Businesses looking to overcome the impact of the recession should turn to IT in order to boost their performance.

With innovation a key factor in driving growth, IT outsourcing enables companies to find a way forward without having to compromise on the quality of the service they provide.

A survey from Kcom revealed that only one in three firms currently view their IT departments as a source of innovation and strategy, suggesting more companies may look to outsource in order to speed up their economic recovery.

More than three in five respondents said they had turned to a third party supplier in order to fill knowledge gaps, with most reporting tangible benefits from the move.

The findings also showed that the managed services sector is likely to grow and 83 per cent of respondents said there had been cuts made in the past 12 months.

Industry commentator Paul Taylor said in a recent ComputerBiz article that outsourcing represented a “safe bet” for many companies.