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Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated

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FY2010 Annual Report · Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated
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sykes is a global leader in providing comprehensive customer contact management solutions and services in the business process outsourcing (BPO) arena. sykes provides an array of sophisticated customer contact management solutions to Fortune 1000 companies around the world, primarily in the communications, financial services, healthcare, technology and transportation and leisure industries. sykes specializes in providing flexible, high quality customer support outsourcing solutions with an emphasis on inbound technical support and customer service. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, with customer contact management centers throughout the world, sykes provides its services through multiple communication channels encompassing phone, e-mail, web, chat and social media. Utilizing its integrated onshore/offshore global delivery model, along with a virtual at-home agent platform, sykes serves its clients through two geographic operating segments: the Americas (United states, Canada, Latin America, India and the Asia Pacific region), and eMeA (europe, Middle east and Africa). sykes also provides various  enterprise support services in  the Americas and fulfillment services in eMeA, which  include multi-lingual sales order processing, payment processing, inventory control, product delivery and product returns handling. For additional information please visit  www.sykes.com. 
left: charles e. syKes 
president and Chief executive officer

right: W. Michael Kipphut  
executive Vice president and Chief Financial officer

DEAR ShAREhOLDERS:
What does the path of progress look like for SYKeS? In our view, it is one where mid-single-digit revenue growth  
accompanied by strong operating leverage leads to sustainable long-term operating margins of 8 percent to 10 percent. 
It is a path on which we are well along, due in part to actions taken in 2012. Despite a demanding year, we delivered on 
key initiatives in the eMeA (europe, Middle east & Africa) region, which enhanced our operating momentum. We put our 
solid balance sheet to work and accelerated our virtualization strategy with the acquisition of Alpine Access. And we 
made slight-but-substantive enhancements to our operating model. All of this positions the Company well for 2013. In this 
letter, we will discuss the highlights of 2012, provide insights on the industry and outline our priorities for 2013.

RESTORIng EMEA TO SuSTAInAbLE PROFITAbILITy
the global economic downturn has had a profound impact on our client portfolio and operations in eMeA region. So much so, 
that, in 2011, we launched a strategic review of our operations with a long-term view. to recap, we faced the challenge of 
demand contraction across a number of our global clients with operations in the region. Clients who focused on the product 
side of the business (i.e., technology clients), in particular, were disproportionately impacted. At the same time, we saw some 
of those very same clients change their customer service strategies and switch to other cost-effective delivery geographies. 
the end result was a direct hit to our profitability. our goal was straightforward: stem the operating losses in eMeA and 
restore our financial position in that region to one of strength. this was no small feat, given the limited operating flexibility.

When we began executing on our strategic plan in the fourth quarter of 2011, the eMeA region posted an operating loss 
of $4.9 million (or a -10.1 percent segment operating margin) on a revenue base of $48.7 million. the strategic plan included 

The art elements featured in this year’s annual report are inspired by our company video illustrating   
the story of SyKES and Alpine Access coming together to form a new brand, SyKES home Powered by 
Alpine Access.: www.youtube.com/sykesvideo

2012 AnnuAl RepoRt  *  SykES

1

divesting our operations in Spain, which we accomplished in 
the first quarter of 2012. In addition to our actions in Spain, 
the plan entailed targeting markets in eMeA with growth and 
profit potential while exiting non-strategic markets. to that 
end, we exited South Africa and Ireland, while rationalizing 
capacity in the netherlands. these three countries had an 
annualized revenue run-rate of approximately $22 million, 
but were a meaningful drag on profitability. ultimately, 

Whether organically or through acquisitions, 
SyKES has continually embraced innovation 
and implemented best practices in service 
delivery ever since we entered the customer 
care business.

thanks to the hard work of the eMeA leadership, the 
initiative launched at the end of 2011 was concluded with 
precision in less than a year. the result: by the fourth quarter 
of 2012, eMeA had catapulted to an operating profit of 
$3.6 million (or a 7.9 percent segment operating margin) 
on a revenue base six percent below that of fourth quarter 
2011. In addition, our capacity utilization rate in the region 
— one of our key business drivers — rose dramatically 
from 71 percent in Q4 2011 to 82 percent in Q4 2012. We 
believe we now have a footprint in eMeA that is not only 
more focused and more aligned with the marketplace, 
but also one that provides us with a strong foundation for 
funding strategic, regional investments that will generate 
sustainable financial returns. naturally, we are committed 
to preserving the hard-won gains we have achieved. In 
order to do so, we are ready to make further adjustments 
to our eMeA footprint as such actions become necessary.

DRIvIng DIFFEREnTIATIOn ThROugh 
vIRTuALIzATIOn 
the ability to differentiate how a company delivers customer 
care and drives benefits to its clients’ businesses can be the 
bedrock of a winning business strategy. Whether organically 
or through acquisitions, SYKeS has continually embraced 
innovation and implemented best practices in service 
delivery ever since we entered the customer care business. 

And each time we have done so, it has strengthened our 
value proposition with clients and generated success for 
our Company. In the 1990s, when the industry was in 
its early stages of growth, our acquisition of a rural 
customer-care company helped us forge a differentiated 
proposition in both cost and quality as we recognized the 
value of establishing call centers in rural areas instead of 
expensive urban markets, which was the standard at that 
time. our proactive stance delivered value to our clients 
while driving market share for SYKeS. When the dot-com 
recession hit in 2000, and many companies sought ways 
to quickly cut costs, we led the industry in innovation once 
again by leveraging our offshore delivery capability, made 
possible by a series of acquisitions in the late 1990s. the 
result was nearly a doubling of the Company’s revenues 
between 2004 and 2009, to $769 million.

In August 2012, we took a similar bold step to enhance 
and differentiate our delivery platform, with attention to 
both quality and cost. We acquired Alpine Access, a best- 
of-breed virtual at-home agent player. the purchase price 
was $149 million, which was financed through a combination 
of cash on hand and borrowings under a credit facility. We 
believe the acquisition of Alpine Access will prove to be one 
of the most significant and strategic developments in the 
Company’s history, one that will streamline our success in:

Creating significant competitive differentiation  
for SYKeS in quality, speed to market, scalability  
and flexibility

Dramatically strengthening the Company’s current 
service portfolio and go-to-market offerings

expanding the breadth of clients with minimal  
client overlap

Broadening opportunities within existing and  
new vertical markets and client accounts

expanding our pool of skilled labor

Allowing SYKeS to leverage operational best practices 
across its global platform, with the potential to 
convert more fixed costs to variable costs

Driving shareholder value by further enhancing 
SYKeS’ growth and margin profile

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SykES  *  2012 AnnuAl RepoRt

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
the strategy is already paying off. By acquiring Alpine 
Access, we dramatically accelerated our critical mass in 
the at-home market. As a result, our revenue mix from  
at-home agents has increased tenfold, from less than  
1 percent in 2011 to approximately 10 percent in 2012.  
this is significant. In the near term, it gives us the ability 
to capitalize on the growth of the at-home agent segment, 

by acquiring Alpine Access, we dramatically 
accelerated our critical mass in the at-home 
market. As a result, our revenue mix from 
at-home agent has increased 10-fold, from 
less than 1 percent in 2011 to approximately 
10 percent in 2012.

which is expected to grow at a 18 percent compound 
annual growth rate on a global basis over the next three 
years according to an industry analyst firm ovum. In 
addition, having the demonstrated scale and credibility will 
enable us to successfully leverage this solution across 
our client portfolio while also attracting new clients and 
gaining market share. the long-term significance will 
hinge on how elements of the technology can be leveraged 
across our world-wide brick-and-mortar infrastructure, 
thereby driving speed and efficiency across a range of 

activities. this includes not just training, recruiting and  
on-boarding, but also better correlating our operating 
costs and asset utilization with demand.

ShARPEnIng OuR FOCuS WITh A 
CLIEnT-CEnTRIC OPERATIng MODEL 
As SYKeS has more than doubled in size since 2004, our 
client relationships have simultaneously become larger 
and more complex. With a portfolio of 100-plus clients, 
the challenge is how best to target, manage and grow 
strategic relationships, i.e., client opportunities with the 
potential to scale beyond 1,000 seats.  to manage this 
complexity, we felt it was imperative to align ourselves 
around our clients, a pivot from our previous, more  
geo-centric operating model. We believe this new client-
centric model has many advantages. It creates greater 
internal transparency and accountability up and down the 
management and operations chain. It sharpens our focus 
on everything from client engagement to account 
management and operations, while simultaneously creating 
better alignment between key performing indicators (KpIs) 
and compensation. It expedites decision making, enabling 
us to adapt rapidly to our clients’ evolving business needs 
and prevail, as vendor consolidation continues to occur in 
our industry. All of this should translate into higher client 
retention rates over time — something of particular 

2012 AnnuAl RepoRt  *  SykES

3

B2B advanced tech support and channel management, 
and many others continue to provide good underpinnings 
for long-term growth. As the shift from in-house to 
outsource continues, we also continue to see a trend 
toward vendor consolidation, which is another driver of 
growth for us. In order to simplify their supply chains, a 
growing number of clients are narrowing their customer 
contact management vendor ecosystem to providers 
that have a global footprint; that have a comprehensive 
approach to customer life cycle support; that have a broad 
service suite; that are diversified vertically; and that are 
financially strong. the trend toward vendor consolidation 
has been afoot over the last few years and plays greatly to 
our strengths now and well into the future. 

beyond size, one of the attractive aspects 
of our industry has always been that 
clients value the flexibility outsourcing 
brings to their business. During good times, 
clients outsource to meet growth in demand. 
And during challenging times, clients 
outsource to reduce costs by turning their 
fixed costs into variable costs.

As large and underpenetrated as the customer contact 
management industry is, the overall demand environment 
has remained uneven over the last few years. Many 
observers believe that, as consumers have become more 
informed (thanks in large part to the Internet), many 
simple call types, such as address changes, account 
balance inquiries, etc., have been deflected, or migrated, 
to self-help channels such as the Interactive Voice 
Response (IVR) or the web. not surprisingly, some of the 
noise around call deflection has touched off concerns 
about the underlying health of the industry. Although call 
deflection technologies have been around a long time 
(IVRs have been in wide use since the 1990s) there is little 
empirical data quantifying and substantiating the extent 
of the impact from call deflection. that said, the absence 
of empirical data does not mean that some transactions 
have not been deflected. However, we continue to see an 

importance since roughly 80 percent of our long-term 
growth is expected to be driven by existing clients. 
now that we have led several successful pilots with the 
new operating structure, we have rolled it out to more 
than half of our revenues base. When fully implemented,  
we believe that our new client-centric model will help us 
through the next iteration of growth.

gAugIng ThE InDuSTRy 
the customer contact management industry is sizeable. 
According to industry analyst firms ovum and Datamonitor, 
it is estimated that there are roughly 9 million people 
employed in the customer contact management industry 
worldwide. And the industry is estimated to be only 20 
percent penetrated in terms of outsourcing. Beyond size, 
one of the attractive aspects of our industry has always 
been that clients value the flexibility outsourcing brings to 
their business. During good times, clients outsource  
to meet growth in demand. And during challenging times, 
clients outsource to reduce costs by turning their fixed 
costs into variable costs. In this current economic 
environment, we continue to see clients shifting their  
in-house customer care operations to third-party providers 
like us. Broadly speaking, we continue to see outsourcing 
opportunities within the communications, financial 
services and healthcare verticals, along with the technology 
vertical to a limited extent. More specifically, industries 
such as wireless, broadband, retail banking, insurance, 

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SykES  *  2012 AnnuAl RepoRt

It is also our view that social media channels, along with pervasive Internet connectivity  
and computing capability — whether through mobile devices or desktop computers — create 
more avenues for interaction between our clients and their end consumers.

increase in more complex, longer duration transactions 
(for example, the syncing of mobile devices and digital 
appliances, consultative sales of myriad wireless and/or 
broadband voice and data plans, troubleshooting credit 
card fraud issues and more). It is also our view that social 
media channels, along with pervasive Internet connectivity 
and computing capability — whether through mobile 
devices or desktop computers — create more avenues for 
interaction between our clients and their end consumers. 
this, in turn, drives demand for greater customer service. 
We believe that today’s sluggish demand environment 
hinges less on these various aforementioned secular issues 
and is more a result of cyclical economic volatility and sub-
par economic growth. ultimately, we believe the concerns 
surrounding automation in the industry are overstated.

Finally, no discussion about the industry would be complete 
without a quick word on the general state of competition. 
Given the industry’s size and fragmentation, competition 
varies by client, vertical and geography. We have direct 

and tangential competitors, including It services firms, 
and many of our competitors are formidable. As intense 
as competition is, and always has been throughout the 
economic downturn, pricing in the industry has remained 
relatively stable with the exception of the eMeA region.  
It is primarily smaller private and local players in the eMeA 
region that have used price as their key dimension of 
value. And where price has been used to secure a win, 
relationships have been short-lived due to issues 
surrounding quality of service and financial stability. We 
have not witnessed the emergence of any new significant 
competitors. If anything, we continue to see the consolidation 
of smaller players. the last time we experienced any 
noteworthy new competitive threat was the rise of the 
pure-play offshore customer contact management providers 
between 2004 and 2008. Because many of them were 
extremely narrow in their offerings and service delivery 
capabilities, their success was short-lived and several 
eventually were consolidated into larger and more diversified 

2012 AnnuAl RepoRt  *  SykES

5

global players. While competition is intense, it remains 
manageable. As competitors come and go, we are well 
positioned and expect to remain a driving force in the 
evolution of our industry. 

ROADMAP FOR 2013 
We are tremendously proud of our achievements in 2012, 
but much remains to be done. In 2013, our focus will be on 
fully integrating Alpine Access’ operations into our own. 
We took a major step in that direction with the appointment 
of former Alpine Access Ceo Chris Carrington as head of 
global delivery for key geographies within the Americas 
region. As we have indicated, the integration process of 
Alpine Access will likely take eight to 12 months. At the 
same time, we will continue to roll out our client-centric 
operating model, with Company-wide implementation 
expected by mid-year 2013. We will also carry on our 
rationalization of underutilized capacity — in part through 
facility transfers — even as we continue to invest for growth 
where it makes financial and strategic sense. Although we 
made great strides toward the rationalization of a net 2,000 
seats as promised, opportunities still exist for further gains, 
particularly in the Americas. this should help us increase 
our capacity utilization rate in the region above 2012 levels.

As we proceed through 2013, we are mindful that progress 
seldom follows a linear path. our planned course will 
inevitably include some unexpected twists and turns, but 
we are steadfast in our commitment to continue moving 
forward to achieve our long-term financial objectives — 
and we believe we are on the right track. We have a strong 
foundation, which is reinforced by a comprehensive 
delivery capability, a breadth and depth of service offerings, 
a diverse vertical mix, a low-risk profile and a solid balance 
sheet. Coupled with a strengthened market position, thanks 
to the Alpine Access acquisition, and the continued success 
of our operational optimization efforts and sustained 
investments in our service offerings (such as social media, 
analytics, etc.), we believe will be able to monetize 
opportunities and drive value creation for our shareholders.

We would like to thank you — our shareholders, clients, 
employees and Board members — for your enduring trust 
and support. 

charles e. syKes 
president and  
Chief executive officer

W. Michael Kipphut  
executive Vice president and  
Chief Financial officer

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SykES  *  2012 AnnuAl RepoRt

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION  
Washington, D.C. 20549  
FORM 10-K  

[X]  Annual Report Pursuant To Section 13 Or 15(d) Of The Securities Exchange Act Of 1934 
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012  
Or 
[  ]  Transition Report Pursuant To Section 13 Or 15(d) Of The Securities Exchange Act Of 1934 
For The Transition Period From           To            

Commission File Number 0-28274  
Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated  
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)  

Florida  
(State or other jurisdiction of  
incorporation or organization)  

400 N. Ashley Drive, Suite 2800, Tampa, Florida  
(Address of principal executive offices)  

56-1383460  
(IRS Employer  
Identification No.)  

33602  
(Zip Code)  

(813) 274-1000  
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)  

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: 

Title of Each Class  
Common Stock $.01 Par Value

Name of each exchange on which registered 
NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None  

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  

Yes [  ]                           No [X] 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.  

Yes [  ]                           No [X] 

Indicate  by  check  mark  whether  the  registrant  (1) has  filed  all  reports  required  to  be  filed  by  Section 13  or  15  (d) of  the  Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), 
and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  

Yes [X]                           No [  ] 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive 
Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 
months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). 

Yes [X]                           No [  ] 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be 
contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this 
Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  [X]  

Indicate  by  check  mark  whether  the  registrant  is  a  large  accelerated  filer,  an  accelerated  filer,  a  non-accelerated  filer  or  a  smaller 
reporting company. See the definitions of “accelerated filer,”  “large accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of 
the Exchange Act (Check one):  
    Large accelerated filer   [X]          Accelerated filer   [ ]          Non-accelerated filer   [  ]          Smaller reporting company   [  ] 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  

Yes [  ]                           No [X] 

The aggregate market value of the shares of voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant computed by reference to the 
closing sales price of such shares on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on June 29, 2012, the last business day of the Registrant’s most 
recently completed second fiscal quarter, was $679,850,254. 

As of February 21, 2013, there were 43,778,918 outstanding shares of common stock. 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: 

Documents .............................................................................................................. 
Portions of the Proxy Statement for the year 2013                                        
Annual Meeting of Shareholders .............................................................................

Form 10-K Reference 

Part III Items 10–14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page No. 

PART I  
Item 1     Business  .................................................................................................................................. 
Item 1A  Risk Factors .............................................................................................................................. 
Item 1B  Unresolved Staff Comments ..................................................................................................... 
Item 2     Properties  ................................................................................................................................ 
Item 3     Legal Proceedings  ................................................................................................................... 
Item 4     Mine Safety Disclosures .......................................................................................................... 

PART II  
Item 5     Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer 
                    Purchases of Equity Securities............................................................................................. 
Item 6     Selected Financial Data ............................................................................................................ 
Item 7     Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations  .. 
Item 7A  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk  ................................................. 
Item 8     Financial Statements and Supplementary Data  ....................................................................... 
Item 9     Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure  .. 
Item 9A  Controls and Procedures  .......................................................................................................... 
Item 9B  Other Information ..................................................................................................................... 

PART III  
Item 10   Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance ....................................................... 
Item 11   Executive Compensation  ......................................................................................................... 
Item 12   Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related 
                    Shareholder Matters  ............................................................................................................ 
Item 13   Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence  ........................ 
Item 14   Principal Accountant Fees and Services  ................................................................................. 

PART IV  
Item 15   Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules  ........................................................................... 

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Item 1. Business 

General  

PART I  

Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated and consolidated subsidiaries (“SYKES,” “our,” “us” or “we”) is a global leader in 
providing comprehensive outsourced customer contact management solutions and services in the business process 
outsourcing (“BPO”) arena. We provide an array of sophisticated customer contact management solutions to a wide 
range  of  clients  including  Fortune  1000  companies,  medium-sized  businesses  and  public  institutions  around  the 
world,  primarily  in  the  communications,  financial  services,  technology/consumer,  transportation  and  leisure, 
healthcare and other verticals. We serve our clients through two geographic operating regions: the Americas (United 
States,  Canada,  Latin  America,  Australia  and  the  Asia  Pacific  Rim)  and  EMEA  (Europe,  the  Middle  East  and 
Africa).  Our  Americas  and  EMEA  groups  primarily  provide  customer  contact  management  services  (with  an 
emphasis on inbound technical support and customer service), which includes customer assistance, healthcare and 
roadside  assistance,  technical  support  and  product  sales  to  our  clients’  customers.  These  services  are  delivered 
through  multiple  communication  channels  including  phone,  e-mail,  Internet,  text  messaging  and  chat.  We  also 
provide various enterprise support services in the United States that include services for our clients’ internal support 
operations, from technical staffing services to outsourced corporate help desk services. In Europe, we also provide 
fulfillment  services  including  multilingual  sales  order  processing  via  the  Internet  and  phone,  inventory  control, 
product  delivery  and  product  returns  handling.  (See  Note  28,  Segments  and  Geographic  Information,  of  the 
accompanying  “Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial  Statements”  for  further  information  on  our  segments.)  Our 
complete  service  offering  helps  our  clients  acquire,  retain  and  increase  the  lifetime  value  of  their  customer 
relationships. We have developed an extensive global reach with customer contact management centers across six 
continents, including North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. We deliver cost-effective 
solutions that enhance the customer service experience, promote stronger brand loyalty, and bring about high levels 
of performance and profitability. 

SYKES was founded in 1977 in North Carolina and we moved our headquarters to Florida in 1993. In March 1996, 
we changed our state of incorporation from North Carolina to Florida. Our headquarters are located at 400 North 
Ashley Drive, Suite 2800, Tampa, Florida 33602, and our telephone number is (813) 274-1000.  

In  August  2012,  we  completed  the  acquisition  of  Alpine  Access,  Inc.  (“Alpine”),  a  Delaware  corporation  and  an 
industry leader in the at-home agent space, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated July 27, 2012. We 
refer to such acquisition herein as the “Alpine acquisition.”  We have reflected the combined operating results in the 
accompanying Consolidated Statement of Operations for the period from August 20, 2012 to December 31, 2012.  

In March 2012, we sold our operations in Spain (the “Spanish operations”) pursuant to an asset purchase agreement 
dated  March  29,  2012  and  a  stock  purchase  agreement  dated  March  30,  2012.  We  have  reflected  the  operating 
results related to the Spanish operations as discontinued operations in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of 
Operations  for  all  periods  presented  and  the  assets  and  related  liabilities  as  held  for  sale  in  the  accompanying 
Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2011. 

Our  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K,  Quarterly  Reports  on  Form  10-Q,  Current  Reports  on  Form  8-K,  and 
amendments to those reports, as well as our proxy statements and other materials which are filed with, or furnished 
to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) are made available, free of charge, on or through our Internet 
website  at  www.sykes.com  (click  on  “Investor  Relations”  and  then  “SEC  Filings”  under  the  heading  “Financial 
Information”) as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with, or furnished to, the SEC.  

Industry Overview  

We believe that growth for outsourced customer contact management solutions and services will be fueled by the 
trend  of  global  Fortune  1000  companies  and  medium-sized  businesses  turning  to  outsourcers  to  provide  high-
quality, cost-effective, value-added customer contact management solutions.  Businesses continue to move toward 
integrated solutions that consist of a combination of support from our onshore markets in the United States, Canada, 
Australia  and  Europe  and  offshore  markets  in  the  Asia  Pacific  Rim  and  Latin  America,  and  also  the  delivery  of 
services through our virtual home-based agent delivery platform. 

In  today’s  marketplace,  companies  require  innovative  customer  contact  management  solutions  that  allow  them  to 
3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
enhance the end user’s experience with their products and services, strengthen and enhance their company brands, 
maximize the lifetime value of their customers, efficiently and effectively deliver human interaction when customers 
value it most, and deploy best-in-class customer management strategies, processes and technologies.  

Global competition, pricing pressures, softness in the global economy and rapid changes in technology continue to 
make it difficult for companies to cost-effectively maintain the in-house personnel necessary to handle all of their 
customer  contact  management  needs.  As  a  result,  companies  are  continuing  to  turn  to  outsourcers  to  perform 
specialized  functions  and  services  in  the  customer  contact  management  arena.  By  working  in  partnership  with 
outsourcers, companies can ensure that the crucial task of retaining and growing their customer base is addressed.  

Companies  outsource  customer  contact  management  solutions  for various  reasons,  including  the need  to  focus  on 
core competencies, to drive service excellence and execution, to achieve cost savings, to scale and grow geographies 
and niche markets speedily, and to efficiently allocate capital within their organizations. 

To address these needs, we offer comprehensive global customer contact management solutions that leverage both 
brick-and-mortar  and  virtual  delivery  infrastructure.    We  provide  consistent  high-value  support  for  our  clients’ 
customers  across  the  globe  in  a  multitude  of  languages,  leveraging  our  dynamic,  secure  communications 
infrastructure  and  our  global  footprint  that  reaches  across  20  countries.  This  global  footprint  includes  established 
brick-and-mortar operations in both onshore and offshore geographic markets where companies have access to high-
quality customer contact management solutions at lower costs compared to other markets.  We further complement 
our  brick-and-mortar  global  delivery  model  with  a  highly  differentiated  and  ready-made  best-in-class  virtual  at-
home agent delivery model, which we acquired through the Alpine acquisition.      

Business Strategy 

Our goal is to provide enhanced and value-added customer contact management solutions and services, acting as a 
partner in our clients’ business. We seek to anticipate trends and deliver new ways of growing our clients’ customer 
satisfaction and retention rates, and thus profit, through timely, insightful and proven solutions. 

Our  business  strategy  encompasses  building  long-term  client  relationships,  capitalizing  on  our  expert  worldwide 
response  team,  leveraging  our  depth  of  relevant  experience  and  expanding  both  organically  and  through 
acquisitions. The principles of this strategy include the following:  

Build  Long-Term  Client  Relationships  Through  Customer  Service  Excellence.  We  believe  that  providing  high-
value, high-quality service is critical in our clients’ decisions to outsource and in building long-term relationships 
with  our  clients.  To  ensure  service  excellence  and  consistency  across  each  of  our  centers  globally,  we  leverage  a 
portfolio of techniques including SYKES Science of Service®. This standard is a compilation of more than 30 years 
of experience and best practices. Every customer contact management center strives to meet or exceed the standard, 
which addresses leadership, hiring and training, performance management down to the agent level, forecasting and 
scheduling, and the client relationship including continuous improvement, disaster recovery plans and feedback.  

Capitalize on Our Worldwide Response Team. Companies are demanding a customer contact management solution 
that  is  global  in  nature  —  one  of  our  key  strengths.  In  addition  to  our  network  of  customer  contact  management 
centers  throughout  North  America,  Australia  and  Europe,  we  continue  to  develop  our  global  delivery  model  with 
offshore  and  near-shore  operations  in  The  Philippines,  The  Peoples  Republic  of  China,  India,  Costa  Rica,  El 
Salvador,  Mexico,  Brazil,  Egypt  and  Romania,  offering  our  clients  a  secure,  high-quality  solution  tailored  to  the 
needs  of  their diverse  and global  markets.   Furthermore, we  are  leveraging our  expansive  virtual  infrastructure  to 
deliver home-based agent solutions to our clients across North America. 

Maintain  a  Competitive  Advantage  Through  Technology  Solutions.  For  more  than  30  years,  we  have  been  an 
innovative  pioneer  in  delivering  customer  contact  management  solutions.  We  seek  to  maintain  a  competitive 
advantage and differentiation by utilizing technology to consistently deliver innovative service solutions, ultimately 
enhancing  the  client’s  relationship  with  its  customers  and  generating  revenue  growth.    This  includes  knowledge 
solutions  for  agents  and  end  customers,  automatic  call  distributors,  interactive  voice  response  systems,  intelligent 
call  routing  and  workforce  management  capabilities  based  on  agent  skill  and  availability,  call  tracking  software, 
quality  management  systems  and  computer-telephony  integration  (“CTI”).  CTI enables  our  customer  contact 
management centers to serve as transparent extensions of our clients, receive telephone calls and data directly from 
our  clients’  systems,  and  report  detailed  information  concerning  the  status  and  results  of  our  services  on  a  daily 
basis.   

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Through  strategic  technology  relationships,  we  are  able  to  provide  fully  integrated  communication  services 
encompassing e-mail, chat, text messaging and Internet self-service platforms. In addition, we utilize Global Direct, 
our customer relationship management (“CRM”)/e-commerce application for our European fulfillment operations. 
Global Direct establishes a platform whereby our clients can manage all customer profile and contact information 
from every communication channel, making it a viable customer-facing infrastructure solution to support their CRM 
initiatives. 

We are also continuing to capitalize on sophisticated technological capabilities, including our current digital private 
network  that  provides  us  the  ability  to  manage  call  volumes  more  efficiently  by  load  balancing  calls  and  data 
between  customer  contact  management  centers  over  the  same  network.  Our  converged  voice  and  data  digital 
communications  network  provides  a  high-quality,  fault-tolerant  global  network  for  the  transport  of  Voice  Over 
Internet Protocol communications and fully integrates with emergent Internet Protocol telephony systems as well as 
traditional Time Domain Multiplexing telephony systems. Our flexible, secure and scalable network infrastructure 
allows us to rapidly respond to changes in client voice and data traffic and quickly establish support operations for 
new and existing clients.  

Continue  to  Grow  Our  Business  Organically  and  through  Acquisitions.  We  have  grown  our  customer  contact 
management outsourcing operations utilizing a strategy of both internal organic growth and external acquisitions.  

Our organic growth  strategy is  to  target  markets,  clients, verticals, delivery  geographies  and service mix  that  will 
expand our addressable market opportunity, and thus drive our organic growth.  Entry into Brazil, Romania, Egypt 
and El Salvador are examples of how we leveraged these delivery geographies to further penetrate our base of both 
existing and new clients, verticals and service mix in order to drive organic growth.   

Strategic Rationale for the Alpine Acquisition 

We  completed  the  acquisition  of  Alpine  Access,  Inc.  in  August  2012.  The  Alpine  acquisition,  through  use  of  at-
home agents rather than agents who work at brick-and-mortar centers: 

•  Creates significant competitive differentiation for quality, speed to market, scalability and flexibility driven 
by  proprietary,  internally-developed  software,  systems,  processes  and  other  intellectual  property  which 
uniquely overcome the challenges of the at-home delivery model; 

•  Dramatically  strengthens  the  Company’s  current  service  portfolio  and  go-to-market  offering  while 

expanding the breadth of clients with minimal client overlap;  

•  Broadens the addressable market opportunity within existing and new verticals as well as clients; 
•  Expands the addressable pool of skilled labor; 
•  Allows  SYKES  to  leverage  operational  best  practices  across  its  global  platform,  with  the  potential  to 

convert more of the fixed cost to variable cost; and 

•  Further enhances the growth and margin profile of SYKES to drive shareholder value. 

Growth Strategy 

Applying the key principles of our business strategy, we execute our growth strategy by focusing on the following 
levers.  

Maximizing Capacity Utilization Rates and Strategically Adding Seat Capacity. Revenues and profitability growth 
is driven by increasing the capacity utilization rate in conjunction with seat capacity additions. We plan to sustain 
our focus on increasing the capacity utilization rate by further penetrating existing clients, adding new clients and 
rationalizing underutilized seat capacity as deemed necessary.  With greater operating flexibility resulting from the 
Alpine acquisition, we can rationalize underutilized capacity more efficiently and drive capacity utilization rates.   

Broadening Global Delivery Footprint. Just as increased capacity utilization rates and increased seat capacity are 
key  drivers  of  our  revenues  and  profitability  growth,  where  we  deploy  the  seat  capacity  geographically  is  also 
important.  By  broadening  and  continuously  strengthening  our  brick-and-mortar  global  delivery  footprint,  we  are 
able  to  meet  both  our  existing  and  new  clients’  customer  contact  management  needs  globally  as  they  enter  new 
markets.  At  the  end  of  2012,  our  global  delivery  footprint  spanned  20  countries.  As  a  multi-channel  provider  of 
phone, e-mail, Internet, text messaging and chat customer contact management services, we provide comprehensive 
customer contact management solutions through our recently acquired best-in-class virtual at-home agent offering, 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
which further augments and strengthens our existing brick-and-mortar global delivery footprint. Additionally, with 
the rapid emergence of on-line communities, examples of which are chat rooms, Facebook and Twitter, we continue 
to make on-going investments in our social media service offerings, which can be leveraged across both our brick-
and-mortar and at-home agent delivery platforms. 

Increasing  Share  of  Seats  Within  Existing  Clients  and  Winning  New  Clients.  We  provide  customer  contact 
management support to numerous multinational companies. With this client list, we have the opportunity to grow 
our client base. We strive to achieve this by winning a greater share of our clients’ in-house seats as well as gain 
share from our competitors by providing consistently high-quality service. In addition, as we further leverage our 
newly-acquired and highly differentiated virtual customer contact delivery capability, along with the knowledge of 
verticals and business lines, we plan to win new clients as a way to broaden our base of growth. 

Diversifying Verticals and Expanding Service Lines.  To mitigate the impact of any negative economic and product 
cycles  on  our  growth  rate,  we  continue  to  seek  ways  to  diversify  into  verticals  and  service  lines  that  have 
countercyclical  features  and  healthy  growth  rates.   We  are  targeting  the  following  verticals  for  growth:  
communications, financial services, technology/consumer, healthcare and transportation and leisure.  These verticals 
cover  various  business  lines,  including  wireless  services,  broadband,  retail  banking,  credit  card/consumer  fraud 
protection, content moderation, telemedicine and travel portals.  

Creating Value-Added Service Enhancements.  To improve both revenue and margin expansion, we will continue 
to introduce new service offerings and add-on enhancements.  Bilingual customer support and back office services 
are examples of horizontal service offerings, while data analytics and process improvement products are examples 
of add-on enhancements. 

Continuing  to  Focus  on  Expanding  the  Addressable  Market  Opportunities.    As  part  of our  growth strategy,  we 
continually seek to expand the number of markets we serve. The United States, Canada and Germany, for instance, 
are  markets  which  are  served  by  in-country  centers,  centers  in  offshore  regions  or  a  combination  thereof.    We 
continually  seek  ways  to  broaden  the  addressable  market  for  our  customer  contact  management  services.    We 
currently operate in 15 markets. 

Services 

We  specialize  in  providing  inbound  outsourced  customer  contact  management  solutions  in  the  BPO  arena  on  a 
global  basis.  Our  customer  contact  management  services  are  provided  through  two  operating  segments  —  the 
Americas  and  EMEA.  The  Americas  region,  representing  84%  of  consolidated  revenues  in  2012,  includes  the 
United States, Canada, Latin America, Australia and the Asia Pacific Rim. The sites within Latin America and the 
Asia Pacific Rim are included in the Americas region as they provide a significant service delivery vehicle for U.S.-
based  companies  that  are  utilizing  our  customer  contact  management  solutions  in  these  locations  to  support  their 
customer  care  needs.  In  addition,  the  Americas  region  also  includes  revenues  from  our  virtual  customer  contact 
solution, which serves markets in both the U.S. and Canada. The EMEA region, representing 16% of consolidated 
revenues in 2012, includes Europe, the Middle East and Africa. See Note 28, Segments and Geographic Information, 
of  the  accompanying  “Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial  Statements”  for  further  information  on  our  segments.  The 
following is a description of our customer contact management solutions:  

Outsourced  Customer  Contact  Management  Services.  Our  outsourced  customer  contact  management  services 
represented approximately 98% of total 2012 consolidated revenues. Each year since 2008, we have handled over 
250 million customer contacts including phone, e-mail, Internet, text messaging and chat throughout the Americas 
and  EMEA  regions.  We  provide  these  services  utilizing  our  advanced  technology  infrastructure,  human  resource 
management skills and industry experience. These services include:  

•  Customer  care  —  Customer  care  contacts  primarily  include  product  information  requests,  describing 
product  features,  activating  customer  accounts,  resolving  complaints,  cross-selling/up-selling,  handling 
billing inquiries, changing addresses, claims handling, ordering/reservations, prequalification and warranty 
management, providing health information and roadside assistance; 

•  Technical support — Technical support contacts primarily include handling inquiries regarding hardware, 
software,  communications  services,  communications  equipment,  Internet  access  technology  and  Internet 
portal usage; and 

•  Acquisition  —  Our  acquisition  services  are  primarily  focused  on  inbound  up-selling  of  our  clients’ 

products and services. 

6 

 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
We  provide  these  services,  primarily  inbound  customer  calls,  through  our  extensive  global  network  of  customer 
contact  management  centers  in  a  multitude  of  languages.  Our  technology  infrastructure  and  managed  service 
solutions  allow  for  effective  distribution  of  calls  to  one  or  more  centers.  These  technology  offerings  provide  our 
clients and us with the leading edge tools needed to maximize quality and customer satisfaction while controlling 
and minimizing costs. 

Fulfillment  Services.  In  Europe,  we  offer  fulfillment  services  that  are  integrated  with  our  customer  care  and 
technical support services. Our fulfillment solutions include multilingual sales order processing via the Internet and 
phone, payment processing, inventory control, product delivery and product returns handling.  

Enterprise  Support  Services.  In  the  United  States,  we  provide  a  range  of  enterprise  support  services  including 
technical staffing services and outsourced corporate help desk solutions.     

Operations  

Customer  Contact  Management  Centers.  We  operate  across  20  countries  in  69  customer  contact  management 
centers,  which  breakdown  as  follows:  16  centers  across  Europe  and  Egypt,  22  centers  in  the  United  States,  10 
centers  in  Canada,  3  centers  in  Australia  and  18  centers  offshore,  including  The  Peoples  Republic  of  China,  The 
Philippines,  Costa  Rica,  El  Salvador,  India,  Mexico  and  Brazil.  In  addition  to  our  customer  contact  management 
centers, we employ approximately 6,700 virtual customer contact agents across 40 states in the U.S. and across eight 
provinces in Canada. 

In an effort to stay ahead of industry offshoring trends, we opened our first offshore customer contact management 
centers  in  The  Philippines  and  Costa  Rica  over  ten  years  ago.  Since  then,  we  have  expanded  into  centers  in  The 
People’s Republic of China, India, El Salvador, Mexico and Brazil.  

We  utilize  a  sophisticated  workforce  management  system  to  provide  efficient  scheduling  of  personnel.  Our 
internally developed digital private communications network complements our workforce by allowing for effective 
call  volume  management  and  disaster  recovery  backup.  Through  this  network  and  our  dynamic  intelligent  call 
routing capabilities, we can rapidly respond to changes in client call volumes and move call volume traffic based on 
agent availability and skill throughout our network of centers, improving the responsiveness and productivity of our 
agents. We also can offer cost competitive solutions for taking calls to our offshore locations.  

Our  data  warehouse  captures  and  downloads  customer  contact  information  for  reporting  on  a  daily,  real-time  and 
historical basis. This data provides our clients with direct visibility into the services that we are providing for them. 
The data warehouse supplies information for our performance management systems such as our agent scorecarding 
application, which provides management with the information required for effective management of our operations.  

Our  customer  contact  management  centers  are  protected  by  a  fire  extinguishing  system,  backup  generators  with 
significant capacity and 24 hour refueling contracts and short-term battery backups in the event of a power outage, 
reduced voltage or a power surge. Rerouting of call volumes to other customer contact management centers is also 
available in the event of a telecommunications failure, natural disaster or other emergency. Security measures are 
imposed to prevent unauthorized physical access. Software and related data files are backed up daily and stored off 
site  at  multiple  locations.  We  carry  business  interruption  insurance  covering  interruptions  that  might  occur  as  a 
result of certain types of damage to our business.  

Fulfillment  Centers.  We  currently  have  two  fulfillment  centers  located  in  Europe.  We  provide  our  fulfillment 
services primarily to certain clients operating in Europe who desire this complementary service in connection with 
outsourced customer contact management services.  

Enterprise  Support  Services  Offices.  Our  enterprise  support  services  office,  located  in  a  metropolitan  area  in  the 
United States, provides a recruiting platform for high-end knowledge workers and to establish a local presence to 
service major accounts.  

Quality Assurance  

We  believe  that  providing  consistent  high-quality  service  is  critical  in  our  clients’  decision  to  outsource  and  in 
building  long-term  relationships  with  our  clients.  It  is  also  our  belief  and  commitment  that  quality  is  the 
7 

 
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
responsibility  of  each  individual  at  every  level  of  the  organization.  To  ensure  service  excellence  and  continuity 
across  our  organization,  we  have  developed  an  integrated  Quality  Assurance  program  consisting  of  three  major 
components:  

•  The  certification  of  client  accounts  and  customer  contact  management  centers  to  the  SYKES  Science  of 

Service®  and Site of Excellence programs; 

•  The  application  of  continuous  improvement  through  application  of  our  Data  Analytics  and  Six  Sigma 

techniques; and 

•  The application of process audits to all work procedures. 

The SYKES Science of Service® is a standard that was developed based on our more than 30 years of experience, 
and  best  practices  from  industry  standards  such  as  the  Malcolm  Baldrige  National  Quality  Award  and  Customer 
Operations  Performance  Center.  It  specifies  the  requirements  that  must  be  met  in  each  of  our  customer  contact 
management  centers  including  measured  performance  against  our  standard  operating  procedures.  It  has  a  well-
defined auditing process that ensures compliance with the SYKES’ standards. Our focus is on quality, predictability 
and consistency over time, not just point in time certification. 

The application of continuous improvement is based upon the five-step Six Sigma cycle, which we have fine-tuned 
to  apply  specifically  to  our  service  industry.  All  managers  are  responsible  for  continuous  improvement  in  their 
operations.  

Process audits are used to verify that processes and procedures are consistently executed as required by established 
documentation. Process audits are applicable to services being provided for the client and internal procedures.  

Sales and Marketing  

Our  sales  and  marketing  objective  is  to  leverage  our  expertise  and  global  presence  to  develop  long-term 
relationships with existing and future clients. Our customer contact management solutions have been developed to 
help our clients acquire, retain and increase the value of their customer relationships. Our plans for increasing our 
visibility  include  market-focused  advertising,  consultative  personal  visits,  participation  in  market-specific  trade 
shows and seminars, speaking engagements, articles and white papers, and our website. 

Our sales force is composed of business development managers who pursue new business opportunities and strategic 
account managers who manage and grow relationships with existing accounts. We emphasize account development 
to strengthen relationships with existing clients. Business development management and strategic account managers 
are  assigned  to  markets  in  their  area  of  expertise  in  order  to  develop  a  complete  understanding  of  each  client’s 
particular needs, to form strong client relationships and encourage cross-selling of our other service offerings. We 
have  inside  customer  sales  representatives  who  receive  customer  inquiries  and  who  provide  outbound  lead 
generation  for  the  business  development  managers.  We  also  have  relationships  with  channel  partners  including 
systems  integrators,  software  and  hardware  vendors  and  value-added  resellers,  where  we  pair  our  solutions  and 
services with their product offering or focus. We plan to maintain and expand these relationships as part of our sales 
and marketing strategy. 

As part of our marketing efforts, we invite existing and potential clients to visit our customer contact management 
centers and virtual delivery operations, where we can demonstrate the expertise of our skilled staff in partnering to 
deliver  new  ways  of  growing  clients’  customer  satisfaction  and  retention  rates,  and  thus  profit,  through  timely, 
insightful and proven solutions. During these visits, we demonstrate our ability to quickly and effectively support a 
new  client  or  scale  business  from  an  existing  client  by  emphasizing  our  systematic  approach  to  implementing 
customer contact solutions throughout the world.  

Clients 

We provide service to clients from our locations in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Australia, the Asia 
Pacific Rim, Europe and Africa. These clients are Fortune 1000 corporations, medium-sized businesses and public 
institutions,  which  span  the  communications,  financial  services,  technology/consumer,  transportation  and  leisure, 
healthcare and other industries. Revenue by vertical market for 2012, as a percentage of our consolidated revenues, 
was 31% for communications, 30% for financial services, 16% for technology/consumer, 9% for transportation and 
leisure, 8% for healthcare, 2% for retail and 4% for all other vertical markets, including government and utilities. 

8 

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We believe our globally recognized client base presents opportunities for further cross marketing of our services.  

Total  consolidated  revenues  included  $133.1  million,  or  11.8%,  of  consolidated  revenues  for  2012,  from  AT&T 
Corporation, a major provider of communication services for which we provide various customer support services, 
compared  to  $132.7  million,  or  11.3%,  for  2011  and  $154.1  million,  or  13.7%,  for  2010.  This  included  $130.1 
million  in  revenues  from  the  Americas  and  $3.0  million  in  revenues  from  EMEA  for  2012,  $129.4  million  in 
revenues from the Americas and $3.3 million in revenues from EMEA for 2011 and $147.6 million in revenues from 
the  Americas  and  $6.5  million  in  revenues  from  EMEA  for  2010.      Our  next  largest  clients  in  each  of  the  years, 
which are in the financial services vertical market, accounted for 6.2%, 5.6% and 4.5% of consolidated revenues for 
the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.  Our top ten clients accounted for approximately 
48% of our consolidated revenues in 2012, an increase from 45% in 2011.  

We have multiple distinct contracts with AT&T spread  across multiple lines of businesses, which expire between 
2013  and  2015.  We  have  historically  renewed  most  of  these  contracts.  However,  there  is  no  assurance  that  these 
contracts  will  be  renewed,  or  if  renewed,  will  be  on  terms  as  favorable  as  the  existing  contracts.  Each  line  of 
business is governed by separate business terms, conditions and metrics. Each line of business also has a separate 
decision maker such that a loss of one line of business would not necessarily impact our relationship with the client 
and decision makers on other lines of business. The loss of (or the failure to retain a significant amount of business 
with) any of our key clients, including AT&T, could have a material adverse effect on our performance. Many of 
our contracts contain penalty provisions for failure to meet minimum service levels and are cancelable by the client 
at  any  time  or  on  short  notice.  Also,  clients  may  unilaterally  reduce  their  use  of  our  services  under  our  contracts 
without penalty. 

Competition  

The  industry  in  which  we  operate  is  global  and,  therefore,  highly  fragmented  and  extremely  competitive.  While 
many  companies  provide  customer  contact  management  solutions  and  services,  we  believe  no  one  company  is 
dominant in the industry.  

In  most  cases,  our  principal  competition  stems  from  our  existing  and  potential  clients’  in-house  customer  contact 
management operations. When it is not the in-house operations of a client, our public and private direct competition 
includes TeleTech, Sitel, Convergys, West Corporation, Stream, Aegis BPO, Sutherland, 24/7 Customer, StarTek, 
Atento, Teleperformance, Expert Global Solutions, LiveOps, Working Solutions and Arise, as well as the customer 
care  arm  of  such  companies  as  Accenture,  Wipro,  Infosys,  Mahindra  Satyam  and  IBM,  among  others.  There  are 
other numerous and varied providers of such services, including firms specializing in various CRM consulting, other 
customer  management  solutions  providers,  niche  or  large  market  companies,  as  well  as  product  distribution 
companies  that  provide  fulfillment  services.  Some  of  these  companies  possess  substantially  greater  resources, 
greater name recognition and a more established customer base than we do.  

We  believe  that  the  most  significant  competitive  factors  in  the  sale  of  outsourced  customer  contact  management 
services include service quality, tailored value-added service offerings, industry experience, advanced technological 
capabilities,  global  coverage,  reliability,  scalability,  security,  price  and  financial  strength.  As  a  result  of  intense 
competition,  outsourced  customer  contact  management  solutions  and  services  frequently  are  subject  to  pricing 
pressure.  Clients  also  require  outsourcers  to  be  able  to  provide  services  in  multiple  locations.  Competition  for 
contracts for many of our services takes the form of competitive bidding in response to requests for proposal.  

Intellectual Property 

We own and/or have applied to register numerous trademarks and service marks in the United States and/or in many 
additional countries throughout the world. Our registered trademarks and service marks include, without limitation, 
SYKES®,  REAL  PEOPLE.  REAL  SOLUTIONS®,  SCIENCE  OF  SERVICE®,  CLEARCALL®, I  AM  SYKES. 
HOW  FAR  WILL  YOU  LET  ME  TAKE  YOU?®,  ICT®,  SOUND  OF  SERVICE®,  ONEVIEW®,  ALPINE 
ACCESS®, ALPINE ACCESS UNIVERSITY® and ALPINE ACCESS CONSULTING®. The duration of trademark 
registrations varies from country to country, but may generally be renewed indefinitely as long as they are in use 
and/or their registrations are properly maintained.   

9 

 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
Employees 

As  of  January  31,  2013,  we  had  approximately  46,200  employees  worldwide,  including  36,800  customer  contact 
agents  handling  technical  and  customer  support  inquiries  at  our  centers,  6,700  at-home  customer  contact  agents 
handling  technical  and  customer  support  inquiries,  2,400  in  management,  administration,  information  technology, 
finance,  sales  and  marketing  roles,  100  in  enterprise  support  services  and  200  in  fulfillment  services.  Our 
employees, with the exception of approximately 700 employees in Brazil and various European countries, are not 
union  members  and  we  have  never  suffered  a  material  interruption  of  business  as  a  result  of  a  labor  dispute.  We 
consider our relations with our employees worldwide to be satisfactory.  

We employ personnel through a continually updated recruiting network. This network includes a seasoned team of 
recruiters, competency-based selection standards and the sharing of global best practices in order to advertise and 
source qualified candidates through proven recruiting techniques. Nonetheless, demand for qualified professionals 
with  the  required  language  and  technical  skills  may  still  exceed  supply  at  times  as  new  skills  are  needed  to  keep 
pace  with  the  requirements  of  customer  engagements.  As  such,  competition  for  such  personnel  is  intense  and 
employee turnover in our industry is high. 

