Thursday, December 4, 2014
TWIF - Chapter 1 Reflection
After you have read and taken notes on Chapter 1, "While I Was Sleeping," use one of the current events sources linked at http://svhs-hwc-spring2015.blogspot.com/2014/12/approved-sources-for-twif-current.html to find a recent news article that relates to, supports, or refutes Friedman's assertions. Your comment should include the title of the news article, a link to the article, and a summary of the article including an explanation of how the article relates to an issue addressed in chapter 1 of TWIF. Don't forget to check your rubric for evaluation criteria!
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"Infosys reports 21% rise in quarterly profit"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.com/news/business-28260167
BBC News report that the company Infosys, had an increase profit. The quarterly profit increased by 21%. Like mentioned in "The World is Flat", Infosys is one of the many companies that uses outsourcing. Outsourcing is obtaining services from foreign countries and outside sources. Friedman stresses the importance of outsourcing for the development of the company. Supporting the statement, Infosys which uses outsourcing, had a large increase in their quarterly profits. Not only their quarterly profits has increased, but also their stocks jumped 4%. Clearly, outsourcing is beneficial to the company. Outsourcing, to reach for support from overseas countries, is becoming more common and leading companies to success.
"No Comment Necessary: Proud of Outsourcing"
ReplyDeletehttp://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/no-comment-necessary-proud-of-outsourcing/
In Chapter 1, "While I Was Sleeping," Friedman addresses that outsourcing, the use of people from all around the world to work for companies stationed all around the world, is one of the key factors of the flattening of the world. He explains that outsourcing provides connections for people working for any company. The staff of a company may be located halfway across the world, working at the same stage as the staff of a company in its main building. This article addresses David Perdue, a nominee to represent Georgia in the Senate, and how he believes that outsourcing is something to be proud of. He addresses the fact that people are worried about outsourcing because of the competition between America and the rest of the world, which was also mentioned by Friedman in this first chapter.
"Silicon Valley Turns Its Eye to Education"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/12/technology/silicon-valley-turns-its-eye-to-education.html?ref=technology
The first chapter of "The World is Flat" talks about Silicon Valley because technology is a huge part of the flattening process. In the first chapter, Friedman discusses that once computers were created the world became united as a whole. The computer allowed for people to state their beliefs for the whole world to see. The more people communicate electronically, the more equal we became in the technology field. This article discusses that there have been many new apps created to communicate efficiently and effectively with people all over. For example, Remind is an app that teachers use to help their students stay on top of assignments and studying, but it also allows the parents to stay updated with what is happening in their children's school life. Overall, this article discusses new ways in which technology continues to flatten the world.
Could technology replace you at work and put wealth in the hands of the few?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pri.org/stories/2014-09-07/could-technology-replace-you-work-and-put-wealth-hands-few
In chapter 1 of "The World is Flat," Friedman talks about how the flattening of the world started with the falling of the Berlin Wall, and continued with the outsourcing of companys' jobs to places such as, India. This article relates to Friedman's research, and points, because outsourcing was the replacement of American workers, for a cheaper and more productive type of work. This article is about the replacement of some types of jobs by machinery, and other types of newer electronics. Peoples' jobs can be replaced by a computer that can do the work faster, more successfully, and at a cheaper rate. Not only does this article relate to the fact that the flattening of the world has put the average American jobs at risk, but also that the world is flattening more and more as time moves on, just as Friedman predicted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/06/technology/companies/06xerox.html
ReplyDeleteXerox Increases Outsourcing to India
In chapter one of “The World is Flat,” Friedman mentions how outsourcing is helping large companies to expand overseas to increase efficiency. An example of this is the company, Xerox, which is expected to spend approximately one-hundred-million dollars to expand their company to India. Currently, Xerox only has businesses set up in North America and Europe. Xerox decided to expand the company to India because it has teamed up with a company known as HCL, which is also a software company. Both companies’ profits have decreased in the past few years, which has caused them to outsource.
"Outsourced Call Centers Return, to U.S. Homes"
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.spoken.com/2010/09/homesourcing-the-new-outsourcing.html
In Chapter One of "The World is Flat," Friedman talks about JetBlue Airways Corp. and their strategy of homesourcing. He explains that the founder of the company said that the employees that worked at home were thirty percent more productive. This article relates to the text because it explains how homesouring is becoming the new trend for corporations. Outsourcing is becoming less and less cost efficient, while homesourcing doesn't require the corporation to pay for big buildings and infrastructure costs. Still though, the prices between homesourcing and outsourcing are fairly similar. The main difference is service quality. Employees that work at home provide better customer service, which provides good reviews for more clients to use their company.
