Cebu IT industry explores new outsourcing prospects

CEBU, Philippines - After hitting it big in the voice aspect of the Information, Communication Technology-Business Process Management  sector, Cebu is now moving towards seizing the new wave of outsourcing opportunities.

This will be one of the most important topics that will be tackled during the upcoming two-day ICT-BPM conference to be hosted by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry on June 2-3 as part of this year’s Cebu Business Month.

Event chairman Jun Sa-a said in a press conference that there is a need for Cebu to step up to a higher ladder in the outsourcing sector, considering its ability to attract the high value type of outsourcing jobs such as the Health,Information and Insurance Management, Shared services, impact sourcing, and apps development.

Sa-a said it is high time for the Philippines to capture the big opportunity in the higher value outsourcing jobs -- also to prepare for the entry of ASEAN integration next year.

He said the Philippines, Cebu specifically is going to strengthen its grip in these emerging high value outsourcing investments, by also preparing the academe sector in providing qualified manpower in these in-demand skills and professions.

This early, Cebu has already started to gravitate the HIIM type of outsourcing investing like the opening of United health Group, EXL Services, Manulife, Health Cognizant, QBE, among others.

Cebu will also push itself to take advantage of the fast growing and highly profitable mobile apps economy. Next year, when the ASEAN integration will take a move, Cebu hopes to capture a large chunk of the mobile app economy, capitalizing on the 600 million consumer base of ASEAN member countries.

Franco Eisma of Amazon Web Services will expand on a discussion regarding maximizing the apps economy specifically within the ASEAN bloc.

The conference that will carry the theme "ASEAN 2015 and Beyond," aims at providing clearer perspective among participants on how to take advantage of the ASEAN integration, as well as preparing players how to combat possible threats and hindrances. — (FREEMAN)