Executive Officers  

The following table provides the names and ages of our executive officers, and the positions and offices currently 
held by each of them:   

Name 
Charles E. Sykes  
W. Michael Kipphut   
Christopher M. Carrington 
Lawrence R. Zingale 
Jenna R. Nelson  
Daniel L. Hernandez  
David L. Pearson 
James T. Holder 
William N. Rocktoff   

Age           Principal Position
50  
59 
51 
57 
49  
46 
54 
54 
50  

President and Chief Executive Officer and Director 
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer  
Executive Vice President, Global Delivery  
Executive Vice President, General Manager of Major Markets 
Executive Vice President, Human Resources 
Executive Vice President, Global Strategy  
Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer 
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary 
Global Vice President and Corporate Controller  

Charles  E.  Sykes  joined  SYKES  in  1986  and  was  named  President  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  Director  in 
August 2004.  From July 2003 to August 2004, Mr. Sykes was the Chief Operating Officer. From March 2000 to 
June 2001, Mr. Sykes was Senior Vice President, Marketing, and in June 2001, he was appointed to the position of 
General Manager, Senior Vice President — the Americas. From December 1996 to March 2000, he served as Vice 
President, Sales, and held the position of Regional Manager of the Midwest Region for Professional Services from 
1992 until 1996.  

W. Michael Kipphut, C.P.A., joined SYKES in March 2000 as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and was 
named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in June 2001. In May 2010, he was named Executive Vice 
President  and  Chief  Financial  Officer.  From  September 1998  to  February  2000,  Mr. Kipphut  held  the  position  of 
Vice  President  and  Chief  Financial  Officer  for  USA  Floral  Products,  Inc.,  a  publicly-held,  worldwide,  perishable 
products distributor. From September 1994 until September 1998, Mr. Kipphut held the position of Vice President 
and  Treasurer  for  Spalding  &  Evenflo  Companies,  Inc.,  a  global  manufacturer  of  consumer  products.  Previously, 
Mr. Kipphut  held  various  financial  positions,  including  Vice  President  and  Treasurer,  in  his  17 years  at  Tyler 
Corporation, a publicly-held, diversified holding company.  

Christopher  M. Carrington  former  President  and CEO  of  Alpine  Access,  assumed  the  post  of  Executive  Vice 
President, Global Delivery for SYKES in September 2012. Prior to his role at SYKES, Mr. Carrington served as a 
board member and President and CEO of Alpine Access, a market leader in the virtual contact center solutions and 
services  market.  Prior  to  joining  Alpine  Access,  Mr.  Carrington  served  as  President  of  Americas  Outsourcing 
Services  for  Capgemini,  President  and  CEO  of  the  Interlink  Group  and  President  of  the  Americas  E-business 
consulting practice for EDS.  

Lawrence  R.  Zingale  joined  SYKES  in  January  2006  as  Senior  Vice  President,  Global  Sales  and  Client 
Management. In May 2010, he was named Executive Vice President, Global Sales and Client Management and in 
September 2012, he was named Executive Vice President and General Manager of Major Markets. Prior to joining 
10 

 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SYKES, Mr. Zingale served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of StarTek, Inc. since 2002. 
From  December  1999  until  November  2001,  Mr.  Zingale  served  as  President  of  the  Americas  at  Stonehenge 
Telecom, Inc. From May 1997 until November 1999, Mr. Zingale served as President and Chief Operating Officer 
of International Community Marketing. From February 1980 until May 1997, Mr. Zingale held various senior level 
positions at AT&T.  

Jenna  R.  Nelson  joined  SYKES  in  August 1993  and  was  named  Senior  Vice  President,  Human  Resources,  in 
July 2001. In May 2010, she was named Executive Vice President, Global Human Resources. From January 2001 
until July 2001, Ms. Nelson held the position of Vice President, Human Resources. In August 1998, Ms. Nelson was 
appointed  Vice  President,  Human  Resources,  and  held  the  position  of  Director,  Human  Resources  and 
Administration, from August 1996 to July 1998. From August 1993 until July 1996, Ms. Nelson served in various 
management positions within SYKES, including Director of Administration.  

Daniel  L.  Hernandez  joined  SYKES  in  October 2003  as  Senior  Vice  President,  Global  Strategy  overseeing 
marketing, public relations, operational strategy and corporate development efforts worldwide. In May 2010, he was 
named Executive Vice President, Global Strategy. Prior to joining SYKES, Mr. Hernandez served as President and 
Chief Executive Officer of SBC Internet Services, a division of SBC Communications Inc., since March 2000. From 
February 1998  to  March 2000,  Mr. Hernandez  held  the  position  of  Vice  President/General  Manager,  Internet  and 
System Operations, at Ameritech Interactive Media Services. Prior to February 1998, Mr. Hernandez held various 
management positions at US West Communications since joining the telecommunications provider in 1990.  

David L. Pearson joined SYKES in February 1997 as Vice President, Engineering, and was named Vice President, 
Technology  Systems  Management,  in  2000  and  Senior  Vice  President  and  Chief  Information  Officer  in  August 
2004.  In May 2010, he was named Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Prior to SYKES, Mr. 
Pearson held various engineering and technical management roles over a fifteen year period, including eight years at 
Compaq Computer Corporation and five years at Texas Instruments.  

James T. Holder, J.D., joined SYKES in December 2000 as General Counsel and was named Corporate Secretary 
in January 2001, Vice President in January 2004 and Senior Vice President in December 2006. In May 2010, he was 
named  Executive  Vice  President.  From  November  1999  until  November  2000,  Mr.  Holder  served  in  a  consulting 
capacity  as  Special  Counsel  to  Checkers  Drive-In  Restaurants,  Inc.,  a  publicly  held  restaurant  operator  and 
franchisor.  From  November  1993  until  November  1999,  Mr.  Holder  served  in  various  capacities  at  Checkers 
including Corporate Secretary, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President and General Counsel.  

William N. Rocktoff, C.P.A., joined SYKES in August 1997 as Corporate Controller and was named Treasurer and 
Corporate  Controller  in  December  1999  and  Vice  President  and  Corporate  Controller  in  March  2002.  In  January 
2011, he was named Global Vice President and Corporate Controller. From November 1989 to August 1997, Mr. 
Rocktoff held various financial positions, including Corporate Controller, at Kimmins Corporation, a publicly-held 
contracting company.  

Item 1A. Risk Factors 

Factors Influencing Future Results and Accuracy of Forward-Looking Statements 

This  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  contains  forward-looking  statements  (within  the  meaning  of  the  Private 
Securities  Litigation  Reform  Act  of  1995)  that  are  based  on  current  expectations,  estimates,  forecasts,  and 
projections  about  us,  our  beliefs,  and  assumptions  made  by  us.  In  addition,  we  may  make  other  written  or  oral 
statements,  which  constitute  forward-looking  statements,  from  time  to  time.  Words  such  as  “may,”  “expects,” 
“projects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” variations of such words, and similar 
expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Similarly, statements that describe our future 
plans,  objectives  or  goals  also  are  forward-looking  statements.  These  statements  are  not  guarantees  of  future 
performance and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below and elsewhere 
in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our actual results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted 
in  such  forward-looking  statements,  and  undue  reliance  should  not  be  placed  on  such  statements.  All  forward-
looking statements are made as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking 
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.  

Factors  that  could  cause  actual  results  to  differ  materially  from  what  is  expressed  or  forecasted  in  such  forward-
looking statements include, but are not limited to: the marketplace’s continued receptivity to our terms and elements 
11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
of services offered under our standardized contract for future bundled service offerings; our ability to continue the 
growth  of  our  service  revenues  through  additional  customer  contact  management  centers;  our  ability  to  further 
penetrate into vertically integrated markets; our ability to expand revenues within the global markets; our ability to 
continue to establish a competitive advantage through sophisticated technological capabilities, and the following risk 
factors:  

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry 

Unfavorable general economic conditions could negatively impact our operating results and financial condition. 

Unfavorable general economic conditions could negatively affect our business. While it is often difficult to predict 
the impact of general economic conditions on our business, these conditions could adversely affect the demand for 
some of our clients’ products and services and, in turn, could cause a decline in the demand for our services. Also, 
our  clients  may  not  be  able  to  obtain  adequate  access  to  credit,  which  could  affect  their  ability  to  make  timely 
payments to us. If that were to occur, we could be required to increase our allowance for doubtful accounts, and the 
number of days outstanding for our accounts receivable could increase. In addition, we may not be able to renew our 
revolving credit facility at terms that are as favorable as those terms available under our current credit facility. Also, 
the  group  of  lenders  under  our  credit  facility  may  not  be  able  to  fulfill  their  funding  obligations,  which  could 
adversely  impact  our  liquidity.  For  these  reasons,  among  others,  if  the  current  economic  conditions  persist  or 
decline, this could adversely affect our revenues, operating results and financial condition, as well as our ability to 
access debt under comparable terms and conditions.  

Our business is dependent on key clients, and the loss of a key client could adversely affect our business and 
results of operations.  

We  derive  a  substantial  portion  of  our  revenues  from  a  few  key  clients.  Our  top  ten  clients  accounted  for 
approximately 48% of our consolidated revenues in 2012.  The loss of (or the failure to retain a significant amount 
of business with) any of our key clients could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and 
results of operations. Many of our contracts contain penalty provisions for failure to meet minimum service levels 
and are cancelable by the client at any time or on short-term notice. Also, clients may unilaterally reduce their use of 
our services under these contracts without penalty. Thus, our contracts with our clients do not ensure that we will 
generate a minimum level of revenues.  

Cyber attacks as well as improper disclosure or control of personal information could result in liability and harm 
our reputation, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.  

Our business is heavily dependent upon our computer and voice technologies, systems and platforms.  Internal or 
external  attacks  on  any  of  those  could disrupt  the normal  operations of our  call  centers  and  impede our  ability  to 
provide  critical  services  to  our  clients,  thereby  subjecting  us  to  liability  under  our  contracts.    Additionally,  our 
business involves the use, storage and transmission of information about our employees, our clients and customers 
of our clients. While we take measures to protect the security of, and unauthorized access to our systems, as well as 
the privacy of personal and proprietary information, it is possible that our security controls over our systems, as well 
as other security practices we follow, may not prevent the improper access to or disclosure of personally identifiable 
or proprietary information. Such disclosure could harm our reputation and subject us to liability under our contracts 
and laws that protect personal data, resulting in increased costs or loss of revenue. Further, data privacy is subject to 
frequently changing rules and regulations, which sometimes conflict among the various jurisdictions and countries 
in which we provide services. Our failure to adhere to or successfully implement processes in response to changing 
regulatory requirements in this area could result in legal liability or impairment to our reputation in the marketplace, 
which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. 

Our business is subject to substantial competition. 

The markets for many of our services operate on a commoditized basis and are highly competitive and subject to 
rapid change. While many companies provide outsourced customer contact management services, we believe no one 
company  is  dominant  in  the  industry.  There  are  numerous  and  varied  providers  of  our  services,  including  firms 
specializing in call center operations, temporary staffing and personnel placement, consulting and integration firms, 
and niche providers of outsourced customer contact management services, many of whom compete in only certain 
markets. Our competitors include both companies who possess greater resources and name recognition than we do, 
as  well  as  small  niche  providers  that  have  few  assets  and  regionalized  (local)  name  recognition  instead  of  global 
12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
name recognition. In addition to our competitors, many companies who might utilize our services or the services of 
one of our competitors may utilize in-house personnel to perform such services. Increased competition, our failure to 
compete successfully, pricing pressures, loss of market share and loss of clients could have a material adverse effect 
on our business, financial condition and results of operations.  

Many  of  our  large  clients  purchase  outsourced  customer  contact  management  services  from  multiple  preferred 
vendors. We have experienced and continue to anticipate significant pricing pressure from these clients in order to 
remain  a  preferred  vendor.  These  companies  also  require  vendors  to  be  able  to  provide  services  in  multiple 
locations. Although we believe we can effectively meet our clients’ demands, there can be no assurance that we will 
be  able  to  compete  effectively  with  other  outsourced  customer  contact  management  services  companies  on  price. 
We  believe  that  the  most  significant  competitive  factors  in  the  sale  of  our  core  services  include  the  standard 
requirements of service quality, tailored value-added service offerings, industry experience, advanced technological 
capabilities, global coverage, reliability, scalability, security, price and financial strength. 

The concentration of customer support centers in certain geographies poses risks to our operations which could 
adversely affect our financial condition. 

Although we have call centers in many locations throughout the world, we have a concentration of centers in certain 
geographies outside of the U.S. and Canada, specifically The Philippines and Latin America.  Our concentration of 
operations  in  those  geographies  is  a  result  of  our  ability  to  access  significant  numbers  of  employees  with  certain 
language and other skills at costs that are advantageous.  However, the concentration of business activities in any 
geographical  area  creates  risks  which  could  harm  operations  and  our  financial  condition.    Certain  risks,  such  as 
natural disasters, armed conflict and military or civil unrest, political instability and disease transmission, as well as 
the risk of interruption to our delivery systems, is magnified when the realization of these, or any other risks, would 
effect a large portion of our business at once, which may result in a disproportionate increase in operating costs.     

Our business is dependent on the trend toward outsourcing.  

Our  business  and  growth  depend  in  large  part  on  the  industry  trend  toward  outsourced  customer  contact 
management services. Outsourcing means that an entity contracts with a third party, such as us, to provide customer 
contact services rather than perform such services in-house. There can be no assurance that this trend will continue, 
as  organizations  may  elect  to  perform  such  services  themselves.  A  significant  change  in  this  trend  could  have  a 
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, there can be no 
assurance that our cross-selling efforts will cause clients to purchase additional services from us or adopt a single-
source outsourcing approach.  

We are subject to various uncertainties relating to future litigation.  

We  cannot  predict  whether  any  material  suits,  claims,  or investigations may  arise  in  the  future.  Regardless of  the 
outcome  of  any  future  actions,  claims,  or  investigations,  we  may  incur  substantial  defense  costs  and  such  actions 
may  cause  a  diversion  of  management  time  and  attention.  Also,  it  is  possible  that  we  may  be  required  to  pay 
substantial damages or settlement costs which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and 
results of operations.  

Our industry is subject to rapid technological change which could affect our business and results of operations.   

Rapid  technological  advances,  frequent  new  product  introductions  and  enhancements,  and  changes  in  client 
requirements  characterize  the  market  for  outsourced  customer  contact  management  services.  Technological 
advancements  in  voice  recognition  software,  as  well  as  self-provisioning  and  self-help  software,  along  with  call 
avoidance  technologies,  have  the  potential  to  adversely  impact  call  volume  growth  and,  therefore,  revenues.  Our 
future  success  will  depend  in  large  part  on  our  ability  to  service  new  products,  platforms  and  rapidly  changing 
technology.  These  factors  will  require  us  to  provide  adequately  trained  personnel  to  address  the  increasingly 
sophisticated, complex  and  evolving  needs of our  clients. In  addition, our  ability  to  capitalize  on  our acquisitions 
will depend on our ability to continually enhance software and services and adapt such software to new hardware 
and  operating  system  requirements.  Any  failure  by  us  to  anticipate  or  respond  rapidly  to  technological  advances, 
new  products  and  enhancements,  or  changes  in  client  requirements  could  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our 
business, financial condition and results of operations.  

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our business relies heavily on technology and computer systems, which subjects us to various uncertainties.  

We have invested significantly in sophisticated and specialized communications and computer technology and have 
focused on the application of this technology to meet our clients’ needs. We anticipate that it will be necessary to 
continue to invest in and develop new and enhanced technology on a timely basis to maintain our competitiveness. 
Significant capital expenditures may be required to keep our technology up-to-date. There can be no assurance that 
any of our information systems will be adequate to meet our future needs or that we will be able to incorporate new 
technology  to  enhance  and  develop  our  existing  services.  Moreover,  investments  in  technology,  including  future 
investments  in  upgrades  and  enhancements  to  software,  may  not  necessarily  maintain  our  competitiveness.  Our 
future success will also depend in part on our ability to anticipate and develop information technology solutions that 
keep pace with evolving industry standards and changing client demands.  

Emergency interruption of customer contact management center operations could affect our business and results 
of operations.  

Our  operations  are  dependent  upon  our  ability  to  protect  our  customer  contact  management  centers  and  our 
information databases against damage that may be caused by fire, earthquakes, severe weather and other disasters, 
power  failure,  telecommunications  failures,  unauthorized  intrusion,  computer  viruses  and  other  emergencies.  The 
temporary  or  permanent  loss  of  such  systems  could  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  business,  financial 
condition and results of operations. Notwithstanding precautions taken to protect us and our clients from events that 
could interrupt delivery of services, there can be no assurance that a fire, natural disaster, human error, equipment 
malfunction  or  inadequacy,  or  other  event  would  not  result  in  a  prolonged  interruption  in  our  ability  to  provide 
services to our clients. Such an event could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and 
results of operations.  

Our operating results will be adversely affected if we are unable to maximize our facility capacity utilization. 

Our  profitability  is  significantly  influenced  by  our  ability  to  effectively  manage  our  contact  center  capacity 
utilization.  The  majority  of  our  business  involves  technical  support  and  customer  care  services  initiated  by  our 
clients’ customers, and as a result, our capacity utilization varies and demands on our capacity are, to some degree, 
beyond  our  control.    In  order  to  create  the  additional  capacity  necessary  to  accommodate  new  or  expanded 
outsourcing projects, we may need to open new contact centers.  The opening or expansion of a contact center may 
result,  at  least  in  the  short  term,  in  idle  capacity  until  we  fully  implement  the  new  or  expanded  program.  
Additionally, the occasional need to open customer contact centers fully, or primarily, dedicated to a single client, 
instead of spreading the work among existing facilities with idle capacity, negatively affects capacity utilization. We 
periodically assess the expected long-term capacity utilization of our contact centers. As a result, we may, if deemed 
necessary,  consolidate,  close  or  partially  close  under-performing  contact  centers  to  maintain  or  improve  targeted 
utilization and margins. There can be no guarantee that we will be able to achieve or maintain optimal utilization of 
our contact center capacity. 

As part of our effort to consolidate our facilities, we may seek to sell or sublease a portion of our surplus contact 
center space, if any, and recover certain costs associated with it. Failure to sell or sublease such surplus space will 
negatively impact results of operations. 

Increases in the cost of telephone and data services or significant interruptions in such services could adversely 
affect our business. 

Our business is significantly dependent on telephone and data service provided by various local and long distance 
telephone companies. Accordingly, any disruption of these services could adversely affect our business.  We have 
taken steps to mitigate our exposure to service disruptions by investing in redundant circuits, although there is no 
assurance  that  the  redundant  circuits  would  not  also  suffer  disruption.    Any  inability  to  obtain  telephone  or  data 
services at favorable rates could negatively affect our business results.  Where possible, we have entered into long-
term contracts with various providers to mitigate short term rate increases and fluctuations.  There is no obligation, 
however, for the vendors to renew their contracts with us, or to offer the same or lower rates in the future, and such 
contracts are subject to termination or modification for various reasons outside of our control. A significant increase 
in  the  cost  of  telephone  services  that  is  not  recoverable  through  an  increase  in  the  price  of  our  services  could 
adversely affect our business. 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
Our  profitability  may  be  adversely  affected  if  we  are  unable  to  maintain  and  find  new  locations  for  customer 
contact centers in countries with stable wage rates. 

Our business is labor-intensive and therefore wages, employee benefits and employment taxes constitute the largest 
component of our operating expenses. As a result, expansion of our business is dependent upon our ability to find 
cost-effective  locations  in  which  to  operate,  both  domestically  and  internationally.  Some  of  our  customer  contact 
management  centers  are  located  in  countries  that  have  experienced  inflation  and  rising  standards  of  living,  which 
requires us to increase employee wages. In addition, collective bargaining is being utilized in an increasing number 
of  countries  in  which  we  currently,  or  may  in  the  future,  desire  to  operate.    Collective  bargaining  may  result  in 
material  wage  and  benefit  increases.    If  wage  rates  and  benefits  increase  significantly  in  a  country  where  we 
maintain customer contact management centers, we may not be able to pass those increased labor costs on to our 
clients, requiring us to search for other cost effective delivery locations.  There is no assurance that we will be able 
to  find  such  cost-effective  locations,  and  even  if  we  do,  the  costs  of  closing  delivery  locations  and  opening  new 
customer contact management centers can adversely affect our financial results. 

Risks Related to Our International Operations 

Our international operations and expansion involve various risks.  

We intend to continue to pursue growth opportunities in markets outside the United States. At December 31, 2012, 
our  international  operations  were  conducted  from  30  customer  contact  management  centers  located  in  Sweden, 
Finland, Germany, Egypt, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, The Philippines, The 
Peoples Republic of China, India and Australia. Revenues from these international operations for the years ended 
December 31,  2012,  2011,  and  2010,  were  40%,  43%,  and  42%  of  consolidated  revenues,  respectively.  We  also 
conduct business from 17 customer contact management centers located in Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico 
and Brazil. International operations are subject to certain risks common to international activities, such as changes in 
foreign  governmental  regulations,  tariffs  and  taxes,  import/export  license  requirements,  the  imposition  of  trade 
barriers, difficulties in staffing and managing international operations, political uncertainties, longer payment cycles, 
possible greater difficulties in accounts receivable collection, economic instability as well as political and country-
specific risks.   

Additionally,  we  have  been  granted  tax  holidays  in  The  Philippines,  Costa  Rica  and  El  Salvador  which  expire  at 
varying  dates  from  2013  through  2023.  In  some  cases,  the  tax  holidays  expire  without  possibility  of  renewal.  In 
other  cases,  we  expect  to  renew  these  tax  holidays,  but  there  are  no  assurances  from  the  respective  foreign 
governments that they will renew them. This could potentially result in adverse tax consequences. Any one or more 
of  these  factors  could  have  an  adverse  effect  on  our  international  operations  and,  consequently,  on  our  business, 
financial condition and results of operations. 

As of December 31, 2012, we had cash balances of approximately $182.9 million held in international operations, 
most  of  which  would  be  subject  to  additional  taxes  if  repatriated  to  the  United  States.    Determination  of  any 
unrecognized deferred tax liability for temporary differences related to investments in foreign subsidiaries that are 
essentially permanent in nature is not practicable.   

The U.S. Department of the Treasury released the “General Explanations of the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2013 
Revenue Proposals” in February 2012. These proposals represent a significant shift in international tax policy, which 
may  materially  impact  U.S.  taxation  of  international  earnings.    We  continue  to  monitor  these  proposals  and  are 
currently evaluating their potential impact on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.  

In  addition,  The  American  Taxpayer  Relief  Act  of  2012  was  passed  on  January  2,  2013,  with  many  provisions 
retroactively effective to January 1, 2012.  We are currently evaluating the net retroactive impact of this law change 
on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.  

We conduct business in various foreign currencies and are therefore exposed to market risk from changes in foreign 
currency exchange rates and interest rates, which could impact our results of operations and financial condition. We 
are  also  subject  to  certain  exposures  arising  from  the  translation  and  consolidation  of  the  financial  results  of  our 
foreign subsidiaries. We enter into foreign currency forward and option contracts to hedge against the effect of our 
foreign currency exchange exposure. However, there can be no assurance that we will take any actions to mitigate 
such  exposure  in  the  future,  and  if  taken,  that  such  actions  will  be  successful  or  that  future  changes  in  currency 
exchange rates will not have a material adverse impact on our future operating results. A significant change in the 
15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
value  of  the  U.S.  Dollar  against  the  currency  of  one  or  more  countries  where  we  operate  may  have  a  material 
adverse  effect  on  our  financial  condition  and  results  of  operations.  Additionally,  our  hedging  exposure  to 
counterparty  credit  risks  is  not  secured  by  any  collateral.  Although  each  of  the  counterparty  financial  institutions 
with which we place hedging contracts are investment grade rated by the national rating agencies as of the time of 
the  placement,  we  can  provide  no  assurances  as  to  the  financial  stability  of  any  of  our  counterparties.    If  a 
counterparty to one or more of our hedge transactions were to become insolvent, we would be an unsecured creditor 
and our exposure at the time would depend on foreign exchange rate movements relative to the contracted foreign 
exchange rate and whether any gains result that are not realized due to a counterparty default. 

The fundamental shift in our industry toward global service delivery markets presents various risks to our 
business. 

Clients  continue  to  require  blended  delivery  models  using  a  combination  of  onshore  and  offshore  support.    Our 
offshore delivery locations include The Philippines, The Peoples Republic of China, India, Costa Rica, El Salvador 
Mexico and Brazil, and while we have operated in global delivery markets since 1996, there can be no assurance 
that we will be able to successfully conduct and expand such operations, and a failure to do so could have a material 
adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. The success of our offshore operations 
will be subject to numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control, including general and regional economic 
conditions, prices for our services, competition, changes in regulation and other risks. In addition, as with all of our 
operations  outside  of  the  United  States,  we  are  subject  to  various  additional  political,  economic  and  market 
uncertainties (see “Our international operations and expansion involve various risks”). Additionally, a change in the 
political environment in the United States or the adoption and enforcement of legislation and regulations curbing the 
use  of  offshore  customer  contact  management  solutions  and  services  could  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our 
business, financial condition and results of operations.  

Our global operations expose us to numerous legal and regulatory requirements. 

We  provide  services  to  our  clients’  customers  in  20  countries  around  the  world.    Accordingly,  we  are  subject  to 
numerous legal regimes on matters such as taxation, government sanctions, content requirements, licensing, tariffs, 
government affairs, data privacy and immigration as well as internal and disclosure control obligations. In the U.S., 
as well as several of the other countries in which we operate, some of our services must comply with various laws 
and regulations regarding the method and timing of placing outbound telephone calls.  Violations of these various 
laws  and  regulations  could  result  in  liability  for  monetary  damages,  fines  and/or  criminal  prosecution  and 
unfavorable  publicity.  Changes  in  U.S. federal,  state  and  international  laws  and  regulations,  specifically  those 
relating  to  the  outsourcing  of  jobs  to  foreign  countries  as  well  as  recently  enacted  statutory  and  regulatory 
requirements  related  to  derivative  transactions,  may  adversely  affect  our  ability  to  perform  our  services  at  our 
overseas facilities or could result in additional taxes on such services, or impact our flexibility to execute strategic 
hedges,  thereby  threatening  or  limiting  our  ability  or  the  financial  benefit  to  continue  to  serve  certain  markets  at 
offshore locations, or the risks associated therewith. 

Risks Related to Our Employees 

Our operations are substantially dependent on our senior management. 

Our  success  is  largely  dependent upon  the efforts,  direction  and guidance  of  our  senior  management.  Our growth 
and success also depend in part on our ability to attract and retain skilled employees and managers and on the ability 
of  our  executive  officers  and  key  employees  to  manage  our  operations  successfully.  We  have  entered  into 
employment and non-competition agreements with our executive officers. The loss of any of our senior management 
or key personnel, or the inability to attract, retain or replace key management personnel in the future, could have a 
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.   

Our inability to attract and retain experienced personnel may adversely impact our business.  

Our business is labor intensive and places significant importance on our ability to recruit, train, and retain qualified 
technical and consultative professional personnel. We generally experience high turnover of our personnel and are 
continuously required to recruit and train replacement personnel as a result of a changing and expanding work force. 
Additionally,  demand  for  qualified  technical  professionals  conversant  in  multiple  languages,  including  English, 
and/or certain technologies may exceed supply, as new and additional skills are required to keep pace with evolving 
computer  technology.  Our  ability  to  locate  and  train  employees  is  critical  to  achieving  our  growth  objective.  Our 
16 

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
inability  to  attract  and  retain  qualified  personnel  or  an  increase  in  wages  or  other  costs  of  attracting,  training,  or 
retaining qualified personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of 
operations.   

Health epidemics could disrupt our business and adversely affect our financial results. 

Our customer contact centers typically seat hundreds of employees in one location.  Accordingly, an outbreak of a 
contagious  infection  in  one  or  more  of  the  markets  in  which  we  do  business  may  result  in  significant  worker 
absenteeism, lower asset utilization rates, voluntary or mandatory closure of our offices and delivery centers, travel 
restrictions on our employees, and other disruptions to our business. Any prolonged or widespread health epidemic 
could  severely  disrupt  our  business  operations  and  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  business,  financial 
condition and results of operations. 

Risks Related to Our Growth Strategy 

Our strategy of growing through selective acquisitions and mergers involves potential risks.  

We evaluate opportunities to expand the scope of our services through acquisitions and mergers. We may be unable 
to  identify  companies  that  complement  our  strategies,  and  even  if  we  identify  a  company  that  complements  our 
strategies,  we  may  be  unable  to  acquire  or  merge  with  the  company.  In  addition,  a  decrease  in  the  price  of  our 
common stock could hinder our growth strategy by limiting growth through acquisitions funded with SYKES’ stock.  

Our acquisition strategy involves other potential risks. These risks include:  

• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

the inability to obtain the capital required to finance potential acquisitions on satisfactory terms; 
the diversion of our attention to the integration of the businesses to be acquired; 
the risk that the acquired businesses will fail to maintain the quality of services that we have historically 
provided; 
the need to implement financial and other systems and add management resources; 
the risk that key employees of the acquired business will leave after the acquisition; 
potential liabilities of the acquired business; 
unforeseen difficulties in the acquired operations; 
adverse short-term effects on our operating results; 
lack of success in assimilating or integrating the operations of acquired businesses within our business; 
the dilutive effect of the issuance of additional equity securities; 
the impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets involved in any acquisitions; 
the businesses we acquire not proving profitable; and 
potentially incurring additional indebtedness. 

We may not succeed in our continued efforts to fully integrate the operations of Alpine into our own, which may 
adversely affect our business and the value of our common stock.  

It is possible that the integration of the operations of Alpine into our own could result in the disruption of ongoing 
businesses or identify inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies that adversely affect our ability 
to maintain relationships with customers, suppliers, distributors, creditors and lessors, or to achieve the full level of 
anticipated benefits of the acquisition.  

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Specifically, issues addressed in completing the integration of the operations of Alpine into our own operations in 
order to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition include, among other things:  

• 
• 

integrating our information technology systems with those of Alpine; 
conforming  standards,  controls,  procedures  and  policies,  business  cultures  and  compensation  structures 
between the companies; 
consolidating corporate and administrative infrastructures; 
retaining existing customers and attracting new customers; 
identifying and eliminating redundant and underperforming operations and assets; 
coordinating geographically dispersed organizations; 

• 
• 
• 
• 
•  managing tax costs or inefficiencies associated with integrating the operations of the combined company; 

and 

•  making any necessary modifications to operating control standards to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 

of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. 

Integration efforts between the two companies at times may divert management attention and resources. An inability 
to realize the full extent of, or any of, the anticipated benefits of the acquisition, as well as any delays encountered in 
the integration process, could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations, which may affect the 
value of the shares of our common stock.  

In  addition,  the  actual  integration  may  result  in  additional  and  unforeseen  expenses,  and  the  full  amount  of 
anticipated  benefits  of  the  integration  plan  may  not  be  realized.  If  we  are  not  able  to  adequately  address  these 
challenges, we may be unable to fully integrate Alpine’s operations into our own, or to realize the full amount of 
anticipated benefits of the integration of the two companies.  

We  may  incur  significant  cash  and  non-cash  costs  in  connection  with  the  continued  rationalization  of  assets 
resulting from acquisitions. 

We may incur a number of non-recurring cash and non-cash costs associated with the continued rationalization of 
assets resulting from acquisitions relating to the closing of facilities and disposition of assets.   

We have substantial goodwill and if it becomes impaired, then our profits would be significantly reduced or 
eliminated and shareholders’ equity would be reduced.  

We recorded goodwill as a result of the ICT and Alpine acquisitions. On at least an annual basis, we assess whether 
there has been an impairment in the value of goodwill. If the carrying value of goodwill exceeds its estimated fair 
value, impairment is deemed to have occurred and the carrying value of goodwill is written down to fair value. This 
would result in a charge to our operating earnings. 

Risks Related to Our Common Stock 

Our organizational documents contain provisions that could impede a change in control.   

Our  Board  of  Directors  is  divided  into  three  classes  serving  staggered  three-year  terms.  The  staggered  Board  of 
Directors and the anti-takeover effects of certain provisions contained in the Florida Business Corporation Act and 
in  our  Articles  of  Incorporation  and  Bylaws,  including  the  ability  of  the  Board  of  Directors  to  issue  shares  of 
preferred  stock  and  to  fix  the  rights  and  preferences  of  those  shares  without  shareholder  approval,  may  have  the 
effect of delaying, deferring or preventing an unsolicited change in control. This may  adversely affect the  market 
price of our common stock or the ability of shareholders to participate in a transaction in which they might otherwise 
receive a premium for their shares.  

The volatility of our stock price may result in loss of investment.  

The trading price of our common stock has been and may continue to be subject to wide fluctuations over short and 
long periods of time. We believe that market prices of outsourced customer contact management services stocks in 
general  have  experienced  volatility,  which  could  affect  the  market  price  of  our  common  stock  regardless  of  our 
financial  results  or  performance.  We  further  believe  that  various  factors  such  as  general  economic  conditions, 
changes  or  volatility  in  the  financial  markets,  changing  market  conditions  in  the  outsourced  customer  contact 

18 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
management  services  industry,  quarterly  variations  in  our  financial  results,  the  announcement  of  acquisitions, 
strategic  partnerships,  or  new  product  offerings,  and  changes  in  financial  estimates  and  recommendations  by 
securities analysts could cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate substantially in the future.  

Failure to adhere to laws, rules and regulations applicable to public companies operating in the U.S. may have 
an adverse effect on our stock price. 

Because we are a publicly traded company, we are subject to certain evolving and expensive federal, state and other 
rules and regulations relating to, among other things, assessment and maintenance of internal controls and corporate 
governance.    Section 404  of  the  Sarbanes-Oxley  Act  of  2002,  together  with  rules  and  regulations  issued  by  the 
Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) require us to furnish, on an annual basis, a report by our management 
(included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K) regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over 
financial  reporting.  The  report  includes,  among  other  things,  an  assessment  of  the  effectiveness  of  our  internal 
controls over financial reporting as of the end of our fiscal year and a statement as to whether or not our internal 
controls  over  financial  reporting  are  effective.  We  must  include  a  disclosure  of  any  material  weaknesses  in  our 
internal  control  over  financial  reporting  identified  by  management  during  the  annual  assessment.  We  have  in  the 
past discovered, and may potentially in the future discover, areas of internal control over financial reporting which 
may require improvement. If at any time we are unable to assert that our internal controls over financial reporting 
are  effective, or  if  our  auditors are unable  to  express  an opinion on  the  effectiveness of our  internal  controls,  our 
investors could lose confidence in the accuracy and/or completeness of our financial reports, which could have an 
adverse effect on our stock price. 

Additionally, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) enacted in 
2010  subjects  us  to  significant  additional  executive  compensation  and  corporate  governance  requirements  and 
disclosures, some of which have yet to be implemented by the SEC. Compliance with these requirements may be 
costly and adversely affect our business.  The Dodd-Frank Act also anticipates the enactment of regulations that may 
affect  the  ability  of  financial  institutions  to  offer  credit  and  hedging  instruments  without  significant  additional 
capital or other costs to them.  This may make it more difficult for us to have access to foreign exchange hedging 
transactions  on  favorable  terms,  which  may  limit  the  predictability  of  cash  flows  from  operations  and  result  in 
increased operating expenses.   

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments  

There are no material unresolved written comments that were received from the SEC staff 180 days or more before 
the year ended December 31, 2012 relating to our periodic or current reports filed under the Securities Exchange Act 
of 1934.  

19 

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Item 2. Properties  

Our principal executive offices are located in Tampa, Florida. This facility currently serves as the headquarters for 
senior  management  and  the  financial,  information  technology  and  administrative  departments.  We  believe  our 
existing facilities are adequate to meet current requirements, and that suitable additional or substitute space will be 
available  as  needed  to  accommodate  any  physical  expansion  or  any  space  required  due  to  expiring  leases  not 
renewed. We operate from time to time in temporary facilities to accommodate growth before new customer contact 
management centers are available. During 2012, our customer contact management centers, taken as a whole, were 
utilized  at  average  capacities  of  approximately  77%  and  were  capable  of  supporting  a  higher  level  of  market 
demand. The following table sets forth additional information concerning our facilities:  

Properties 
AMERICAS LOCATIONS 

Tampa, Florida 
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Malvern, Arkansas 
Morrilton, Arkansas
Sterling, Colorado 
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Bardstown, Kentucky
Morganfield, Kentucky (1)
Perry County, Kentucky 
Wilton, Maine
Amherst, New York
Bismarck, North Dakota 
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Ponca City, Oklahoma (2) 
Milton-Freewater, Oregon 
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Bloomburg, Pennsylvania
Langhorne, Pennsylvania
Langhorne, Pennsylvania
Lockhaven, Pennsylvania
Newtown, Pennsylvania (3)
Greenwood, South Carolina 
Greenwood, South Carolina 
Kingstree, South Carolina 
Sumter, South Carolina 
Sumter, South Carolina 
Buchanan  County, Virginia 
Wise, Virginia 
Spokane, Washington
Maitland, Australia

General Usage

Square Feet

Lease Expiration/  
Company Owned

Corporate headquarters 
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Headquarters
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center

September 2023

July 2014
September 2019

67,645
June 2016
40,622 April 2021
34,635 May 2019
23,850
July 2016
34,000 Company owned 
89,840 August 2022
50,000
30,488
42,000 Company owned 
42,000 Company owned 
30,000 April 2014
26,296 May 2013
42,000 Company owned 
15,000 August 2013
49,650
42,000 Company owned 
42,000 Company owned 
21,115
21,800
21,641 March 2017
14,060 March 2013
June 2013
23,610
102,000
February 2017
25,000 December 2018
15,000 December 2018
35,000 March 2028
25,000 April 2019
17,141
42,700 Company owned 
42,000 Company owned 
July 2013
50,000
September 2014
10,613

September 2013
July 2014

September 2013

(1) Closed in June, 2011.
(2) Closed in September, 2012.
(3) Customer contact management center closed in December, 2011.  Excess capacity subleased.

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Properties 
AMERICAS LOCATIONS  (continued)

Rhodes (Sydney), Australia
Robina, Australia
Curitiba, Brazil
Cornerbrook, New Foundland Labrador, Canada
Lindsay, Nova Scotia, Canada
London, Ontario, Canada 
Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada
Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada (4)
North Bay, Ontario, Canada (4)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Riverview, New Brunswick, Canada
Sherebrook, Quebec, Canada
St. John, New Brunswick, Canada
St. John's, New Foundland Labrador, Canada
Sudbury, Ontario, Canada (4)
Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
Toronto, Ontario, Canada (4)
Barranquilla, Colombia
Hatillo, San Jose, Costa Rica
LaAurora, Heredia, Costa Rica
Moravia, San Jose, Costa Rica
San Salvador, El Salvador 
Hyderabad, India
Mexico City, Mexico
Changshu, The Peoples Republic of China
Guangzhou, The Peoples Republic of China
Shanghai, The Peoples Republic of China
Cebu City, The Philippines 
Makati City, The Philippines  
Makati City, The Philippines  
Makati City, The Philippines  
Mandaluyong, The Philippines
Mandaluyong, The Philippines
Pasig City, The Philippines
Quezon City, The Philippines 

(5)

Chesterfield, Missouri 
Chicago, Illinois
Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
Bangalore, India
Makati City, The Philippines   
Pasig City, The Philippines

General Usage

Square Feet

Lease Expiration/  
Company Owned

Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center/ Headquarters
Customer contact management center

Customer contact management center

Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center

Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center

Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center  
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center 

Office
Office
Office
Office
Office
Office
Office

September 2016
February 2014
July 2014
June 2016
February 2016

9,363
9,364
25,658
15,151
14,500
50,000 Company owned 
30,000 May 2014

8,248 December 2016

5,371 May 2014
June 2021
4,170
January 2016
17,409
June 2015
49,000
January 2017
26,764
25,000
February 2015
30,200 December 2013

4,150 December 2015
February 2016
14,500

7,822
23,228
49,138
131,912
38,481

July 2017
July 2032
July 2021
September 2023
July 2027

119,514 November 2024 

June 2014

16,000
59,503 November 2014
54,918 April 2017
11,417 March 2015
70,474

February 2016
119,394 December 2026
68,610 March 2023
68,268

September 2013

202,038 April 2018
88,904
June 2022
193,170 April 2022
68,705 November 2023 
September 2024 
84,250

January 2016

3,618
8,479 May 2016
14,281
July 2013
22,006 August 2014
1,500
January 2014
1,497 May 2013
1,917 August 2013

(4) Considered part of the Toronto, Ontario, Canada customer contact management center.
(5) Enterprise support services location.

21 

 
 
 
Properties 
EMEA LOCATIONS 

Odense, Denmark

(6)

Cairo, Egypt 
Turku, Finland  
Berlin, Germany
Bochum, Germany   
Pasewalk, Germany
Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Budapest, Hungary 
Dublin, Ireland (7)
Bergen, Norway
Bodo, Norway
Cluj, Romania
Edinburgh, Scotland   

Kosice, Slovakia 
Ed, Sweden 
Gothenburg, Sweden 
Sveg, Sweden 
Galashiels, Scotland 
Rosersberg, Sweden 
Frankfurt, Germany  

(6) Renewal negotiations are currently in process.
(7) Closed in December, 2010.

General Usage

Square Feet

Lease Expiration/  
Company Owned

Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center

Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center 

Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center/ 
Office/Headquarters
Customer contact management center
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center 
Customer contact management center 
Fulfillment center 
Fulfillment center and Sales office 
Sales office 

13,606
28,483

January 2016
January 2013

February 2014
12,508
61,010
February 2020
46,780 December 2014
February 2014
46,070
46,000 November 2013
17,788 August 2013
23,961 March 2014
9,845 April 2014

8,654 August 2015
4,004
January 2017
42,517 April 2030
35,870

September 2019 

55,148 December 2024
September 2013
44,061
20,225 March 2018
34,975

June 2014

126,700 Company owned 
43,056
1,701

February 2014
September  2013

22 

 
 
 
Item 3. Legal Proceedings  

From time to time, we are involved in legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business. With respect to these 
matters,  we  believe  that  we  have  adequate  legal  defenses  and/or  when  possible  and  appropriate,  have  provided 
adequate accruals related to those matters such that the ultimate outcome will not have a material adverse effect on 
our future financial position or results of operations. 

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 

Not Applicable.  

23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
      
 
 
 
 
PART II  

Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of 
Securities 

Our common stock is quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol SYKE. The following table 
sets forth, for the periods indicated, certain information as to the high and low sale prices per share of our common 
stock as quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.  

High

Low

Year Ended December 31, 2012:
Fourth Quarter ……………………………… 16.39
Third Quarter ……………………………… 16.52
Second Quarter ……………………………… 16.52
First Quarter ………………………………… 18.61

$     

$     

12.87
12.81
14.28
13.62

Year Ended December 31, 2011:
Fourth Quarter ……………………………… 18.96
Third Quarter ……………………………… 22.69
Second Quarter ……………………………… 22.88
First Quarter ………………………………… 21.11

$     

$     

13.16
10.56
18.74
17.82  

Holders  of  our  common  stock  are  entitled  to  receive  dividends  out  of  the  funds  legally  available  when  and  if 
declared by the Board of Directors. We have not declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock in the 
past and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.  

As  of  February  21,  2013,  there  were  896  holders  of  record  of  the  common  stock.  We  estimate  there  were 
approximately 7,700 beneficial owners of our common stock.  

Below is a summary of stock repurchases for the quarter ended December 31, 2012 (in thousands, except average 
price per share). 

Period

October 1, 2012 - October 31, 2012 …………

Total 
Number of 
S hares 
Purchased (1)
-

November 1, 2012 - November 30, 2012 ………

December 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012 ………

Total …………………………………………

-

-

-

Average 
Price 
Paid Per 
S hare

$       
-

$       
-

$       
-

Total Number of 
S hares Purchased 
as Part of Publicly 
Announced Plans 
or Programs

Maximum Number 
of S hares That May 
Yet Be Purchased 
Under Plans or 
Programs

-

-

-

-

1,969

1,969

1,969

1,969

(1)

All shares purchased as part of the repurchase plan publicly announced on August 18, 2011. T otal number of shares 
approved for repurchase under the 2011 Repurchase Plan was 5.0 million with no expiration date.  All of the available 
shares available under the repurchase plan publicly announced on August 5, 2002 have been repurchased.  

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                   
                           
                         
                   
                           
                         
                   
                           
                         
                   
                           
                         
 
 
 
 
Five-Year Stock Performance Graph 

The  following  graph  presents  a  comparison  of  the  cumulative  shareholder  return  on  the  common  stock  with  the 
cumulative  total  return  on  the  NASDAQ  Computer  and  Data  Processing  Services  Index,  the  NASDAQ 
Telecommunications Index, the Russell 2000 Index, the S&P Small Cap 600 and the SYKES Peer Group (as defined 
below). The SYKES Peer Group is comprised of publicly traded companies that derive a substantial portion of their 
revenues  from  call  center,  customer  care  business,  have  similar  business  models  to  SYKES,  and  are  those  most 
commonly compared to SYKES by industry analysts following SYKES. This graph assumes that $100 was invested 
on December 31, 2007 in SYKES common stock, the NASDAQ Computer and Data Processing Services Index, the 
NASDAQ  Telecommunications  Index,  the  Russell 2000 Index,  the  S&P  Small  Cap  600  and SYKES  Peer Group, 
including reinvestment of dividends.  

Comparison of Five-Year Cumulative Total Return 

SYKES

$150 

NASDAQ Computer & 
Data Processing 
Services Stocks

NASDAQ 
Telecommunications 
Stocks

Russell 2000® Index

S&P Small Cap 600 
Index

SYKES Peer Group

$100 

$50 

$0 

SYKES

NASDAQ Computer & Data 
Processing Services Stocks

NASDAQ Telecommunications Stocks

Russell 2000® Index

S&P Small Cap 600 Index

SYKES Peer Group

2007

$100 

$100 

$100 

$100 

$100 

$100 

2008

$106 

$53 

$57 

$65 

$68 

$41 

2009

$142 

$91 

$85 

$82 

$84 

$81 

2010

$113 

$107 

$88 

$102 

$105 

$83 

2011

$87 

$107 

$77 

$97 

$105 

$66 

2012

$85 

$121 

$78 

$111 

$121 

$81 

SYKES Peer Group 
Convergys Corp. 
StarTek, Inc. 
TeleTech Holdings, Inc. 

Ticker Symbol 
CVG 
SRT 
TTEC 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
        
 
 
There can be no assurance that SYKES’ stock performance will continue into the future with the same or similar 
trends  depicted  in  the  graph  above.  SYKES  does  not  make  or  endorse  any  predictions  as  to  the  future  stock 
performance. 

The information contained in the Stock Performance Graph section shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” 
or “filed” or incorporated by reference in future filings with the SEC, or subject to the liabilities of Section 18 of the 
Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  except  to  the  extent  that  we  specifically  incorporate  it  by  reference  into  a 
document filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. 

26 

 
 
 
 
 
Item 6. Selected Financial Data  

Selected Financial Data  

The following selected financial data has been derived from our consolidated financial statements.  

We  sold  our  operations  in  Spain  and  Argentina  during  2012  and  2010,  respectively.  Accordingly,  we  have 
reclassified the selected financial data for all periods presented to reflect these results as discontinued operations in 
accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 205-20 “Discontinued Operations”.  

The  information  below  should  be  read  in  conjunction  with  “Management’s  Discussion  and  Analysis  of  Financial 
Condition and Results of Operations,” and the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes 
thereto.  

