1. A method for managing, with a management system coupled to a base data processing system of a primary business entity, a remote data processing system of a secondary business entity via a communications network, the method comprising: the management system communicating with the remote data processing system on at least one technical parameter of the remote data processing system, the technical parameter relating to an operational or configurational status of the remote data processing system; the management system receiving a report message on the at least one technical parameter from the remote data processing system via the communications network; the management system interpreting the report message to determine a state of interoperability between the base data processing system and the remote data processing system; the management system providing a revision to the remote data processing system in dependence upon the determined state of interoperability; and wherein the remote data processing system comprises a plurality of stage software components and multiple installed software modules; the management system shutting down a particular stage or stages of the remote data processing system on a stage-by-stage basis and selectively disabling one or more installed software modules of the remote data processing system in dependence upon the determined state of interoperability of the remote data processing system.