| "Outsourcing" has become a bad word in the United | | | | here, corrections requested and sent to India, who |
| States. Many of our citizens have had to change | | | | programs them "overnight" and we have the changes |
| careers, because the types of jobs they used to | | | | first thing in the morning in the United States. The |
| hold are now being performed outside the country | | | | most important reason all outsourcing is done by |
| for a much lower cost to their former companies. | | | | American companies is simply cost. Indian workers |
| This has helped to fuel the political fires here and the | | | | make far less than Americans. Programmers here can |
| current administration has been charged with declaring | | | | start out of college making over $50,000 annually. An |
| "war" on the middle class. In siding with the | | | | experienced programmer in India will make the |
| corporations in favor of profits over citizens, they | | | | equivalent of about $10,000 annually. The cost |
| have lost favor with the people. Personal | | | | difference is less spectacular in the call center |
| pocketbooks and bank account sizes belie the | | | | workers, but it's still substantial. Since business is |
| administration's assertion that the economy is strong. | | | | driven by the bottom line, many inconveniences are |
| The facts say the amount of people under the | | | | tolerated to gain this distinct financial advantage. |
| poverty level has grown, so the rich must be getting | | | | A television show called "30 Days" told the story of |
| richer. | | | | an American programmer who lost his job to |
| America's loss is India's gain, when it comes to two | | | | outsourcing and traveled to India to get it back. |
| types of commonly outsourced jobs - programmers | | | | There he found these two industries, programming |
| and call center employees. The latter is familiar to | | | | and call center work, to be very prevalent. Many |
| most of us who have had to call in to our credit card | | | | different Indian firms were contracting out to U.S. |
| company customer service, software support | | | | companies. What really surprised him was the relative |
| centers, or catalog ordering numbers. It seems most | | | | professional standing between the Indian workers |
| of these jobs have been outsourced to Indian firms. | | | | performing them. In India, it is the call center worker |
| Although the language barrier can sometimes pose | | | | who is more highly respected and highly paid! This |
| minor difficulties, there really is no reason anymore | | | | particular programmer ended up going for a call |
| why people all across the globe can't service the | | | | center job, where he had to prove how well he could |
| customers of any nation. Technology makes it all | | | | act and sound American! |
| possible today. | | | | So is outsourcing fair? And what will be the result of |
| Computer programming is another profession that is | | | | shipping all these jobs overseas? The U.S. |
| heavily outsourced to Indian firms. India has worked | | | | government allowed this to happen; can they do |
| in computer programming. Many of the United States' | | | | anything to stop it? Should they? Is this, as some |
| largest companies outsource their programming jobs | | | | people say, a selling out of the middle class? What do |
| to Indian firms with great success. This takes several | | | | the unemployment rates mean, if a large percentage |
| forms. Sometimes the U.S. company plans and | | | | of the employed are making substantially less than |
| administers the project closely. Other times the | | | | they used to before their jobs were outsourced? |
| Indian firm takes on all the planning and project | | | | These are highly debated questions and hot political |
| management duties as well as the programming. One | | | | topics these days. Financial globalization is still in its |
| advantage is overall project speed. This is because | | | | infancy and these questions will continue to challenge |
| the planning, review, system testing can be done | | | | us to find the best solution for everyone. |