(in thousands, except per share data)
Income S tatement Data: (1)

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

Years Ended December 31,

Revenues ……………………………………………………………
Income from continuing operations (2,3,5,7,8,9,10) ……………………
Income from continuing operations, net of taxes (2,3,5,7,8,9,10) ………
Gain (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes (4) ……..….
Gain (loss) on sale of discontinued operations, net of taxes (6) ……
Net income (loss) …………………………………..………………

$          

1,127,698

$         

1,169,267

$          

1,121,911

$             

769,353

$             

749,004

47,779

39,950

(820)

(10,707)

28,423

65,535

52,314

(4,532)

559

48,341

37,981

26,115

(12,893)

(23,495)

(10,273)

71,172

44,667

(1,456)

-

43,211

64,942

60,490

71

-

60,561

Net Income (Loss) Per Common S hare: (1)

Basic:

Continuing operations (2,3,5,7,8,9,10)………………………………
Discontinued operations (4,6) ……………………………………
Net income (loss) per common share …………………………

$                   

0.93

$                   

(0.27)
0.66

Diluted:  

Continuing operations (2,3,5,7,8,9,10)………………………………
Discontinued operations (4,6) ……………………………………
Net income (loss) per common share …………………………

$                   

0.93

$                   

(0.27)
0.66

$                  

1.15

$                   

0.57

$                   

1.10

$                   

1.49

$                  

(0.09)
1.06

$                 

(0.79)
(0.22)

$                   

(0.04)
1.06

$                   

0.00
1.49

$                  

1.15

$                   

0.57

$                   

1.09

$                   

1.48

$                  

(0.09)
1.06

$                 

(0.79)
(0.22)

$                   

(0.04)
1.05

$                   

0.00
1.48

Weighted Average Common S hares: (1)

Basic ………………………………………………………………

Diluted ………………………………………………………………

43,105

43,148

45,506

45,607

46,030

46,133

40,707

41,026

40,618

40,961

Balance S heet Data: (1,11)

Total assets ……………………………………………………….

$             

908,689

$            

769,130

$             

794,600

$             

672,471

$             

529,542

Long-term debt ………………………………………………..

Shareholders' equity ……………………………………………….

91,000

606,264

-

573,566

-

583,195

-

450,674

-

384,030

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

T he amounts for 2012 include the Alpine acquisition completed on August 20, 2012.  T he amounts for 2011 and 2010 include the ICT  acquisition completed on February 2, 
2010.  See Notes 2 and 3, respectively.

T he amounts for 2012 include $4.8 million in Alpine acquisition-related costs, a $0.4 million net loss on the sale of property and equipment, a $0.1 million gain on 
insurance settlement and a $0.4 million impairment of long-lived assets.

T he amounts for 2011 include $11.8 million in ICT  acquisition-related costs, a $3.7 million net gain on the sale of the land and building in Minot, North Dakota, a $0.5 
million net gain on insurance settlement and a $1.7 million impairment of long-lived assets.

T he amounts for all periods presented include the operations in Spain and Argentina, which were sold in 2012 and 2010, respectively.  See Note 4.

T he amounts for 2012 and 2011 include $1.8 million and $5.8 million, respectively, related to the Fourth Quarter 2011 Exit Plan.  See Note 5.

T he amounts include the gain (loss) on sale of the operations in Spain in 2012 and Argentina in 2011 and 2010.

T he amounts for 2011 and 2010 each include a $0.4 million recovery of these regulatory penalties.

T he amounts for 2010 include $46.3 million in ICT  acquisition-related costs, a $3.3 million impairment of long-lived assets, a $2.0 million net gain on insurance settlement 
and a $0.4 million impairment of goodwill and intangibles.

T he amounts for 2009 include $3.3 million in  ICT  acquisition-related costs and a $1.9 million impairment of goodwill and intangibles.

T he amounts for 2009 include a $14.7 million charge to provision for income taxes related to our change of intent in the fourth quarter of 2009 regarding the permanent 
reinvestment of foreign subsidiaries' accumulated and undistributed earnings and a $2.1 million impairment loss on our investment in SHPS.  

(11) SYKES has not declared cash dividends per common share for any of the five years presented.

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
              
               
                
                
              
               
                
                
              
              
                
                
                    
                  
                   
                    
                     
                    
                  
                   
                    
                     
                
              
               
                
                
                
              
               
                
                
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations  

This discussion  should be  read  in  conjunction  with  the  accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements  and  the 
notes  thereto  that  appear  elsewhere  in  this  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K.  The  following  discussion  and  analysis 
compares the year ended December 31, 2012 (“2012”) to the year ended December 31, 2011 (“2011”), and 2011 to 
the year ended December 31, 2010 (“2010”).  

The following discussion and analysis and other sections of this document contain forward-looking statements that 
involve  risks  and uncertainties.  Words  such  as  “may,”  “expects,”  “projects,”  “anticipates,”  “intends,”  “plans,” 
“believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” variations of such words, and similar expressions are intended to identify such 
forward-looking  statements.  Similarly,  statements  that  describe  our  future  plans,  objectives,  or  goals  also  are 
forward-looking  statements.  Future  events  and  actual  results  could  differ  materially  from  the  results  reflected  in 
these forward-looking statements, as a result of certain of the factors set forth below and elsewhere in this analysis 
and in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 in Item 1.A., “Risk Factors.”  

Executive Summary 

We provide comprehensive customer contact management solutions and services to a wide range of clients including 
Fortune  1000  companies,  medium-sized  businesses  and  public  institutions  around  the  world,  primarily  in  the 
communications, financial services, technology/consumer, transportation and leisure and healthcare industries. We 
serve our clients through two geographic operating regions: the Americas (United States, Canada, Latin America, 
Australia  and  the Asia  Pacific  Rim)  and  EMEA (Europe, the  Middle  East  and Africa). Our Americas  and  EMEA 
groups  primarily  provide  customer  contact  management  services  (with  an  emphasis  on  inbound  technical  support 
and customer service), which include customer assistance, healthcare and roadside assistance, technical support and 
product sales to our clients’ customers. These services, which represented 98% of consolidated revenues in 2012, are 
delivered through multiple communication channels encompassing phone, e-mail, Internet, text messaging and chat. 
We  also  provide  various  enterprise  support  services  in  the  United  States  (“U.S.”)  that  include  services  for  our 
clients’ internal support operations, from technical staffing services to outsourced corporate help desk services. In 
Europe,  we  also  provide  fulfillment  services  including  multilingual  sales  order  processing  via  the  Internet  and 
phone, payment processing, inventory control, product delivery, and product returns handling. Our complete service 
offering  helps  our  clients  acquire,  retain  and  increase  the  lifetime  value  of  their  customer  relationships.  We  have 
developed  an  extensive  global  reach  with  customer  contact  management  centers  throughout  the  United  States, 
Canada, Latin America, Australia, the Asia Pacific Rim and Europe.  

Revenues from these services is recognized as the services are performed, which is based on either a per minute, per 
hour, per call, per transaction or per time and material basis, under a fully executed contractual agreement, and we 
record  reductions  to  revenues  for  contractual  penalties  and  holdbacks  for  a  failure  to  meet  specified  minimum 
service levels and other performance based contingencies. Revenue recognition is limited to the amount that is not 
contingent  upon  delivery  of  any  future  product  or  service  or  meeting  other  specified  performance  conditions. 
Product  sales,  accounted  for  within  our  fulfillment  services,  are  recognized  upon  shipment  to  the  customer  and 
satisfaction of all obligations. 

Direct  salaries  and  related  costs  include  direct  personnel  compensation,  severance,  statutory  and  other  benefits 
associated with such personnel and other direct costs associated with providing services to customers.  

General  and  administrative  costs  include  administrative,  sales  and  marketing,  occupancy,  depreciation  and 
amortization, and other costs.  

The net gain (loss) on disposal of property and equipment represents the difference between the amount of proceeds 
received, if any, and the carrying value of the asset. 

The net gain on insurance settlement includes the insurance proceeds received for damages to our customer contact 
management centers. 

The  impairment  of  goodwill  and  intangibles  in  2010  is  primarily  related  to  customer  relationships  in  the  ICT-
acquired United Kingdom operations. 

28 

 
 
 
 
     
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  impairment  of  long-lived  assets  represents  the  amount  by  which  the  carrying  value  of  the  asset  exceeds  the 
estimated fair value and relates to an ongoing effort to streamline excess capacity related to the ICT acquisition and 
align it with the needs of the market, optimize capacity utilization and improve overall profitability.   

Interest income primarily relates to interest earned on cash and cash equivalents.   

Interest expense includes interest on outstanding borrowings and commitment fees charged on the unused portion of 
our revolving credit facility, as more fully described in this Item 7, under “Liquidity and Capital Resources.” 

Other  (expense)  includes  gains  and  losses  on  foreign  currency  derivative  instruments  not  designated  as  hedges, 
foreign currency transaction gains and losses, gains and losses on the liquidation of foreign subsidiaries and other 
miscellaneous income (expense). 

Our effective tax rate for the periods presented includes the effects of state income taxes, net of federal tax benefit, 
tax  holidays,  valuation  allowance  changes,  foreign  rate  differentials,  foreign  withholding  and  other  taxes,  and 
permanent differences.  

Acquisition of Alpine Access, Inc. 

On August 20, 2012, we completed the acquisition of Alpine Access, Inc. (“Alpine”), a Delaware corporation and an 
industry leader in the at-home agent space – recruiting, training, managing and delivering award-winning customer 
contact management services through a secured and proprietary virtual call center environment with its operations 
located in the United States and Canada. We refer to such acquisition herein as the “Alpine acquisition.” 

The  Company  acquired  Alpine  to:  create  significant  competitive  differentiation  for  quality,  speed  to  market, 
scalability  and  flexibility  driven  by  proprietary,  internally-developed  software,  systems,  processes  and  other 
intellectual  property  which  uniquely  overcome  the  challenges  of  the  at-home  delivery  model;  strengthen  the 
Company’s current service portfolio and go-to-market offering while expanding the breadth of clients with minimal 
client  overlap;  broaden  the  addressable  market  opportunity  within  existing  and  new  verticals  as  well  as  clients; 
expand  the  addressable  pool  of  skilled  labor;  leverage  operational  best  practices  across  the  Company’s  global 
platform, with the potential to convert more of its fixed cost to variable cost; and to further enhance the growth and 
margin  profile  of  the  Company  to  drive  shareholder  value.  This  resulted  in  the  Company  paying  a  substantial 
premium for Alpine resulting in the recognition of goodwill. 

The  total  purchase  price  of  $149.0 million  was  funded  by  $41.0  million  in  cash  on  hand  and  borrowings  of 
$108.0 million under our credit agreement  with KeyBank National Association (“KeyBank”), dated May 3, 2012. 
We repaid $17.0 million of the initial borrowing and had $154.0 million available for future borrowings under our 
2012 Credit Agreement at December 31, 2012.  See “Liquidity & Capital Resources” later in this Item 7 and Note 
21, Borrowings, of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for further information.   

The results of operations of Alpine have been reflected in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Operations 
for the period from August 20, 2012 to December 31, 2012. 

Acquisition of ICT Group, Inc. 

On February 2, 2010, we completed the acquisition of ICT Group, Inc. (“ICT”), a Pennsylvania corporation and a 
leading global provider of outsourced customer management and BPO solutions. We refer to such acquisition herein 
as the “ICT acquisition.” 

The  Company  acquired  ICT  to  expand  and  complement  its  global  footprint,  provide  entry  into  additional  vertical 
markets, and increase revenues to enhance its ability to leverage the Company’s infrastructure to produce improved 
sustainable  operating  margins.    This  resulted  in  the  Company  paying  a  substantial  premium  for  ICT  resulting  in 
recognition of goodwill. 

29 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As a result of the ICT acquisition on February 2, 2010, 

• 

• 

• 

each outstanding share of ICT’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share, was converted into the right to 
receive $7.69 in cash, without interest, and 0.3423 of a share of SYKES common stock, par value $0.01 per 
share;   
each  outstanding  ICT  stock  option,  whether  or  not  then  vested  and  exercisable,  became  fully  vested  and 
exercisable  immediately  prior  to,  and  then was  canceled  at,  the  effective  time  of  the  acquisition,  and  the 
holder of such option became entitled to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any applicable 
taxes to be withheld, equal to (i) the excess, if any, of (1) $15.38 over (2) the exercise price per share of 
ICT common stock subject to such ICT stock option, multiplied by (ii) the total number of shares of ICT 
common stock underlying such ICT stock option, with the aggregate amount of such payment rounded up 
to  the  nearest  cent.    If  the  exercise  price  was  equal  to  or  greater  than  $15.38,  then  the  stock  option  was 
canceled without any payment to the stock option holder; and  
each  outstanding  ICT  restricted  stock  unit  (“RSU”)  became  fully  vested  and  then  was  canceled  and  the 
holder  of  such  vested  awards  became  entitled  to  receive  $15.38  in  cash,  without  interest  and  less  any 
applicable taxes to be withheld, in respect of each share of ICT common stock into which the RSU would 
otherwise have been convertible.  

The total aggregate purchase price of the transaction of $277.8 million was comprised of $141.1 million in cash and 
5.6  million  shares  of  SYKES  common  stock  valued  at  $136.7  million.  The  transaction  was  funded  through 
borrowings consisting of a $75 million short-term loan from KeyBank National Association in December 2009, due 
March  31,  2010,  and  a  $75  million  term  loan  from  a  syndicate  of  banks  due  in  varying  installments  through 
February  1,  2013.  Both  of  these  loans  were  repaid  during  2010  and  are  no  longer  available  for  borrowings.  See 
“Liquidity & Capital Resources” later in this Item 7 for further information.   

The results of operations of ICT have been reflected in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations for 
the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 and the period from February 2, 2010 to December 31, 2010. 

Discontinued Operations 

In March 2012, we sold our operations in Spain (the “Spanish operations”), pursuant to an asset purchase agreement 
dated  March  29,  2012  and  a  stock  purchase  agreement  dated  March  30,  2012.    We  have  reflected  the  operating 
results related to the operations in Spain as discontinued operations in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of 
Operations for all periods presented.  The assets and related liabilities of Spain are presented as held for sale in the 
accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2011. This business was historically reported as part 
of the EMEA segment.  

In  December  2010,  we  sold  our  operations  in  Argentina  (the  “Argentine  operations”)  pursuant  to  stock  purchase 
agreements, dated December 16, 2010 and December 29, 2010. We have reflected the operating results related to the 
Argentine operations as discontinued operations in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations for all 
periods presented. This business was historically reported as part of the Americas segment.  

See “Results of Operations – Discontinued Operations” later in this Item 7 for more information.  Unless otherwise 
noted, discussions below pertain only to our continuing operations. 

30 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Results of Operations  

The  following  table  sets  forth,  for  the  periods  indicated,  the  percentage  of  revenues  represented  by  certain  items 
reflected in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations:  

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2012

2010

Percentage of Revenue:

Revenues …………………………………………………
Direct salaries and related costs ……………………………
General and administrative …………………………………
Net (gain) loss on disposal of property and equipment …
Net (gain) on insurance settlement …………………………
Impairment of goodwill and intangibles……………………
Impairment of long-lived assets ……………………………
Income from continuing operations ………………………
Interest income ……………………………………………
Interest (expense) …………………………………………
Other (expense)……………………………………………
Income from continuing operations before income taxes …
Income taxes ………………………………………………
Income from continuing operations, net of taxes …………
(Loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes …………
Net income (loss) …………………………………………

100.0%
65.4
30.3
0.0
(0.0)
-
0.0
4.3
0.1
(0.1)
(0.2)
4.1
0.5
3.6
(1.0)
2.6%

100.0%
65.3
29.2
(0.3)
(0.0)
-
0.1
5.7
0.1
(0.1)
(0.2)
5.5
1.0
4.5
(0.3)
4.2%

100.0%
63.8
32.7
0.0
(0.2)
0.0
0.3
3.4
0.1
(0.4)
(0.5)
2.6
0.2
2.4
(3.2)
(0.8%)

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, certain data derived from the accompanying Consolidated 
Statements of Operations (in thousands):  

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2012

2010

$     

Revenues …………………………………………………
1,127,698
Direct salaries and related costs ……………………………
737,952
General and administrative ………………………………… 341,354
Net (gain) loss on disposal of property and equipment …
391
Net (gain) on insurance settlement …………………………
(133)
Impairment of goodwill and intangibles……………………
-
Impairment of long-lived assets ……………………………
355
Income from continuing operations ………………………
47,779
Interest income ……………………………………………
1,458
Interest (expense) …………………………………………
(1,547)
Other (expense)……………………………………………
(2,533)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes …
45,157
Income taxes ………………………………………………
5,207
Income from continuing operations, net of taxes …………
39,950
(Loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes …………
(11,527)
Net income (loss) …………………………………………
28,423

$          

$     

$     

1,169,267
763,930
341,586
(3,021)
(481)
-
1,718
65,535
1,352
(1,132)
(2,099)
63,656
11,342
52,314
(3,973)
48,341

1,121,911
715,571
366,565
143
(1,991)
362
3,280
37,981
1,201
(4,963)
(5,907)
28,312
2,197
26,115
(36,388)
(10,273)

$          

$         

The following table summarizes our revenues for the periods indicated, by reporting segment (in thousands):  

Years Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

Americas ……………………………………………

$             

947,147

84.0%

$        

963,142

82.4%

$      

934,329

EM EA ………………………………………..……

180,551

16.0%

206,125

17.6%

187,582

83.3%

16.7%

Consolidated …………………………….………

$          

1,127,698

100.0%

$     

1,169,267

100.0%

$   

1,121,911

100.0%

31 

 
 
 
 
             
             
             
             
             
             
               
            
               
            
            
            
                   
                   
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
            
            
            
            
            
            
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
            
            
            
 
 
 
         
         
         
         
            
                
               
            
                   
                
             
             
           
           
             
             
            
            
            
            
           
           
           
             
           
           
 
 
 
              
        
       
 
 
The following table summarizes certain amounts and percentages of revenues for the periods indicated, by reporting 
segment (in thousands):  

Direct salaries and related costs:

Years Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

Americas ……………………………………………

$             

609,836

64.4%

$        

611,783

63.5%

$      

580,741

EM EA ………………………………………..……

128,116

71.0%

152,147

73.8%

134,830

Consolidated …………………………….………

$             

737,952

65.4%

$        

763,930

65.3%

$      

715,571

General and administrative:

Americas ……………………………………………

$             

243,186

25.7%

$        

237,899

24.7%

$      

244,213

EM EA ………………………………………..……

Corporate ……………………………………………

46,879

51,289

26.0%

-

57,241

46,446

27.8%

-

57,714

64,638

62.2%

71.9%

63.8%

26.1%

30.8%

-

Consolidated …………………………….………

$             

341,354

30.3%

$        

341,586

29.2%

$      

366,565

32.7%

Net (gain) loss on disposal of property and 
equipment:

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

$          

(3,030)

-0.3%

$               

78

9

0.0%

65

$          

(3,021)

-0.3%

$             

143

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

$             

(481)

-

$             

(481)

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

$         

(1,991)

-

$         

(1,991)

-0.2%

0.0%

-0.2%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

$                 

-  

-

$                 

-  

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

$                

-  

362

$             

362

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

$            

1,244

474

$            

1,718

0.1%

0.2%

0.1%

$          

3,121

159

$          

3,280

0.0%

0.2%

0.0%

0.3%

0.1%

0.3%

Americas ……………………………………………

$                    

323

EM EA ………………………………………..……

68

Consolidated …………………………….………

$                    

391

Net (gain) on insurance settlement:

Americas ……………………………………………

$                   

(133)

EM EA ………………………………………..……

-

Consolidated …………………………….………

$                   

(133)

Impairment of goodwill and intangibles:

Americas ……………………………………………

$                       

-  

EM EA ………………………………………..……

-

Consolidated …………………………….………

$                       

-  

Impairment of long-lived assets:

Americas ……………………………………………

$                    

355

EM EA ………………………………………..……

-

Consolidated …………………………….………

$                    

355

32 

 
 
              
        
       
                
          
         
                
             
          
          
         
            
                       
                   
                
                       
                  
                
                       
                  
              
                       
               
              
 
 
 
 
2012 Compared to 2011 

Revenues  

For  2012,  we  recognized  consolidated  revenues  of  $1,127.7 million,  a  decrease  of  $41.6 million  or  3.6%,  from 
$1,169.3 million in 2011.   

On  a  geographic  segment  basis,  revenues  from  the  Americas  region,  including  the  United  States,  Canada,  Latin 
America, Australia and the Asia Pacific Rim, represented 84.0%, or $947.1 million, for 2012 compared to 82.4%, or 
$963.1  million,  in  2011.  Revenues  from  the  EMEA  region,  including  Europe,  the  Middle  East  and  Africa, 
represented 16.0%, or $180.6 million, for 2012 compared to 17.6%, or $206.2 million, in 2011.  

Americas’  revenues  decreased  $16.0  million,  including  the  positive  foreign  currency  impact  of  $0.5  million,  for 
2012 from 2011. The remaining decrease of $16.5 million was primarily due to end-of-life client programs of $85.9 
million and lower volumes from existing contracts of $35.7 million, partially offset by new contract sales of $64.5 
million and Alpine acquisition revenues of $40.6 million. Revenues from our offshore operations represented 47.1% 
of  Americas’  revenues,  compared  to  47.8%  in  2011.  While  operating  margins  generated  offshore  are  generally 
comparable  to  those  in  the  United  States,  our  ability  to  maintain  these  offshore  operating  margins  longer  term  is 
difficult to predict due to potential increased competition for the available workforce, the trend of higher occupancy 
costs  and  costs  of  functional  currency  fluctuations  in offshore  markets.  We weight  these  factors  in our  continual 
focus to re-price or replace certain sub-profitable target client programs. 

EMEA’s  revenues  decreased  $25.6  million,  including  the  negative  foreign  currency  impact  of  $11.7  million,  for 
2012 from 2011.  The remaining decrease of $13.9 million was primarily due to end-of-life client programs of $32.7 
million and lower volumes from existing contracts of $0.5 million, partially offset by new contract sales of $19.3 
million.  

On a consolidated basis, we had 39,300 brick-and-mortar seats as of December 31, 2012, a decrease of 2,000 seats 
from 2011. The capacity utilization rate on a combined basis was 75% compared to 73% in 2011. This increase was 
primarily  due  to  seat  rationalizations  associated  with  the  strategic  actions  in  connection  with  the  Fourth  Quarter 
2011 Exit Plan (see Note 5, Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities, of “Notes to Consolidated Financial 
Statements”). 

On a geographic segment basis, 34,000 seats were located in the Americas, a decrease of 1,500 seats from 2011, and 
5,300 seats were located in EMEA, a decrease of 500 seats from 2011. The consolidated offshore seat count as of 
December  31,  2012  was  22,000,  or  56%,  of  our  total  seats,  a  decrease  of  300  seats,  or  1%,  from  2011.  Capacity 
utilization rates as of December 31, 2012 were 74% for the Americas and 82% for EMEA, compared to 74% and 
71%,  respectively,  as  of  December  31,  2011,  primarily  due  to  seat  rationalizations  associated  with  the  strategic 
actions in connection with the Fourth Quarter 2011 Exit Plan.  We achieved our 2012 gross seat addition target of 
approximately 3,700 seats at the end of the third quarter of 2012.  

The  Company  plans  to  add  approximately  6,000  seats  on  a  gross  basis  in  2013.    Approximately  75%  of  the  seat 
count is expected to be added in the first half of 2013, with the remainder in the second half.  Total seat count on a 
net basis for the full year, however, is expected to increase by approximately 1,000 seats. 

Direct Salaries and Related Costs  

Direct salaries and related costs decreased $26.0 million, or 3.4%, to $737.9 million for 2012 from $763.9 million in 
2011.  

On a reporting segment basis, direct salaries and related costs from the Americas segment decreased $2.0 million, 
including the negative foreign currency impact of $1.1 million, for 2012 from 2011.  Direct salaries and related costs 
from the EMEA segment decreased $24.0 million, including the positive foreign currency impact of $8.2 million, 
for 2012 from 2011.   

In the Americas segment, as a percentage of revenues, direct salaries and related costs increased to 64.4% for 2012 
from  63.5%  in  2011.  This  increase  of  0.9%,  as  a  percentage  of  revenues,  was  primarily  attributable  to  higher 
compensation costs of 0.8%, higher travel costs of 0.1% and higher other costs of 0.2%, partially offset by lower 
communication costs of 0.2%.   

33 

 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In the EMEA segment, as a percentage of revenues, direct salaries and related costs decreased to 71.0% for 2012 
from  73.8%  in  2011.  This  decrease  of  2.8%,  as  a  percentage  of  revenues,  was  primarily  attributable  to  lower 
severance-related  and  compensation  costs  of  2.6%  due  to  a  workforce  reduction  in  connection  with  the  Fourth 
Quarter 2011 Exit Plan, lower billable supply costs of 0.3% and lower other costs of 0.4%, partially offset by higher 
fulfillment materials costs of 0.5%. 

General and Administrative 

General  and  administrative  expenses  decreased  $0.3  million,  or  0.1%,  to  $341.3  million  for  2012  from  $341.6 
million in 2011.  

On  a  reporting  segment  basis,  general  and  administrative  expenses  from  the  Americas  segment  increased  $5.2 
million,  including  the  negative  foreign  currency  impact  of  $0.4  million,  for  2012  from  2011.  General  and 
administrative expenses from the EMEA segment decreased $10.3 million, including the positive foreign currency 
impact of $2.9 million, for 2012 from 2011. Corporate general and administrative expenses increased $4.8 million 
for 2012 from 2011. This increase of $4.8 million was primarily attributable to higher merger and acquisition costs 
of $2.9 million, higher compensation costs of $1.5 million, higher legal and professional fees of $1.1 million, higher 
software  maintenance  costs  of  $0.3  million  and  higher  other  costs  of  $0.2  million,  partially  offset  by  lower 
charitable contributions of $1.2 million. 

In the Americas segment, as a percentage of revenues, general and administrative expenses increased to 25.7% for 
2012 from 24.7% in 2011.  This increase of 1.0%, as a percentage of revenues, was primarily attributable to higher 
compensation costs of 0.4% primarily related to higher wage rates, higher facility-related costs of 0.2% principally 
from the expansion of U.S. facilities and lease termination costs in connection with the Fourth Quarter 2011 Exit 
Plan, higher  software  maintenance  of 0.2%,  higher  legal and  professional  fees of  0.1%, higher  taxes  of 0.1%  and 
higher other costs of 0.3%, partially offset by lower equipment and maintenance costs of 0.3%. 

In  the  EMEA  segment,  as  a  percentage  of  revenues,  general  and  administrative  expenses  decreased  to  26.0%  for 
2012 from 27.8% in 2011. This decrease of 1.8%, as a percentage of revenues, was primarily attributable to lower 
severance-related  costs  of  0.8%  and  lower  facility-related  costs  of  0.5%  due  to  the  closure  of  certain  sites  in 
connection with the Fourth Quarter 2011 Exit Plan, lower depreciation and amortization of 0.3%, lower equipment 
and maintenance costs of 0.2%, lower legal and professional fees of 0.2% and lower other costs of 0.1%, partially 
offset by higher communications costs of 0.2% and higher compensation costs of 0.1%. 

Net (Gain) Loss on Disposal of Property and Equipment 

Net  (gain)  loss  on  disposal  of  property  and  equipment  was  $0.4 million  for  2012,  compared  to  $(3.0)  million  in 
2011. The gain in 2011 primarily related to the sale of land and a building located in Minot, North Dakota. 

Net (Gain) on Insurance Settlement 

Net (gain) on insurance settlement of $(0.1) million in 2012 primarily relates to funds received for damage to our 
building and contents as a result of a tornado at one of our customer contact management centers located in Ponca 
City, Oklahoma.  Net (gain) on insurance settlement of $(0.5) million in 2011 primarily relates to funds received for 
flood damage from Typhoon Ondoy to the building and contents of one of our customer contact management centers 
located  in  Marikina  City,  The  Philippines  (acquired  as  part  of  the  ICT  acquisition).    The  damaged  property  and 
equipment had been written down by ICT prior to the ICT acquisition in February 2010.  No additional funds are 
expected related to either of these insurance claims. 

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets 

During 2012, we recorded a $0.4 million impairment of long-lived assets in the Americas segment. During 2011, we 
recorded  a  $1.7  million  impairment  of  long-lived  assets,  consisting  of  $1.2  million  in  the  Americas  segment  and 
$0.5 million in the EMEA segment. See Note 6, Fair Value, of the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for 
further information. 

Interest Income 

Interest income remained unchanged at $1.4 million for 2012 and 2011.  

34 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest (Expense) 

Interest  (expense)  was  $(1.6) million  for  2012,  compared  to  $(1.1)  million  in  2011.  The  increase  of  $0.5 million 
reflects interest and fees on borrowings related to the August 2012 acquisition of Alpine. 

Other (Expense) 

Other  (expense),  net,  was  $(2.5) million  for  2012,  compared  to  $(2.1) million  in  2011.  The  net  increase  in  other 
(expense), net, of $0.4 million was primarily attributable to a $2.1 million increase in realized and unrealized foreign 
currency transaction losses, net of gains and a $0.6 million loss on liquidation of a foreign subsidiary, partially offset 
by  a  decrease  of  $1.2  million  in  foreign  currency  forward  contract  losses  (which  were  not  designated  as  hedging 
instruments) and an increase of $1.1 million in other miscellaneous income, net. Other (expense), net, excludes the 
cumulative  translation  effects  and  unrealized  gains  (losses) on  financial  derivatives  that  are  included  in 
“Accumulated other comprehensive income” in shareholders' equity in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated 
Balance Sheets. 

Income Taxes  

The provision for income taxes of $5.2 million for 2012 was based upon pre-tax income of $45.2 million, compared 
to the provision for income taxes of $11.3 million for 2011, which was based upon pre-tax income of $63.7 million.  
The effective tax rate was 11.5% for 2012, compared to an effective tax rate of 17.8% for 2011.   

The decrease in the effective tax rate of 6.3% resulted primarily from integration and transaction costs related to the 
Alpine acquisition, which lowered income in a high tax jurisdiction.  

Prior to the passage of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010, we 
determined that we intended to distribute all of the current year and future years’ earnings of a non-U.S. subsidiary 
to its foreign parent.  Withholding taxes of $0.8 million and $0.9 million related to this distribution are included in 
the  provision  for  income  taxes  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated  Statement  of  Operations  for  2012  and  2011, 
respectively. 

Gain (Loss) from Discontinued Operations 

In 2012, the net (loss) on sale of the Spanish discontinued operations totaled $(10.7) million.  The (loss) from the 
Spanish  discontinued  operations,  net  of  taxes,  totaled  $(0.8)  million  and  $(4.6)  million  for  2012  and  2011, 
respectively.    In  2011,  the  net  gain  on  sale  of  the  Argentine  discontinued  operations  totaled  $0.5  million,  which 
resulted from the reversal of the accrued liability related to the expiration of the indemnification to the purchaser for 
the  possible  loss  of  a  specific  client  business.  There  was  no  tax  impact  on  either  the  (loss)  from  discontinued 
operations or the gain (loss) on sale of discontinued operations. 

Net Income (Loss)  

As a result of the foregoing, we reported income from continuing operations for 2012 of $47.8 million, a decrease of 
$17.8 million from 2011. This decrease was principally attributable to a $41.6 million decrease in revenues, a $3.4 
million  decrease  in  net  gain  on  disposal  of  property  and  equipment  and  a  $0.4  million  decrease  in  net  gain  on 
insurance settlement, partially offset by a $26.0 million decrease in direct salaries and related costs, a $0.3 million 
decrease  in  general  and  administrative  costs  and  a  $1.3  million  decrease  in  impairment  of  long-lived  assets.    In 
addition  to  the  $17.8  million  decrease  in  income  from  continuing  operations,  we  experienced  an  increase  of  $0.5 
million in interest expense, a $0.4 million increase in other expense, net, and a $11.2 million increase in loss on sale 
of discontinued operations, partially offset by a decrease of $3.8 million in loss from discontinued operations and a 
$6.1  million  decrease  in  the tax provision, resulting  in net income  of  $28.4  million for  2012,  a decrease  of $20.0 
million compared to 2011.  

35 

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2011 Compared to 2010 

Revenues  

For  2011,  we  recognized  consolidated  revenues  of  $1,169.3 million,  an  increase  of  $47.4 million  or  4.2%,  from 
$1,121.9 million in 2010.   

On  a  geographic  segment  basis,  revenues  from  the  Americas  region,  including  the  United  States,  Canada,  Latin 
America, Australia and the Asia Pacific Rim, represented 82.4%, or $963.1 million, for 2011 compared to 83.3%, or 
$934.3  million,  in  2010.  Revenues  from  the  EMEA  region,  including  Europe,  the  Middle  East  and  Africa, 
represented 17.6%, or $206.2 million, for 2011 compared to 16.7%, or $187.6 million, in 2010.  

Americas’  revenues  increased  $28.8  million,  including  the  positive  foreign  currency  impact  of  $10.8  million,  for 
2011 from 2010.  The remaining increase of $18.0 million was primarily due to new contract sales of $65.9 million 
and higher volumes from existing contracts of $8.0 million, partially offset by end-of-life client programs of $55.9 
million.  Revenues from  our offshore operations represented 47.8% of  Americas’  revenues,  compared  to 47.7%  in 
2010. While operating margins generated offshore are generally comparable to those in the United States, our ability 
to maintain these offshore operating margins longer term is difficult to predict due to potential increased competition 
for  the  available  workforce,  the  trend  of  higher  occupancy  costs  and  costs  of  functional  currency  fluctuations  in 
offshore  markets.    We  weight  these  factors  in  our  focus  to  re-price  or  replace  certain  sub-profitable  target  client 
programs.  

EMEA’s revenues increased $18.6 million, including the positive foreign currency impact of $9.9 million, for 2011 
from 2010.  The remaining increase of $8.7 million was primarily due to new contract sales of $15.0 million and 
higher  volumes  from  existing  contracts  of  $22.2  million,  partially  offset  by  end-of-life  client  programs  of  $28.5 
million. This $8.7 million increase is net of a $1.2 million decrease in revenues due to the closure of certain sites in 
connection with the Fourth Quarter 2010 Exit Plan. 

Direct Salaries and Related Costs  

Direct salaries and related costs increased $48.4 million, or 6.7%, to $763.9 million for 2011 from $715.5 million in 
2010.  

On a reporting segment basis, direct salaries and related costs from the Americas segment increased $31.1 million, 
including  the negative foreign  currency  impact  of  $16.9  million,  for  2011  from  2010.    Direct  salaries  and  related 
costs  from  the  EMEA  segment  increased  $17.3  million,  including  the  negative  foreign  currency  impact  of  $7.2 
million, for 2011 from 2010.  

In the Americas segment, as a percentage of revenues, direct salaries and related costs increased to 63.5% for 2011 
from  62.2%  in  2010.  This  increase  of  1.3%,  as  a  percentage  of  revenues,  was  primarily  attributable  to  higher 
compensation  costs  of  1.4%  (principally  related  to  lower  volumes  within  certain  existing  clients  without  a 
commensurate  reduction  in  labor  costs)  and  higher  other  costs  of  0.1%,  partially  offset  by  lower  communication 
costs of 0.2%.  

In  the  EMEA segment,  as  a percentage  of revenues, direct  salaries  and  related  costs  increased  to 73.8% for 2011 
from  71.9%  in  2010.  This  increase  of  1.9%,  as  a  percentage  of  revenues,  was  primarily  attributable  to  higher 
severance  costs  of  0.7%  due  to  the  closure  of  certain sites  in  connection with  the Fourth Quarter 2011  Exit  Plan, 
higher compensation costs of 0.6%, higher fulfillment shipping material costs of 0.4%, higher communication costs 
of  0.2%,  higher  automobile-related  costs  of  0.2%  and  higher  other  costs  of  0.1%,  partially  offset  by  lower  travel 
costs of 0.3%. 

General and Administrative 

General  and  administrative  expenses  decreased  $25.0  million,  or  6.8%,  to  $341.6  million  for  2011  from  $366.6 
million in 2010.  

On  a  reporting  segment  basis,  general  and  administrative  expenses  from  the  Americas  segment  decreased  $6.3 
million,  including  the  negative  foreign  currency  impact  of  $5.3  million,  for  2011  from  2010.    General  and 
administrative  expenses from the EMEA segment decreased $0.5 million, including the negative foreign currency 
36 

 
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
                                    
 
 
 
 
impact of $2.5 million, for 2011 from 2010.  Corporate general and administrative expenses decreased $18.2 million 
for 2011 from 2010. This decrease of $18.2 million was primarily attributable to lower merger and acquisition costs 
of $22.9 million, partially offset by higher legal and professional fees of $1.4 million, higher charitable contributions 
of  $1.3  million,  higher  software  maintenance  of  $0.6  million,  higher  compensation  costs  of  $0.6  million,  higher 
consulting costs of $0.2 million, higher training costs of $0.2 million and higher other costs of $0.4 million. 

In the Americas segment, as a percentage of revenues, general and administrative expenses decreased to 24.7% for 
2011 from 26.1% in 2010.  This decrease of 1.4%, as a percentage of revenues, was primarily attributable to lower 
merger and acquisition costs of 0.9%, lower depreciation of 0.3% and lower other taxes of 0.2%.  

In  the  EMEA  segment,  as  a  percentage  of  revenues,  general  and  administrative  expenses  decreased  to  27.8%  for 
2011 from 30.8% in 2010.  This decrease of 3.0%, as a percentage of revenues, was primarily attributable to lower 
compensation costs of 1.2%, lower merger and acquisition costs of 1.0%, lower facility-related costs of 0.6%, lower 
travel  costs of  0.3%,  lower  legal  and  professional fees  of  0.3%  and  lower  other  costs of 0.4%, partially  offset  by 
higher severance costs of 0.8% primarily due to the closure of certain sites in connection with the Fourth Quarter 
2011 Exit Plan. 

Net (Gain) Loss on Disposal of Property and Equipment 

Net (gain) on disposal of property and equipment was $(3.0) million during 2011, primarily due to the gain on the 
sale of land and a building located in Minot, North Dakota.  Net loss on disposal of property and equipment was 
$0.1 million during 2010. 

Net (Gain) on Insurance Settlement 

Net  (gain)  on  insurance  settlement  of  $(0.5)  million  and  $(2.0)  million  in  2011  and  2010,  respectively,  primarily 
relates to funds received for flood damage from Typhoon Ondoy to the building and contents of one of our customer 
contact management centers located in Marikina City, The Philippines (acquired as part of the ICT acquisition).  The 
damaged property and equipment had been written down by ICT prior to the ICT acquisition in February 2010. 

Impairment of Goodwill and Intangibles 

We make certain estimates and assumptions, including, among other things, an assessment of market conditions and 
projections of cash  flows,  investment  rates  and  cost  of capital  and  growth  rates when  estimating  the  value  of  our 
intangibles. Based on actual and forecasted operating results and deterioration of the related customer base in our 
ICT-acquired United Kingdom operations, the EMEA segment recorded a $0.4 million impairment of goodwill and 
intangibles, primarily customer relationships, during 2010 (none in 2011). 

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets 

During 2011, we recorded a $1.7 million impairment of long-lived assets, consisting of $1.2 million in the Americas 
segment and $0.5 million in the EMEA segment.  During 2010, we recorded a $3.3 million impairment of long-lived 
assets, consisting of $3.1 million in the Americas segment and $0.2 million in the EMEA segment.  

Interest Income 

Interest income was $1.4 million for 2011, compared to $1.2 million in 2010. The increase of $0.2 million reflects 
higher average balances of interest bearing investments in cash and cash equivalents. 

Interest (Expense) 

Interest  (expense) was $(1.1) million  for 2011,  compared to $(4.9)  million  in  2010.   The decrease of  $3.8 million 
reflects interest and fees on higher average levels of borrowings in 2010 related to the ICT acquisition. 

37 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
Other (Expense) 

Other  (expense),  net,  was  $(2.1) million  for  2011,  compared  to  $(5.9) million  in  2010.  The  net  decrease  in  other 
(expense), net, of $3.8 million was primarily attributable to a decrease of $3.1 million in forward currency contract 
losses  (which  were  not  designated  as  hedging  instruments)  and  a  decrease  of  $1.4 million  in  foreign  currency 
transaction  losses,  net  of  gains,  partially  offset  by  a  decrease  of  $0.7  million  in  other  miscellaneous  income,  net. 
Other  (expense) excludes  the  cumulative  translation  effects  and  unrealized  gains  (losses) on  financial  derivatives 
that  are  included  in  “Accumulated  other  comprehensive  income”  in  shareholders'  equity  in  the  accompanying 
Consolidated Balance Sheets. 

Income Taxes  

The  provision  for  income  taxes  of  $11.3  million  for  2011  was  based  upon  pre-tax  income  of  $63.7  million, 
compared to the provision for income taxes of $2.2 million for 2010 based upon pre-tax income of $28.3 million.  
The effective tax rate was 17.8% for 2011, compared to an effective tax rate of 7.8% for 2010.   

The  increase  in  the  effective  tax  rate  of  10.0%  resulted  primarily  from  the  shift  of  earnings  to  higher  tax 
jurisdictions, partially offset by a favorable foreign tax rate differential, changes in uncertain tax positions due to the 
favorable settlements of tax audits and expiring statutes of limitation, in conjunction with 2010 tax benefits related 
to the ICT legal entity reorganization.  

On  December  17,  2010  the  Tax  Relief,  Unemployment  Insurance  Reauthorization,  and  Job  Creation  Act  of  2010 
(the “Tax Relief Act”) was enacted. Included in the Tax Relief Act was the extension until December 31, 2011 of 
Internal Revenue Code Section 954(c)(6).  As a result of this extension, we changed our intent to distribute current 
earnings  from  various  foreign  operations  to  their  foreign  parents.    These  tax  provisions  permitted  continued  tax 
deferral  through  2011  on  such  distributions  that  would  otherwise  be  taxable  immediately  in  the  United  States.  
While the distributions are not taxable in the United States, related withholding taxes of $2.7 million are included in 
the provision for income taxes in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Operations for 2011. 

Prior to the passage of the Tax Relief Act, we determined that we intended to distribute all of the current year and 
future years’ earnings of a non-U.S. subsidiary to its foreign parent.  Withholding taxes of $0.9 million related to 
this  distribution  are  included  in  the  provision  for  income  taxes  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated  Statement  of 
Operations for 2011. 

(Loss) from Discontinued Operations 

In November 2011, we committed to a plan to sell our Spanish operations.  Also, in December 2010, we sold our 
Argentine  operations.  Accordingly,  we  have  reflected  the  operating  results  related  to  these  operations  as 
discontinued operations in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations for all periods presented.  The 
(loss)  from  discontinued  operations,  net  of  taxes,  totaled  $(4.6)  million  and  $(12.9)  million  for  2011  and  2010, 
respectively.    The  gain  (loss)  on  sale,  net  of  taxes,  of  the  Argentine  operations  totaled  $0.5  million  and  $(23.5) 
million  for  2011  and  2010,  respectively.   The  gain  on  sale  during  2011  resulted  from  the  reversal  of  the  accrued 
liability  related  to  the  expiration  of  the  indemnification  to  the  purchaser  for  the  possible  loss  of  a  specific  client 
business. 

Net Income (Loss)  

As a result of the foregoing, we reported income from continuing operations for 2011 of $65.5 million, an increase 
of  $27.6  million  from  2010.  This  increase  was  principally  attributable  to  a  $47.4  million  increase  in  revenues,  a 
$25.0 million decrease in general and administrative costs, a $3.1 million increase in net gain on disposal of property 
and equipment, a $1.6 million decrease in impairment of long-lived assets and a $0.4 million decrease in impairment 
of goodwill and intangibles, partially offset by a $48.4 million increase in direct salaries and related costs and a $1.5 
million  decrease  in  net  gain  on  insurance  settlement.    In  addition  to  the  $27.6  million  increase  in  income  from 
continuing  operations,  we  experienced  a  $3.8  million  decrease  in  other  expense,  net,  a  $3.8  million  decrease  in 
interest  expense,  a  $0.2  million  increase  in  interest  income,  a  $8.3  million  decrease  in  loss  from  discontinued 
operations and a $24.0 million decrease in loss on sale of discontinued operations, partially offset by a $9.1 million 
increase  in  the  tax  provision,  resulting  in  net  income  of  $48.3  million  for  2011,  an  increase  of  $58.6  million 
compared to 2010.  

38 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quarterly Results  

The following information presents our unaudited quarterly operating results from continuing operations for 2012 
and 2011. During 2012, we sold our operations in Spain. Accordingly, we have reclassified the selected financial 
data  for  all  periods  presented  to  reflect  these  results  as  discontinued  operations  in  accordance  with  Accounting 
Standards Codification 205-20 “Discontinued Operations”. The data has been prepared on a basis consistent with 
the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and 
includes all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals, that we consider necessary for a fair presentation 
thereof.  

(in thousands, except per share data)

12/31/2012

9/30/2012

6/30/2012

3/31/2012

12/31/2011

9/30/2011

6/30/2011

3/31/2011

Revenues (1) …………………………………………………………… 304,272
Operating expenses:

$    

Direct salaries and related costs (1,2) ………………………………… 201,194
General and administrative (1,3,4) …………………………………… 86,974
Net (gain) loss on disposal of property and equipment (5) …………
308
Net (gain) on insurance settlement …………………………………

-

Impairment of long-lived assets ……………………………………

84

$   

280,526

$   

264,802

$   

278,098

$    

276,234

$   

293,310

$   

300,273

$   

299,450

183,628

87,905

174,630

81,533

178,500

84,942

181,978

82,086

189,082

82,553

199

-

122

(66)

-

-

(50)

(133)

149

411

-

954

(8)

(437)

38

198,779

88,370

(3,611)

-

-

194,091

88,577

187

(44)

726

Total operating expenses ………………………………………… 288,560

271,854

256,097

Income (loss) from continuing operations ………………………… 15,712

8,672

8,705

263,408

14,690

265,429

10,805

271,228

22,082

283,538

16,735

283,537

15,913

Other income (expense):

Interest income ………………………………………………………

Interest (expense) ……………………………………………………

Other income (expense) ……………………………………………

Total other income (expense) ……………………………………

443

(498)

(729)

(784)

Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes ……..

14,928

Income taxes …………………………………………………………… 1,638

Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of taxes  ……………… 13,290
(Loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes (6) …………………
Gain (loss) on sale of discontinued operations, net of taxes (7) ………
Net income (loss) ……………………………………………………… 13,290

$      

-

-

Net income (loss) per common share (8) :

Basic:

Continuing operations ……………………………………………

$          

0.31

297

(421)

(715)

(839)

7,833

(309)

8,142

-

-

354

(312)

(488)

(446)

8,259

511

7,748

-

-

364

(316)

(601)

(553)

14,137

3,367

10,770

405

(305)

173

273

11,078

5,118

5,960

357

(272)

(329)

(244)

21,838

2,969

18,869

310

(288)

(378)

(356)

16,379

2,683

13,696

(820)

(1,441)

(755)

(1,725)

(10,707)

559

-

-

280

(267)

(1,565)

(1,552)

14,361

572

13,789

(611)

-

$       

8,142

$       

7,748

$         

(757)

$        

5,078

$     

18,114

$     

11,971

$     

13,178

$         

0.19

$         

0.18

$         

0.25

$          

0.14

$         

0.42

$         

0.30

$         

0.29

Discontinued operations …………………………………………

-

-

-

(0.27)

(0.02)

(0.02)

(0.04)

(0.01)

Net income (loss) per common share ……………………………

$          

0.31

Diluted:

Continuing operations ……………………………………………

$          

0.31

$         

0.19

$         

0.18

$        

(0.02)

$          

0.12

$         

0.40

$         

0.26

$         

0.28

$         

0.19

$         

0.18

$         

0.25

$          

0.14

$         

0.42

$         

0.30

$         

0.29

Discontinued operations …………………………………………

-

-

-

(0.27)

(0.02)

(0.02)

(0.04)

(0.01)

Net income (loss) per common share ……………………………

$          

0.31

$         

0.19

$         

0.18

$        

(0.02)

$          

0.12

$         

0.40

$         

0.26

$         

0.28

Weighted average shares:

Basic ……………………………………………………………… 43,057

Diluted …………………………………………………………… 43,081

43,014

43,031

43,094

43,103

43,309

43,409

43,659

43,847

45,557

45,653

46,241

46,293

46,409

46,577

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

The quarters ended December 31, 2012 and September 30, 2012 include the results of Alpine as a result of the acquisition completed on August 20, 2012.

The quarters ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 include $0.7 million and $3.5 million, respectively, related to the Fourth Quarter 2011 Exit Plan.

The quarters ended December 31, 2012, September 30, 2012, June 30, 2012, M arch 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 include $(0.5) million, $0.6 million, $0.7 million, $0.3
million and $2.3 million related to the Fourth Quarter 2011 Exit Plan.

The quarters ended December 31, 2012 and September 30, 2012 include $1.0 million and $3.8 million, respectively, in Alpine acquisition-related costs.

