Top > Business > 2006 > August > 2006-08-01

Offshoring Gives Way to Homeshoring in Asia-Pacific

The International Data Corporation, or IDC, has announced a new trend in call centers and business process outsourcing providers in Asia Pacific countries is rising. It is called "homeshoring", and involves individual customer care agents working from their homes. The IDC said "homeshoring" was first noticed during the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, when companies told some of their agents to take calls from home rather than risk travel outside.

A recent IDC report, "First There was Offshoring, Now There is Homeshoring", points to several advantages of "homeshoring"...among them "cutting back in fuel consumption for those with vehicles, a decline in time spent commuting, and most importantly providing extra time for employees to fulfill parental roles." Published in a Philippine daily newspaper, the report says that "homeshoring requires an individual to have an adequate computer and a secure broadband Internet connection."

"Homeshoring, otherwise known as telecommuting in other companies," the report says, "also aids in reducing the amount of vehicular traffic due to fewer people driving to work and disrupting the spread of respiratory diseases from interaction with people in the workplace. It also provides possible employment opportunities for older but skilled professionals who cannot travel long distances."