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The era of mega-deals in IT outsourcing is declining. Having learned from the past, organisations are opting for smaller, short-term contracts, with deals reduced to 3-5 years, to avoid being locked into underperforming relationships and ensure their providers can invest in future capabilities, analysts shared. Biswajit Maity, Senior Principal Analyst at Gartner explained, “The trend of signing large deals in IT outsourcing is declining as organisations have learned from past experiences where such large-scale agreements often failed to deliver the expected returns and were difficult to unwind. To avoid being locked into underperforming relationships or providers unable to invest in future capabilities, businesses are increasingly opting for smaller and short-term contracts. These agile contracts offer flexibility and allow organisations to pivot when needed.” Organisations are seeking to avoid relying on providers who may underperform, face financial instability, or struggle to keep up with technological advancements. However, shorter contracts reduce this risk and allow for faster adjustments. IT being democratised has also enabled organisations to handle tasks in-house that were otherwise outsourced. This has shifted the focus to solving specific problems through a best-of-breed approach, where specialised providers are chosen for particular needs rather than opting for total outsourcing deals. With the fast pace of innovation in IT, driven by advancements in technologies like GenAI, and AI/ML, it is difficult to forecast future needs over long periods. However, short-term contracts allow regular renegotiations so organisations can stay aligned with this technological progress, evading the risk of outdated agreements, he said. “Mega deals have not been happening this year. We see a decline in the $1 billion-plus or $500 million-plus deals this year. There is a spike in deals less than $50 million. It compares with what happens in the macro environment. Several GenAI-related developments are happening, so people don’t want large deals and be caught up in something for 10 years, especially with how fast technology is changing,” Pareekh Jain, CEO at Pareekh Consulting and EIIRTrend stated. Increasing geopolitical uncertainties have also made buyers wary of long-term commitments that could expose them to risks. Buyers prefer shorter deals to avoid being locked into unfavourable relationships, like changes in the provider’s ownership--acquisitions by less-preferred companies, a decline in service quality, or misalignment with evolving organisational priorities. Maity also pointed out that contracts exceeding five years are becoming rare, except in specific government sectors where deals may extend for longer terms. Even in these cases, terms are becoming more flexible, with exit clauses built in. Private sector deals are typically reduced to 3-5 years. “We think we will continue seeing outsourcing based on specific needs rather than handing over the complete IT, or even a complete service line, to a single outsourcer (Total outsourcing). We observe some vendors are still actively pursuing large deals in the market, despite the growing trend toward smaller, more fragmented agreements. This is because smaller deals while offering flexibility, can sometimes hinder the adoption of innovative solutions. Long-term contracts allow vendors to generate higher profits while serving as a strong platform to showcase their capabilities. When contracts are short-term, vendors tend to be more cautious about making significant investments or introducing innovative solutions for customers,” he said. During Infosys’ Q2FY25 earnings conference call, the company’s Chief Financial Officer Jayesh Sanghrajka also observed the strong deal wins were coupled with an expanding pipeline of small deals, giving the company visibility for future growth. “There are various factors that have led to margin expansion. Our guidance change starting from the Q2 performance, and the increase in volumes across multiple sectors, including financial services. Our pipeline, which is a strong large deal pipeline as well as smaller deals, or less than $50 million deals, have grown double-digit. All of these have been baked in,” he shared. Srini Pallia, the CFO & MD of Wipro, during the company’s Q2 FY25 earnings conference call, said, “If you look at our bookings for Q2, of the $3.6 billion, $1.5 billion came from large deals. The balance is a combination of both mid-size deals and smaller deals. If you see the opportunities we get especially during the discretionary spending around Capco, and BFSI. The way I see it is, we do have smaller deals, mid-size deals, and large deals and we continue to remain optimistic on those pipelines.” CommentsGhanaian activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a prominent figure in the Democracy Hub, has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Electoral Commission’s handling of the recent election disputes, accusing the body of undermining judicial processes. Speaking on JoyNews’ NewsFile program, Barker-Vormawor condemned the Supreme Court’s judgment as a “Solomonic judgment,” suggesting that it lacked the clarity and maturity that Ghanaians have been waiting for in order to uphold the rule of law. The case in question involved the Electoral Commission’s (EC) refusal to collate results from four disputed constituencies. The Supreme Court had been approached through a mandamus application, a legal procedure used to compel an entity to perform a duty it is legally obligated to carry out. In this instance, the EC was required to show it had either failed or refused to collate the votes after a reasonable demand had been made, but Barker-Vormawor argues the commission did not make its refusal clear. “The EC never said it was refusing to collate the results, yet it failed to oppose the mandamus,” he noted. “If there’s no refusal or failure from the EC, then there is no legal basis for the mandamus to apply.” Barker-Vormawor went further to criticize the EC’s actions following the High Court’s ruling. Despite a pending application to stay the court’s decision, the Electoral Commission proceeded to re-collate the results in the disputed constituencies, which he described as an unlawful rush. “This is a blatant disregard for the law. The EC went ahead and collated the results, violating the judicial process,” he said. He stressed that such actions demonstrated a concerning trend of the Electoral Commission undermining the judiciary. “When there’s a pending application to stay a court decision, you can’t take actions that disregard the court’s authority,” Barker-Vormawor emphasized. “The EC’s actions in filing an affidavit and then going ahead to gazette the results undermine the very foundation of our democratic processes.” Barker-Vormawor’s comments reflect a growing frustration among civil society groups over the perceived impunity with which state institutions, including the Electoral Commission, operate in Ghana. His remarks highlight the critical need for greater accountability and transparency in electoral processes, especially when judicial decisions are at stake.