The quarter ended June 30, 2011 includes a $3.7 million net gain on sale of the land and building located in M inot, North Dakota.

The amounts for the quarter ended M arch 31, 2012 and each of the quarters for 2011 include the results of our operations in Spain, which was sold in M arch 2012.
The quarter ended December 31, 2011 includes a gain on the sale of our Argentine operations, which was sold in 2010.

(8) Net income (loss) per basic and diluted common share is computed independently for each of the quarters presented and, therefore, may not sum to the total for the year.

39 

 
 
 
 
     
    
    
     
    
    
    
       
      
      
      
       
      
      
      
            
           
            
            
              
       
           
               
              
              
          
               
          
              
            
              
           
              
           
            
             
              
           
            
           
           
           
            
           
           
           
           
          
          
          
           
          
          
          
           
          
          
          
            
          
          
       
       
         
          
        
         
        
        
           
        
      
         
      
      
      
               
              
              
          
        
          
       
          
               
              
              
     
            
              
              
              
               
              
              
         
          
         
         
         
               
              
              
         
          
         
         
         
       
      
      
      
       
      
      
      
       
      
      
      
       
      
      
      
 
 
 
Business Outlook 

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2013, we anticipate the following financial results:  

•  Revenues in the range of $1,220.0 million to $1,235.0 million; 
•  Effective tax rate of approximately 25%;  
•  Fully diluted share count of approximately 43.1 million; 
•  Diluted earnings per share of approximately $0.87 to $0.97; and 
•  Capital expenditures in the range of $55.0 million to $65.0 million   

Not included in this guidance is the impact of any future acquisitions or share repurchase activities. 

Liquidity and Capital Resources  

Our  primary  sources  of  liquidity  are  generally  cash  flows  generated  by  operating  activities  and  from  available 
borrowings  under  our  revolving  credit  facility.  We  utilize  these  capital  resources  to  make  capital  expenditures 
associated primarily with our customer contact management services, invest in technology applications and tools to 
further  develop  our  service  offerings  and  for  working  capital  and  other  general  corporate  purposes,  including 
repurchase of our common stock in the open market and to fund acquisitions. In future periods, we intend similar 
uses of these funds. 

On August 18, 2011, our Board authorized us to purchase up to 5.0 million shares of our outstanding common stock 
(the “2011 Share Repurchase Program”).  During 2012, we repurchased 0.5 million common shares under the 2011 
Share Repurchase Program at prices ranging from $13.85 to $15.00 per share for a total cost of $7.9 million. During 
2011, we repurchased 2.5 million common shares under the 2011 Share Repurchase Program at prices ranging from 
$14.18 to $16.10 per share for a total cost of $37.7 million. As of December 31, 2012, a total of 3.0 million shares 
have been repurchased under the 2011 Share Repurchase Program.  The shares are purchased, from time to time, 
through  open  market  purchases  or  in  negotiated  private  transactions,  and  the  purchases  are  based  on  factors, 
including but not limited to, the stock price, management discretion and general market conditions. The 2011 Share 
Repurchase  Program  has  no  expiration date.    We  may  make  additional discretionary  stock  repurchases  under  this 
program in 2013. 

On August 5, 2002, our Board authorized us to purchase up to 3.0 million shares of our outstanding common stock 
(the “2002 Share Repurchase Program”).  During 2011, we repurchased 0.8 million common shares under the 2002 
Share  Repurchase  Program  at  prices  ranging  from  $12.46  to  $18.53  per  share  for  a  total  cost  of  $12.3  million. 
During 2010, we repurchased 0.3 million common shares at prices ranging from $16.92 to $17.60 per share for a 
total cost of $5.2 million.  All available shares under the 2002 Share Repurchase Program have been repurchased.   

During  2012,  cash  increased  $86.5 million  from  operating  activities,  $113.0  million  due  to  proceeds  from  the 
issuance of long-term debt, $0.4 million due to a release of restricted cash, $0.2 million from the proceeds from sale 
of  property  and  equipment  and  $0.2  million  of  other.  Further,  we  paid  $147.1  million  for  the  Alpine  acquisition, 
used  $38.6  million  for  capital  expenditures,  used  $22.0  million  to  repay  long-term  debt,  divested  cash  of  $9.1 
million in conjunction with the sale of discontinued operations in Spain, used $7.9 million to repurchase our stock, 
used $1.4 million to repurchase stock for minimum tax withholding on equity awards and paid $0.9 million for loan 
fees,  resulting  in  a  $23.8 million  decrease  in  available  cash  (including  the  favorable  effects  of  foreign  currency 
exchange rates on cash of $2.9 million). 

Net cash flows provided by operating activities for 2012 were $86.5 million, compared to $102.6 million in 2011.  
The $16.1 million decrease in net cash flows from operating activities was due to a $20.0 million decrease in net 
income and a net decrease of $1.2 million in cash flows from assets and liabilities, partially offset by a $5.1 million 
increase in non-cash reconciling items such as depreciation and amortization, (gain) loss on the sale of discontinued 
operations, net (gain) loss on disposal of property and equipment, impairment losses and unrealized foreign currency 
transaction (gains) losses, net. The $1.2 million decrease in cash flows from assets and liabilities was principally a 
result of a $15.7 million increase in accounts receivable (primarily related to the timing of receivables’ billings and 
subsequent  payments  of  those  billings,  coupled  with  a  reduction  in  revenues  in  2012  over  2011),  a  $13.1  million 
increase  in  other  assets  (primarily  related  to  the  payment  of  a  mandatory  security  deposit  in  connection  with  a 
Canadian tax audit) and a $4.4 million decrease in deferred revenue, partially offset by a $26.0 million increase in 
other liabilities (primarily related to the timing of payments and an increase in customer deposits of $6.6 million) 

40 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
and a $6.0 million increase in taxes payable. 

We  sold  our  operations  in  Spain  and  Argentina  in  2012  and  2010,  respectively.    Cash  flows  from  discontinued 
operations,  which  are  included  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated  Statements  of  Cash  Flows,  were  as  follows  (in 
thousands):  

Cash (used for) operating activities of discontinued operations ……………………
Cash (used for) investing activities of discontinued operations ……………………

2012
$                   

Years Ended December 31,
2011
$                   

(4,656)
(311)

(4,530)
(8,887)

2010
$                   

(6,622)
(13,463)

Cash  (used  for)  operating  activities  of  discontinued  operations  represents  the  cash  (used  for)  the  Spanish  and 
Argentine  operations  in  2012,  2011  and 2010.    Cash  (used  for)  investing  activities  of  discontinued  operations for 
2012  and  2010  primarily  represents  the  cash  divested  upon  the  sale  of  the  Spanish  and  Argentine  operations, 
respectively. Cash (used for) investing activities of discontinued operations represents capital expenditures in 2011.  
The sale of the Spanish operations resulted in a loss of $10.7 million.  The sale of the Argentine operations resulted 
in a pre-tax loss of $29.9 million, or a $23.5 million loss, net of tax.  We do not expect the absence of the cash flows 
from  our  discontinued  operations  in  Spain  and  Argentina  to  materially  affect  our  future  liquidity  and  capital 
resources. 

Capital  expenditures,  which  are  generally  funded  by  cash  generated  from  operating  activities,  available  cash 
balances  and  borrowings  available  under  our  credit  facilities,  were  $38.6  million  for  2012,  compared  to  $29.9 
million  for  2011,  an  increase  of  $8.7  million.  In  2013,  we  anticipate  capital  expenditures  in  the  range  of  $55.0 
million to $65.0 million, primarily for new seat additions, maintenance and systems infrastructure. 

On  May  3,  2012,  we  entered  into  a  $245  million  revolving  credit  facility  (the  “2012  Credit  Agreement”)  with  a 
group  of  lenders  and  KeyBank  National  Association,  as  Lead  Arranger,  Sole  Book  Runner  and  Administrative 
Agent (“KeyBank”). The 2012 Credit Agreement replaced our previous $75 million revolving credit facility dated 
February  2,  2010,  as  amended,  which  agreement  was  terminated  simultaneous  with  entering  into  the  2012  Credit 
Agreement. The 2012 Credit Agreement is subject to certain borrowing limitations and includes certain customary 
financial and restrictive covenants.  At December 31, 2012, we were in compliance with all loan requirements of the 
2012 Credit Agreement and had $91.0 million of outstanding borrowings under this facility, with an average daily 
utilization  of  $96.8  million  for  the  outstanding  period  during  2012  (none  in  2011).    During  2012  and  2010,  the 
related interest expense, excluding amortization of deferred loan fees, under our credit agreements was $0.5 million 
and  $1.8  million,  respectively,  which  represented  weighted  average  interest  rates  of  1.5%  and  3.9%,  respectively 
(none in 2011). 

The  2012  Credit  Agreement  includes  a  $184 million  alternate-currency  sub-facility,  a  $10 million  swingline  sub-
facility  and  a  $35 million  letter  of  credit  sub-facility,  and  may  be  used  for  general  corporate  purposes  including 
acquisitions, share repurchases, working capital support and letters of credit, subject to certain limitations.  We are 
not currently aware of any inability of our lenders to provide access to the full commitment of funds that exist under 
the 2012 Credit Agreement, if necessary.  However, there can be no assurance that such facility will be available to 
us, even though it is a binding commitment of the financial institutions.  The 2012 Credit Agreement will mature on 
May 2, 2017. 

Borrowings under the 2012 Credit Agreement will bear interest at either LIBOR or the base rate plus, in each case, 
an applicable margin based on our leverage ratio. The applicable interest rate will be determined quarterly based on 
our  leverage  ratio  at  such  time.  The  base  rate  is  a  rate  per  annum  equal  to  the  greatest  of  (i) the  rate  of  interest 
established by KeyBank, from time to time, as its “prime rate”; (ii) the Federal Funds effective rate in effect from 
time to time, plus 1/2 of 1% per annum; and (iii) the then-applicable LIBOR rate for one month interest periods, plus 
1.00%. Swingline loans will bear interest only at the base rate plus the base rate margin.  In addition, we are required 
to  pay  certain  customary  fees,  including  a  commitment  fee  of  0.175%,  which  is  due  quarterly  in  arrears  and 
calculated on the average unused amount of the 2012 Credit Agreement.    

The  2012  Credit  Agreement  is  guaranteed  by  all  of  our  existing  and  future  direct  and  indirect  material  U.S. 
subsidiaries and secured by a pledge of 100% of the non-voting and 65% of the voting capital stock of all of our 
direct foreign subsidiaries and those of the guarantors. 

41 

 
 
 
 
                     
                        
                   
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
In  April  2012,  we  received  an  assessment  for  the  Canadian  2003-2006  audit  for  which  we  filed  a  Notice  of 
Objection in July 2012.  As required by the Notice of Objection process, we paid mandatory security deposits in the 
amount of $14.5 million to the Canadian Revenue Agency and $0.4 million to the Province of Ontario.  This process 
will allow us to submit the case to the U.S. and Canada Competent Authority for ultimate resolution. Although the 
outcome of examinations by taxing authorities is always uncertain, we believe we are adequately reserved for this 
audit  and  that  resolution  is  not  expected  to  have  a  material  impact  on  our  financial  condition  and  results  of 
operations.   

On  August  20,  2012,  we  completed  the  acquisition  of  Alpine  Access,  Inc.  (“Alpine”),  a  Delaware  corporation, 
pursuant  to  the  Agreement  and  Plan  of  Merger,  dated  July  27,  2012.  The  purchase  price  of  $149.0 million  was 
funded through cash on hand of $41.0 million and borrowings of $108.0 million under our 2012 Credit Agreement, 
dated May 3, 2012. 

As of December 31, 2012, we had $187.3 million in cash and cash equivalents, of which approximately 97.6% or 
$182.9  million,  was  held  in  international  operations  and  is  deemed  to  be  indefinitely  reinvested  offshore.    These 
funds may be subject to additional taxes if repatriated to the United States, including withholding tax applied by the 
country of origin and an incremental U.S. income tax, net of allowable foreign tax credits. There are circumstances 
where we may be unable to repatriate some of the cash and cash equivalents held by our international operations due 
to  country  restrictions.  We  do  not  intend  nor  currently  foresee  a  need  to  repatriate  these  funds.    We  expect  our 
current  domestic  cash  levels  and  cash  flows  from  operations  to  be  adequate  to  meet  our  domestic  anticipated 
working capital needs, including investment activities such as capital expenditures and debt repayment for the next 
twelve months and the foreseeable future.  Additionally, we expect our current foreign cash levels and cash flows 
from foreign operations to be adequate to meet our foreign anticipated working capital needs, including investment 
activities such as capital expenditures for the next twelve months and the foreseeable future.  

If we should require more cash in the U.S. than is provided by our domestic operations for significant discretionary 
unforeseen  activities  such  as  acquisitions  of  businesses  and  share  repurchases,  we  could  elect  to  repatriate  future 
foreign  earnings  and/or  raise  capital  in  the  U.S  through  additional  borrowings  or  debt/equity  issuances.    These 
alternatives  could  result  in  higher  effective  tax  rates,  interest  expense  and/or  dilution  of  earnings.    We  have 
borrowed funds domestically and continue to have the ability to borrow additional funds domestically at reasonable 
interest rates.    

Our cash resources could also be affected by various risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, the risks 
detailed in Item 1A, Risk Factors.  

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Other  

At  December 31,  2012,  we  did  not  have  any  material  commercial  commitments,  including  guarantees  or  standby 
repurchase obligations, or any relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, including entities 
often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities or variable interest entities, which would have been 
established  for  the  purpose  of  facilitating  off-balance  sheet  arrangements  or  other  contractually  narrow  or  limited 
purposes.  

From  time  to  time,  during  the  normal  course  of  business,  we  may  make  certain  indemnities,  commitments  and 
guarantees under which we may be required to make payments in relation to certain transactions. These include, but 
are not limited to: (i) indemnities to clients, vendors and service providers pertaining to claims based on negligence 
or  willful  misconduct  and  (ii)  indemnities  involving  breach  of  contract,  the  accuracy  of  representations  and 
warranties, or other liabilities assumed by us in certain contracts. In addition, we have agreements whereby we will 
indemnify  certain  officers  and  directors  for  certain  events  or  occurrences  while  the  officer  or  director  is,  or  was, 
serving  at  our  request  in  such  capacity.  The  indemnification  period  covers  all  pertinent  events  and  occurrences 
during the officer’s or director’s lifetime. The maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required 
to  make  under  these  indemnification  agreements  is  unlimited;  however,  we  have  director  and  officer  insurance 
coverage that limits our exposure and enables us to recover a portion of any future amounts paid. We believe the 
applicable  insurance  coverage  is  generally  adequate  to  cover  any  estimated  potential  liability  under  these 
indemnification agreements. The majority of these indemnities, commitments and guarantees do not provide for any 
limitation of the maximum potential for future payments we could be obligated to make. We have not recorded any 
liability  for  these  indemnities,  commitments  and  other  guarantees  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated  Balance 
Sheets.  In addition, we have some client contracts that do not contain contractual provisions for the limitation of 
liability,  and  other  client  contracts  that  contain  agreed  upon  exceptions  to  limitation  of  liability.  We  have  not 
42 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
recorded any liability in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets with respect to any client contracts under 
which we have or may have unlimited liability. 

Contractual Obligations  

The  following  table  summarizes  our  contractual  cash  obligations  at  December 31,  2012,  and  the  effect  these 
obligations are expected to have on liquidity and cash flow in future periods (in thousands):  

$     

Operating leases(1) ………………………………………… 163,124
Purchase obligations(2) ……………………………………… 32,099
Accounts payable (3) ………………………………………
24,985
Accrued employee compensation and benefits (3) …………
73,087
Income taxes payable (4) ……………………………………
800
Other accrued expenses and current liabilities (5) …………… 31,320
Long-term debt (6) …………………………………………… 91,000
Long-term tax liabilities (7) …………………………………
11,173
Other long-term liabilities (8) ………………………………… 4,716
432,304

$     

Total

Less Than 
1 Year

$       

Payments Due By Period

1 - 3 Years
$       
51,393
6,336
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,761
59,490

$       

3 - 5 Years
$       
31,163
1,206
-
-
-
-
91,000
-
1,195
124,564

$     

37,418
24,557
24,985
73,087
800
31,320
-
785
-
192,952

After 5 
Years

$       

43,150
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,760
44,910

Other
$                 
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
10,388
-
10,388

$       

$     

$       

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

Amounts represent the expected cash payments under our operating leases.
Purchase obligations include agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding on us and that specify all significant
terms, including: fixed or minimum quantities to be purchased; fixed, minimum or variable price provisions; and the approximate timing of the
transaction.  Purchase obligations exclude agreements that are cancelable without penalty. 

Accounts payable and accrued employee compensation and benefits (See Note 17 to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements), which
represent amounts due vendors and employees payable within one year.

Income taxes payable, which represents amounts due taxing authorities payable within one year.

Other accrued expenses and current liabilties, which exclude deferred grants, include amounts as disclosed in Note 19 to the accompanying
Consolidated Financial Statements, primarily related to restructuring costs, legal and professional fees, telephone charges, rent, derivative contracts
and other accruals.

Long-term debt (See Note 21 to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements), which represents borrowings under our revolving credit
facility.

Long-term tax liabilities include uncertain tax positions and related penalties and interest as discussed in Note 23 to the accompanying Consolidated
Financial Statements.  The amount in the table has been reduced by $14.9 million of Canadian mandatory security deposits paid during 2012, which 
are included in "Deferred charges and other assets" in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2012. We cannot make
reasonably reliable estimates of the cash settlement of $10.4 million of the long-term liabilities with the taxing authority; therefore, amounts have
been excluded from payments due by period.

Other long-term liabilities, which exclude deferred income taxes and other non-cash long-term liabilities, represent the expected cash payments due
under restructuring accruals (primarily lease obligations) and pension obligations. See Notes 5 and 26 to the accompanying Consolidated Financial
Statements.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates  

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in 
the United States requires estimations and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and 
the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of 
revenues  and  expenses  during  the  reporting  period.  These  estimates  and  assumptions  are  based  on  historical 
experience and various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could 
differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.  

We believe the following accounting policies are the most critical since these policies require significant judgment 
or involve complex estimations that are important to the portrayal of our financial condition and operating results.  
Unless we need to clarify a point to readers, we will refrain from citing specific section references when discussing 
the application of accounting principles or addressing new or pending accounting rule changes.  

Recognition of Revenue 

We recognize revenue in accordance with ASC 605 “Revenue Recognition”.  We primarily recognize revenues from 
services as the services are performed, which is based on either a per minute, per call, per transaction or per time and 
material  basis,  under  a  fully  executed  contractual  agreement  and  record  reductions  to  revenues  for  contractual 
penalties  and  holdbacks  for  failure  to  meet  specified  minimum  service  levels  and  other  performance  based 
contingencies.  Revenue  recognition  is  limited  to  the  amount  that  is  not  contingent  upon  delivery  of  any  future 
43 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
product  or  service  or  meeting  other  specified  performance  conditions.    Product  sales,  accounted  for  within  our 
fulfillment services, are recognized upon shipment to the customer and satisfaction of all obligations.  

Revenues from fulfillment services account for 1.5%, 1.4% and 1.5% of total consolidated revenues for the years 
ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively, some of which contain multiple-deliverables. The service 
offerings  for  these  fulfillment  service  contracts  typically  include  pick-pack-and-ship,  warehousing,  process 
management,  finished  goods  assembly  and  pass-through  costs.    In  accordance  with  ASC  605-25  “Revenue 
Recognition  —  Multiple-Element  Arrangements”  (“ASC  605-25”)  (as  amended  by  Accounting  Standards  Update 
(“ASU”) 2009-13 “Revenue Recognition (Topic 605): Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements—a consensus of 
the  FASB  Emerging  Issues  Task  Force”)  (“ASU  2009-13”),  we  determine  if  the  services  provided  under  these 
contracts with multiple-deliverables represent separate units of accounting.   A deliverable constitutes a separate unit 
of  accounting  when  it  has  standalone  value,  and  where  return  rights  exist,  delivery  or  performance  of  the 
undelivered items is considered probable and substantially within our control. If those deliverables are determined to 
be separate units of accounting, revenues from these services are recognized as the services are performed under a 
fully  executed  contractual  agreement.  If  those  deliverables  are  not  determined  to  be  separate  units  of  accounting, 
revenue for the delivered services are bundled into a single unit of accounting and recognized on the proportional 
performance method using the straight-line basis over the contract period, or the actual number of operational seats 
used to serve the client, as appropriate.   

As a result of the adoption of ASU 2009-13, the Company allocates revenue to each of the deliverables based on a 
selling  price  hierarchy  of  vendor  specific  objective  evidence  (“VSOE”),  third-party  evidence,  and  then  estimated 
selling price. VSOE is based on the price charged when the deliverable is sold separately. Third-party evidence is 
based on largely interchangeable competitor services in standalone sales to similarly situated customers. Estimated 
selling  price  is  based  on  our  best  estimate  of  what  the  selling  prices  of  deliverables  would  be  if  they  were  sold 
regularly on a standalone basis. Estimated selling price is established considering multiple factors including, but not 
limited  to,  pricing  practices  in  different  geographies,  service  offerings,  and  customer  classifications.  Once  we 
allocate  revenue  to  each  deliverable,  we  recognize  revenue  when  all  revenue  recognition  criteria  are  met.  As  of 
December  31,  2012,  our  fulfillment  contracts  with  multiple-deliverables  met  the  separation  criteria  as  outlined  in 
ASC  605-25  and  the  revenue  was  accounted  for  accordingly.   Other  than  these  fulfillment  contracts,  we  have  no 
other contracts that contain multiple-deliverables as of December 31, 2012. 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts 

We  maintain  allowances  for  doubtful  accounts,  $5.1  million  as  of  December 31,  2012,  or  2.0%  of  trade  account 
receivables,  for  estimated  losses  arising  from  the  inability  of  our  customers  to  make  required  payments.  Our 
estimate  is  based  on  qualitative  and  quantitative  analyses,  including  credit  risk  measurement  tools  and 
methodologies using the publicly available credit and capital market information, a review of the current status of 
our  trade  accounts receivable  and historical  collection  experience of our clients.  It  is  reasonably  possible  that  our 
estimate  of  the  allowance  for  doubtful  accounts  will  change  if  the  financial  condition  of  our  customers  were  to 
deteriorate, resulting in a reduced ability to make payments. 

Income Taxes 

We reduce deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance if, based on the weight of available evidence, both positive 
and negative, for each respective tax jurisdiction, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of such deferred 
tax assets will not be realized. The valuation allowance for a particular tax jurisdiction is allocated between current 
and noncurrent deferred tax assets for that jurisdiction on a pro rata basis. Available evidence which is considered in 
determining the amount of valuation allowance required includes, but is not limited to, our estimate of future taxable 
income  and  any  applicable  tax-planning  strategies.  Establishment  or  reversal  of  certain  valuation  allowances  may 
have a significant impact on both current and future results. 

As of December 31, 2012, we determined that a total valuation allowance of $43.3 million was necessary to reduce 
U.S. deferred tax assets by $3.5 million and foreign deferred tax assets by $39.8 million, where it was more likely 
than not that some portion or all of such deferred tax assets will not be realized.  The recoverability of the remaining 
net deferred tax asset of $17.3 million as of December 31, 2012 is dependent upon future profitability within each 
tax jurisdiction. As of December 31, 2012, based on our estimates of future taxable income and any applicable tax-
planning strategies within various tax jurisdictions, we believe that it is more likely than not that the remaining net 
deferred tax assets will be realized. 

44 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A  provision  for  income  taxes  has  not  been  made  for  the  undistributed  earnings  of  foreign  subsidiaries  of 
approximately  $383.8  million  as  of  December 31,  2012,  as  the  earnings  are  indefinitely  reinvested  in  foreign 
business operations.  If these earnings are repatriated or otherwise become taxable in the U.S, we would be subject 
to  an  incremental  U.S.  tax  expense  net  of  any  allowable foreign  tax  credits,  in  addition  to  any  applicable  foreign 
withholding tax expense.  Determination of any unrecognized deferred tax liability for temporary differences related 
to investments in foreign subsidiaries that are essentially permanent in nature is not practicable.   

In  April  2012,  we  received  an  assessment  for  the  Canadian  2003-2006  audit  for  which  we  filed  a  Notice  of 
Objection in July 2012.  As required by the Notice of Objection process, we paid mandatory security deposits in the 
amount of $14.5 million to the Canadian Revenue Agency and $0.4 million to the Province of Ontario, which are 
included in “Deferred charges and other assets” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 
31,  2012  and  “Cash  paid  during  period  for  income  taxes”  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated  Statements  of  Cash 
Flows for the year ended December 31, 2012.  This process will allow us to submit the case to the U.S. and Canada 
Competent Authority for ultimate resolution. Although the outcome of examinations by taxing authorities is always 
uncertain, we believe we are adequately reserved for this audit and that resolution is not expected to have a material 
impact on our financial condition and results of operations.   

The U.S. Department of the Treasury released the “General Explanations of the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2013 
Revenue  Proposals”  in  February  2012.    These  proposals  represent  a  significant  shift  in  international  tax  policy, 
which may materially impact U.S. taxation of international earnings.  We continue to monitor these proposals and 
are currently evaluating their potential impact on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.  

In  addition,  The  American  Taxpayer  Relief  Act  of  2012  was  passed  on  January  2,  2013,  with  many  provisions 
retroactively effective to January 1, 2012.  We are currently evaluating the net retroactive impact of this law change 
on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. 

We evaluate tax positions that have been taken or are expected to be taken in our tax returns, and record a liability 
for uncertain tax positions in accordance with ASC 740. The calculation of our tax liabilities involves dealing with 
uncertainties in the application of complex tax regulations. ASC 740 contains a two-step approach to recognizing 
and  measuring  uncertain  tax  positions.  First,  tax  positions  are  recognized  if  the  weight  of  available  evidence 
indicates that it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including resolution of 
related  appeals  or  litigation  processes,  if  any.    Second,  the  tax  position  is  measured  as  the  largest  amount  of  tax 
benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement. We reevaluate these uncertain tax 
positions on a quarterly basis. This evaluation is based on factors including, but not limited to, changes in facts or 
circumstances, changes in tax law, effectively settled issues under audit, and new audit activity. Such a change in 
recognition  or  measurement  would  result  in  the  recognition  of  a  tax  benefit  or  an  additional  charge  to  the  tax 
provision.  

As of December 31, 2012, we had $16.9 million of unrecognized tax benefits, a net decrease of $0.2 million from 
$17.1  million  as  of  December  31,  2011.  Had  we  recognized  these  tax  benefits,  approximately  $16.9  million  and 
$17.1 million and the related interest and penalties would favorably impact the effective tax rate in 2012 and 2011, 
respectively. We believe it is reasonably possible that our unrecognized tax benefits will decrease or be recognized 
in the next twelve months by up to $0.4 million due to expiration of statutes of limitations, audit or appeal resolution 
in various tax jurisdictions. 

Our provision for income taxes is subject to volatility and is impacted by the distribution of earnings in the various 
domestic and international jurisdictions in which we operate. Our effective tax rate could be impacted by earnings 
being  either  proportionally  lower  or  higher  in  foreign  countries  where  we  have  tax  rates  lower  than  the  U.S.  tax 
rates.  In  addition,  we  have  been  granted  tax  holidays  in  several  foreign  tax  jurisdictions,  which  have  various 
expiration  dates  ranging  from  2013  through  2023.  If  we  are  unable  to  renew  a  tax  holiday  in  any  of  these 
jurisdictions,  our  effective  tax  rate  could  be  adversely  impacted.  In  some  cases,  the  tax  holidays  expire  without 
possibility of renewal. In other cases, we expect to renew these tax holidays, but there are no assurances from the 
respective  foreign  governments  that  they  will  permit  a  renewal.  Our  effective  tax  rate  could  also  be  affected  by 
several  additional  factors,  including  changes  in  the  valuation  of  our  deferred  tax  assets  or  liabilities,  changing 
legislation,  regulations,  and  court  interpretations  that  impact  tax  law  in  multiple  tax  jurisdictions  in  which  we 
operate,  as  well  as  new  requirements,  pronouncements  and  rulings  of  certain  tax,  regulatory  and  accounting 
organizations. 

45 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Impairment of Goodwill, Intangibles and Other Long-Lived Assets 

We  review  long-lived  assets,  which  had  a  carrying  value  of  $397.6  million  as  of  December 31,  2012,  including 
goodwill,  intangibles  and  property  and  equipment,  for  impairment  whenever  events  or  changes  in  circumstances 
indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable and at least annually for impairment testing of 
goodwill.  An  asset  is  considered  to  be  impaired  when  the  carrying  amount  exceeds  the  fair  value.  Upon 
determination  that  the  carrying  value  of  the  asset  is  impaired,  we  would  record  an  impairment  charge,  or  loss,  to 
reduce  the  asset  to  its  fair  value.  Future  adverse  changes  in  market  conditions  or  poor  operating  results  of  the 
underlying  investment  could  result  in  losses  or  an  inability  to  recover  the  carrying  value  of  the  investment  and, 
therefore, might require an impairment charge in the future. 

New Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted 

In  December  2011,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2011-11  “Balance  Sheet  (Topic  210)  –  Disclosures  about  Offsetting 
Assets and Liabilities” (“ASU 2011-11”).  The amendments in ASU 2011-11 will enhance disclosures by requiring 
improved  information  about  financial  and  derivative  instruments  that  are  either  1)  offset  (netting  assets  and 
liabilities)  in  accordance  with  Section 210-20-45  or  Section 815-10-45  of  the  FASB  Accounting  Standards 
Codification or 2) subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement.  The amendments in 
ASU 2011-11 are effective for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those 
years.  An  entity  should  provide  the  disclosures  required by  those  amendments  retrospectively  for  all  comparative 
periods  presented.  The  adoption  of  ASU  2011-11  as  of  January  1,  2013  did  not  have  a  material  impact  on  our 
financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. 

In  July  2012,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2012-02  “Intangibles  –  Goodwill  and  Other  (Topic  350)  Testing  Indefinite-
Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment” (“ASU 2012-02”).  The amendments in ASU 2012-02 provide entities with 
the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events and circumstances indicates 
that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If, after assessing the totality of 
events and circumstances, an entity concludes that it is not more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible 
asset is impaired, then the entity is not required to take further action. However, if an entity concludes otherwise, 
then  it  is  required  to  determine  the  fair  value  of  the  indefinite-lived  intangible  asset  and  perform  the  quantitative 
impairment test by comparing the fair value with the carrying amount. Under the amendments in ASU 2012-02, an 
entity also has the option to bypass the qualitative assessment for any indefinite-lived intangible asset in any period 
and proceed directly to performing the quantitative impairment test. An entity will be able to resume performing the 
qualitative  assessment  in  any  subsequent  period.    The  amendments  in  ASU  2012-02  are  effective  for  annual  and 
interim  impairment  tests  performed  for  fiscal  years  beginning  after  September  15,  2012.    The  adoption  of  ASU 
2012-02 on January 1, 2013 did not have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash 
flows. 

In  February  2013,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2013-02  “Comprehensive  Income  (Topic  220)  Reporting  of  Amounts 
Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income” (“ASU 2013-02”).  The amendments in ASU 2013-
02  do  not  change  the  current  requirements  for  reporting  net  income  or  other  comprehensive  income  in  financial 
statements. However, the amendments require an entity to provide information about the amounts reclassified out of 
accumulated other comprehensive income by component. In addition, an entity is required to present, either on the 
face  of  the  statement  where  net  income  is  presented  or  in  the  notes,  significant  amounts  reclassified  out  of 
accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  by  the  respective  line  items  of  net  income  but  only  if  the  amount 
reclassified is required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified to net income in its entirety in the same reporting period. 
For other amounts that are not required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified in their entirety to net income, an entity 
is  required  to  cross-reference  to  other  disclosures  required  under  U.S.  GAAP  that  provide  additional  detail  about 
those amounts. The amendments in ASU 2013-02 are effective prospectively for reporting periods beginning after 
December 15, 2012.  We do not expect the adoption of ASU 2013-02 to materially impact our financial condition, 
results of operations and cash flows. 

U.S. Healthcare Reform Acts 

In March 2010, the President of the United States signed into law comprehensive healthcare reform legislation under 
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (the "Acts"). 
The Acts contain provisions that could materially impact our healthcare costs in the future, thus adversely affecting 
our profitability.  We are currently evaluating the potential impact of the Acts on our financial condition, results of 
operations and cash flows. 

46 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk  

Foreign Currency Risk  

Our earnings and cash flows are subject to fluctuations due to changes in currency exchange rates.  We are exposed 
to  foreign  currency  exchange  rate  fluctuations  when  subsidiaries  with  functional  currencies  other  than  the  U.S. 
Dollar (“USD”) are translated into our USD consolidated financial statements. As exchange rates vary, those results, 
when translated, may vary from expectations and adversely impact profitability. The cumulative translation effects 
for  subsidiaries  using  functional  currencies  other  than  the  U.S.  Dollar  are  included  in  “Accumulated  other 
comprehensive income (loss)” in shareholders’ equity. Movements in non-U.S. Dollar currency exchange rates may 
negatively  or  positively  affect  our  competitive  position,  as  exchange  rate  changes  may  affect  business  practices 
and/or pricing strategies of non-U.S. based competitors.  

We employ a foreign currency risk management program that periodically utilizes derivative instruments to protect 
against  unanticipated  fluctuations  in  earnings  and  cash  flows  caused  by  volatility  in  foreign  currency  exchange 
(“FX”) rates. Option and forward derivative contracts are used to hedge intercompany receivables and payables, and 
other transactions initiated in the United States, that are denominated in a foreign currency. Additionally, we may 
employ FX contracts to hedge net investments in foreign operations.   

We  serve  a number  of U.S.-based  clients using  customer  contact  management  center  capacity  in  The  Philippines, 
Canada and Costa Rica, which are within our Americas segment. Although the contracts with these clients are priced 
in  USDs,  a  substantial  portion  of  the  costs  incurred  to  render  services  under  these  contracts  are  denominated  in 
Philippine  Pesos  (“PHP”),  Canadian  Dollars,  and  Costa  Rican  Colones  (“CRC”),  which  represent  FX  exposures. 
Additionally, our EMEA segment services clients in Hungary and Romania where the contracts are priced in Euros 
(“EUR”),  with  a  substantial  portion  of  the  costs  incurred  to  render  services  under  these  contracts  denominated  in 
Hungarian Forints (“HUF”) and Romanian Leis (“RON”).  

In order to hedge a portion of our anticipated cash flow requirements denominated in PHP, CRC, HUF and RON we 
had outstanding forward contracts and options as of December 31, 2012 with counterparties through January 2014 
with  notional  amounts  totaling  $148.4  million.  As  of  December  31,  2012,  we  had  net  total  derivative  assets 
associated with these contracts with a fair value of $0.2 million, which will settle within the next 13 months. If the 
USD was to weaken against the PHP, CRC and the EUR was to weaken against the HUF and RON by 10% from 
current period-end levels, we would incur a loss of approximately $11.9 million on the underlying exposures of the 
derivative instruments. However, this loss would be mitigated by corresponding gains on the underlying exposures. 

We also entered into forward exchange contracts that are not designated as hedges. The purpose of these derivative 
instruments is to protect against FX volatility pertaining to intercompany receivables and payables, and other assets 
and liabilities that are denominated in currencies other than our subsidiaries’ functional currencies.  As of December 
31, 2012, the fair value of these derivatives was a net receivable of $0.9 million.  The potential loss in fair value at 
December 31, 2012, for these contracts resulting from a hypothetical 10% adverse change in the foreign currency 
exchange rates is approximately $5.3 million. However, this loss would be mitigated by corresponding gains on the 
underlying exposures. 

We evaluate the credit quality of potential counterparties to derivative transactions and only enter into contracts with 
those considered to have minimal credit risk. We periodically monitor changes to counterparty credit quality as well 
as our concentration of credit exposure to individual counterparties. 

We  do  not  use  derivative  financial  instruments  for  speculative  trading  purposes,  nor  do  we  hedge  our  foreign 
currency exposure in a manner that entirely offsets the effects of changes in foreign exchange rates.  

As a general rule, we do not use financial instruments to hedge local currency denominated operating expenses in 
countries  where  a natural  hedge  exists.  For  example,  in many  countries,  revenue  from  the  local  currency  services 
substantially offsets the local currency denominated operating expenses.  

Interest Rate Risk 

Our exposure to interest rate risk results from variable debt outstanding under our revolving credit facility. We pay 
interest  on outstanding borrowings  at  interest  rates  that  fluctuate based upon  changes in  various base  rates. As of 
December 31, 2012, we had $91.0 million in borrowings outstanding under the revolving credit facility.  Based on 
47 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
our  level  of  variable  rate  debt  outstanding  during  the  year  ended  December  31,  2012,  a  one-point  increase  in  the 
weighted average interest rate, which generally equals the LIBOR rate plus an applicable margin, would have had a 
$0.4 million impact on our results of operations. 

We have not historically used derivative instruments to manage exposure to changes in interest rates.  

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data  

The financial statements and supplementary data required by this item are located beginning on page 56 and page 39 
of this report, respectively.  

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure  

None.  

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures  

Disclosure Controls and Procedures 

Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated 
the  effectiveness  of  our  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,  as  defined  in  Rules 13a-15(e)  and  15d-15(e)  of  the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as of December 31, 2012. Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer 
and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 
2012.  

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting 

Management  is  responsible  for  establishing  and  maintaining  adequate  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  (as 
defined  in  Rule 13a-15(f)  under  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  as  amended).  Because  of  its  inherent 
limitations,  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  may  not  prevent  or  detect  misstatements.  Projections  of  any 
evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of 
changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. 

We assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2012. In making 
this assessment, we used the criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee 
of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.  Based on our assessment, management believes that, as 
of December 31, 2012, our internal control over financial reporting was effective.  

There were no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2012 
that  have  materially  affected,  or  are  reasonably  likely  to  materially  affect,  our  internal  controls  over  financial 
reporting, except for the change discussed under “Changes to Internal Control Over Financial Reporting” below. 

Attestation Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

Our  independent  registered  public  accounting  firm  has  issued  an  attestation  report  on  our  internal  control  over 
financial reporting. This report appears on page 49. 

Changes to Internal Control Over Financial Reporting 

On August 20, 2012, we acquired Alpine.  We have excluded Alpine from our assessment of the effectiveness of our 
internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2012 as we are currently integrating policies, processes, 
people, technology and operations for the combined companies.  Management will continue to evaluate our internal 
control over financial reporting as we execute our integration activities. 

48 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of 
Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated 
Tampa, Florida  

We  have  audited  the  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  of  Sykes  Enterprises,  Incorporated  and  subsidiaries  (the 
"Company") as of December 31, 2012, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued 
by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.  As described in Management’s Report on 
Internal  Control  over  Financial  Reporting,  management  excluded  from  its  assessment  the  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting  at  Alpine  Access,  Incorporated,  which  was  acquired  on  August  20,  2012  and  whose  financial  statements 
constituted  26%  and  20%  of  net  and  total  assets,  respectively,  4%  of  revenues,  and  who  contributed  a  net  loss  of  $2.2 
million to the consolidated financial statement amounts as of and for the year ended December 31, 2012. Accordingly, our 
audit  did  not  include  the  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  at  Alpine  Access,  Incorporated.  The  Company's 
management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the 
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal 
Control  over  Financial  Reporting.    Our  responsibility  is  to  express  an  opinion  on  the  Company's  internal  control  over 
financial reporting based on our audit. 

We  conducted  our  audit  in  accordance  with  the  standards  of  the  Public  Company  Accounting  Oversight  Board  (United 
States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective 
internal  control  over  financial  reporting  was  maintained  in  all  material  respects.  Our  audit  included  obtaining  an 
understanding  of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a  material weakness exists, testing  and 
evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other 
procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our 
opinion. 

A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the company's 
principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, and effected by the company's 
board of directors, management, and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial 
reporting  and  the  preparation  of  financial  statements  for  external  purposes  in  accordance  with  generally  accepted 
accounting principles. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) 
pertain  to  the  maintenance  of  records  that,  in  reasonable  detail,  accurately  and  fairly  reflect  the  transactions  and 
dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to 
permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts 
and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of 
the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, 
use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements. 

Because  of  the  inherent  limitations  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  including  the  possibility  of  collusion  or 
improper management override of controls, material misstatements due to error or fraud may not be prevented or detected 
on a timely basis. Also, projections of any evaluation of the effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting to 
future periods are subject to the risk that the controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the 
degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. 

In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of 
December  31,  2012,  based  on  the  criteria  established  in  Internal  Control  —  Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the 
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. 

We  have  also  audited,  in  accordance  with  the  standards  of  the  Public  Company  Accounting  Oversight  Board  (United 
States), the consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedules as of and for the year ended December 31, 
2012 of the Company and our report dated March 1, 2013 expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements 
and financial statement schedule. 

Certified Public Accountants  
Tampa, Florida 

March 1, 2013 

49 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 9B. Other Information  

None.  

Items 10. through 14.  

PART III 

All  information  required  by  Items  10  through  14,  with  the  exception  of  information  on  Executive  Officers  which 
appears  in  this  report  in  Item  1  under  the  caption  “Executive  Officers”,  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  SYKES’ 
Proxy Statement for the 2013 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.  

50 

 
 
 
 
 
PART IV 

Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 

The following documents are filed as part of this report: 

Consolidated Financial Statements 

The Index to Consolidated Financial Statements is set forth on page 56 of this report.  

Financial Statements Schedule 

Schedule II — Valuation and Qualifying Accounts is set forth on page 115 of this report. 

Other schedules have been omitted because they are not required or applicable or the information is included in the 
Consolidated Financial Statements or notes thereto. 

Exhibits:  

Exhibit 
Number 

Exhibit Description 

2.1 

2.2 

2.3 

3.1 

3.2 

3.3 

4.1 

10.1 

10.2 

10.3 

10.4 

10.5 

10.6 

10.7 

10.8 

10.9 

Articles  of  Merger  between Sykes  Enterprises,  Incorporated,  a  North  Carolina  Corporation, 
and Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated, a Florida Corporation, dated March 1, 1996. (1) 

Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of October 5, 2009, among ICT Group, Inc., Sykes 
Enterprises, Incorporated, SH Merger Subsidiary I, Inc., and SH Merger Subsidiary II, LLC 
(15) 

Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 27, 2012, by and among Sykes Enterprises, 
Incorporated,  Sykes  Acquisition  Subsidiary  II,  Inc.,  Alpine  Access,  Inc.,  and  Shareholder 
Representative Services LLC. (24) 

Articles of Incorporation of Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated, as amended. (2) 

Articles  of  Amendment  to  Articles  of  Incorporation  of  Sykes  Enterprises,  Incorporated,  as 
amended. (3) 

Bylaws of Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated, as amended. (7) 

Specimen certificate for the Common Stock of Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated. (1) 

2004 Non-Employee Directors’ Fee Plan. (5)* 

First Amended and Restated 2004 Non-Employee Director’s Fee Plan. (12)* 

Second Amended and Restated 2004 Non-Employee Director’s Fee Plan. (14)* 

Third Amended and Restated 2004 Non-Employee Director’s Fee Plan. (16)* 

Fourth Amended and Restated 2004 Non-Employee Director Fee Plan. (20)* 

Fifth Amended and Restated 2004 Non-Employee Director Fee Plan. (26)* 

Form of Split Dollar Plan Documents. (1)* 

Form of Split Dollar Agreement. (1)* 

Form  of  Indemnity  Agreement  between  Sykes  Enterprises,  Incorporated  and  directors  & 
executive officers. (1) 

51 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit 
Number 
10.10 

10.11 

10.12 

10.13 

10.14 

10.15 

10.16 

10.17 

10.18 

10.19 

10.20 

10.21 

10.22 

10.23 

10.24 

10.25 

10.26 

10.27 

10.28 

10.29 

10.30 

Exhibit Description 
2001 Equity Incentive Plan. (4)* 

Deferred Compensation Plan. (7)* 

First Amendment to Deferred Compensation Plan. (27)* 

Form of Restricted Share And Stock Appreciation Right Award Agreement dated as of March 
29, 2006. (8)* 

Form of Restricted Share And Bonus Award Agreement dated as of March 29, 2006. (8)* 

Form of Restricted Share Award Agreement dated as of May 24, 2006. (9)* 

Form  of  Restricted  Share  And  Stock  Appreciation  Right  Award  Agreement  dated  as  of 
January 2, 2007. (10)* 

Form of Restricted Share Award Agreement dated as of January 2, 2007. (10)* 

Form of Restricted Share and Stock Appreciation Right Award Agreement dated as of January 
2, 2008. (11)* 

2011 Equity Incentive Plan. (21)* 

Founder’s  Retirement  and  Consulting  Agreement  dated  December  10,  2004  between  Sykes 
Enterprises, Incorporated and John H. Sykes. (6)* 

Amended  and  Restated  Employment  Agreement  dated  as  of  December  30,  2008  between 
Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated and Charles E. Sykes. (17)* 

Amended  and  Restated  Employment  Agreement  dated  as  of  December  30,  2008  between 
Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated and W. Michael Kipphut. (17)* 

Amended  and  Restated  Employment  Agreement  dated  as  of  December  29,  2008  between 
Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated and Jenna R. Nelson. (17)* 

Amended  and  Restated  Employment  Agreement  dated  as  of  December  29,  2008  between 
Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated and James T. Holder. (17)* 

Amended  and  Restated  Employment  Agreement  dated  as  of  December  29,  2008  between 
Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated and William N. Rocktoff. (17)* 

Amended  and  Restated  Employment  Agreement  dated  as  of  December  29,  2008  between 
Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated and James Hobby, Jr. (17)* 

Amended  and  Restated  Employment  Agreement  dated  as  of  December  29,  2008  between 
Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated and Daniel L. Hernandez. (17)* 

Amended  and  Restated  Employment  Agreement  dated  as  of  December  29,  2008  between 
Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated and David L. Pearson. (17)* 

Lease  Agreement,  dated  January 25,  2008,  Lease  Amendment  Number  One  and  Lease 
Amendment  Number  Two  dated  February 12,  2008  and  May 28,  2008 respectively, between 
Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated and Kingstree Office One, LLC. (13) 

Stock  Purchase  Agreement  between  Sykes  Enterprises,  Incorporated  (not  as  a  Seller),  SEI 
International  Services  S.a.r.l.  (as  Seller),  Sykes  Enterprises  Incorporated  Holdings,  BV  (as 
Seller)  and  Antonio  Marcelo  Cid,  Humberto  Daniel  Sahade  as  Buyers,  dated  December  13, 
2010. (18) 

10.31 

Stock  Purchase  Agreement  between  Sykes  Enterprises,  Incorporated  (not  as  a  Seller),  ICT 
Group  Netherlands  B.V.  (as  Seller),  ICT  Group  Netherlands  Holdings,  B.V.  (as  Seller)  and 

52 

 
 
Exhibit 
Number 

10.32 

10.33 

10.34 

10.35 

10.36 

14.1 

21.1 

23.1 

24.1 

31.1 

31.2 

32.1 

32.2 

Exhibit Description 
Carolina  Gaito,  Claudio  Martin,  Fernando  A.  Berrondo,  Gustavo  Rosetti  as  Buyers,  dated 
December 24, 2010. (19) 

Credit  Agreement,  dated  May  3,  2012,  between  Sykes  Enterprises,  Incorporated,  the  lenders 
party  thereto  and  KeyBank  National  Association,  as  Lead  Arranger,  Sole  Book  Runner  and 
Administrative Agent. (22) 

Business  Sale  and  Purchase  Agreement,  dated  as  of  March  29,  2012,  between  Sykes 
Enterprises, Incorporated and Iberphone, S.A.U. (23) 

Stock  Purchase  Agreement,  dated  as  of  March  30,  2012,  by  and  among  Sykes  Enterprises, 
Incorporated (not as a Seller), SEI International Services S.a.r.l. (as Seller) and Eugenio Arceu 
Garcia as Buyer. (23) 

Employment  Agreement,  dated  as  of  September  13,  2012,  between  Sykes  Enterprises, 
Incorporated and Lawrence R. Zingale. (25)* 

Employment  Agreement,  dated  as  of  September  13,  2012,  between  Sykes  Enterprises, 
Incorporated and Christopher Carrington. (25)* 

Code of Ethics. (28) 

List of subsidiaries of Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated. 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. 

Power of Attorney relating to subsequent amendments (included on the signature page of this 
report). 

Certification of Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a). 

