For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Status, Challenges, And Near-Term Tactics For Cloud Services In Enterprise Outsourcing Deals

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., November 18, 2009

The blab-o-sphere is full of warnings, proclamations, and sales pitches about cloud services and this is only making it tougher for IT decision-makers to sort the reality from the hype in the face of pressing technology challenges. Decision-makers are . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Economic Pressures Reshape Ideas About Outsourcing Deal Financing Options

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., October 19, 2009

Extreme financial pressures can make people — and companies — explore options they may not have considered in more flush times. Even though the credit crisis has hit almost every firm in some way, many major IT service providers still have the means to . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Market Overview Of Cloud IT Services From Major Telcos

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., September 1, 2009

Interest and hype around cloud IT services is at an all-time high, but most enterprise decision-makers are still exploring the potential risks and rewards. Although most clients are not rushing to implement an unproven set of services, the promise for . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Clients Speak Out On Infrastructure Outsourcing Satisfaction

Overall Satisfaction Is Good, But Providers Should Focus On Account Management

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., August 25, 2009

Forrester's data shows that an increasing number of IT services clients are turning to infrastructure outsourcing to free up management focus, save money, and focus on technology enablement of the core business. But smart services decision-makers want . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Major Hurdles Remain In Enterprise Cloud Services

IT Service Providers Are Addressing The Technical And Business Challenges For End Users

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., June 29, 2009

Even though cloud services delivered by major IT service providers hold potential promise for long-term value, they are currently awash in a frenzy of irrational exuberance. Forrester's data shows that a growing number of enterprise clients are implementing . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Market Overview Of Current Cloud Service Offerings From Global IT Providers

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., June 9, 2009

Compared to traditional enterprise IT services, a new family of services is emerging that are more standardized, scalable, and billed based on consumption. Known as cloud-based IT services, ,there are new signs that this sourcing model is moving beyond . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Market Overview Of Cloud Service Strategies From Global IT Providers

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., June 9, 2009

Major IT service providers have some offerings for enterprise clients, but most clients, while interested, have not yet made the decision to start including cloud services in their sourcing strategies. IT sourcing decision-makers should understand and . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

IT Infrastructure Market And Services Data  (222 KB PPT)

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., April 13, 2009

IT Infrastructure Market And Services Data.

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Tactics To Manage Currency And Inflation Risk In Your IT Services Deal

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., April 10, 2009

The new market reality is that costs have to come down in almost every commercial business sector due to current roiling economic pressures. This can seem nearly paralyzing to IT sourcing decision-makers trying to solidify strategies to survive the recession . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

The Forrester Wave™: Global IT Infrastructure Outsourcing, Q1 2009

IBM, Wipro, And HP Lead, But Overall Maturity And Quality Are High

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., April 6, 2009

Forrester evaluated leading global IT infrastructure outsourcing service providers across 31 criteria — including an additional 25-item reference client survey — and found that IBM and the combined HP/EDS firm both stand out from the . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Smaller Regional Infrastructure Providers Can Be The Right Size For The Right US Clients

Market Overview Of Smaller US Infrastructure Service Providers

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., January 9, 2009

Although massive global IT outsourcers like Accenture, CSC, HP, and IBM still take on the majority of outsourced infrastructure management work, there are cases where bigger may not be better for services clients. Thousands of US-based infrastructure . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Lower My IT Service Rates (Now Please?)

Best Practices To Negotiate Lower Outsourcing Rates While Balancing Risks

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., November 5, 2008

There's certainly no lack of turmoil across the wider global economy, and this is shaping how firms assemble outsourcing deals. But even in cases where prices are locked into longer-term deals, clients are looking for ways to drive down IT services spend . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

New Market Pressures Will Drive Next-Generation IT Services Outsourcing

IT Management Dilettantes Are Squandering Enterprise Resources

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., October 9, 2008

Against a background of economic crisis, war, price shocks, natural disasters, and political upheaval, making decisions about IT services for global enterprises is getting more complicated. Regardless of whether you think the daily news points to the . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Focus On Business Fundamentals To Reduce Pain In IT Services Outsourcing Deals

