Why is business-process outsourcing (BPO) such a priority?
The BPO arena is the growth area — financial-payment services, human-resource outsourcing services, call-center services — and that’s a business we’ve been in for a lot of years. It hasn’t been growing, and we decided to put some investment behind it, modernize our platforms, and really get serious about growing in the BPO arena. We’d like to double the size of it from $3 billion to $6 billion in three to four years. Q: So the Towers Perrin venture is clearly only the first step. Where will you take it from there? A: We’re developing a purchasing and supply-chain management outsourcing offering, in conjunction with A.T. Kearney [EDS’s consulting arm], and we’re looking for domain partners to help us in the finance and accounting outsourcing. Q: Are you thinking about another acquisition, or a partnership, in finance accounting? A: There may be some small M&A opportunities. Basically, we’re looking for Big Four partners. Q: How have your partnerships with other companies changed? A: O