"Who's Reading Your X-Ray"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/16/business/who-s-reading-your-x-ray.html
In chapter one of "The World is Flat" Friedman talks about about outsourcing and the many different forms of it such as tech support and credit card sales. I decided to look deeper into the topic of outsourcing and find different uses for it and one that caught my eye was medical image outsourcing. In the article it says that an image is taken by a X-Ray, MRI, or CAT-Scan machine and then it is electronically sent to India for radiologists there to examine it and send back results. This is making American radiologists angry because they feel that their jobs are being taken. This form of outsourcing is also labeled as being bad because it doesn't allow the doctor to discuss with the radiologist to diagnose the problem collaboratively. These types of relationships in the hospital between doctors and radiologists are important to provide the best service for the patient. This goes along with the book by showing that outsourcing levels the playing field allowing even jobless Indian radiologists to find work. This also slightly goes against the book by showing that in some ways outsourcing can be problematic. Friedman's point on outsourcing are both refuted and supported by this article.
“India: Outsourcing Firm Sees Decline”
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/business/global/16fobriefs-OUTSOURCINGF_BRF.html
In the first chapter of “The World is Flat”, Friedman discusses one of the big flatteners of the world, which is outsourcing. One of the places that Friedman talks about is India, and he says, “India is an unbelievably rich place for recruiting people, not only with technical skills but also financial skills.” In this article, it states that “Infosys Technologies forecast a drop in annual revenue as global demand for outsourcing slowed in a harsh economic climate.” The company in Bangalore reported that there was a twenty-nine percent jump in quarterly earnings. However, it also states that India, with their sixty-billion dollar outsourcing sector, will have a rise in competition with their rival companies, such as I.B.M.
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ReplyDelete"Multi-Nationals Lead Indias IT Revolution"
ReplyDeletehttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6288247.stm
In the first chapter of "The World is Flat" Friedman talks about e-tutoring. He says that when people from the United States want help with their homework they re able to get it from people in India. In this article, it says that this service is sweeping the world of business, and helping to change the face of India. The Internet has changed the fact that people are now able to exchange services and not just goods. India has become the center of this because it has a highly intelligent workforce and many graduates each year. Multinationals rush in for this opportunity and great advancement. More than 500 companies have IT operations in Bangalore alone. The fact that higher technological advances companies have located in India can bring even more advantages.
"Predator Drone Involved in Latest U.S. Airstrikes in Iraq"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/08/08/predator-drone-involved-in-latest-u-s-airstrikes-in-iraq/
In Chapter 1 of "The World is Flat" Friedman briefly discusses how he saw an American soldier watching the camera of a predator drone that was providing images of Iraq, while it was being controlled by an expert at the Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. The article "Predator Drone Involved in Latest U.S. Airstrikes in Iraq" explains how a predator drone was used to carry out an air strike in Iraq. The drone was operated by someone back in the United States. This article shows that these drones are not only used how Friedman saw them being used, to gain intelligence from foreign countries, but also to attack.
A Look at Minimum Wages Around The World
ReplyDeletehttp://www.businessinsider.com/a-look-at-minimum-wages-around-the-world-2013-8
In Chapter 1 of The World is Flat, Friedman addresses his sight of the headquarters of many American companies such as Pizza Hut, Texas Instruments and HP in Bangalore, India. This led me to wonder why American companies had such an interest in offshoring. I researched the difference in minimum wages between Eastern Asian countries and the United States. The U.S. pays $7.25 per hour for the minimum, while India pays a mere 28 cents per hour. How can one sustain life on 28 cents an hour. For an 8 hour shift, a person would make $2.24. That could buy you a McChicken and a Sweet Tea at Mcdonald's per day. It is unbelievably cheaper to pay Indians to do the same work as Americans.
Cyberwarfare greater threat to US than terrorism, say security experts
ReplyDeletehttp://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/1/7/defense-leaders-saycyberwarfaregreatestthreattous.html
Friedman early on makes a little note that the terrorist groups are also benefitting from the flattening of the world. At first I was not sure what he meant but soon realized after what he meant later on in the book. It was not really elaborated on much, so I wanted to learn about what exactly he was talking about. The main thing that “flattened” the world is the internet and all the capabilities that come along with the internet. Today security experts such as employees of the CIA and even the Deputy Secretary of Defense say that Cyber warfare is one of the most, if not the most imminent threat to the United States. Almost everything involves a computer and many depend on computers. Major things like energy grids that sometimes involve nuclear power plants are controlled with computers and could potentially be hacked. Not only energy grids but sanitation plants are susceptible and even airplanes could become targets to be crashed. A hacker, Morgan Marquis-Boire says that the problem with many U.S systems were built before cyber attacks were a threat, so they are more susceptible. Tremendous damage does not have to come from bombs dropped anymore, but from computers anywhere in the world as well.
