Central and East European (CEE) countries are very small players in the Global market for IT and business process outsourcing. Lack of international trade practice and modern business management competencies by CEE vendors are among the factors keeping CEE region from realizing considerable opportunities created by globalization.

Therefore, CEEOA strives to attract considerable attention to the region as an offshore outsourcing location, along with thousands of qualified graduates entering the marketplace each year. Service providers in these countries offer geographic proximity combined with cultural and language affinities, constantly improved business viabilities and services delivery capabilities, and openness to collaborate. The macro economical and political environment is stable, infrastructure is well developed.

Baltic Outsourcing Association (BOA), Ukrainian HI-TECH Initiative, Hungarian Outsourcing Association (HOA), Employers’ Association of the Software and Services Industry (ANIS) from Romania and Bulgarian Web Association (BWA) joined their forces with the purpose to best avail opportunities given by globalization and promote CEE region‘s competitive features in order to capture large share of the global market for IT and business process outsourcing (off-shoring) services. CEEOA focus is on all service areas, not only IT, BPO and high tech industries, as its important to consider outsourcing as a non industry specific phenomenon. CEEOA is an open platform for all the organizations and business associations in the region who are willing to join it or to contribute to the accomplishment of its goals.

CEEOA operates as an independent professional advisory body on networking partnership basis, - its critical Objective is to create, develop and communicate positive image and main value proposition (-s) of CEE region as competitive alternative to other global IT, business processes and manufacturing outsourcing destinations.

The Association also strives to develop the internal market, where outsourcing should be promoted as a useful management tool for companies ranging from different industries in CEE region. Other Objectives are: to promote transparent and open business environment, CEE regional and international networking that builds operational value by promising and delivering high quality products and services at fair prices over the time, and by building strong economic, technical and social ties among the members of CEEOA and free competition; to improve business viabilities and services delivery capabilities of CEE Service providers; to promote creation and introduction of science-intensive technologies, the development of information society; to encourage each CEE country to increase the level of collaboration between government, companies, and universities to ensure that students gain the skills that companies require.

CEEOA intends to achieve these Objectives with the use of different marketing communication tools as PR, ATL and BTL activities, and the establishment of standardized certifications of Vendors‘ qualification. Besides initiating permanent researches to follow the main indicators of outsourcing, political, economic, and investment market features, Association wishes to maintain value added relationship network with associated outsourcing industry bodies, chambers of trade and industry and professional associations globally, while creating a single information flow promoting and sharing the best practices, expert information and research findings, benefits and innovative solutions in the outsourcing industry from CEE.

Central and Eastern European Outsourcing Association has already accomplished the project ITONews.eu (http://itonews.eu) – information platform, the main aim of which is to create the single information flow from CEE countries and to serve as a meeting place for outsourcing services providers and buyers. Also a brief research “Central and Eastern Europe IT Outsourcing Review ‘2007” has been conducted under the aegis of CEEOA, where the information about IT Outsourcing markets of CEE countries can be found.

About CEEOA

Central and Eastern European Outsourcing Association (CEEOA) http://ceeoa.org  was founded in 2008. Baltic Outsourcing Association (BOA), Ukrainian HI-TECH Initiative, Hungarian Outsourcing Association (HOA), Employers’ Association of the Software and Services Industry (ANIS) from Romania and Bulgarian Web Association (BWA) became the founders of the association. One of the main objectives of CEEOA is to promote the Central and Eastern European Region as competitive alternative to other Global offshoring destinations, and to increase services delivery quality and volume under recognized standards.