Although a small country, Holland is one of the largest users of offshore ICT-services in Europe. Over the years, hundreds of Dutch companies have offshored, including Philips, Shell, ABN Amro Bank and KLM. Although India is the most important source, the Dutch have been egalitarian in choosing their suppliers: at least 30 nations have conducted software work for Dutch organizations. The Dutch mar
ket for offshore services will continue to grow, especially among the SME-sector (Smaller and Medium Sized Enterprises). GPI Consultancy is a specialised Dutch consultancy firm in the field of offshoring (also known as offshore sourcing or offshore outsourcing), related to both ICT and BPO (Business Process Outsourcing). We assists Dutch clients in several areas: Offshore Strategy, Offshore Transition and Cultural Training Services. The Dutch ICT sector has not yet discovered the potential of export markets in the Middle East and the Gulf region. We have started a project designed to promote Dutch ICT exports to this region. Accessing these new markets and organizing ICT business trips to Dubai are part of this project. Our Palestinian contacts can be used for localisation (e.g. translating the software into the Arabic language). They can also assist in market research and marketing and sales, since they already belong to networks in the region. In order to promote offshore sourcing, our consultants are involved in writing articles in Dutch ICT and business magazines and in assisting journalists. Sofar, more than 100 articles in the Dutch language have been published. And since the year 2000, GPI Consultancy organizes full-day and half-day seminars on offshoring. With speakers on different topics, they include Dutch case studies on a range of countries (e.g. India, Czech Republic, Romania, Ukraine, Malta, Bulgaria, Russia, Bangladesh, Serbia, Malaysia, Kenya, Palestine, Kenia, China). We also organize offshore ICT/BPO-missions on a regular basis, and to various countries. The goal of these missions is to give the Dutch participants detailed information about offshore sourcing, and especially about the opportunities in a certain country. Examples of destinations: India, Nepal, China, North Korea, Palestine, Bangladesh, Surinam, Malta and Kenya. We also assist organizations from developing countries in the field of Private Sector Development. GPI Consultancy was involved in export promotion projects initiated by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (CBI, Center for the promotion of imports from Developing Countries), HIVOS, ITC (International Trade Centre, Geneva), European Union, GTZ, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, government organizations, trade promotion organizations and ICT associations.
