oDesk /

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. Outsourcing, the trend of contracting out jobs, often to lower-cost regions where labor may more cheaply be employed, has prompted the creation of various online services designed to create a marketplace in which freelance workers and potential employers can connect. oDesk is one among a number of companies, including Elance, Freelancer, Guru and vWorker (formerly Rent A Coder), that create marketplaces in which employers and freelancers 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. noDesk allows employers (“buyers”) to create online workteams coordinated and paid through the company's proprietary software and website.