Companies putting computer work into small towns

A few weeks ago, we wrote about some American companies that are using home-based customer service agents instead of sending those jobs overseas. Northrop Grumman Corp., a global defense and technology corporation, is taking that step further by opening information-technology centers in seven small towns, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The L.A.-based company picked Corsicana, Tex., and six other small cities, including Lebanon, Va., and Helena, Mont., reports the Times' Peter Pae. The employees at these centers will "develop software and troubleshoot technical problems for clients hundreds or thousands of miles away," he writes. "It costs Northrop about 40 percent less to have the work done in Corsicana than in Los Angeles – savings similar to what would be achieved by sending jobs overseas."

Pae also points to moves by Accenture and Dell Computer as other examples of companies picking up on this trend. The big winners are the small towns because these white-collar jobs can diversify the local economy and have inspired some growth, such as in Corsicana. (Read more)