These figures are elevated because in high technology sectors, it is often the presence of scalable IP and related intangible assets that prompts the acquisition activity. In addition, such purchases are sometimes motivated by a perceived need to ensure that control over the technology does not pass to a competitor. If direct costs are incurred when providing a product or service (as is usually the case), and if there is a delay between producing and supplying goods and receiving payment for them, additional working capital may be need to be obtained from external sources.