Certification of Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a). 

Certification of Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to Section 1350. 

Certification of Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to Section 1350. 

101.INS 

XBRL Instance Document 

101.SCH 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document 

101.CAL 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document 

101.LAB 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document 

101.PRE 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document  

101.DEF 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document  

* 
(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

Indicates management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement. 
Filed  as  an  Exhibit  to  the  Registrant’s  Registration  Statement  on  Form  S-1  (Registration 
No. 333-2324) and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed  as  Exhibit 3.1  to  the  Registrant’s  Registration  Statement  on  Form  S-3  filed  with  the 
Commission on October 23, 1997, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed  as  Exhibit 3.2  to  the  Registrant’s  Form  10-K  filed  with  the  Commission  on  March 29, 
1999, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as Exhibit 10.32 to Registrant’s Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on May 7, 2001, and 
incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to Registrant’s Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on August 9, 2004, and 
incorporated herein by reference. 

53 

 
 
 
 
(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

(10) 

(11) 

(12) 

(13) 

(14) 

(15) 

(16) 

(17) 

(18) 

(19) 

(20) 

(21) 

(22) 

(23) 

(24) 

(25) 

(26) 

(27) 

(28) 

Filed as an Exhibit to Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on 
December 16, 2004, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed  as  an  Exhibit  to  Registrant’s  Form  10-K  filed  with  the  Commission  on  March 22,  2005, 
and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on 
April 4, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on 
May 31, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on 
December 28, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on 
January 8, 2008, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on May 7, 2008, 
and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on 
May 29, 2008, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on November 5, 
2008, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on 
October 9, 2009, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Proxy Statement for the 2009 annual meeting of 
shareholders filed with the Commission on April 22, 2009, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Commission 
on March 10, 2009, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on 
December 22, 2010, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on 
December 30, 2010, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the 
Commission on August 9, 2011, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the 
Commission on November 8, 2011, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Form 8-K filed with the Commission on May 7, 2012, and 
incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Form 8-K filed with the Commission on April 4, 2012, and 
incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Form 8-K filed with the Commission on July 30, 2012, 
and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Form 8-K filed with the Commission on September 19, 
2012, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Proxy Statement for the 2012 annual meeting of 
shareholders filed with the Commission on April 14, 2012, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Proxy Statement for the 2006 annual meeting of 
shareholders filed with the Commission on April 21, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference. 
Available on the Registrant’s website at www.sykes.com, by clicking on “Investor Relations” and 
then “Corporate Governance” under the heading “Corporate Governance.” 

54 

 
 
 
 
 
Signatures  

    Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this 
report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Tampa, and State of Florida, on this 1st  
day of March 2013.  

SYKES ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED 
(Registrant) 

By: 

/s/ W. Michael Kipphut 
W. Michael Kipphut, 
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on 
behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated. Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and 
appoints W. Michael Kipphut his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and revocation, for him 
and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this report and to file the same, with 
all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said 
attorney-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and 
necessary  to  be  done  in  connection  therewith,  as  fully  to  all  intents  and  purposes  as  he  might  or  should  do  in  person,  thereby 
ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or either of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue 
hereof.  

Signature  
/s/ Paul L. Whiting 
Paul L. Whiting 

/s/ Charles E. Sykes 
Charles E. Sykes 

/s/ Mark C. Bozek  
Mark C. Bozek 

  Title  
  Chairman of the Board  

  Date  
  March 1, 2013 

  President and Chief Executive Officer and  
  Director (Principal Executive Officer) 

  March 1, 2013 

  Director  

 March 1, 2013 

/s/ Lt. Gen. Michael P. Delong (Ret.)  
Lt. Gen. Michael P. Delong (Ret.) 

  Director  

/s/ H. Parks Helms  
H. Parks Helms 

/s/ Iain A. Macdonald  
Iain A. Macdonald  

/s/ James S. MacLeod  
James S. MacLeod 

  Director  

  Director  

  Director  

/s/ Linda F. McClintock-Greco M.D.  
Linda F. McClintock-Greco M.D. 

  Director  

/s/ William J. Meurer  
William J. Meurer 

/s/ James K. Murray, Jr.  
James K. Murray, Jr. 

/s/ W. Michael Kipphut 
W. Michael Kipphut 

  Director  

  Director  

  March 1, 2013 

  March 1, 2013 

  March 1, 2013 

  March 1, 2013 

  March 1, 2013 

  March 1, 2013 

  March 1, 2013 

  Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer   March 1, 2013 
  (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) 

55 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm  ........................................................................... .. 

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2012 and 2011  ...................................................................  

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Years Ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010  .................  

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the Years Ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 
2010  ..................................................................................................................................................................  

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity for the Years Ended December 31, 2012, 2011 
and 2010 ............................................................................................................................................................  

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010  ................  

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements  ....................................................................................................  

Page No.

57 

58 

59 

60 

61 

62 

64 

56 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting 

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of 
Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated 
Tampa, Florida  

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated and subsidiaries 
(the  "Company")  as  of  December  31,  2012  and  2011,  and  the  related  consolidated  statements  of  operations, 
comprehensive  income,  changes  in  shareholders’  equity,  and  cash  flows  for  each  of  the  three  years  in  the  period 
ended December 31, 2012.  Our audits also included the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15. 
These  financial  statements  and  financial  statement  schedule  are  the  responsibility  of  the  Company's  management. 
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the financial statements and financial statement schedule based on our 
audits. 

We  conducted  our  audits  in  accordance  with  the  standards  of  the  Public  Company  Accounting  Oversight  Board 
(United  States).  Those  standards  require  that  we  plan  and  perform  the  audit  to  obtain  reasonable  assurance  about 
whether  the  financial  statements  are  free  of  material  misstatement.  An  audit  includes  examining,  on  a  test  basis, 
evidence  supporting  the  amounts  and  disclosures  in  the  financial  statements.  An  audit  also  includes  assessing  the 
accounting  principles  used  and  significant  estimates  made  by  management,  as  well  as  evaluating  the  overall 
financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. 

In our opinion, such consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of 
Sykes  Enterprises,  Incorporated  and  subsidiaries  as  of  December  31,  2012  and  2011  and  the  results  of  their 
operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2012, in conformity 
with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also, in our opinion, such financial 
statement  schedule,  when  considered  in  relation  to  the  basic  consolidated  financial  statements  taken  as  a  whole, 
present fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein. 

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United 
States),  the  Company's  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  as  of  December  31,  2012,  based  on  the  criteria 
established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the 
Treadway  Commission  and  our  report  dated  March  1,  2013  expressed  an  unqualified  opinion  on  the  Company's 
internal control over financial reporting. 

Certified Public Accountants  
Tampa, Florida 

March 1, 2013 

57 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SYKES ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES 

Consolidated Balance Sheets 

(in thousands, except per share data)

December 31, 2012

December 31, 2011

Assets
Current assets:

$                   

$                   

Cash and cash equivalents ………………………………………………………
Receivables, net …………………………………………………………………
Prepaid expenses …………………………………………………………………
Other current assets ………………………………………………………………
Assets held for sale, discontinued operations ……………………………………
Total current assets ……………………………………………………………
Property and equipment, net ………………………………………………………
Goodwill ……………………………………………………………………………
Intangibles, net ………………………………………………………………………
Deferred charges and other assets …………………………………………………

Liabilities and S hareholders' Equity
Current liabilities:

Accounts payable  ………………………………………………………………
Accrued employee compensation and benefits …………………………………
Current deferred income tax liabilities ……………………………………………
Income taxes payable ……………………………………………………………
Deferred revenue …………………………………………………………………
Other accrued expenses and current liabilities ……………………………………
Liabilities held for sale, discontinued operations …………………………………
Total current liabilities…………………………………………………………

Deferred grants ……………………………………………………………………
Long-term debt ……………………………………………………………………
Long-term income tax liabilities ……………………………………………………
Other long-term liabilities …………………………………………………………

Total liabilities…………………………………………………………………

Commitments and loss contingency (Note 25)

Shareholders' equity:

Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 10,000 shares

$                   

$                   

$                     

187,322
247,633
12,370
20,017

-

467,342
101,295
204,231
92,037
43,784
908,689

24,985
73,103
92
800
34,283
31,320
-
164,583
7,607
91,000
26,162
13,073
302,425

211,122
229,702
11,540
20,120
9,590
482,074
91,080
121,342
44,472
30,162
769,130

$                     

23,109
62,452
663
423
34,319
21,191
7,128
149,285
8,563
-
26,475
11,241
195,564

authorized; no shares issued and outstanding …………………………………

-

-

Common stock, $0.01 par value, 200,000 shares authorized;

43,790 and 44,306 shares issued, respectively ………………………………
Additional paid-in capital ………………………………………………………
Retained earnings …………………………………………………………………
Accumulated other comprehensive income ………………………………………
Treasury stock at cost: 108 shares and 299 shares, respectively ………………
Total shareholders' equity ……………………………………………………

438
277,192
315,187
14,856
(1,409)
606,264
908,689

443
281,157
291,803
4,436
(4,273)
573,566
769,130

$                   

$                   

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. 

58 

 
 
 
                             
                       
                   
                   
                     
                     
                   
                   
                     
                     
                   
                   
                   
                   
                     
                       
                   
                   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SYKES ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES 

Consolidated Statements of Operations 

(in thousands, except per share data)

Years Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

Revenues ……………………………………………………………… 1,127,698

$     

$     

1,169,267

$     

1,121,911

Operating expenses:

Direct salaries and related costs ……………………………………

General and administrative …………………………………………

Net (gain) loss on disposal of property and equipment ……………

Net (gain) on insurance settlement …………………………………

Impairment of goodwill and intangibles ……………………………

Impairment of long-lived assets ……………………………………

737,952

341,354

391

(133)

-

355

763,930

341,586

(3,021)

(481)

-

1,718

715,571

366,565

143

(1,991)

362

3,280

Total operating expenses ………………………………………… 1,079,919

1,103,732

1,083,930

Income from continuing operations …………………………………

47,779

65,535

37,981

Other income (expense):

Interest income ………………………………………………………

Interest (expense) ……………………………………………………

Other (expense)………………………………………………………

Total other income (expense) ……………………………………

Income from continuing operations before income taxes ………………

Income taxes ……………………………………………………………

Income from continuing operations, net of taxes  ………………………

1,458

(1,547)

(2,533)

(2,622)

45,157

5,207

39,950

(Loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes ……………………

(820)

Gain (loss) on sale of discontinued operations, net of taxes …………… (10,707)

Net income (loss) ………………………………………………………

$          

28,423

Net income (loss) per common share:

Basic:

Continuing operations …………………………………………

$              

0.93

1,352

(1,132)

(2,099)

(1,879)

63,656

11,342

52,314

(4,532)

559

1,201

(4,963)

(5,907)

(9,669)

28,312

2,197

26,115

(12,893)

(23,495)

$          

48,341

$         

(10,273)

$              

1.15

$              

0.57

Discontinued operations ………………………………………

(0.27)

(0.09)

(0.79)

Net income (loss) per common share …………………………

$              

0.66

$              

1.06

$             

(0.22)

Diluted:

Continuing operations …………………………………………

$              

0.93

$              

1.15

$              

0.57

Discontinued operations ………………………………………

(0.27)

(0.09)

(0.79)

Net income (loss) per common share …………………………

$              

0.66

$              

1.06

$             

(0.22)

Weighted average common shares:

Basic ……………………………………………………………

Diluted …………………………………………………………

43,105

43,148

45,506

45,607

46,030

46,133

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. 

59 

 
 
 
 
 
 
         
            
                
               
               
            
                   
                   
                
                
             
             
             
             
             
            
            
            
            
            
            
           
           
           
           
              
              
              
              
              
              
           
           
           
           
           
           
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated and Subsidiaries 

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) 

(in thousands)

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2012

2010

Net income (loss) ……………………………………………………………………………………

$          

28,423

$          

48,341

$         

(10,273)

Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes:

Foreign currency translation gain (loss), net of taxes ……………….………………………………
Unrealized (loss) on net investment hedge, net of taxes ……………………………………...……
Unrealized actuarial gain (loss) related to pension liability, net of taxes …………………………
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging instruments, net of taxes ……………………………
Unrealized gain (loss) on postretirement obligation, net of taxes …………………………………
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes ………………………………………………

10,088
-
428
(132)
36
10,420

(7,997)
-
(204)
(2,584)
113
(10,672)

9,675
(2,565)
(18)
127
70
7,289

Comprehensive income (loss) ………………………………………………...………………………

$          

38,843

$          

37,669

$           

(2,984)

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. 

60 

 
 
 
           
            
             
                     
                     
            
                
               
                 
               
            
                
                  
                
                  
           
          
             
 
 
 
 
 
SYKES ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES 

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity 

S hares 
(in thousands)
Issued
Balance at January 1, 2010 ………… 41,817

Amount
$       
418

Common S tock

Additional
Paid-in 
Capital
$  
166,514

Retained 
Earnings
$    
280,399

Accumulated 
Other
Comprehensive 
Income (Loss)
$                
7,819

Treasury 
S tock

$        

(4,476)

Total
450,674

$      

Issuance of common stock  ……………
Stock-based compensation expense  …
Excess tax benefit (deficiency) from

stock-based compensation  …………

Vesting of common stock and

restricted stock under equity award
plans, net of forfeitures  ……………
Repurchase of common stock …………
Retirement of treasury stock …………
Issuance of common stock for 

2
-

-

204
-
(558)

business acquisition ………………… 5,601
-

Comprehensive income (loss) …………

Balance at December 31, 2010 ……… 47,066

Issuance of common stock  ……………
Stock-based compensation expense  …
Excess tax benefit (deficiency) from

stock-based compensation  …………

Vesting of common stock and

33
-

-

restricted stock under equity award
plans, net of forfeitures  ……………
Repurchase of common stock …………
Retirement of treasury stock ………… (3,086)
Comprehensive income (loss) …………

293
-

-

-
-

-

2

-
(6)

57
-

471

-
-

-

3

-
(31)
-

37
4,935

354

(1,083)
-
(4,462)

-
-

-

-
-
(4,450)

-
-

-

-
-
-

136,616

-

-

(10,273)

302,911

265,676

-
7,289

15,108

-
-

-

(201)
(5,212)
8,918

-
-

37
4,935

354

(1,282)
(5,212)
-

136,673
(2,984)

(971)

583,195

311
3,582

(8)

(979)
-

(24,660)

-

-
-

-

-
-

(22,214)
48,341

-
-

-

-
-
-

(10,672)

-
-

-

(214)
(49,993)
46,905

-

311
3,582

(8)

(1,190)
(49,993)

-

37,669

Balance at December 31, 2011 ……… 44,306

443

281,157

291,803

4,436

(4,273)

573,566

Stock-based compensation expense  …
Excess tax benefit (deficiency) from

stock-based compensation  …………

Vesting of common stock and

restricted stock under equity award
plans, net of forfeitures  ……………
Repurchase of common stock …………
Retirement of treasury stock …………
Comprehensive income (loss) …………

-

-

229
-
(745)
-

-

-

3

-
(8)
-

3,467

(292)

(1,195)
-
(5,945)
-

-

-

-
-
(5,039)
28,423

-

-

-
-
-

10,420

-

-

(220)
(7,908)
10,992

-

3,467

(292)

(1,412)
(7,908)
-

38,843

Balance at December 31, 2012 ……… 43,790

$       

438

$  

277,192

$    

315,187

$              

14,856

$        

(1,409)

$      

606,264

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. 

61 

 
 
 
 
    
             
            
             
                
                       
                 
                 
            
            
        
                
                       
                 
            
            
            
           
                
                       
                 
               
         
             
       
                
                       
             
          
            
            
              
                
                       
          
          
        
            
       
         
                       
            
                 
      
           
    
                
                       
                 
        
            
            
              
       
                  
                 
          
    
         
    
      
                
             
        
           
            
           
                
                       
                 
               
            
            
        
                
                       
                 
            
            
            
              
                
                       
                 
                 
         
             
          
                
                       
             
          
            
            
              
                
                       
        
        
     
          
     
       
                       
          
                 
            
            
              
        
              
                 
          
    
         
    
      
                  
          
        
            
            
        
                
                       
                 
            
            
            
          
                
                       
                 
             
         
             
       
                
                       
             
          
            
            
              
                
                       
          
          
        
            
       
         
                       
          
                 
            
            
              
        
                
                 
          
    
 
 
SYKES ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES 

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 

(in thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities:

Net income (loss) …………………………………………………………………
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by 
operating activities:

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2012

2010

$            

28,423

$           

48,341

$         

(10,273)

Depreciation and amortization, net  ……………………………………………
Impairment losses ………………………………………………………………
Unrealized foreign currency transaction (gains) losses, net  ………………
Stock-based compensation expense  …………………………………………
Excess tax (benefit) from stock-based compensation  ………………………
Deferred income tax provision (benefit) ………………………………………
Net (gain) loss on disposal of property and equipment ……………………
Bad debt expense ………………………………………………………………
Unrealized (gains) losses on financial instruments, net  ……………………
(Recovery) of regulatory penalties ……………………………………………
Amortization of deferred loan fees ……………………………………………
Net (gain) on insurance settlement ……………………………………………
(Gain) loss on sale of discontinued operations ………………………………
Other ………………………………………………………………………………

Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisition:

Receivables  ………………………………………………………………………
Prepaid expenses  ………………………………………………………………
Other current assets  ……………………………………………………………
Deferred charges and other assets  ……………………………………………
Accounts payable  ………………………………………………………………
Income taxes receivable / payable ……………………………………………
Accrued employee compensation and benefits  ……………………………
Other accrued expenses and current liabilities  ………………………………
Deferred revenue  ………………………………………………………………
Other long-term liabilities  ………………………………………………………

50,848
355
2,131
3,467
-
(4,867)
391
1,115
(1,361)
-
368
(133)
10,707
427

(6,771)
694
1,705
(18,388)
(1,589)
1,555
4,872

11,476
(163)
1,252

53,467
2,561
1,216
3,582
-
(3,955)
(3,035)
532
4,138
(407)
585
(481)
(559)
781

8,927
(1,042)
(3,442)
1,630
(6,898)
(4,529)
2,450

(2,855)
4,243
(2,636)

57,932
4,324
(4,918)
4,935
(354)
(17,142)
232
170
(1,479)
(418)
2,918
(1,991)
29,901
428

(10,716)
3,465
(4,797)
2,740
(2,174)
(6,180)
(6,601)

9,329
258
(4,527)

Net cash provided by operating activities  …………………………………

86,514

102,614

45,062

Cash flows from investing activities:

Capital expenditures  ………………………………………………………………
Cash paid for business acquisition, net of cash acquired  ……………………
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment  ………………………………
Investment in restricted cash  ……………………………………………………
Release of restricted cash  …………………………………………………………
Cash divested on sale of discontinued operations ……………………………
Proceeds from insurance settlement ……………………………………………

(38,647)
(147,094)
240
(67)
356
(9,100)
228

(29,890)

-
3,973
(494)
396
-
1,654

Net cash (used for) investing activities  …………………………………… (194,084)

(24,361)

(28,516)
(77,174)
49
(187)
80,000
(14,462)
1,991

(38,299)

62 

 
 
 
                     
                    
                     
                
               
           
                    
                    
          
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SYKES ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES 

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 
(Continued) 

(in thousands)
Cash flows from financing activities:

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2012

2010

Payment of long-term debt  ………………………………………………………
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt  ……………………………………
Proceeds from issuance of stock  …………………………………………………
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation  ……………………………
Cash paid for repurchase of common stock  ……………………………………
Proceeds from grants  ……………………………………………………………
Payment of short-term debt  ………………………………………………………
Shares repurchased for minimum tax withholding on equity awards …………
Cash paid for loan fees related to debt …………………………………………
Other  ……………………………………………………………………...…………

Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities  ……………………

Effects of exchange rates on cash  …………………………………………………

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents  …………………………

Cash and cash equivalents – beginning  …………………………………………

(22,000)
113,000

-
-
(7,908)
88
-
(1,412)
(857)
-

80,911

2,859

(23,800)

211,122

Cash and cash equivalents – ending  ………………………………………………

$          

187,322

Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:

Cash paid during period for interest ……………………………………………
Cash paid during period for income taxes ………………………………………

$              
$            

2,239
28,822

Non-cash transactions:

Property and equipment additions in accounts payable ………………………
Unrealized gain on postretirement obligation in accumulated other

$              

3,782

-
-
311
-

(49,993)
(225)
-
(1,190)
-
(8)

(51,105)

(5,855)

21,293

189,829

(75,000)
75,000
37
354
(5,212)
148
(85,000)
(1,282)
(3,035)
-

(93,990)

(2,797)

(90,024)

279,853

$         

211,122

$        

189,829

$             
$           

1,065
24,631

$            
$          

2,924
20,577

$             

2,434

$            

2,317

comprehensive income (loss) …………………………………………………
Issuance of common stock for business acquisition …………………………

36
$                   
$                      
-

$                
113
$                     
-

$                 
$        

70
136,673

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.  

63 

 
 
 
 
                    
                    
                     
                     
                    
                     
                    
                    
                     
                   
          
          
 
 
 
SYKES ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 

Note 1. Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies  

Business — Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated and consolidated subsidiaries (“SYKES” or the “Company”) provides 
comprehensive outsourced customer contact management solutions and services in the business process outsourcing 
arena  to  companies,  primarily  within  the  communications,  financial  services,  technology/consumer,  transportation 
and  leisure,  and  healthcare  industries.  SYKES  provides  flexible,  high-quality  outsourced  customer  contact 
management  services  (with  an  emphasis  on  inbound  technical  support  and  customer  service),  which  includes 
customer assistance, healthcare and roadside assistance, technical support and product sales to its clients’ customers. 
Utilizing SYKES’ integrated onshore/offshore global delivery model, SYKES provides its services through multiple 
communication channels encompassing phone, e-mail, Internet, text messaging and chat. SYKES complements its 
outsourced customer contact management services with various enterprise support services in the United States that 
encompass  services  for  a  company’s  internal  support  operations,  from  technical  staffing  services  to  outsourced 
corporate help desk services. In Europe, SYKES also provides fulfillment services including multilingual sales order 
processing via the Internet and phone, payment processing, inventory control, product delivery and product returns 
handling.  The  Company  has  operations  in  two  reportable  segments  entitled  (1) the  Americas,  which  includes  the 
United  States,  Canada,  Latin  America,  India  and  the  Asia  Pacific  Rim,  in  which  the  client  base  is  primarily 
companies in the United States that are using the Company’s services to support their customer management needs; 
and (2) EMEA, which includes Europe, the Middle East and Africa. 

Acquisitions  —  In  August  2012,  the  Company  completed  the  acquisition  of  Alpine  Access,  Inc.  (“Alpine”),  a 
Delaware  corporation,  pursuant  to  the  Agreement  and  Plan  of  Merger,  dated  July  27,  2012.  The  Company  has 
reflected  the  operating  results  in  the  Consolidated  Statement  of  Operations  since  August  20,  2012.  See  Note 2, 
Acquisition of Alpine Access, Inc., for additional information on the acquisition of this business.  

In February 2010, the Company completed the acquisition of ICT Group, Inc. (“ICT”), pursuant to the Agreement 
and  Plan  of  Merger,  dated  October 5,  2009.  The  Company  has  reflected  the  operating  results  in  the  Consolidated 
Statements of Operations since February 2, 2010. See Note 3, Acquisition of ICT, for additional information on the 
acquisition of this business. 

Discontinued Operations — In March 2012, the Company sold its Spanish operations, pursuant to an asset purchase 
agreement dated March 29, 2012 and a stock purchase agreement dated March 30, 2012.  The Company reflected 
the operating results related to the Spanish operations as discontinued operations in the Consolidated Statements of 
Operations for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010. Cash flows from discontinued operations are 
included in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010.  See 
Note 4, Discontinued Operations, for additional information on the sale of the Spanish operations.   

In  December  2010,  the  Company  sold  its  operations  in  Argentina  (the  “Argentine  operations”),  pursuant  to  stock 
purchase  agreements,  dated  December 16,  2010  and  December  29,  2010.  The  Company  reflected  the  operating 
results related to the Argentine operations as discontinued operations in the Consolidated Statement of Operations 
for the year ended December 31, 2010. Cash flows from discontinued operations are included in the Consolidated 
Statement  of  Cash  Flows  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2010.    See  Note 4,  Discontinued  Operations,  for 
additional information on the sale of the Argentine operations. 

Principles  of  Consolidation  —  The  consolidated  financial  statements  include  the  accounts  of  SYKES  and  its 
wholly-owned  subsidiaries  and  controlled  majority-owned  subsidiaries.  All  significant  intercompany  transactions 
and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.   

Use of Estimates — The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles 
generally accepted in the United States of America requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that 
affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of 
the  financial  statements  and  the  reported  amounts  of  revenues  and  expenses  during  the  reporting  period.  Actual 
results could differ from those estimates.  

64 

 
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Subsequent Events — Subsequent events or transactions have been evaluated through the date and time of issuance 
of  the  consolidated  financial  statements.  There  were  no  material  subsequent  events  that  required  recognition  or 
disclosure in the consolidated financial statements. 

Recognition  of  Revenue  —  The  Company  recognizes  revenue  in  accordance  with  Accounting  Standards 
Codification (“ASC”) 605 “Revenue Recognition” (“ASC 605”).  The Company primarily recognizes revenues from 
services as the services are performed, which is based on either a per minute, per call, per transaction or per time and 
material  basis,  under  a  fully  executed  contractual  agreement  and  record  reductions  to  revenues  for  contractual 
penalties  and  holdbacks  for  failure  to  meet  specified  minimum  service  levels  and  other  performance  based 
contingencies.  Revenue  recognition  is  limited  to  the  amount  that  is  not  contingent  upon  delivery  of  any  future 
product  or  service  or  meeting  other  specified  performance  conditions.    Product  sales,  accounted  for  within  our 
fulfillment services, are recognized upon shipment to the customer and satisfaction of all obligations.  

Revenues from fulfillment services account for 1.5%, 1.4% and 1.5% of total consolidated revenues for the years 
ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively, some of which contain multiple-deliverables. The service 
offerings  for  these  fulfillment  service  contracts  typically  include  pick-pack-and-ship,  warehousing,  process 
management,  finished  goods  assembly  and  pass-through  costs.    In  accordance  with  ASC  605-25  “Revenue 
Recognition  —  Multiple-Element  Arrangements”  (“ASC  605-25”)  [as  amended  by  Accounting  Standards  Update 
(“ASU”) 2009-13 “Revenue Recognition (Topic 605): Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements — a consensus 
of  the  FASB  Emerging  Issues  Task  Force”  (“ASU  2009-13”)],  the  Company  determines  if  the  services  provided 
under these contracts with multiple-deliverables represent separate units of accounting. A deliverable constitutes a 
separate unit of accounting when it has standalone value, and where return rights exist, delivery or performance of 
the  undelivered  items  is  considered  probable  and  substantially  within  our  control.  If  those  deliverables  are 
determined  to  be  separate  units  of  accounting,  revenues  from  these  services  are  recognized  as  the  services  are 
performed under a fully executed contractual agreement. If those deliverables are not determined to be separate units 
of accounting, revenue for the delivered services are bundled into a single unit of accounting and recognized on the 
proportional  performance  method  using  the  straight-line  basis  over  the  contract  period,  or  the  actual  number  of 
operational seats used to serve the client, as appropriate.   

As a result of the adoption of ASU 2009-13, the Company allocates revenue to each of the deliverables based on a 
selling  price  hierarchy  of  vendor  specific  objective  evidence  (“VSOE”),  third-party  evidence,  and  then  estimated 
selling price. VSOE is based on the price charged when the deliverable is sold separately. Third-party evidence is 
based on largely interchangeable competitor services in standalone sales to similarly situated customers. Estimated 
selling  price  is  based  on  the  Company’s  best  estimate  of  what  the  selling  prices  of  deliverables  would  be  if  they 
were  sold  regularly  on  a  standalone  basis.  Estimated  selling  price  is  established  considering  multiple  factors 
including,  but  not  limited  to,  pricing  practices  in  different  geographies,  service  offerings,  and  customer 
classifications. Once the Company allocates revenue to each deliverable, the Company recognizes revenue when all 
revenue recognition criteria are met. As of December 31, 2012, the Company’s fulfillment contracts with multiple-
deliverables met the separation criteria as outlined in ASC 605-25 and the revenue was accounted for accordingly.  
Other than these fulfillment contracts, the Company had no other contracts that contain multiple-deliverables as of 
December 31, 2012. 

Cash and Cash Equivalents — Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and highly liquid short-term investments. 
Cash  in  the  amount  of  $187.3 million  and  $211.1 million  at  December 31,  2012  and  2011,  respectively,  was 
primarily held in interest bearing investments, which have original maturities of less than 90 days. Cash and cash 
equivalents  of  $182.9  million  and  $163.9  million  at  December 31,  2012  and  2011,  respectively,  were  held  in 
international operations and may be subject to additional taxes if repatriated to the United States.  

Restricted  Cash  —  Restricted  cash  includes  cash  whereby  the  Company’s  ability  to  use  the  funds  at  any  time  is 
contractually  limited  or  is  generally  designated  for  specific  purposes  arising  out  of  certain  contractual  or  other 
obligations.    Restricted  cash  is  included  in  “Other  current  assets”  and  “Deferred  charges  and  other  assets”  in  the 
accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts — The Company  maintains allowances for doubtful accounts on trade account 
receivables  for  estimated  losses  arising  from  the  inability  of  its  customers  to  make  required  payments.  The 
Company’s estimate is based on qualitative and quantitative analyses, including credit risk measurement tools and 
methodologies using the publicly available credit and capital market information, a review of the current status of 
the  Company’s  trade  accounts  receivable  and  historical  collection  experience  of  the  Company’s  clients.  It  is 

65 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
reasonably possible that the Company’s estimate of the allowance for doubtful accounts will change if the financial 
condition of the Company’s customers were to deteriorate, resulting in a reduced ability to make payments.  

Assets and Liabilities Held for Sale — The Company classifies its assets and related liabilities as held for sale when 
management commits to a plan to sell the assets, the assets are ready for immediate sale in their present condition, 
an  active  program  to  locate  buyers  and  other  actions  required  to  complete  the  plan  to  sell  the  assets  has  been 
initiated, the sale of the assets is probable and expected to be completed within one year, the assets are marketed at 
reasonable prices in relation to their fair value and it is unlikely that significant changes will be made to the plan to 
sell the assets. 

The Company measures the value of assets held for sale at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value, less costs 
to  sell.  Assets  and  the  related  liabilities  held  for  sale  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated  Balance  Sheet  as  of 
December 31, 2011 pertain to the applicable assets and liabilities of the Company’s Spanish operations. See Note 4, 
Discontinued Operations, for additional information. 

Property  and  Equipment  —  Property  and  equipment  is  recorded  at  cost  and  depreciated  using  the  straight-line 
method over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets. Improvements to leased premises are amortized over 
the shorter of the related lease term or the estimated useful lives of the improvements. Cost and related accumulated 
depreciation on  assets  retired  or disposed  of  are  removed  from  the  accounts  and  any resulting  gains  or  losses  are 
credited  or  charged  to  income.    The  Company  capitalizes  certain  costs  incurred,  if  any,  to  internally  develop 
software  upon  the  establishment  of  technological  feasibility.  Costs  incurred  prior  to  the  establishment  of 
technological feasibility are expensed as incurred.   

The carrying value of property and equipment to be held and used is evaluated for impairment whenever events or 
changes  in  circumstances  indicate  that  the  carrying  amount  may  not  be  recoverable  in  accordance  with  ASC  360 
“Property, Plant and Equipment.” For purposes of recognition and measurement of an impairment loss, assets are 
grouped at the lowest levels for which there are identifiable cash flows (the “reporting unit”).  An asset is considered 
to be impaired when the sum of the undiscounted future net cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset 
and  its  eventual  disposition  does  not  exceed  its  carrying  amount.  The  amount  of  the  impairment  loss,  if  any,  is 
measured as the amount by which the carrying value of the asset exceeds its estimated fair value, which is generally 
determined based on appraisals or sales prices of comparable assets or independent third party offers. Occasionally, 
the Company redeploys property and equipment from under-utilized centers to other locations to improve capacity 
utilization if it is determined that the related undiscounted future cash flows in the under-utilized centers would not 
be sufficient to recover the carrying amount of these assets. Except as discussed in Note 6, Fair Value, the Company 
determined that its property and equipment were not impaired as of December 31, 2012. 

Rent Expense — The Company has entered into operating lease agreements, some of which contain provisions for 
future rent increases, rent free periods, or periods in which rent payments are reduced. The total amount of the rental 
payments due over the lease term is being charged to rent expense on the straight-line method over the term of the 
lease in accordance with ASC 840 “Leases.” 

Goodwill  —  The  Company  accounts  for  goodwill  and  other  intangible  assets  under  ASC  350  “Intangibles  — 
Goodwill  and  Other”  (“ASC  350”).  The  Company  expects  to  receive  future  benefits  from  previously  acquired 
goodwill over an indefinite period of time.  For goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives not subject 
to amortization, the Company reviews goodwill and intangible assets for impairment at least annually in the third 
quarter, and more frequently in the presence of certain circumstances. The Company has the option to first assess 
qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is 
more  likely  than  not  that  the  fair  value  of  a  reporting  unit  is  less  than  its  carrying  amount.  If,  after  assessing  the 
totality of events or circumstances, the Company determines it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a 
reporting  unit  is  less  than  its  carrying  amount,  then  performing  the  two-step  impairment  test  is  unnecessary. 
However,  if  the  Company  concludes  otherwise,  then  it  is  required  to  perform  the  first  step  of  the  two-step 
impairment  test  by  calculating  the  fair  value  of  the  reporting  unit  and  comparing  the  fair  value  with  the  carrying 
amount of the reporting unit. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, then the Company is 
required to perform the second step of the goodwill impairment test to measure the amount of the impairment loss, if 
any.  Fair  value  for  goodwill  is  based  on  discounted  cash  flows,  market  multiples  and/or  appraised  values,  as 
appropriate, and an analysis of our market capitalization. Under ASC 350, the carrying value of assets is calculated 
at  the  reporting  unit.  If  the  fair  value  of  the  reporting  unit  is  less  than  its  carrying  value,  goodwill  is  considered 
impaired and an impairment loss is recorded to the extent that the fair value of the goodwill within the reporting unit 
is less than its carrying value. 

66 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  Company  bypassed  the  option  to  first  assess  qualitative  factors  and  completed  its  annual  two-step  goodwill 
impairment  test  during  the  three  months  ended  September 30,  2012,  which  included  the  consideration  of  certain 
economic factors, and determined that the carrying amount of goodwill was not impaired.   

Intangible  Assets  —  Intangible  assets,  primarily  customer  relationships  and  trade  names,  are  amortized  using  the 
straight-line method over their estimated useful lives which approximate the pattern in which the economic benefits 
of  the  assets  are  consumed.  The  Company  periodically  evaluates  the  recoverability  of  intangible  assets  and  takes 
into account events or changes in circumstances that warrant revised estimates of useful lives or that indicate that 
impairment  exists.  Fair  value  for  intangible  assets  is  based  on  discounted  cash  flows,  market  multiples  and/or 
appraised values, as appropriate.  

Value Added Tax Receivables — The Philippine operations are subject to value added tax (“VAT”) which is usually 
applied  to  all  goods  and  services  purchased  throughout  The  Philippines.    Upon  validation  and  certification  of  the 
VAT  receivables  by  the  Philippine  government,  the  resulting  value  added  tax  certificates  (“certificates”)  can  be 
either  used  to  offset  current  tax  obligations  or  offered  for  sale  to  the  Philippine  government.    The  Philippine 
government  previously  allowed  companies  to  sell  the  certificates  to  third  parties,  but  this  option  was  eliminated 
during the three months ended September 30, 2011.  The VAT receivables balance is recorded at its net realizable 
value. 

Income  Taxes  —  The  Company  accounts  for  income  taxes  under  ASC  740  “Income  Taxes”  (“ASC  740”)  which 
requires recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities to reflect tax consequences of differences between the tax 
bases  of  assets  and  liabilities  and  their  reported  amounts  in  the  accompanying  consolidated  financial  statements. 
Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if, based on the weight of available evidence, both positive 
and negative, for each respective tax jurisdiction, it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be 
realized in accordance with the criteria of ASC 740. Valuation allowances are established against deferred tax assets 
due  to  an  uncertainty  of  realization.  Valuation  allowances  are  reviewed  each  period  on  a  tax  jurisdiction  by  tax 
jurisdiction basis to analyze whether there is sufficient positive or negative evidence, in accordance with criteria of 
ASC 740, to support a change in judgment about the ability to realize the related deferred tax assets. Uncertainties 
regarding expected future income in certain jurisdictions could affect the realization of deferred tax assets in those 
jurisdictions.    

The Company evaluates tax positions that have been taken or are expected to be taken in its tax returns, and records 
a  liability  for  uncertain  tax  positions  in  accordance  with  ASC  740.  ASC  740  contains  a  two-step  approach  to 
recognizing  and  measuring  uncertain  tax  positions.  First,  tax  positions  are  recognized  if  the  weight  of  available 
evidence  indicates  that  it  is  more  likely  than  not  that  the  position  will  be  sustained  upon  examination,  including 
resolution  of  related  appeals  or  litigation  processes,  if  any.  Second,  the  tax  position  is  measured  as  the  largest 
amount  of  tax  benefit  that  has  a  greater  than  50%  likelihood  of  being  realized  upon  settlement.  The  Company 
recognizes  interest  and  penalties  related  to  unrecognized  tax  benefits  in  the  provision  for  income  taxes  in  the 
accompanying consolidated financial statements.  

Self-Insurance  Programs  —  The  Company  self-insures  for  certain  levels  of  workers'  compensation  and,  as  of 
January  1,  2011,  began  self-funding  the  medical,  prescription  drug  and  dental  benefit  plans  in  the  United  States.  
Estimated  costs  of  this  self-insurance  program  are  accrued  at  the  projected  settlements  for  known  and  anticipated 
claims.  Amounts  related  to  this  self-insurance  program  are  included  in  “Accrued  employee  compensation  and 
benefits” and “Other long-term liabilities” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. 

Deferred Grants — Recognition of income associated with grants for land and the acquisition of property, buildings 
and equipment (together, “property grants”) is deferred until after the completion and occupancy of the building and 
title has passed to the Company, and the funds have been released from escrow. The deferred amounts for both land 
and  building  are  amortized  and  recognized  as  a  reduction  of  depreciation  expense  included  within  general  and 
administrative costs over the corresponding useful lives of the related assets. Amounts received in excess of the cost 
of the building are allocated to the cost of equipment and, only after the grants are released from escrow, recognized 
as  a  reduction  of  depreciation  expense  over  the  weighted  average  useful  life  of  the  related  equipment,  which 
approximates five years. Upon sale of the related facilities, any deferred grant balance is recognized in full and is 
included in the gain on sale of property and equipment. 

The  Company  receives  government  employment  grants  as  an  incentive  to  create  and  maintain  permanent 
employment positions for a specified time period. The grants are repayable, under certain terms and conditions, if 
the  Company's  relevant  employment  levels  do  not  meet  or  exceed  the  employment  levels  set  forth  in  the  grant 
67 

 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
agreements.  Accordingly,  grant  monies  received  are  deferred  and  amortized  using  the  proportionate  performance 
model over the required employment period. 

Deferred  Revenue  —  The  Company  receives  up-front  fees  in  connection  with  certain  contracts.  The  deferred 
revenue  is  earned  over  the  service  periods  of  the  respective  contracts,  which  range  from  30  days  to  seven  years. 
Deferred revenue included in current liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets includes the up-
front fees associated with services to be provided over the next ensuing twelve month period and the up-front fees 
associated  with  services  to  be  provided  over  multiple  years  in  connection  with  contracts  that  contain  cancellation 
and  refund  provisions,  whereby  the  manufacturers  or  customers  can  terminate  the  contracts  and  demand  pro-rata 
refunds of the up-front fees with short notice. Deferred revenue included in current liabilities in the accompanying 
Consolidated Balance Sheets also includes estimated penalties and holdbacks for failure to meet specified minimum 
service levels in certain contracts and other performance based contingencies.  

Stock-Based Compensation — The Company has three stock-based compensation plans: the 2011 Equity Incentive 
Plan  (for  employees  and  certain  non-employees),  the  2004  Non-Employee  Director  Fee  Plan  (for  non-employee 
directors), both approved by the shareholders, and the Deferred Compensation Plan (for certain eligible employees). 
All of these plans are discussed more fully in Note 27, Stock-Based Compensation. Stock-based awards under these 
plans may consist of common stock, stock options, cash-settled or stock-settled stock appreciation rights, restricted 
stock  and  other  stock-based  awards.  The  Company  issues  common  stock  and  uses  treasury  stock  to  satisfy  stock 
option exercises or vesting of stock awards. 

In accordance with ASC 718 “Compensation — Stock Compensation” (“ASC 718”), the Company recognizes in its 
accompanying  Consolidated  Statements  of  Operations  the  grant-date  fair  value  of  stock  options  and  other  equity-
based  compensation  issued  to  employees  and  directors.  Compensation  expense  for  equity-based  awards  is 
recognized over  the  requisite  service period, usually  the vesting period,  while  compensation  expense  for  liability-
based awards (those usually settled in cash rather than stock) is re-measured to fair value at each balance sheet date 
until the awards are settled.   

Fair  Value  of  Financial  Instruments  —  The  following  methods  and  assumptions  were  used  to  estimate  the  fair 
value of each class of financial instruments for which it is practicable to estimate that value:  

•  Cash, Short-Term and Other Investments, Investments Held in Rabbi Trust and Accounts Payable — The 
carrying  values  for  cash,  short-term  and  other  investments,  investments  held  in  rabbi  trust  and  accounts 
payable approximate their fair values. 

•  Foreign  Currency  Forward  Contracts  and  Options  —  Foreign  currency  forward  contracts  and  options, 
including  premiums  paid  on  options,  are  recognized  at  fair  value  based  on  quoted  market  prices  of 
comparable instruments or, if none are available, on pricing models or formulas using current market and 
model assumptions, including adjustments for credit risk. 

Fair  Value  Measurements  —  ASC  820  “Fair  Value  Measurements  and  Disclosures”  (“ASC  820”)  defines  fair 
value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles 
and  expands  disclosures  about  fair  value  measurements.  ASC  820-10-20  clarifies  that  fair  value  is  an  exit  price, 
representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction 
between market participants.  

ASC 825 “Financial Instruments” (“ASC 825”) permits an entity to measure certain financial assets and financial 
liabilities at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in earnings each period. The Company has not elected 
to use the fair value option permitted under ASC 825 for any of its financial assets and financial liabilities that are 
not already recorded at fair value.   

A description of the Company’s policies regarding fair value measurement is summarized below.  

68 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fair  Value  Hierarchy  —  ASC  820-10-35  requires  disclosure  about  how  fair  value  is  determined  for  assets  and 
liabilities  and  establishes  a  hierarchy  for  which  these  assets  and  liabilities  must  be  grouped,  based  on  significant 
levels  of  observable  or  unobservable  inputs.  Observable  inputs  reflect  market  data  obtained  from  independent 
sources,  while  unobservable  inputs  reflect  the  Company’s  market  assumptions.  This  hierarchy  requires  the  use  of 
observable market data when available. These two types of inputs have created the following fair value hierarchy:  

•  Level 1 — Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets. 
•  Level  2  — Quoted prices for  similar  instruments  in  active  markets;  quoted  prices  for  identical  or  similar 
instruments in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs and 
significant value drivers are observable in active markets. 

•  Level  3  —  Valuations  derived  from  valuation  techniques  in  which  one  or  more  significant  inputs  or 

significant value drivers are unobservable.  

Determination of Fair Value — The Company generally uses quoted market prices (unadjusted) in active markets 
for  identical  assets  or  liabilities  that  the  Company  has  the  ability  to  access  to  determine  fair  value,  and  classifies 
such  items  in  Level  1.  Fair  values  determined  by  Level  2  inputs  utilize  inputs  other  than  quoted  market  prices 
included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 2 inputs include 
quoted market prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities,  and inputs other than quoted  market prices 
that  are  observable  for  the  asset  or  liability.  Level  3  inputs  are  unobservable  inputs  for  the  asset  or  liability,  and 
include situations where there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or liability.  

If quoted market prices are not available, fair value is based upon internally developed valuation techniques that use, 
where possible, current market-based or independently sourced market parameters, such as interest rates, currency 
rates, etc. Assets or liabilities valued using such internally generated valuation techniques are classified according to 
the lowest level input or value driver that is significant to the valuation. Thus, an item may be classified in Level 3 
even though there may be some significant inputs that are readily observable.  

The following section describes the valuation methodologies used by the Company to measure assets and liabilities 
at fair value on a recurring basis, including an indication of the level in the fair value hierarchy in which each asset 
or liability is generally classified.  

Money  Market  and  Open-End  Mutual  Funds  —  The  Company  uses  quoted  market  prices  in  active  markets  to 
determine  the  fair  value  of  money  market  and  open-end  mutual  funds,  which  are  classified  in  Level  1  of  the  fair 
value hierarchy.  

Foreign Currency Forward Contracts and Options — The Company enters into foreign currency forward contracts 
and options over the counter and values such contracts using quoted market prices of comparable instruments or, if 
none  are  available,  on  pricing  models  or  formulas  using  current  market  and  model  assumptions,  including 
adjustments for credit risk. The key inputs include forward or option foreign currency exchange rates and interest 
rates. These items are classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.  

Investments Held in Rabbi Trust — The investment assets of the rabbi trust are valued using quoted market prices in 
active  markets,  which  are  classified  in  Level  1  of  the  fair  value  hierarchy.  For  additional  information  about  the 
deferred  compensation  plan,  refer  to  Note  14,  Investments  Held  in  Rabbi  Trust,  and  Note  27,  Stock-Based 
Compensation. 

Guaranteed Investment Certificates — Guaranteed investment certificates, with variable interest rates linked to the 
prime rate, approximate fair value due to the automatic ability to re-price with changes in the market; such items are 
classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. 

Foreign Currency Translation — The assets and liabilities of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries, whose functional 
currency is other than the U.S. Dollar, are translated at the exchange rates in effect on the reporting date, and income 
and expenses are translated at the weighted average exchange rate during the period. The net effect of translation 
gains and losses is not included in determining net income, but is included in “Accumulated other comprehensive 
income (loss)” (“AOCI”), which is reflected as a separate component of shareholders’ equity until the sale or until 
the complete or substantially complete liquidation of the net investment in the foreign subsidiary. Foreign currency 
transactional  gains  and  losses  are  included  in  “Other  income  (expense)” in  the  accompanying  Consolidated 
Statements of Operations.  

69 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
Foreign Currency and Derivative Instruments — The Company accounts for financial derivative instruments under 
ASC  815  “Derivatives  and  Hedging”  (“ASC  815”).    The  Company  generally  utilizes  non-deliverable  forward 
contracts and options expiring within one to 24 months to reduce its foreign currency exposure due to exchange rate 
fluctuations  on  forecasted  cash  flows  denominated  in  non-functional  foreign  currencies  and  net  investments  in 
foreign operations. In using derivative financial instruments to hedge exposures to changes in exchange rates, the 
Company exposes itself to counterparty credit risk.  

The Company designates derivatives as either (1) a hedge of a forecasted transaction or of the variability of cash 
flows  to  be  received  or  paid  related  to  a  recognized  asset  or  liability  (“cash  flow”  hedge);  (2)  a  hedge  of  a  net 
investment  in  a  foreign  operation;  or  (3)  a  derivative  that  does  not  qualify  for  hedge  accounting.    To  qualify  for 
hedge  accounting  treatment,  a  derivative  must  be  highly  effective  in  mitigating  the  designated  risk  of  the  hedged 
item. Effectiveness of the hedge is formally assessed at inception and throughout the life of the hedging relationship. 
Even  if  a  derivative  qualifies  for  hedge  accounting  treatment,  there  may  be  an  element  of  ineffectiveness  of  the 
hedge. 

