Taking a Look at Samasource

INTRODUCTION Many business models rely on outsourcing. This occurs when companies contract out some of their business to a third party. In its most common form, outsourcing is a cost effecting business venture. Companies find it more advantageous to purchase a service from a third party rather than try to provide it internally. It can often save money, time, and result in a more efficient product. The focus here is on information technology outsourcing. This is a bit more specific in that it focuses on subcontracting part of an IT function for a specific corporation. Most companies are using IT outsourcing as a means to save money and benefit from the education of third world countries. By outsourcing to places such as India, China, and the Philippines, companies can save big bucks on labor costs. However, this is a “top-down” way of benefitting from outsourcing. But, what if, instead of focusing on how the big corporations could save money on labor and utilizing third world nations, we focused on how third world nations could benefit from helping the corporations. This would switch the focus, but would still provide a symbiotic relationship for the impoverished and the big city corporations. Samasource has single handedly created a new type of outsourcing referred to as “impact sourcing” This is a new type of business process outsourcing that aims to create jobs for individuals that have little opportunities in an economically depressed community. Impact