oDesk - On demand global workforce

www.odesk.com Hire the best from around the world. Manage as if they were in your office. Pay only for the hours worked. oDesk enables buyers of services to hire, manage, and pay technology service providers from around the world. Buyers choose oDesk for top global talent, comprehensive management tools, and a flexible hourly payment model. Service Providers choose oDesk for challenging jobs and guaranteed payment. Every day, hundreds of buyers and providers work together through oDesk - a unique company at the forefront of reinventing work.

The oDesk Mission

* Build the world's best network of technology service providers through screening, testing, and feedback
* Offer the platform that lets buyers successfully hire, manage, and pay service providers from around the world

The Buyer Challenge

We've worked with thousands of buyers of services seeking to tap the global labor market, and we have found that they face three key challenges:

* How to choose the right service provider, with so many self-proclaimed experts around the world?
* How to manage and pay a remote team, around barriers such as timezone & culture?
* How to avoid getting locked into long-term commitments, since business demands vary week-to-week?

The Provider Challenge

We have built a network of freelance programmers and outsourcing firms from around the world. We have learned that, despite growing local opportunities, most top programmers want to offer their skills to an international customer base. But providers face several key challenges:

* How to find qualified buyers, with interesting of interesting work opportunities?
* How to work effectively with a remote manager, using distributed development tools?
* How to ensure that payment is received on time and in full?

The oDesk Solution

oDesk is as simple as Hire-Manage-Pay.

Hire: the oDesk Marketplace lets buyers search, interview and hire providers from across the globe. Providers can also apply to job openings posted by buyers.

Manage: the oDesk Workplace lets buyers assign tasks, track progress, manage source code, and collaborate. Providers login to work each day at the oDesk Workplace.

Pay: oDesk's payment system charges buyers each week for hours worked, and generates detailed timelogs to give literal visibility into the underlying work activity of providers.