- Saturday, 11 July 2009
- INQ Mobile
- RSS
LA is El Pueblo De Nuestra Senora la Reina DeLosAngeles De Porciuncula
Firms switch from outsourcing to homeshoring
OUTSOURCING IS SO last season. The new trend in tech is 'homeshoring', or contracting customer service employees to work from the comforts of their own homes using only their Internet connection and VOIP phones.
The move, which is apparently saving tech firms a lot of money, has gained popularity as the economy takes a plunge and unemployment levels soar.
Andrea Ayers, president of outsourcing outfit Convergys, told AP Homeshoring, "gives us access to some high-quality labour that wouldn't work in a call center."
At $8 to $10 an hour, or more for more specialised knowledge or big clients, homeshoring is turning into a dream job for those who can’t be bothered to deal with morning traffic, or who hate wearing clothes.
Convergys reckons its homeshorers do work for over half the Fortune 50 biggest businesses in the US and already counts some 1,200 home agents. The firm expects this number to triple by next year.
After an online, virtual training period, recruits use Internet phone services and broadband connections to go about their daily business. Firewalls purportedly keep all company information secure whilst the agents keep in constant touch with managers and colleagues via online chat.
Brings a whole new meaning to the term homework. µ
L'Inq
SF Chronicle
Share this:
Business Intelligence Software
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Enterprise Accounting Software
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Enterprise Systems Management
homewhoring ?

after all, outsourcing was cheaper.

if they change anything, it MUST be cheaper, in their thoughts.

When this round is finished, the next WILL come.

For sure.
I just hope credit card and other things that require confidential information etc.. dont work from home..
else its just a matter of time.. when this info will start leaking out..

In India they were recently able to buy a CD full of financial info for roughly 700 Rupees thats.. less than 15US$ with current exchange rate..

Soon for 100US$ whatever these workfrom home guys/gals will sell our info everywhere..

God know what not we may find on wikileaks too..

I just don't trust.. em completely..

Could have done this when gas prices went through the roof, and you didnt, could have done this when the Dems were handing out loans to homeless illegal mexicans, you should have done this when you outsources 90% of you tech support over seas, but you didnt, now the economy has taken a Steve Jobs on you buisness and is smells like Wall St. on a bad day.
Sounds good to me. If I can get hooked up with one of these, I'd do it during the day and in the evening. More money.
Bring all the outsourcing back to the US please. I would rather see a US teleworker do his job poorly than a non-US employee. At least with the US teleworker their pay will be spent in the US helping the US economy.