Government Technology

Giving Rural America a Competitive Edge


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October 15, 2009 By

When 28-year-old Derek Gleim graduated as a computer programmer four years ago, he hardly expected he would craft a career as an IT professional in his hometown of Menasha, Wis. "I wanted to live with my parents in Menasha, where life is simple and inexpensive," he said. "But I was sure that to get that big break I had to move out to a city that's more urban; Menasha is a small, rural town."

He was pleasantly surprised when he landed a project manager job at Rural America Onshore Sourcing, a Louisville, Ky.-based IT company that provides business process outsourcing services using professionals who telecommute from rural areas.

"Aside from his capabilities, we could hire Derek because -- despite living in 'Middle of Nowhere,' Wisconsin -- he had access to broadband," said Christopher Hytry Derrington, the company's CEO.

Gleim said he's lucky. Although a large section of rural Wisconsin still lacks broadband, he lives in a place that has it. "Broadband is making it possible to do what I want to do, by living where I want to live," he said.

As increasing broadband penetration brings remote and rural regions closer to the world, niche IT services firms, such as Rural America Onshore Sourcing and Xpanxion, are trying to build a sustainable model of rural outsourcing within the United States -- instead of sending IT projects and jobs overseas. Slowly the foundation of this "onshore" outsourcing is being built amid barns and ranches in rural America.


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