Adare Group business development director, Robert Whiteside made the claim at the annual Adare Group conference in Warwickshire.

"Our experience suggests that the outsourcing trend is gaining momentum as companies seek to streamline their processes and concentrate on core business," he said.

Whiteside claimed that Adare's total managed solutions accounted for around 35% of the company's total 180m annual turnover in 2003-4 and that this figure had risen to around 50% for last year's figures.

He added that next year, 2005-6, the percentage would probably rise to 60-70% of a total turnover estimated at around 188m.

"I believe the two key sectors for our managed solutions will continue to be financial services and retail," said Whiteside.