Information Services Group, a leading technology insights, market intelligence and advisory services company, today released data showing the global outsourcing market sagged in the first half of 2013.

The 2Q13 Global ISG Outsourcing Index, which measures commercial outsourcing contracts with an annual contract value (ACV) of $5 million or more, totaled $3.6 billion, a decline of 27 percent over the first quarter of 2013. Half-year performance of$8.5 billion in awards was also down 27 percent from a year ago.

The results reflected declines in both ITO and BPO contract activity, as well as a drop-off in large deals and within key industry sectors.

"The second quarter numbers are certainly discouraging, with declining activity across regions and industries," said John Keppel, President of ISG. "That said, we see positive signs in the market that suggest a stronger performance in the second half of 2013."

Now in its 43^rd consecutive quarter, the ISG Outsourcing Index (formerly the TPI Index) provides a quarterly review of the latest sourcing industry data and trends for clients, service providers, analysts and the media. For more than a decade, it has been the authoritative source for marketplace intelligence related to outsourcing transaction structures and terms, industry adoption, geographic prevalence and service provider performance.

The 2Q13 Global ISG Outsourcing Index tallied 208 contracts awarded in the second quarter, a decline of 25 percent compared to the prior quarter. Only five mega-relationship contracts (with ACV greater than $100 million) were awarded, a drop of 52 percent from Q1 2013. These five mega-deal contracts had a combined total of $700 million. Deals with ACV of less than $40 million also showed weakness – with 186 such awards, down from 258 in the prior quarter.

Results for the IT outsourcing (ITO) segment of the market dropped sharply.  ACV for the quarter ($2.3 billion) and number of contracts (126) both declined by 26 percent from the first quarter of 2013.  Year-to-date performance of $5.3 billion was down 27 percent from the first half of 2012. New scope activity within ITO was $1.7 billion, which was on par with the prior quarter. ITO restructuring ACV, with only $600 million in the quarter, dropped by half to the lowest point since the second quarter of 2010. Traditionally strong industries lagged, with Financial Services down 41 percent from the previous quarter, while Telecom contracts dropped nearly two-thirds and Manufacturing fell by half.

The BPO segment, at $1.3 billion in ACV, was down by 28 percent from the previous quarter. The number of contracts fell less dramatically, by 23 percent sequentially. New scope contracts dominated activity, and at $900 million rose 7 percent over the prior quarter. The number of active contracts in the $2 million to $5 million range has grown by 95 percent over the past five years, and deals larger than $5 million grew by 73 percent over that time. From an industry perspective, Telecom & Media, as well as Travel and Transport & Leisure stood out as bright spots, while Manufacturing and Financial Services lagged.

EMEA accrued $2.0 billion in ACV in the second quarter, down 16 percent sequentially.  The number of awards dipped to 109 from 133 during the quarter. The region was hurt by a lack of large deals, and the 9 awards of over $40 million in ACV represented the weakest performance since the third quarter of 2010.  Over the first half of 2013, EMEA registered $4.2 billion in ACV, the lowest total since 2009. The UK and DACH markets were most responsible for the downturn, while other sub-regions, particularly the Nordics, showed strong half-year performances.

In the Americas, ACV ($1.2 billion) and the number of contracts awarded (70) both dropped 40 percent from the previous quarter. While contracts valued at more than $40 million held steady, the number of deals under $40 million declined sharply.  One factor contributing to the overall weak performance was a recession-driven lag in the renewal market.  From a year-to-date perspective, the Americas saw $3.3 billion in ACV awarded, down 30 percent from a year ago. 

In Asia Pacific, contract awards totaled $410 million in ACV, down 13 percent from the prior quarter.  The number of awards declined slightly, continuing a four-quarter slide. Year-to-date, the region saw $880 million in ACV awarded, down by half from last year, which was the best ever in the region and therefore somewhat skews the comparison.

"Looking ahead, we anticipate a rebound of market activity," Keppel said. "Service provider pipelines are up above levels of six months ago, and providers report feeling more confident than in years past. Moreover, despite the dip in BPO activity, long-term trends reveal an underlying confidence in this sector."

The 2Q13 Global ISG Outsourcing Index was presented during a conference call and webcast for media and analysts today. To listen to an audio replay of the call and view presentation slides, please visit http://www.isg-one.com/web/research-insights/isg-outsourcing-index/.