77-136 "The World is Flat" Software and Outsourcing

1) What is workflow software?

Friedman describes workflow software as a discreet revolution that was happening during the mid 90’s. The software aloud more people to collaborate within a company and between other companies throughout the world, faster than before. This was made possible by the rise of web standards that in essence made it so that all computers spoke the same language.
An example of this process is when company computers have their own version of an operating system. Since most people are not programmers workflow software is utilized that speaks with all the computers in a company. Many of the operations are programmed in so that all the employee has to do is simply click on an operation and boom, its sent throughout the company to the correct spot. It’s fast and easy and there is no language barrier in the network, a lot of the time if a employee that you needed to contact speaks a different language the software just translates it with no issues to the recipients desired language. In my opinion this is a great example on how the world has became interconnect even to these small details.

2) What is open source software and why is it important?

Open source software is a were a company who holds the rights to the software opens up usage and development to multiple people. It pretty much means that the software is alterable and its ok to alter it because the company that holds the rights to the product can use the alterations. It’s important because it allows the world to use the same software but tailor it to their needs. With the core software being the same it makes it easy for the variations to speak with one another. A great example of this is android, it is used in multiple devices of all different versions but it is still android.

3) What is outsourcing and why it is important?

Outsourcing is essentially teaming up with another company to provide you or your company with goods or services. This can actually be between Countries as well, such as having a country train some of your military. Outsourcing is very important to the modern day world; it connects us by utilizing everyone’s skill sets and economies. This is what gives steam to the global economy. A great example that I can think of for this is an auto manufacturer, where various countries produce various parts for the car and companies and all combined into one company to create one product. It’s like the world coming together to build something.

IX-77 "The World is Flat", Summary and My Thoughts

1) What is the difference between Globalization 1.0, Globalization 2.0, and Globalization 3.0?

Globalization 1.0 falls within the era between 1492 and 1800, this is because the world that was once a vast and wide world of independent countries started to become connected. In my opinion it means a world that was once big started to become smaller and more connected.
Globalization 2.0 came in the time frame of 1800-2000, though it was slightly setback by the world wars and the Great Depression. Companies becoming more multinational conceived this era of Globalization. With companies becoming stationed in different countries, importing and exporting goods it made the world even more connected to one another and thus making the world seem even smaller than it did during the first era of Globalization.
We are now sitting in Globalization 3.0; the driving force for this new era of the world is the fact that individuals are now collaborating with one another from all around the world. Think about it this way, you have Skype, Email, social media, being a few of all the various ways the world can communicate with one another with ease. The world has once again become smaller and more connected than ever before. In essence with the world getting smaller it seems to be getting flatter, there are less barriers than ever before.


2) What does the fall of the Berlin Wall mean to Friedman?

Friedman who refers to the fall of the Berlin Wall as 11/9, states that it made alternatives to the free-market more accessible. He also believes that it unlocked energy that was simmering for hundreds of millions of people in oppressed Countries such as India, Brazil and China. All of this as well as the concept of the world as a single market place or a world economy is attributed to the fall of the Berlin Wall. I think that with the world seeing that you can stand up and become one nation, people then saw that they could become one world.

3) Why is the story of Netscape important?

Friedman states that when Netscape went public in 1995 it was another contributing factor to the ever “flattening world.” He breaks up the event into two phases, phase one being the Internet and phase two being the web. The Internet essential connects computers to one another, like in an office network. While the web essentially is email and connects anyone in the world together if they have the same technology. I strongly agree that this is a huge factor in the ever-shrinking world; I mean you can talk to anyone in the world with the push of a button, doesn’t get much smaller than that.