2024 year in review: How did California pay for everything?

Canada's most populous province may bar American-made alcohol in addition to restricting electricity exports to Michigan, New York, and Minnesota if President-elect Trump imposes sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products, a senior official said Thursday. The official in Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government said that it's contemplating restricting Ontario's liquor control board from buying American-made alcohol, the reports. Ontario is also considering restricting exports of critical minerals required for electric vehicle batteries and preventing US-based companies from the government's procurement process, the official said, speaking to the AP on condition on anonymity. Ford confirmed on Wednesday evening that Ontario is contemplating restricting electricity exports to Michigan, New York, and Minnesota. He reiterated that on Thursday and said it would make electricity unaffordable for Americans. "It's a last resort," Ford said. "I don't think President-elect Trump wants that to happen. We're sending a message to the US If you come and attack Ontario, you attack livelihoods of people in Ontario and Canadians, we are going to use every tool in our tool box to defend Ontarians and Canadians. Let's hope it never comes to that." Ontario powered 1.5 million homes in the US in 2023 and is a major exporter of electricity to the three states. "That's OK if he that does that. That's fine," Trump told CNBC when asked about Ford's remarks on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. "The United States is subsidizing Canada and we shouldn't have to do that," Trump said. "And we have a great relationship. I have so many friends in Canada, but we shouldn't have to subsidize a country." Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the US from Canada and Mexico unless they stem the flow of migrants and drugs The premier of the oil-rich Canadian province of Alberta, meanwhile, ruled out cutting off oil exports. "Under no circumstances will Alberta agree to cut off oil and gas exports," Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said. "Instead, we're taking a diplomatic approach and we're meeting with our allies in the US." Alberta's government is creating a new sheriff patrol unit to shore up security at the province's border with Montana. It will be supported by about 50 sheriffs, 10 cold weather surveillance drones, and four drug detection dogs. Smith said the province starting looking at improving border security in July of last year and stepped up its plans after Trump's tariff threat, reports . (More stories.)

BOSTON (AP) — After weeks of fear and bewilderment about the drones buzzing over parts of New York and New Jersey, elected officials are urging action to identify and stop the mysterious flights. “There’s a lot of us who are pretty frustrated right now,” Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on “Fox News Sunday.” “‘We don’t know’ is not a good enough answer,” he said. National security officials have said the drones don’t appear to be a sign of foreign interference or a public safety threat. But because they can’t say with certainty who is responsible for the sudden swarms of drones over parts of New Jersey, New York and other eastern parts of the U.S. — or how they can be stopped — has led leaders of both political parties to demand better technology and powers to deal with the drones. Sen. Chuck Schumer called Sunday for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to deploy better drone-tracking technology to identify the drones and their operators. “New Yorkers have tremendous questions about it,” Schumer, the Senate Majority leader, told reporters about the drone sightings. “We are going to get the answers for them.” The federal government did little to answer those questions in its own media briefings Sunday morning. “There’s no question that people are seeing drones,” U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. “But I want to assure the American public that we are on it. We are working in close coordination with state and local authorities.” Some of the drones reported above parts of New York and New Jersey have turned out to be “manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones,” Mayorkas said. “We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast. And we are vigilant in investigating this matter.” Last year, federal aviation rules began requiring certain drones to broadcast their remote identification, including the location of their operators. It’s not clear whether that information has been used to determine who is behind the drones plaguing locations over New York and New Jersey. Mayorkas’ office didn’t respond to questions about whether they’ve been able to identify drones using this capability. Schumer wants the federal government to use a recently declassified radio wave technology in New York and New Jersey. The radio wave detector can be attached to a drone or airplane and can determine whether another flying object is a bird or a drone, read its electronic registration, and follow it back to its landing place. Schumer said state and local authorities do not have the authority to track drones. On Sunday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said federal officials were sending a drone detection system to the state. “This system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations,” Hochul said in a statement. The governor did not immediately provide additional details, including where the system will be deployed. Dozens of mysterious nighttime flights started last month over parts of New Jersey, raising concerns among residents and officials. Part of the worry stems from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use, but they are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified. Drones are now being reported all along the northern East Coast, with suspicious sightings in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia, according to news reports. Some U.S. political leaders, including Trump, have called for much stronger action against these drones, including shooting them down. Certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security have the power to “incapacitate” drones, Mayorkas said Sunday. “But we need those authorities expanded,” he said. A bill before the U.S. Senate would enhance some federal agencies’ authority and give new abilities to local and state agencies to track drones. It would also start a pilot program allowing states and local authorities to disrupt, disable or seize a drone without prior consent of the operator. “What the drone issue points out are gaps in our agencies, gaps in our authorities between the Department of Homeland Security, local law enforcement, the Defense Department.,” said Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., Trump’s pick to be his national security adviser, speaking on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “Americans are finding it hard to believe we can’t figure out where these are coming from.” ___ Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut."Delay, Deny, Depose": Florida woman arrested for echoing UHC shooter in claim call