Whether you see outsourcing as a promising cost-saving alternative to traditional staffing or a threat to your job security depends entirely on your role in an organization. But however you view it, it is clearly not going to disappear any time soon. At the same time more companies are investigating outsourcing as an option, IT spending at the most technologically-advanced is on the rise.

So what does that mean for IT managers facing outside -- and sometimes offshore -- competition? Obviously there is uncertainty but there is also opportunity. The Society for Information Management.study shows that right now, about three-quarters of all IT work is handled internally. There is however, a clear need for IT professionals with company and industry-specific knowledge. Internal employees have an inside track on both of these. The best advice is to learn your industry and your company inside-out which is likely to make you less dispensible.

Separately, management also wants IT employees with excellent client-facing skills. With an increased emphasis on both internal and external customer satisfaction, this presents another opening for IT professionals who can communicate well with their customers. What is your experience? I am interested in hearing if you see any changes within your own organization with respect to outsourcing.