10th E-services To Unveil New Outsourcing Trends

Jan. 24, 2010 - PRLog -- The 10th edition of the e-Services Global Sourcing Conference and Exhibition, the government-led business event that has put IT and ITES (IT-enabled services) to the fore, punctuates a decade-long run by seeking fresh strategic initiatives into the ICT/BPO realm as trends in outsourcing continually evolve.

The largest ICT/BPO event in the Philippines, e-Services has served as the venue for global movers and thought-leaders in the field to meet, network, and learn from each other through the event’s trade exhibition and international conference. Set on 8-9 February 2010 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, Philippines, e-Services is led by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

In contrast to the fledgling industry that employed a mere few thousand employees in little-known call centers in 2001, the US$6 billion-dollar BPO industry is the single biggest employment growth sector in the country to date, despite the lingering shocks triggered by the recent financial downturn. In fact, top analyst group Gartner predicts that with the high-profile tech sector leading the way, the industry expects to be back on solid footing this 2010.

With global sourcing integrally linked to national development, the e-Services 2010 Conference looks to explore its key trends as well as the solutions that both underpin and enable them, including such emerging ones as knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) and creative process outsourcing (CPO) – which signify the future weight of value-added functions in the industry.

“Our challenge in the next few years is how to remain competitive in the current economic climate,” said Peter B. Favila, Trade Secretary. “How do we deliver better products and services? How do we emerge from the downturn stronger? These, among others, are questions that this year’s e-Services hopes to address.”

The Conference will also pave the way for success stories, best practices, and innovative breakthroughs for businesses to come out on top and maintain their competitive advantage, as it celebrates the hallmark occasion with the theme Bright Skies Ahead: Collaborating for Smarter Business Solutions.

Collaboration as a business model “is [essential] in the way businesses are done today,” said Judy Arteche-Carr, consultant and moderator for the Conference’s Green IT panel discussion. “When working towards a similar goal, it would be very inefficient if individuals were to work by themselves [rather] than work together, as they should.”

Industry collaboration becomes all the more relevant when seen in light of how Green IT, one of the key topics in the Conference, is inextricably linked to bigger topics like climate change, which demands a concerted effort between governments and businesses worldwide.

Green IT, more than being a particular product or service, is “a constant awareness of…  utilizing technology, being mindful of the cost-savings in every step… even something as simple as taking the plug out of the socket [when the equipment is not in use] spells a lot of difference to the environment, ” said Arteche-Carr, who serves on the Board of the Society for Information Management and heads up global initiatives related to social responsibility.  

Aside from Green IT, topics for the CEO Plenary Session on the first day of the Conference include the role of innovative IT for mission critical organizations, European and German ICT and outsourcing market, trends and business opportunities in 2010, and the search for collaborative business solutions. Speakers come from global brands and international organizations such as Rubin Worldwide, Arteche Global, JP Morgan Chase, Davies Energy, BITKOM (Germany), and the New York Police District (NYPD).

Day Two will have diverse Session Tracks on Health Information Management, New Global Sourcing Competencies, Next Wave Cities, Creative e-Services, and Animation.

The show targets 120 exhibitors and 1,440 trade buyers for its 2010 edition.

e-Services partner agencies are the Board of Investments (BOI), the Foreign Trade Service Corps (FTSC), the Regional Operations and Development Group (RODG), and the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT).

The show is also supported by the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA), the Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. (ACPI), the Medical Transcription Industry Association of the Philippines, Inc. (MTIAPI), the Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP), the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NICP), and the Procurement and Sourcing Institute of Asia (PASIA).

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The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) is an export promotions arm of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry.