The RUSSOFT's survey on Russian Software Developing Industry and Software Exports is based on the polling of C-level managers of software developing companies and personal interviews of several company directors. It covers both actual data on the state and growth of software exports as well as their evaluation by main market players, including EPAM Systems referred to as one of the leaders' group.
The survey highlights key competitive advantages of Russia as an IT outsourcing hub and the latest changes the sector went through to become one of the most dynamically growing IT industries globally.

Content Management System implementation is becoming an increasingly more complex task. As the systems themselves evolve and encompass an increasingly large number of features, the functionality expectations escalate as well. When it comes to Web Content Management, the trends quickly turn into requirements, forcing the new systems to continue expanding their scope in their attempts to keep-up. In this white paper we're focusing on how to "survive" in a CMS implementation project by making the best of it.

Outsell’s Gilbane Services, a provider of analyst and consulting services dedicated to content strategies, practices, and technologies, together with EPAM as an expert in content management solutions, set forth key issues that influence digital product success when addressing development risks and offer best practices as guidelines for developing a strategic outsourcing relationship.

A study conducted by Everest Group's Research Institute to identify the remedies for global sourcing risk management has revealed the imperative for sophisticated buyer organizations to build their portfolio suppliers and delivery location management strategy so that it extends beyond India-centric delivery model. While considering additional emerging global sourcing locations, the analysts advise the buyers to consider such emerging markets as Brazil, Central and Eastern Europe, Israel, Mexico, the Philippines, and South Africa, as they have proved to be credible options for numerous global corporations. The research features EPAM Systems as a “must-know” IT outsourcing service supplier with roots in Central and Eastern Europe and an extensive global delivery footprint.

Having examined the IT outsourcing strategies, plans, and effectiveness for more than 200 enterprises in several industries by surveying the companies' executives, managers, and other business professionals, Aberdeen Group has identified the emerging best practices for offshore IT outsourcing and worked out the recommendations for actions. According to the survey results, summarized in Aberdeen's benchmark report "Who Outsourced the Outsourcers?", while India remains the leading offshore destination for many companies, the Eastern European, Russian, and Asian providers are maturing quickly and sustaining double-digit growth, making the practice of offshoring more complex and no longer just commodity based.

A copy of the report can be obtained at Aberdeen Group's website.

The IDC study, commissioned by the RUSSOFT Association, is based on in-depth, executive-level interviews with 20 Western European and U.S. companies that have used the Russian software and services providers for offshore software development projects. The whitepaper "Russia as Offshore Software Development Location: Should You Consider This Your Next Move?", summarizing results of the study, specifies the provider selection criteria used by the companies, as well as the benefits and challenges the companies have experienced from the engagements with the Russian ISVs.

Neo Advisory (formerly neoIT) highlights the Services Globalizationsm Trends that will have an impact in 2007 predicting emergence of the new offshore and nearshore locations with hard-to-ignore players, M&A's, scaling up of capabilities, and subject-specific expertise. Neo Advisory emphasizes the strong position of Russia, which specializes in the high-end and embedded software product development, both on the European and global outsourcing destinations scale.

You can obtain a copy of the white paper at www.neoadvisory.com.

WorldTrade Executive's Buyer's Guide to the Russian IT Outsourcing Industry is a comprehensive independent overview of the rapidly developing Russian IT outsourcing industry. The Buyer's Guide's original and reprinted materials provide practical information and advice from experienced business executives, analysts, academics and attorneys. Besides, the Buyer's Guide contains case studies from both customers and vendors, and a list of resources for further research.

The Buyers' Guide features one of EPAM's case studies - "EPAM Opens Up Potential of AeroMexico's Portal Solutions" - as an example of the project successfully implemented by the Russian company.

The full text of the report can be obtained at www.wtexecutive.com.

The Baker & McKenzie and neoIT (now Neo Advisory) professionals delve into the Russian business and tax environment for software engineering outsourcing in the "Global Sourcing: Destination Russia" webinar. The webinar provides insight into the key issues enterprises should consider when outsourcing to Russia, as well as reviews the country's core capabilities and assets to tap into. In the overview of the Service Provider landscape, EPAM is highlighted as one of Russia's 2 largest IT outsourcing companies. Check www.bakernet.com for the availability of the recorded webinar.

The "Offshore 100" project was initiated by neoIT (now Neo Advisory), offshore outsourcing advisory expert, and Managing Offshore, the monthly newsletter for global-sourcing managers. The aim of the project was to identify categories of competencies with a goal of setting benchmarks for global IT and BPO services providers. At the same time, the goal was to create the first-ever forum to recognize the leading and emerging offshore suppliers. The results of this initiative are summarized in the "Offshore 100" study that will be beneficial to corporate decision makers seeking information about the rapidly expanding, and shifting, range of offshore BPO and IT supplier options.

In the study EPAM is recognized as a leading contender that is well positioned to succeed due to its strong offshore business model and is awarded the 1st place in the "Top 5 to Watch in Central & Eastern Europe" ranking and the 3rd place in the "Top 10 Specialty Application Development Leaders" list.

Gartner's research "Russia Is Building Up Its Offshore Services Credibility" follows the latest trends in the Russian IT services market by delving into the strengths, challenges, opportunities and risks of outsourcing to Russia. The research features EPAM as one of the largest Russian ESPs with a long-term strategy vision and refers to it as a "notable exception" with a broad pool of skills, including SAP capabilities, when compared to many other national ESPs.

The full text of the report is available at www.gartner.com.

In its Summer 2004 Outsourcing Survey conducted among upper-level management around the globe, Trestle Group found out that those firms successful in managing their relationships with their vendors will be able to reap the greatest benefits from their outsourcing initiatives. Both IT and business process outsourcing will increase substantially over the following 12 months (5% and 11% respectively) and in order to manage the on-going vendor relationships effectively companies will seek to outsource the IT function or business process to a service provider within arms' reach. Among the most preferred future outsourcing destinations respondents named Eastern Europe, Russia and Belarus.

The full text of the report is available at www.forrester.com.

In the overview of the Russian software development and services export sector presented by Aberdeen from a buyer's perspective EPAM is referred as a largest vendor in the former Soviet Union region and as a trendsetter for the industry drawing on its transparent on-site/onshore/offshore delivery model.

The full text of the report is available at www.aberdeen.com.

The e-Commerce site EPAM created for West Group was selected for inclusion in Aberdeen Group's strategic white paper "Best Practices in Offshore IT Delivery".

In the "Whitepaper on Offshore Software Development in Russia" the IT and Telecom Committee of The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia highly appreciates the expertise, resourcefulness, efficiency and above all, talent, of programmers born and educated in the Soviet Union. Among other major advantages of Russia as an offshore software development resource are labor costs, proximity to Western Europe and America, and shared European culture and history enabling better cross-cultural understanding.