Managing Vendors: The Junction between Technical, Legal, and Business Considerations

Universities are increasingly turning to outside vendors for a range of services that historically have been managed in-house, such as mass data storage, web development, and e-mail. Technologists and IT leaders have an important role to play in setting the requirements and performance expectations for vendor-provided services. In a forward-thinking environment, IT staff should lead a multidisciplinary team including university lawyers and business managers to select and mange vendor-provided services. As part of such a team, IT staff should be aware of the full spectrum of technological, legal, and business considerations associated with vendor-provided services.

OUTCOMES: Identify key technological standards (e.g., data center standards, encryption standards, etc.) * Explore key legal issues related to vendor contracts * Discover how to integrate business requirements into the vendor selection process