What will outsourcing REALLY cost? Outsourcing the entire IT department of a medium/large business to a single vendor such as IBM or Accenture will almost always end badly. The upfront cost may sound low, but once they have you locked in the fees will only escalate. The first time the contract comes up for renewal, the fees will practically double. The business will concede and pay more, as the cost of switching to another vendor or bringing it all back in house would be prohibitive.