Sri Lankan Accountants Attract Global Outsourcers

War-torn Sri Lanka has 10,000 certified accountants, with another 30,000 in training.  Outsourced accounting offices in Sri Lanka are doing work for global giants including HSBC.  A U.S. CPA makes $59,430 while a Sri Lankan CPA makes $5900, making their work both affordable and high quality. 

Sri Lankan Accountants Attract Global Outsourcers - NYTimes.com

The Simpsons

In response to allegations that The Simpsons outsources most of its animation to a company in South Korea, UK graffiti artist Banksy created this controversial opening sequence for the show last week.



YouTube - Simpsons: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

In Toledo, the 'Glass City,' New Label: Made in China

In 1900, there were over 100 glassmakers in Toledo.  The Toledo Museum of Art is building a $30 million Glass Pavilion to reflect the legacy of America's "Glass City."  Unfortunately, none of the glass in the Museum of Art is made in Toledo -- it is all made in China.

In Toledo, the 'Glass City,' New Label: Made in China - WSJ.com

Outsourced Call Centers Return Home to the U.S.

The world is changing rapidly -- just a couple years ago, call center jobs were routinely outsourced to India and the Philippines. Now, falling wages in the U.S., rising wages in Asia, and customer satisfaction means that some call centers are returning home to the U.S.

Data Centers Get Outsourced

There are some industries that naturally make sense when it comes to outsourcing. Data centers, the massive server farms that store and process information for Internet-based companies, is one of them. After all, what does it matter where the data center is located? A company in Washington D.C. focused on Green IT has figured out a way to reduce power costs, reduce carbon footprint, and increase profit when it comes to running data centers -- move them to Iceland. Free year-round cooling, abundant renewable energy, cheap electricity and fast connections to the U.S. and Europe -- it all makes sense.

When Outsourcing Reverses Itself

Yesterday in class I made the bold proclamation that if we aren't careful about how we manage the economy going forward, we may all end up working for the Chinese one day. Today the New York Times ran a story about how this is already happening in some segments of the computer industry (just ask former IBM Thinkpad employees).

We all know computer companies like HP and Apple don't actually have any factories of their own. They design a cool gadget like a new color printer or iPod, then ask a contract assembler in Taiwan or China to put it together for them. For years, that's how it worked.

Now, those contract assemblers are starting to grow up. With names like Quanta or Foxconn, most Americans have never heard of these companies before. These two in particular, however, are investing millions of dollars into new technologies and startups, sometimes in the U.S., so that they can eventually compete with... their own customers.

Asian Computer Makers Move Into Riskier Ventures - NYTimes.com