What have certainly abounded this first quarter are the strategic partnerships that have been formed among different types of companies across the industry. Efforts to diversify their product offerings are at the root of this trend as competition for outsourcing contracts increases.

For the first quarter of 2010, there were some notable outsourcing contracts established, albeit they’re not the ‘mega deals’ of old, but substantial they are still.

Prospects for outsourcing in the current year seem very bright indeed; this is according to different surveys and market estimates indicated during this first quarter.

For the first quarter 2010, expectations and estimates are high, buoyed by the continued recovery of the economy from the recession. And although there have been job cuts and closing of centers in some outsourcing companies such as Convergys (NYSE:CVG) who is laying-off of 677 people in Albuquerque in the US as it closes its center there; the outlook still remains positive.

A few months back I wrote an article on how outsourcing has already been helping with cost reductions in the Healthcare Industry, and with the recent passing of the U.S. Healthcare Reform Bill, many are anticipating an increase in business opportunities in this sector.

It was English historian Edward Gibbon who said that that, “all that is human must retrograde if it does not advance”, and in outsourcing, this is likewise the case. As the end of the first quarter draws near, it is noticeable that business expansion among outsourcing companies have become more marked, and is in various different parts of the world. Companies are expanding their global presence in anticipation of more business in different fields such as legal process outsourcing (LPO), business process outsourcing (BPO) and information technology (IT) outsourcing. It is encouraging that the anticipation of the influx of business for the outsourcing industry has been steadily rising since the start of 2010. It would seem that despite the effects of the recession having barely begun to wane, outsourcing companies are still expecting a better outlook.

With the passage of the historic, although much maligned, Obama healthcare reform bill in the US, a new opportunity has opened up for outsourcing companies as hospitals and insurance providers will now be seeking ways of minimizing expenses.