Global Trends in IT Outsourcing to Expect 2024

Building a separate team specializing in a particular technology can be a costly process. Therefore, business owners are increasingly turning to outside companies. By knowing the global IT outsourcing trends to expect in 2024, they can predict and prepare for future narratives in the market to stay ahead of the competition.

In this article, you will find the top IT outsourcing trends in 2024 related to blockchain, cloud storage, artificial intelligence and IoT technology. And you will also understand how IT outsourcing services can increase the efficiency of companies in the healthcare, agriculture and e-commerce markets.

What is IT outsourcing?

IT outsourcing is a type of activity in which a company takes a part of development outside of its own structure in order to reduce costs and get a more efficient result. Outsourcing is very popular among business owners and accounts for about 25% of the total IT services market.



There are 3 main types of outsourcing, viz:

• Internal. This is the process of hiring professionals who are based in your city or country. A great option for those who are used to keeping everything under control.


• Proximity. A company that is located in a neighboring country with the same time zone is used.


• External. In this case, you are working with a company from another country. Depending on the region, this approach can be either cheaper or more expensive, relative to your area.

For entrepreneurs, especially startup founders, IT outsourcing can be the key to growing your business faster and saving money. Large companies such as Google, Apple and Facebook are also outsourcing some of their work.



Here are the top 5 reasons why they choose this development approach:

• Cost. Outsourcing often allows companies to reduce labor and operating costs by using resources in regions with lower wages and costs.


• Flexibility. Outsourcing allows companies to more easily scale up or down in response to changing market conditions.


• Speed to market. Outsourcing accelerates product development and service delivery. Companies bring new offerings to market faster and gain competitive advantage.


• Access to tools and processes. Outsourcing provides access to specialized tools, technologies, and expertise that developing in-house may be too expensive and time-consuming.


• Responsiveness. Outsourcing allows companies to focus on their core competencies while external partners perform non-core functions.

IT outsourcing trends in 2024 will depend on current and emerging technologies. Integrating solutions in areas such as blockchain, AI, cloud computing, and IoT are prioritized by companies looking to grow in the IT market.

Let's take a closer look at how new IT outsourcing trends in 2024 may change areas such as finance, healthcare, agriculture and others.

IT Outsourcing Trends in 2024

In this section, Merehead team has prepared the best IT outsourcing trends in 2024 that you should expect. By familiarizing yourself with them, you'll understand why IT outsourcing is a profitable solution, as well as figure out how to leverage future narratives to improve your enterprise's efficiency!

Cryptocurrency Payment Integration

According to TripleA, more than 400 million users worldwide own cryptocurrency. This creates a need to improve current payment methods and implement features such as cryptocurrency payment integration.

The first companies to start accepting cryptocurrency payments back in 2014 were from the technology sector.

Many of them still exist today, such as:

• Namecheap - a domain name registrar and web hosting company


• Virgin Galactic - a private space tourism company that made its first space flight on June 29, 2023


• Microsoft - the largest software developer

Apart from the IT sector, cryptocurrency payment integration is necessary for areas such as legal services, restaurant business and gaming. Over the past 10 years, the ability to use blockchain for payment has been added by companies such as Steam, Tesla, KFC and others.



Companies that integrate cryptocurrency into their business have greater growth potential, relative to their competitors. In addition to improving user experience, this move provides benefits such as:

• Security. Since all transactions take place on a decentralized network, it reduces the risk of fraud and failures.


• Faster transactions. Transactions on the blockchain take place in real time or within 3-5 minutes. Cryptocurrencies can be a great substitute for cross-border bank payments that last 1-2 days.


• Accessibility. Blockchain can provide access to financial services for people who are unbanked.

There are several ways to integrate crypto-payments, but the most common is to connect cryptocurrency gateways.

A cryptocurrency gateway is a platform that is analogous to a third-party virtual terminal. It is used for transactions in networks such as Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, Avalanche, etc.

The process of crypto-payments is as follows:

• Among the available payment options, the buyer selects a cryptocurrency payment and specifies the required token


• The user sends the required amount of cryptocurrency, which is calculated based on the market value of the asset


• The gateway instantly converts the tokens into the fiat currency specified by the seller


• Once the transaction is confirmed on the blockchain, the tokens are transferred to the specified account and the parties are notified

The most popular cryptocurrency gateways are Coinbase Commerce, BitPay, CoinGate, etc. Business owners can utilize their services or create their own solution in FinTech and blockchain development.

Ensuring cybersecurity

The growth of online businesses that began during COVID-19 continues to evolve. According to Zippia, by 2040, approximately 95% of all purchases will be made online. This creates the need for cybersecurity and the trend of IT outsourcing in 2024 for MSSP solutions.



A managed security service provider (MSSP) is a type of company that offers managed security services to other businesses or customers from areas such as:

• e-commerce


• healthcare


• logistics, etc.

An MSSP is designed to augment or replace a company's internal security team. By partnering with an MSSP, an organization can gain a number of benefits, such as:

• Filling vacant positions. Partnering with an MSSP allows an organization to fill gaps in its internal security team or replace it entirely.


• Access to expertise. IT outsourcing companies in 2024 cybersecurity have a staff of experienced and skilled professionals.


• Round-the-clock protection. MSSP provides 24/7 detection and response to cyberattacks.


• Low total cost of ownership. Many MSSPs use the same solution to support multiple customers, spreading the cost across their customer base.

