Skip to content
‹ Back to IndustriesSoftware & Technology

The Economics of a Global Capability Center

As outsourcing costs rise, global capability centers may offer a solution for CIOs facing talent acquisition challenges. Leaders like Dr. Patricia Connolly of SMC Squared and Jan Ross, formerly of nThrive, emphasize the strategic benefits of these centers. Despite initial concerns, their experiences highlight both cost savings and talent investment benefits.

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Software & Technology teams put it to work with Executive Thought Leadership.

By Software And Technology · · Global Capability CentersIt SupportOrganizational InsightsTalent Acquisition
Share
The Economics of a Global Capability Center

Key takeaways

01

Global capability centers can mitigate rising outsourcing costs.

02

In-house global capability centers foster greater investment from employees in company success.

03

Transitioning to a GCC offers potential cost savings without sacrificing quality.

Free workspace

Turn your Software & Technology expertise into content.

Record interviews, organize footage, and write with AI on a free trial of the MarketScale platform for qualifying companies. No demo required, no credit card.

Try it Free

As outsourcing costs rise, while finding the right talent is akin to locating a needle in a haystack, CIOs search for solutions to these present-day challenges. Thankfully, global capability centers may offer an answer. Dr. Patricia Connolly, Founding Partner and CEO at SMC Squared, and Jan Ross, Former CIO at nThrive, sat down to discuss these issues and provide their thoughts on what makes global capability centers (GCCs) stand out in today’s talent marketplace.

A third-party talent outsourcer’s main job is to satisfy the parameters of the work contract. The contracted person may do all the job requirements but won’t necessarily have a stake in the company. But when bringing in individuals as members of a particular organization, they are more invested in being a part of the company’s success. “They’re not there just to check the box of a contract,” Ross said. “They’re not there to say we don’t do that, so if you want that done, it will cost you more.”

While Ross’s experiences with having a global capability center built at nThrive were positive and her preferred talent acquisition method, building GCCs in-house does take some work. “I recommend always bringing a partner in that’s been there, done that,” Ross said. “There’s a lot of legalities in it. It takes a lot of process and time to deliver to get your organization set up.”

Transitioning to a GCC can be an anxious process for a business unfamiliar with the advantages this model can provide. However, the cost savings alone offer an attractive incentive to move from a traditional outsourcing model to a global capability center. Still, the concern for many US companies is whether or not that economic savings will have a hidden cost in sacrificing quality, consistency, and reliability. Ross did not find this to be the case. “The numbers are accurate, and you can truly get the lower cost opportunities. The individuals are incredibly talented. It’s amazing the capabilities, the education, the drive, and the individuals we’ve brought in from a GCC perspective; they are thrilled to be part of that company.”

For more episodes, please visit the Squared Away Podcast series, and to learn more, visit SMC2’s website.

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Software & Technology starts with a company putting its solutions engineers, product teams, and customer engineers on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Buyers ask AI engines who to consider, and published expert answers are what those engines cite.

Book DemoSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.

About the author

SA
Software And Technology
B2B Weekly

The week in Software & Technology, and sixteen other industries, every Monday.

Ten stories, one-line takes, five minutes. Free.

Software & Technology: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Software & Technology buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. Explore how your experts, customers, and partners can become useful content for buyers and AI search.

Free Trial

You just read one Software & Technology expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your solutions engineers, product teams, and customer engineers into the articles, video, and social content Software & Technology buyers are searching for. Start a free trial and see it with your own people. For qualifying companies, no credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What your free trial includes

Hands-on access to the MarketScale platform
Media requests to your crowd, remote recording, AI writing tools
No demo required. No credit card.
For qualifying companies. Company confirmation required.

More Software & Technology Insights

OpenAI wants its data centers called compute campuses as voter opposition hits 73%

OpenAI wants its data centers called compute campuses as voter opposition hits 73%

An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider on November 1 that the company now prefers the term "compute campuses" for its data centers, and Axios reported the label is part of a policy and public relations push planned for after the midterm elections. A Quinnipiac poll of registered voters found 73% would oppose an AI data center in their community, and Pew and Heatmap surveys show similar opposition. By The Verge's account, the term first appeared on OpenAI's site in the November 2 announcement of its Grid Protectors Program, which starts with a planned Effingham County, Georgia campus where OpenAI will pay full infrastructure costs and accept up to 1,000 megawatts of curtailment. Critics quoted by The Verge said a new name does not fix the underlying concerns.

  • 01OpenAI confirmed the term "compute campuses" to Business Insider on November 1, and Axios reported it as part of a post-midterm policy and public relations push.
  • 02Quinnipiac found 73% of registered voters oppose an AI data center in their community, Pew found 54% call data centers mostly bad for the environment, and Heatmap found 75% oppose one nearby.
  • 03The Georgia template behind the rebrand: OpenAI pays full infrastructure costs for a 3,200-megawatt Effingham County campus and accepts up to 1,000 megawatts of curtailment under a 25-year Georgia Power agreement.

Nov 3, 2026

IndiaMART moves B2B buying from search to decision with agentic AI

IndiaMART moves B2B buying from search to decision with agentic AI

IndiaMART CIO Nikhil Prabhakar says B2B buying is moving from a search journey to a decision journey, with agents shifting more work onto the platform. A seller-side agent that answers enquiries comes next.

  • 01When software builds the shortlist, a supplier’s response rate and catalogue completeness can shape whether it gets shortlisted.
  • 02IndiaMART's planned seller agent learns from past Lead Manager conversations, and each seller sets how much it may send without review, a workable autonomy model for anyone automating sales follow-up.
  • 03Standardized, repeat purchases are expected to move to agents first while complex procurement keeps human judgment central, which tells suppliers which product lines to structure first.

Nov 3, 2026

As AI Chips Near 4,000 Watts, Liquid Cooling Becomes the Backbone of Data Center Design

As AI Chips Near 4,000 Watts, Liquid Cooling Becomes the Backbone of Data Center Design

Rising AI power density is pushing data centers from air to liquid cooling, with racks trending toward megawatt scale.

  • 01Data center electricity demand rose 17% in 2025, with AI-specific demand projected to triple by 2030, as racks head toward the megawatt range.
  • 02Leading-edge GPUs will exceed 4,000 W thermal design power by 2029, pushing air cooling beyond practical limits and accelerating adoption of two-phase direct liquid cooling.
  • 03Accelsius says NeuCool can cool 4,500W+ per socket and that warmer facility water can deliver about 4% annual energy savings per °C.

Nov 2, 2026

Explore More Software & Technology Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Software & Technology.

Browse Software & Technology Hub

About the Experts

SA
Software And Technology
DP
Dr. Patricia Connolly

Founding Partner and CEO

SMC Squared

Dr. Patricia Connolly is a Founding Partner and CEO at SMC Squared, bringing expertise in establishing global capability centers. She has been instrumental in providing strategic solutions for talent acquisition challenges in the tech industry.

JR
Jan Ross

Former CIO

nThrive

Jan Ross served as the Chief Information Officer at nThrive, leading initiatives in talent acquisition and organizational strategy. She advocates for global capability centers as a solution to rising outsourcing costs and talent acquisition issues.

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Software & Technology and beyond.

Book a Demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512