In times when companies have to rely heavily on offshore outsourcing, many Eastern European corporations are now moving out of the shadows to become new offshore destinations. A number of factors have added to the ever-growing popularity of the region as an outsourcing hub, namely a highly skilled workforce and the high levels unemployment in Eastern Europe, as well as the ability to rapidly construct office premises. The success of Eastern Europe as an outsourcing destination has also been contributed to by the crisis in the Western labor market and a lack of qualified IT personnel.

Although countries such as India and China are still on the charts as popular outsourcing spots, emerging markets like the Czech Republic are already gaining a foothold in offshore outsourcing and promise to become more popular in the near future despite the current small number of offshore projects in these countries. Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic states are among other attractive offshore work centres. Some other issues like a high labor turnover and the fact that India, for instance, has always played a role of an “executer” rather than a “thinker” have also made for changing trends in favour of outsourcing in Eastern Europe.

Driven by the need to improve its economic situation, Eastern Europe is hungry for skilled IT projects that demand a professional approach and expertise. Making use of their highly qualified personnel and fast developing local resources, Eastern European companies are ready to offer their clients the most innovative and sophisticated services.

According to Gartner analyses, in the next several years, companies will have to make a tremendous effort in order to stay afloat in harsh competitive conditions, which call for a thorough mastery and ability to implement the most state-of-the art, innovative technologies. Given such circumstances, and combined with the region’s advanced technological capital and potential, Eastern Europe is likely to be in greater and greater demand, even eclipsing the likes of India and China in terms of outsourcing.