oDesk is a company with a global job marketplace and a
series of tools targeted at businesses that intend to hire and manage remote
workers. Based in Redwood City, CA, oDesk was founded in 2003 by Greek
entrepreneurs Odysseas Tsatalos and Stratis Karamanlakis.
oDesk is the largest among a number of companies, including
Elance, Freelancer, Guru and vWorker (formerly Rent A Coder), that create
marketplaces in which independent contractors and their clients can contact one
another. These sites often manage the payments, and make money by charging
membership fees and/or take a cut of the payment. The cuts can range from 4
percent to 15 percent. oDesk charges 10% but does not charge a membership fee.
oDesk allows clients to create online work teams coordinated
and paid through the company's proprietary software and website. The name is a
short version of "online desk" in reference to the company's intent
to enable anyone to work anywhere, anytime. Prospective clients can post jobs
for free, and freelance workers (“contractors”) may create profiles and bid on
jobs, also for free. The company collects 10 percent of the payment. Payments
are made through oDesk, which handles many bookkeeping tasks for the
transaction. In addition to the marketplace aspect and the payment/bookkeeping
services, the company uses collaborative software, “oDesk Team,” that allows
clients to see a provider's progress while he or she is billing time.
The company describes itself as an online workplace. As of
Jan. 10, 2009, the company reports that nearly 37,000 of its 170,000 providers
are in the United States[citation needed]. The company's site is entirely in
English, and all transactions are made in U.S. dollars. The site does not post
statistics regarding locations of buyer companies. In December 2009, the
company's self-reported tally of services paid through its site had passed $113
million.[citation needed] The specific areas of expertise supported by the site
include web development and a wide variety of programming/software development
skills, graphic design, writing and administrative support. The company
provides voluntary skills tests in various disciplines from English aptitude to
specific programming skills, and profiles include a feedback mechanism.
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