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Is nearshoring the new IT outsourcing?

Offshore IT outsourcing has over-promised and under-delivered, but now some businesses are beginning to evaluate alternatives

Mixed results have shown that offshore IT outsourcing -- all the rage for the past decade -- has over-promised and under-delivered. As our ability to calculate total cost of ownership of offshore outsourcing has advanced, CIOs are beginning to evaluate alternatives, many of which may be better bargains than previously thought.

In 2003, offshore outsourcing's main selling point was cost. It was the next frontier in cost savings and increased efficiencies in application development and infrastructure support services. Offshoring offered a grand picture of 10-20% savings on labor arbitrage, the ability to focus on core business, and access to an unlimited source of IT experts. While much of this is marginally true, especially relative to short term costs, potential for failure of offshore IT  outsourcing strategies is also high when the approach is shortsighted. As CIOs factor in issues related to regulatory compliance, protection of intellectual property, culture and language differences, political implications (such as stability and espionage) and even time zones into the outsourcing decision, many are considering other tactics.

Nearshoring