The process started with training, "not only training on technical matters but also on business and operation issues," Leung pointed out. "We had to change our processes and learn how to do things differently."

As for vendor selection, Leung said he considered adequate local support to be "paramount." "Look at SARS," he said. "At that time, you had to have local support-even if you offered them a first-class ticket, [support technicians] would not come to Hong Kong!" Leung's example is a wake-up call: some support roles cannot be fulfilled by telecommuting or call centers, but require 'boots on the ground due to security and compliance concerns.'

We have mainframe, Unix and Windows environments, but Windows-based development tools are changing too fast, making maintenance a headache for us," said Thomas Ng, head of IT at Dah Sing Bank. "For example, how many applications developed using Windows-based tools six years ago are not to some degree obsolete by now? We cannot afford to keep upgrading development tools that adds no business value. That is why mainframe applications can survive for so long.

"Windows is fine for new developments, but a nightmare to use with existing systems that have been developed on older tools," said Ng. "We have to upgrade constantly...systems can suddenly become obsolete and support can be stopped very quickly."

Two-factor authentication