Patent filing describes IBM's new offshoring math

IBM last week filed a patent application for an offshore outsourcing methodology that's intended to help companies minimize the financial risks associated with sending work overseas.

The patent application describes a computer-driven approach for putting values on both the quantitative and qualitative attributes of a "global resource sourcing strategy." For instance, the methodology takes into account the language skills and morale of offshore workers, as well as a list of the hard numbers involved in setting up an offshore operation, including labor rates and currency valuations.

In short, IBM is attempting to reduce offshoring considerations to a mathematic model - or, in the words of the application, "a robust and reusable sourcing template" for identifying and analyzing "global resource pools."

For IBM itself, the patent filing couldn't be any timelier. The company submitted the application to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office last Thursday, the same day it confirmed that it is eliminating more jobs in its North American operations.

IBM didn't disclose any details about the planned cutbacks, but Alliance@IBM, a union local that isn't recognized as an official bargaining unit, has said it expects between 4,000 and 5,000 workers to be let go. The union thinks the cuts are part of a plan by IBM to send more jobs overseas, following an earlier round of reductions in January.

Sign up for ITworld's Daily newsletter
Follow ITworld on Twitter @IT_world

• Email
• Print
• Share
  • Slashdot
  • Digg
  • Stumble
  • Reddit
  • Newsvine