Which entities are considered external to IT within an organization?

• A. Regulators
• B. Partners and customers
• C. Vendors
• D. Managers

Answer: (B)

Entities outside the IT department that still participate in the organization’s operations are the groups IT serves and interacts with. Partners and customers fit this best because they live outside the IT team yet are part of the organization’s value chain. They rely on IT-enabled services, supply requirements, and provide feedback, making them external to IT but still within the organizational context.

Regulators are external to the organization itself, not inside its boundaries, and vendors are third-party suppliers outside IT and often outside the organization’s day-to-day structure. Managers are part of the internal hierarchy, so they’re considered internal to IT.