Outsourcing is the emerging trend in today’s semiconductor and Data Storage industries. Dramatic swings in the global business environment have companies re-evaluating costly, inflexible business practices and adopting outsourcing as a preferred alternative. The purest form of outsourcing in the semiconductor industry was introduced with the concept of the foundry. Many chip manufacturers embraced that foundry outsourcing model and repositioned themselves as "fabless", however no options existed for companies to outsource other, non-core functions – until now.