Externalization of a banking information systems function: Features and critical aspects

Abstract

The growth of financial services is today a reality and carries Italian banks in strong competition in the European market. Unique money introduction, European regulatory dimension and new trend of banking internationalization, which increase the number of subsidiaries in several countries, involve ICT challenges to compete not only in a national contest, but also in a European predominance theatre. The trend, that we analyze in this work, is represented by a strengthening of Information Systems function, with regard to enterprise organizational strategies, like a key-factor to enhance performance and to support new value creation by means of a Service Oriented Architecture paradigm. Starting by this context and considering the cost management plan, we analyze the IT services outsourcing strategy with a theoretical approach supported by the empirical case of one of the main banking groups. Besides, this work aims to systematize the current outsourcing process, trying to evaluate ICT impacts and change management aspects. © 2008 Physica-Verlag Heidelberg.