Systems and network integration and outsourcing-is it a global imperative for multinational corporations?

With increasing pressures to reduce costs, become more competitive, get closer to the customer, keep abreast of new systems and networking technologies, attract and retain competent professionals and maintain organizational flexibility, many global corporations are increasingly using systems and network integrators and outsourcing vendors for some or all of their information technology (IT) systems, networks, people and/or operations. While global systems and networking integration and outsourcing is growing, it is not for everyone. The paper analyzes the driving forces for systems/network integration and outsourcing from a vendor´s and user´s perspective. In addition, it describes the risks and rewards of systems/network integration and outsourcing and identifies where integration and outsourcing could be used and should not be used. In the long run, it is the author´s opinion that multinational corporations will become more dependent on systems and network integration and outsourcing vendors to help manage and keep up with the rapid technological changes in support of their global businesses. In addition, the author´s experience and research conducted on the topic while working at Contel Information Systems and NYNEX Corporation provides a pragmatic and real world perspective to the topic as well as many of the frameworks which appear in the paper