KPO - the next big thing in the outsourcing sector by James Smith

KPO or Knowledge Process Outsourcing involves outsourcing of knowledge intensive business processes to other geographic locations. KPO and BPO are closely related sectors. The major difference is that BPO is labor intensive and requires low level of expertise, while KPO requires in-depth knowledge in the area that is outsourced. Also, BPOs are more process based while KPOs are knowledge based. The major areas that are outsourced under KPO Since outsourcing offers several advantages like cost savings, access to skilled resource pool and better quality, many global companies are outsourcing their knowledge based processes to India. The major ones are designing, web applications, business and market research and analysis, data management, financial and legal services, research and development, medical, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology related services, training, publishing, content development, remote education, etc.

The biggest segment is however, data search integration and management which holds 29% of the KPO sector revenue. Next is biotech and pharmaceuticals, followed by engineering and design, R&D, education and publishing, and animation. Growth of KPO sector in India KPO is expected to grow at a cumulative growth rate of about 45% and it is estimated that by 2010, India will have 70% of the global KPO market. The Indian KPO exports are estimated to touch USD 12 billion by 2010. The current number of KPO employees in India is estimated to be 25,000. NASSCOM projects that the number of KPO professionals will increase to 250,000 by 2010. India is all set to become the global KPO leader KPOs were started in India by McKinsey when it opened up a knowledge center in 1987. In 2000 companies like OfficeTiger, GE, Gartner, etc., opened their research centers too. Since then KPO sector is growing as India is evolving to become the leader. There are many advantages that India offers, these include: * Established support infrastructure * Talented resource pool of qualified professionals and subject matter experts * Better English language skills than other major outsourcing destinations * Lower cost * Government support The top KPO companies in India The biggest companies in KPO sector include Evalueserve, McKinsey, RocSearch, Copal Partners, Pipal Research, Inductis, WNS Global, Accenture, Aptara, etc Career scope in KPO KPO is creating a huge number of career opportunities for educated and talented professionals including engineers, doctors, lawyers, accountants, designers, teachers, consultants, etc. It is also estimated that the salaries in KPO sector would be 25-50% higher than in other fields.

KPO companies look for a diverse range of professionals who have a certain level of expertise in some domain. This sector is not too great for freshers or beginners as it offers better opportunities and salaries to more qualified and experienced candidates.

If a person is armed with right qualifications, experience, managerial skills, and client interaction skills, then there are endless possibilities of growth in KPO sector. You need in-depth domain knowledge, passion and aptitude for that field of work, and great communication skills, to soar high in this sector.
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