To some extent, but for the most part, they're paying to shift responsibility to somebody else.

The people who buy software are not the ones who pay the bill. If you hire a contractor to build custom-tailored software:

- If it is buggy or lacking, you'll be blamed.

- If it gets hacked, you'll be fired.

- If it works well and saves the company millions, you get a pat on the back.

The incentives are off. Why on earth would you not go with the established provider?