Until 1993, Gamma had been operating in a stable fashion, with little change in strategic orientation, organization structure, or corporate philosophy. It was historically very successful and had pursued a Defender strategy—maintaining its territory through low costs but not seeking opportunities for any significant growth. During this period, the insourced IS function was highly centralized, with a central IS group serving the various business areas. The IS role focused on efficiency, with systems supporting business areas by helping reduce business costs. However, IS was perceived as telling business people how to do things rather than listening to their needs. Alignment was close, with IS strategy being consistent with a Defender strategy with the exception of IS sourcing.