Of the 1,176 managers who were polled by IDG, some of the biggest requirements for outsourcing included accessing skills that were unavailable to the host firm � this was 52%, reducing costs � relevant to 50% of the executives, and management of staffing requirements � relevant for 44% of those who were surveyed.

The poll also revealed that about 33% were seeking service providers who would be able to support and come up with new projects and to enhance technology and business processes. Just a small amount of 19% hired outsourcers to provide innovation for the company.

What most managers considered significant when choosing vendors included the following: With regard to onshore vendors, some of the differentiating factors were cost � 94%, technical or business expertise � 92%, along with the availability of a wide talent pool � 88%.