

The purpose of this document is to help players looking to provide offshore services as part of sets of service offerings with a better understanding of what it will take to compete successfully while using this type of service delivery and business model. Key areas analyzed include building an optimal investment strategy, managing key challenges, leveraging emerging opportunities, and supporting customer requirements.

"While an offshore business strategy is looked toward in today's competitive marketplace to meet the primary customer need to lower costs, it also brings with it a broad array of opportunities and challenges that will likely affect not only the makeup of the competitor landscape, but also the structure of how services will be delivered in the future," said David Tapper, director, Outsourcing, Utility, and Offshore Services. "For players to compete successfully they will need to develop robust investment strategies across infrastructure, geographies, capital equipment, and operational skill sets, as well as take advantage of revenue opportunities emerging from utilizing offshore locations with particular focus on emerging services involving utility computing and ASP."