ABSTRACT
This chapter gives an overview of typical business models, why they engage in partnerships, a typical project and what motivates them to partner. According to information technology (IT) industry analysts, Gartner, a systems integrator is an 'enterprise that specialises in implementing, planning, coordinating, scheduling, testing, improving and sometimes maintaining a computing operation'. System integrator as an expression has become synonymous with the IT sector, but it is traditionally a generic term and is used a lot in the defence and media industries. Business process outsourcing (BPO) is a type of outsourcing that involves a company or government department outsourcing an entire process, such as manufacturing or a back-office function. In terms of going to market with the large BPO providers, the news isn't good. The BPO function ordinarily takes place off-shore, so, unless they have a reliable supply chain to India or the Philippines, they are unlikely to benefit directly from any additional revenues.
