Study claims country's market for IT services increased 43 percent in 2002 For industrialized countries in Western Europe, Romania is emerging as a promising alternative supplier of IT outsourcing services in addition to India, China and Russia, according to a study published Friday by Pierre Audoin Consultants (PAC) GmbH.The study, “Offshore Romania 2003 – Analysis of the Offshore Industry for Software Development and IT services in Romania,” claims that the Romanian market for offshore IT services increased 43 percent in 2002, compared to the year before, PAC said in a statement.The country, located at the crossroads of Eastern and Western Europe, is experiencing strong demand for software development and IT services after numerous software developers and programmers, who left the country after the fall of the Iron Curtain between 1989 and 2001, have since returned as experienced project managers, according to the statement. They join some 4,500 IT professionals who are graduating from Romania universities every year. The consultancy estimates that over 460 companies have outsourced parts or all of their IT operations to Romanian service providers, which, on average, employee between 15 and 20 IT professionals.PAC reckons that, altogether, more than 7,700 Romanians are earning their livelihood through IT outsourcing jobs, including those in call and Web centers.Romania has several selling points as an offshore IT hub, according to the study. The country is only about two hours from Germany or France, and its citizens don’t need visas to visit the European Union (EU). Moreover, the Romanian culture is much closer to European and North American culture than are its main competitors India, China and Russia. Having a closer cultural link, the PAC study claims, helps reduce some of the problems that result from teams working together with differing cultural backgrounds. Consequently, Romanians can better understand the subtle cultural and ethical issues in software human interface design for a western market.Further information about the study is available on the consultancy’s Web site: www.pac-online.com Software DevelopmentCloud ComputingTechnology IndustrySmall and Medium Business