Established online music video communities such as those found on MySpace and Last.fm could be majorly affected by the dispute involving YouTube and PRS for Music, according to a technology writer.

Daniel Booth, the deputy editor of the internet magazine Web User, said the argument over online streaming rights of music videos - resulting in UK users being banned from seeing such content on YouTube - could set a precedent for PRS for Music to go after other groups.

He cited the case of the organisation going after Oldham Athletic Football Club, who had their knuckles rapped for playing unlicensed music at its games, adding that the PRS is still figuring out the going rate for videos.

Mr Booth concluded: "There's no reason why YouTube would be an exceptional case for the PRS - they'll go after any online institution that's streaming music, be it audio or video."

PRS for Music registered its outrage at YouTube's decision not to pay its going rate for royalties to artists, adding that consumers and songwriters were losing out.

In a recent survey of SMEs for Connect, the two most important benefits of outsourcing were guaranteed response times and allowing in-house IT staff to concentrate on more strategic issues.