There are a large number of cybersecurity trends and risks that a company may face. To address these challenges, business owners are integrating security options such as cloud storage, antivirus, encryption, etc.



The experts from the Merehead team have compiled for you a list of the top cybersecurity solutions most commonly used by IT outsourcing companies in 2024, namely:

• Intrusion detection and prevention systems. Deploying systems to monitor network traffic for suspicious activity and block or alert you to potential intrusions.


• Role-based access control. Define user roles and privileges to restrict access to critical systems and data.


• Threat Search. Actively look for signs of advanced threats or malicious activity that may go undetected by automated tools.

Business owners can still set up their own security operations center. However, practice shows that it is far more beneficial to utilize the services of an MSSP to get a more effective result.

The Internet of Things

One of the reasons why IT outsourcing trends in 2024 will also affect the IoT niche is that 80% of companies do not have the necessary skills to keep this technology up and running. This creates a demand for external companies that specialize in this area.



According to Statista, the number of devices connected to the Internet of Things is 15.14 billion. It is expected to double by 2030. Let's understand the reason for this interest and how it may affect IT outsourcing trends in 2024.

IoT is a concept of interaction of physical devices on the Internet, which appeared back in the late 20th century. Thanks to the principles of this technology, computers, vehicles, watches and other devices can instantly collect and share information.

The most common applications of IoT are:

• Security and video surveillance. IoT-based security systems provide real-time monitoring and alerts for intrusions, fires, and other emergencies.


• Agriculture. IoT devices in agriculture can monitor soil, weather conditions, and crop health.


• Waste management. IoT-enabled waste containers can alert utilities when they are full, optimizing collection routes and reducing unnecessary pickups.

IoT can find application in most areas where there is a need to automate receiving feedback from devices. Companies that choose to utilize IoT IT outsourcing services in 2024 will reap benefits such as:

• Increased efficiency and productivity


• Remote monitoring and management


• Reduced costs

A complete IoT system includes four major components:

1. Sensors/devices. They collect data about external changes and store this information.


2. Connectivity. This is the connectivity between all the IoT devices in an ecosystem. Wifi, Bluetooth, cellular networks, all provide connectivity to transfer large amounts of data.


3. 3- Data processing. Once all the data arrives on the platform, functions are performed on it to process the incoming data and produce the required results.


4. User Interface. This component is required to transform the received data and be able to interact with it easily.

In the IoT IT outsourcing market in 2024, there will be a large number of services. Some companies will implement blockchain in this niche, some will implement artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Regardless of whether the world of technology will change in the near future, the connectivity of physical devices on the internet will remain an integral part of it. Therefore, IT outsourcing trends in 2024 will most likely include the Internet of Things.

Artificial intelligence solutions

Artificial Intelligence has gone beyond science fiction movies and has become a part of our daily lives. About 52% of companies report cost savings and efficiency gains by utilizing AI. This is one of the reasons why AI-based solutions may set new IT outsourcing trends in 2024.

AI was first talked about in the mid-20th century. Back then, few people would have thought that neural networks would be used in healthcare, education system and entertainment. Today, it has become a reality.



Artificial intelligence is the properties of technical devices to perform actions that are traditionally reserved for humans. As AI evolves, there is a need for highly specialized companies that can implement solutions in this field.

Here are some of the most promising IT outsourcing services in 2024 in this niche:

• Machine learning services. Machine learning services help companies identify hidden patterns in data and develop systems to make decisions without human intervention.


• Predictive analytics services. These help predict financial trends, create effective marketing campaigns, provide better sales support, etc.


• Enterprise solutions. This type of service enables better utilization of natural language processing, operational and cognitive analytics of the enterprise and customers, respectively.


• Natural Language Processing Services. NLP services combine artificial intelligence, linguistics, and machine learning. They can be integrated into chatbots as well as apps and IoT devices.


• Conversational AI services. With these services, enterprises can create a smart workforce, improve cross-selling efficiency, and enhance customer experience

The cost of integrating AI into a traditional business may seem like an expensive and complicated process. However, as we have found, neural networks have the potential to facilitate a company's operations, improve the user experience of their customers and increase revenue.



Studies conducted earlier suggest that it is much more profitable to utilize the services of a company for AI development than to build a team on your own to implement such solutions.

Cloud Outsourcing

Cloud computing is the ability to access software, services and resources over the internet. The amount of data hosted in the cloud is more than 60%. This creates a great demand for specialists in this field and is developing cloud outsourcing.



Utilizing cloud computing provides business benefits such as:

• Global availability


• Disaster recovery and backups


• Easier software upgrades

Many companies are choosing to outsource a share of cloud management to consolidate their IT resources. This approach is very popular among enterprises, which in turn is setting new IT outsourcing trends in 2024.

By choosing outsourcing, an enterprise gets all the benefits of cloud computing as well as the team that manages this system. Once the business processes are moved to the cloud, the outsourcing company makes sure that the system works with maximum efficiency and solves maintenance tasks.



A managed solution provider evaluates how technology is currently being used and creates a customized solution using types of cloud computing models such as:

• Software as a Service (SaaS). An enterprise purchases full-featured software from a cloud provider on a subscription basis. The company's employees get access to it, and the service provider manages the support and maintenance of the system.


• Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS). A company leases a complete application development environment and tools from a cloud provider, which are accessed over the Internet.


• Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). An organization purchases the infrastructure it needs from a cloud provider on a subscription basis. This may include data storage, networks, servers, file storage, etc.

There is another cloud computing model - unified communications as a service (UCaaS).