Purpose - The purpose of this article is to outline the experiences of an Australian university in selecting a proprietary solution for its open access digital repository requirements.

Design/methodology/approach - An overview is presented of the environment leading up to the decision to select Digital Commons over an open source software solution. The paper also outlines subsequent experiences during a one-year period in operating the outsourced solution.

Findings - Outsourcing is an appropriate digital repository option for higher education institutions when costs are considered and compared with open source solutions, and especially when on-site IT support is limited. Outsourcing allows local staff to concentrate on liaison with faculty in promoting and populating the repository.

Practical implications - A useful resource for those considering the use of proprietary or open source software for their institutional repository.

Originality/value - This papers deals with a little discussed area of the relatively new subject of open access institutional repositories.