C.W. Post Outsourcing Conference August 25-26

In slow economic times such as these, outsourcing certain business activities can help an organization maintain its competitive edge while streamlining costs. And while the outsourcing market is growing 15 to 20 percent a year, experts report that a whopping 70 percent of IT managers don't even know how to outsource. Now, a highly anticipated August conference -- co-sponsored by the College of Management at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in Brookville -- will show them how.

According to Dr. Shailendra Palvia, principal of the Center for Global Outsourcing (CGO) and director of Management Information Systems at C.W. Post, an increasing number of companies are opting to contract out projects and even critical business operations to independent workers, consultants and highly specialized companies. The benefits are two-fold: workers retain their independence under a freelance arrangement, while the company saves money on employee benefits and overhead. According to the Meta Group, Inc., an IT and business transformation strategies research and consulting firm in Stamford, CT, most IT organizations will outsource at least one mission-critical technology operation by 2005.

Organizational leaders can learn more about critical outsourcing strategies during the Second Annual International Outsourcing Conference taking place at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in New York City on August 25-26, 2003.  Hosted by the Center for Global Outsourcing, the mission of the conference is to make outsourcing of IT and business processes, including Call Centers, more efficient and cost effective for clients and vendors.

"One of the biggest challenges that outsourcers and vendors face is finding each other. That is one of the main reasons we hold this conference: to facilitate direct communication among client company managers, vendor company managers, government officials, industry leaders and academicians," said Dr. Palvia, a leading expert in IT management issues, including outsourcing management.

The 2003 conference will feature keynote speeches by Jagdish Dalal, a noted outsourcing consultant who worked as CIO with Carrier Corporation for several years and who, as a partner in PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is credited with signing the largest BPO deal recorded to date when Nortel Networks outsourced its Human Resources and Procurement functions to PwC in 2000; Dr. Gad Selig, managing director and founder of GPS Group, Inc., a consulting, research and training firm that focuses on marketing and information technology issues and opportunities; and Dr. Varun Grover, a top researcher in the field of management information systems. There will be vendor exhibits and conference sessions on what works and what doesn't; information on the latest trends in outsourcing; case studies; success stories; outsourcing purchasing functions; and a view of the offshore outsourcing landscape.

Attendees will learn how to select independent consultants, and what operations can and should be outsourced, such as information technology call centers, customer service and help-desk functions, and information technology support services. They will also learn what not to do such as outsourcing functions that should be kept in-house, failing to adequately address contract issues with freelancers, and more.

Dr. Palvia received his M.B.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He has published more than 100 articles in journals, conferences and books. He has co-edited books covering global IT and global e-commerce issues in 1992, 1996, and 2002. Prior to joining academia, Dr. Palvia worked for IBM, Control Data Corporation, and Federal Reserve Bank. His 2002 book, written with co-editors P. Palvia and Ed Roche, on Global Information Technology and Electronic Commerce, has been adopted by several universities. He has served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of IT Cases and Applications (JITCA) for the past five years.

The business programs of C.W. Post's College of Management are accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance College Schools of Business. The College offers the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with majors in finance, international business, marketing, management and management information systems. It also offers a highly acclaimed 36-to-48 credit Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and an accelerated one-year International MBA. The College of Management is home to the School of Professional Accountancy, which offers bachelor's and master's degree programs in accountancy and a master's degree in taxation.

In addition to sponsorship by C.W. Post’s College of Management, the Second Annual International Outsourcing Conference is also being sponsored by Global IT Management Association and Ivy League Publishing, Ltd. Furthermore, the division of Continuing Education & Professional Studies of the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University will award 1.5 CPE (continuing Professional Education) credits to conference participants.

Early bird registration fees (by June 14, 2003) for outsourcing vendors is $499 (CGO members) or $549 (CGO non-members); for all others is $249 (CGO members) or $274 (CGO non-members). CGO membership is $85 and includes one year subscription to JITCA ($85 value). Registration fees increase by 20% after June 14. Vendors can register for a booth for $1,495 before June 14.

For information email admin@outsourceglobal.org, call 770-649-6718 or visit www.outsourceglobal.org.

C.W. Post Outsourcing Conference August 25 -26.pdf