Crowdsourcing and the virtual workplace

A friend sent this link - How the Virtual Workforce is Changing Everything. It's a good article talking about how telecommuting and outsourcing has morphed into this greater concept of crowdsourcing, also referred to as the Virtual Workplace. From the article:

Companies should not view this new work style [crowdsourcing] as a cost-saving, short-term measure, as there are start-up costs involved.

A big distinguishing factor of this model is that it is a call for work. Many people will reply. Many of them may have a full time job doing other things.

"I don't know if it will ever become the replacement for an employer and an employee in the traditional sense -- but this work style is now a part of the ecosystem. It's sort of a third way," he [Jeff Howe, contributing editor for Wired Magazine] said. 

It is interesting how it warns companies not to crowdsourcing and telecommuting it as a short term solution but also lets them know that this, to some extent, is here whether we like it or not.