Private and Public Initiatives Are Driving Growth of Brazil’s IT Services and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Industry, According to Research.

To provide a detailed overview of Brazil’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry, the Brazilian Association of Information and Communication Technology Companies (Brasscom), supported by the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil), today released a landmark research report titled “Brazil IT-BPO Book.” Based on the extensive information accumulated by Brasscom, the book provides analyses of the Brazilian IT and communications markets compared to other key players, presents primary data for industry followers and investors, and provides an overview of infrastructure and human resources policies that affect the industry. The book also stresses the important role played by the Brazilian government, the private sector, and universities.

“The content is part of a wide-ranging market intelligence study organized by Brasscom and will be a valuable for those seeking information on Brazil’s IT-BPO sector,” said Antonio Gil, president of Brasscom. “The book highlights the growing importance of Brazil as a technology provider and how IT is essential to foster economic and social development for any country that wishes to establish a meaningful presence in the global market.”

“Wide-ranging and well-structured industry information is an important pillar of effective export and investment promotion,” said Andre Limp, technology project manager at Apex-Brasil. “For the potential client or investor, comprehensive and accurate data is essential to the decision-making process. The Brazil IT-BPO Book is an important reference for the Brazilian IT service sector and will help increase interest in Brazilian companies.”

After more than four decades of development, Brazil is currently positioning itself as a strategic center for information technology, having become the eighth largest market in the world. The best example of this strength and dynamism is the industry that combines IT services and business process outsourcing (BPO). The growth forecasts for the BPO sector have remained high despite the global economic crisis. In 2008, IT-BPO turned over US$ 59.1 billion, including exports and in-house IT.

Brazil’s IT-BPO sector is among the strongest and most mature in the world. Combined with the communications sector it accounts for about 7 percent of Brazil’s GDP. In recent decades it has been growing in size, reach and complexity, along with the other sectors of the economy. Brazil has a well-developed internal market that includes both large, strong Brazilian companies as well as some of the world’s most well known multinationals.

Brazilian private and public initiatives are contributing to driving the country’s ambitious aim to position itself as an increasingly relevant strategic global player in IT-BPO. Gradually, targets set by the Productive Development Policy (PDP), launched in 2008 by the Ministry of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade (MDIC) have been met.

“The IT-BPO Book study reaffirms Brazil’s position as a strategic IT center on the global stage,” said Alessandro Teixeira, president of Apex-Brasil. “Our organization is a Brasscom partner that contributed to the development of Brazil and the generation of new jobs. We are confident that the objective set by the Brazilian government to increase IT-BPO exports from US$ 2.2 billion in 2008 to US$ 3.5 billion in 2010 will be achieved shortly.”

“Brasscom just completed a U.S. tour aimed at promoting Brazil’s IT-BPO market,” said Ricardo Asse, marketing and exports director, Brasscom. “We had a string of meetings with analysts, clients, partner prospects and the press. Now we have to build on this momentum and continue our work to showcase Brazil’s capabilities. The IT-BPO book will help us demonstrate that Brazil is gaining an increasingly prominent position on the global market.”

IT-BPO Book highlights include:

• Growth forecasts and background on Brazil’s rise as a strategic center for information technology. After more than four decades of development Brazil has grown to become the eighth largest market in the world. Growth forecasts for the IT-BPO segment have remained high despite the global economic crisis, turning over US$ 59.1 billion in 2008.
• Examination of the unique capabilities of Brazil’s IT labor pool. Large Brazilian and multinational companies have been part of the country’s economy for decades. As a result the country has a strong IT labor pool with deep industry specific know-how. Revenue comes mainly from IT services, with 73 percent related to development, a higher proportion than in other countries.
• Review of the Brazilian government’s IT sector growth initiatives and targets. The Brazilian government has its aim set to become one of the three key global IT centers in the world. Its goal to increase IT-BPO exports from US$ 2.2 billion in 2008 to US$ 3.5 billion by 2010 is close to being achieved. To help drive development they have implemented numerous initiatives, including: favorable tax reductions, government sponsored venture capital funds and IT education support.  - Brasscom