Sundararajan says organizations that have previously outsourced IT functions hold an advantage because they have experience in managing third-party relationships.

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First, it has in Bernard Stolar, the president of Sega of America, a seasoned industry executive who hammered out third-party software relationships for the PlayStation during his tenure at Sony.

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The PlayStation was technologically impressive, with its ability to splash over 300, 000 polygons on a television screen in a single second. (Nearly all videogame graphics are composed of polygons so "polygons per second" is a rough and ready measure of a machine's power.) Perhaps more important, Sony carefully forged and nurtured good relationships with third-party software developers, ensuring a steady supply of great games for its system.

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Not surprisingly, in countries where third-party financing is prevalent, lawyers prioritize developing ongoing relationships with investment firms, rather than with their actual clients.

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