"We work with all our vendors who are taking technology in a direction where it hasn't matured yet. These companies are pushing their technology beyond existing standards, so you need to document any deviation from the standard -- any non-standard code," Moreland says.

Like other companies, The Hartford also examines financial and technology strategies of a prospective vendor, evaluating the viability of the company in financial markets and how well the company can support a Fortune 100 customer.

Invariably, one of The Hartford's vendors gets scooped up. If the company's IT management is not happy with the way the acquiring vendor is handling the acquired product, Moreland says they are ready and willing to promptly switch to another standards-compliant product.

"We talk to the CFO and CTO, and we look at whether they can make the transition smoothly. When -- for whatever reason -- the acquiring company isn't going in the direction it was going in when you originally chose a product from the company that gets acquired, you can find another standards-based product to take its place," Moreland says.