The Outsourcing Sound Bite

A Majority of the Senate may have approved a proposed bill that prohibits government contractors from outsourcing jobs abroad - but there may be more to this issue than how politicians and lawmakers paint it to be.

Which is to say that many politicians present a simplified view of outsourcing. That it's simply a threat to the majority of employed American citizens.

This premise serves as a potent battlecry, ready for use by politicians in an election year. Could this partly be the reason why a flurry of anti-offshore outsourcing bills (39 in 21 states as of latest tally) has been introduced since just last year?

Analysts from META Group agree that the anti-outsourcing alarm is getting a lot of media mileage lately. This is partly politically-driven and sure to escalate as election day draws near.

According to them, potential outsourcers can find reassurance in the fact that there is a difference between how a government and a CIO understand outsourcing.

Despite all the bad PR outsourcing has been getting, they said this has a negligible effect on consumer perception. Meaning, a customer will not necessarily choose Company A over Company B just because the latter outsources to other countries like India.

Rather, META analysts suggest that outsourcers pour in a portion of savings culled from outsourcing to community training programs, just enough to counter negative public perception.

META stands firm on its argument that any laws that are passed will not affect the economy the way politicians are hoping.

The fact that Republicans and Democrats have taken opposing views on outsourcing means for every anti-outsourcing view, there will be a pro-outsourcing one.