The plan to plant a New Zealand outsourcing flag in the UK next month will be up for discussion when the New Zealand Software Association board meets this week.
NZSA board member Rod Drury says the association backs the initiative, which is being led by ITANZ under the Outsource2NZ banner. ITANZ, with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise funding, wants to send a delegation of New Zealand services companies to a Gartner outsourcing conference in London at the end of April. The intention is to begin promoting New Zealand as a destination for UK outsourcing work.
“It’s all good because it increases demand,” says Drury, of the Outsource2NZ plan.
However, rather than merely snare “fee-for-service” work, Drury hopes that creation of a New Zealand ICT profile in the UK will lead to sales of shrink-wrapped products.
“The goal should be to create more products that are truly scalable,” Drury says.
ITANZ head Jim O’Neill says he’s looking for about 30 companies to commit to backing the Outsource2NZ scheme, including stumping up with $2000 each. With a week to go before the deadline to sign a letter of support, about two dozen companies had done so, he says.
This week ITANZ will outline the plan to interested parties in Christchurch, having done so already in Auckland and Wellington.