As digital transformation becomes even more multidimensional—with hyperautomation coming on stream and AI agents reshaping business operations—the nature of outsourcing is changing rapidly, too. Once seen purely as the means of cutting costs, external partnerships are now giving more businesses of all sizes access to advanced technology and expertise, instead of being the exclusive domain of large enterprises.

But to even talk about outsourcing in terms of leveling the playing field or adoption alone misses its strategic purpose. We know that transitioning from legacy infrastructure can be slow and expensive, before factoring in the way AI and machine learning are creating even more data volume and complexity to manage.