[Tangurena]

From a managerial viewpoint, if folks had the skills to manage telecommuters, they could manage offshoring and save far more $. I contend that most managers have a hard time managing folks directly in front of them and don't have the skills to manage remotely.

[kls]

I don't think it is a one for one, there are a lot of cultural issues to contend with when going off shore. Little things we take for granted as cultural knowledge are not common in other cultures, these macro items filter into software development and we just take it for granted. It is the same reason that if you outsourced the other way, as US team doing development for say India's market, it would have just as high of a risk profile.

[thejteam]

There are different levels of telecommuting. Sometimes it is easier to hash everything out in a face to face meeting. Ideally the telecommuter would live close enough, say up to a few hours drive, that given proper notice they could come in for a meeting. I could see that being abused, but it would give everybody the flexibility of telecommuting but with the ability to meet in real life occasionally.

[gasda]

I think that is also why managers don't like off site employees. Upper management might think a remote employee is the same as and outsourced Person. And decide to outsource due to your successful remote employees.