Piper-Anna Shields

SunGard Availability Services (UK)

Senior Manager

To build or buy is a classic business decision, and one that is increasingly determined by the complexity of IT that business has perpetuated. For example, IDC has recently revealed that in the case of setting up an in-house strategy to protect and maintain mission critical systems (the lifeblood of the organization) that globally companies spend on average $2.2 million more per year – an average 32 per cent more – than those who use an outsourced option. The study also found that those companies using an outsourced option had a higher likelihood of supporting and ensuring the availability of their key systems.

This demonstrates that businesses need to adopt a selective approach to outsourcing based on a pragmatic understanding of their business ecosystem – taking advantage of the cost-effectiveness of specialists where appropriate, to enable the business to concentrate on its core competencies.

Piper-Anna Shields
SunGard Availability Services (UK) Limited