Outsourcing information technology functions that are not mission critical can seem like an attractive proposition. E-mail, productivity applications, and hosted creative bundles can ensure that in-house staff can focus on those functions that contribute directly to revenue or customer service. But, companies that are considering outsourcing should carefully review the terms of service for the prospective vendor to ensure that the vendor will keep the data secure.
Many popular e-mail hosting providers' terms of service allow the provider to view and use content from its customers' e-mails for a number of purposes. For accountants, medical professionals, and legal professionals, it may be unacceptable to allow a hosting provider to review and use the content of the e-mails for any purpose. Additionally, agreements with customers can require companies to maintain the confidentiality of data. Terms of service that allow access to the content of hosted e-mails could violate the terms of confidentiality.
Additionally, if the data will be hosted off site, companies need to identify what will happen to the data in the event of termination. Many times, the transition of the data is not covered in the agreement and it is either expensive to retrieve the data, or the delivered data is in an unrecognized file format. These issues are best addressed prior to the start of service.
It can be beneficial to outsource technology functions if a careful review of the terms indicates that there are no confidentiality concerns and that the data will be easily and inexpensively transferred upon termination.
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