Changes in the fair value of derivatives that are highly effective and designated as cash flow hedges are recorded in 
AOCI, until the forecasted underlying transactions occur. Any realized gains or losses resulting from the cash flow 
hedges  are  recognized  together  with  the  hedged  transaction  within  “Revenues”.    Changes  in  the  fair  value  of 
derivatives that are highly effective and designated as a net investment hedge are recorded in cumulative translation 
adjustment in AOCI, offsetting the change in cumulative translation adjustment attributable to the hedged portion of 
the Company’s net investment in the foreign operation.  Any realized gains and losses from settlements of the net 
investment  hedge  remain  in  AOCI  until  partial  or  complete  liquidation  of  the  net  investment.    Ineffectiveness  is 
measured  based  on  the  change  in  fair  value  of  the  forward  contracts  and  options  and  the  fair  value  of  the 
hypothetical derivatives with terms that match the critical terms of the risk being hedged. Hedge ineffectiveness is 
recognized  within  “Revenues”  for  cash  flow  hedges  and  within  “Other  income  (expense)”  for  net  investment 
hedges.  Cash  flows  from  the  derivative  contracts  are  classified  within  the  operating  section  in  the  accompanying 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.  

The Company formally documents all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as its 
risk management objective and strategy for undertaking various hedging activities. This process includes linking all 
derivatives  that  are  designated  as  cash  flow  hedges  to  forecasted  transactions.  Hedges  of  a  net  investment  in  a 
foreign  operation  are  linked  to  the  specific  foreign  operation.    The  Company  also  formally  assesses,  both  at  the 
hedge’s inception and on an ongoing basis, whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions are highly 
effective on a prospective and retrospective basis. When it is determined that a derivative is not highly effective as a 
hedge or that it has ceased to be a highly effective hedge or if a forecasted hedge is no longer probable of occurring, 
or if the Company de-designates a derivative as a hedge, the Company discontinues hedge accounting prospectively. 
At December 31, 2012 and 2011, all hedges were determined to be highly effective.  

The Company also periodically enters into forward contracts that are not designated as hedges as defined under ASC 
815. The purpose of  these derivative  instruments  is  to  reduce  the  effects  from  fluctuations  caused by  volatility  in 
currency  exchange  rates  on  the  Company’s  operating  results  and  cash  flows.  All  changes  in  the  fair  value  of  the 
derivative  instruments  are  included  in  “Other  income  (expense)”.    See  Note  13,  Financial  Derivatives,  for  further 
information on financial derivative instruments. 

New Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted 

In  December  2011,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2011-11  “Balance  Sheet  (Topic  210)  –  Disclosures  about  Offsetting 
Assets and Liabilities” (“ASU 2011-11”).  The amendments in ASU 2011-11 will enhance disclosures by requiring 
improved  information  about  financial  and  derivative  instruments  that  are  either  1)  offset  (netting  assets  and 
liabilities)  in  accordance  with  Section 210-20-45  or  Section 815-10-45  of  the  FASB  Accounting  Standards 
Codification or 2) subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement.  The amendments in 
ASU 2011-11 are effective for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those 
years.  An  entity  should  provide  the  disclosures  required by  those  amendments  retrospectively  for  all  comparative 
periods  presented.  The  adoption  of  ASU  2011-11  as  of  January  1,  2013  did  not  have  a  material  impact  on  the 
financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company. 

In  July  2012,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2012-02  “Intangibles  –  Goodwill  and  Other  (Topic  350)  Testing  Indefinite-
Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment” (“ASU 2012-02”).  The amendments in ASU 2012-02 provide entities with 
the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events and circumstances indicates 
70 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If, after assessing the totality of 
events and circumstances, an entity concludes that it is not more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible 
asset is impaired, then the entity is not required to take further action. However, if an entity concludes otherwise, 
then  it  is  required  to  determine  the  fair  value  of  the  indefinite-lived  intangible  asset  and  perform  the  quantitative 
impairment test by comparing the fair value with the carrying amount. Under the amendments in ASU 2012-02, an 
entity also has the option to bypass the qualitative assessment for any indefinite-lived intangible asset in any period 
and proceed directly to performing the quantitative impairment test. An entity will be able to resume performing the 
qualitative  assessment  in  any  subsequent  period.    The  amendments  in  ASU  2012-02  are  effective  for  annual  and 
interim  impairment  tests  performed  for  fiscal  years  beginning  after  September  15,  2012.    The  adoption  of  ASU 
2012-02 on January 1, 2013 did not have a material impact on the financial condition, results of operations and cash 
flows of the Company. 

In  February  2013,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2013-02  “Comprehensive  Income  (Topic  220)  Reporting  of  Amounts 
Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income” (“ASU 2013-02”).  The amendments in ASU 2013-
02  do  not  change  the  current  requirements  for  reporting  net  income  or  other  comprehensive  income  in  financial 
statements. However, the amendments require an entity to provide information about the amounts reclassified out of 
accumulated other comprehensive income by component. In addition, an entity is required to present, either on the 
face  of  the  statement  where  net  income  is  presented  or  in  the  notes,  significant  amounts  reclassified  out  of 
accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  by  the  respective  line  items  of  net  income  but  only  if  the  amount 
reclassified is required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified to net income in its entirety in the same reporting period. 
For other amounts that are not required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified in their entirety to net income, an entity 
is  required  to  cross-reference  to  other  disclosures  required  under  U.S.  GAAP  that  provide  additional  detail  about 
those amounts. The amendments in ASU 2013-02 are effective prospectively for reporting periods beginning after 
December 15, 2012.  The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2013-02 to materially impact its financial 
condition, results of operations and cash flows. 

New Accounting Standards Recently Adopted 

In  May  2011,  the  Financial  Accounting  Standards  Board  (the  “FASB”)  issued  ASU  2011-04  “Fair  Value 
Measurement  (Topic  820)  –  Amendments  to  Achieve  Common  Fair  Value  Measurement  and  Disclosure 
Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs” (“ASU 2011-04”).  The amendments in ASU 2011-04 result in common 
fair value measurement and disclosure requirements in U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards 
(“IFRS”).  Consequently,  the  amendments  change  the  wording  used  to  describe  many  of  the  requirements  in  U.S. 
GAAP  for  measuring  fair  value  and  for  disclosing  information  about  fair  value  measurements.    Some  of  the 
amendments clarify the FASB’s intent about the application of existing fair value measurement requirements. Other 
amendments  change  a  particular  principle  or  requirement  for  measuring  fair  value  or  for  disclosing  information 
about fair value measurements.  The amendments in ASU 2011-04 are to be applied prospectively and are effective 
during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011.  The adoption of ASU 2011-04 as of January 
1,  2012  did  not  have  a  material  impact  on  the  financial  condition,  results  of  operations  and  cash  flows  of  the 
Company. 

In  June  2011,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2011-05  “Comprehensive  Income  (Topic  220)  –  Presentation  of 
Comprehensive Income” (“ASU 2011-05”).  The amendments in ASU 2011-05 require that all nonowner changes in 
stockholders’  equity  be  presented  either  in  a  single  continuous  statement  of  comprehensive  income  or  in  two 
separate  but  consecutive  statements.  In  the  two-statement  approach,  the  first  statement  should  present  total  net 
income  and  its  components  followed  consecutively  by  a  second  statement  that  should  present  total  other 
comprehensive  income,  the  components  of  other  comprehensive  income,  and  the  total  of  comprehensive  income.  
The  amendments  in  ASU  2011-05  are  to  be  applied  retrospectively  and  are  effective  during  interim  and  annual 
periods beginning after December 15, 2011.  As this standard impacts presentation only, the adoption of ASU 2011-
05 as of January 1, 2012 did not impact the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company. 

In  September  2011,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2011-08  “Intangibles  –  Goodwill  and  Other  (Topic  350)  Testing 
Goodwill for Impairment” (“ASU 2011-08”).  The amendments in ASU 2011-08 provide entities with the option to 
first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination 
that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing 
the  totality  of  events  or  circumstances,  an  entity  determines  it  is  not  more  likely  than  not  that  the  fair  value  of  a 
reporting  unit  is  less  than  its  carrying  amount,  then  performing  the  two-step  impairment  test  is  unnecessary. 
However, if an entity concludes otherwise, then it is required to perform the first step of the two-step impairment 
test by calculating the fair value of the reporting unit and comparing the fair value with the carrying amount of the 
71 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
reporting unit. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, then the entity is required to perform 
the  second  step  of  the  goodwill  impairment  test  to  measure  the  amount  of  the  impairment  loss,  if  any.  Under  the 
amendments in ASU 2011-08, an entity has the option to bypass the qualitative assessment for any reporting unit in 
any period and proceed directly to performing the first step of the two-step goodwill impairment test. An entity may 
resume  performing  the  qualitative  assessment  in  any  subsequent  period.    The  amendments  in  ASU  2011-08  are 
effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 
2011.    The  adoption  of  ASU  2011-08  as  of  January  1,  2012  did  not  have  a  material  impact  on  the  financial 
condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company. 

In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-12 “Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) –  Deferral of the Effective 
Date  for Amendments  to  the Presentation  of  Reclassifications of  Items Out  of  Accumulated  Other  Comprehensive 
Income in Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05” (“ASU 2011-12”).  The amendments in ASU 2011-12 defer 
the  requirement  to  present  reclassification  adjustments  for  each  component  of  accumulated  other  comprehensive 
income  in  both  net  income  and  other  comprehensive  income  on  the  face  of  the  financial  statements.    The 
amendments in ASU 2011-12 are effective at the same time as ASU 2011-05 so that entities will not be required to 
comply  with  the  presentation  requirements  in  ASU  2011-05  that  ASU  2011-05  is  deferring.  The  amendments  in 
ASU 2011-12 are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 
2011.  As  ASU  2011-12  impacts  presentation  only,  the  adoption  of  ASU  2011-12  as  of  January  1,  2012  did  not 
impact the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company. 

Note 2. Acquisition of Alpine Access, Inc.  

On August 20, 2012, the Company acquired 100% of the outstanding common shares and voting interest of Alpine, 
pursuant  to  the  terms  of  the  merger  agreement.    Alpine,  an  industry  leader  in  the  at-home  agent  space,  provides 
award-winning  customer  contact  management  services  through  a  secured  and  proprietary  virtual  call  center 
environment  with  its  operations  located  in  the  United  States  and  Canada.  The results of  Alpine’s operations have 
been  included  in  the  Company’s  consolidated  financial  statements  since  its  acquisition  on  August 20,  2012.  The 
Company acquired Alpine to: create significant competitive differentiation for quality, speed to market, scalability 
and  flexibility  driven  by  proprietary,  internally-developed  software,  systems,  processes  and  other  intellectual 
property which uniquely overcome the challenges of the at-home delivery model; strengthen the Company’s current 
service  portfolio  and  go-to-market  offering  while  expanding  the  breadth  of  clients  with  minimal  client  overlap; 
broaden  the  addressable  market  opportunity  within  existing  and  new  verticals  as  well  as  clients;  expand  the 
addressable pool of skilled labor; leverage operational best practices across the Company’s global platform, with the 
potential to convert more of its fixed cost to variable cost; and to further enhance the growth and margin profile of 
the  Company  to  drive  shareholder  value.  This  resulted  in  the  Company  paying  a  substantial  premium  for  Alpine 
resulting in the recognition of goodwill. 

The  acquisition  date  fair  value  of  the  consideration  transferred  totaled  $149.0 million,  which  was  funded  through 
cash on hand of $41.0 million and borrowings of $108.0 million under the Company’s credit agreement, dated May 
3, 2012. See Note 21, Borrowings, for further information. 

The  Company  accounted  for  the  acquisition  in  accordance  with  ASC 805  “Business  Combinations”  (“ASC 805”), 
whereby  the  purchase  price  paid  was  allocated  to  the  tangible  and  identifiable  intangible  assets  acquired  and 
liabilities assumed from Alpine based on their estimated fair values as of the closing date. During the three months 
ended December 31, 2012, the final working capital adjustment was approved by the authorized representative of 
Alpine’s  shareholders.  The  Company  finalized  its  purchase  price  allocation  during  the  three  months  ended 
December 31, 2012, resulting in no changes from the estimated acquisition date fair values previously reported. 

72 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  following  table  summarizes  the  final  purchase  price  allocation  of  the  fair  values  of  the  assets  acquired  and 
liabilities assumed, all included in the Americas segment (in thousands): 

Amount

Cash and cash equivalents   ………………………………………
Receivables ………………………………………………………
Prepaid expenses …………………………………………………

$                 

1,859
11,831
617

Total current assets ……………………………………………
Property and equipment …………………………………………
Goodwill …………………………………………………………
Intangibles …………………………………………………………
Deferred charges and other assets …………………………………

Accounts payable …………………………………………………
Accrued employee compensation and benefits ……………………
Income taxes payable ……………………………………………
Deferred revenue …………………………………………………
Other accrued expenses and current liabilities ……………………

Total current liabilities…………………………………………
Other long-term liabilities (1) ………………………………………

14,307
11,326
80,766
57,720
916

(880)
(3,774)
(141)
(94)
(601)

(5,490)

(10,592)

$             

148,953

(1) Primarily includes long-term deferred tax liabilities.

Fair values are based on management’s estimates and assumptions including variations of the income approach, the 
cost approach and the market approach.  

The following table presents the Company’s purchased intangibles assets as of August 20, 2012, the acquisition date 
(in thousands): 

Customer relationships ……………………………………………
Trade names ………………………………………………………
Non-compete agreements …………………………………………
Favorable lease agreement …………………………………………

Amount 
Assigned

$               

46,000
10,600
670
450
57,720

$               

Weighted 
Average 
Amortization 
Period (years)
8
8
2
2
8

The  $80.8 million  of  goodwill  was  assigned  to  the  Company’s  Americas  operating  segment.  Pursuant  to  Federal 
income  tax  regulations,  no  amount  of  intangibles  or  goodwill  from  this  acquisition  will  be  deductible  for  tax 
purposes. 

The fair value of receivables acquired is $11.8 million, with the gross contractual amount of $11.8 million. 

73 

 
 
 
                
                     
                
                
                
                
                     
                   
                
                   
                     
                   
                
              
 
 
 
 
                         
                
                         
                     
                         
                     
                         
                         
 
 
 
 
 
The  amount  of  Alpine’s  revenues  and  net  loss  since  the  August  20,  2012  acquisition  date,  included  in  the 
Company’s  Consolidated  Statement  of  Operations  for  the  year  ended  December 31,  2012  were  as  follows  (in 
thousands): 

Revenues …………………………………………………………

From August 20, 
2012 Through 
December 31, 
2012
$               

40,635

(Loss) from continuing operations before income taxes …………

$                

(3,201)

(Loss) from continuing operations, net of taxes …………………

$                

(2,166)

The loss from continuing operations before income taxes of $3.2 million includes $3.6 million in severance costs, 
depreciation resulting from the adjustment to fair value of the acquired property and equipment and amortization of 
the fair values of the acquired intangibles. 

The  following  table  presents  the  unaudited  pro  forma  combined  revenues  and  net  earnings  as  if  Alpine  had  been 
included in the consolidated results of the Company for the entire year for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 
2011.  The  pro  forma  financial  information  is  not  indicative  of  the  results  of  operations  that  would  have  been 
achieved if the acquisition and related borrowings had taken place on January 1, 2012 and 2011 (in thousands): 

Revenues …………………………………………………………

Years Ended December 31,

2012
1,190,150

$          

2011
1,272,890

$          

Income from continuing operations, net of taxes …………………

$               

37,352

Income from continuing operations per common share:

Basic ……………………………………………………………

$                   

0.87

Diluted …………………………………………………………

$                   

0.87

$               

46,324

$                   

1.06

$                   

1.06

These  amounts  have  been  calculated  to  reflect  the  additional  depreciation,  amortization  and  interest  expense  that 
would  have  been  incurred  assuming  the  fair  value  adjustments  and  borrowings  occurred  on  January 1,  2012  and 
January 1, 2011, together with the consequential tax effects. In addition, these amounts exclude costs incurred which 
are directly attributable to the acquisition, and which do not have a continuing impact on the combined companies’ 
operating results. Included in these costs are severance, advisory and legal costs, net of the tax effects. 

Acquisition-related costs associated with Alpine, comprised of severance costs and transaction and integration costs, 
and  included  in  “General  and  administrative”  costs  in  the  accompanying  Condensed  Consolidated  Statement  of 
Operations for the year ended December 31, 2012 were as follows (none in 2011 and 2010) (in thousands): 

Severance costs:

Year Ended 
December 31, 2012

Americas …………………………………………………
Corporate ………………………………………………

$                          

591
377
968

Transaction and integration costs:

Corporate ………………………………………………

3,793
3,793

Total acquisition-related costs ……………………………

$                       

4,761

74 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                            
                            
                         
                         
 
 
 
 
Note 3. Acquisition of ICT 

On  February  2,  2010,  the  Company  acquired 100%  of  the  outstanding  common  shares  and voting  interest  of ICT 
through  a  merger  of  ICT  with  and  into  a  subsidiary  of  the  Company.  ICT  provided  outsourced  customer 
management  and  business  process  outsourcing  solutions  with  its  operations  located  in  the  United  States,  Canada, 
Europe, Latin America, India, Australia and The Philippines.  The results of ICT’s operations have been included in 
the  Company’s  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  since  its  acquisition  on  February  2,  2010.    The  Company 
acquired  ICT  to  expand  and  complement  its  global  footprint,  provide  entry  into  additional  vertical  markets,  and 
increase revenues to enhance its ability to leverage the Company’s infrastructure to produce improved sustainable 
operating margins.  This resulted in the Company paying a substantial premium for ICT resulting in recognition of 
goodwill.     

The  acquisition  date  fair  value  of  the  consideration  transferred  totaled  $277.8  million,  which  consisted  of  the 
following (in thousands):   

Total

Cash ………………………………………………………
Common stock  ……………………………………………

$                

141,161
136,673
277,834

$                

The fair value of the 5.6 million common shares issued was determined based on the Company’s closing share price 
of $24.40 on the acquisition date. 

The cash portion of the acquisition was funded through borrowings consisting of a $75 million short-term loan from 
KeyBank and a $75 million Term Loan, which were paid off in March 2010 and July 2010, respectively.  See Note 
21, Borrowings, for further information. 

The  Company  accounted  for  the  acquisition  in  accordance  with  ASC  805  “Business  Combinations”,  whereby  the 
purchase price paid was allocated to the tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed 
from  ICT  based  on  their  estimated  fair  values  as  of  the  closing  date.  The  Company  finalized  its  purchase  price 
allocation during the three months ended December 31, 2010.  

75 

 
 
 
 
 
                
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  following  table  summarizes  the  estimated  acquisition  date  fair  values  of  the  assets  acquired  and  liabilities 
assumed, the measurement period adjustments that occurred during the three months ended December 31, 2010 and 
the final purchase price allocation as of February 2, 2010 (in thousands):   

Cash and cash equivalents   …………………………………
Receivables …………………………………………………
Income tax receivable ………………………………………
Prepaid expenses ……………………………………………
Other current assets ………………………………………

Total current assets ………………………………………
Property and equipment ……………………………………
Goodwill ……………………………………………………
Intangibles …………………………………………………
Deferred charges and other assets …………………………

Short-term debt ……………………………………………
Accounts payable …………………………………………
Accrued employee compensation and benefits ……………
Income taxes payable ………………………………………
Other accrued expenses and current liabilities ……………

Total current liabilities……………………………………

Deferred grants ……………………………………………
Long-term income tax liabilities ……………………………
Other long-term liabilities (1) ………………………………

February 2, 2010 
(As initially 
reported)

$                  

63,987
75,890
2,844
4,846
4,950

Measurement 
Period 
Adjustments
-
$                         
-
(1,941)
-
149

February 2, 2010 
(As adjusted)

$                

63,987
75,890
903
4,846
5,099

152,517
57,910
90,123
60,310
7,978

(10,000)
(12,412)
(23,873)
(2,451)
(10,951)

(59,687)
(706)
(5,573)

(1,792)
-
7,647
-
(3,965)

-
(168)
(1,309)
2,013
(464)

72
-
(19,924)

150,725
57,910
97,770
60,310
4,013

(10,000)
(12,580)
(25,182)
(438)
(11,415)

(59,615)
(706)
(25,497)

(25,038)
277,834

17,962
$                         
-

(7,076)
277,834

$              

$                

(1) Includes primarily long-term deferred tax liabilities.

The above fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed were based on the information that was available as 
of the acquisition date to estimate the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The measurement period 
adjustments  relate  primarily  to  unrecognized  tax  benefits  and  related  offsets,  tax  liabilities  relating  to  the 
determination  as  of  the  date  of  the  ICT  acquisition  that  the  Company  intended  to  distribute  a  majority  of  the 
accumulated  and  undistributed  earnings  of  the  ICT  Philippine  subsidiary  and  its  direct  parent,  ICT  Group 
Netherlands B.V. to SYKES, its ultimate U.S. parent, and certain accrual adjustments related to labor and benefit 
costs in Argentina. The measurement period adjustments were completed as of December 31, 2010.  

The  $97.8  million  of  goodwill  was  assigned  to  the  Company’s  Americas  and  EMEA  operating  segments  in  the 
amount  of  $97.7  million  and  $0.1  million,  respectively.    The  goodwill  recognized  is  attributable  primarily  to 
synergies  the  Company  expects  to  achieve  as  the  acquisition  increases  the  opportunity  for  sustained  long-term 
operating margin expansion by leveraging general and administrative expenses over a larger revenue base.  Pursuant 
to federal income tax regulations, the ICT acquisition was considered to be a non-taxable transaction; therefore, no 
amount  of  intangibles  or  goodwill  from  this  acquisition  will  be  deductible  for  tax  purposes.    The  fair  value  of 
receivables  acquired  was  $75.9  million,  with  the  gross  contractual  amount  being  $76.4  million,  of  which  $0.5 
million was not expected to be collected.     

Total  net  assets  acquired  (liabilities  assumed)  by  operating  segment  as  of  February  2,  2010,  the  acquisition  date, 
were as follows (in thousands): 

Net assets (liabilities)  ………………………………………

$                

278,703

Americas

EMEA
$                   

(869)

Other
$                          
-

Consolidated
277,834

$           

76 

 
 
                  
                          
                 
                    
                 
                      
                    
                          
                   
                    
                     
                   
                
                 
               
                  
                          
                 
                  
                  
                 
                  
                          
                 
                    
                 
                   
                 
                          
                
                 
                    
                
                 
                 
                
                   
                  
                     
                 
                    
                
                     
                 
                       
                
                      
                          
                     
                   
               
                
                 
                
                  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fair values are based on management’s estimates and assumptions including variations of the income approach, the 
cost approach and the market approach.  The following table presents the Company’s purchased intangibles assets as 
of February 2, 2010, the acquisition date (in thousands): 

Customer relationships ……………………………………
Trade names ………………………………………………
Proprietary software ………………………………………
Non-compete agreements …………………………………

Amount Assigned
57,900
$                  
1,000
850
560
60,310

$                  

Weighted 
Average 
Amortization 
Period (years)
8
3
2
1
8

After  the  ICT  acquisition  in  February,  2010,  the  Company  paid  off  the  $10.0  million  outstanding  balance  plus 
accrued  interest  of  the  ICT  short-term  debt  assumed  upon  acquisition.  The  related  interest  expense  included  in 
“Interest  expense”  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated  Statement  of  Operations  for  the  year  ended  December  31, 
2010 was not material.  

The amount of ICT’s revenues and net loss since the February 2, 2010 acquisition date, included in the Company’s 
Consolidated Statement of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2010 were as follows (in thousands): 

Revenues ……………………………………………………

From February 2, 
2010 Through 
December 31, 
2010
$                

362,573

(Loss) from continuing operations, net of taxes ……………

$                

(26,919)

The  following  table  presents  the  unaudited  pro  forma  combined  revenues  and  net  earnings  as  if  ICT  had  been 
included in the consolidated results of the Company for the entire year ended December 31, 2010.  The pro forma 
financial information is not indicative of the results of operations that would have been achieved if the acquisition 
and related borrowings had taken place on January 1, 2010 (in thousands):   

Year Ended 
December 31, 
2010

Revenues ……………………………………………………

$             

1,162,040

Income from continuing operations, net of taxes …………

$                  

48,504

Income from continuing operations per common share:

Basic ……………………………………………………

$                      

1.04

Diluted …………………………………………………

$                      

1.04

These  amounts  have  been  calculated  to  reflect  the  additional  depreciation,  amortization,  and  interest  expense  that 
would  have  been  incurred  assuming  the  fair  value  adjustments  and  borrowings  occurred  on  January  1,  2010, 
together  with  the  consequential  tax  effects.    In  addition,  these  amounts  exclude  costs  incurred  which  are  directly 
attributable  to  the  acquisition,  and  which  do  not  have  a  continuing  impact  on  the  combined  companies  operating 
results.  Included in these costs are severance, advisory and legal costs, net of the consequential tax effects. 

77 

 
 
 
                         
                    
                         
                       
                         
                       
                         
                         
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  following  table  presents  acquisition-related  costs  included  in  “General  and  administrative”  costs  in  the 
accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations (none in 2012) (in thousands):  

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2010

Severance costs:

Americas …………………………………………………
EM EA ……………………………………………………
Corporate ………………………………………………

$                      
-
-
126
126

$                

1,234
185
14,928
16,347

Lease termination and other costs: (1)

Americas …………………………………………………
EM EA ……………………………………………………

Transaction and integration costs:

Corporate ………………………………………………

(277)
(206)
(483)

13
13

7,220
1,654
8,874

9,302
9,302

Total acquisition-related costs ……………………………

$                  

(344)

$              

34,523

(1)

Amounts related to the Third Quarter 2010 Exit Plan and the Fourth Quarter 2010 Exit Plan.
See Note 5.

Note 4. Discontinued Operations 

The results of discontinued operations, which consist of the Spanish and Argentine operations, were as follows (in 
thousands): 

Revenues:

2012

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2010

Spain …………………………………………………………………………………
Argentina ……………………………………………………………………………

$                  

10,102

$                  

39,341

-

-

$                

36,806
40,676

(Loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes: (1)

$                  

10,102

$                  

39,341

$                

77,482

Spain …………………………………………………………………………………

$                      

(820)

$                   

(4,532)

$                 

(6,417)

Argentina ……………………………………………………………………………

-

-

(6,476)

$                      

(820)

$                   

(4,532)

$               

(12,893)

(1)

There were no income taxes on the (loss) from discontinued operations as any tax benefit from the losses would be offset by a valuation
allowance.

Sale of Spanish Operations in 2012 

In  November 2011,  the  Finance  Committee  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Company  approved  a  plan  to  sell  its 
Spanish  operations,  which  were  operated  through  its  Spanish  subsidiary,  Sykes  Enterprises,  Incorporated  S.L. 
("Sykes  Spain").  Sykes  Spain  operated  customer  contact  management  centers,  with  annual  revenues  of 
approximately  $39.3  million  in  2011,  providing  contact  center  services  through  a  total  of  three  customer  contact 
management centers in Spain to clients in Spain. The decision to sell the Spanish operations was made in 2011 after 
management  completed  a  strategic  review  of  the  Spanish  market  and  determined  the  operations  were  no  longer 
consistent with the Company's strategic direction. 

On  March 29,  2012,  Sykes  Spain  entered  into  the  asset  purchase  agreement,  by  and  between  Sykes  Spain  and 
Iberphone,  S.A.U.,  and  pursuant  thereto,  on  March 29,  2012,  Sykes  Spain  sold  the  fixed  assets  located  in 
Ponferrada,  Spain,  which  were  previously  written  down  to  zero,  cash  of  $4.1  million,  and  certain  contracts  and 
licenses  relating  to  the  business  of  Sykes  Spain,  to  Iberphone,  S.A.U.  Under  the  asset  purchase  agreement, 
Ponferrada, Spain employees were transferred to Iberphone S.A.U. which assumed certain payroll liabilities in the 

78 

 
 
                        
                     
                     
                
                     
                
                    
                  
                    
                  
                    
                  
                       
                  
                       
                  
 
 
 
 
                            
                            
                  
                            
                            
                   
 
 
 
 
approximate amount of $1.7 million, and paid a nominal purchase price for the assets. 

On March 30, 2012, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement with a former member of Sykes Spain’s 
management, and pursuant thereto, on March 30, 2012, the Company sold all of the shares of capital stock of Sykes 
Spain to the purchaser for a nominal price. Pursuant to the stock purchase agreement, immediately prior to closing, 
the Company made a cash capital contribution of $8.6 million to Sykes Spain to cover a portion of Sykes Spain's 
liabilities and to fund the $4.1 million of cash transferred and sold pursuant to the asset purchase agreement with 
Iberphone, S.A.U. discussed above. As this was a stock transaction, the Company anticipates no future obligation 
with regard to Sykes Spain and there are no material post closing obligations. 

The loss on the sale of the Spanish operations amounted to $10.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2012. 
There were no income taxes on the sale of the Spanish operations as any tax benefit from the loss would be offset by 
a valuation allowance. 

The Spanish operations met the held for sale criteria as of December 31, 2011; therefore, the Company reflected the 
assets  and  related  liabilities  of  the  Spanish  operations  as  “Assets  held  for  sale,  discontinued  operations”  and 
“Liabilities held for sale, discontinued operations” in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as 
of  December  31,  2011.  The  Company  reflected  the  operating  results  related  to  the  Spanish  operations  as 
discontinued  operations  in  the  accompanying  Condensed  Consolidated  Statements  of  Operations  for  all  periods 
presented.  Cash  flows  from  discontinued  operations  are  included  in  the  accompanying  Condensed  Consolidated 
Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010. This business was historically 
reported by the Company as part of the EMEA segment. 

The assets and liabilities of the Spanish operations in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet were as follows 
(in thousands): 

Assets
Current assets:

December 31, 2011

Receivables, net ……………………………………………………………
Prepaid expenses …………………………………………………………
Total current assets ……………………………………………………
Deferred charges and other assets ……………………………………………
Total assets (1) …………………………………………………………

$                     

Liabilities
Current liabilities:

Accounts payable …………………………………………………………
Accrued employee compensation and benefits ……………………………
Deferred revenue …………………………………………………………
Other accrued expenses and current liabilities ……………………………
Total current liabilities (2) ………………………………………………
Total net assets………………………………………………………

$                       

8,970
23
8,993
597
9,590

1,191
4,592
335
1,010

7,128
2,462

(1)

(2)

Classified as current and included in "Assets held for sale, discontinued operations" in the
accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2011.

Classified as current and included in "Liabilities held for sale, discontinued operations" in
the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2011.

During the three months ended December 31, 2011, the Company recorded an impairment of $0.8 million related to 
the write-down of property and equipment, primarily leasehold improvements and software, in conjunction with the 
classification of the Spanish operations as held for sale. The impairment charges represented the amount by which 
the carrying value exceeded the fair value of these assets, as defined in ASC 820, and are included in discontinued 
operations in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2011. 

79 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                            
                       
                          
                       
                       
                       
                          
                       
                       
 
 
 
 
 
Sale of Argentine Operations in 2010 

On December 16, 2010, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of SYKES, upon the recommendation of its Finance 
Committee,  sold  its  Argentina  operations,  which  were  operated  through  two  Argentine  subsidiaries:  Centro 
Interaccion  Multimedia  S.A.  (“CIMSA”)  and  ICT  Services  of  Argentina,  S.A.  (“ICT  Argentina”),  together  the 
“Argentine operations.” CIMSA and ICT Argentina were offshore contact centers providing contact center services 
through a total of three centers in Argentina to clients in the United States and in the Republic of Argentina. The 
decision  to  exit  Argentina  was  made  due  to  surging  costs,  primarily  chronic  wage  increases,  which  dramatically 
reduced  the  appeal  of  the Argentina  footprint  among  the Company’s  existing  and  new  global  clients  and  thus  the 
overall future profitability of the Argentine operations.  

On December 13, 2010, the Company entered a stock purchase agreement, and pursuant thereto, the Company sold 
all  of  the  shares  of  capital  stock of  CIMSA  to  individual  purchasers for  a  nominal  price.  Pursuant  to  the  CIMSA 
stock purchase agreement, immediately prior to closing, the Company made a capital contribution of $9.5 million to 
CIMSA  to  cover  a  portion  of  CIMSA’s  liabilities.  Immediately  after  closing,  the  purchasers  made  a  capital 
contribution  to  CIMSA  of  $1.0 million,  and  CIMSA  repaid  a  loan  of  $1.0 million  to  one  of  the  Company’s 
subsidiaries. As this was a stock transaction, the Company has no future obligation with regard to CIMSA and there 
are no material post closing obligations.  

Additionally, on December 22, 2010, the Company entered into a letter of intent (the “ICT Letter of Intent”) to sell 
all of the shares of capital stock of ICT Argentina to a group of individual purchasers for a nominal purchase price. 
Pursuant to the ICT Letter of Intent, immediately prior to closing, the Company funded ICT Argentina with a capital 
contribution  of  $3.5 million  to  cover  a  portion  of  ICT  Argentina’s  liabilities.    Also  on  December  24, 2010,  the 
Company entered into the stock purchase agreement, and pursuant thereto, completed the sale transaction.  As this 
was  a  stock  transaction,  the  Company  has  no  future  obligation  with  regard  to  ICT  Argentina  and  there  are  no 
material post closing obligations. 

The loss on the sale of the Argentine operations amounted to $29.9 million pre-tax and $23.5 million after tax for 
the year ended December 31, 2010. The sale of Argentine operations was a taxable transaction that resulted in a $6.4 
million tax benefit. The effective tax rate on the loss on the sale of Argentina of 21.4% differs from the expected 
35.0% statutory rate due to a valuation allowance established on the foreign deferred tax asset recognized as a result 
of the sale, partially offset by a reduction in U.S. taxes related to foreign earnings distributions and the write off of 
intercompany receivables resulting in tax benefits of $2.9 million and $3.5 million, respectively.  During the three 
months  ended  December  31,  2011,  the  Company  reversed  the  accrued  liability  related  to  the  expiration  of  the 
indemnification to the purchaser for the possible loss of a specific client business, which reduced the net loss on sale 
of the Argentine operations by $0.6 million. There was no related income tax effect. 

As  a  result  of  the  sale  of  the  Argentine  operations,  the  operating  results  related  to  the  Argentine  operations  have 
been reflected as discontinued operations in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Operations for the year 
ended December 31, 2010. This business was historically reported by the Company as part of the Americas segment. 

During 2010, the Company recorded an impairment of $0.7 million related to the write-down of long-lived assets in 
Argentina,  primarily  leasehold  improvements  and  software,  which  were  no  longer  recoverable.  The  impairment 
charge represented the amount by which the carrying value exceeded the fair value of these assets which cannot be 
redeployed  to  other  locations  and  are  included  in  discontinued  operations  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated 
Statement of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2010. 

Note 5. Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities 

Fourth Quarter 2011 Exit Plan 

During 2011, the Company announced a plan to rationalize seats in certain U.S. sites and close certain locations in 
EMEA (the “Fourth Quarter 2011 Exit Plan”).  The details are described below, by segment. 

Americas 

During  2011,  as  part  of  an  on-going  effort  to  streamline  excess  capacity  related  to  the  integration  of  the  ICT 
acquisition and align it with the needs of the market, the Company announced a plan to rationalize approximately 
900 seats in the U.S., some of which were revenue generating, with plans to migrate the associated revenues to other 
80 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
locations within the U.S. Approximately 300 employees were affected and the Company has completed the actions 
associated with the Americas plan.  

The major costs estimated to be incurred as a result of these actions are program transfer costs, facility-related costs 
(primarily  consisting  of  those  costs  associated  with  the  real  estate  leases),  and  impairments  of  long-lived  assets 
(primarily leasehold improvements and equipment) estimated at $1.9 million as of December 31, 2012 ($1.0 million 
as of December 31, 2011). This increase of $0.9 million included in “General and administrative” costs included in 
the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Operations during the year ended December 31, 2012 is primarily due 
to  a  change  in  estimate  in  lease  obligations  and  additional  lease  obligation  costs.  The  Company  recorded  $0.5 
million of the costs associated with these actions as non-cash impairment charges included in “Impairment of long-
lived  assets”  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated  Statement  of  Operations  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2011, 
while  approximately  $1.4  million  represents  cash  expenditures  for  program  transfer  and  facility-related  costs, 
including obligations under the leases, the last of which ends in February 2017.  The Company has paid $0.7 million 
in cash through December 31, 2012 under the Fourth Quarter 2011 Exit Plan in the Americas. 

The following table summarizes the accrued liability associated with the Americas Fourth Quarter 2011 Exit Plan’s 
exit  or  disposal  activities  and  related  charges  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2012  (none  in  2011  or  2010)  (in 
thousands): 

Lease obligations and facility exit costs ……

$                   

-    

Beginning 
Accrual at 
January 1, 
2012

Charges 
(Reversals) for 
the Year Ended 
December 31, 
2012 (1)
$                   

1,365

Cash 
Payments

Other Non-
Cash Changes 
(2)

$                 

(683)

$                   

-    

Ending Accrual 
at December 
31, 2012
$                  

682

S hort-term (3)
$                  
138

Long-term (4)
$                  
544

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

During 2012, the Company recorded lease obligations and facility exit costs, which are included in "General and administrative" costs in the accompanying Consolidated 
Statement of Operations.

Effect of foreign currency translation.
Included in "Other accrued expenses and current liabilities" in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Included in "Other long-term liabilities" in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet.

EMEA 

During 2011, to improve the Company’s overall profitability in the EMEA region, the Company committed to close 
a  customer  contact  management  center  in  South  Africa  and  a  customer  contact  management  center  in  Ireland,  as 
well  as  some  capacity  rationalization  in  the  Netherlands,  all  components  of  the  EMEA  segment.  Through  these 
actions,  the  Company  expects  to  improve  its  cost  structure  in  the  EMEA  region  by  optimizing  its  capacity 
utilization.    While  the  Company  migrated  approximately  $3.2  million  of  annualized  call  volumes  of  the  Ireland 
facility to other facilities within EMEA, the Company did not migrate the remaining call volume in Ireland or any of 
the annualized revenue from the Netherlands or South Africa facilities, which was $18.8 million for 2011, to other 
facilities  within  the  region.  The  number  of  seats  rationalized  across  the  EMEA  region  approximated  900  with 
approximately  500  employees  affected  by  the  actions.    The  Company  closed  these  facilities  and  substantially 
completed the actions associated with the EMEA plan on September 30, 2012.   

The major costs estimated to be incurred as a result of these actions are facility-related costs (primarily consisting of 
those  costs  associated  with  the  real  estate  leases),  impairments  of  long-lived  assets  (primarily  leasehold 
improvements and equipment) and anticipated severance-related costs estimated at $6.7 million as of December 31, 
2012  ($7.6  million  as  of  December  31,  2011).    This  decrease  of  $0.9  million  included  in  “General  and 
administrative”  costs  included  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated  Statement  of  Operations  during  the  year  ended 
December  31,  2012  is  due  to  the  change  in  estimated  lease  termination  costs  and  lower  estimated  severance  and 
related costs.  The Company recorded $0.5 million of the costs associated with these actions as non-cash impairment 
charges included in “Impairment of long-lived assets” in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Operations 
for the year ended December 31, 2011, while approximately $6.2 million will be cash expenditures for severance 
and  related  costs  and  facility-related  costs,  primarily  rent  obligations  paid  through  the  remainder  of  the 
noncancelable term of the leases.  The Company has paid $5.9 million in cash through December 31, 2012 under the 
Fourth Quarter 2011 Exit Plan in EMEA. 

The Company charged $0.7 million to "Direct salaries and related costs" for severance and related costs and $(0.3) 
million to "General and administrative" costs for lease obligations and facility exit costs, severance and related costs 
and legal-related costs in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Operations for the year ended December 31, 
2012. The Company charged $3.5 million to "Direct salaries and related costs" for severance and related costs and 
81 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(3)
(6)
(1)
(10)

(10)
(62)
(0)
(72)

$2.3 million to "General and administrative" costs for lease obligations and facility exit costs, severance and related 
costs  and  legal-related  costs  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated  Statement  of  Operations  for  the  year  ended 
December 31, 2011.  

The following tables summarize the accrued liability associated with EMEA’s Fourth Quarter 2011 Exit Plan’s exit 
or disposal activities and related charges (none in 2010) (in thousands): 

Lease obligations and facility exit costs ……….
Severance and related costs …………….....……..
Legal-related costs …………….....……………….

Beginning 
Accrual at 
January 1, 2012
577
$                      
4,470
13
5,060

$                   

Charges (Reversals) 
for the Year Ended 
December 31, 2012 (1)
(568)
$                             
857
89
378

$                               

Other Non-
Cash Changes 
(2)

Cash Payments

$                                 

$                       

(6)
(5,134)
(91)
(5,231)

$                          

$                     

Ending Accrual at 
December 31, 
2012
-
$                          
187
10
197

$                      

S hort-term (3)
-
$                             
187
10
197

$                         

Long-term (4)
-
$                      
-
-
$                      
-

Lease obligations and facility exit costs ……….
Severance and related costs …………….....……..
Legal-related costs …………….....……………….

Beginning 
Accrual at 
January 1, 2011
-
$                          
-
-
$                          
-

Charges (Reversals) 
for the Year Ended 
December 31, 2011 (1)
587
$                               
5,185
21
5,793

$                            

Cash Payments
-
$                                  
(653)
(8)
(661)

$                             

Other Non-
Cash Changes 
(2)

Ending Accrual at 
December 31, 
2011

$                     

$                      

S hort-term (3)
$                         

Long-term (4)
-
$                      
-
-
$                      
-

577
4,470
13
5,060

577
4,470
13
5,060

$                     

$                   

$                      

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

During 2012, the Company recorded additional severance and related costs and legal-related costs and reversed accruals related to the final settlement of termination costs at one of the sites.  During 2011, 
the Company recorded charges related to the initiation of the Fourth Quarter 2011 Exit Plan.
Effect of foreign currency translation.
Included in "Other accrued expenses and current liabilities" in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Included in "Other long-term liabilities" in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Fourth Quarter 2010 Exit Plan 

During  2010,  in  furtherance  of  the  Company’s  long-term  goals  to  manage  and  optimize  capacity  utilization,  the 
Company committed to and closed a customer contact management center in the United Kingdom and a customer 
contact  management  center  in  Ireland,  both  components  of  the  EMEA  segment  (the  "Fourth  Quarter  2010  Exit 
Plan").  These  actions  further  enabled  the  Company  to  reduce  operating  costs  by  eliminating  additional  redundant 
space and to optimize capacity utilization rates where overlap existed. These actions were substantially completed 
by  January 31,  2011.  None  of  the  revenues  from  the  United  Kingdom  or  Ireland  facilities,  which  were 
approximately $1.3 million on an annualized basis, were captured and migrated to other facilities within the region. 
Loss from operations of the United Kingdom and Ireland were not material to the consolidated income (loss) from 
continuing operations; therefore, their results of operations have not been presented as discontinued operations in the 
accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. 

The major costs incurred as a result of these actions were facility-related costs (primarily consisting of those costs 
associated  with  the  real  estate  leases),  impairments  of  long-lived  assets  (primarily  leasehold  improvements  and 
equipment) and severance-related costs totaling $2.2 million as of December 31, 2012 ($2.2 million as of December 
31, 2011). The Company recorded $0.2 million of the costs associated with the Fourth Quarter 2010 Exit Plan as 
non-cash  impairment  charges.  Approximately  $1.8 million  represents  cash  expenditures  for  facility-related  costs, 
primarily rent obligations to be paid through the remainder of the lease terms, the last of which ends in March 2014, 
and  $0.2 million  represents  cash  expenditures  for  severance-related  costs.  The  Company  has  paid  $1.4  million  in 
cash through December 31, 2012 under the Fourth Quarter 2010 Exit Plan. 

82 

 
 
                    
                               
                           
                        
                       
                          
                        
                         
                                 
                                
                        
                         
                            
                        
 
                            
                            
                              
                      
                    
                       
                        
                            
                                 
                                  
                        
                         
                            
                        
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  following  tables  summarize  the  accrued  liability  associated  with  the  Fourth  Quarter  2010  Exit  Plan’s  exit  or 
disposal activities and related charges (in thousands): 

Lease obligations and facility exit costs …….…
Severance and related costs  …………….....…....

Lease obligations and facility exit costs ………
Severance and related costs  …………….....…....

Charges (Reversals) 
for the Year Ended 
December 31, 2012 
(1)

-
$                              
-
$                              
-

Charges (Reversals) 
for the Year Ended 
December 31, 2011 
(1)

Beginning 
Accrual at 
January 1, 
2012

$                  

$                  

835
-
835

Beginning 
Accrual at 
January 1, 
2011
$               

1,711
-
1,711

Cash Payments

$                          

Other Non-
Cash Changes 
(2)

4
$                        
-
$                        
4

Ending Accrual 
at December 
31, 2012

$                  

539
-
539

(300)
-
(300)

S hort-term (3)
$                         

Long-term (4)
$                            

$                          

$                  

$                         

$                            

Other Non-
Cash Changes 
(2)

Cash Payments

Ending Accrual 
at December 
31, 2011
$                  

835
-
835

(60)
-
(60)

$                             

$                          

$                     

70
-
70

(886)
-
(886)

S hort-term (3)
$                         

Long-term (4)
$                          

$               

$                             

$                          

$                     

$                  

$                         

$                          

448
-
448

398
-
398

91
-
91

437
-
437

Lease obligations and facility exit costs ………
Severance and related costs  …………….....…....

Beginning 
Accrual at 
January 1, 
2010
-
$                     
-
$                     
-

Charges (Reversals) 
for the Year Ended 
December 31, 2010 
(1)

$                        

1,711
185
1,896

Cash Payments
$                            

-    
(185)
(185)

Other Non-
Cash Changes 
(2)

-
$                       
-
$                       
-

Ending Accrual 
at December 
31, 2010

$               

1,711
-
1,711

S hort-term
$                         

Long-term
$                          

941
-
941

770
-
770

$                        

$                          

$               

$                         

$                          

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

During 2011, the Company recorded additional lease termination costs, which are included in "General and administrative" costs in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Operations.  During 
2010, the Company recorded charges related to the initiation of the Fourth Quarter 2010 Exit Plan.
Effect of foreign currency translation.

Included in "Other accrued expenses and current liabilities" in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Included in "Other long-term liabilities" in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

See Note 4, Discontinued Operations, for impairment charges recorded in 2010 related to the Company’s Argentine 
operations, which were sold in December 2010. 

Third Quarter 2010 Exit Plan 

During  2010,  consistent  with  the  Company’s  long-term  goals  to  manage  and  optimize  capacity  utilization,  the 
Company  closed  or  committed  to  close  four  customer  contact  management  centers  in  The  Philippines  and 
consolidated  or  committed  to  consolidate  leased  space  in  our  Wilmington,  Delaware  and  Newtown,  Pennsylvania 
locations  (the  "Third  Quarter  2010  Exit  Plan").  These  actions  were  in  response  to  the  facilities  consolidation  and 
capacity  rationalization  related  to  the  ICT  acquisition,  enabling  the  Company  to  reduce  operating  costs  by 
eliminating  redundant  space  and  to  optimize  capacity  utilization  rates  where  overlap  existed.  There  were  no 
employees affected by the Third Quarter 2010 Exit Plan.  These actions were substantially completed by January 31, 
2011.  

The  major  costs  incurred  as  a  result  of  these  actions  were  impairments  of  long-lived  assets  (primarily  leasehold 
improvements) and facility-related costs (primarily consisting of those costs associated with the real estate leases) 
estimated at $10.5 million as of December 31, 2012 ($10.5 million as of December 31, 2011), all of which are in the 
Americas  segment.  The  Company  recorded  $3.8  million  of  the  costs  associated  with  the  Third Quarter  2010  Exit 
Plan as non-cash impairment charges, of which $0.7 million and $3.1 million are included in “Impairment of long-
lived assets” in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 
2010,  respectively  (see  Note  6,  Fair  Value,  for  further  information).  The  remaining  $6.7  million  represents  cash 
expenditures for facility-related costs, primarily rent obligations to be paid through the remainder of the lease terms, 
the last of which ends in February 2017.  The Company has paid $4.2 million in cash through December 31, 2012 
under the Third Quarter 2010 Exit Plan. 

83 

 
 
                       
                                
                                
                         
                       
                               
                               
 
                       
                                
                                
                         
                       
                               
                               
 
                       
                            
                          
                         
                       
                               
                               
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  following  tables  summarize  the  accrued  liability  associated  with  the  Third  Quarter  2010  Exit  Plan’s  exit  or 
disposal activities and related charges (in thousands): 

Lease obligations and facility exit costs ……….

Lease obligations and facility exit costs ……….

