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Nov 10, 2008: It's very popular, especially here in the Industrial Midwest, to proclaim loudly that American workers are the best in the world and decry the global outsourcing trend. But the fact of the matter is, we do have a global economy, and to deny it means cutting oneself off from the future. And furthermore, workers are workers. There is nothing inherently superior about a factory worker, technician, or programmer from any one given country. It's not politically correct to say so, but people are people, after all.
Outsourcing is here to stay, and it will only grow in force as other countries develop their technological infrastructures and put resources into their own development and the education of their own citizens. The genie is, as they say, out of the bottle, and circling the wagons now would only make our economy shrivel and die. Some of the best technical colleges in the world for example, are in India. Buy American? It's not possible. Look around your house. I for one, have a Japanese computer, a German car, clients in four countries, and some English beer in the fridge. Of course, there are some American things around here as well, our dog is a Boston terrier, the first truly American breed. But ultimately, outsourcing and globalization isn't about exporting American jobs, it's about opportunity, not only for other countries, but for us as well. The sooner we acknowledge that, the better off we, as Americans, will be.
Stepping aside from one's country of origin for a moment and speaking as a citizen of the world, what's wrong with other countries getting a piece of the action? There is enormous poverty outside of America, and everybody wants to resolve that--but sending over missionaries with bags of food and bibles isn't going to help. Helping them develop economically--and sending over jobs--that's the only thing that will change the situation. This has already happened in India, which has a rapidly growing middle class, and we're starting to see it in China. Vietnam too, is a growing center for outsourced manufacturing, and money is being made there by companies on both sides of the Pacific. Ultimately, the war over there didn't do anybody any good. Commerce and trade is what has created a gentler Vietnam. These days, they're more interested in putting fast food restaurants in Hanoi than they are feuding with the capitalists--and Colonel Sanders is winning where General Westmoreland never could. Perhaps one day we will see the light and do the same in Cuba.
A blog entry by outsourcing analyst Phil Fersht comes right to the point: "The reality is that the rest of the world caught up." The Internet has been the great enabler, and like it or not, it will be the great equalizer as well. We are, as Phil says, at an inflection point, and it's time to take a long, hard look at how we do business.
For VARs and integrators, globalization can go two ways, depending on how you approach it. Accepting the global economy doesn't just mean sending jobs overseas, it also means gaining opportunities in the other direction. Increasingly, there are opportunities for those in the IT reselling business to profit globally. Most recently, Cisco acknowledged this reality with its Global Resale Agent program, which helps Cisco partners collaborate with counterparts in other countries. Programs like this are what will help VARs continue to thrive even during a troubled economy.
Source: http://www.sourcingmag.com/news/
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