Customers seeking savings will have to bone up on delivery models, deal structures, and value drivers instead. And vendors will have to woo clients with performance rather than a low bid, says Peter Bendor-Samuel, CEO of outsourcing consultancy Everest Group. "As a result, we will see select players grow disproportionately, taking clients away from others."

Cloud-computing prices could also become less--well, cloudy. Pricing models will mature, predicts Dave Brown, managing director of EquaTerra's IT advisory, and buyers will better understand the specific offerings.

7. M&A: East Meets West

A merger between a major Indian IT service provider and a U.S.-based outsourcer? It could happen next year, say some industry watchers, and an Indian company may be on the buying end. Western providers have adopted the process and cost initiatives first embraced by their Eastern counterparts. Indian providers are skilling up to try to win more consulting and integration work. "The cultures are moving closer together," says Fersht of HfS Research. "2011 will see the first mega-merger between a major Indian services provider and one of the Western incumbents."

"It has long been talked about," says Joseph King, Chief Marketing Officer at MindTree. "There is no longer [cost] that CIOs can squeeze from their India partners. So for differentiation, India providers will be forced to move up the value chain."