IT offshore network markets RP outsourcing competencies to the world

In a move to bridge the local supply of IT human resources with international demand for offshore information technology outsourcing services, a group of local and international businessmen have formed Philippine IT Offshore Network (PITON) to market Philippine e-services globally.

According to company executives, PITON is the first, largest and premier IT offshore vendor network and consulting firm in the Philippines.

It currently represents 20 Philippine-based, leading IT service providers, including domestic and international software development firms, multimedia and Web design companies, and contact centers.

Its vendors’ clients include Fortune 500 corporations such as Citibank, P&G, Microsoft, Epson, Canon Fluor-Daniel, Nokia and Schlumberger.

PITON is chaired by Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. chairman Antonio Cojuangco, with Bank of Commerce director Ramon Cojuangco as executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Soluziona Phils. president Jose Guingona as executive director.

Ralf Ellspermann, PITON chief executive officer, said the time to market the offshore capabilities of the country’s best performing local and multinational IT vendors has never been better.

"The continuing economic downturn is forcing more foreign-based corporations to consider offshore outsourcing as the best way to significantly reduce cost without sacrificing quality. With geo-political tensions on the rise in other parts of the world, the Philippines’ position as one of the world’s foremost offshore outsourcing destinations has been strengthened," he said.

Respected IT research organizations such as Gartner, Giga Information Group and Software Outsourcing Research (SOR) rank the Philippines as one of the world’s top four offshore outsourcing destinations for application development and call center services.

The Giga Information Group considers the country as the world’s best offshore alternative to India and having the potential of becoming the call center hub of Asia.

However, there is an immense need to concentrate on marketing and promoting what the Philippines has to offer since the offshore IT outsourcing market in the country presently lacks visibility, according to Ellspermann.

"There is a clamor for a local organization – such as the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) in India – that will spearhead initiatives and activities that will promote the Philippines’ IT outsourcing capabilities and advantages globally," Ellspermann said.

"It is quite unfortunate that only a very few people in this country, and more importantly, corporate decision-makers abroad, seem to be aware of this fact. On the other hand, it enables us to carry this message to our potential clients in different regions of the world," Ellspermann said.

He said PITON is taking a significant initial step toward better global awareness in a bid to make the Philippines’ IT outsourcing services more competitive in the IT offshore marketplace.

"We are making a serious effort to promote Philippine IT advantages and offerings, especially call center services, which are considered the fastest growing IT segment in the country," Ellspermann said.

"Service providers are sprouting up almost on a monthly basis as foreign companies enter the Philippines to set up offshore operations, giving prospective clients a myriad of choices," he said.

"Potential outsourcers who are unaware of the offshore IT outsourcing market in the Philippines can be spared from the arduous vendor identification and selection process by tapping PITON’s extensive knowledge of the market and vendors," he added.