Increasing cost controls and unpredictable cost increases are leading many enterprises to rethink how they support their business-to-business (B2B) operations. As a result, many enterprises are choosing to outsource B2B integration by partnering with a managed services provider.

In the second quarter of 2009, IDC began working with a cross sample of Sterling Commerce Managed Services (SCMS) customers to determine the return on investment (ROI) from their shift to a managed services offering for B2B integration. Through interviews with 11 SCMS customers across company sizes and geographies, we found the shift paid for itself in less than 12 months.