Beginning 
Accrual at 
January 1, 
2012
$               

3,427

Beginning 
Accrual at 
January 1, 
2011
$               

6,141

Charges (Reversals) 
for the Year Ended 
December 31, 2012 
(1)

Cash Payments

$                             

61

$                          

(937)

Other Non-Cash 
Changes (2)
$                     

-    

Ending Accrual 
at December 
31, 2012

$               

2,551

S hort-term (3)
$                          

618

Long-term (4)

$                     

1,933

Charges (Reversals) 
for the Year Ended 
December 31, 2011 
(1)

Cash Payments

$                          

(276)

$                       

(2,443)

Other Non-Cash 
Changes (2)
$                         
5

Ending Accrual 
at December 
30, 2011

$               

3,427

S hort-term (3)
$                          

843

Long-term (4)

$                     

2,584

Lease obligations and facility exit costs ……….

$                   

-    

$                        

6,944

$                          

(803)

Beginning 
Accrual at 
January 1, 
2010

Charges (Reversals) 
for the Year Ended 
December 31, 2010 
(1)

Cash Payments

Other Non-Cash 
Changes (2)
$                     

-    

Ending Accrual 
at December 
31, 2010

S hort-term

Long-term

$               

6,141

$                       

2,199

$                     

3,942

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

During 2012, the Company recorded additional lease obligations due to an unanticipated lease termination penalty, which are included in "General and administrative" costs in the accompanying 
Consolidated Statement of Operations.  During 2011, the Company reversed accruals related to lease termination costs due to an unanticipated sublease at one of the sites, which reduced "General and 
administrative" costs in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Operations.  This amount was partially offset by additional lease termination costs for one of the sites.  During 2010, the 
Company recorded charges related to the initiation of the Third Quarter 2010 Exit Plan.
Effect of foreign currency translation.

Included in "Other accrued expenses and current liabilities" in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Included in "Other long-term liabilities" in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

ICT Restructuring Plan 

As of February 2, 2010, the Company assumed the liabilities of ICT, including restructuring accruals in connection 
with ICT’s plans to reduce its overall cost structure and adapt to changing economic conditions by closing various 
customer contact management centers in Europe and Canada prior to the end of their existing lease terms (the “ICT 
Restructuring Plan”). These remaining restructuring accruals, which related to ongoing lease and other contractual 
obligations, were paid in December 2011. Since acquiring ICT in February 2010, the Company has paid $1.9 million 
in cash through December 31, 2011, the date at which the ICT Restructuring Plan concluded. 

The following tables summarize the accrued liability associated with the ICT Restructuring Plan’s exit or disposal 
activities (none in 2012) (in thousands):  

Lease obligations and facility exit costs ……….

Beginning 
Accrual at 
January 1, 
2011
$               

1,462

Beginning 
Accrual at 
January 1, 
2010

Lease obligations and facility exit costs ……….

$                   

-    

Charges (Reversals) 
for the Year Ended 
December 31, 2011 
(1)

Cash Payments

$                          

(276)

$                       

(1,139)

Other Non-Cash 
Changes (2)
$                           

(47)

Ending Accrual 
at December 
31, 2011
$                   

-    

S hort-term (3)
$                          

-    

Long-term (4)
$                         

-    

Accrual Assumed 
Upon Acquisition of 
ICT on February 2, 
2010 (1)
$                        

2,197

Cash Payments

$                          

(735)

Other Non-Cash 
Changes (2)
$                           

-    

Ending Accrual 
at December 
31, 2010

S hort-term

$               

1,462

$                       

1,462

Long-term
$                         

-    

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

During 2011, the Company reversed accruals related to the final settlement of termination costs, which reduced "General and administrative" costs in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of 
Operations.  During 2010, upon acquisition of ICT on February 2, 2010, the Company assumed ICT's restructuring accruals.
Effect of foreign currency translation.
Included in "Other accrued expenses and current liabilities" in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Included in "Other long-term liabilities" in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet.

84 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 6. Fair Value  

The Company's assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis subject to the requirements of ASC 
820 consist of the following (in thousands):  

Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2012 Using:

Quoted Prices 
in Active 
Markets For 
Identical Assets
Level (1)

S ignificant 
Other 
Observable 
Inputs
Level (2)

S ignificant 
Unobservable 
Inputs
Level (3)

 Balance at 
December 31, 2012

Assets:

M oney market funds and open-end mutual

funds included in "Cash and cash equivalents" ……(1)

$                       

7,598

$                 

7,598

$                     

-    

$                    

-    

M oney market funds and open-end mutual

funds in "Deferred charges and other assets" ………(1)
Foreign currency forward and option contracts ………(2)
Equity investments held in a rabbi trust 

for the Deferred Compensation Plan ………………(3)

Debt investments held in a rabbi trust 

for the Deferred Compensation Plan ………………(3)
Guaranteed investment certificates ……………………(4)

Liabilities:

Foreign currency forward and option contracts ………(5)

11
2,008

3,212

11

-

3,212

-
2,008

-

-
-

-

2,049
80
14,958

$                     

2,049
-
12,870

$               

-
80
2,088

$                 

-
-
$                    
-

$                          
$                          

974
974

$                    
-    
$                    
-

$                    
$                    

974
974

$                    
-    
$                    
-

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

In the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet.  
Included in “ Other current assets”  in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet.  See Note 13.
Included in “ Other current assets” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet.  See Note 14.
Included in “ Deferred charges and other assets” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet. 
Included in “ Other accrued expenses and current liabilities” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet.  See Note 13.

The Company's assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis subject to the requirements of ASC 
820 consist of the following (in thousands):    

Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2011 Using:

Quoted Prices 
in Active 
Markets For 
Identical Assets
Level (1)

S ignificant 
Other 
Observable 
Inputs
Level (2)

S ignificant 
Unobservable 
Inputs
Level (3)

 Balance at 
December 31, 2011

Assets:

M oney market funds and open-end mutual

funds included in "Cash and cash equivalents" ……(1)

$                    

68,651

$               

68,651

$                    

-    

$                    

-    

M oney market funds and open-end mutual

funds in "Deferred charges and other assets" ………(1)
Foreign currency forward and option contracts ………(2)
Equity investments held in a rabbi trust 

for the Deferred Compensation Plan ………………(3)

Debt investments held in a rabbi trust 

for the Deferred Compensation Plan ………………(3)
Guaranteed investment certificates ……………………(4)

Liabilities:

Foreign currency forward and option contracts ………(5)

12
710

2,817

12
-

2,817

-
710

-

-
-

-

1,365
65
73,620

$                    

1,365
-
72,845

$               

-
65
775

$                    

-
-
$                    
-

$                         
$                         

752
752

$                    
-    
$                    
-

$                    
$                    

752
752

$                    
-    
$                    
-

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

In the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet.  
Included in “ Ot her current assets”  in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet .  See Not e 13.
Included in “ Ot her current assets” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet .  See Note 14.
Included in “ Deferred charges and ot her assets” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet.
Included in “ Other accrued expenses and current liabilities” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet.  See Note 13.

85 

 
 
     
 
                             
                      
                     
                     
                        
                     
                  
                     
                        
                 
                     
                     
                        
                 
                     
                     
                             
                     
                       
                     
  
 
 
 
                            
                      
                     
                     
                          
                     
                    
                     
                       
                 
                     
                     
                       
                 
                     
                     
                            
                     
                      
                     
  
 
Certain assets, under certain conditions, are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis utilizing Level 3 inputs as 
described in Note 1, Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, like those associated with acquired 
businesses, including goodwill, other intangible assets and other long-lived assets. For these assets, measurement at 
fair value in periods subsequent to their initial recognition would be applicable if these assets were determined to be 
impaired.    The  adjusted  carrying  values  for  assets  measured  at  fair  value  on  a  nonrecurring  basis  (no  liabilities) 
subject to the requirements of ASC 820 were not material at December 31, 2012 and 2011. 

The  following  table  summarizes  the  total  impairment  losses  related  to  nonrecurring  fair  value  measurements  of 
certain assets (no liabilities) subject to the requirements of ASC 820 (in thousands): 

Americas:

Total Impairment (Loss)
Years Ended December 31,
2011

2010

2012

Property and equipment, net (1) …..………………………

$                 

(355)

$              

(1,244)

$              

(3,121)

EM EA:

Goodwill (1) ………………..…......................................
Intangibles, net (1)…………………………...……………

Property and equipment, net (1) …..………………………

Discontinued Operations:

Americas - Property and equipment, net (1), (2) …..………
EM EA - Property and equipment, net (1), (2) …..…………

-

-
-

-

-

-
-
(474)

(84)

(278)
(362)
(159)

(355)

(1,718)

(3,642)

-

-

(682)

$                 

-
(355)

(843)
(2,561)

$              

-
(4,324)

$              

(1)

See Note 1 for additional information regarding the fair value measurement.

(2) See Note 4 for additional information regarding the impairments related to discontinued operations.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets 

During  2012,  the  Company  determined  that  the  carrying  value  of  certain  long-lived  assets,  primarily  software 
licenses, were no longer being used and were disposed of resulting in an impairment charge of $0.3 million in the 
U.S. and Canada (a component of the Americas segment). Also, during 2012 in on-going effort to streamline excess 
capacity  related  to  the  integration  of  the  ICT  acquisition  and  align  it  with  the  needs  of  the  market,  the  Company 
closed one of its customer contact management centers in Costa Rica (a component of the Americas segment), and 
recorded  an  impairment  charge  of  $0.1  million  for  the  carrying  value  of  the  long-lived  assets  that  could  not  be 
redeployed to other locations.  

During  2011,  in  connection  with  the  closure  of  certain  customer  contact  management  centers  under  the  Third 
Quarter 2010 and the Fourth Quarter 2010 Exit Plans as discussed more fully in Note 5, Costs Associated with Exit 
or Disposal Activities, the Company recorded impairment charges of $1.2 million in the U.S. and The Philippines 
(within  the  Americas  segment)  and  $0.5  million  in  South  Africa,  Ireland  and  Amsterdam  (within  the  EMEA 
segment),  relating  to  leasehold  improvements  which  were  not  recoverable  and  equipment  that  could  not  be 
redeployed to other locations.  

During  2010,  in  connection  with  the  closure  of  certain  customer  contact  management  centers  under  the  Third 
Quarter 2010 and the Fourth Quarter 2010 Exit Plans as discussed more fully in Note 5, Costs Associated with Exit 
or Disposal  Activities,  the  Company  recorded  impairment  charges  of  $3.1  million  (within  the Americas  segment) 
and $0.5 million (within the EMEA segment). The Americas $3.1 million impairment charge is comprised primarily 
of  leasehold  improvements  in  The  Philippines  which  were  not  recoverable.  The  EMEA  $0.5  million  impairment 
charge is comprised of $0.1 million relating to leasehold improvements and equipment in the United Kingdom and 
Ireland  which  were  not  recoverable  and  $0.4  million  relating  to  impairment  of  goodwill  and  intangibles  in  the 
United Kingdom based on its actual and forecasted results and deterioration of the related customer base.  

86 

 
 
 
 
                   
                    
                    
                   
                    
                  
                   
                    
                  
                   
                  
                  
                 
               
               
                   
                    
                  
                   
                  
                    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 7.  Goodwill and Intangible Assets  

The following table presents the Company’s purchased intangible assets as of December 31, 2012 (in thousands): 

Customer relationships ……………………………
Trade names ………………………………………
Non-compete agreements …………………………
Proprietary software ………………………………
Favorable lease agreement …………………………

Gross Intangibles
104,483
$                
11,600
1,229
850
450
118,612

$                

Accumulated 
Amortization

$                 

$                  

Net Intangibles
80,931
10,149
548
40
369
92,037

$                  

Weighted Average 
Amortization 
Period (years)

8
8
2
2
2
8

(23,552)
(1,451)
(681)
(810)
(81)
(26,575)

$                 

The following table presents the Company’s purchased intangible assets as of December 31, 2011 (in thousands): 

Customer relationships ……………………………
Trade names ………………………………………
Non-compete agreements …………………………
Proprietary software ………………………………

Gross Intangibles
58,027
$                  
1,000
560
850
60,437

$                  

Accumulated 
Amortization

$                 

(14,056)
(639)
(560)
(710)
(15,965)

$                 

$                  

Net Intangibles
43,971
361
-
140
44,472

$                  

Weighted Average 
Amortization 
Period (years)

8
3
1
2
8

The  following  table  presents  amortization  expense,  related  to  the  purchased  intangible  assets  resulting  from 
acquisitions  (other  than  goodwill),  included  in  “General  and  administrative”  costs  in  the  accompanying 
Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands): 

Amortization expense ………………………

10,479

$                   

7,961

$                   

7,879

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2010

2012
$                 

The Company’s estimated future amortization expense for the succeeding years relating to the purchased intangible 
assets resulting from acquisitions completed prior to December 31, 2012, is as follows (in thousands): 

Years Ending December 31,
2013…………………………………………………………………………………
2014 …………………………………………………………………………………
2015 …………………………………………………………………………………
2016 …………………………………………………………………………………
2017 …………………………………………………………………………………
2018 and thereafter …………………………………………………………………

Amount

14,977
14,713
14,353
14,353
14,353
19,288

87 

 
 
   
 
                            
                   
                   
                   
                            
                     
                      
                        
                            
                        
                      
                          
                            
                        
                        
                        
                            
                            
 
 
 
                            
                     
                      
                        
                            
                        
                      
                        
                            
                        
                      
                        
                            
                            
 
 
 
 
 
 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
 
 
 
 
Changes in goodwill for the year ended December 31, 2012 consist of the following (in thousands): 

Americas: 

Gross Amount

Accumulated 
Impairment 
Losses

Net Amount

Balance at January 1, 2012 …………………………………
Acquisition of Alpine (1) ……………………………………
Foreign currency translation ………………………………
Balance at December 31, 2012 …………………………

$                

121,971

EMEA:

Balance at January 1, 2012 …………………………………
Foreign currency translation ………………………………
Balance at December 31, 2012 …………………………

80,766
2,123
204,860

84
-

84
204,944

$                      

(629)

$                

121,342

-
-
(629)

80,766
2,123
204,231

(84)
-
(84)
(713)

$                      

-
-
-
204,231

$                

$                

(1) See Note 2, Acquisition of Alpine Access, Inc., for further information.

Changes in goodwill for the year ended December 31, 2011 consist of the following (in thousands): 

Americas: 

Gross Amount

Accumulated 
Impairment 
Losses

Net Amount

Balance at January 1, 2011 …………………………………
Foreign currency translation ………………………………
Balance at December 31, 2011 …………………………

$                

122,932
(961)
121,971

EMEA:

Balance at January 1, 2011 …………………………………
Foreign currency translation ………………………………
Balance at December 31, 2011 …………………………

84

-

$                

84
122,055

$                      

(629)
-
(629)

$                

122,303
(961)
121,342

(84)
-
(84)
(713)

$                      

-
-
-
121,342

$                

Note 8. Concentrations of Credit Risk  

Financial  instruments  that  potentially  subject  the  Company  to  concentrations  of  credit  risk  consist  principally  of 
trade receivables. The Company’s credit concentrations are limited due to the wide variety of customers and markets 
in which the Company’s services are sold. See Note 13, Financial Derivatives, for a discussion of the Company’s 
credit  risk  relating  to  financial  derivative  instruments,  and  Note  28,  Segments  and  Geographic  Information,  for  a 
discussion of the Company’s customer concentration. 

Note 9. Receivables, Net 

Receivables, net consist of the following (in thousands):  

Trade accounts receivable ……………………………………………
Income taxes receivable ………………………………………………
Other …………………………………………………………………

Less: Allowance for doubtful accounts ………………………………

 December 31,  

2012
$                 

2011
$                 

248,281
2,143
2,290
252,714
5,081
247,633

227,512
3,853
2,641
234,006
4,304
229,702

$                 

$                 

Allowance for doubtful accounts as a percent of trade receivables …

2.0%

1.9%

88 

 
 
                   
                        
                   
                     
                        
                     
                 
                      
                 
                          
                        
                        
                        
                        
                        
                          
                        
                        
 
 
 
                      
                        
                      
                 
                      
                 
                          
                        
                        
                        
                        
                        
                          
                        
                        
 
 
 
 
 
Note 10. Prepaid Expenses  

Prepaid expenses consist of the following (in thousands): 

 December 31,  

Prepaid maintenance …………………………
Prepaid rent ……………………………………
Prepaid insurance ……………………………
Prepaid other …………………………………

2012
$                

2011
$                

$              

$              

Note 11. Other Current Assets 

Other current assets consist of the following (in thousands): 

 December 31,  

Deferred tax assets (Note 23)…………………
Financial derivatives (Note 13)………………
Investments held in rabbi trust (Note 14)……
Value added tax certificates (Note 12)…………
Other current assets …………………………

2012
$                

2011
$                

$              

$              

4,625
2,306
1,402
4,037
12,370

8,143
1,994
5,261
2,548
2,071
20,017

4,191
2,850
1,564
2,935
11,540

8,044
710
4,182
2,386
4,798
20,120

Note 12. Value Added Tax Receivables 

The VAT receivables balances, and the respective locations in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets, are 
presented below (in thousands): 

VAT included in:

 December 31,  

2012

2011

Other current assets (Note 11)…………………
Deferred charges and other assets (Note 16)……

$                

$                

2,548
7,214
9,762

2,386
5,191
7,577

$                

$                

During  the  years  ended  December  31,  2012,  2011  and  2010,  the  Company  wrote  down  the  VAT  receivables 
balances by the following amounts, which are reflected in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations 
(in thousands): 

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2012

2010

Write-down of value added tax receivables………

$                   

546

$                   

504

$                   

551

Note 13. Financial Derivatives 

Cash  Flow  Hedges  –  The  Company  had  derivative  assets  and  liabilities  relating  to  outstanding  forward  contracts 
and options, designated as cash flow hedges, as defined under ASC 815, consisting of Philippine Peso, Costa Rican 
Colon, Hungarian  Forint  and  Romanian  Leu  contracts.  These  contracts are  entered  into  to protect  against  the  risk 
that  the  eventual  cash  flows  resulting  from  such  transactions  will  be  adversely  affected  by  changes  in  exchange 
rates. 

89 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                
                
 
 
  
 
 
     
 
 
 
The  deferred  gains  (losses)  and related  taxes  on  the  Company’s  derivative  instruments  recorded  in  “Accumulated 
other  comprehensive  income  (loss)”  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets  are  as  follows  (in 
thousands): 

December 31, 2012

December 31, 2011

Deferred gains (losses) in AOCI …………………………………
Tax on deferred gains (losses) in AOCI ………………...………
Deferred gains (losses) in AOCI, net of taxes ……….…………

(512)
(58)
(570)

$                         

$                       

$                         

$                       

(670)
232
(438)

Deferred gains (losses) expected to be reclassified to 
"Revenues" from AOCI during the next twelve months ………

$                         

(517)

Deferred  gains  (losses)  and  other  future  reclassifications  from  AOCI  will  fluctuate  with  movements  in  the 
underlying market price of the forward contracts and options. 

Net Investment Hedge – During 2010, the Company entered into foreign exchange forward contracts to hedge its 
net investment in a foreign operation, as defined under ASC 815, with an aggregate notional value of $26.1 million.  
These hedges settled in 2010 and the Company recorded deferred (losses) of $(2.6) million, net of taxes, for 2010 as 
a  currency  translation  adjustment,  a  component  of  AOCI,  offsetting  foreign  exchange  currency  fluctuations 
attributable  to  the  translation  of  the  net  investment.    The  Company  did  not  hedge  net  investments  in  foreign 
operations during 2012 and 2011. 

Other Hedges – The Company also periodically enters into foreign currency hedge contracts that are not designated 
as hedges as defined under ASC 815. The purpose of these derivative instruments is to protect our interests against 
adverse foreign currency moves pertaining to intercompany receivables and payables, and other assets and liabilities 
that  are  denominated  in  currencies  other  than  the  Company’s  subsidiaries  functional  currencies.  These  contracts 
generally do not exceed 90 days in duration. 

The Company had the following outstanding foreign currency forward contracts and options (in thousands):  

Contract Type
Cash flow hedges: (1)
Options:

Philippine Pesos

Forwards:

Philippine Pesos
Costa Rican Colones 
Hungarian Forints
Romanian Leis

Non-designated hedges: (2)
Forwards

As of December 31, 2012

As of December 31, 2011

Notional 
Amount in 
US D

S ettle Through 
Date

Notional 
Amount in 
US D

S ettle Through 
Date

 $            71,000 

S eptember 2013

 $            85,500 

September 2012

                 5,000 
               60,750 
                 4,744 
                 6,895 

August 2013
December 2013
January 2014
January 2014

               12,000 
               30,000 
                        - 
                        - 

M arch 2012
September 2012
-
-

               41,799 

June 2013

               27,192 

M arch 2012

(1)

(2)

Cash flow hedge as defined under ASC 815. Purpose is to protect against the risk that eventual cash flows resulting
from such transactions will be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates.

Foreign currency hedge contract not designated as a hedge as defined under ASC 815. Purpose is to reduce the effects
on the Company's operating results and cash flows from fluctuations caused by volatility in currency exchange rates,
primarily related to intercompany loan payments and cash held in non-functional currencies.

See  Note  1,  Overview  and  Summary  of  Significant  Accounting  Policies,  for  additional  information  on  the 
Company's  purpose  for  entering  into  derivatives  not  designated  as  hedging  instruments  and  its  overall  risk 
management strategies. 

90 

 
 
                             
                          
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
As of December 31, 2012, the maximum amount of loss due to credit risk that, based on the gross fair value of the 
financial  instruments,  the  Company  would  incur  if  parties  to  the  financial  instruments  that  make  up  the 
concentration failed to perform according to the terms of the contracts was $2.0 million. 

The following tables present the fair value of the Company’s derivative instruments included in the accompanying 
Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands): 

Derivative Assets

December 31, 2012
Fair  Value

December 31, 2011
Fair Value

Derivatives designated as cash flow hedging instruments 
under AS C 815:
Foreign currency forward and option contracts (1) ……………
Foreign currency forward and option contracts (2) ……………

$                          

1,080
14

1,094

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments under 
AS C 815:
Foreign currency forward contracts(1) …………………………

914

$                             

704

-
704

6

Total derivative assets ……………………………………

$                          

2,008

$                             

710

Derivatives designated as cash flow hedging instruments 
under AS C 815:
Foreign currency forward and option contracts (3) ……………
Foreign currency forward and option contracts (4) ……………

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments under 
AS C 815:
Foreign currency forward contracts (3) …………………………

Derivative Liabilities

December 31, 2012
Fair  Value

December 31, 2011
Fair Value

$                           

904

$                             

485

8

912

62

-
485

267

    Total derivative liabilities …………………………………

$                             

974

$                             

752

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Included in "Other current assets" in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Included in "Deferred charges and other assets" in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Included in "Other accrued expenses and current liabilities" in the accompanying Consolidated Balance
Sheets.

Included in "Other long-term liabilities" in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

91 

 
 
 
 
                               
                              
                          
                             
                             
                                 
 
 
                                 
                              
                             
                             
                               
                             
 
 
 
 
 
The  following  tables  present  the  effect  of  the  Company’s  derivative  instruments  included  in  the  accompanying 
Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 (in thousands): 

Gain (Loss) Recognized in AOCI 
on Derivatives (Effective Portion)

Gain (Loss) Reclassified From 
Accumulated AOCI Into 
"Revenues" (Effective Portion)

Gain (Loss) Recognized in 
"Revenues" on Derivatives 
(Ineffective Portion)

December 31, 

December 31, 

December 31, 

2012

2011

2010

2012

2011

2010

2012

2011

2010

Derivatives designated as cash flow hedging 
instruments under AS C 815:
Foreign currency forward and option contracts …………… 4,400

$     

$    

(1,483)

$     

4,936

$     

4,156

$     

1,853

$     

5,173

$          

17

$            
2

$         

-    

Derivatives designated as a net investment hedge 
under AS C 815:
Foreign currency forward contracts 

-

-

(3,955)

-

-

-

-

-

-

Foreign currency forward and option contracts …………… 4,400

$     

$    

(1,483)

$        

981

$     

4,156

$     

1,853

$     

5,173

$          

17

$            
2

$         

-    

Gain (Loss) Recognized in "Other 
income and (expense)" on Derivatives

2012

December 31, 
2011

2010

Derivatives not designated as hedging 
instruments under AS C 815:
Foreign currency forward contracts ……………………

$          

(295)

$       

(1,444)

$       

(4,717)

Note 14.  Investments Held in Rabbi Trust 

The Company’s investments held in rabbi trust, classified as trading securities and included in “Other current assets” 
in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets, at fair value, consist of the following (in thousands): 

December 31, 2012

December 31, 2011

M utual funds ……………………………………………

$            

4,812

Cost

Fair Value
5,261

$            

Cost 

$            

3,938

Fair Value
4,182

$            

The mutual funds held in the rabbi trust were 61% equity-based and 39% debt-based as of December 31, 2012. Net 
investment income (losses), included in “Other income (expense)” in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of 
Operations for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 consists of the following (in thousands): 

2012
$               

Years Ended December 31,
2011
$               

2010

$                 

Gross realized gains from sale of trading securities ………
Gross realized (losses) from sale of trading securities ……
Dividend and interest income ……………………………
Net unrealized holding gains (losses) ……………………
Net investment income (losses) …………………………

163
(1)
129
312
603

201
(20)
69
(383)
(133)

$               

$              

$               

54
(5)
37
313
399

92 

 
 
             
         
    
             
         
         
             
             
         
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
                   
                 
                   
                
                  
                  
                
               
                
 
 
 
 
Note 15. Property and Equipment 

Property and equipment consist of the following (in thousands):  

 December 31,  

Land …………...……………………………………….
Buildings and leasehold improvements …………………
Equipment, furniture and fixtures ………………………
Capitalized software development costs ………………
Transportation equipment ………………………………
Construction in progress ………………………………

Less: Accumulated depreciation …………………………

2012
$                

2011
$                

4,217
75,002
269,069
7,274
698
4,035
360,295
259,000
101,295

4,191
74,221
231,789
2,903
716
1,479
315,299
224,219
91,080

$            

$              

Capitalized  internally  developed  software,  net  of  depreciation,  included  in  “Property  and  equipment,  net”  in  the 
accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2012 and 2011 was as follows (in thousands): 

December 31, 

Capitalized internally developed software costs, net ……

2012
$                

1,361

2011
$                       
-

Depreciation  expense  included  in  “General  and  administrative”  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated  Statements  of 
Operations for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 was as follows (in thousands): 

Depreciation expense ……………………………………

2012
$              

41,571

Years Ended December 31,
2011
$              

47,139

2010
$              

47,902

Sale of Land and Building Located in Minot, North Dakota 

In June 2011, the Company sold the land and building located in Minot, North Dakota, which were held for sale, for 
cash of $3.9 million (net of selling costs of $0.2 million) resulting in a net gain on sale of $3.7 million. The carrying 
value of these assets of $0.8 million was offset by the related deferred grants of $0.6 million. The net gain on the 
sale  of  $3.7  million  is  included  in  “Net  gain  on  disposal  of  property  and  equipment”  in  the  accompanying 
Consolidated Statement of Operations for 2011.   

Tornado Damage to the Ponca City, Oklahoma Customer Contact Management Center 

In  April  2011,  the  customer  contact  management  center  (the  “facility”)  located  in  Ponca  City,  Oklahoma 
experienced  significant  damage  to  its  building  and  contents  as  a  result  of  a  tornado.    The  Company  filed  an 
insurance claim with its property insurance company to recover losses of $1.4 million. During 2011, the insurance 
company  paid  $1.2  million  to  the  Company  for  costs  to  clean  up  and  repair  the  facility  of  $0.9  million  and  for 
reimbursement  of  a  portion  of  the  Company’s  out-of-pocket  costs  of  $0.3  million.    The  Company  completed  the 
repairs to the facility during 2011 and collected the remaining $0.2 million in February 2012.  No additional funds 
are expected. 

Typhoon Damage to the Marikina City, The Philippines Customer Contact Management Center 

In  September  2009,  the  building  and  contents  of  one  of  the  Company's  customer  contact  management  centers 
located  in  Marikina  City,  The  Philippines  (acquired  as  part  of  the  ICT  acquisition)  was  severely  damaged  by 
flooding from Typhoon Ondoy. Upon settlement with the insurer in November 2010, the Company recognized a net 
gain  of  $2.0  million.  The  damaged  property  and  equipment  had  been  written  down  by  ICT  prior  to  the  ICT 
acquisition in February 2010.  In August 2011, the Company received an additional $0.4 million from the insurer for 
rent  payments  made  during  the  claim  period.  This  net  gain  on  insurance  settlement  is  included  in  “General  and 
93 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
administrative” expenses in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Operations in 2011.  No additional funds 
are expected. 

Note 16. Deferred Charges and Other Assets 

Deferred charges and other assets consist of the following (in thousands):  

 December 31,  

Non-current deferred tax assets (Note 23)……………………
Non-current mandatory tax security deposits (Note 23)……
Non-current value added tax certificates (Note 12)……………
Deposits ……………………………………………………..
Other …………………………………………………………

2012
$              

2011
$              

13,923
14,989
7,214
3,408
4,250
43,784

20,389
-
5,191
2,278
2,304
30,162

$              

$              

Note 17. Accrued Employee Compensation and Benefits 

Accrued employee compensation and benefits consist of the following (in thousands):  

 December 31,  

Accrued compensation ………………………
Accrued vacation ……………………………
Accrued bonus and commissions ……………
Accrued employment taxes …………………
Other …………………………………………

2012
$              

2011
$              

25,258
14,709
16,374
10,225
6,537
73,103

20,892
13,965
12,566
9,757
5,272
62,452

$              

$              

Note 18. Deferred Revenue  

The components of deferred revenue consist of the following (in thousands): 

December 31, 

2012

2011

Future service ……………………………………
Estimated potential penalties and holdbacks ……

$                      

$                      

25,074
9,209
34,283

25,809
8,510
34,319

$                      

$                      

Note 19. Other Accrued Expenses and Current Liabilities 

Other accrued expenses and current liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):  

Customer deposits ………………………………………………
Accrued restructuring (Note 5) …………………………………
Accrued legal and professional fees ……………………………
Accrued telephone charges ………………………………………
Accrued roadside assistance claim costs …………………………
Accrued rent ……………………………………………………
Foreign currency forward and option contracts (Note 13) ………
Other ……………………………………………………………

2012
$              

 December 31,  

2011

$                 

7,350
1,401
4,231
1,943
2,288
1,367
966
11,774
31,320

796
6,301
2,623
518
1,691
1,297
752
7,213
21,191

$              

$              

94 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                        
                        
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 20. Deferred Grants 

The components of deferred grants consist of the following (in thousands): 

 December 31,  

2012

2011

Property grants ………...………………………
Employment grants ………...……………………
Total deferred grants ………………………
Less: Employment grants - short-term (1) ………
Total long-term deferred grants (2) ………...

$          

7,270
337
7,607

$              

8,210
1,123
9,333

-

(770)

$          

7,607

$              

8,563

(1)

(2)

Included in "Other accrued expenses and current
accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Included in "Deferred grants" in the accompanying Consolidated Balance
Sheets.

liabilities"

in the

Amortization of the Company’s property grants included as a reduction to “General and administrative” costs and 
amortization of the Company’s employment grants included as a reduction to “Direct salaries and related costs” in 
the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations consist of the following (in thousands): 

Years Ended December 31,

Amortization of property grants ……...………
Amortization of employment grants ……...……

Note 21. Borrowings  

2012
$             

2011

$                 

2010
$              

$          

$              

$              

956
1,344
2,300

1,047
58
1,105

940
261
1,201

On May 3, 2012, the Company entered into a $245 million revolving credit facility (the “2012 Credit Agreement”) 
with  a  group  of  lenders  and  KeyBank  National  Association,  as  Lead  Arranger,  Sole  Book  Runner  and 
Administrative  Agent  (“KeyBank”).  The  2012  Credit  Agreement  replaced  the  Company’s  previous  $75  million 
revolving credit facility (the “2010 Credit Agreement”) dated February 2, 2010, as amended, which agreement was 
terminated  simultaneous  with  entering  into  the  2012  Credit  Agreement.  The  2012  Credit  Agreement  is  subject  to 
certain  borrowing  limitations  and  includes  certain  customary  financial  and  restrictive  covenants.    The  Company 
borrowed  $108.0  million  under  the  2012  Credit  Agreement’s  revolving  credit  facility  on  August 20,  2012  in 
connection with the acquisition of Alpine on such date. See Note 2, Acquisition of Alpine Access, Inc., for further 
information. 

The  2012  Credit  Agreement  includes  a  $184 million  alternate-currency  sub-facility,  a  $10 million  swingline  sub-
facility  and  a  $35 million  letter  of  credit  sub-facility,  and  may  be  used  for  general  corporate  purposes  including 
acquisitions,  share  repurchases,  working  capital  support  and  letters  of  credit,  subject  to  certain  limitations.    The 
Company is not currently aware of any inability of its lenders to provide access to the full commitment of funds that 
exist under the revolving credit facility, if necessary.  However, there can be no assurance that such facility will be 
available to the Company, even though it is a binding commitment of the financial institutions.  

Borrowings consist of the following (in thousands): 

December 31, 

Revolving credit facility ……………………………………………………
Less: Current portion ……………………………………………………
Total long-term debt ………………………………………………………

2012
$                 

91,000

-

$                 

91,000

2011
-
$                         
-
$                         
-

The 2012 Credit Agreement matures on May 2, 2017 and has no varying installments due. 

95 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
               
                
                     
 
 
 
 
 
                          
                          
 
 
 
 
 
Borrowings under the 2012 Credit Agreement will bear interest at either LIBOR or the base rate plus, in each case, 
an  applicable  margin  based  on  the  Company’s  leverage  ratio.  The  applicable  interest  rate  will  be  determined 
quarterly based on the Company’s leverage ratio at such time. The base rate is a rate per annum equal to the greatest 
of  (i) the  rate  of  interest  established  by  KeyBank,  from  time  to  time,  as  its  “prime  rate”;  (ii) the  Federal  Funds 
effective rate in effect from time to time, plus 1/2 of 1% per annum; and (iii) the then-applicable LIBOR rate for one 
month interest periods, plus 1.00%. Swingline loans will bear interest only at the base rate plus the base rate margin.  
In addition, the Company is required to pay certain customary fees, including a commitment fee of 0.175%, which is 
due quarterly in arrears and calculated on the average unused amount of the 2012 Credit Agreement.    

The 2012 Credit Agreement is guaranteed by all of the Company’s existing and future direct and indirect material 
U.S. subsidiaries and secured by a pledge of 100% of the non-voting and 65% of the voting capital stock of all the 
direct foreign subsidiaries of the Company and those of the guarantors. 

In  May  2012,  the  Company  paid  an  underwriting  fee  of  $0.9  million  for  the  2012  Credit  Agreement,  which  is 
deferred and amortized over the term of the loan.  In addition, the Company pays a quarterly commitment fee on the 
2012 Credit Agreement. 

The Company drew down the full $75 million term loan under the 2010 Credit Agreement in connection with the 
acquisition of ICT on February 2, 2010. See Note 3, Acquisition of ICT, for further information.  The Company paid 
off the balance in 2010, earlier than the scheduled maturity, plus accrued interest.  The 2010 Credit Agreement is no 
longer available for borrowings. 

In 2010, the Company paid an underwriting fee of $3.0 million for the 2010 Credit Agreement, which was deferred 
and  amortized  over  the  term  of  the  loan.  In  addition,  the  Company  paid  a  quarterly  commitment  fee  on  the 2010 
Credit Agreement. 

In  2009,  Sykes  (Bermuda)  Holdings  Limited,  a  Bermuda  exempted  company  (“Sykes  Bermuda”)  which  is  an 
indirect  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of  the  Company,  entered  into  a  credit  agreement  (the  “Bermuda  Credit 
Agreement”) with KeyBank. Sykes Bermuda drew down the full $75 million under the Bermuda Credit Agreement 
on December 11, 2009. The underwriting fee paid of $0.8 million was deferred and amortized over the term of the 
loan. Sykes Bermuda repaid the entire outstanding amount plus accrued interest on March 31, 2010. 

The 2012 Credit Agreement had $91.0 million of outstanding borrowings as of December 31, 2012, with an average 
daily  utilization  of $96.8  million  for  the outstanding period  during  2012  (none  in 2011).   During  the years  ended 
December 31, 2012 and 2010, the related interest expense, excluding amortization of deferred loan fees, under our 
credit agreements was $0.5 million and $1.8 million, respectively, which represented weighted average interest rates 
of 1.5% and 3.9%, respectively (none in 2011). 

96 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 22. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) 

The Company presents data in the Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity in accordance with 
ASC  220  “Comprehensive  Income”  (“ASC  220”).    ASC  220  establishes  rules  for  the  reporting  of  comprehensive 
income (loss) and its components.  The components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) consist of 
the following (in thousands): 

Foreign 
Currency 
Translation 
Gain (Loss)
4,317
$             
9,790
-
(7)
(108)
13,992
(7,613)
-
(389)
5
5,995
9,516
-
570
2
16,083

$            

Balance at January 1, 2010………
Pre-tax amount …………………
Tax (provision) benefit …………
Reclassification to net loss ………
Foreign currency translation ……
Balance at December 31, 2010……
Pre-tax amount …………………
Tax (provision) benefit …………
Reclassification to net income …
Foreign currency translation ……
Balance at December 31, 2011……
Pre-tax amount …………………
Tax (provision) benefit …………
Reclassification to net income …
Foreign currency translation ……
Balance at December 31, 2012……

Unrealized 
(Loss) on Net 
Investment 
Hedge
-
$                     
(3,955)
1,390
-
-
(2,565)
-
-
-
-
(2,565)
-
-
-
-
(2,565)

$             

Unrealized 
Actuarial Gain 
(Loss) Related 
to Pension 
Liability

$             

Unrealized 
Gain (Loss) on 
Cash Flow 
Hedging 
Instruments
2,019
$             
4,936
321
(5,173)
43
2,146
(1,482)
759
(1,855)
(6)
(438)
4,417
(306)
(4,174)
(69)
(570)

$                

1,207
(31)
-
(52)
65
1,189
(184)
34
(55)
1
985
499
(90)
(48)
67
1,413

Unrealized 
Gain (Loss) on 
Post 
Retirement 
Obligation

$                

Total
$             

7,819
10,844
1,711
(5,266)

-

15,108
(9,126)
793
(2,339)

-

4,436
14,524
(396)
(3,708)

-

$            

14,856

276
104
-
(34)
-
346
153
-
(40)
-
459
92
-
(56)
-
495

$              

$                 

Except  as  discussed  in  Note  23,  Income  Taxes,  earnings  associated  with  the  Company’s  investments  in  its 
subsidiaries  are  considered  to  be  permanently  invested  and  no  provision  for  income  taxes  on  those  earnings  or 
translation adjustments have been provided.  

Note 23. Income Taxes  

The income from continuing operations before income taxes includes the following components (in thousands):  

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2012

2010

Domestic (U.S., state and local) ………………………………………
Foreign ………………………………………………………………
Total income from continuing operations before income taxes ……

(10,430)
55,587
45,157

(14,170)
77,826
63,656

(24,662)
52,974
28,312

$              

$              

$              

$            

$            

$            

97 

 
 
     
               
              
                   
               
                  
             
                     
               
                     
                  
                     
               
                     
                     
                   
              
                   
              
                 
                     
                    
                    
                     
                     
             
              
               
               
                  
             
              
                     
                 
              
                  
              
                     
                     
                    
                  
                     
                  
                 
                     
                   
              
                   
              
                      
                     
                      
                     
                     
                     
               
              
                  
                 
                  
               
               
                     
                  
               
                    
             
                     
                     
                   
                 
                     
                 
                  
                     
                   
              
                   
              
                      
                     
                    
                   
                     
                     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Significant components of the income tax provision are as follows (in thousands):  

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2012

2010

Current:

U.S. federal ………………………………………………...……….
State and local …………………………………………...………….
Foreign ………………………………………………………………
Total current provision for income taxes …………………………

$                   

236
(61)
9,899
10,074

$              

(3,446)
-
18,743
15,297

$                

4,836
(24)
14,527
19,339

Deferred:

U.S. federal …………………...…………………………………….
State and local ……………...……………………………………….
Foreign ………………………………………………………………
Total deferred provision (benefit) for income taxes ………………

(2,846)
-
(2,021)
(4,867)

148
143
(4,246)
(3,955)

(15,160)
(314)
(1,668)
(17,142)

Total provision for income taxes …………………………………

$                

5,207

$              

11,342

$                

2,197

The temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the deferred income tax provision (benefit) are as 
follows (in thousands): 

2012
$              

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2010

$            

$            

Accrued expenses/liabilities …………………………………………
Net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards ……………………
Depreciation and amortization ………………………………………
Deferred revenue ……………………………………………………
Deferred statutory income ……………………………………………
Valuation allowance …………………………………………………
Other …………………………………………………………………
Total deferred provision (benefit) for income taxes ………………

The  reconciliation  of  the  income  tax  provision  computed  at  the  U.S.  federal  statutory  tax  rate  to  the  Company’s 
effective income tax provision is as follows (in thousands):  

$              

$              

$            

2012
$              

Years Ended December 31,
2011
$              

2010
$                

(1,274)
(4,113)
(5,684)
-
2,084
4,120
-
(4,867)

15,805
(61)
(6,450)
(538)
(7,078)
(613)
3,531
1,263
47
(699)
5,207

(31,111)
47,849
(2,083)
-
(839)
(17,779)
8
(3,955)

22,280
143
(7,532)
610
(5,765)
(2,748)
915
4,546
(255)
(852)
11,342

(25,358)
7,158
(3,433)
(580)
-
5,028
43
(17,142)

9,909
(333)
(6,798)
3,328
(3,875)
(3,830)
985
3,207
(1,865)
1,469
2,197

Tax at U.S. federal statutory tax rate …………………………………
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit ………………………..
Tax holidays …………………………………………………………
Change in valuation allowance, net of related adjustments …………
Foreign rate differential ………………………………………………
Changes in uncertain tax positions ……………………………………
Permanent differences ………………………………………………
Foreign withholding and other taxes …………………………………
Change of assertion related to foreign earnings distribution…………
Tax credits ……………………………………………………………
Total provision for income taxes …………………………………

$                

$              

$                

The  Company  changed  its  intent  to  distribute  current  earnings  from  various  foreign  operations  to  their  foreign 
parents  to  take  advantage  of  the  December  2011  extension  of  tax  provisions  of  Internal  Revenue  Code  Section 
954(c)(6).  These tax provisions permit continued tax deferral on such distributions that would otherwise be taxable 
immediately in the United States. While the distributions are not taxable in the United States, related withholding 
taxes of $2.7 million are included in the provision for income taxes in the Consolidated Statement of Operations for 
2011.  

98 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In 2010, the Company changed its intent to distribute all of the current year and future years’ earnings of a non-U.S. 
subsidiary to its foreign parent. Withholding taxes of $0.8 million and $0.9 million are included in the provision for 
income taxes in the Consolidated Statement of Operations for 2012 and 2011, respectively. 

Except as previously mentioned, a provision for income taxes has not been made for the undistributed earnings of 
foreign  subsidiaries  of  approximately  $383.8  million  at  December 31,  2012,  as  the  earnings  are  permanently 
reinvested  in  foreign  business  operations.  Determination  of  any  unrecognized  deferred  tax  liability  for  temporary 
differences related to investments in foreign subsidiaries that are essentially permanent in nature is not practicable.   

The Company has been granted tax holidays in The Philippines, Costa Rica and El Salvador. The tax holidays have 
various expiration dates ranging from 2013 through 2023. In some cases, the tax holidays expire without possibility 
of renewal. In other cases, we expect to renew these tax holidays, but there are no assurances from the respective 
foreign governments that they will renew them. This could potentially result in future adverse tax consequences. The 
Company’s  tax  holidays  decreased  the  provision  for  income  taxes  by  $6.5  million  ($0.15  per  diluted  share),  $7.5 
million ($0.17 per diluted share) and $6.8 million ($0.15 per diluted share) for the years ended December 31, 2012, 
2011 and 2010, respectively. 

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amount of assets and 
liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income taxes.  The temporary differences that 
give rise to significant portions of the deferred tax assets and liabilities are presented below (in thousands):  

Deferred tax assets:

December 31, 

2012

2011

Accrued expenses ……………………………………………………
Net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards ……………………
Depreciation and amortization ………………………………………
Deferred revenue ……………………………………………………
Valuation allowance ………………...………………………………
Other …………………………………………………………………

$              

Deferred tax liabilities:

Accrued liabilities ……………………………………………………
Depreciation and amortization ………………………………………
Deferred statutory income ……………………………………………
Other …………………………………………………………………

Net deferred tax assets …………………………………………..

$             

22,773
68,586
735
2,809
(43,298)
5
51,610

(164)
(31,815)
(2,219)
(117)
(34,315)
17,295

$              

21,313
50,525
2,111
5,017
(38,544)
6
40,428

(643)
(14,983)
(1,984)
(25)
(17,635)
22,793

$              

Classified as follows:

December 31, 

2012

2011

Other current assets (Note 11) ………………………………………
Deferred charges and other assets (Note 16)…………………………
Current deferred income tax liabilities ………………………………
Other long-term liabilities ………………………………………..

$                

$                

8,143
13,923
(92)
(4,679)
17,295

8,044
20,389
(663)
(4,977)
22,793

Net deferred tax assets …………………………………………

$              

$              

In 2012, the Company’s valuation allowance increased by $4.8 million, primarily related to the loss recognized on 
the sale of the Spanish operations in the year ended December 31, 2012.   

There  are  approximately  $410.0 million  of  income  tax  loss  carryforwards  as  of  December 31,  2012  with  varying 
expiration dates, approximately $169.1 million relating to foreign operations, $23.0 million relating to U.S. federal 
operations  and  $217.9  million  relating  to  U.S.  state  operations.  For  U.S.  federal  purposes,  $14.8  million  of  tax 

99 

 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
credits  are  available  for  carryforward  as  of  December  31,  2012,  with  the  latest  expiration  date  ending 
December 2033. Regarding the U.S. state operations, no benefit has been recognized for the $217.9 million as it is 
more  likely  than  not  that  these  losses  will  expire  without  realization  of  tax  benefits.    With  respect  to  foreign 
operations,  $136.7  million  of  the  net  operating  loss  carryforwards  have  an  indefinite  expiration  date  and  the 
remaining $32.4 million net operating loss carryforwards have varying expiration dates through December 2021. 

As  of  December  31,  2012,  the  Company  had  $16.9  million  of  unrecognized  tax  benefits,  a  net  decrease  of  $0.2 
million  from  $17.1  million  as  of  December  31,  2011.  Had  the  Company  recognized  these  tax  benefits, 
approximately  $16.9  million  and  $17.1  million  and  the  related  interest  and  penalties  would  favorably  impact  the 
effective  tax  rate  in  2012  and  2011,  respectively.  The  Company  believes  it  is  reasonably  possible  that  its 
unrecognized  tax  benefits  will  decrease  or  be  recognized  in  the  next  twelve  months  by  up  to  $0.4  million  due  to 
expiration of statutes of limitations, audit or appeal resolution in various tax jurisdictions. 

The  Company  recognizes  interest  and  penalties  related  to  unrecognized  tax  benefits  in  the  provision  for  income 
taxes. The Company had $10.1 million and $10.2 million accrued for interest and penalties as of December 31, 2012 
and 2011, respectively. Of the accrued interest and penalties at December 31, 2012 and 2011, $3.7 million and $3.8 
million,  respectively,  relate  to  statutory  penalties.  The  amount  of  interest  and  penalties,  net,  recognized  in  the 
accompanying  Consolidated  Statement  of  Operations  for  2012  and  2010  was  $(0.1)  million  and  $(0.4)  million, 
respectively (none in 2011). 

The tabular reconciliation of the amounts of unrecognized net tax benefits is presented below (in thousands): 

2012
$              

Years Ended December 31,
2011

$            

2010
$              

Gross unrecognized tax benefits as of January 1, …………………
Prior period tax position increases (decreases) (1) ……………………
Decreases from settlements with tax authorities ……………………
Decreases due to lapse in applicable statute of limitations …………
Foreign currency translation increases (decreases) …………………
Gross unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, ...……………

17,136
321
(426)
(561)
427
16,897

21,036
-
(3,076)
(346)
(478)
17,136

3,810
19,287
(1,283)
(2,104)
1,326
21,036

$              

$              

$              

(1) Includes amounts assumed upon acquisition of Alpine on August 20, 2012 and ICT on February 2, 2010.

