Evolution of the global IT outsourcing market

Aim. The work aimed to study the transformation of IT outsourcing from a cost reduction tool into a strategic mechanism for digital adaptation of companies, and to analyze its impact on global value chains.

Objectives. The work seeks to identify key trends in the IT outsourcing market; to assess the role of technological innovations (artificial intelligence, cloud solutions) in changing business models; to determine the factors contributing to successful integration of outsourcing into corporate strategies.

Methods. The study methodology is based on an interdisciplinary synthesis of approaches from institutional economics, strategic management, sociotechnical theories and the concept of global value chains. The starting point is the understanding of IT outsourcing, on the one hand, as an economic phenomenon, and on the other hand, as an institutional and managerial one, forming a cross-border architecture for the distribution of digital resources. The empirical base includes industry reviews and analytical studies, as well as annual reports of leading IT companies.

Results. It was revealed that hybrid multi-cloud models with joint management of intellectual capital are beginning to prevail in IT outsourcing. It was established that in the context of geoeconomic confrontation, IT outsourcing is transforming from global offshoring to friendshoring and nearshoring against the backdrop of companies’ efforts to minimize sanctions and regulatory risks. It was revealed that customer companies balance between global providers and regional niche companies, while forming distributed ecosystems in search of access to innovations, scalability, and flexibility of resource. It is argued that IT outsourcing is becoming an increasingly important mechanism for the redistribution of knowledge and technology under conditions of a multipolar digital economy.

Conclusions. IT outsourcing is evolving towards strategic partnerships that combine technological flexibility and risk management. Key success factors include adaptation to regulatory requirements (GDPR, DORA) and the integration of digital competencies.

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