10th Annual European Shared Services and Outsourcing Week 2010: Germany's Back-Office Segment Shows Strong Growth

Berlin/Edinburgh (ots) - With projected growth rates exceeding
nine percent, back-office functions are driving steady growth in
Germany's business process outsourcing industry (BPO). Germany Trade
& Invest will have representatives on hand at this year's Shared
Services and Outsourcing Week, taking place from May 24-27 in
Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Industry experts will present market
opportunities for BPO and shared services in Germany.

According to NelsonHall, annual growth rates for the German BPO
market are forecast at around 7.2 percent, with back-office
activities even predicted to grow at 9.2 percent. By 2013, the BPO
market in Germany is expected to have reached an estimated volume of
EUR 14.4 billion. Approximately one third of German companies plan to
outsource business processes within the next two-year period,
creating a number of opportunities for international and domestic
companies in a growing industry.

Increasing demand for business services in Germany is driven in
part by the country's economic structure, which is characterized by a
strong base of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are
typically not large enough to establish their own shared service
centers. These companies provide the most significant outsourcing
potential of non-core processes, but many have been hesitant to
outsource back-office processes due to the absence of "onshore"
German market service providers.

As Europe's largest market, Germany is an attractive location to
serve local clients. A number of companies are currently active in
the German market, either with their own subsidiary activities in
Germany or in close strategic partnerships with local partners.
However, market entry conditions remain attractive, as the BPO market
is not dominated by any single player. The top 20 BPO providers claim
less than 30 percent of total market share.

When choosing where to best establish a business to serve a large
customer base, Germany's highly trained personnel have contributed to
its reputation as an attractive business location. The country's dual
education system, which combines the benefits of classroom-based and
on-the-job training, is critical to this industry. This model
provides companies with access to a broad array of qualified and
motivated employees at competitive costs. And with labor turnover
rates as low as five to ten percent, substitute recruitment and
training costs are kept to a minimum.

Germany Trade & Invest will have industry experts at booth No. 1.
Additionally, industry players are recognized at the SSON's Annual
Shared Services Excellence Awards. Here, Germany Trade & Invest will
be presenting the award for "The Best New Captive Shared Services
Organization."

Germany Trade & Invest is the foreign trade and inward investment
promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. The organization
advises foreign companies looking to expand their business activities
in the German market. It provides information on foreign trade to
German companies that seek to enter foreign markets.

Originaltext: Germany Trade and Invest
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Contact:
Germany Trade & Invest
Eva Henkel
Email: eva.henkel@gtai.com
Phone: +49(0)30 200099-173
Fax: +49(0)30 200099-111