Technology can be a key differentiator in financial services. It is for this reason that the largest institutions have implemented proprietary solutions and retain sizable information technology staffs to develop new features and functions. Many of the small and midsized players lack sufficient resources to build their own systems. Instead, they have had to rely on third-party vendors for outsourcing services. However, the technology landscape in the financial services industry is changing so quickly that, in order to keep pace, institutions of all sizes now need to consider outsourcing as an integral part of their IT strategy.