The Digital Divide: are we ready to breach the chasm?

Friedman in his 2005 epic book “The World is Flat” argues that convergence of personal computer with fiber-optic micro cable, along with the rise of work flow software, will have a flattening effect on world commerce and trade. It will create a level playing field, where developing economies will be able to compete with developed economies on even terms, leveraging converged Information & Communication Technology (ICT). However critic of Friedman, including noble prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz were critical of Friedman’s book. In “Making Globalization Work” Stiglitz writes: “Friedman is right that there have been dramatic changes in the global economy and global landscape; in some directions, the world is much flatter than it has ever been, with those in various parts of the world being more connected than they have ever been, but the world is not flat. Not only is the world not flat: in many ways it has been getting less flat.” The reason for this is the worldwide “Digital Divide” that is being manifested by the rapid deployment of ICT. The digital divide is an inequality or gap between groups, broadly construed, in terms of access, use and knowledge of ICT. Not only is this divide widening between developed and developing economies, but is also manifest within a developed economy like US. This divide is visible within the US population when one analyses usage of ICT against factors such as education and income levels, age, sex and race.

Best Practices in Adopting a Shared Services Model

In their endeavors to become high performing organizations, businesses are pushing all innovation frontiers to do more with less and achieve excellence even in these times of curtailed budgets. Shared services is one such definitive innovative model that many organizations have adopted to beat the ever growing challenges of seamless service delivery, consolidation of distributed accountabilities, progressive efficiency improvements, and fiscal pressures.

Strategic Sourcing of IT Services by the US Government – Budgets and Trends

Strategic Sourcing, largely beneficial, has always evoked cautionary reactions from the US Government and public at large. Currently US Government is caught between cutting budget spends and gaining greater efficiencies for public service. Strategic sourcing can not only help the US Government deliver better public services but also gain significant cost savings year on year. This paper attempts at breaking the taboo of outsourcing by showing that if properly managed, strategic sourcing can result in great cost savings while increasing cost and process efficiencies.

Social Media: Is it relevant for IT Outsourcing Industry

Internet and Information Technology, with the advent of social media, has brought in revolutionary changes in the way individuals and firms interact and transact commerce. The IT outsourcing industry has been taking steps to leverage the immense potential of social media to connect potentials buyers and influence and the contribution it makes to enhance the brand value of the service provider.

Proactive Players will benefit from Cloud Computing

Recent trends show that transition to a Cloud environment will eventually benefit the outsourcing industry. Both, Buyers and Providers of Outsourcing services will discover tremendous benefits. This article by Avasant Partner, Anupam Govil is featured in the digital issue of “Source Cloud – Guide to the impact of cloud computing on global sourcing of services” by Global Services Media in November 2012 issue.

Platform BPO and its Impact on Outsourcing

Platform BPO is also known as Business Platform as a Service (BPaaS) or Business Process as a Utility (BPU) and is essentially an end-to-end process management service hosted on cloud. Platform BPO provides an alternative to legacy outsourcing that has been coming under pressure in the current volatile economic scenario due to its inflexible contracting structure, lack of innovation and want of business value addition. Platform BPO can be viewed as a union of Software as a Service and Infrastructure as a Services for an entire Business Process.