Class Discussion - Offshore Outsourcing A recent study suggests that the United States cumulatively will lose 3.4 million jobs to offshore outsourcing by the year 2015, far fewer than are lost due to new technology, domestic competition, and consumer tastes. B&L Consulting, Inc., the company you work for as a systems analyst, steadfastly has refused to use offshore outsourcing, claiming they prefer to employ homeland citizens. The company's competitors, on the other hand, have been using offshore outsourcing for some time. Of particular concern is the recent outsourcing by a competitor of the entire development of an accounting system to a firm in India. Your promotion to senior systems analyst gives you a voice on the B&L Consulting, Inc. senior management team. The major agenda item for next month's meeting is the outsourcing of the company's proposed accounts receivable system to a firm in Indonesia. Use the Web and/ or other media and the material in Chapter 12 to research outsourcing and then prepare a discussion that addresses the following questions: Do you think systems can be developed entirely overseas? Why or why not? What are the major advantages and disadvantages of developing systems offshore? Is offshore outsourcing an alternative that our capitalistic economy can do without? If so, how?