The  Company  is  currently  under  audit  in  several  tax  jurisdictions.    In  April  2012,  the  Company  received  an 
assessment for the Canadian 2003-2006 audit for which the Company filed a Notice of Objection in July 2012.  As 
required by the Notice of Objection process, the Company paid a mandatory security deposit in the amount of $14.5 
million to the Canadian Revenue Agency and an additional deposit to the Province of Ontario in the amount of $0.4 
million,  both  of  which  are  included  in  “Deferred  charges  and  other  assets”  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated 
Balance  Sheet  as  of  December  31,  2012  and  “Cash  paid  during  period  for  income  taxes”  in  the  accompanying 
Consolidated  Statement  of  Cash  Flows  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2012.    This  process  will  allow  the 
Company  to  submit  the  case  to  the  U.S.  and  Canada  Competent  Authority  for  ultimate  resolution.    Although  the 
outcome of examinations by taxing authorities is always uncertain, the Company believes it is adequately reserved 
for these audits and that resolutions of them are not expected to have a material impact on its financial condition and 
results of operations.   

The significant tax jurisdictions currently under audit are as follows: 

Tax Jurisdiction
Canada ……………………………………………………………...…2003 to 2009
Philippines ……………………………………………………………2007 to 2010
United States …………………………………………………………2010

Tax Year Ended

100 

 
 
 
                   
                      
              
                  
               
               
                  
                  
               
                   
                  
                
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  Company  and  its  subsidiaries  file  federal,  state  and  local  income  tax  returns  as  required  in  the  U.S.  and  in 
various foreign tax jurisdictions. The following table presents the major tax jurisdictions and tax years that are open 
and subject to examination by the respective tax authorities as of December 31, 2012:   

Tax Jurisdiction
Canada ……………………………………………………………...…
Philippines ……………………………………………………………
United States …………………………………………………………

Tax Year Ended

2003 to present
2007 to present
1997 to 1999 (1), 2002-2007 (1) and 2009 to present

(1)

These tax years are open to the extent of the net operating loss carryforward amount.

Note 24. Earnings Per Share  

Basic  earnings  per  share  are  based  on  the  weighted  average  number  of  common  shares  outstanding  during  the 
periods. Diluted earnings per share includes the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the 
respective  periods  and  the  further  dilutive  effect,  if  any,  from  stock  options,  stock  appreciation  rights,  restricted 
stock, restricted stock units and shares held in a rabbi trusts using the treasury stock method.  

The numbers of shares used in the earnings per share computation are as follows (in thousands):  

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2010

2012

Basic:

Weighted average common shares outstanding  …………… 43,105

45,506

46,030

Diluted:

Dilutive effect of stock options, stock appreciation

rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, shares
held in a rabbi trust ………………………………………

43
Total weighted average diluted shares outstanding  …………… 43,148

101
45,607

103
46,133

Anti-dilutive shares excluded from the diluted earnings per 
share calculation ……………..………………………………

-

1

3

On  August  18,  2011,  the  Company’s  Board  authorized  the  Company  to  purchase  up  to  5.0  million  shares  of  its 
outstanding  common  stock  (the  “2011  Share  Repurchase  Program”).  A  total  of  3.0  million  shares  have  been 
repurchased  under  the  2011  Share  Repurchase  Program  since  inception.  The  shares  are  purchased,  from  time  to 
time, through open market purchases or in negotiated private transactions, and the purchases are based on factors, 
including but not limited to, the stock price, management discretion and general market conditions. The 2011 Share 
Repurchase Program has no expiration date.  The Company’s Board previously authorized the Company on August 
5, 2002 to purchase up to 3.0 million shares of its outstanding common stock, the last of which were repurchased 
during 2011. 

The shares repurchased under the Company’s share repurchase programs were as follows (in thousands, except per 
share amounts): 

For the Years Ended
December 31, 2012 ………
December 31, 2011 ………
December 31, 2010 ………

Total Number 
of S hares 
Repurchased
537
3,292
300

Range of Prices Paid Per S hare

Low
$               
$               
$               

13.85
12.46
16.92

High
$               
$               
$               

15.00
18.53
17.60

Total Cost of 
S hares 
Repurchased
$               
7,908
$             
49,993
$               
5,212

101 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
       
       
       
              
            
            
       
       
       
              
                
                
 
 
 
 
                    
                 
                    
 
 
 
 
Note 25. Commitments and Loss Contingency 

Lease and Purchase Commitments 

The Company leases certain equipment and buildings under operating leases having original terms ranging from one 
to twenty years, some with options to cancel at varying points during the lease. The building leases contain up to 
three five-year renewal options. Rental expense under operating leases was as follows (in thousands):  

Rental expense ……………………………………………

2012
$              

43,626

 Years Ended December 31, 
2011
$              

43,147

2010
$              

50,846

The  following  is  a  schedule  of  future  minimum  rental  payments  required  under  operating  leases  that  have 
noncancelable lease terms as of December 31, 2012, including the impact of the leases assumed in connection with 
the Alpine acquisition (in thousands):  

Amount

2013 ………………………………………………………
2014 ………………………………………………………
2015 ………………………………………………………
2016 ………………………………………………………
2017 ………………………………………………………
2018 and thereafter ………………………………………
Total minimum payments required ……………………

$            

37,418
29,004
22,389
16,558
14,605
43,150
163,124

The  Company  enters  into  agreements  with  third-party  vendors  in  the  ordinary  course  of  business  whereby  the 
Company commits to purchase goods and services used in its normal operations. These agreements, which are not 
cancelable,  generally  range  from  one  to  five  year  periods  and  contain  fixed  or  minimum  annual  commitments. 
Certain  of  these  agreements  allow  for  renegotiation  of  the  minimum  annual  commitments  based  on  certain 
conditions.  

The following is a schedule of future minimum purchases remaining under the agreements as of December 31, 2012, 
including the impact of the agreements assumed in connection with the Alpine acquisition (in thousands):  

Amount

$              

2013 ………………………………………………………
2014 ………………………………………………………
2015 ………………………………………………………
2016 ………………………………………………………
2017 ………………………………………………………
2018 and thereafter ………………………………………
Total minimum payments required ……………………

$              

24,557
4,610
1,726
1,147
59
-
32,099

Indemnities, Commitments and Guarantees 

From time to time, during the normal course of business, the Company may make certain indemnities, commitments 
and guarantees under which it may be required to make payments in relation to certain transactions. These include, 
but  are  not  limited  to:  (i)  indemnities  to  clients,  vendors  and  service  providers  pertaining  to  claims  based  on 
negligence or willful misconduct of the Company and (ii) indemnities involving breach of contract, the accuracy of 
representations and warranties of the Company, or other liabilities assumed by the Company in certain contracts. In 
addition, the Company has agreements whereby it will indemnify certain officers and directors for certain events or 
occurrences  while  the  officer  or  director  is,  or  was,  serving  at  the  Company’s  request  in  such  capacity.  The 
indemnification  period  covers  all  pertinent  events  and  occurrences  during  the  officer’s  or  director’s  lifetime.  The 
maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification 
agreements is unlimited; however, the Company has director and officer insurance coverage that limits its exposure 

102 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
and  enables  it  to  recover  a  portion  of  any  future  amounts  paid.  The  Company  believes  the  applicable  insurance 
coverage  is  generally  adequate  to  cover  any  estimated  potential  liability  under  these  indemnification  agreements. 
The majority of these indemnities, commitments and guarantees do not provide for any limitation of the maximum 
potential for future payments the Company could be obligated to make. The Company has not recorded any liability 
for these indemnities, commitments and guarantees in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.  In addition, 
the Company has some client contracts that do not contain contractual provisions for the limitation of liability, and 
other client contracts that contain agreed upon exceptions to limitation of liability.  The Company has not recorded 
any liability in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets with respect to any client contracts under which the 
Company has or may have unlimited liability. 

Loss Contingency 

The Company from time to time is involved in legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business. With respect 
to  these  matters,  management  believes  that  it  has  adequate  legal  defenses  and/or  when  possible  and  appropriate, 
provided adequate accruals related to those matters such that the ultimate outcome will not have a material adverse 
effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.  

Note 26. Defined Benefit Pension Plan and Postretirement Benefits 

Defined Benefit Pension Plans 

The  Company  sponsors  two  non-contributory  defined  benefit  pension  plans  (the  “Pension  Plans”)  for  its  covered 
employees in The Philippines. The Pension Plans provide defined benefits based on years of service and final salary. 
All permanent employees meeting the minimum service requirement are eligible to participate in the Pension Plans. 
As of December 31, 2012, the Pension Plans were unfunded. The Company expects to make cash contributions to its 
Pension Plans during 2013 of less than $0.1 million. 

The following tables provide a reconciliation of the change in the benefit obligation for the Pension Plans and the 
net amount recognized, included in “Other long-term liabilities”,  in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets 
(in thousands): 

December 31,

2012
$                

2011
$                

Beginning benefit obligation ……………………………
Service cost ………………………………………………
Interest cost ………………………………………………
Actuarial (gains) losses  …………………………………
Effect of foreign currency translation ……………………
Ending benefit obligation ……………………………

1,860
372
120
(499)
144
1,997

$                

$                

1,345
237
102
184
(8)
1,860

Unfunded status …………………………………………
Net amount recognized ……………………………

$              

(1,997)
(1,997)

(1,860)
(1,860)

$              

Weighted average actuarial assumptions used to determine the benefit obligations and net periodic benefit cost for 
the Pension Plans were as follows:  

Discount rate ……………………………………………
Rate of compensation increase …………………………

5.9%
2.0%

6.3%
3.2%

8.3%
3.2%

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2012

2010

The Company evaluates these assumptions on a periodic basis taking into consideration current market conditions 
and historical market data. The discount rate is used to calculate expected future cash flows at a present value on the 
measurement  date,  which  is  December  31.  This  rate  represents  the  market  rate  for  high-quality  fixed  income 
investments.  A  lower  discount  rate  would  increase  the  present  value  of  benefit  obligations.  Other  assumptions 
include demographic factors such as retirement, mortality and turnover. 

103 

 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following table provides information about the net periodic benefit cost and other accumulated comprehensive 
income for the Pension Plans (in thousands): 

Years Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

Service cost …………………………………………………

$                   

372

$                   

237

$                   

272

Interest cost …………………………………………………

Recognized actuarial (gains) ………………………………

Net periodic benefit cost ……………………………………

120

(46)

446

Unrealized net actuarial (gains), net of tax …………………

(1,413)

102

(55)

284

(985)

90

(51)

311

(1,189)

Total amount recognized in net periodic benefit cost
  and other accumulated comprehensive income (loss) ……

$                

(967)

$                

(701)

$                

(878)

The estimated future benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate, are as follows (in 
thousands): 

Years Ending December 31, 
2013 …………………………………………………
2014 …………………………………………………
2015 …………………………………………………
2016 …………………………………………………
2017 …………………………………………………
2018 - 2022 …………………………………………

Amount
$                   

10
4
20
139
80
1,031  

The  Company  expects  to  recognize  less  than  $0.1  million  of  net  actuarial  gains  as  a  component  of  net  periodic 
benefit cost in 2013. 

Employee Retirement Savings Plans 

The Company maintains a 401(k) plan covering defined employees who meet established eligibility requirements. 
Under the plan provisions, the Company matches 50% of participant contributions to a maximum matching amount 
of  2%  of  participant  compensation.  The  Company’s  contributions  included  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated 
Statements of Operations were as follows (in thousands): 

 Years Ended December 31, 

2012

2011

2010

401(k) plan contributions ………………………………

$                         

1,221

$                        

953

$                    

757

In connection with the acquisition of Alpine in August 2012, the Company assumed Alpine’s employee benefit plan 
(Section 401(k)).  Under this employee benefit plan, the Company makes a matching contribution on an annual basis 
in  the  amount  of  100%  of  the  employee  contribution  for  the  first  3%  of  included  compensation  plus  50%  of  the 
employee  contribution  for  the  next  2%  of  included  compensation.  Employees  are  100%  vested  in  contributions, 
earnings and matching funds at all times. No contributions were made during the years ended December 31, 2012, 
2011 and 2010. 

In  connection  with  the  acquisition  of  ICT  in  February 2010,  the  Company  assumed  ICT's  profit  sharing  plan 
(Section 401(k)).  Under  this  profit  sharing  plan,  the  Company  matches  50%  of  employee  contributions  for  all 
qualified  employees,  as  defined,  up  to  a  maximum  of  6%  of  the  employee's  compensation;  however,  it  may  also 
make  additional  contributions  to  the  plan  based  upon  profit  levels  and  other  factors.  No  contributions  were  made 
during the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010. Employees are fully vested in their contributions, while full 
vesting  in  the  Company's  contributions  occurs  upon  death,  disability,  retirement  or  completion  of  five  years  of 
service.  These employees have been covered under the Company’s 401(k) plan since January 1, 2012. 

104 

 
 
                   
                   
                     
                    
                    
                    
                   
                   
                   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Split-Dollar Life Insurance Arrangement 

In  1996,  the  Company  entered  into  a  split-dollar  life  insurance  arrangement  to  benefit  the  former  Chairman  and 
Chief  Executive  Officer  of  the  Company.  Under  the  terms  of  the  arrangement,  the  Company  retained  a  collateral 
interest  in  the  policy  to  the  extent  of  the  premiums  paid  by  the  Company.  The  postretirement  benefit  obligation 
included  in  “Other  long-term  liabilities”  and  the  unrealized  gain  included  in  “Accumulated  other  comprehensive 
income” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets were as follows (in thousands): 

 December 31,  

2012

2011

Postretirement benefit obligation ………………………
Unrealized gains in AOCI (1) …………………………
(1)

$                              

72

$                        

114

495

459

Unrealized gains are due to changes in discount rates related to the postretirement obligation.

Post-Retirement Defined Contribution Healthcare Plan 

On January 1, 2005, the Company established a Post-Retirement Defined Contribution Healthcare Plan for eligible 
employees  meeting  certain  service  and  age  requirements.  The  plan  is  fully  funded  by  the  participants  and 
accordingly, the Company does not recognize expense relating to the plan.  

Note 27. Stock-Based Compensation 

The Company’s stock-based compensation plans include the 2011 Equity Incentive Plan, the 2004 Non-Employee 
Director  Fee  Plan  and  the  Deferred  Compensation  Plan.    The  following  table  summarizes  the  stock-based 
compensation expense (primarily in the Americas), income tax benefits related to the stock-based compensation and 
excess tax benefits (deficiencies) (in thousands): 

Years Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

Stock-based compensation (expense) (1) ……………………………………
Income tax benefit (2) ………………………………………………………
Excess tax benefit (deficiency) from stock-based compensation (3) ………

$          

(3,467)

$           

(3,582)

$           

(4,935)

1,213

(292)

1,397

(8)

1,925

354

(1)

Included in "General and administrative" costs in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(2)

Included in "Income taxes" in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(3)

Included in "Additional paid-in capital" in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity.

There were no capitalized stock-based compensation costs at December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010. 

2011 Equity Incentive Plan — The Board adopted the Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated 2011 Equity Incentive Plan 
(the  "2011  Plan”)  on  March  23,  2011,  as  amended  on  May  11,  2011  to  reduce  the  number  of  shares  of  common 
stock  available  to  4.0  million  shares.    The  2011  Plan  was  approved  by  the  shareholders  at  the  May  2011  annual 
shareholder meeting.  The 2011 Plan replaced and superseded the Company’s 2001 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2001 
Plan”),  which  expired  on  March  14,  2011.    The  outstanding  awards  granted  under  the  2001  Plan  will  remain  in 
effect  until  their  exercise,  expiration  or  termination.  The  2011  Plan  permits  the  grant  of  restricted  stock,  stock 
appreciation rights, stock options and other stock-based awards to certain employees of the Company, and certain 
non-employees who provide services to the Company in order to encourage them to remain in the employment of, or 
to faithfully provide services to, the Company and to increase their interest in the Company’s success.   

Stock Appreciation Rights – The Company’s Board of Directors, at the recommendation of the Compensation and 
Human  Resource  Development  Committee  (the  “Committee”),  has  approved  in  the  past,  and  may  approve  in  the 
future, awards of stock-settled stock appreciation rights (“SARs”) for eligible participants. SARs represent the right 
to  receive,  without  payment  to  the  Company,  a  certain  number  of  shares  of  common  stock,  as  determined  by  the 
Committee, equal to the amount by which the fair market value of a share of common stock at the time of exercise 
exceeds the grant price. 

105 

 
 
 
 
                            
                         
 
 
 
 
    
 
             
              
              
               
                    
                 
 
 
 
 
 
Any SARs issued are granted at the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of the grant.  All 
SARs currently outstanding vest one-third on each of the first three anniversaries of the date of grant, provided the 
participant is employed by the Company on such date. The SARs have a term of 10 years from the date of grant.  In 
the event of a change in control, the SARs will vest on the date of the change in control, provided that the participant 
is employed by the Company on the date of the change in control.  

All  currently  outstanding  SARs  are  exercisable  within  three  months  after  the  death,  disability,  retirement  or 
termination  of  the  participant’s  employment  with  the  Company,  if  and  to  the  extent  the  SARs  were  exercisable 
immediately prior to such termination.  If the participant’s employment is terminated for cause, or the participant 
terminates his or her own employment with the Company, any portion of the SARs not yet exercised (whether or not 
vested) terminates immediately on the date of termination of employment.  

The  fair  value  of  each  SAR  is  estimated  on  the  date  of  grant  using  the  Black-Scholes  valuation  model  that  uses 
various  assumptions.  The  fair  value  of  the  SARs  is  expensed  on  a  straight-line  basis  over  the  requisite  service 
period. Expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock. The risk-free rate for periods 
within the contractual life of the award is based on the yield curve of a zero-coupon U.S. Treasury bond on the date 
the award is granted with a maturity equal to the expected term of the award. Exercises and forfeitures are estimated 
within  the valuation  model using  employee  termination and other  historical  data.  The  expected  term  of  the  SARs 
granted represents the period of time the SARs are expected to be outstanding.  

The following table summarizes the assumptions used to estimate the fair value of SARs granted: 

Years Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

Expected volatility …………………………………………………………

Weighted average volatility ……………………………..………………..

Expected dividend rate ……………………………………………………

Expected term (in years) ……………..……………………………………

Risk-free rate ……………..………..……………………………………..

47.1%

47.1%

0.0%

4.7

0.8%

44.3%

44.3%

0.0%

4.6

2.0%

45.2%

45.2%

0.0%

4.4

2.4%

The following table summarizes SARs activity as of December 31, 2012 and for the year then ended:  

S tock Appreciation Rights

S hares (000s)

Outstanding at January 1, 2012………………………………………..……

Granted ……………………………………..………………….…………

Exercised …………………………...………………………………………

657

259

-

Weighted 
Average 
Exercise Price

$                    
-

$                    
-

$                    
-

Weighted 
Average 
Remaining 
Contractual 
Term (in 
years)

Aggregate 
Intrinsic 
Value (000s)

Forfeited or expired ……………………………………………………….

(51)

$                    
-

Outstanding at December 31, 2012 ……………………………………

Vested or expected to vest at December 31, 2012 ………………………

Exercisable at December 31, 2012 ………………………………….……

865

865

470

$                    
-

$                    
-

$                    
-

7.2

7.2

6.0

$                 

20

$                 

20

$                 

18

The following table summarizes information regarding SARs granted and exercised (in thousands, except per SAR 
amounts): 

Years Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

Number of SARs granted …………………………………………………

259

215

130

Weighted average grant-date fair value per SAR ……………………………

$             

5.97

$              

7.10

$            

10.21

Intrinsic value of SARs exercised …………………………………………

$               
-

$                
-

$               

591

Fair value of SARs vested …………………………………………………

$           

1,388

$            

1,198

$               

615

106 

 
 
 
 
 
                 
                  
                  
 
 
 
                
                
                   
                 
                
                  
                
                  
                
                  
 
 
                
                 
                 
 
The following table summarizes nonvested SARs activity as of December 31, 2012 and for the year then ended:  

Nonvested S tock Appreciation Rights

S hares (000s)

Weighted 
Average Grant-
Date Fair 
Value

Nonvested at January 1, 2012 …………………………………………..…………………..…

Granted …………………………………………………………..…………………………

362

259

$                

7.90

$                

5.97

Vested ……………………………………………………………..…………………………

(175)

$                

7.98

Forfeited or expired ……………………………………………..…………………………

(51)

$                

6.76

Nonvested at December 31, 2012 ………………………………………………...…………

395

$                

6.74

As  of  December  31,  2012,  there  was  $1.6  million  of  total  unrecognized  compensation  cost,  net  of  estimated 
forfeitures,  related  to  nonvested  SARs  granted  under  the  2011  Plan  and  2001  Plan.  This  cost  is  expected  to  be 
recognized over a weighted average period of 1.4 years. 

Restricted Shares – The Company’s Board of Directors, at the recommendation of the Committee, has approved in 
the past, and may approve in the future, awards of performance and employment-based restricted shares (“restricted 
shares”)  for  eligible  participants.  In  some  instances,  where  the  issuance  of  restricted  shares  has  adverse  tax 
consequences to the recipient, the Board may instead issue restricted stock units (“RSUs”).  The restricted shares are 
shares of the Company’s common stock (or in the case of RSUs, represent an equivalent number of shares of the 
Company’s common stock) which are issued to the participant subject to (a) restrictions on transfer for a period of 
time and (b) forfeiture under certain conditions.  The performance goals, including revenue growth and income from 
operations targets, provide a range of vesting possibilities from 0% to 100% and will be measured at the end of the 
performance period. If the performance conditions are met for the performance period, the shares will vest and all 
restrictions on the transfer of the restricted shares will lapse (or in the case of RSUs, an equivalent number of shares 
of the Company’s common stock will be issued to the recipient). The Company recognizes compensation cost, net of 
estimated forfeitures, based on the fair value (which approximates the current market price) of the restricted shares 
(and RSUs) on the date of grant ratably over the requisite service period based on the probability of achieving the 
performance goals.  

Changes  in  the  probability  of  achieving  the  performance  goals  from  period  to  period  will  result  in  corresponding 
changes in compensation expense. The employment-based restricted shares currently outstanding vest one-third on 
each of the first three anniversaries of the date of grant, provided the participant is employed by the Company on 
such  date.  In  the  event  of  a  change  in  control  (as  defined  in  the  2011  Plan  and  2001  Plan)  prior  to  the  date  the 
restricted shares vest, all of the restricted shares will vest and the restrictions on transfer will lapse with respect to 
such vested shares on the date of the change in control, provided that participant is employed by the Company on the 
date of the change in control. 

If  the  participant’s  employment  with  the  Company  is  terminated  for  any  reason,  either  by  the  Company  or 
participant, prior to the date on which the restricted shares have vested and the restrictions have lapsed with respect 
to such vested shares, any restricted shares remaining subject to the restrictions (together with any dividends paid 
thereon) will be forfeited, unless there has been a change in control prior to such date.   

The following table summarizes nonvested restricted shares/RSUs activity as of December 31, 2012 and for the year 
then ended:  

Nonvested Restricted S hares / RS Us

S hares (000s)

Nonvested at January 1, 2012 …………………………………………..…………………..…

Granted …………………………………………………………..…………………………

Vested ……………………………………………………………..…………………………

Forfeited or expired ……………………………………………..…………………………

793

420

(195)

(146)

Weighted 
Average Grant-
Date Fair 
Value

$              

20.39

$              

15.21

$              

19.74

$              

19.03

Nonvested at December 31, 2012 ………………………………………………...…………

872

$              

18.25

107 

 
 
 
                 
                 
                
                  
                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                 
                 
                
                
                 
 
The  following  table  summarizes  information  regarding  restricted  shares/RSUs  granted  and  vested  (in  thousands, 
except per restricted share/RSU amounts): 

Years Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

Number of restricted shares/RSUs granted …………………………………

420

339

206

Weighted average grant-date fair value per restricted share/RSU …………

$           

15.21

$            

18.68

$            

23.88

Fair value of restricted shares/RSUs vested ………………………………

$           

3,845

$            

4,392

$            

4,765

As of December 31, 2012, based on the probability of achieving the performance goals, there was $15.3 million of 
total  unrecognized  compensation  cost,  net  of  estimated  forfeitures,  related  to  nonvested  restricted  shares/RSUs 
granted under the 2011 Plan and 2001 Plan. This cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period 
of 1.3 years.  

2004 Non-Employee Director Fee Plan — The Company’s 2004 Non-Employee Director Fee Plan (the “2004 Fee 
Plan”),  as  last  amended  on  May  17,  2012,  provides  that  all  new  non-employee  directors  joining  the  Board  will 
receive an initial grant of shares of common stock on the date the new director is elected or appointed, the number of 
which will be determined by dividing $60,000 by the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the trading 
day immediately preceding the date a new director is elected or appointed, rounded to the nearest whole number of 
shares.  The initial grant of shares vests in twelve equal quarterly installments, one-twelfth on the date of grant and 
an additional one-twelfth on each successive third monthly anniversary of the date of grant.  The award lapses with 
respect to all unvested shares in the event the non-employee director ceases to be a director of the Company, and any 
unvested shares are forfeited. 

The  2004  Fee  Plan  also  provides  that  each  non-employee  director  will  receive,  on  the  day  after  the  annual 
shareholders meeting, an annual retainer for service as a non-employee director (the “Annual Retainer”).  Prior to 
May 17, 2012, the Annual Retainer was $95,000, of which $50,000 was payable in cash, and the remainder was paid 
in stock.  The annual grant of cash vests in four equal quarterly installments, one-fourth on the day following the 
annual meeting of shareholders, and an additional one-fourth on each successive third monthly anniversary of the 
date of grant.  The annual grant of shares paid to non-employee directors prior to May 17, 2012 vests in eight equal 
quarterly installments, one-eighth on the day following the annual meeting of shareholders, and an additional one-
eighth  on  each  successive  third  monthly  anniversary  of  the  date  of  grant.  On  May  17,  2012,  upon  the 
recommendation of the Compensation and Human Resource Development Committee, the Board adopted the Fifth 
Amended and Restated Non-Employee Director Fee Plan (the “Amendment”), which increased the common stock 
component of the Annual Retainer by $30,000, resulting in a total Annual Retainer of $125,000, of which $50,000 is 
payable in cash and the remainder paid in stock.  In addition, the Amendment also changed the vesting period for the 
annual equity award, from a two-year vesting period, to a one-year vesting period (consisting of four equal quarterly 
installments,  one-fourth  on  the  date  of  grant  and  an  additional  one-fourth  on  each  successive  third  monthly 
anniversary of the date of grant). The award lapses with respect to all unpaid cash and unvested shares in the event 
the  non-employee  director  ceases  to  be  a  director  of  the  company,  and  any  unvested  shares  and  unpaid  cash  are 
forfeited. 

In addition to the Annual Retainer award, the 2004 Fee Plan also provides for any non-employee Chairman of the 
Board  to  receive  an  additional  annual  cash  award  of  $100,000,  and  each  non-employee  director  serving  on  a 
committee  of  the  Board  to  receive  an  additional  annual  cash  award.  The  additional  annual  cash  award  for  the 
Chairperson  of  the  Audit  Committee  is  $20,000  and  Audit  Committee  members’  are  entitled  to  an  annual  cash 
award of $10,000.  Prior to May 20, 2011, the annual cash awards for the Chairpersons of the Compensation and 
Human  Resource  Development  Committee,  Finance  Committee  and  Nominating  and  Corporate  Governance 
Committee were $12,500 and the members of such committees were entitled to an annual cash award of $7,500.  On 
May 20, 2011, the Board increased the additional annual cash award to the Chairperson of the Compensation and 
Human Resource Development Committee to $15,000.  All other additional cash awards remained unchanged. 

The Board may pay additional cash compensation to any non-employee director for services on behalf of the Board 
over and above those typically expected of directors, including but not limited to service on a special committee of 
the Board. 

108 

 
                
                 
                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following table summarizes common stock share award activity as of December 31, 2012 and for the year then 
ended:  

Nonvested Common S tock S hare Awards

S hares (000s)

Weighted 
Average Grant-
Date Fair 
Value

Nonvested at January 1, 2012 …………………………………………..…………………..…

Granted …………………………………………………………..…………………………

16

42

$              

21.08

$              

16.15

Vested ……………………………………………………………..…………………………

(44)

$              

17.58

Forfeited or expired ……………………………………………..…………………………

Nonvested at December 31, 2012 ………………………………………………...…………

(1)

13

$              

21.83

$              

17.18

The  following  table  summarizes  information  regarding  common  stock  share  awards  granted  and  vested  (in 
thousands, except per share award amounts): 

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2010

2012

Number of common stock share awards granted …………………………
Weighted average grant-date fair value per common stock share award ……
Fair value of common stock share awards vested …………………………

42
16.15
771

$           
$              

21
21.83
407

$            
$               

24
19.11
458

$            
$               

As  of  December  31,  2012,  there  was  $0.1  million  of  total  unrecognized  compensation  costs,  net  of  estimated 
forfeitures, related to nonvested shares granted since March 2008 under the 2004 Fee Plan. This cost is expected to 
be recognized over a weighted average period of 0.1 years.  

Deferred  Compensation  Plan  —  The  Company’s  non-qualified  Deferred  Compensation  Plan  (the  “Deferred 
Compensation  Plan”),  which  is  not  shareholder-approved,  was  adopted  by  the  Board  of  Directors  effective 
December 17, 1998 and amended on March 29, 2006 and May 23, 2006. It provides certain eligible employees the 
ability to defer any portion of their compensation until the participant’s retirement, termination, disability or death, 
or  a  change  in  control  of  the  Company.  Using  the  Company’s  common  stock,  the  Company  matches  50%  of  the 
amounts deferred by certain senior management participants on a quarterly basis up to a total of $12,000 per year for 
the  president,  executive  vice  presidents  and  senior  vice  presidents  and  $7,500  per  year  for  vice  presidents 
(participants below the level of vice president are not eligible to receive matching contributions from the Company).  
Matching  contributions  and  the  associated earnings vest over  a  seven  year  service  period. Deferred compensation 
amounts used to pay benefits, which are held in a rabbi trust, include investments in various mutual funds and shares 
of the Company’s common stock (See Note 14, Investments Held in Rabbi Trusts). As of December 31, 2012 and 
2011, liabilities of $5.3 million and $4.2 million, respectively, of the Deferred Compensation Plan were recorded in 
“Accrued employee compensation and benefits” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.  

Additionally, the Company’s common stock match associated with the Deferred Compensation Plan, with a carrying 
value of approximately $1.4 million and $1.2 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, is included in 
“Treasury stock” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. 

The following table summarizes nonvested common stock activity as of December 31, 2012 and for the year then 
ended: 

Nonvested Common S tock

S hares (000s)

Weighted 
Average Grant-
Date Fair 
Value

Nonvested at January 1, 2012 …………………………………………..…………………..…

Granted …………………………………………………………..…………………………

8

15

$              

18.30

$              

15.27

Vested ……………………………………………………………..…………………………

(14)

$              

15.59

Forfeited or expired ……………………………………………..…………………………

Nonvested at December 31, 2012 ………………………………………………...…………

(1)

8

$              

18.22

$              

16.98

109 

 
 
                   
                   
                  
                    
                   
 
 
 
                  
                   
                   
 
 
 
 
 
 
                     
                   
                  
                    
                     
 
 The following table summarizes information regarding shares of common stock granted and vested (in thousands, 
except per common stock amounts): 

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2010

2012

Number of shares of common stock granted ………………………………
Weighted average grant-date fair value per common stock …………………
Fair value of common stock vested …………………………………………
Cash used to settle the obligation …………………………………………

15
15.27
195
459

$           
$              
$              

11
18.93
$            
$               
169
$                   
2

11
18.91
185
32

$            
$               
$                 

As  of  December  31,  2012,  there  was  $0.1  million  of  total  unrecognized  compensation  cost,  net  of  estimated 
forfeitures, related to nonvested common stock granted under the Deferred Compensation Plan. This cost is expected 
to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.3 years.  

Note 28. Segments and Geographic Information 

The Company operates within two regions, the Americas and EMEA. Each region represents a reportable segment 
comprised  of  aggregated  regional  operating  segments,  which  portray  similar  economic  characteristics.  The 
Company  aligns  its  business  into  two segments  to  effectively  manage the  business  and  support  the  customer  care 
needs of every client and to respond to the demands of the Company’s global customers.  

The  reportable  segments  consist  of  (1) the  Americas,  which  includes  the  United  States,  Canada,  Latin  America, 
Australia  and  the  Asia  Pacific  Rim,  and  provides  outsourced  customer  contact  management  solutions  (with  an 
emphasis on technical support and customer service) and technical staffing and (2) EMEA, which includes Europe, 
the Middle East and Africa, and provides outsourced customer contact management solutions (with an emphasis on 
technical support and customer service) and fulfillment services. The sites within Latin America, India and the Asia 
Pacific  Rim  are  included  in  the  Americas  segment  given  the  nature  of  the  business  and  client  profile,  which  is 
primarily made up of U.S.-based companies that are using the Company’s services in these locations to support their 
customer contact management needs.  

110 

 
                  
                   
                   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Information about the Company’s reportable segments is as follows (in thousands): 

Americas

EMEA

Other (1)

Consolidated

Year Ended December 31, 2012:
Revenues (2) …………………………………………………………
Percentage of revenues ………………………………………………

$          

947,147
84.0%

Depreciation and amortization (2) ……………………………………

$            

46,973

Income (loss) from continuing operations …………………………
Other (expense), net ………………………………………………… 
Income taxes ………………………………………………………… 
Income from continuing operations, net of taxes …………………… 
(Loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes (3) ………………
Net income …………………………………………………………

$            

93,580

$           

(10,707)

$        

180,551
16.0%

$            

3,875

$            

5,488

$              

(820)

$            

(51,289)
(2,622)
(5,207)

$     

1,127,698
100.0%

$          

50,848

$          

47,779
(2,622)
(5,207)
39,950
(11,527)
28,423

$         

Total assets as of December 31, 2012 ………………………….

$      

1,265,119

$    

1,100,938

$       

(1,457,368)

$       

908,689

Year Ended December 31, 2011:
Revenues (2) …………………………………………………………
Percentage of revenues ………………………………………………

$          

963,142
82.4%

Depreciation and amortization (2) ……………………………………

$            

47,747

$        

206,125
17.6%

$     

1,169,267
100.0%

$            

5,052

$          

52,799

Income (loss) from continuing operations …………………………
Other (expense), net ………………………………………………… 
Income taxes ………………………………………………………… 
Income from continuing operations, net of taxes …………………… 
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes (3) ………
Net income …………………………………………………………

$          

115,727

$                 

559

$           

(3,746)

$            

(46,446)
(1,879)
(11,342)

$           

(4,532)

-

$          

65,535
(1,879)
(11,342)
52,314
(3,973)
48,341

$         

Total assets as of December 31, 2011 ………………………….

$      

1,112,252

$    

1,131,719

$       

(1,474,841)

$       

769,130

Year Ended December 31, 2010:
Revenues (2) …………………………………………………………
Percentage of revenues ………………………………………………

$          

934,329
83.3%

Depreciation and amortization (2) ……………………………………

$            

49,910

$        

187,582
16.7%

$     

1,121,911
100.0%

$            

4,728

$          

54,638

Income (loss) from continuing operations …………………………
Other (expense), net …………………………………………………
Income taxes …………………………………………………………
Income from continuing operations, net of taxes ……………………
(Loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes …………………
Net (loss) ……………………………………………………………

$         

108,167

$          

(5,548)

$            

(64,638)
(9,669)
(2,197)

$         

$            

(6,476)

$          

(6,417)

(23,495)

$        

37,981
(9,669)
(2,197)
26,115
(36,388)
(10,273)

Total assets as of December 31, 2010 ………………………….

$      

1,357,709

$    

1,112,392

$       

(1,675,501)

$       

794,600

(1)

(2)

(3)

Other items (including corporate costs,
impairment costs, other income and expense, and income taxes) are shown for purposes of
reconciling to the Company’s consolidated totals as shown in the tables above for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010. T he
accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as those described in Note 1 to the accompanying Consolidated Financial
Statements.  Inter-segment revenues are not material to the Americas and EMEA segment results.  T he Company evaluates the performance 
of its geographic segments based on revenue and income (loss) from operations, and does not include segment assets or other income and
expense items for management reporting purposes.
Revenues and depreciation and amortization include results from continuing operations only.
Includes the (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes, as well as the gain (loss) on sale of discontinued operations, net of taxes, if
any.

111 

 
 
 
              
            
              
            
           
          
              
            
            
          
           
                     
            
             
          
             
          
         
           
        
 
 
 
Revenues  by  segment  from  AT&T  Corporation,  a  major  provider  of  communication  services  for  which  the 
Company provides various customer support services, were as follows (in thousands): 

2012

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2010

Amount

Percentage

Amount

Percentage

Amount

Percentage

Americas………………
EM EA………………

$         

130,072
3,018
133,090

$         

11.5%
0.3%
11.8%

$         

$         

129,331
3,343
132,674

11.1%
0.2%
11.3%

$         

$         

147,673
6,457
154,130

13.2%
0.5%
13.7%

The Company has multiple distinct contracts with AT&T spread across multiple lines of businesses, which expire 
between  2013  and  2015.  The  Company  has  historically  renewed  most  of  these  contracts.  However,  there  is  no 
assurance that these contracts will be renewed, or if renewed, will be on terms as favorable as the existing contracts. 
Each line of business is governed by separate business terms, conditions and metrics. Each line of business also has 
a separate decision maker such that a loss of one line of business would not necessarily impact our relationship with 
the client and decision makers on other lines of business.  

The  Company’s  next  largest  clients  in  each  of  the  years,  which  are  in  the  financial  services  vertical  market, 
accounted  for  6.2%,  5.6%  and  4.5%  of  consolidated  revenues  for  the  years  ended  December  31,  2012,  2011  and 
2010,  respectively.    The  Company’s  top  ten  clients  accounted  for  48%  of  its  consolidated  revenues  in  2012,  an 
increase from 45% in 2011 and 42% in 2010. The loss of (or the failure to retain a significant amount of business 
with) any of the Company’s key clients, including AT&T, could have a material adverse effect on its performance. 
Many  of  the  Company’s  contracts  contain  penalty  provisions  for  failure  to  meet  minimum  service  levels  and  are 
cancelable  by  the  client  at  any  time  or  on  short  notice.  Also,  clients  may  unilaterally  reduce  their  use  of  the 
Company’s services under its contracts without penalty. 

Information about the Company’s operations by geographic location is as follows (in thousands):  

Years Ended December 31,
2011

2012

2010

Revenues: (1)

United States  …………………………………………
The Philippines ………………………………………
Canada …………………………………………………
Costa Rica ……………………………………………
El Salvador ……………………………………………
Australia ………………………………………………
M exico …………………………………………………
Argentina (2) ……………………………………………
Other …………………………………………………
Total Americas ……………………………………
Germany ………………………………………………
United Kingdom ………………………………………
Sweden ………………………………………………
Romania ………………………………………………
Hungary ………………………………………………
Netherlands ……………………………………………
Other …………………………………………………
Total EM EA ………………………………………

302,046
225,629
198,585
100,101
46,910
24,633
23,315
-
25,928
947,147
73,380
35,833
22,229
10,773
7,619
6,511
24,206
180,551
1,127,698

299,606
244,936
203,313
94,133
43,016
25,892
23,133

-
29,113
963,142
76,362
41,476
30,072
9,038
6,695
14,268
28,214
206,125
1,169,267

$        

293,179
249,010
195,301
89,830
35,366
18,639
20,514

7,670
24,820
934,329
65,145
46,847
27,311
3,743
8,186
14,026
22,324
187,582
1,121,911

$         

$        

(1)

(2)

Revenues are attributed to countries based on location of customer, except for revenues for Costa Rica, The
Philippines, China and India which are primarily comprised of customers located in the U.S., but serviced by
centers in those respective geographic locations.
Revenues attributable to Argentina relate to clients retained by the Company subsequent to the sale of the
Argentine operations, which were fully migrated to other countries during 2011.

112 

 
 
               
               
               
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
December 31, 

2012

2011

Long-Lived Assets: (1)

United States  …………………………………………
Canada …………………………………………………
The Philippines ………………………………………
Costa Rica ……………………………………………
El Salvador ……………………………………………
M exico …………………………………………………
Australia ………………………………………………
Other …………………………………………………
Total Americas ……………………………………
United Kingdom ………………………………………
Germany ………………………………………………
Sweden ………………………………………………
Romania ………………………………………………
Hungary ………………………………………………
Netherlands ……………………………………………
Other …………………………………………………
Total EM EA ………………………………………

$           

127,010
27,497
11,298
5,355
2,978
2,511
2,185
4,011
182,845
4,712
2,556
682
638
360
23
1,516
10,487
193,332

70,768
22,943
12,348
6,664
3,416
2,317
2,378
3,512
124,346
4,969
2,362
810
1,056
214
95
1,700
11,206
135,552

$            

(1)

Long-lived assets include property and equipment, net, and intangibles, net.

Goodwill:

December 31, 

2012

2011

Americas ……………………………………………
EM EA ………………………………………………

$            

204,231
-
204,231

$            

121,342
-
121,342

$            

$            

    Revenues for the Company’s products and services are as follows (in thousands):  

Outsourced customer contract management services  …
Fulfillment services ……………………………………
Enterprise support services …………………………

$         

$         

Years Ended December 31,
2011
1,145,002
16,717
7,548
1,169,267

$         

2012
1,104,442
16,357
6,899
1,127,698

$         

$         

2010
1,096,869
16,934
8,108
1,121,911

$         

Note 29. Other (Expense)  

Gains  and  losses  resulting  from  foreign  currency  transactions  are  recorded  in  “Other  (expense)”  in  the 
accompanying  Consolidated  Statements  of  Operations  during  the  period  in  which  they  occur.    Other  (expense) 
consists of the following (in thousands): 

Foreign currency transaction gains (losses) ……………………………………………………
Gains (losses) on foreign currency derivative instruments not designated as hedges …………
Gains (losses) on liquidation of foreign subsidiaries ……………………………………………
Other miscellaneous income (expense) ……………...…………………………………………

2012
$               

Years Ended December 31,
2011

$                  

2010
$               

(2,856)
(295)
(582)
1,200
(2,533)

(749)
(1,444)
-
94
(2,099)

(2,108)
(4,532)
-
733
(5,907)

$               

$               

$               

113 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                   
                
                
                   
                       
                       
                 
                      
                    
 
 
 
 
Note 30. Related Party Transactions  

The  Company  paid  John  H.  Sykes,  the  founder,  former  Chairman  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  current 
significant shareholder of the Company and the father of Charles Sykes, President and Chief Executive Officer of 
the Company, $0.1 million for the use of his private jet during the year ended December 31, 2010, (none in 2012 and 
2011) which is based on two times fuel costs and other actual costs incurred for each trip.  

In January 2008, the Company entered into a lease for a customer contact management center located in Kingstree, 
South  Carolina.  The  landlord,  Kingstree  Office  One,  LLC,  is  an  entity  controlled  by  John  H.  Sykes.  The  lease 
payments on the 20 year lease were negotiated at or below market rates, and the lease is cancellable at the option of 
the Company.  There are significant penalties for early cancellation which decrease over time.  The Company paid 
$0.4 million to the landlord during each of the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 under the terms of 
the lease.  

114 

 
 
 
 
Schedule II — Valuation and Qualifying Accounts  

Years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010: 

(in thousands)
Allowance for doubtful accounts:

Charged 
(Credited) 
to Costs 
and 
Expenses

Balance at 
Beginning 
of Period

Additions 
(Deductions) (1)

Beginning 
Balance of 
Acquired 
Company

Balance at 
End of 
Period

Year ended December 31, 2012 ……………………
Year ended December 31, 2011 ………………………
Year ended December 31, 2010 ………………………

$         

4,304
3,939
3,530

1,115
450
170

$                   

(338)
(85)
239

-    
$             
-
-

$         

5,081
4,304
3,939

Valuation allowance for net deferred tax assets:

Year ended December 31, 2012 …………………… 38,544
Year ended December 31, 2011 ……………………… 60,091
Year ended December 31, 2010 ……………………… 32,126

$       

$         

4,754
(17,758)
12,256

$                     

-    
(3,789)
-

-    
$             
-
15,709

$       

43,298
38,544
60,091

Reserves for value added tax receivables:

Year ended December 31, 2012 ……………………
Year ended December 31, 2011 ………………………
Year ended December 31, 2010 ………………………

$         

2,355
2,338
1,881

$            

546
504
551

$                    

175
(487)
(94)

$             
-    
-
-

$         

3,076
2,355
2,338

(1) Net write-offs and recoveries, including the effect of foreign currency translation. 2011 includes the impact of the reclassification of the

Company's Spanish operations to assets held for sale.

115 

 
 
 
 
          
          
             
                     
             
          
          
             
                     
             
          
        
      
                
             
        
        
        
                     
        
        
          
             
                   
             
          
          
             
                     
             
          
 
bOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Paul l. whiting 
Chairman of the Board 
president 
Seabreeze Holdings, Inc. 
Chief executive officer (retired) 
Spalding & evenflo Companies, Inc.

chaRleS e. SYkeS 
Director (principal executive officer) 
president and Chief executive officer 
Sykes enterprises, Incorporated

maRk c. Bozek 
Director 
president 
Galgos entertainment llC

lt. gen. michael P. delong 
(retired) 
Director 
president and Ceo  
Gulf to Gulf Consultants  
   International llC   
Consultant 
the Boeing Company  
   for the Middle east and Africa

h. PaRkS helmS, eSq.  
Director 
president and Manager 
Helms, Henderson & Associates, p.A.

iain a. macdonald 
Director 
Chairman and Director 
Yakara plc

JameS S. macleod 
Director 
Chairman and Ceo  
CoastalSouth Bancshares, Inc.

coRPoRate headquaRteRS 
400 north Ashley Drive  
Suite 2800 
tampa, Fl uSA 33602 
(813) 274-1000 
Fax (813) 273-0148 
www.sykes.com

dR. linda f. mcclintock-gReco 
Director 
president and Chief executive officer                                     
Age-less Medicine llC                                                            
president 
Age-less Vitamin & nutrients 

indePendent auditoRS 
Deloitte & touche llp 
201 e. Kennedy Boulevard 
Suite 1200 
tampa, Fl uSA 33602

william J. meuReR 
Director 
private Financial Consultant 
Director 
eagle Family of Funds 
Director 
Walter Investment Management        
   Corporation 
Managing partner (retired) 
Arthur Andersen’s Central  
   Florida operations

JameS (Jack) k. muRRaY, JR.  
Director 
Chairman 
Murray Corporation 
Chairman 
Murray Advisors, Inc.  
Chairman, Advisory Board 
Healthedge Investment Fund II, l.p.

RegiStRaR and tRanSfeR agent 
Computershare 
p.o. Box 43078 
providence, RI 02940-3078 
(800) 962-4284 
SYKeS’ shares trade on  
the nasdaqGS Stock Market under  
the symbol “SYKe”

annual meeting 
SYKeS’ annual meeting of shareholders 
will be held at: 
8:00 a.m. (eSt) 
tuesday, May 21, 2013 
the meeting will be held at: 
Florida Museum of photographic Arts 
the Cube at Rivergate plaza 
400 n. Ashley Drive, Cube 200 
tampa, Florida 33602 
phone: (813) 221-2222

inveStoR infoRmation 
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q 
and the Form 10-K Annual Report 
filed with the Securities and exchange 
Commission are available on the 
Company’s website at: 
http://investor.sykes.com or upon 
written request to SYKeS’ Investor 
Relations department in tampa, Florida, 
or by contacting: 

Subhaash Kumar 
Global Vice president,  
Finance and Investor Relations 
(813) 274-1000 

PRInCIPAL OFFICERS 

chaRleS e. SYkeS 
president and Chief executive officer

w. michael kiPPhut 
executive Vice president and  
Chief Financial officer

david l. PeaRSon  
executive Vice president and  
Chief Information officer

Jenna R. nelSon 
executive Vice president,  
Human Resources

lawRence (lance) R. zingale  
executive Vice president,  
Global Sales and Client Management

chRiStoPheR m. caRRington 
executive Vice president,  
Global Delivery

JameS t. holdeR 
executive Vice president,  
General Counsel and  
Corporate Secretary   

daniel l. heRnandez     
executive Vice president,  
Global Strategy

Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated
400 North Ashley Drive
Suite 2800
Tampa, Florida 33602-5089
USA 1.800.867.9537
Intl. +1.813.274.1000
www.sykes.com