Computer, 4th Edition

13 Globalization

DOI: 10.4324/9781003263272-19

COMPUTER PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION has long ceased to be only a Western phenomenon. Although globalization of the computer industry had begun well before the dawn of the twenty-first century, it was greatly accelerated by the rise of mobile computing in the form of laptops, tablets, cellphones, and smartphones. In the present century, American firms such as Microsoft, Apple, and IBM remained highly innovative and profitable. The continued success of American manufactures, however, was sustained in large part by offshoring and outsourcing. Offshoring companies – for which India became the most prominent location – produce software and provide computer services at low cost for tech giants abroad. ...