Xerox gets out of IT outsourcing with sale to Atos
ReplyDeletehttp://www.euronews.com/2014/12/19/xerox-gets-out-of-it-outsourcing-with-sale-to-atos/
In chapter one of The World is Flat, Friedman talks about McDonalds and how it used outsourcing in some of its stores. The McDonalds used outsourcing by having Indians do the work, so they would not have to pay them as much. The article I found shows another example of a U.S. company that used outsourcing. The article says that the U.S. wants to make the company is outsourcing to save money.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/outsourcings-net-effect-on-us-jobs-still-an-open-ended-question/2012/07/01/gJQAs1szGW_story.html
ReplyDeleteIn the first chapter of The World is Flat titled “While I Was Sleeping” Friedman discusses outsourcing. He discusses how outsourcing allowed companies to split service into components. As I did more research on outsourcing I found an article and the article had a quote that really grabbed my attention, it said “Outsourcing is merely an extension of the age-old story of specialization and exchange, whether it is done within a village or country or across national borders.” This makes me question if outsourcing is a good thing for a large business or if insourcing is the better option.
“Twitter Acquires ZipDial, an Indian Startup”
ReplyDeletehttp://dealbook.nytimes.com/2015/01/20/twitter-acquires-indian-start-up/
The first chapter, ‘While I Was Sleeping” describes Friedman’s trip to India. While he is there, he notices the many similarities to modern day America, and cannot decide on whether he is in the new, old, or next world. Along with names and accents, he notices that India has adopted many of America’s business techniques. Most people in India have phones, but may not have access to the Internet. This article discusses how the popular social media site, Twitter, had adopted the Indian startup called ZipDial. This increases the users of twitter because those who have phones but no internet, can still use Twitter. This shows how India is starting to advance technologically, just like America is. Thus, this defends Friedman’s observations of India relating to modern day America.
"India: Outsourcing Firm Sees Decline" http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/business/global/16fobriefs-OUTSOURCINGF_BRF.html
ReplyDeleteI found this article very interesting because it perfectly relates to what Friedman was talking about in the first champter. The article basically says that Infosys Technologies predicts they will see a drop in annual revenue because the demand for global outsourcing slowed. It continues and says that all of the call centers and outsourcing in Bangalore are facing a lower demand now as competition increases with businesses like IBM. This relates to the first chapter because Friedman explained that competition is groing and creating a flatter world as technology and business practices like outsourcing are introduced. This article is a perfect example because is shows how even now the call centers and outsourcing from Bangalore are feeling the competition America felt before it existed. Now Bangalore will have to compete as the competition gets heated just like we did before the outsourcing began. This is a perfect example of how things change quickly. So now that Bangalore is feeling the pressure, where will we outsource next? Will outsourcing slow down as another method of business is introduced?
In the article Globalization, by National Geographic Education, it states "As people, ideas, knowledge, and goods move more easily around the globe, the experiences of people around the world become more similar." Globalization has been happening since people appeared on the Earth. Alexander the Great spread Greek cultures to countries such as Iraq, Egypt, and Turkey. India was the main supply of cotton to merchants and traders in Great Britain. Globalization hit an all-time high in the nineteenth century during the beginning of Industrialization when factories created goods that were shipped to all parts of the world as exports.
ReplyDeleteThis Article relates to the first chapter in twif because Friedman explains that globalization is happening all around us. In India, workers are being trained to speak with different accents, such as English, American and even Australian in order to be able to take calls from around the world and offer technology support. Technology around the world is spreading to many countries, who build on it and send it to other countries. So in this way, all countries are on the same page technology
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/globalization/?ar_a=1&ar_r=3
India can provide employment to 120 bn people in near future: Bandaru Dattatreya
ReplyDeletehttp://www.myiris.com/news/economy-policy/india-can-provide-employment-to-120-bn-people-in-near-future-bandaru-dattatreya/20150121104210717#sthash.QeBLzpJE.dpuf
In the book written in 2005, Friedman explains how the US is using Indians to outsource their work. He explains how quickly this is happening and growing. Hence the chapter title, "While I was sleeping", meaning all this globalization happened, so fast and secretly. This article is written recently, and just shows how quickly globalization is evolving, as more work is being outsourced to Indians. The article suggests that about 120 billion Indians will be available to outsource work in the near future. The government is working hard to increase education and train Indians in the fields of skills, vocational, technology , and infrastructure. This is going to be a big challenge for India, but if done effectively, there will be a lot of skilled people available work the workplace.