Move over, China and India?

weekly roundup If the news this week is anything to go by, it's not a question of whether you should outsource; it's where you should outsource to.

China and India are arguably the current hot favorites in the outsourcing race. The two, being the world's most populous nations, have an abundance of human resources to meet the demands of enterprises all over the world.

EDS announced in June it would double its headcount in China by end 2007, while Sony and HSBC are but just some of the companies that have recently picked India as their choice of location for offshore outsourcing.

What separates the two countries, really? Other than taking to the English language with greater ease, the Indian workforce is an increasingly younger lot than their Chinese counterparts, or those from any other important outsourcing locations, for that matter.

Value-add may be another factor the Indians take pride in. As a colleague heard on a radio program a few weeks back, an undergraduate from India, when asked about the difference between the two countries, gave this analogy: If China is the producer of shirts, then India must be the supplier of the embroidery on the shirts.

But even before India and China can make a lasting impression, market analysts are furiously predicting new outsourcing darlings of the world.

McKinsey & Co. predicts that by 2008, the business process outsourcing activity in Eastern Europe will triple. South Africa is also keen to market itself as an offshore outsourcing destination, with the government offering tax breaks and training grants.

With the addition of more low-cost destinations, perhaps it's no longer a question of China or India, but where would your money serve you best?

In other news this week, find out what's going to be hot in 2007, and what's not. Read also why you might not want to include a pair of Nike sneakers that can sync with your iPod on your wish list for Christmas, while Malaysian car owners have something to look forward to in the coming year.

• Talkback
• Print
• E-mail
• Share
• Alerts

Slashdot

Digg this

close this

Talkback 0 comments

• May the new year bring good tech-ings
• Why make consumers pay more for e-services?
• The German rule of order
• Why Starbucks still brews in Vienna
• What's in a name?

• Bidding farewell to Singapore's open source advocate
• How technology has ruined relationships
• No cash? Show me your finger
• Is technology making us lazy?
• Should journalists play bloggers?

2009

2008

2007

2006

• The Internet as the medium
• May the new year bring good tech-ings
• High tech undone by low tech failings
• Reflections of an eternal optimist
• Thanks for a great 2008

Eileen Yu

Eileen Yu began covering the IT industry when Asynchronous Transfer Mode was still hip and e-commerce was the new buzzword. These days, she gets stirred up over issues concerning Internet regulation, intellectual property rights and software patents, online privacy and data protection. Eileen is senior editor at ZDNet Asia, where she oversees the business tech news site.