PRACTICE NOTES
This Practice Note outlines which communications services are frequently outsourced and why organisations choose to do so. It also considers standard outsourcing frameworks, together with core provisions, service levels, benchmarking, warranties and other matters.
‘Outsourcing’ broadly refers to appointing another party to run a business process or function. Typical candidates include human resources, payroll processing, IT, customer services, finance and accounting.
Communications outsourcing appears in many guises. Although no legally endorsed definition exists, these arrangements usually cover services linked to voice and/or data communications, such as:
full outsourcings that hand over a fully functioning private communications network
managed service outsourcings
more specific deals, for example support and maintenance of telecoms apparatus, data centre outsourcing, or procuring the supply of handsets
A regulatory environment
Electronic communications is a regulated sphere, and providers of electronic communication services (ECSs), electronic communication networks (ECNs) and related
TMT