The International Association of Outsourcing Professional (IAOP) recently announced its list of 2008’s best outsourcing service providers -- The Global Outsourcing 100. The list included a large number of Indian IT and BPO firms. IT bellwether Infosys took the third position behind Accenture and IBM.

TCS was ranked sixth and Wipro seventh, both companies saw employee management as their key strength. BPO firm Genpact stood at the ninth place with its key strength listed as executive leadership and Tech Mahindra took the tenth place for its outsourcing experience.

Other Indian companies on the list included: HCL Technologies for outsourcing experience at 11th spot; WNS at the 19th position for achievement recognition; EXL Services at the 26th position for achievement recognition; 24x7 Customer at 28 for employee management; Patni Computers at 46 for balanced performance and Firstsource Solutions at 73 for balanced performance among others.

The list also recognized smaller, faster growing companies which included BPO firm vCustomer and LPO Mindcrest amongst others.

The Global Outsourcing 100 and its sub-lists have been an essential references for companies seeking new and expanded relationships with the best companies in the industry. The lists include companies from around the world that provide the full spectrum of outsourcing services.

The evaluation process considered four key criteria: Size and growth in revenue, employees, centers and countries served; Customer experience as demonstrated through the value being created at the company's top customers; Depth and breadth of competencies as demonstrated through industry recognition, relevant certifications, and investment in the development of people, processes and technologies; and Management capabilities as reflected in the experience and accomplishments of the business's top leaders and investments in management systems that ensure outsourcing success.