Outsourcing remained a popular option among companies around the world in the first quarter of the year, despite the difficult economic environment most find themselves working in.

A new report by the Everest Group found 441 outsourcing deals were completed in the three-month period, compared to 433 in the final quarter of 2011.

The total transaction value of outsourced IT deals hit $3 billion (£1.86 billion) in the quarter, which was up by about 11 per cent on the previous period. In the UK, firms such as Little Chef turned to outsourcing, adding to the figures.

“Until the world economy gains more stability, we foresee the global services market will hold a steady course in terms of transaction volumes, captive set-ups and other activity,” explained managing partner of research at Everest Eric Simonson.

It is said that new deals accounted for some 83 per cent of all business in the sector, intimating that firms are not put off the idea of signing up to outsourcing projects at the current time.