The reason for doing this study is that, with the increased emphasis by corporations and large organizations on returning to core competencies, there has been a mounting push towards outsourcing a number of service and other non-core functions. Included are information services such as data processing. Information technologies also continue to advance, allowing computing costs to come down. In addition, the convergence of the Internet and various consumer and other electronic technologies in combination with a desire on the part of companies in a number of industries to forge new alliances and offer enhanced services has established a role for third-party processors. Social, political, and regulatory issues are also covered.
Special emphasis is placed on the role of corporate outsourcing.
This study provides the most complete accounting of ongoing third-party processing developments in the United States and Canada currently available in a multiclient format. The study also provides extensive quantification of the many important facets of the market developments in the United States and Canada for third-party processing. This, in turn, contributes to the determination of what kind of strategic response companies may adopt in order to compete in this dynamic market. The third-party processing industry is not a precisely defined sector. Basically, the scope of the report is limited to those corporate, finance and banking, government, health care and other applications where a market for third-party processing exists.