In a move to improve poor returns in the last year, MySpace has decided to splash out on popular music discovery service iLike for a rumoured USD20 million (GBP12.1 million).

The agreement is hoped to push MySpace's music scene further forward, with the website already being popular among both amateur and professional bands in its ability to deliver a music player to fans and new listeners.

Owen Van Natta, the chief executive of MySpace, made clear his delight at the acquisition, stating that the purchase advances the social networking website's "relentless pursuit of innovation" as well as a greater expansion of its music scene.

He concluded: "We are deeply committed to bringing world class talent into all areas of the company and this acquisition demonstrates our focus on this objective."

MySpace was created in August 2003 and is owned by Fox Interactive Media, which itself is owned by News Corporation, which is operated by Rupert Murdoch.

More than half of small businesses (53 per cent) believe that the most important benefit of outsourcing is guaranteed response times for IT support. London-based Connect conducted the research in 2007.