A key finding in the Trustwave 2012 Global Security Report is that in 76% of data breach investigations a third party responsible for system support, development and/or maintenance of business environments introduced the security deficiencies. This should concern any company that outsources the processing, storage or transmission of personally identifiable…
Sourcing Speak
Using Cookies in the EU? Are you ready for the 26 May 2012 deadline?
Starting on 26 May 2012 the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”) will begin enforcing sweeping changes to the EU cookie law put in place 12 months ago. By way of reminder, following a change to the EU’s Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive (the “E-Privacy Directive”) back in 2011, the rules…
Managing Risks in Outsourcing during Exit
In previous blogs in September/October 2011 (Supplier Selection; Contract Negotiations; Relationship Management) I offered practical tips on how to manage and mitigate some of the risks that arise throughout the life cycle of a typical outsourcing. These risks may arise during the supplier selection process, in the course of contract…
Outsourcing Pricing Models: Recent Trends and Ever-Important Considerations
An effective pricing model is a foundational component for long-term success in an outsourcing relationship. Success or failure in a relationship can often be traced in part to the wisdom, or lack thereof, of the pricing model. A good pricing model will create predictability while serving to align interests, allocate…
European Commission launches consultation on Internet of Things
Back in 1999 Kevin Ashton, the British technology pioneer and cofounder of Auto-ID Center at MIT (creators of the global standard system for radio-frequency identification (RFID)), coined the term, the Internet of Things, to describe “uniquely identifiable objects (things) and their virtual representations in an internet-like structure.” Put simply, the…
Cross-border data transfer – delusions of adequacy?
India’s recent demand for European Union designation as a data secure country (see our blog) has brought the issue into the spotlight. Here we take a closer look at those nations which have achieved EU recognition and the benefits of doing so. Article 25.1 of the Data Protection Directive (in…
Protecting Against Failures in Outsourced IT Projects
ZDNet blogger, Michael Krigsman, reported recently that nearly 70% of IT projects fail in some important way: An eye-popping number! There can be endless debate on the actual failure rate of IT projects – the answer most likely depends on the criteria used to define “failure” – but a couple…
Big Data Means Big Dollars–But Are You Making Them or Spending Them?
The topic of the day appears to be “big data,” meaning the aggregation, mining, and analysis of data. This data analytics helps determine customer profiles so that companies can tune their offerings and sell more of the right things to the right customers. As recently reported in the New York…
India demands EU data secure nation status but still lacks robust data protection laws
According to a report in the Economic Times of India, the Indian government has demanded that the European Union designate her as a data secure country. The request came in the context of current bilateral free trade agreement negotiations. An Indian government official is reported saying “Recognition as a data…
Transition Services: Outsourcing in the M&A World
Transition Services Agreements (TSAs) have become common (and more complex) in corporate divestitures, mergers, and spin-offs due to the increasing operational complexity of the environments impacted by these transactions. And if M&A activity increases as expected, despite a slow start in 2012, these agreements will continue to play an important…