Eight Business Tactics To Improve Chances For Success

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., August 18, 2008

The problem with much of the sage advice that pundits give to IT services decision-makers is that very often it only makes sense in retrospect — after the train wreck. It doesn't have to be this way. Forrester has found that most IT outsourcing clients . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

IT Outsourcers Enhance Buyers' Options For Enterprise Managed Security Services

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., July 7, 2008

One of the biggest challenges facing IT decision-makers today is balancing the cost of security measures against risks that are becoming increasingly sophisticated, common, and devastating. IT services clients increasingly bundle security services into . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

IT Outsourcing Providers: Annual Financials 2007  (238 KB PPT)

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., May 22, 2008

The following data charts are a review of the 2007 annual financials of the main IT outsourcing providers.

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

HP Acquires EDS To Focus On Enterprise IT Services

The Deal Gives HP Mega-Deal Credibility

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., May 13, 2008

Hewlett Packard (HP) sent a shock wave through the IT services industry today by announcing the acquisition of EDS for a reported $13.9 billion. The acquisition creates an IT services powerhouse of tremendous scale and global reach — and leaves outsourcing . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Outsourcing Deal Advisor Selection  (98 KB XLS)

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., April 2, 2008

The tool contains a template populated with baseline criteria and weightings for evaluating proposals that sourcing professionals can customize to help make sound decisions when selecting an outsourcing deal advisory firm.

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Sourcing Professionals Can Use Advisory Firms To Help Architect Healthy Deals

Advisors Can Add Value But Don't Offer A Panacea For All Woes

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., March 28, 2008

Specialized outsourcing advisors are consulting firms that focus on creating outsourcing strategies and, when needed, supporting their clients through the outsourcing deal life cycle. Sourcing and vendor management professionals considering or initiating . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Stay Focused On Your Strategic Outsourcing Objectives — Even As Economic Pressures Mount

Calls For Near-Term Cost Cutting Will Increase For Outsourcing Decision-Makers

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., March 3, 2008

Anyone reading the economic headlines might easily conclude that a rough ride is underway for many US businesses. Predictions range from shrill proclamations of impending doom for Western civilization due to the credit crunch and deficit to naive assurances . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Forrester's Best Practices Framework For Outsourcing Deal Assessment

Manage And Improve Outsourcing Deal Health With An Outsourcing Deal X-Ray

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., January 28, 2008

With at least US$120 billion per year spent on outsourcing — and much more than that at risk when deals go south — ensuring that outsourcing works is the No. 1 responsibility of sourcing and vendor management professionals. But many clients are clearly . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Cracking The Outsourcing Value Code

Insights From A Panel Discussion At Forrester's Services And Sourcing Forum, 2007

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., January 15, 2008

Anyone who has lived through a complex outsourcing engagement knows that the deal you build becomes the foundation for either success or insurmountable challenges. Sophisticated clients and providers know that putting one participant on the ropes — rather . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

IT Infrastructure Provider Market And Service Data  (242 KB PPT)

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., October 9, 2007

Information from The Forrester Wave¿: Global IT Infrastructure Outsourcing, Q2 2007

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Smaller India-Based Infrastructure Providers Can Be The Right Size For The Right Clients

Unlocking Value With Second-Tier Offshore Firms

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., September 18, 2007

Although massive IT outsourcers like Atos Origin, ACS, CSC, IBM, and HP still take on the majority of infrastructure management work, and the growth of the India-based service providers has been well-documented, there are cases where bigger isn't better. . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Outsourcing Clients Can Expect 12% To 17% Savings

Fifty-Three TPI Outsourcing Clients Have Unlocked Billions In Value; Have You?

by Paul Roehrig, Ph.D., Christine Ferrusi Ross, Allison Thresher, August 30, 2007

The business disruptions, changes to operational and enterprise risk, financial engineering, and the sheer time commitment to build and implement a deal drive potential clients to ask: Is outsourcing worth it? To help sourcing and vendor management executives . . .