Buyers need to address four categories of risk when sourcing global telecommunication services: (1) physical risks to the network and local business operations; (2) geographic risks including local regulations and business practices; (3) commercial risks like vendor mergers and acquisitions or major changes to the customer's own business; and (4) contractual risks that undermine governance and vendor management. Sourcing and vendor management organizations must take proactive measures to avoid and reduce risk exposure related to global telecoms services. These include specific risk mitigation measures relating to each of the four areas of risk inherent to global network and telecoms infrastructure services.