The importance of outsourcing back office services and other requirements to an agency or specialist organisation has been highlighted by computer giant Microsoft.

In a bid to free up some of its time to focus on other issues, the company has signed a three-year services agreement with Infosys Technologies, which will manage internal IT services for Microsoft worldwide.

The company will streamline Microsoft's implementation processes, simplify support and service, while helping it reduce enterprise costs by using the latest products on the market.

Microsoft Corporation general manager of service management Jim DuBois welcomed the development, stating that Infosys will introduce "a flexible and innovative end-to-end approach to manage our support infrastructure".

He said the outsourcing "will help us enhance how we deliver end-user computing services to our internal employees and partners while leveraging the innovation and investments we make in developing new technologies".

Outsourcing back office requirements, such as payroll services, can also help recruitment business start-ups free up much-needed time for company building and revenue generation.