Nine out of 10 communications-intensive organizations are seeking outside help as they build mobility-enriched, IP-centric environments. That's because the rising tide of connectivity - wired and wireless, human and machine - is increasingly difficult to predict and control. Already, two-thirds of technical departments' time is consumed with firefighting the complex interplay of access, device, platform, and application. But with a tenfold growth in network end points predicted during the next five years, integration challenges will only multiply.

A range of professional services - including the design, integration, and management of these complex infrastructures - can help relieve the strain. But finding the right partner, whether short or long term, is difficult. To navigate partner choice, Yankee Group has defined five service clusters: ad hoc, transactional, regenerative, transformational, and disruptive. Each service cluster delivers a specific set of business benefits and demands a matching supplier skill set.

Most organizations are currently seeking assistance for transactional functions, but a far wider service continuum is actually available. Read this analyst report to find criteria for assessing business value and a methodology to identify partners for today and tomorrow.