IBM Seeks US Patents For Offshoring US Jobs

theodp writes "IBM and other corporations are seeking patents for inventions covering the offshoring of US jobs. The USPTO is considering IBM's patent application for Outsourcing of Services, a 'method for identifying human-resource work content to outsource offshore of an organization' to 'countries where cheaper labor prices and/or cheaper materials are available.' Then there's Big Blue's Electronic Marketplace for Identifying, Assessing, Reserving and Engaging Knowledge-Workers for an Assignment Using Trade-Off Analysis, which provides a handy-dandy IBM calculator that drives home the point that you'll pay less for IGS India workers, whether onshore or offshore. And with its System and Method of Using Speech Recognition at Call Centers to Improve Their Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction, IBM describes how to operate in 'low cost foreign countries' with 'support people not having good English language skills, or having an accent that makes it difficult to understand them' by exploiting technology developed for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as other accent reduction techniques."

Exploit this...

[UncleTogie]

"...by exploiting technology developed for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as other accent reduction techniques."

Speaking as a guy that's 70% deaf, these "techniques" could suck the chrome off a Harley. I have to ask accented people to repeat themselves, speak slower, and have YET to find one that knows the meaning of the word 'enunciate'. Heck, I had to get transferred 3-4 times one call to find someone who knew the definition of either "deaf" OR "hearing-impaired".

I won't argue that these patents might make some cash in the short term, but I'm curious if they've factored in the value of consumer good will...

Isn't this a good thing?

[Kainaw]

If a few companies patent the entire outsourcing process, they will make it difficult for others to outsource. Then, there will be more domestic jobs and they'll have to work with immigration to outsource the labor here at home (where they will at least pump a little of their pay back into the economy).

Can they do this?

[SanityInAnarchy]

Specifically, can you patent a business practice, or a business model?

I can understand patenting technologies that lead up to it, but patenting the whole thing? I have no idea if that's within the scope of a patent...

No wholesale slaughter.

[gbutler69]

I didn't intend to imply there should be wholesale slaughter. What I meant to convey is that these actions are meant to undermine everything valuable about a civil society where people have a right to dignity, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Those who would work to deprive us of these rights, must be stopped. With complete and utter finality!

There is a way to win without firing a shot...

[AmazingRuss]

...starve them. They make their money off us, off of what we buy, off of what we earn. If we cut our earning and spending to the bone, it cuts their food supply.

Work as little as possible, buy as little as possible.

This requires no organization.

This requires no violence.

This requires no breaking of laws.

This requires no political power.

The only sacrifice is being poor, and we are going to end up that way anyway.

In return, you get ample free time.

Re:Rah rah USA

[ciggieposeur]

Hey, I can put Windows on a machine, and watch a movie after it is installed.

Oh cool! So which version of Windows did they finally put DVD playback in out of the box?

Becuase I've installed up to XP sp2 and it never worked, I always had to install some 3rd-party DVD playback software before WMP would finally play the movie...

Re:Buy Apple?

[LEgregius]

I called apple the other day for a technical problem on a machine, and the person I spoke to did not speak English as his first language. He also didn't speak it very well or understand me very well. We managed to communicate well enough in the end, but I was not very happy with my experience. Either way, Apple does hire people who don't speak "perfect" English. Incidently, English is very complicated, and it takes constant effort to speak or write it clearly.