ACS Wants 50% Of Workforce Offshore, Eyes Acquisitions

Currently, ACS maintains an onshore-offshore employee mix of about 70% to 30%, respectively

 

Outsourcer Affiliated Computer Services is aggressively building out its offshore operations in an effort to tap low-cost talent and keep pace with overseas rivals. Ultimately, the Dallas company wants about one-half of its workforce in foreign locations, a senior company executive said in an interview Wednesday.

 

"We're letting our customers drive this," said ACS executive VP Ann Vezina, who is also president of the company's Commercial Solutions Group.

 

Vezina also said ACS is in talks to acquire IT and business shared-services units from companies that are looking to farm out activities unrelated to their core lines of business. "People are looking to pare down noncore assets in this economy," said Vezina. She added that talks include negotiations with a major European media and entertainment company.

 

Vezina said offshore resources allow ACS to offer customers lower prices for IT work and business services. They also help the company remain cost-competitive with burgeoning Indian rivals such as Wipro, TCS, and Infosys. Currently, ACS maintains an onshore-offshore employee mix of about 70% to 30%, respectively. "We want that mix around 50-50," said Vezina.

 

Source: InformationWeek