Outsourcing is the contracting out of a business process, which an organization may have previously performed internally or has a new need for, to an independent organization from which the process is purchased back as a service. Though the practice of purchasing a business function—instead of providing it internally—is a common feature of any modern economy, the term outsourcing became popular in America near the turn of the 21st century. An outsourcing deal may also involve transfer of the employees and assets involved to the outsourcing business partner.
The definition of outsourcing includes both foreign or domestic contracting, which may include offshoring, described as “a company taking a function out of their business and relocating it to another country.”
The opposite of outsourcing is called insourcing, and is sometimes accomplished via vertical integration. However, a business can provide a contract service to another business without necessarily insourcing that business process.
Read more about Outsourcing: Overview, Co-sourcing